TOS Review: College Prep Genius

Taking the SAT's is an important part of college bound high school students academic life.  Doing well on the SAT can not only determine whether or not a college accepts you, but also can earn your child a lot of money in scholarships.  College Prep Genius has designed a course that will not only teach your student the ins and outs of the SAT/PSAT but will also teach time saving test taking strategies.  Over the last couple of weeks, my 14 year old daughter has been using the College Prep Genius DVD Set (second edition.)

The College Prep Genius 2nd Edition DVD Set includes:

• College Prep Genius Second Edition DVD ($59.95)
• College Prep Genius Second Edition Textbook ($49.95)
• College Prep Genius Second Edition Workbook ($19.95)

Or you can purchase the entire package for only $99.00.  Click here to order.


Broken up into 12 lessons (that take approximately 45 minutes a piece), this course takes students step by step through each section of the SAT (reading, math, writing) and gives them a plan for answering each type of question.  Since the test is a reasoning test and the answers are always objective, there are patterns, profiles, and hidden strategies that the College Prep Genius DVD Course teaches.  Learn how to cut your reading time in half and make passage based reading and sentence completion easy to understand.  Learn how to approach math problems by using logic instead of long formulas.  It also will teach you how to write a high scoring essay in a shorter period of time.

The 2nd edition has been updated to include:

• an easier to use format with 12 lessons
• more detailed explanations
• new strategies
• new motivation test
• bonus material including appendices for must know math terms, Latin roots, and prefixes and suffixes

College Prep Genius offers a 100% money back guarantee.  If you are not satisfied with their product you can return it in the first 30 days and receive your money back.

You can see all of College Prep Genius's available products by clicking here.   

The College Prep Genius SAT DVD course is designed to help the student recognize patterns and strategies in the test and get to the correct answer faster.  Several tricks or traps are pointed out in each section so the student can learn to avoid them.  Acronyms are taught to help the student remember the steps in order to come to a correct answer.  There is a wealth of information contained in the textbook for learning strategies for each area of the test.  I am concerned that memorizing so many Acronyms may end up being a bit confusing.

In addition to all of the test taking strategies, the text book contains many a lot of other helpful information.  The entire first chapter covers all of the important information you nee to know about the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT.  That in itself came in very handy because so much of it I did not know!  An entire section of the text book is dedicated to The Scholarship Search and is packed full of information.  Their also is a journal in the back of the book for tracking the questions that you miss so you can go back over questions with similar patterns.  The appendices with important Math definitions, prefixes, suffixes, and Latin root words are a wonderful addition to this book. 

Each lesson in the DVD takes around 45 minutes to listen to not counting the time it takes for the student to pause and complete the assigned work book problems.  After the student completes the problems and finishes their answer, they restart the DVD and every part to the answer is gone over and explained.  After each lesson their are corresponding home work assignments to help reinforce the lesson that was taught.  We thought that the DVD lessons were good, but the explanations did seem to drag on a bit.

Overall, I thought this was an outstanding program!  There is so much information that I did not know (if  I had maybe I would have done better on the SAT ) that will be so helpful to Chelsea.  

To see what other crew mates had to say click here.

I received a complimentary copy of the College Prep Genius DVD Course for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.

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Favorite Recipes: Pumpkin Bread

My children love pumpkin bread!  I made it Wednesday night to take to a brunch we served on Thursday and everyone loved it there too (although one of the other boys thought when I brought the loaf pans in that it was meatloaf.)  It is easy to make.  I just put all the ingredients in my mixer and turn it on.  When it is well blended I pour into 3 greased loaf pans (each should be a little over half full) and bake at 350 for one hour.  We eat it for breakfast and snacks.


1 can pumpkin
3 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 C water
1 C oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
3 C flour
1 C chopped pecans (optional)

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Day 11 Gratitude Challenge 2011

Today I am thankful for all the men and women who have served our country past, present, and future in many different ways in all branches of the service.  Our country could not be free without you.  Happy Veterans Day!

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Day 10 Gratitude Challenge 2011

Today I am thankful for the opportunity and ability to serve others, even when it is in a small way, and I am thankful that my children do it willingly also.  Another homeschool family and my family prepared brunch , took it to a local assisted living facility, and served the ladies that live there today.  It was such a small thing, but it made a big difference to them and also brought joy to us.

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Large Families

The other day, we happened to sit behind another family with 7 children when we were out to eat.  It was a buffet restaurant, so the children were up and down and I didn't really even notice the size of the other family until the mom asked me how many children I had.  So I talked to her a little and she shared during the course of the conversation how many people (family and other wise) that have negative to her about the size of their family even to the point of reducing her to tears.  This I too have had a lot of experience with.  Whether it has been complete strangers, family, or members of my church, I have been faced with all kinds of harsh, rude, insensitive remarks from people about the size of our family.  Comments ranging from "concern" over my health, ability to support a family, or how being in a large family will affect my other children to just plain rude comments like, "don't you know how to prevent that" or "don't you have a TV."  Yeah.  If there is a rude comment to be made about big families, I thought I had probably heard it.  Then, I noticed that the Duggar Family has announced that they are expecting their 20th child (which by the way I think is wonderful!)  Wow!  The negative comments that I read absolutely blew me away!  I cannot believe the things that people had to say about this family.

Has anyone noticed the things that have become acceptable in the world?  No one seems to have such a big problem with teen age pregnancy.  In fact, in McDonald's the other day, Chelsea (14) was holding Emelia (8 months) and keeping an eye on the other children playing while I went to order our food.  A lady approached her and told her how beautiful her baby was and how brave she was to start so young.  Really?  Dead beat dads that don't support their children with their time or money do not raise such a strong reaction from people.  We are murdering unborn babies every day and that seems to be fine with people.  Divorce and infidelity do not even raise an eyebrow anymore.

What is it that is so wrong with a Christian family following God's will for their life to have a large family?  When did children become a burden not a blessing?  Genesis 1:28 says, " God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."   He still believes that children are a blessing.  God has not changed, His word remains the same, " Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." Ps 127:3-5 (NAS)  Jesus said, "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14.

Large families are not dysfunctional, they function quite well, and no kids do not raise kids although they do have responsibilities within the family.  Responsibility is not a bad thing by the way and yes they are all loved and get plenty of attention.  Women are made to have babies , and although their are medical risks to everything, studies have shown that having and nursing babies are beneficial to your health (yes there are always exceptions to everything.)  Financially, yes children cost money (everything does) but if a family chooses to have many children and are not asking anyone else to pay for them, why does it matter to anyone else?  I can think of many other things people should be worried about than a Christian family choosing to give birth to children who will grow up and do God's work here on this earth and will further His kingdom.

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Day 9 Gratitude Challenge 2011

I am so thankful that the children and I made it back home safe and sound today and without the baby crying at all!  It was a beautiful drive home through the mountains with all of the beautiful leaf colors!

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Day 8 Gratitude Challenge 2011

I am thankful for my family.  Sharing blood doesn't mean you are family.  I am thankful for all those people in my life who act like family whether we are related by blood or not.

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