Participants will get a free 1-hour tutoring lesson (worth $80).[See Page ii for details]Secrets of 2012 Early Decision results revealed

NBC News: Chinese applications to U.S. schools skyrocket &

ThinkTank Learning offers solutions

How to take great notes?

Top 50 Best U.S. Colleges

R

ThinkTankLEARNING EDUCATION SPRING 2012

Shanghai: Head of the (global) class

NBC News: Chinese applications to U.S. schools skyrocket &

ThinkTank Learning offers solutions

Spring Education SeminarSecrets of 2012 Early Decision results revealed

Participants will get a free 1-hour tutoring lesson (worth $80).[See Page ii for details]

Top 50 Best U.S. Colleges

How did one of our students win the Siemens Competition?

ThinkTank Learning Spring Class SchedulesThinkTank Learning Spring Class Schedules

How to take great notes?

Cornell University

NYU

NYU

Johns Hopkins

University

U Penn

Cornell University

In 2012, Mills High had 6 students who were accepted through early decision or early action plans. 4 of them were

students from ThinkTank Learning.

Content

Education Medi aTM

Princeton UniversityHarvard UniversityColumbia UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania(Wharton)University of Chicago

V. E.R. H.J. C.K. F.G. L.

A. L.K. K. K. F.E. L.A. F.

Northwestern UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of Michigan-Ann ArborRice UniversityUniversity of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Education Seminar Secrets of 2012 Early Decision results revealed [FREE Admission]

In 2012, Mills High had 6 students who were accepted through early decision or early action plans. 4 of themwere students from ThinkTank Learning. Feel free to contact us for more details.

Duke UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityCornell UniversityNew York UniversityGeorgetown Universityand many many more ...

E. Y.J. H.A. L.K. M.A. F.

Feb 4, 10:30am Fremont : Club Sport Fremont (Conference Room) 46650 Landing Pkwy

Feb 4, 2:30pm Sunnyvale: The King’s Academy (TKA Theater) 562 N. Britton Ave

Feb 5, 10:30am Foster City: Crowne Plaza (Alexandria Room) 1221 Chess Dr

Feb 5, 2:30pm San Francisco: SFSU (Cesar Chavez Student Center) 1650 Holloway Ave

Feb 5, 3:00pm San Ramon: Community Center (Terrace Room) 12501 Alcosta Blvd

Register online at www.TTLearning.com, or call us to register.

Congratulations!!! Angela Zhang, a student of ThinkTank Learning’s Cupertino Center, recently won a $100,000 scholarship in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology.

Since 2002

Your success begins here

R

Participants will get a free 1-hour tutoring lesson (worth $80). Please contact us for more details.

iii. How did one of our students win the Siemens Competition?

iv. Shanghai: Head of the (global) class

vi. NBC News: Chinese applications to U.S. schools skyrocket

viii. 4 Tech Tips for Parents to Embrace Digital Education

x. How to take great notes?

xii. US NEWS Top 50 Best Colleges 2012

xiii. Student Testimonials

xiv. Do you know the answers?

17. Spring 2012 Class Schedules (1)

20 Spring 2012 Class Schedules (2)

Content ThinkTank Education Magazine

2012 Spring Issue is published on February 1st. First issue was released in January, 2007.

Publisher ThinkTank Learning Education Media

Chief Editor T.K. Hu

Executive Editor / Art Pauline Chan, Chris Pai

Proofread / Translation Pauline Chan, Chris Pai

Address 3300 Central Expressway, Santa Clara, CA 95051

Telephone No. 408.330.9300

Fax No. 815.371.2411

Website www.TTLearning.com

Copyright 2012 ThinkTank Learning. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed are those of individual authors and do not represent the opinions or policies of ThinkTank Learning.

ii

Content

Princeton UniversityHarvard UniversityColumbia UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania(Wharton)University of Chicago

V. E.R. H.J. C.K. F.G. L.

A. L.K. K. K. F.E. L.A. F.

Northwestern UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of Michigan-Ann ArborRice UniversityUniversity of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Education Seminar Secrets of 2012 Early Decision results revealed [FREE Admission]

In 2011, Mills High had 6 students who were accepted through early decision and early action plans. 4 of themwere students from ThinkTank Learning. Feel free to contact us for more details.

Duke UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityCornell UniversityNew York UniversityGeorgetown Universityand many many more ...

E. Y.J. H.A. L.K. M.A. F.

Feb 4, 10:30am Fremont : Club Sport Fremont (Conference Room) 46650 Landing Pkwy

Feb 4, 2:30pm Sunnyvale: The King’s Academy (TKA Theater) 562 N. Britton Ave

Feb 5, 10:30am Foster City: Crowne Plaza (Alexandria Room) 1221 Chess Dr

Feb 5, 2:30pm San Francisco: SFSU (Cesar Chavez Student Center) 1650 Holloway Ave

Feb 5, 3:00pm San Ramon: Community Center (Terrace Room) 12501 Alcosta Blvd

Register online at www.TTLearning.com, or call us to register.

Congratulations!!! Angela Zhang, a student of ThinkTank Learning’s Cupertino Center, recently won a $100,000 scholarship in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology.

Since 2002

Your success begins here

R

Participants will get a free 1-hour tutoring lesson (worth $80). Please contact us for more details.

How did Angela Zhang, a student

of ThinkTank Learning’s Cupertino Center, win the 2011 Siemens

Competition in Math, Science, and Technology?

iii. How did our student win the Siemen’s Competition?

iv. What can we learn from China’s top-scoring school system?

vi. NBC News: Chinese applications to U.S. schools skyrocket

viii. 4 Tech Tips for Parents to Embrace Digital Education

x. How to take great notes

xii. Do you know the answer?

xiii. Student Testimonial

xiv. US NEWS top 50 best colleges 2012

Balance your academic and extra-curricular activities

Exercise good time manage-ment

Develop passion in your studies

Always ask “Why?”

For science students choosing the right col-leges, look for schools that have good re-search programs.

To develop extra-curricular activities, you can start look-ing for what you are interested in when you are a freshman or sophomore.

Find a learning system that works well for you.

SAT Tips: When eliminating incorrect answers, you can’t eliminate the answer that you think might be wrong. You have to find out the precise reason why the answer is wrong. Practice more and it will be become an instinct to get the answer right.

Don’t look at the SAT as a test. Look at it as a learn-ing opportunity to learn information that you can use in the future.

Take some tough courses because colleges look for the students who have passion in certain subjects.

iii

iv

Let’s say you’re a 10-year-old student in Shanghai. What are you doing differently from millions of students around the world? Do you begin with military-style math drills followed by monk-like recitations of philosophy? Not exactly. Try a vigorous hour of exercise. Then of course, you launch into an eight-hour day of academic rigor, during which you’re expected to participate eagerly, ace your (many) tests, and never fail to pay attention.

When school ends, it’s off to music, martial arts, or drawing class – or to meet one of your tutors. Then you get to head home for, you guessed it, homework. At least you can unwind during the weekend, right? Think again: Saturdays and Sundays provide time for yet more extracurricular classes and tutoring.

Hard work pays off

Recent results from the Programme for International Stu-dent Assessment (PISA) suggest that Shanghai students have left their peers in the dust. Their scores weren’t just high – they were stratospheric in math, science, and reading. For the first time, the PISA report included mainland China represented by Shanghai in its testing of high-school students in some 65 countries.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is licking its academic wounds with decidedly ho-hum PISA results; its students coming in “average” for reading and science and for the first time since the test began, dropping into the below aver-age category for math. What can we learn from the faraway metropolis of some 23 million? Along with their serious work ethic, it’s worth noting that the method to their mastery involves more than mindless test prep.

City of learning

Some cities pride themselves on their architecture; others, their restaurants. Shanghai, China’s largest city and its business center, prides itself on its schools, long using a slogan that makes it clear Shanghai is king of the classroom: “First class city, first class education.”

It’s no hollow boast. Shanghai has the country’s most competitive schools and colleges. The first Chinese city to provide universal access to primary and secondary schools, Shanghai’s wager paid off. Students attend col-lege at far higher rate than in other parts of China, and competition for acceptance at the most coveted institutions is keen.

Confucius still teaching

For generations, learning has been prized in China. Going at least far back as Confucius, children were taught the message that school is a temple of learning and education a gift. (Exception: that anti-cultural chapter known as the Cultural Revolu-tion).

The modern-day manifestation of this learning-trumps-all focus means that school doesn’t stop at the school

Shanghai: Head of the (global) classWhat can we learn from China’s top-scoring school system?

By Connie Matthiessen

v

doors. Home life revolves around learning and homework with teachers and parents sharing enormous expectations. As a result, children are, according to PISA, “. . . fully occupied and fully engaged. Non-attentive students are not tolerated . . . such intense concentration is considered a student’s responsibility in Chinese culture.” Outside of school, kids regularly meet with tutors afternoons, evenings, and week-ends and take classes in everything from piano and flute to calligraphy and martial arts.

Extra extracurriculars

U.S. educators cutting back P.E. programs, take note: Physical education in Shanghai schools is de riguer. Students have at least an hour of P.E. daily, starting with their morning exercise before class, an “intermission exer-cise” mid-morning, and other physical activity after school. Some schools even practice “eye exercises,” with students massaging acupunc-ture points “in order to prevent eyesight dete-rioration.”

Physical education is just one of the in-school extracurriculars: Students are also expected to take part in sports, arts, and a “daily duty” that may require they clean classrooms and cor-ridors. To learn about social service, they visit rural villages or less privileged people.

Teachers are tops

While bad mouthing “bad” teachers has be-come a national pastime in the U.S., in China, educators command reverence. With the rising economic tide, teacher salaries have grown more competitive and requirements for standards grown more stringent. Shang-hai teachers participate in “teaching study-groups” in order to continually improve curricu-lum. Ongoing assessment is also key: teachers are regularly observed by peers or/and super-visors for mentoring and evaluation.

Reform, then reform some more

Shanghai has been ground zero for educa-tion reform – providing a laboratory for testing new national initiatives. The most recent reform

measure? Reduced focus on testing! In the wake of criticism that the high stakes testing has cre-ated an overly competitive and academically narrow learning environment, Shanghai is now attempting to place more emphasis on student participation and critical thinking, instead of lectures and rote memorization.

What’s not to like?

A lot, according to many critics. Despite stellar PISA results, Shanghai’s education system has taken a beating at home and abroad. “Critics see young people as being ‘fed’ learning be-cause they are seldom left on their own to learn in a way of their choice,” reads the PISA report. “They have little direct encounters with nature, for example, and little experience with society either.”

These deficiencies may leave Chinese graduates unprepared for an increasingly global job mar-ket, where flexibility, creativity, and innovation are prized. China’s test-oriented educational system provides Chinese students with “high test scores but low ability,” according to Yong Zhao, an education professor at Michigan State University who pointed out recently in the New York Times that multinational companies in China can’t find qualified candidates to fill positions at their companies. At the same time, job opportu-nities for professionals haven’t kept up with the number of college graduates China is producing in record numbers, creating an unemployment crisis in much of the country.

What’s more, student stress has become such a national issue that the government has created a 2020 planning document entitled “reduction of student work load.” Indeed, the “be the best or else” education may be taking a deeper toll. Studies show that rates of depression, stress, drug use, and suicide are rising among Chinese youth. According to one recent news report, worried parents have begun to do the unthinkable: tell their children to take a break from studying and, gasp, go play.

Excerpt from http://www.greatschools.org/students/3744-High-grades-for-Shanghai.gs?cpn=20120108weeklysend&page=1

The growing market of Chinese students wanting to go to the U.S. has created various cottage industries in China and the U.S. – among them are education consultants who help students navigate the maze of college applications and “brokers” rep-resenting American universities who seek student candidates paying full tuition. But it’s also fueled anxiety among American students and their parents about increased competition from abroad.

Education consultants: the main cottage industry

“When [Chinese students] decide to come to the U.S. and study in the U.S. school, they have no idea,” said Steven Ma, president of ThinkTank Learning, the consulting group with which Duan is working. “What do colleges in the U.S. look for anyway? What do they want? What type of students they want? And that’s where we come in.”

ThinkTank Learning, based in Santa Clara, Calif., offers tutoring and college counseling. Most of the students contracting its services have been Asian-American, but Ma said increasingly his firm began fielding calls from mainland Chinese families wanting their advice.

Eventually ThinkTank Learning opened a branch in Shenzhen in 2009 and then in Beijing a year later. It charges anywhere from $17,000 to almost $40,000 for tailored consultation pack-ages lasting six to 12 months, dispensing advice on choosing the right schools, writing essays, or preparing for interviews.

“They’ll just tell you when you need to get something done by

“The number of

Chinese under-graduate students in

the U.S. has doubled in the last two years. China’s booming economy and the ability of families to

pay tuition in full is also playing a big

role. “

By Adrienne Mong

vi

sign up for exams like the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), both of which are generally prerequisites for ap-plying to any U.S. college or university.

A lively debate is growing about whether China’s education system can produce innovative thinkers who can enable the country to lead – not just catch up with or follow in the footsteps of industrialized economies like the U.S. or Britain. Such concerns triggered a widespread discussion online when Steve Jobs died earlier this year.

“The students here are not as robotic as Americans think,” said Gene Hwang, a 27-year-old Taiwanese-American, who has been working in China for ThinkTank Learning for almost two years. “But they are held back by some of the systems in schools, which emphasize rote memori-zation…. We work with them on [devel-oping] critical thinking.”

Broadening those horizons

“When I get into America, I can get [a liberal] education [that] could open my mind,” said Zhang Yuqi, a soft-spoken but intense 17-year-old high school senior.

He’s been working with a ThinkTank Learning consultant for three months, reviewing which schools to apply to and working on his essays. A possible math major, he has his eye on Carnegie-Mellon and Emory where he hopes to find a climate that differs from his elite Beijing high school, which he says has too many “planned activities.”

Duan wants to study in the U.S., be-cause “they accept all different kinds of different ideas. You can dream about anything,” she said. “In America, I can experience more…maybe all kinds of things I will never experience in China.”

For high school junior Dolly Luo, it’s simply about getting the best education. “The U.S. has the most well-developed college education,” said the 16-year-old Beijing native who loves Harry Potter and dreams about attending an Ivy League college.

Her parents have similar faith in the U.S. college experience.

“She will have more opportunities, and it will broaden her horizons,” said William Luo. In fact, Dolly’s father had har-bored his own U.S. scholarly ambitions, but he didn’t have the financial resources to enable him to pursue his graduate studies in America.

“I hope when Dolly goes abroad and she learns American values or Western values that she can absorb the Western education – the good parts: the culture, the education,” continued Luo. “In China, we would need that.”

Excerpt from http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/11/9679479-chinese-applications-to-us-schools-skyrocket

Wenzy Duan (center) and her mother, Julia Yin, go over college choices with a ThinkTank Learn-ing consultant in Beijing.

vii

Learning the ins and outs of the latest technolo-gy is a lot like learning to swim or ride a bike: The younger you are, the more naturally it comes. This is troubling news for parents who already feel two steps behind their digitally savvy children.

While assisting with traditional school work poses enough challenges, parents now need to help their children build wikis and solve math prob-lems on iPad apps. As schools shift toward online platforms and E-learning devices, tech-chal-lenged parents may feel intimidated.

The good news is that keeping up with the digital pace is as simple as starting a conversation, says

Monica Vila, founder and “chief technology mom” of The Online Mom, a website focused on help-ing parents embrace technology. “You’re never behind the curve as a parent completely if you’re involved,” Vila says.

Vila and other tech-savvy parents and educators offer some advice to keep up with your child’s tech-nology, while also keeping your family safe from digital traps.

1. Show and tell: If your child is us-ing a device, program, or website you aren’t familiar with, have them show you how it works.

“I haven’t met a child who doesn’t love to be the teacher of their par-ent,” Vila says.

Mastery isn’t the goal as most people only use a fraction of the features a gadget offers, Vila says, so ask your child how they use the device and then take notes.

“You get a direct short cut to what you need to know,” she says.

2. Google it: It’s a simple but often overlooked step to technical understanding and Internet safety, says Betsy Landers, president of the

viii

4 Tech Tips for Parents to Embrace Digital Education Experts offer advice to keep tech-illiterate parents in the digital loop. By Kelsey Sheehy

National Parent Teacher Association, and mother of three.

“Get online. Google your child’s name. Google your family name. See what’s out there,” Landers says.

High school students—and their parents—need to be especially aware that what they post on the Internet is permanent, and poor online decisions can have severe consequences.

Google also has a multitude of tutorial vid-eos to bring parents up to speed on every-thing from screensavers to video chats.

In addition, students can send their par-ents a personalized digital care package from Google’s Teach Parents Tech site. But why wait for your child to bring you up to speed? Send one to your spouse, parent group, or yourself. Then impress your teen-ager by calling them from your computer.

3. Keep tech public: If your children’s com-puters are in their bedrooms, you should move them, says Heather Wolpert-Gawron, a middle school teacher from San Gabriel, Calif., who is creating tech webinars for parents at Tween Teacher.

Wolpert-Gawron started a multilingual parent institute in her school district, where she teaches parents technology basics in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

“Eighty percent of the time we have to start with, ‘Don’t put the computer in the bedroom,’” Wolpert-Gawron says. “It has to be public.”

What your children are doing on the com-puter should be public as well, Wolpert-Gawron says. Parents should “friend” their students on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and know who their online friends are, she adds.

Beyond keeping technology in an open space, parents should check the browser

history so they know what sites their children are visiting. This video from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group guiding families through technology, walks you through that process step-by-step.

4. Get excited: Computers, tablets, and smartphones bring students out of their shells and open up exciting new avenues for learning, Wolpert-Gawron says.

“They bring out the extrovert in the shy kid,” she notes. “It encourages communication at a time when insecurity abounds.”

Parents can overcome their own digital insecurities by talking to other parents and engaging with their child’s teachers. Send the teachers a quick E-mail and ask how they use technology in their classrooms—you might be surprised what you hear back. Some teachers maintain class websites and blog about what the students learned in school that day.

“It’s a wonderful bonus from technology. You can, in very real time, obtain your child’s progress,” says Landers, president of the National PTA. “It’s a part of being really en-gaged in your child’s education.”

Excerpt from http://education.usnews.rank-ingsandreviews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2011/10/25/4-tech-tips-for-parents-to-embrace-digital-education?PageNr=2

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ISEE

EXTRA CURRICULAR

ACTIVITIES

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INTERVIEWPERSONAL ESSAY

EXTRA CURRICULAR

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STUDYEXTRA CURRICULAR

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PCAP-EA名校申請+暑期課外活動

Good for 11th grade students starting in Dec於十二月開始.適合十一年級學生

AIOP菁英計劃

TUTORING/ACE家教

SPRING CLASSES春季課程

PCAP-EA helps students position themselves for college before it’s time for the applications. Beginning in December of junior year, PCAP-EA students will work with their consultants to enhance their candidacy with unique extracurricular activities.

11年級提前申請準備計劃(PCAP-EA)幫助學生在

申請大學之前就先規劃定位個人特色，從11年級

的12月份開始，PCAP-EA的學生在智勝教育顧問

指導下，入選進入獨特的課外活動的競爭力將大

幅提升。

Classes start in Jan, 2012. For class schedules, go to page 17 & 20.課程從2012年1月開始。時間表請查閱第17,20頁。

Classes include 課程包括: - TEST PREP: SAT I, SAT SUBJECT, AP - ENGLISH - MATH - SCIENCE - HOMEWORK HELPER

CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS

A unique and comprehensive service designed to best prepare your child for the increasingly competitive college application process.

A time-tested program designed exclusively to help our students achieve their academic goals by using ThinkTank Learning’s customized learning pace. Quality instructors, customized learning plan, proper timing, frequent assess-ments, and more - all these in ACE Program that will help you score A's on your report cards - GUARANTEED.一個經過時間考驗的方案，透過使用智勝教育客制

化的學習步伐,專門設計來幫助我們的學生實現他

們的學術目標。優質教師團隊，量身訂做的學習計

劃，適當計時控制，頻繁的評估以及更多優勢…

所有在ACE計劃中的一切，都將幫助您的成績單

保證拿A。

菁英計劃是一個具有獨特性以及全方位的服務，

在越來越競爭力的大學申請過程中，為您的孩子

做最好的準備。

Good for 8th to 11th grade students 適合八至十一年級學生

Good for all students 適合所有學生

Good for all students 適合所有學生

CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS

CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILSCONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS

ONLINE CLASSES網上課程

SAT BiologyImprove your SAT Biology score with this online course that is designed to maximize the number of points you improve. 利用我們的網上課程，您能大幅提高SAT的生物學分數。

Good for all students 適合所有學生

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SAT I VerbalImprove your SAT I Verbal score with this online course that is designed to help you memorize the 2000 most frequently appearing words on the SAT exam.利用我們的網上課程，能幫助您記住了2000個SAT考

試最經常出現的詞彙,並能提高您的SAT I閱讀分數。

你 準 備 好 了 嗎?Are you ready

Your child may be able to type “CUL8R” faster than any of his text-messaging friends, but that doesn’t mean he understands the process and purpose of

taking notes.

As he moves through middle and high school, he’ll need to develop the ability to take good notes — from class lectures, reading assignments and research materials. That’s where parents can help, says author and Califor-nia high school teacher Jim Burke.

“Sometimes you have to sit down and say, here’s this whole chapter. How do you decide what’s important? What are you going to use these notes for? To take a test? To write a paper?” said Burke, whose The Reader’s

Handbook explains reading strategies and tools for high school students.

“Students who don’t take notes well, don’t use them,” he says. “They lose faith in the process.”

Burke prefers to use the term “note-making” — making meaning from information — to the more passive “note-

taking.” Note-making, he says, is “manipulating information to make it sticky.” Some students can make information “stick” by making out-lines. For other more visual learners, colors might work better. Burke gives the example of one student who went back over her science notes using red highlighter to indi-cate blood and blue for oxygen.

Taking notes in class

Writing at the speed of speech

Taking good notes requires students to evaluate, organize and sum-

marize information. It’s a key survival skill your child will need through

high school and beyond. By GreatSchools Staff

x

How to take great notes

be daunting even for an adult. These tips may help your student as he develops his own system:

Start a new page for each new class each day.

Date it. Leave space between topics or ideas so you can scan the page more easily later.

Take down key words and concepts, not sentences.

Develop your own system of abbreviations or symbols (such as w/ for “with” or math symbols such as > or =) to take down key points. Here are some abbreviations to get you started from the English-Zone Web site <http://english-zone.com/study/symbols.html>

Listen for word clues from the teacher.

Teachers often signal what’s important to note, using phrases such as “the three incidents that led to the War of 1812 were… ...” Here < http://english-zone.com/study/signals.html> are some examples of word clues.

Review notes after class to make sure they’re accurate and com-plete.

Doing this just before starting homework in a particular subject can help a student focus on the topic at hand.

Taking notes from reading

Many experts advise students to pre-read a textbook chapter to get an idea about what it is about, rather than simply wading in. Students can grasp the main themes by first reading the introduc-tion text, subheads, graphics, photo captions, summary para-graphs and study questions at the end.

“Pay attention to anything the textbook publisher has used typo-graphical features to emphasize,” says Burke, who has put togeth-er an online pre-reading guide. < http://www.englishcompanion.com/pdfDocs/prereadingnotes.pd>

Getting an overview will help your child get focused on what’s important as she starts to take notes, rather than getting mired in the details.

Accuracy and attribution are essential skills journalists learn in preparing their stories. These skills are equally important to your student when she is preparing to write a research paper or take a test.

Help her learn to summarize infor-mation in her own words, rather than copying the textbook. This will ensure that she understands what she has read and help her learn it. Help her get in the habit of putting quotation marks around passages that are direct quotes from an au-thor so she can attribute words that aren’t her own.

Finally, if your child is struggling, she may be having trouble reading. Ask her to explain a chapter she’s read. If you can see that her com-prehension is a problem, make an appointment to talk to the teacher or her counselor so you can get her the help she may need.

Excerpt from http://contracostatimes.great-schools.org/students/homework-help/323-take-great-notes.gs?page=1

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Dartmouth

Dartmouth

Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon

Brown

Brown

Cal Poly SLO

Cal Poly SLO

Duke

Duke

Amherst

Amherst

Harvey Mudd

Harvey Mudd

CornellPomona

Pomona

USC

USC

Stanford

Stanford

Emory

Emory

Yale

Yale

UCLA

UCLA

Johns Hopkins

Wash U St Louis

Harvard

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Princeton

Princeton

BabsonUC Berkeley

GeorgetownDartmouth

Dartmouth

Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon

Brown

Brown

Cal Poly SLO

Cal Poly SLO

Duke

Duke

Amherst

Harvey Mudd

Harvey Mudd

CornellPomona

Pomona

USC

USC

Stanford

Stanford

Emory

Emory

Yale

Yale

UCLA

UCLA

Johns Hopkins

Wash U St Louis

Harvard

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Princeton

Princeton

BabsonUC Berkeley

Georgetown

Dartmouth

Harvey Mudd

USC

StanfordEmory

UCLA

Wake ForestBabsonUC Berkeley

Since 2002

Your success begins here

R

#1

#3

#5

#5

#5 #10

#11 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH #12 Northwestern University Evanston, IL

#13 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD #14 Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO

#15 Brown University Providence, RI #15 Cornell University Ithaca, NY

#17 Rice University Houston, TX #17 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN

#19 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN #20 Emory University Atlanta, GA

#21 University of California--Berkeley Berkeley, CA #22 Georgetown University Washington, DC

#23 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA #23 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA

#25 University of California--Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA #25 University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA

#25 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC #28 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI

#29 Tufts University Medford, MA #29 University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC

#31 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA #31 Brandeis University Waltham, MA

#33 College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA #33 New York University New York, NY

#35 University of Rochester Rochester, NY #36 Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA

#37 University of California--San Diego La Jolla, CA #38 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH

#38 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA #38 University of California--Davis Davis, CA

#38 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL #42 University of California--Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA

#42 University of Washington Seattle, WA #42 University of Wisconsin Madison, WI

#45 University of California--Irvine Irvine, CA

#45 University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL #45 University of Texas--Austin Austin, TX

#45 Yeshiva University New York, NY #50 George Washington University Washington, DC

#45 Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA

#50 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY #50 Tulane University New Orleans, LA

TOP 50 US COLLEGES 2012

Harvard University

Cambridge, MAPrinceton UniversityPrinceton, NJ

#2

Columbia UniversityNew York, NY

#4

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Stanford UniversityStanford, CA

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

#5 Cambridge, MA

#5

California Institute Massachusetts Institute

of Technology

Pasadena, CA

Duke University

Durham, NC

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

of Technology

Crystal Ko

Hillsdale High School

Eric Zha

ng

Irvingto

n High S

chool

Saptarshi Roy

Carlmont High Scho

ol

Edmond LeeAbraham Lincoln High School

The classes I have taken at

ThinkTank have helped me a lot, in-cluding one on one tutoring and the SAT

Boot Camp. I feel that these classes have helped me focus and improve my skills. ThinkTank helps

people achieve in school, master skills that will help you with essays and tests, and have a brighter future. I think ThinkTank would

be beneficial to everybody who takes a class here!

I’m cur-rently a senior (12th grade)

at Irvington High School. ThinkTank

Learning contributed greatly to my SAT success.

The staff members were all intelligent and friendly, and

I found the class materials very effective in preparing me

for the exam. The administrators were very accommodating

in allowing me to take practice exams at the center whenever I

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competitors offer. The quality of education at ThinkTank

Learning is the best on the market, and I highly recom-

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I think ThinkTank Learning is a very good experience for everybody to learn more. The teachers there are experienced and will definitely help for getting into college and preparing the future. The first time I went there I was thinking to myself “Will this benefit me?” Sure enough it did and I saw it through my academic grade.Think Tank is a better way to get ahead in education and the future.

The ThinkTank AIOP

program has really helped me in

regards to my college admissions pro-

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not have perfect grades. The ThinkTank education

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develop confidence in applying to difficult colleges both

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my college applications and helped me make decisions that

would positively affect my admission results. As part of

AIOP I have also attended prep classes in the San Fran-

cisco TTL Center. I find the teachers are very nice and

know what they are teaching and do their best to

get students to participate. Overall I would

recommend the AIOP program to other

college-bound students.

Student Testimonials

xiii

Dartmouth

Dartmouth

Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon

Brown

Brown

Cal Poly SLO

Cal Poly SLO

Duke

Duke

Amherst

Amherst

Harvey Mudd

Harvey Mudd

CornellPomona

Pomona

USC

USC

Stanford

Stanford

Emory

Emory

Yale

Yale

UCLA

UCLA

Johns Hopkins

Wash U St Louis

Harvard

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Princeton

Princeton

BabsonUC Berkeley

GeorgetownDartmouth

Dartmouth

Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon

Brown

Brown

Cal Poly SLO

Cal Poly SLO

Duke

Duke

Amherst

Harvey Mudd

Harvey Mudd

CornellPomona

Pomona

USC

USC

Stanford

Stanford

Emory

Emory

Yale

Yale

UCLA

UCLA

Johns Hopkins

Wash U St Louis

Harvard

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Princeton

Princeton

BabsonUC Berkeley

Georgetown

Dartmouth

Harvey Mudd

USC

StanfordEmory

Wake ForestUC Berkeley

Since 2002

Your success begins here

R

#1

#3

#5

#5

#5 #10

#11 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH #12 Northwestern University Evanston, IL

#13 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD #14 Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO

#15 Brown University Providence, RI #15 Cornell University Ithaca, NY

#17 Rice University Houston, TX #17 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN

#19 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN #20 Emory University Atlanta, GA

#21 University of California--Berkeley Berkeley, CA #22 Georgetown University Washington, DC

#23 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA #23 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA

#25 University of California--Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA #25 University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA

#25 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC #28 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI

#29 Tufts University Medford, MA #29 University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC

#31 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA #31 Brandeis University Waltham, MA

#33 College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA #33 New York University New York, NY

#35 University of Rochester Rochester, NY #36 Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA

#37 University of California--San Diego La Jolla, CA #38 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH

#38 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA #38 University of California--Davis Davis, CA

#38 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL #42 University of California--Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA

#42 University of Washington Seattle, WA #42 University of Wisconsin Madison, WI

#45 University of California--Irvine Irvine, CA

#45 University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL #45 University of Texas--Austin Austin, TX

#45 Yeshiva University New York, NY #50 George Washington University Washington, DC

#45 Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA

#50 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY #50 Tulane University New Orleans, LA

TOP 50 US COLLEGES 2012

Harvard University

Cambridge, MAPrinceton UniversityPrinceton, NJ

#2

Columbia UniversityNew York, NY

#4

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Stanford UniversityStanford, CA

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

#5 Cambridge, MA

#5

California Institute Massachusetts Institute

of Technology

Pasadena, CA

Duke University

Durham, NC

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

of Technology

xiv

1. If xy + 7y = 84 and x + 7 = 3, what is the value of y? (A) -4 (B) 4.9 (C) 8.4 (D) 12 (E) 28

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. The function g, where g(t) = 0.066t + 0.96, can be used to represent the relation between grade point average et) and the number of hours t spent studying each week. Based on this function, a student with a grade point average of 3.5 studied how many hours per week? (A) 0.96 (B) 1.2 (C) 14.5 (D) 38.5 (E) 67.8

8.

If you want to know the answers, please contact our centers. Cupertino ---------- 408.253.8300Fremont ------------- 510.623.0800Millbrae ------------- 650.692.2838Palo Alto ------------ 650.288.3710Pleasanton -------- 925.226.7930San Francisco ----- 415.668.6686San Mateo --------- 650.312.8300

Source: The Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests, 2nd Edition, CollegeBoard.

Do you know the

answers?

17

Palo Alto ...... 650.288.3710SAT Subject Test Prep

Homework Helper|Homework Helper 1/02 - 6/01

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|Math & Science 1/09 - 6/07

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SAT Subject classes: Total 30 hours.

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Please Call Center to Schedule SAT Training Test time. Class-period subscription includes 4 tests (14 hours)

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Class-period subscription includes 4 tests (14 hours) Sat-Full Length Test, Sun- Review

AP Prep||||||

AP BiologyAP PhysicsAP World HistoryAP CalculusAP EnglishAP Chemistry

3/03 - 5/053/03 - 5/053/03 - 5/053/04 - 5/063/04 - 5/063/04 - 5/06

|Homework Helper 1/03 - 5/15

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Math

|Homework Helper 1/10 - 5/31

AP Test Prep|||||||

AP BiologyAP ChemistryAP PhysicsAP U.S. HistoryAP StatisticsAP CalculusAP English

2/25 - 5/052/25 - 5/052/25 - 5/052/25 - 5/052/26 - 5/062/26 - 5/062/26 - 5/06

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SAT Boot Camp - AMSAT Boot Camp - PM

2/26 - 4/292/26 - 4/29

SAT Training ISAT Training IISAT Training III

2/04 - 2/263/03 - 3/254/21 - 5/13

SAT I classes: Total: 60 hours, 15 sessions

Sat-Full Length Test, Sun- Review. Class-period subscription includes 4 tests (14 hours)

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Algebra 1 - 2Algebra 3 - 4 Geometry

3/21 - 5/16 3/10 - 5/05 3/10 - 5/05

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2/25 - 5/052/25 - 5/052/26 - 5/062/26 - 5/062/26 - 5/062/25 - 5/052/25 - 5/05

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SAT Boot Camp - AMSAT Boot Camp - PM

4/08 - 5/274/08 - 5/27

SAT Training IISAT Training III

2/04 - 2/263/03 - 3/25

SAT I classes: Total: 60 hours, 15 sessions

Class-period subscription includes 4 tests (14 hours) Sat-Full Length Test, Sun- Review

Math & Science||||

Algebra 1 - 2Algebra 3 - 4 GeometryPre - Calculus

1/30 - 3/222/02 - 3/212/02 - 3/222/02 - 3/22

R

Cupertino ... 408.253.8300

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SAT Training 1/07 - 5/27SAT I classes: Total: 60 hours, 15 sessions

Enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Class-period subscription includes 4 tests (14 hours)