My latest journey to Boston for the Abbey Road College Prep Course was incredibly fulfilling for the particular time in my life that it came. It goes without saying that the majority of students approaching the fall semester of their senior year typically experience high anxiety with regard to college applications. This was especially true for me, and already by the end of my junior year a considerable amount of worry around admissions had set in. For this reason, I began to search for a way to receive adequate SAT preparation, information about colleges, and assistance with the application process. After completing my session with Abbey Road College Prep, I can honestly say that I believe it has been among the most effective and fun ways to complete all of those challenging tasks.
Immediately I appreciated the accommodating and caring staff that was always striving to ensure an enjoyable experience for students.
As a program, we were able to enjoy many outings, including a tour on the Duck Adventures Boat, an afternoon at Quincy Market, an outing at Revere Beach, and my personal favorite, a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art. As previously stated, the SAT preparation was a significant factor in my coming to Abbey Road. Initially, I was nervous that fitting the entire Princeton Review course into two weeks may not have been effective. That prejudgment could not have been further from the truth! Our Princeton Review professor was extremely thorough, continually dedicated to ensuring students’ comprehension of the material and to helping the students succeed. In fact, I would say the two-week course, compared to a longer school year or summer course, ended up as the most effective way for me to prepare for the SAT. With all of the stress surrounding college for the students, having a staff member so highly experienced and informed in the college search process was a key anxiety-reducing factor of the program. Through activities such as constructing a “Must Haves & Deal Breakers” list, drafting a résumé, and brainstorming essay topics, the writing elective course teacher effectively broke down the massive amounts of information about the college search.
Leaving Boston I had the peace of mind regarding my application essays, a more defined list of colleges that interested me, and a clear path to follow to my next SAT and to complete my application process. Not to mention, I left the program having made friends with students from all over the world that I continue to keep in touch with as we journey through the remainder of the application process. In these ways, the Abbey Road Program met all of my needs pertaining to my college search, and I could not be more satisfied with the results that Abbey Road helped me achieve!
