For most students, the image to cultivate is that of someone who doesn't care, who leaves everything to the last minute, and who miraculously pulls off "A" papers and top test scores.
I receive phone calls from parents who have been wrestling with the consequences of private tutoring. Their concern is that tutoring is, at best, a band-aid and, at worst, a crutch.
For many students in New York City, the less well-known high school exam, the SHSAT, may be the most important standardized test of their academic careers.