× CLOSE

The Zinc Blog

Writing Contest Winners

The Winning Pieces + A New Online Literary Journal

We’re thrilled to publish the winning pieces from Zinc’s 2021 Teen Writing Contest. In fact, we received so many fantastic submissions that we’re creating a new, online literary journal for teens.

You can check Filament, our new journal, and read the winning entries from the contest at journal.zinclearninglabs.com.

We hope to promote even more outstanding student writing and art through our new project. Middle and high school students ages 13+ are invited to submit poetry, memoir, fiction, essays, and visual art. Selected pieces will appear on Filament and may also be featured on our online literacy platform, Zinc Learning Labs, a site visited by thousands of teens each day. Feel free to reach out to submissions@zinclearninglabs.com with any questions.

Zinc’s Summer Book Picks

Favorite Reads from Zinc Tutors and Staff Thanks to everyone who sent in a recommendation! Scroll ahead for your next plane/beach/staycation read. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean VuongRecommended by Jeremy Weiss, Tutor, Zinc Ed “It’s a beautiful mess… and it helps remind you that the world is too.” Conversations with Friends by Sally RooneyRecommended by […]

Read More

Applying for SAT/ACT Accommodations

Applying for SAT/ACT Accommodations Start early to ensure approval before your test date. If you’re planning to apply for SAT or ACT testing accommodations such as extra time, now’s the time to get started. The official turnaround to approve documentation is 10-14 days for the ACT (for students already approved for accommodations at their school) and up to […]

Read More

When Should My Child Take the ISEE/SSAT?

When Should My Child Take the ISEE/SSAT? Register now to secure fall dates Most independent school deadlines are in January or February, so we recommend taking a first test in October or November. This gives you plenty of time to prepare and, if needed, time to retest before applications are due. Even with added dates for the […]

Read More

Meet a Tutor: Henry

Henry Dickmeyer Zinc tutor Henry Dickmeyer graduated as an economics major from Occidental College in 2015 with minors in mathematics and psychology. Having grown up in Seattle and gone to Los Angeles for college, he moved across the continent to obtain a Master’s Degree in the Teaching of Social Studies in 2016 at Teachers College, […]

Read More

SAT/ACT Boot Camps

Check out our latest video! We asked Dan Lerman, Director of Intensive Studies at Zinc and founder of Zinc’s SAT/ACT Boot Camps, about the benefits of immersive test prep and what students gain from our two-week, half day programs. Watch Dan’s video introduction to Boot Camps here:

Read More

To Test or Not To Test?

Test Optional and the Upcoming School Year If you’ve been following the news around higher education and admissions this year, you’ve no doubt been flooded with stories about colleges going test optional. We wanted to take a moment to address the new looming question: to test or not to test?  Test optional has actually been […]

Read More

Meet a Tutor: Beau

Beau Henson When he’s not working with students, Zinc tutor and Boot Camp instructor Beau Henson is finishing a Ph.D in Classics. His dissertation combines classical myth, languages, and culture with popular music as a way of creating new interdisciplinary pedagogical tools. As Beau explains, “Basically, it’s Weird Al for mythology.” Beau is currently spending […]

Read More

Meet a Tutor: Nico

Nico Krell Boot Camp teacher and Zinc tutor Nico is a graduate of Princeton University, where he was the first student to major in Performance Studies–a blend of anthropology and critical theory. His research applied political accountability to American cultural practices, and for his creative work he was awarded the university’s top honor, the Lewis […]

Read More

Meet a Tutor: Claire

Claire Dunnington Boot Camp teacher Claire has been tutoring with Zinc since 2010 and is now a mentor to new tutors. She graduated from Brown University with honors in English and creative writing and was named to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. After teaching English in Thailand for a year, she moved to New […]

Read More