Copyright © 2003 - 2016 AbacusTD formerly Abacus Group LLC. Terms of use statement.
Consulting & Tutoring - for students
How do I choose an education/college consultant? There are generally two types of consultants: firm-based and private-individuals. Either can be an excellent choice. Keep in mind, regardless of how many consultants a firm may have, the only one that matters is the one working with the student. The more effective consultant is often a "T-shaped" expert - someone with breadth of strong qualifications and depth in a particular specialty. The increasingly integrated and competitive nature of education is making generalists and single-subject specialists less of an effective choice for many students. Make sure the approach is driven by the student's learning style rather than what the consultant offers.
most of all fit with the student. Don't confuse the educational achievements and the prior profession of the consultant with the consultant's ability as a teacher, coach, mentor, and strategist. Beware that many consultants - alumni, lawyers, or English teachers - may seem to be qualified advisors but won't know what a college admissions evaluator is primarily looking for unless they have served in admissions evaluations. This includes former deans, who don't evaluate piles of applications. The single most common fatal error that applicants make is to emulate a previously admitted applicant's background or essays, not knowing that often that applicant was admitted despite several deficiencies including sub-standard essays.
he/she can do alone?" Click here for more information on how to choose a consultant.
Students range from middle school through university levels. They come from public or private schools. Home-schooled students are accepted as well. Many though not all are on an accelerated path. They often are actively involved in at least one primary extra-curricular activity either athletic or academic. Foreign exchange students and students who are not fluent in English (ESL or ESOL students) are accepted; however, all instruction is conducted in English. Students who are younger than middle school- aged or have special needs are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Since students learn in different ways at different speeds regardless of subject matter, there is no “typical” session per se. Each session is uniquely focused on the student’s learning objectives. Some commonalities in sessions are:
are occasionally used for specific esoteric subjects at the high school and undergraduate levels. How long? Each session is a minimum of one hour and typically ranges one to two hours. The first session(s) is/(are) typically focused on diagnostics and brainstorming. Follow-up sessions for writing are often conducted via email exchanges where time is measured by the amount of time the consultant spends writing remarks. How many students? A session is usually one-on-one though small groups typically no larger than five are acceptable. Such groups must be organized and coordinated solely by the students or parents in the case of minors. We do not publicly disclose students' information or participation and respect the privacy and confidentiality wishes of the client. Where? We meet in either an AbacusTD office location, a mutually agreeable yet practical public location such as a school or library, or via online video chat. Private in-home consulting and tutoring are available on a case-by-case basis. Click here for AbacusTD locations and addresses.
Though we prefer to work face-to-face, much of our consulting can be conducted remotely via real-time video Skype or phone conference calls. Most of our editing and essay reviews are most effectively conducted simply via email. Several students we work with are outside the Southeast including outside the U.S.
To the student, a session will feel like a combination of being in a school class, private tutoring, and being coached for an activity. Students are assigned homework only to the extent his/her actual school work does not suffice as material for the learning objectives. The learning objective drives the learning material and homework. Writing for example often involves working on a student's current work - school essays, college application essays, SAT practice essays, newspaper articles, creative prose, or research reports. Speaking for example involves timed preparation, video recorded speaking with critique, and practice speeches with interactive critique.
Abacus does not work with every student who approaches us, as we are focused on our ability to help the student successfully achieve their desired outcomes. The client is billed only for work specifically requested; we do not unilaterally initiate work and automatically charge the client. The retainer option allots unlimited access. The contract is non-exclusive and can be cancelled anytime with a 100% refund of any unused credits. Abacus maintains strict confidentiality of all private arrangements and students' identities. How do I get started? To get started or for more information, contact Steve Ahn at Steve.Ahn@AbacusTD.com or 678-468- 6421 - or request that we contact you. |
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