SAT News

07.10

1:18

Senior Year Planning

Senior year of high school can be an extremely busy time. Many deadlines and decisions are on the horizon and it can be overwhelming for students to balance all of their responsibilities. Developing a solid plan for senior year can help you to avoid stress and assure that everything is done on time.

Fall

The fall of senior year is often the time students choose to devote to taking the SAT. Schedule the test and begin to devote time to studying and preparing for the test. Online test prep is one good option to help SAT test prep fit into an already busy school schedule.

The fall is also the time to seriously narrow down college options. Once you have a list of the schools where you will be applying, organize important dates and deadlines onto a master calendar.

Researching financial aid is another important task for the fall. This involves researching student loan options, scholarships and grants, and options available at each of your colleges.

Winter

Winter of senior year is the time to focus on completing college applications. Many will use the same common application supplemented by some additional questions and information. Take time to write your essays and be sure they are a good reflection of your strengths. Be sure to ask for letters of recommendations early on in the process so that you give your teachers, guidance counselors, and employers plenty of time to write the recommendation.

Once everything is complete, be sure to double check that all parts of the application are there and send them in. Most high schools will provide resources to help students prepare the final application packet.

At this point, many colleges will also want to schedule a personal interview. This is both a time for the college to speak with you and gain additional insight into your application and also a time for you to ask questions about the selection process and why you should choose their college. Viewing the interview as a conversation will keep you from being nervous and help you get the most out of this experience.

Spring

By spring of senior year, you will have heard back from your colleges and it is time to focus on making a decision. If you were accepted to multiple schools, it is often worthwhile to visit these colleges once again. These campus visits can help you to make a confident decision. While on campus, you will want to take another tour, sit in on a class, and talk to current students about their college experience. Be sure to ask plenty of questions of students, staff, and representatives in the admissions office.

Before making a decision, you will also want to discuss your plans with your family, particularly concerning financial aid and how you will be paying for college. Once you have reached a decision, send out your acceptance and rejection letters to all the colleges that accepted you. Your school will soon be sending you more information and you’ll be busy planning for next year. You can now proudly announce your college plans and enjoy the conclusion of your high school career.

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06.10

1:49

College visits: What to look for

Visiting a college campus is a critical step in the application process. While background information can be gathered from brochures and websites, there are many things that you can only learn by visiting the school and interacting with students and staff. If possible, try to plan the visit for a time when classes are in session. This will give you a better window into life on campus. There are several important things to consider during these campus visits.

Size
Some students will prefer to be at a large university while others may want a smaller campus. This is often a personal preference and something that will have a large impact on your college experience. A small school can offer a tight-knit feeling of community, while a larger school may offer a wider variety of classes and extracurricular activities.

Location
It is important to choose a school that is in a place you want to live for a few years. There are colleges in the heart of large cities, in rural small towns, and everything in between. It is important to find out about the relationship the college has with the surrounding city or town, whether students are actively involved in the community or tend to stay within the campus. The location of a college will also impact how students spend their free time. Ask if the majority of students stay on campus over the weekends and what options are available for entertainment and activities.

Requirements
The college’s admissions materials will often print the average high school GPA and SAT scores for incoming students. If the numbers aren’t readily available in printed materials, it’s a good idea to ask. Knowing this can help you to prepare through SAT test prep and maintaining a good GPA. It is also important to find out about course requirements on campus. Many schools will require a core curriculum of classes in various subjects, but the number of options available to fulfill these requirements will vary.

Housing
One highlight of the college visit is often seeing the inside of a dorm room. This is a good time to ask whether housing is guaranteed all four years and what options, such as single rooms, suites, and apartments, are available to students.

Majors
If you already know what you plan to major in during college, you will want to learn as much as you can about that specific department. A campus visit will often allow you to sit in on a class or meet with a professor to get a better sense of the school’s program. If you are unsure about your major, look for a school with plenty of options that interest you. Some schools are better choices for students interested in a double major or pursuing a specific minor or concentration in addition to their major. It is a good idea to ask how many students do this and how well this course load would fit into an academic plan.

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06.10

1:40

SAT vs. ACT: which should I take?

The SAT and ACT are both tests taken by students in the United States preparing for college. Generally, more students on East Coast and West Coast of the United States take the SAT and more students in the Midwest and mountain states opt for the ACT. While historically the SAT has been seen as the standard test for college entry, the ACT is now recognized by all four-year colleges in the US. The majority of colleges and universities will accept either test, but students with specific colleges in mind may want to consult that college’s admissions office when deciding which test to take.

While the two tests differ somewhat in format and material, each is designed to gauge students’ skills and knowledge. Being well informed about the tests will help students to decide which test to take before they begin their SAT Preparation or ACT Preparation plan.

Subject Areas

The ACT is based more on curriculum that students have learned in school whereas the SAT is designed more to test critical thinking and reasoning skills. The ACT is a multiple choice test that covers English, mathematics, reading, and science. The ACT Writing Test is an optional section in which test takers must plan and write a short essay. The SAT begins with a required essay section. It is then made up of writing, critical reading, and math sections. While the SAT has multiple choice sections, some of the math questions will require test takers to produce answers on their own.

Logistics

The ACT is administered on six national testing dates in the United States. Students may take the test up to twelve times total and only once on each testing date. The SAT is offered seven times each year in the US. Students may take the SAT as many times as they wish, but all scores will be visible to colleges. Not including instructions and breaks, the ACT takes two hours and 55 minutes and the SAT takes three hours and 45 minutes.

Scoring

ACT scores are determined by adding up the correct answers in each section. Scores for each section range from 1-36 and the results are averaged to produce a final score. Incorrect answers do not count against the final score. On the SAT, however, incorrect multiple choice answers receive a small penalty. Each correct answer receives one point and each incorrect answer deducts one-fourth of a point. Scores for each section are on a scale of 200-800. A perfect score on the SAT is 2400 points and a perfect score on the ACT is 36.

Preparation

ACT Preparation and SAT Preparation are critical to success on both tests. Taking the predictive tests, the PSAT and PLAN, can help students prepare for the actual test’s format. Preparation courses and practice tests are the best way of determining trouble areas and helping students enter the test prepared and confident.

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06.10

10:25

I Am Going to Be a Freshman in High School, Now What?

High school is often portrayed as the best years of a person’s life, the time before college, jobs, families, and the stresses of adulthood. At the same time, common media depictions of high school struggle to portray the truth of the difficulties of the transition between middle school and high school. Becoming a freshman certainly means that it’s time for you to think about all aspects of your school life in a different way.

Freshman year means new classes, new teachers, and in the case of many schools, a brand new location that you have to get to know progressively over the first few weeks. It might be daunting at first, or you might think that these changes matter little to you. Either way, you’ll find yourself quickly acclimating to the demands of your new locations.

Many freshmen in high school find themselves overwhelmed by the new social and academic scene. High school tends to translate to more intense classes, more personalized educational choices, more tests, new friends, and new after school commitments. Sorting through all of this can be difficult, especially the test preparation.

Freshmen should make sure to understand why test prep should be one of their top priorities, right up there with all the other new, exciting facets of high school. Most states have standardized tests that with a little knowledge and preparation one can open gateways to honor and advanced classes, as well as recognition at graduation.

High school freshman are obviously aware of the SAT, SAT IIs, and ACTs, the gateway tests to college education. Even if taking these tests seems like a long way off, becoming a high school freshman means that these test have to be taken seriously, as they help to shape your educational future. You should get to know the test preparation offered at your school, and begin planning when you might want to take the tests. After that, additional test prep on your own and through accredited services beginning from freshman year will help prepare you to do well on all of your upcoming tests.

The fact of the matter is, becoming a high school freshman means that your education will play a larger part in your life, and even students used to breezing through classes will find themselves needing to work harder than before. High school classes are more interesting but also more challenging, and the wealth of new social experiences can mean busy days and lots of extra time spent at your high school.

Becoming a high school freshman is an important milestone and it requires adjustment on multiple levels. As new and exciting experiences await you around the corner, you should do your best to adjust and seek out areas where you can truly flourish in high school.

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06.10

2:43

How much more money can I make with a college degree?

Students may not take the SAT tests seriously, but it makes practical and intelligent sense to fully understand how the SAT is linked to getting into the right college. The right college will then lead to the right degree, enabling you to set yourself apart from your peers that only earned their high school diploma.

There are a lot of different studies confirming the value of a college degree in comparison with a high school diploma. The numbers range depending on age, sex, choice of school, and choice of degree, however, educational attainment studies point to shockingly large gaps between the two groups, even when all of these factors are taken into account.

After earning a high school diploma, the available job market averages between $15,000 and $28,000 annually. While this might seem like a lot of money, the available jobs tend to be limited and involve little benefits and extended work hours. When tallying costs like housing, bills, and other expenses, many high school diploma holders find themselves working multiple jobs in order to enjoy anything close to a conventional lifestyle.
Conversely those who take college preparation seriously, tend to successfully earn their bachelor’s degree. Bachelor’s degree holders open themselves up to a much more appealing monetary bracket, ranging between $33,000 and $50,000 annually. With this level of earnings, degree holders can live a much more comfortable lifestyle in an area where they hold academic specialization. This means that not only with the undergraduate degree holder have more employment options, they usually find more personally satisfying work.

Going past bachelor’s degrees, master’s and doctoral degree holder’s step themselves up with each degree accomplishment by at least a $12,000 increase in annual income on average. Therefore, students considering SAT test prep should not only aim for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, but also keep higher degrees in mind as they gain more experience in their field of concentration.

With these figures in mind, it becomes obvious that earning a college diploma will provide a better salary and quality of life. However, there are other benefits to earning a college degree besides monetary. The college experience offers interactions with new ideas and ways of thinking, not only from professors but other students as well. Friendships can form with roommates, campus residents, classmates, students met at activities or clubs, or even the most random encounter.

Similarly, earning a college degree offers the opportunity to network in a way that simply can’t be achieved through high school only. College campuses and alumni associations provide opportunities for internships, part time jobs, full time jobs, and so on. It isn’t uncommon to intern for a company early on in your college career, work a summer job at the same place, and then find yourself offered a starting position at the same company when graduation rolls around.

College preparation will help you to achieve the goal of a college degree, allowing you access to a better job market, higher average annual salaries, the essential college experience and the ability to network in a way that will last throughout your career. Starting with SAT test prep will get you started down the right path towards a college degree and all of the doors it can open.

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06.10

2:37

10 Tips for Surviving Your First Year in College

Attending college might be portrayed as classes and partying, but the truth is that your first year means living on your own. These ten tips will help you survive your first year in college successfully.

First of all, go to class. It sounds simple, but it’s easy to get distracted or to think you don’t need to go. Attendance helps your grade, and when the professor learns to recognize that you attend regularly, he or she might be more inclined to let it slip when you finally miss a day.

Secondly, be honest with your roommate. Your first year in college will involve living with one or more new people, and being honest will end up paying off when finals roll around. If you state early on that you’re a night owl, you won’t have to deal with complaints that you’re up too late.

Next, be sociable but responsible. There will be lots of events, academic and social, and you’ll get to interact with many people. Making responsible choices means you won’t earn yourself a reputation that will follow you for the rest of your time at college.

Also, understand the importance of studying. Some classes may be easy, but others will require extra time and effort. Setting aside time daily to study areas that need improvement will help you do better in class and prepare you for the rest of your academic career.

A fifth tip for surviving your first year in college is to keep a planner. Usually professors will issue a syllabus, but it is common for them to change assignments and due dates. Even if you have an excellent memory, mapping out your assignments in writing will improve your time management.

Next, ask lots of questions. This goes for classroom situations and when you have general questions about college life. Remember, nearly everyone around you has gotten lost or confused before, so there’s no reason to shy away from asking for help when it’s needed.

Tip number seven is to set a sleep schedule. You could have class early in the morning one day, and then the late afternoon the next. While the temptation might exist to stay up late or nap, you’ll perform better if you have a fairly regular sleep schedule. Professors will certainly notice if you sleep in class!

Next, make smart choices about your diet. Dining halls, cafeterias, restaurants, and delivery are all options, but pizza and soda every night will wreak havoc on your body. It’s fine to indulge now and then, being away from home, but keep yourself in check.

Tip number nine is to know your academic requirements. Many colleges have intense general education programs for incoming students, so staying on top of these and thinking ahead about your schedule will help you during registration.

Finally, be prepared to experience new things. Even if you’re going to a local college, you will be exposed to new ideas and new experiences every day, and keeping a positive outlook is essential.

Posted by Author Name in News and Press/SAT News / 1 Comment

05.10

1:51

How To Find the Perfect Summer Job for the Recent High School Grad

Finishing high school is a big achievement, but working right after graduation can ease a student’s path into college, give them valuable experience, pad their resumes, and even earn money. Finding the perfect summer job right after graduating high school can be easier than you think if you keep the following principles in mind.

If you’re looking for work right out of high school, don’t think that you don’t need a resume. List your high school accomplishments beyond your GPA, such as extracurricular activities and participation in sports. Including any volunteer work you might have done or membership in organizations like Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts will add some flair to your resume as well.

Recent high school grads should accept the fact that they might have to work a job that doesn’t offer excellent or even any pay at all. Even without the conditions of the current economy, many businesses are reluctant to offer pay to young workers. However, new high school grads should understand that many job opportunities will offer excellent opportunities for experience and networking, which are invaluable.

However, it’s quite possible to find a paid job. This can range from things like work in restaurants or stores to more specialized things. If possible, try and aim to find a job that relates to your interests, particularly toward a potential college major or area of business that you want to be involved in. You can even contact a local college and ask them for recommendations for paid jobs, as many colleges have information available for a similar age group.

Also, it doesn’t hurt to rule out jobs that involve unique experiences and a lot of fun, such as working as a camp counselor. Even if this doesn’t pertain to what your future job or academic aspirations might be, working with children for a summer is an enlightening experience that will look great on a resume and provide an excellent talking point for interviews.

It’s important to remember that no matter what type of summer job you end up finding, you should take it seriously. Word can get around fairly quickly if you don’t complete your tasks or constantly show up late, so thinking that you can ditch one job for another easily isn’t a very practical outlook.

If you interview for any type of job, be yourself and remain personable, but keep a mature demeanor that will let your employer know that hiring you or signing you on will benefit them. In many cases it might not come down to the qualifications, but who the potential employer thought was most responsible.

Job opportunities also have the tendency to pop up randomly, so if you get involved right after graduation in volunteering locally, you might find yourself propositioned for a job opportunity. Therefore, you should always remember that volunteering will add to your resume in the future, so if you can’t find that perfect summer job you’ll keep yourself occupied while doing something positive for yourself and others.

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05.10

3:30

Summer–A Little Studying Can Go a Long Way

Finally! School is out for the summer and you have a three months of laying around in the sun or watching television for hours each day. After the first few weeks, you will quickly learn that the monotony of leisure becomes boring, and you still have weeks of vacation left. With all of this extra time on your hands, what can you do to still have fun and make the most of your summer vacation? Why not use some of your spare time for SAT test prep?

SAT test prep in the summer?!? No, it is not that crazy of an idea. The first test in the fall happens in October, just a month after you return to classes. One month will not give you enough time to get ready, but you can use your spare time in the summer to get ready for the all important SAT test.

Trying to wait until September for your test prep means that you will have to be trying to cram with all night sessions in addition to your school homework and social activities like dances and football games. Instead of pulling a series of September all nighters, take just a few minutes each day during the summer to learn a new word or math problem. This daily form of SAT test prep will be easy and nearly effortless, especially if compared to the traditional study binge many students try.

When looking for an SAT test prep program, you might be thinking that you have to spend half of your summer inside a classroom. That might have been how your parents got ready for the test, but today, you no longer have to be tied to a test prep classroom desk, nor do you have to be tied to your computer at a set time for online tutorials. For total flexibility, you want a study program that is ready when you are. A self-paced 24 hour online SAT test prep program, such as the one at B Line Test Prep, offers you a way to both have fun through the summer and get ready to take the SAT in October without cramming.

With a self-paced program, you get to spend your study time more efficiently. Instead of a classroom where the test reviewer moves at a constant pace, whether you understand the material or not, a self-paced prep program lets you concentrate on areas where you might be struggling, but spend less time on where you are proficient. Why waste time going over material you already know? Focusing on areas of the SAT where you need work will make you feel better prepared for the test come October, or whenever you opt to take it.

Flexibility for your time and your learning styles should prompt you to choose a 24 hour online SAT test prep program to use just a few minutes each day over the boring summer months to get ready for one of the most important tests of your life – the SAT.

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04.09

11:00

The Different Ways Students Learn

One of the fascinating facts about human nature is that we all learn differently. Some of us may find that we can listen to a speech and remember every detail. Others of us may hear the same speech, but only remember what we saw on the handout sheets or slides. Yet another group of us may listen to the speech, read the materials, but remember the details about an incident that directly relates to our own past experience. These variations may not seem critical in normal activities, but the importance of understanding learning methods becomes evident during test preparation and study sessions for an exam.

There is not a right way to learn or a wrong way, just different methods that work in a unique way for each person. The key to better learning is to evaluate each process and consider which technique will improve individual study habits.

Auditory Learning

A person that learns best through auditory methods demonstrates superior speech skills, listens closely and enjoys interactions with others. They learn test materials best by listening to audio and video presentations. Test tips for auditory learners include recording notes, repeating questions out loud and communicating with others about the materials.

Visual Learning

Visual learners need to have a clearly defined picture in their mind to understand the material. They prefer charts and graphs and study well through independent reading. Test tips for visual learners include taking written notes, watching videos of the subject and creating lists and explicit diagrams that provide a memory aid.

Experiential Learning

Someone who excels in experiential learning prefers a hands-on approach and responds well to material that makes a personal connection. They enjoy laboratory experiments, active learning with others and creating realistic models. Test tips for an experiential learner include developing quick memory tools such as flash or note cards, models and notes, that bring the material to a personal level.

Which Type are You?

Being able to identify the most effective learning method will be an aid during online test preparation. A good way to determine your learning strength is to review the characteristics of each type, see which one is the best fit and focus on that method for an upcoming exam. We all learn at some degree from each method, but normally one type dominates our ability to easily retain material.

Try an experiment by first listening to an oral presentation of a specific section of a practice test. See how much you can remember of the material. Then try it again watching a video that clearly describes the subject and retake the practice exam. Third, think of ways to personalize the material and create a model that relates to the subject. Take the exam again and compare which method was most effective in helping you through the learning process. Be sure to allow time between each session to fully evaluate the method. Being able to analyze each learning style and apply the method will benefit both study habits and test results.

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04.09

10:53

The SAT Exam Unveiled

The SAT exam is a student aptitude test which has selected the mediums of math and English in which to test intellectual ability. The SAT is a three hour and forty-five minute test, however, only three hours and twenty minutes count towards your test score, since the practice section takes twenty five minutes and is not graded.

The SAT exam is broken down into ten sections. The reading part encompasses three sections of the exam. In the reading section, there are nineteen questions of sentence completion problems, and forty-eight reading comprehension questions, which is a total of sixty-seven questions in all. The writing part is also three sections of the exam, and includes forty-nine grammar questions and one essay. Discounting the experimental section, the math section encompasses the last three parts of the test. In it are forty-four multiple choice questions and ten grid-in questions, making a total of fifty four questions. In short, the sections are as follows:

– Reading
1. Completing the sentence (19 questions)
2. Reading comprehension (48 questions)

– Writing
1. Short Essay
2. Identifying sentence errors*
3. Improving sentences*
4. Improving paragraphs*
* In the writing section there is one short essay question. The other three sections can be divided up as the test writer sees fit, but all are focusing on grammar.

-Math
1. Multiple choice, encompassing basic math and equations (44 questions)
2. Grid-in, such as plotting graphs and lines (10 questions)

-Experimental section
The experimental section can be contained within any part of the test, on any subject. It usually contains harder questions, but these questions aren’t scored. They are being considered for use on next year’s SATs. So if you run into questions that are especially harder or more confusing than the others, don’t worry- they may be the experimental ones.

The three sections of the SAT test are scored independently, which means that students will receive a reading score, a writing score, and a math score. Each score can range from 200 to 800 points, with a total test score of 600 to 2400 points. The total average score for students is 1500, or about 500 on each section.

But how do you achieve these scores? The key is to pace yourself and to practice. Pacing is important on the SAT because, though time is strictly limited, many of the questions require careful analyzing and consideration. Many students make the mistake of reading too quickly in hopes of gathering the gist of the question. They answer confidently, but are startled to find later that they answered incorrectly because they have misunderstood the directions or missed subtle points within the question. This of course means that it is important for students to take as much time as possible and to be confident in their answers before moving on to the next problem.

In order to perform to the best of their abilities, it is crucial for students to undergo SAT test preparation. Test prep is proven to raise test scores because students will be prepared not only for the type of questions listed within the SAT exam, but they will also be comfortable answering a large amount of questions in a seemingly short time limit. SAT practice books are readily available, but the most cost effective way for a student to practice is to visit an SAT test preparation website and practice taking the test online. Bline Test Prep is an excellent website for test preparation- it is affordable, easily accessible, and chock full of up-to-date data and questions for the SAT test preparation courses.

Taking the SAT can be an ominous task. However, it is of vital importance to any student wishing to be accepted into the majority of colleges. With the proper practice and resources, the SAT is not as foreboding as it may seem upon first glance. All it takes is a little practice and a bit of knowledge about the test and the sort of questions found therein. Online SAT test preparation sites such as Bline Test Prep will give students the confidence they need to do their best on the SAT test and succeed at getting their best possible scores.

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