Preparing for the SAT and ACT on a Budget

When to take the first SAT and ACT

Spring is the time for high school juniors to take their first SAT^® and ACT^®.  Spring is also the time for seniors to take that one last test to qualify for their chosen college or for that coveted scholarship.  There are 3 SAT tests and 2 ACT tests available for the rest of the Spring.  Students can sign up for the SAT at www.collegeboard.org and for the ACT at www.act.org .  These sites also have a great deal of practice materials available for free.

How to Start Preparing for the SAT

The College Board site has practice questions and explanations for each of the three areas tested by the SAT.  The reading section consists of vocabulary and reading comprehension questions.  The math section ranges from questions over basic arithmetic to questions on Algebra II and Statistics.  The writing section includes an essay as well as multiple choice questions which test a student’s understanding of grammar and usage.   The College Board site has sample essays which students can review to learn how to improve their essays. 

Practicing on the different areas of the SAT will help students become familiar with what is being tested and how to arrive at the correct answer.  When the student is ready, he or she can begin working on the full practice test available on the College Board site.  This does not have to be done all at once.  However, students should try to time each section so that they are able to practice on how best to pace themselves on the test. 

How the ACT and SAT are Different

The ACT test is different from the SAT in several ways.  Most of the skills that are tested are the same, i.e. math, reading, and grammar.  The only section that is new on the ACT is the Science section.  However, the Science section is really testing how well students interpret figures and charts more than their knowledge of science.  Another difference in the two tests is how the sections are arranged.  The ACT consists of 4 longer sections plus an optional essay whereas the SAT has 10 shorter sections.  SAT sections range in length from 10 to 25 minutes while the ACT ranges from 35 to 60 minutes.  How students should approach guessing is also different.  On the ACT, students should answer every question even if they have to bubble a bunch in at the end.  In contrast, since the SAT has a guessing penalty, it is helpful to be able to at least eliminate two or three incorrect answers before taking a guess.  There are different approaches to the best ways to guess, but I prefer for students to work at a steady pace and skip questions if they cannot eliminate at least one wrong answer.  The last difference in the two tests that I’ll discuss is that the SAT provides a list of basic formulas at the beginning of each math section while the ACT does not.  However, students taking the ACT can start by studying the list of formulas at the beginning of an SAT section in order to be prepared for most of the math questions requiring formulas.  Add the distance and slope formula, and the circle equation, and you have most of the formulas you will need on the ACT.

The ACT site, www.act.org , also has plenty of free practice material for students to use in their preparation.  In addition, like the College Board site, there is a full-length practice test that students can take.  Again, this practice test doesn’t have to be taken all in one sitting.  However, students should try to time each section so that they know how to pace themselves.  After they finish the practice test, students can calculate their score and see what areas they need to work on.

Study Guides and Online Courses

After your child works through the online material, consider purchasing The Official SAT Study Guide with DVD for further prep for the SAT or The Real ACT Prep Guide to prep for the ACT.  Both of these books are the best prep books available because they include actual retired tests.  Practicing on actual material from past tests gives students a better feel for what to expect from the real test.  Most of the other prep books on the market include practice tests that the writers of the book created.  Sometimes the writers of these books do a decent job replicating the difficulty level of the actual tests, and when this is the case the books are useful.  But, I have seen prep books that are either much too difficult or too easy, and neither of these extremes is helpful to a student preparing for a real test.  So, stick with prep books from the makers of the test.  These books are around $30 to $35 if you buy them from the bookstore, but are available for considerably less online.  Also, they can be checked out for free from your local library.

The College Board and ACT sites both have online courses that students can purchase.  According to the College Board website, the online costs $69.95 and “you get 10 online tests, 18 interactive lessons and personalized essay scoring.”  The ACT online course costs $19.95 according to their website and includes a “personalized Study Path” and real practice material.

Take both the SAT and ACT Multiple Times

Finally, students should not be hesitant to take the SAT or ACT several times.  Contrary to some rumors, I have never seen any evidence that taking the test multiple times hurts a students chances of getting into their chosen college.  It simply doesn’t make sense that a school would penalize a student for getting a better score on their 3^rd or 4^th test.  On the contrary, the college will simply put the test score into their admission formula and treat it the same as if it were the first test.  In additon, many colleges “superscore” which means they will combine your best math from one test with your best reading or writing from another test thus creating your highest possible score, and then use this for your score.  So this is a big reason for taking the test multiple times if some of the colleges to which you are applying superscore.  Another reason to not hesitate to take these tests multiple times is that you may be able to select which test scores schools are able to see.  The College Board allows you to do this through a program called “Score Choice”.  The best reason to take these tests multiple times is so that you can improve your scores each time you take them.  In my experience, students who have the necessary skills and diligently work on improving their scores will raise their scores.

College Prep Timeline

A guide for when to prepare for admissions tests.

Parents frequently ask me when the best time is to prepare for the SAT and ACT.  Typically, the best time to prepare is during the Summer before or early during your child's junior year.  In an attempt to provide useful info, here are some suggestions to help juniors decide the best times for them to get started preparing for these tests and for selecting the right college:

11TH GRADE

  

• TAKE A PSAT/SAT PREP PROGRAM DURING THE SUMMER BEFORE OR IN THE EARLY FALL OF 11TH GRADE.
• TAKE PSAT TEST IN FALL. THE PSAT HAS 2 PURPOSES: 1) QUALIFIES STUDENTS FOR NATIONAL MERIT AWARDS AND 2) PRACTICE-STUDENTS BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE TEST AND GET FEEDBACK ON WHERE THEY STAND.
• EVALUATE PSAT RESULTS AS SOON AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE.
• TAKE AN SAT AND/OR ACT PREP COURSE IN THE EARLY SPRING.
• TAKE THE SAT AND ACT.
• EVALUATE RESULTS. TAKE ANOTHER TEST IN THE LATE SPRING IF THERE IS STILL TIME AND IF YOU NEED A HIGHER SCORE.
• START COLLECTING INFORMATION ON COLLEGES.
• ATTEND AVAILABLE COLLEGE FAIRS.
• BEGIN TAKING COLLEGE VISITS.
• TAKE SAT SUBJECT TESTS IF NECESSARY. THESE ARE SPECIFIC TESTS TYPICALLY REQUIRED AT HIGHLY COMPETITIVE COLLEGES.

For the full timeline for all high school grades, please visit http://knowledgeguides.net/Suggested_Activities_for_each_Grade 

Pacing on the SAT and ACT

One of the most frequent issues that students have with standardized tests is how to pace themselves. Students typically are not used to timed tests; so when they have to take one, they freak out. Many students place too high a value on finishing and rush through the test. Others, though the number is less, tend to get stuck on certain questions and leave significant parts of the test unfinished. 

What I train students to do on the SAT and ACT is to learn to work at a steady pace. They may or may not finish, but they are likely to at least complete most of the test and as long as they are accurate, they will do well. The goal is for students to learn to balance the urge to finish a timed test between spending enough time on individual questions to figure them out.

I advise students to take timed practice tests in order to practice pacing.

How to find and qualify for college scholarships

How to Find College Scholarhips

By James Pipkin

With college costs skyrocketing, more and more students and their families are scrambling to find scholarships to help ease the burden of paying for college.  There are basically two different types of college scholarships:  those awarded by the college itself and those distributed by outside sources. 

Scholarships Awarded by the College

The best and typically most valuable scholarships are available from the college itself.  These scholarships may or may not be funded by outside sources, but they are handed out by the college.  These scholarships are usually based on merit or need, or a combination of both.  If they are based on merit, then they are usually based on a combination of the student’s GPA and SAT or ACT score.  Usually when parents find out about these scholarships, it is too late for the student to raise his or her GPA, but it may not be too late to raise the SAT or ACT score, if a higher score would result in a larger scholarship.  Many colleges publish their requirements for scholarships on their websites.  For example, Baylor University describes their different scholarship levels and their requirements on the following website:  http://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=82212 .  Baylor also provides a scholarship calculator that allows students to enter info about themselves and then get an estimate of the awards for which they would qualify.   Likewise, The University of Texas at Arlington provides very clear and specific information about the different levels of scholarships available and the criteria for qualifying on the following website:  http://wweb.uta.edu/ses/fao/content/scholarships/

National Merit Scholarships

Another type of scholarship that can come from the college itself is the National Merit Scholarship.  While it’s true that some corporations give scholarships to National Merit Finalists, many colleges do too.  It fact, many colleges give full rides to National Merit Winners.  Both Baylor and OU give very generous scholarships to National Merit Scholars.(See links at bottom of article).   To compete for National Merit Scholarships, students must earn a qualifying score on their PSAT test, which is given in October of their 11^th grade year.  Students compete with others in their home state.  In Texas, qualifying scores typically range from 215 to 219.  Being prepare for your junior PSAT is essential if you want to have a chance at these scholarships.  I have had several top students who I worked with after their PSAT who earned SAT scores that would have qualified them for National Merit Awards had they posted these scores on their PSATs.  Parents need to be aware of how important the Junior PSAT is in trying to get some of the best scholarships available.  I recently had a parent of a National Merit Finalist tell me that she never realized how important the PSAT was until she got to her 4^th daughter’s turn to take the test.  She did not realize this with her 3 older daughters.

Scholarships from Private Foundations and Corporations

Scholarships are also available from outside foundations and corporations that require you to apply for them  individually.  There are several ways to go about finding these.  First, make it a point to visit your child’s school website for an updated list of available scholarships.  Most schools and/or districts will provide a list of local scholarships for which students can apply.  These lists are usually updated on a monthly basis so make sure you visit these sites at least once per month.  Another resource for finding scholarships are websites such as www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com .  Students begin by answering  a series of questions about their background and academic record.  The sites will then match you with scholarships that best fit your resume.  Both of these sites will generate more scholarships than most people will have time for which to apply.  Go through and narrow your list to the ones that are more local and specific.  If time is an issue, you can eliminate the scholarships that require the student to write an essay or enter a contest.  This will help to ensure that you’re applying to the ones that your child has a better chance of getting.  I would encourage parents to begin searching for scholarships as early as your child’s junior year.  In fact, I have seen some scholarships that require the application to be turned in during the junior year.  Set aside some time every couple of weeks or so to send in applications and to check the scholarship websites for new scholarships.  Or encourage your child to spend some time every month or so completing and sending these applications. 

Although this process of searching for scholarships can be time-consuming, it can be very rewarding, especially if you are diligent and if your child has demonstrated merit.  Good Luck and if I can be of assistance to you, please feel free to contact me!

http://www.ou.edu/content/dam/recruitment/Downloads/2011.12%20FR%20Scholarship%20Descriptions_NONRESIDENT.pdf

http://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=82212

Overcoming Test-Anxiety

One of the most common things parents are concerned about when they call to inquire about our test prep classes is test anxiety.  They say such things as “my son just freezes up on tests” or “my daughter knows the material but her tests don’t show it.”  In my experience, most of the time, the best way to handle this anxiety is through being thoroughly prepared.  When a student knows what to expect from the test and has spent some time getting ready, they almost always do better.  Often not knowing what to expect causes students to panic and rush through the test.  Here are some tips for students to better manage test anxiety:

1. For the SAT and ACT, make sure that you spend several weeks getting ready.  I recommend at least 4 weeks if possible.
2. Set up a consistent schedule that you can stick to.  Try to set aside at least 2-3 times per week to work on your preparation. 
3.  Learn how to pace yourself by doing timed sections so that you know how far you can get in the time allotted. 
4. For the ACT, make sure you study common math formulas such as those for area and volume.  Also, make sure you know the basic sine, cosine, and tangent ratios.
5. For the SAT, make sure you study vocabulary flashcards to prepare for the sentence completion questions.  Strengthening your vocabulary will also help with reading comprehension.  Flashcards are available at your local bookstore or you can add a free app to your smartphone.
6. For free prep materials, check out www.collegeboard.com for the SAT and www.actstudent.org for the ACT.  Both of these website have a lot of practice questions and each site has a practice test. 
7.  Plan to take at least 1 or 2 full practice tests. 
8.  Take an SAT Course.  

James Pipkin is a tutor at Knowledge Guides, a private testing preparation and tutoring agency. He may be contacted at 817-451-6200 or teachco1@swbell.net.

More information: www.knowledgeguides.net