This story was provided and sponsored by Alliance Tutoring.
According to a report put out by the ACT, a college testing agency, the national average in the United States for college freshman retention rate is 65.7%. That means that more than one third of college freshman in American colleges will not make it to the second year. There are a variety of explanations for this startling number, but for many– particularly those with Learning Differences, Anxiety, or ADHD– they lack the resources needed to make the difficult jump into higher education and a radically more independent lifestyle.
While most colleges have services designed to support their young students– such as academic support centers, counselors, residential monitors– many of them are overbooked and under-motivated to take a personal interest in the success of individual students. The staffs are also frequently drawn from the school’s own student body or recent graduates, lacking the experience to provide the know-how needed to guide them effectively and to create foundational relationships. Moreover, the systems can often be abstract or difficult to use, resulting in many students simply giving up on them.
Alliance Tutoring has a staff of experienced educators and mentors drawn from elite private schools in New England with impressive academic backgrounds who can provide comprehensive support to young college or high school students in a variety of areas, with one primary goal: to help a new student thrive in the academic, extra-curricular and social forums of education. The relationships can be life-altering, having profound impacts on not only current status, but on a teen or young adult’s future. The potential areas of focus include…
- Straight Academics: Students can benefit greatly under the tutelage of an expert in any field.
- Study Skills: Preparing effectively for quizzes and tests outside of class time.
- Executive Function: Setting up and checking with a student on their planning and self-management, with classes and extra-curricular activities.
- Developing Relationships: effectively beginning and pursuing relationships with professors.
- Social Challenges: non-invasive coaching through complex social issues and their interface with academics and extra-curriculars.
- Mental Health: Negotiating mental health and its role in maintaining a healthy balance for success.
- Life Management: Guidance on course selection, extra-curricular commitments, and balancing the demands of family life.
The meetings can be conducted online through Zoom, a recommended two to three times per week in frequency, offering flexibility in scheduling and availability; in person and in-home options are also available. If the student believes they have all extra-curricular management of their life covered on their own, the sessions can take a largely academic quality, focusing strictly on course material.
Ultimately, the goal for these teens and young adults is to create autonomy and self-actualization, but some are just simply not ready. Research in brain development has proven that prefrontal cortex development (the part of the brain involved in higher level thinking and executive function) is not complete until 25 or even 30, particularly for boys. This type of devoted individual service in taking off the metaphorical training wheels can make a huge difference in a time of great vulnerability. With so much care in finding the right place for a teen to succeed, it only makes sense to follow that up with the resources to allow for their transitional success.
SUBJECTS TUTORED
- Science (Earth Science, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science, Psychology & Physics)
- Mathematics (Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics, Pre-Calculus & Calculus)
- English Literature and Language (All levels and subjects)
- Foreign Languages (Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Latin, Greek & more)
- History (World, Human Geo, US, European, Comp Gov, Modern, Ancient, All subjects)
- Extra Curriculars (Music, Art History, Film Studies, Computer Programming & more)
To learn more about Alliance Tutoring, go to alliancetutoring.org. To contact them and schedule a free consultation, click here.
