GOOD BOOKS ON COLLEGES

ONE OF THE BETTER BOOKS ABOUT COLLEGES IS PUBLISHED BY THE PRINCETON REVIEW. IN FACT, ANY BOOK PUBLISHED BY THE PRINCETON REVIEW IS EXCELLENT IN MY OPINION. I HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE VERY CAREFUL, COMPLETE, ACCURATE, AND INFORMATIVE ON ANYTHING THEY HAVE PUBLISHED.

THE ONE I LIKE THE MOST REGARDING COLLEGE CHOICES IS CALLED

"BEST 366 COLLEGES: 2008 EDITION".

ISBN 0375766219 - ISBN-13 9780375766213

ITS BY THE PRINCETON REVIEW AND HAS 832 PAGES.

THE BOOK HAS ALMOST AN ENTIRE PAGE PER COLLEGE. THERE ARE LOTS OF INFORMATIVE FACTS, FIGURES, DATA, DESCRIPTIONS, ETC. THERE IS EVEN COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MUCH PARTYING GOES ON! GET ONE.

ENGINEERING MAJOR - WHAT DOES A STUDENT NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS?

BASICALLY A STUDENT NEEDS TO TAKE THE FULL 4 YEARS OF MATH AND SCIENCE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND KEEP A'S OR B'S IN THESE COURSES IF ONE CAN. WHEN YOU APPLY TO COLLEGE, SOME ADMISSIONS FORMS LIKE FOR YOU TO DECLARE A POSSIBLE MAJOR SOME DO NOT. SOME COLLEGES ALLOW YOU TO WAIT UNTIL YOUR SOPHOMORE YEAR TO DECLARE A MAJOR OR LATER. IF YOU AS A STUDENT HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAJOR IN, THEN MAKE YOUR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SELECTIONS ON THAT BASIS. RESEARCH WHAT COLLEGES ARE STRONG IN THE MAJOR OF YOUR CHOICE. FOR EXAMPLE, DOES THE COLLEGE I AM INTERESTED IN HAVE A BUSINESS SCHOOL, AN ENGINEERING SCHOOL, A PREMED PROGRAM, ETC.?

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - 10% RULE

IN 1997 THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE CAME UP WITH WHAT THEY THOUGHT AT THE TIME WOULD BE AN INVENTIVE SOLUTION TO SOME PRESSING POLITICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES (BASICALLY IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO GET MORE MINORITIES INTO THE STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM). WITHOUT GOING INTO THAT TOO MUCH, THE 10% RULE MEANS THAT THE TOP 10% ACADEMICALLY IN ANY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS WOULD GET AUTOMATIC ADMISSION TO THE STATE SCHOOL OF THEIR CHOICE. THAT INCLUDES THE MAIN UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS IN AUSTIN, WHICH IS AND WAS ALREADY A VERY POPULAR COLLEGE DESTINATION. WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THIS RULING? TOTAL CHAOS AND ANARCHY. STUDENTS FROM FAMILIES WHO HAD GONE TO UT FOR GENERATIONS WERE NOW BEING LEFT OUT IN THE COLD. UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENT HAVE GONE UP. IT DOES NOT HELP MINORITIES GET IN AS MUCH AS THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD. SINCE IT GIVES AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS TO THE TOP 10% OF ANY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS IN TEXAS, IT SEVERELY CONGESTS THE UNIVERSITIES ALREADY CLOGGED ADMISSIONS ARTERIES. STUDENTS WHO WOULD NEVER HAVE CONSIDERING GOING TO UT SCHOOLS ARE NOW THINKING TWICE ABOUT IT. THE TOP 10% OF THE CLASS AT ONE HIGH SCHOOL IS NOWHERE THE SAME AS THE TOP 10% OF THE CLASS AT ANOTHER HIGH SCHOOL 400 MILES AWAY LET'S SAY.

THIS RULE HAS MADE ADMISSIONS PREDICTION AT UT AUSTIN VERY DIFFICULT. I KNOW OF STUDENTS WHO BEFORE THIS RULING WOULD SURELY HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO UT AUSTIN. IT HAS REALLY CREATED HAVOC AMONG ADMISSIONS APPLICANTS TO THESE SCHOOLS. WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANY END TO THIS IN SITE. ALSO THE TOP 10% APPLICANTS DO NOT HAVE ANY REQUIREMENTS ON SAT OR ACT SCORES - THEY ARE JUST IN. THERE ARE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS THAT APPLY BUT NOT MANY. THERE ARE SEVERAL USEFUL ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

http://www.collegefortexans.com/additional/top10rule.cfm

http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/docs/fredhiatt.html

PLEASE NOTE OTHER STATES BESIDES TEXAS HAVE BEEN ADOPTING SIMILIAR RULES. THEY ARE USUALLY APPLIED TO LARGE STATE SCHOOL SYSTEMS.

LEGACY - HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS?

BEING A LEGACY (YOUR ATTENDING A COLLEGE THAT A PARENT IS AN ALUMNI OF) CAN BE VERY IMPORTANT AT SOME UNIVERSITIES, AND NOT AS IMPORTANT AT OTHERS. FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN BEING A LEGACY IS NOT NEARLY AS VALUABLE AS IT USED TO BE IN THE PAST. THAT IS MAINLY DUE TO THE 10% RULE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS (WILL DISCUSS ON TEN PERCENT RULE POST). ON THE OTHER HAND, A PRIVATE SCHOOL LIKE SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY MIGHT VALUE BEING A LEGACY MUCH MORE. IF YOU ARE A LEGACY, NEVER FAIL TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THIS ON YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION AND OR INTERVIEWS! IT IS IN SOME WAY ALMOST ALWAYS OF SOME VALUE IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS.

LEGACY - WHAT IS IT?

IF YOUR A LEGACY IT MEANS THAT YOUR PARENTS ONE OR BOTH ATTENDED THAT PARTICULAR COLLEGE. YOU WOULD BE A LEGACY ATTENDING A COLLEGE AT WHICH ONE OR BOTH OF YOUR PARENTS HAVE ATTENDED.

EXPULSION - HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT YOUR COLLEGE CHOICES?

PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME TO GET EXPELLED WOULD BE SENIOR YEAR. ONLY THE MOST RUTHLESS HIGH SCHOOLS WOULD DO THAT. PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS ARE THE ONES THAT USUALLY "EXPEL" STUDENTS. THAT MEANS THEY ARE BASICALLY ASKED TO GO TO ANOTHER SCHOOL. IF THAT DOES HAPPEN TO, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY ASK THE HIGH SCHOOL TO PLEASE PUT YOU DOWN AS A WITHDREW. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU MADE A DECISION TO WITHDRAW. IT DOES NOT GIVE ANY REASON FOR THE WITHDRAWAL, AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS THAT WITH A FUTURE COLLEGE IF YOU ARE ASKED. THE WITHDREW OPTION LOOKS FAR SUPERIOR THAN THE EXPELLED OPTION! SEE WHAT OPTIONS YOUR SCHOOL WILL GIVE YOU IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. OF COURSE IF YOU DO WITHDRAW, YOU MUST GET INTO ANOTHER SCHOOL AS SOON AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE WORSE THIS LOOKS. YOU NEVER WANT AN ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT TO KNOW THAT YOU WERE EXPELLED FROM ANYWHERE. IF THEY ASK YOU WHY YOU WITHDREW, ITS YOUR DECISION WHAT TO TELL THEM. FOR MINOR INFRACTIONS, HIGH SCHOOLS WILL USUALLY LET YOU USE THE WITHDREW OPTION. FOR ANY MAJOR INFRACTIONS, SUCH AS SOMETHING SERIOUS INVOLVING THE LAW, ETC., YOU MAY NOT BE GIVEN THE OPTION OF A WITHDREW. YOU MIGHT EVEN WANT TO DISCUSS WHAT OPTIONS YOU HAVE WITH AN ATTORNEY THAT IS KNOWLEDGEABLE OF YOUR RIGHTS IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. GO AND GET THE EXPERT ADVICE. ITS WORTH PAYING FOR. FACULTY MEMBERS THAT EXPEL YOU REALLY DON'T APPEAR TO CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT YOUR COLLEGE FUTURE. DON'T WORRY THOUGH YOU PROBABLY WILL STILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND COLLEGE, EVEN IN THE EVENT OF AN EXPULSION. AN EXPULSION COULD IMPACT YOUR ABILITY TO GET INTO A VERY SELECTIVE COLLEGE, BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND COLLEGE (ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT BE THE COLLEGE OF YOUR CHOICE!).

UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND - UNCF

AN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITH 40 PRIVATE, HISTORICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN, MEMBER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THEY HELP OVER 65,000 STUDENTS EACH YEAR OBTAIN THEIR DREAM OF ATTENDING COLLEGE!!! THEY HAVE OVER 300 SCHOLARSHIPS AND INTERN PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE MANY FAMOUS GRADUATES. THEIR WEBSITE IS WWW.UNCF.ORG. THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF SCHOLARSHIP AND GRANT PROGRAMS PRIMARILY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS. THIS IS A VERY BENEFICIAL AND POWERFULLY HELPFUL ORGANIZATION. THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS ONE MUST MEET. PLEASE SEE THEIR WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. THEIR WEBSITE IS EXCELLENT!!!

THEY ALSO CAN BE REACHED AT:

UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND

8260 WILLOW OAKS CORPORATE DRIVE

P.O. BOX 10444

FAIRFAX, VA 22031-8044

WEBSITE: WWW.UNCF.ORG

BY TELEPHONE (TOLL FREE)
1-800-331-2244

CAN ANYONE GET INTO COLLEGE?

PRETTY MUCH. THERE ARE SO MANY COLLEGES IN THE UNITED STATES - THOUSANDS. THERE IS A PLACE FOR EVERYONE. IF YOU HAVE GRADUATED FROM AN ACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA, YOU HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF GETTING INTO A COLLEGE. COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE AN EXCELLENT CHOICE ALSO. COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE 2 YEAR COLLEGES THAT OFFER ASSOCIATES DEGREES AND OR PREPARE YOU TO GO TO A 4 YEAR COLLEGE. THEY ARE HIGHLY RESPECTED AND OFFER EXTREMELY REASONABLE ADMISSIONS FEES. VERY REASONABLE!!! PLEASE DO TRY TO GO TO COLLEGE! EVEN IF YOU ATTEND JUST SOME COLLEGE THAT IS BETTER THAN NONE. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD, IT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU. THE UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND IS ONE THAT IS AVAILABLE TO AFRICAN AMERICANS. THEIR WEBSITE IS:

UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND:

WWW.UNCF.ORG

HIGH SCHOOL COURSES - WHAT DO I NEED TO TAKE?

MOST STATES HAVE A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF CREDITS THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. TRY TO DO A LITTLE MORE THAN THIS MINIMUM! COLLEGE ADMISSION DEPARTMENTS LOOK CLOSELY AT THE COURSES YOU TAKE. THE MORE MATH, SCIENCE, AND ENGLISH THE BETTER. THE MORE ELECTIVES THE BETTER. FOR EXAMPLE, ADDING CHEMISTRY OR PHYSICS ELECTIVES LOOK NICE. SO DOES COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. OF COURSE DON'T BE FOOLED, COLLEGE ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT DUMB. THEY KNOW WHAT COURSES ARE HARD AND WHAT COURSES ARE EASY. TAKING MORE DIFFICULT COURSES MAKES A STUDENT LOOK ALL THE BETTER. AGAIN THOUGH IF YOU CAN DO THIS AND STILL MAINTAIN DECENT GRADES THAT IS FINE. WHEN TAKING EXTRA CLASSES STARTS TO MAKE YOUR GRADES FALL INTO THE C RANGE AND LOWER, YOU HAVE REACHED THE POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS.

ACT - CAN IT BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR SAT II SUBJECT TESTS?

YES VERY MUCH SO. AT SELECT UNIVERSITIES, THEY WILL ACCEPT A CERTAIN ACT SCORE (LIKE 25 OR 26) IN LIEU OF SAT II SUBJECT TESTS. THIS IS NICE IF YOU DON'T LIKE SAT II SUBJECT TESTS. CHECK YOUR COLLEGE OF INTEREST BY CHECKING WITH THE ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT OR THE WEB SITE. OF COURSE, IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO ESTABLISH SOME TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COLLEGE YOU ARE MOST INTERESTED IN GETTING INTO. YOU THE STUDENT SHOULD CALL THEM, EMAIL THEM, ETC. GET TO KNOW THEM. REMEMBER, THE MORE THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THEIR SCHOOL THE BETTER.

AP TESTS - HOW IMPORTANT?

THE AP TESTS AND THEIR SCORE IS IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, YOUR GRADE IN THE ACTUAL AP CLASS IS PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT! AP TESTS ARE GRADED ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 5. 5 BEING THE BEST SCORE. AP SUBJECT TESTS YOU WILL FIND ARE VERY SIMILIAR TO SAT II SUBJECT TESTS.

MAKING A 4 OR 5 ON ANY AP TEST IS PROBABLY THE BEST THING TO DO. EVEN SOME SCHOOLS WILL ALLOW YOU TO OBTAIN COLLEGE CREDIT FOR A 3 BUT NOT 2 OR 1. PLUS TAKING THE AP TESTS AND DOING WELL JUST FLAT LOOKS GOOD FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS. IS JUST ANOTHER PLUS TO YOUR RESUME.

AP COURSES - HOW IMPORTANT?

AP COURSES ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS. THE MORE YOU TAKE THE BETTER. HOWEVER, THEY ARE ONLY IMPORTANT AS LONG AS YOU CAN OBTAIN AND A OR B LETTER GRADE. IF YOU START DIPPING INTO THE C RANGE IN ANY AP COURSES YOU HAVE LOST THE ADVANTAGE OF TAKING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU WOULD BE MUCH BETTER OFF TAKING REGULAR COURSES! THE SAME APPLIES FOR HONORS COURSES. MOST HIGH SCHOOLS ARE NOW CALLING THEIR HONOR'S COURSES AP COURSES.

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COUNSELORS - HOW TO PICK A GOOD ONE

Good question! This is very important. There are some very awesome persons in this field, and some terrible ones also. How do you make sure you get a good one? Well first you should spend some time and do some research. Ask your high school counselor or friends for recommendations. Then call these individuals and ask them to provide SEVERAL past names of satisfied clients that you can contact and speak with. Don't just pick someone. You can easily waste anywhere from $1000 to $20,000 dollars! That's right, some of these folks charge massive amounts of money. Remember, its not necessarily who they know - name dropping is not something that works very well in the year 2000's. Most universities have explicit rules for admissions and they cannot just be over ruled by dropping someone's name.

GOOD BOOK FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS - LOREN POPE'S BOOK

A man named Loren Pope has written an excellent book about college admissions. It is called "40 Colleges That Change Lives". It is great in the fact that it covers some non traditional schools that are relatively unknown to the public at large but are known in certain intellectual circles. In other words, it has some hidden gems in it!!!!

Here is the website:

http://www.ctcl.com/

SAT I - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN 1190 AND 1200 SCORE?

Unfortunately a lot to some college admissions teams. I know this sounds stupid, but 1200 is what I call a magic number. Meaning it sounds just better to have a score at 1200 or above than to have 1180 or 1190. Believe it or not, it has made a difference in the past. So if you are straddling the border of a score, try to break into the next higher range. This is the same consideration for 1090 vs. 1100.

CALCULATORS - ARE SOME BETTER THAN OTHERS FOR SAT AND ACT?

Oh you bet they are!! There is a special calculator that you can get which will definitely give you an advantage on the SAT I but not the ACT. I don't want to post this online right now but may later. I will respond to private requests about it.

4.0 STUDENTS - WHY DO THEY HAVE TROUBLE WITH SAT OR ACT?

This is a very good question. The answer is that the SAT/ACT is a very difficult test for anyone, period! The SAT has all sorts of test taking trickery on it that a student would never see anywhere in high school, grade school, or much less college. This trickery only exists everywhere on the SAT. Good news though, the ACT does not have as much of this trickery, BUT there are still lots of things on it and situations one would encounter that you would not encounter in your daily high school career! I know that sounds silly, but it is very true. I have tutored dozens of valedictorians for these tests. Sometimes they have a worse problem than other students because due to their intelligence and abilities they feel they should not have to study for these tests. Sometimes they are not as open minded and teachable as other students are.

SAT I AND ACT - HOW MANY TIMES DOES THE AVERAGE STUDENT TAKE THEM?

Usually more than once. In fact, thanks to the new SAT I you can absolutely plan on taking it more than once. It would be very foolish to only take the SAT I one time considering there is no harm in taking it more than once. Many students I have tutored did well on their first SAT I (but not all), but wanted to take it again to get their score up even higher. If a student gets a very, very high score on their first SAT I then they are done for good. However, most students take it more than once to take advantage of the fact that most colleges take the highest Math, Critical Reading, or Writing score no matter what date the highest score came from. However, it appears that due to the fact the new SAT is harder than the older one, students seem to need to take more tests than they used to need to take to achieve their highest score. This is most regrettable, and the College Board has received hundreds of thousands of complaints. Furthermore, compared to the older SAT I, students seem to do better on their 2nd test or 3rd than their 1st SAT test. Why? Probably because the new SAT I is the longest test a student will have ever taken in their entire school career; it is very shocking to a student to sit down to this long test. Not even the GRE (Graduate Records Exam) or the GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) are as long as the SAT I. The GRE and GMAT are used to get into graduate school! Clocking in at 3 hours and 45 minutes (NOT counting breaks), the new marathon SAT I is 70 minutes longer than the general graduate school entrance exam (GRE), 15 minutes longer than the law school admissions exam (LSAT), and 10 minutes longer than the graduate business entrance exam (GMAT)! Only the medical school admissions exam is longer! Is this not insane? There are right now thousands of complaints against the new SAT I (do a search on Google about new SAT I).

The ACT is the same old test. It is 3 hrs and 25 minutes with Writing and 2 hours and 55 minutes without Writing. Its short, but the time constraints given for the test sections are very, very difficult. In other words, the ACT is an easier test, but it is much harder to complete it within the time limits given. The ACT is definitely the better choice for any student with focusing issues such as ADD or ADHD.

ACT - WHAT IS SUPER SCORING?

It is incredibly good news!! SUPER SCORE means is that a school will take the highest per section score no matter what the date it was made on and only use the highest scores in computing a student’s final ACT score. In other words, let’s say a student takes the ACT 4 times. She gets her highest English score the first time, her highest Math score the second time, and her highest Reading and Science score the last time. They will only use these highest scores in computing the overall score for admissions. This is incredible!!!!! They never used to do this. WHAT WONDERFUL GOOD NEWS. It seems that mainly only private schools are doing this right now, but I do now that the University of Tennessee is doing this. What you need to do is go to your college website and do a site search on ACT super scoring. This will usually bring up the answer. If it does not, send an email to the the admissions department and ask them. I have also found recently that even sometimes the admissions department's left hand does not know what its right hand is doing and vice versa. I have called some schools and got one answer one day and another answer from someone else the next day!!!

EXTENDED TIME - ON THE NEW SAT I

Yes, with extended time on the new SAT I a student could be at the testing center from 5 to as long as 8 hours!! Sickening. It is having the reverse effect on some LD students. Instead of doing better with the extra time, they are doing worse because they are so worn out it is unbelievable! This makes the case for taking the much shorter ACT even more compelling. I doubt the SAT I took this factor into account on the new SAT I. For example, below is a normal SAT I test:

JUNE 2007 SAT I TEST BREAKDOWN

SECTION NORMAL TIME (MINUTES), EXTENDED TIME (MINUTES)

ESSAY 25, 37.5

CRITICAL READING 25, 37.5

MATH 25 ,37.5

WRITING 25, 37.5

CRITICAL READING 25, 37.5

MATH 25, 37.5

MATH 20, 30

CRITICAL READING 20, 30

WRITING 10, 15

TOTALS 200, 300

SO A TEST WITH 300 MINUTES IS EXACTLY 5 HOURS LONG. THAT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE AT THE TEST CENTER AT LEAST 30 MINUTES EARLY. NOW IT IS 5.5 HOURS LONG. THAT ALSO DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT AT SOME VERY BIG TESTING CENTERS IT MAY TAKE 15 TO 60 MINUTES TO GET EVERYONE SETTLED, THE TESTS PASSED OUT, MAKE SURE ALL PROCTORS ARE PRESENT, ETC. THIS ALSO DOES NOT ACCOUNT THE 15 OR MORE MINUTES OF BREAK TIME. SO THE FULL TEST LENGTH WITH EXTENDED TIME COULD REACH 6.75 HOURS!!!! I HAVE SEEN STUDENTS ARRIVE AT 7:30 AND LEAVE LATER THAN 2:00. THIS IS A VERY BAD SITUATION FOR AN LD STUDENT TO BE IN. I HAVE HAD STUDENTS WHO DID SO POORLY WITH THE EXTENDED TIME THAT WE SWITCHED OVER TO THE ACT AND THEY DID FINE.

YOUR HIGHEST SAT I SCORE - WILL MOST COLLEGES ACCEPT THIS?

YES ABSOLUTELY! Most all colleges will take your highest Verbal SAT I score, your highest Math SAT I score, and now we assume your highest Writing and Essay score (from whatever date you took them) and put those together to make your overall score. I assume they will follow suite and do the same with the three sections on the new SAT I. Other colleges might average all your scores, and others might just take your highest score by test date (Texas and Texas A&M do this). Check with the college(s) that you are most interested in to be sure of their policy. Good news is that anyone can take the SAT I more than once to achieve a higher score (usually). It appears that most colleges are still only using the Math and Critical Reading sections of the SAT for admissions. Again, check with the particular institution(s) you are interested in. The Ivy League schools have their own special rules. Check with the school you are interested in. The Ivy Leagues also use the Writing score as most other schools do not at this time (2007).

LEARNING DIFFERENCE VS. NON LD STUDENTS: HOW DO THEY DO ON THESE TESTS?

LD students can do well on these tests WITH the proper accommodations. I would say that overall LD students are much more complex and difficult to tutor than non LD students. LD students take considerably more tutoring sessions than non LD students to do well. I am sorry but that is the truth, and it should be very apparent why that is true. LD students struggle with all aspects of school, especially testing of this stature and length. I have many, many specialized methods for tutoring LD students that I have developed over the past 25 years. These methods work and work well BUT they take time to implement and time to learn. LD students should start studying and preparing at least 18 months prior to taking the ACT or SAT, preferably even earlier than 18 months prior. Now, most colleges understand very well LD issues and certainly take that into account when admitting an LD student. It is very important to be honest with a college about your child’s LD status. I would say a score of 21 or above on the ACT is a respectable score for a child with LD. I have not yet seen an LD student get turned down for college admissions with a score on the ACT at 21 or above. I have had my LD students make as high as 34 on the ACT. LD students need to preferably at least break 1000 on the SAT. Of course, these comments are very broad in nature and you would need to consult with me about your child in particular and the particular college(s) your child wants to go to.

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS - DO COLLEGES REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THESE TEST SCORES?

Oh you bet they do. Now that is not to say that they won't look at everything else also. Usually ACT and SAT scores are in the top 3 things to getting into college. Occasionally there exist some very bright students who absolutely cannot fully demonstrate their abilities on these tests. In those cases, colleges can often see by their high grades and other extracurriculars that they may be poor test takers. However, these indulgences are rare.

GPA - HOW IMPORTANT?

GPA is probably the top two most important things to getting into college besides your extracurricular activities. Keep in mind though that most schools only send your semester grades or yearly grades. They do not send quarter grades and they do not send final exam grades. So keep your semester or yearly grades as high as you can! Also, if you started high school with a low GPA and have steadily improved it, this looks awesome to colleges!!!

EARLY DECISION TO COLLEGE - WHAT IS IT?

You had to ask! Early decision means that a student has chosen to apply to a certain college early, and if they get in they are very much SUPPOSED to commit to going to that particular college. The theory is that a student has already made up their minds to go to a certain college, and is going to apply early to indicate that. This is supposed to give them an advantage over students applying later (meaning it should be easier to get in early – but you must BE SURE you want to go there). Well, colleges vary WIDELY amongst themselves concerning this topic. It becomes more important to take an SAT your junior year if you are considering early admission. A student may also need to take the October SAT I. Once again, one must check with the colleges they are interested in to find out how the process works. See your high school’s college counselor. Also, if you default on your promise to go to that particular school if you get in early decision, your high school councilor may refuse to help you in any other attempts to get into other colleges (they may refuse to sign any other college recommendations). This could be disastrous to your getting in another institution – so basically please don’t do that under any circumstances.

ACT and SAT I - DO SENIORS DO BETTER THAN JUNIORS?

Yes, as far as I can tell seniors do better than juniors SOME of the time. This depends on many factors. They are sometimes more mature and do not get as nervous, but this is not reason enough to wait till senior year. Seniors also have more academic course work under their belts. However, I would still definitely recommend that a student must take at least one SAT I their junior year to see how they do.

WHEN A STUDENT TAKES HIS OR HER FIRST SAT I, ARE THEY USUALLY NERVOUS SINCE THIS IS THEIR FIRST TEST? DO THEY USUALLY DO WORSE ON THEIR FIRST TEST?

I would say that a large majority of students are very nervous when they take their first SAT I or ACT, especially juniors. However, most of the students that I have tutored do well on their first real SAT I or ACT. They may want to take it again to do better, and they are usually much more relaxed on their second SAT I as they have some experience with the process. If they don’t do well on their first test, this does not mean they need a whole lot more tutoring! There is only a finite amount of tutoring necessary. They may just need to take the test again. Some students need practice test taking!! Everyone is capable of having a bad day now and then! The new SAT I is MUCH longer than the prior one. Many students do appear to be shocked by its length their first time around. So I must say that students do appear to be having more difficulty with their first new SAT I (as of Marc h 2005).

SHOULD ONE GET ALL THE TESTING DONE JUNIOR YEAR?

Absolutely not! The SAT and ACT are both designed to be senior level tests! I have seen so many people attempt to do this with disastrous results. Many of the math and verbal questions on the tests would be something that most schools teach in senior level courses. It is a great thing if a student takes an SAT I their junior year and scores high enough not to take it again, but that is rare. Even tutoring cannot make up for an entire math course, which is covered on the SAT I, that the student has not taken yet. So, there is no hurry! Taking the test junior year is only a good idea to see what a student is scoring, and to see if they may need any outside help. If a student can get it done junior year, wonderful! I would also say NEVER have a student take a practice real SAT in 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th grade (or make sure it never gets sent to any colleges). There are too many negative reasons to go into here (ask me). The Princeton Review, Stanley Kaplan, myself, and many other places can give a full length practice SAT just as good (and that way the College Board does not know you took an SAT).

Remember, we are looking for the best score possible for you!! That is the primary purpose so if you have to take the test a few times so be it. Yes its a drag!

SAT I - ARE SOME TEST DATES HARDER THAN OTHERS?

All evidence points to the answer being a resounding YES. I cannot emphasize the importance of this issue enough!! Try to avoid taking your first SAT I October of Senior year. This appears to be the hardest one of all. I don’t really understand why; the only reason I can offer up is that in an endeavor for the non-profit corporation of the College Board (makers of the SAT and numerous other tests) to make more money they make the October tests a little harder then many students will need to take the November and December tests (they will in other words panic and want to improve their scores). The College Board makes approximately 2 billion dollars or more per year on the SAT alone (my most conservative estimate). Furthermore, it appears there is a hard exam in the spring also. In 2006, the April exam was very difficult. Thus, there appears to be two test dates out of the 8 per year that seem more difficult than others. Every single college counselor that I have spoken to concurs 100% with this assessment. Why make an April test hard? So a student panics and has to take the May and June SAT tests also (more $). There does not appear to be a way yet to predict which SAT in the spring will be hardest. The November and December tests appear to be the fairest SATs of all (I have dozens of these on file and have I have personally taken all of the old SAT's I have). The December SAT appears to be the absolute fairest of all (most of the time - remember there is no statement here that is 100% true 100% of the time)!! Guess why - too late for outgoing seniors to take any more SAT tests so why not make it fair (no more $ to be made). The SAT I is offered 8 times per year, and on each test usually (not always) it appears that often either the Math or the Verbal is harder than the other. I have old tests on file to back this up, and I have many years of National Percentile scores (published by the SAT I), which clearly show me that one section is almost always harder than the other - hence the reason why most colleges accept your highest Math score, highest Verbal score, and hopefully your highest Writing score from the entire total of test dates that you took the tests. Students always notice this at my office when they practice old tests. Another reason that I have heard is that they try to make the October SAT hardest so everyone does not wait until the last minute to take an SAT. This way it encourages students to take one their Junior year, and then if they do poorly they have plenty of time to get help and plenty of test dates left to improve their score. Either way I know one thing for sure, for the last ten plus years or so the October SAT has been harder than the other seven test dates throughout the year. All prospective students must take this seriously.

The ACT seems to be less volatile than the SAT I. The ACT tests seem to be more regular and normalized in their level of difficulty. In other words, the ACT does not seem to have as much variation in the level of hardness as does the SAT I. There are no test dates that I tell students to avoid for the ACT. However, I have seen and have on file some ACT tests that are much harder than others. They are rarer though than the SAT I tests. Basically having harder tests forces students to take tests more often. Some students have asked me if on the SAT I the grading scale used for scoring reflects the level of difficult. Not enough. The grading scale does not help much. Basically, there is not a huge change in SAT grading scales per test.

Also remember there is no definite 100% true statement that I can make regarding the level of difficulty of any SAT I test. The October SAT I is usually more difficult than other SAT I tests but NOT always! The December SAT I is NOT always the friendliest test of all to take, but normally it is a good bet that it is. So, don't worry you can take the SAT I several times with no detriment to your college future ( I would say three to four times is enough).

TUTORING - LONG TERM OR SHORT TERM FOR ACT AND SAT I?

I would much rather tutor a student once a week for 8 weeks rather than 2 times a week for 4 weeks. It seems that the longer term tutoring helps students much better (based on my experience with hundreds of students since 1982!). I think the information goes into their long-term memory, rather than their short-term memory. I can easily handle short term tutoring, and do get very good results from it. However, overall I think the benefits of longer term tutoring are superior to those of short term tutoring. I think shorter term tutoring does not give the individual student enough time to develop the testing skills necessary to master these tests. It also produces extremely stressful situations between all parties concerned. Some students do NOT perform well under severe stress. Overall, its just far better to plan ahead and get your tutoring started in a timely manner. The bare minimum of time to start tutoring before an ACT/SAT is I would say 8 weeks (preferably MUCH earlier).

VOCABULARY - HOW MUCH IS ON THE SAT AND ACT?

There are NO longer a lot of vocabulary words on the SAT I. What I do is write down for each student, in their SAT I binder, a list of the most common SAT I words they do not know (that we run across during the course of tutoring and taking past tests). So in effect, each of my students gets their own personalized vocabulary list. “If someone wants to get a score in the 1400’s or higher, they definitely must know a tremendous amount of vocabulary” – THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE ON THE NEW SAT I. Since they have completely done away with the analogies, there are only sentence completions where one would need to know not near as many vocabulary words. There are no longer any analogies on the new SAT I either.

The ACT has no vocabulary on it at all.

VOCABULARY - HOW MUCH IS ON THE SAT AND ACT?

There are NO longer a lot of vocabulary words on the SAT I. What I do is write down for each student, in their SAT I binder, a list of the most common SAT I words they do not know (that we run across during the course of tutoring and taking past tests). So in effect, each of my students gets their own personalized vocabulary list. “If someone wants to get a score in the 1400’s or higher, they definitely must know a tremendous amount of vocabulary” – THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE ON THE NEW SAT I. Since they have completely done away with the analogies, there are only sentence completions where one would need to know not near as many vocabulary words. So vocabulary is not nearly as important as it used to be. There are no longer any analogies on the SAT I either.

The ACT has no vocabulary on it at all.

HOW MANY TIMES DOES THE AVERAGE STUDENT TAKE THE SAT I?

Usually more than once! Especially since March 2005 with the longer newer SAT I students seem to be taking the SAT more and more. It would be very foolish to only take the SAT I one time considering there is no harm in taking it more than once. Many students I have tutored did well on their first SAT I, but wanted to take it again to get their score up even higher. If a student gets a very, very high score on their first SAT I then they are done for good. However, most students take it more than once to take advantage of the fact that most colleges take the highest Math, Critical Reading, or Writing score no matter what date the highest score came from. However, it appears that due to the fact the new SAT is harder than the older one, students seem to need to take more tests than they used to need to take to achieve their highest score. This is most regrettable, and the College Board has received hundreds of thousands of complaints.

How LATE can someone TAKE THE SAT I?

The SAT I is generally given senior year in October, November, December, and January (sometimes January is too late). Even if you have already turned in your college application, you can still take another SAT I and call the SAT I to have them send electronically someone’s scores to the college of their choice. These would arrive at the college the same day the College Board sends them. If you are applying for early admissions one should definitely take the SAT their junior year one or more times. Early admission’s candidates are very limited in the SATs they can take their senior year. Check with the particular school for Early Admissions deadlines. ACT test dates are very similar, and can be seen at www.act.org. You can also check www.collegeboard.org for all SAT test dates. So you can take the SAT and the ACT as late as your senior year but I WOULD NOT WAIT THAT LONG. Take them after Christmas your Junior year to see how well you do. If you don't do well, get some extra help or practice on your own.

How LATE can someone TAKE THE SAT I?

The SAT I is generally given senior year in October, November, December, and January (sometimes January is too late). Even if you have already turned in your college application, you can still take another SAT I and call the SAT I to have them send electronically someone’s scores to the college of their choice. These would arrive at the college the same day the College Board sends them. If you are applying for early admissions one should definitely take the SAT their junior year one or more times. Early admission’s candidates are very limited in the SATs they can take their senior year. Check with the particular school for Early Admissions deadlines. ACT test dates are very similar, and can be seen at www.act.org. You can also check www.collegeboard.org for all SAT test dates. So you can take the SAT and the ACT as late as your senior year but I WOULD NOT WAIT THAT LONG. Take them after Christmas your Junior year to see how well you do. If you don't do well, get some extra help or practice on your own.

How SOON CAN I GET MY ACT SAT SCORES BACK?

The ACT and SAT I will mail them, but this can take several weeks (4 weeks). The fastest way is to call 1-800-SAT-SCORE and get the answers over the telephone. You will need the student’s social security number, a credit card, and the date the test was taken. This service costs $10 or so (maybe higher now) but is well worth not waiting weeks to months to get someone’s score back. You also can call this number or their main number 1-609-771-7600 to have scores rushed to the colleges of your choice. Make sure you are aware of all crucial deadlines of the college(s) you are most interested in. The high school College Counseling Office (at your high school) also can help with this. You can easily use www.act.org (ACT website) or www.collegeboard.org (SAT website) to get scores over the Internet. I recommend using the websites. Scores on the website or telephone are available 5 to 10 working days after the test was administered. It is always best to get the scores immediately when they are available.

ACTUALLY SCORES ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE VIA TELEPHONE. USE THE WEBSITES LISTED ABOVE. USUALLY WITHIN 10 TO 14 DAYS AFTER THE TEST DATE SCORES WILL BE AVAILABLE. SCORES ARE USUALLY INPUTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER MEANING IF YOUR LAST NAME IS AT THE FRONT OF THE ALPHABET YOUR SCORES USUALLY WILL BE AVAILABLE FIRST.

How SOON CAN I GET MY ACT SAT SCORES BACK?

The ACT and SAT I will mail them, but this can take several weeks (4 weeks). The fastest way is to call 1-800-SAT-SCORE and get the answers over the telephone. You will need the student’s social security number, a credit card, and the date the test was taken. This service costs $10 or so (maybe higher now) but is well worth not waiting weeks to months to get someone’s score back. You also can call this number or their main number 1-609-771-7600 to have scores rushed to the colleges of your choice. Make sure you are aware of all crucial deadlines of the college(s) you are most interested in. The high school College Counseling Office (at your high school) also can help with this. You can easily use www.act.org (ACT website) or www.collegeboard.org (SAT website) to get scores over the Internet. I recommend using the websites. Scores on the website or telephone are available 5 to 10 working days after the test was administered. It is always best to get the scores immediately when they are available.

ACTUALLY SCORES ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE VIA TELEPHONE. USE THE WEBSITES LISTED ABOVE. USUALLY WITHIN 10 TO 14 DAYS AFTER THE TEST DATE SCORES WILL BE AVAILABLE. SCORES ARE USUALLY INPUTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER MEANING IF YOUR LAST NAME IS AT THE FRONT OF THE ALPHABET YOUR SCORES USUALLY WILL BE AVAILABLE FIRST.

CAN TUTORING IMPROVE YOUR ACT OR SAT SCORE?

Most definitely. However, the amount of improvement depends on the student, and obviously the type of tutoring employed. For example, it is possible to improve a PSAT score of 100 to an SAT I score of 1200 or maybe 1300. But to take an SAT I score of 1350 and make it a 1550 might be quite a bit more difficult. The SAT I repeats many of the same questions test after test. The structure of the SAT from test to test NEVER changes. Hence, practicing old tests is extremely beneficial. Also, the SAT I has many tricks on it that are unique to only the SAT I. When a student learns these tricks, this can also help their score. I only have students rework past real SAT and ACT tests only. I do not accept students for SAT I tutoring unless I feel we have a very, very good chance of improving their score (see my handout on PSAT and SAT tutoring). Learning Differenced students need to have their testing updated, and apply for accommodations. No amount of tutoring in the world can overcome an established Learning Difference diagnosis. These students must have appropriate accommodations such as extended time, in order to give them the best chance to do well on either test.

CAN TUTORING IMPROVE YOUR ACT OR SAT SCORE?

Most definitely. However, the amount of improvement depends on the student, and obviously the type of tutoring employed. For example, it is possible to improve a PSAT score of 100 to an SAT I score of 1200 or maybe 1300. But to take an SAT I score of 1350 and make it a 1550 might be quite a bit more difficult. The SAT I repeats many of the same questions test after test. The structure of the SAT from test to test NEVER changes. Hence, practicing old tests is extremely beneficial. Also, the SAT I has many tricks on it that are unique to only the SAT I. When a student learns these tricks, this can also help their score. I only have students rework past real SAT and ACT tests only. I do not accept students for SAT I tutoring unless I feel we have a very, very good chance of improving their score (see my handout on PSAT and SAT tutoring). Learning Differenced students need to have their testing updated, and apply for accommodations. No amount of tutoring in the world can overcome an established Learning Difference diagnosis. These students must have appropriate accommodations such as extended time, in order to give them the best chance to do well on either test.

IS THE PSAT A GOOD PREDICTOR OF WHAT MY CHILD WILL MAKE ON THE REAL SAT I?

Sometimes. The PSAT and SAT I are totally different tests! Same issue regarding the ACT and PLAN tests. PSAT is shorter and has a different difficulty level of material on it vs. the SAT I. If you read the fine print on the PSAT, it clearly states (but in small print) that the score prediction could deviate by plus or minus 40 to 60 points in each category (this changes yearly). Overall, that would be a score swing of several hundred points! I use the PSAT at my office only to see which questions they answered correct, got wrong, or left blank. Its a good guide sometimes. Some students totally blow off the PSAT! I have the past 20 years or so of PSAT's here on file. Some of the questions used on the PSAT seem to be guinea pig type questions. In other words, they are testing questions on the PSAT to see if they would be good questions to use in the future on the SAT I.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS - THE COMMON APP

The Common App or Common Application is an application that can be filled out once and be used over and over again to apply to many, many different schools at once! Isn't that wonderful? Yes it is. The Common App is more widely used than ever before. When it first came out many applicants felt that it was too basic and that using it would impact their application negatively. This is no longer the case.

I would say that again, only at the most highly selective schools would I choose to not use the Common App. I would use their own application. In general though the Common App is great most all of the time. It is a way to reach the most colleges the fastest. If you have a couple of schools you would really really like to get into just use their applications (mainly because they have more essays and questions in them so that the college can get to know you better). In other words, I would not recommend using the Common App for your Tier 1 schools.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS - THE ESSAY

Believe it or not, the essays in your college applications are BEYOND IMPORTANT! This was already discussed in another post, but I felt it necessary to give it its own post. The essay can be the deciding factor in your college application that gets you in or out! Many admissions teams use the essays as tie breakers between very closely competing students. How do you make sure you have written a good essay? There are many excellent books on the market for this. The Internet also has many resources. You can also pay a college counselor to review your essays or an English tutor. If you cannot afford to pay an outside source, use your high school's college couselor or English teachers. I will be getting into this topic much more in a later post.

MY PARENTS AND I DO NOT AGREE ON MY COLLEGE CHOICES

Even though your parents may be paying for your college adventure, it is still your college adventure. Your the one that has to go there, attend classes, do homework, take tests and final exams, etc. Remind your parents of this. The last thing that they would want is to put you in an environment that you are not going to be happy in - that could affect your grades and overall performance in college. I have seen this situation more times than I would like to admit. You may have to ask your school's counselor or your favorite teacher to intervene and say something for you. If you have a tutor or private college counselor ask them to help you. This is a tough situation. Give it some time.

CO-OP PROGRAMS/INTERNSHIPS

This is sometimes offered by some colleges. It is a way to attend college and at the same time get valuable working experience. Usually a student will go to school 2 semesters of the year, i.e. Spring and Summer, then they will work the last semester, i.e. winter. I highly recommend these programs. They are extremely valuable even if it prolongs your time in college. You would usually have a job waiting for you when you graduate!!

COMMUNITY COLLEGES - ?

Community colleges are the best invention of the last century besides the automobile and the computer! They are excellent! They are cheap and offer an absolute excellent education which is respected by most universities. You can find some of the most brilliant professors working in the community college environment!! If you cannot afford a 4 year college or cannot attend a 4 year college for whatever reason, consider investigating a community college. You will never be sorry. Keep in mind though, they are no "breeze". They are just as hard if not harder than a 4 year college. They do have some requirements one must meet.

SAT II SUBJECT TESTS - ARE THESE REQUIRED FOR ADMISSIONS?

This is an ever changing question. Right now in 2007 most all schools, except the most highly selective ones, are not using these for admissions. However, some schools list these as a "requirement". What that means is that they are looking to see if you are going to put forth the effort to do what they ask. If you don't, then your automatically eliminated. In other words, schools are starting to use these as a "weed out" tool. Even if they are not using the scores on the SAT II tests per se, they are still going to be using them to see who is going to do what they as by taking them. As we continue to have more and more students applying to US colleges, they are going to be looking for more and more ways to "weed out" students. SAT II subject tests are the newest "weed out" tools. The best advice is to email the admissions department or better yet as a student call them on the telephone, introduce yourself and where you are from and ask them about any questions you are having. Call them several times if you need to! This makes you look good! Do not have your parents do this; it is better for a student to do this.

CAN YOU RETAKE THE SAT II SUBJECT TESTS?

Again contrary to popular belief, these SAT II subject tests are not so easy. They need preparation. Most colleges only require two SAT II subject tests. Some require three but they are in the minority. Most colleges probably do not have a problem with you retaking the SAT II subject tests to get a better score. Its also probably a good idea to plan on taking three of these tests, then you can pick your two best scores. Again most colleges are NOT using these for admissions. They are listed as a "requirement" for admissions.

UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS OF GETTING INTO COLLEGE

Yes we all know of someone who has a very high expectation of getting into a certain college but their grades, scores, etc. do not in the slightest way even approach what those schools need. That is OK. Anyone can apply to any college. I have seen strange things happen. I like to deal with probabilities not just possibilities. In other words, anything is possible but it may not be probable. I want my students to apply to schools that it is not only possible that they can get in, but is also probable that they can get in. I never discourage anyone from applying anywhere. Rather I make sure that on their list they also apply to some for sure schools so that it is probable that they are going to get into some colleges. See the blog on the 3 Tier Approach.

GOOD COLLEGE - HOW DO KNOW WHAT A GOOD COLLEGE IS?

We are blessed to be in the USA. The United States has some of the best colleges in the world - literally thousands of them! You would be hard pressed to find a "bad" college. The question itself needs some rethinking. What college is best for you? Some colleges are not good for some students. Do you want a big college? Small college? Do you want to go to school where it snows? rains? sunny? Where there is a beach? etc. These are many questions the typical college to be student must be thinking of. What do you think you want to study? The Internet is your best tool. Each and every college has their own unique web site. College web sites are typically incredibly detailed with lots of excellent information. Read about the colleges you are interested in. Visit them. Talk to alumni from these schools. See where the most recent alumni's have taken jobs and what those salaries are. There are so many choices it can be an overwhelming feeling! Start early. You should begin thinking about college your freshman and or your sophomore year in high school! That is right.

So again lets rethink the question. Get away from calling schools good, bad, best, worst. That type of language is not applicable here. It's what schools are best for what students. What school do you want to attend? Later on I will be posting a questionnaire to help students narrow down their choices.

What is THE BIG PROBLEM WITH THE NEW SAT I?

The SAT I was "revamped" and the new edition came out first in March 2005. The new SAT I is MUCH LONGER THAN ITS PREDECESSOR. The length of the new test has caused what is called a "Stamina Issue". What this means is that in their absolute remarkable brilliance, the makers of the SAT totally forget to address the possible effects of having a drastically longer test would create. Teenagers and in general most of the population has trouble focusing for extremely long periods of time. They promised that the new SAT I would not have any impact on current scoring averages of incoming freshman classes. Of course, it did have an impact - average scores for incoming Freshman are down across the board. Colleges and high schools have been complaining often about this.

The content of the new SAT I is not terribly different. In the verbal they did away with analogies (I loved those). They increased the length of the reading passages and put more on there. They kept the sentence completions. In Math, they took out the quantitative comparion questions and pretty much everything else stayed the same. They did add in some new Algebra content. There is very little Geometry questions on there. Maybe only 4 to 5 questions per math section if that.

Are colleges CURRENTLY USING THE WRITING PORTION OF THE SAT I FOR ADMISSIONS?

No, most colleges are only using the Math and the Verbal portion of the SAT for college admission requirements. Only the most highly selective schools are using the Writing portion for admissions. Since there are so many complaints regarding the new SAT I (as of March 2005), it does not look like this is going to change in the near future. Colleges are leary to start using the Writing section for admissions since so many things on the new SAT I are causing complaints.

What MATH IS EXACTLY COVERED ON THE ACT?

The ACT math section has a lot of Algebra I and Algebra II, some Geometry, and a little bit of what would be called Trigonometry or Precal at some schools. Here is a very approximate breakdown:

ACT Math section content:

Algebra I - 40%

Algebra II - 40%

Geometry, Trig & Other - 20%

Beware though what some schools call Algebra I is really Algebra II at other schools and vice versa.

What is the best METHOD TO USE WHEN CHOOSING WHICH COLLEGES TO APPLY TO?

There is a rule of thumb method called the "Three Tiered Approach" or 3 Tiers Approach. What this means is that you divide your college choices into 3 categories. They are as follows:

Tier 1 Colleges - These are your absolute favorite choices. The schools you would just die for to get into. This category is your reach schools. In other words, when choosing schools in this category it does not matter what scores they want right now. You just know that you want to get into these schools desperately!

Tier 2 Colleges - These are schools you would not mind going to but they may not be your first choice. They have scores and admissions requirements which you either can match in the future or that you have now.

Tier 3 Colleges - These schools are your SAFETY SCHOOLS. These are schools that you can for sure absolutely get into right now. In other words, their requirements for admissions match you very well and or you may be above what they require.

SUMMARY:

Tier 1 - "DREAM" Colleges, your favorite by far!

Tier 2 - Desirable schools but not your absolute favorite

Tier 3 - "SAFETY" schools, schools you can get into for sure

Why this approach? Well this approach is a very safe way to do your college admissions choices. It has been proven over time. It has a built in safety net so that you do not get left out of getting into college.

What do I DO IF MY PARENTS ARE OBSESSED ABOUT ME GETTING INTO ONLY ONE COLLEGE?

Boy do I feel sorry for you! This is a tough place to be, and I have seen a lot of this in my practice. It is a very bad idea to be so obsessed that all you care about is getting into one school and one school only. There is no guarantee whatsoever of any kind that you can for sure get into any one school. You should have several top picks, several schools picked that you would not mind going to, and several safety schools that you think for sure you can get into. This is called the THREE TIER APPROACH TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS. I will explain this further in another post.

Back to your problem. If I were you, I would talk to my school couselor and set a meeting with your parents. See if the counselor will help you broach this delicate topic. I have had to do this many times as a tutor. If you have a tutor, see if they can help you. You also might see if your relatives can help you. I never lie to my clients. I never tell someone for sure they can get into some school or for sure they cannot. Everyone is entitled to apply to the schools of their choice. The question is whether or not that choice is possible or probable.

Anything is possible, but is your choice probable? You want many choices that are both possible and probable!! It's possible to get accepted to Princeton, but it is not probable unless you have perfect SAT and ACT scores, and your a legacy, and your application is perfect, and you have dozens of extracurriculars, etc. etc.

What about GRADUATE SCHOOLS?

This blog is mainly for undergraduate admissions. I will deal with that in another blog. However, right now suffice to say that you just need to keep your grades in college as good as they were in high school or better if you plan on attending graduate school. Try and keep at least a 3.0 or better. Later on you will need to take the GMAT or GRE. These tests are not nearly as hard as the SAT I or ACT! Can you believe that? if you are planning on attending medical school, you need to keep your grades as high as possible (3.75 or more!) and plan on starting to study for the MCAT as soon as junior year. The Princeton Review offers an excellent study program for the MCAT. Probably the best in the nation. They get impressive results. You can check it out at their website www.princetonreview.com.

What is an example of a BAD COLLEGE?

The USA does not really have any bad colleges. Most all of our colleges that are accredited are actually fairly decent. There are as many ways to rate colleges as their are stars in the night sky. There are hundreds of publications that attempt to do this each year. US News and World Report publishes a rating of colleges each year as do many other sources. There is no one final say on what is the best college. What would a best college look like anyway? What you need to do as parents and students is go visit the places you are interested in going and see what they offer. Talk to their graduates and alumni. See what jobs these colleges are producing for their graduates. Investigate. Do your homework. Use the Internet.

How IMPORTANT IS A DEMANDING SPORT SUCH AS FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, OR SOCCER FOR GETTING INTO A GOOD COLLEGE?

Very important. Colleges know that dedication to one of those sports requires an enormous amount of your time and your physical energy. Therefore, most admissions teams will significantly look at such sporting activities. I would say on the average, heavy sports such as football, baseball, soccer, etc. can be viewed as a quarter to half a letter grade boost. What I mean is that lets say you have a student that has a 3.0 but he is a starting football player for 4 years in high school. He is going to look as good as a student with a 3.25 to 3.5 who has no such extracurricular activities. Cheerleading is also a very intensive activity for female students, and it can be viewed in a similiar manner.

Is there SOME SECRET CALCULATOR YOU CAN USE ON THE SAT I THAT WILL HELP?

Yes there is. I am not going to say this online right now, but if I can figure all this out I may email it to interested parties later on. I do not want the College Board to discover this and suddenly say that calculator is not allowed to be used any longer.

What AGE IS IT BEST TO BEGIN ACADEMIC TUTORING (to improve your grades for college)?

Colleges do not see grades before 9th grade. Thus, one would think it is not necessary to begin tutoring before then. That is true in some cases. In other cases where a student needs a lot of re education it is beneficial to start as early as fifth or sixth grade. I would say any earlier is really not totally necessary, but of course would not hurt. Any goal of tutoring should be the long range goal of getting the student not only into a decent college but enabling them to perform in a college setting. That is why it is most important to teach study skills.

How do you IMPROVE A STUDENT'S GRADES SO THAT THEY CAN GET INTO A DECENT COLLEGE?

There are many answers to this question! I suppose the best route is private tutoring. Not a homework tutor! Do not be deceived by a homework tutor. That is a tutor who just helps organize your student and may NOT know any of the material. Get a tutor with lots of experience who KNOWS the material!! Also preferably one who can teach the student study skills concurrently with the material. That is exactly what I do with my students; I teach them the material with study skills and proper test taking skills. This combination has been effective in improving grades even in some of the most difficult schools.

I teach them the material and have them use proper study methods. If they refuse, I dismiss them and get the next student who needs help. Do not tutor in groups. Although that may be cheaper, it is usually less effective in the long run. If your home is noisy and cluttered, do not get a tutor that comes to your house. Get a tutor that has an office with a weekly time that your student must attend tutoring sessions. I will address how to choose the best tutor in another post.

Are there any NON MEDICATION SOLUTIONS FOR LEARNING DIFFERENCES SUCH AS ADD AND ADHD?

Interestingly enough, there is an entire start up industry that has developed which offers various non medicational routes of solutions to ADD and ADHD. These include but are not limited to BioFeedback, Oxygen therapy, Hypnosis, and many more. I have no data on their effectiveness as most of the students in my practice are currently and have been pursuing the mainstream solutions such as medications.

What about MEDICATION FOR ADD AND ADHD?

I have seen miracles in my tutoring practice when the appropriate medication is given to the right student. I do mean miracles. I have seen grades come up, SAT and ACT scores increase also. Medication can be a life saving decision. It can entirely save a child's academic career; medication, however, is by no means appropriate for every single child. As a parent, the process begins with getting your child tested. Many good MD's (psychiatrists) also perform testing for ADD and other learning differences. Again try and get referrals from your school's counselor or your friends. Follow to the letter what these professionals recommend. If the medication has any side effects, immediately report this to the doctors and they can change them. There are many different types of medications out there. Some short acting, some are longer acting medications. I am no doctor. Follow your doctor's advice. Medications such as Ritalin have been proven effective. There are many, many different kinds of medications on the market now. I do not recommend long term use. Just the minimum to enable the child to function in his academic environment. I know of many students who continue to use medication through college and into a successful adulthood.

How do I KNOW IF MY CHILD HAS LD (LEARNING DIFFERENCES)?

Great question. The absolute fastest way is to get them tested by a registered educational diagnostician. These can be found in your Yellow Pages. However, you should get a referral from someone you trust or from your high school as these testers come in two varities: good and very poor. Its a lot of money to spend on a poor tester.

If you suspect that your child is in any way developmentally behind his peers, and tutoring or extra help has not remediated this condition in any way then testing is a good idea. If you see that your child has trouble completing tests on time then it is a good idea to get them tested. If grades are poor and you have exhausted many different avenues of help, then testing is a good idea. If you notice your child has trouble paying attention (ADD) or is hyperactive (ADHD) then testing is again a good idea.

Students who are LD absolutely need to accomodations that are offered to them under Federal Law. Extended time testing on the ACT and or SAT is one such accomodation that many students get who are properly and timely diagnosed. I have seen massive score increases in students who finally got approved for extended time on the ACT and or SAT.

Learning Differences are no joke. They are a very serious matter. Even if you do not believe in such things, that does not mean they do not exist. There are many good laws in place to protect LD children, and many colleges have special LD programs in place just for the LD child. Colleges almost never discriminate with LD kids because if it was proven that they did, they could lose their federal funding! No college would risk this! So do not worry about any stigma, just do what is best for your child. Get them tested. If indeed they are LD, enroll them in the LD program at their school (if it has one).

Should I HIRE AN INDEPENDENT COLLEGE COUNSELOR

Yes absolutely if you can afford one! They are a very valuable asset in this process. There are dozens of them listed in the yellow pages in every city. Ask around, find out who does a good job. There will be another post soon on how to hire a good college counselor. College counselors can save you lots of time and money. They can search out scholarships, help you select the right schools, get you in touch with a good tutor, and much much more. In a family where both parents work, they can be priceless!!

If you cannot afford one, make absolutely the most use of the college counselor at your high school!f This is very important. They are their to help you. You need to go see them as often as you can. Don't worry about bothering them! This is your future. You also need to make sure that they are handling all the paperwork on time and sending it out to the right places! Check their work.

How IMPORTANT IS THE ACTUAL COLLEGE APPLICATION ITSELF?

In a job interview a future employer gets to see you for the very first time. That is why first impressions are so very important. Your college application is very similiar indeed to a job interview. This is the first time the admissions team is going to view you, and they are going to make judgements about you entirely based on your application, especially the essays!!!

The essays in the college applications are of paramount importance. There are many excellent books on the market on how to write a good college essay. I will get to that in another blog. I myself have edited hundreds of college essays. Needless to say you should be very careful in filling out your application, and double careful in writing your essays. You should have your school English teacher review all essays before sending them off, and I would also have your high school college counselor review them.

For example, the University of Texas at Austin actually grades each and every single college application that comes in. They grade them just like you would an English paper. If they tell you to put your social security number in the upper right corner of every single page you submit and you place it in the left corner you will be docked several points!! Follow the directions on the college applications to the letter!!!!!

How many TIMES CAN YOU TAKE THE SAT I?

Generally speaking you can take the SAT I as many times as you want, but I would not recommend you take it more than 4 or 5 times. The SAT I will send all your scores to all the colleges you request. Meaning that colleges will see all your SAT I scores; you cannot hide any scores from them.

Most all colleges will take your highest Math score and your highest Verbal score no matter what the date and add those up to be your final score. Some colleges will average all your scores (this is rare). This is called Super Scoring. At present, some colleges like the University of Texas at Austin will only take your highest date SAT score (they will not take a high math and high verbal score from different dates - they will just pick your highest test score by the date only).

The more selective the school, the less times you would want to take the SAT I. That is why the ACT is so wonderful - you can take it as many times as you want as long as you don't send your scores anywhere until you make your highest score (see other blog entitled How MANY TIMES CAN YOU TAKE THE ACT?).

We heard that some SAT TEST DATES ARE BETTER TO TAKE THAN OTHERS?

The only thing I can say about this is that the October SAT test is usually very, very hard! My students tell me this, and their scores indicate this. I have many past October SAT tests in my office that I have reworked, and I must say THAT YES ABSOLUTELY THE OCTOBER SAT FROM MANY DIFFERENT PAST YEARS SEEMS TO BE VERY DIFFICULT.

My guess would be because if they make a test hard then more students will need to retake tests thereby increasing both their profits and attendance. I certainly don't know that for sure. It seems also that one other test date is difficult also. One in the Spring is hard, and one in the Fall is hard. There is no for sure formula to follow. What I tell my students is to avoid taking the October SAT.

It also seems to me that the December and November tests in any year seem to be very fair, and do produce good scores.

How do I SELECT A GOOD HIGH SCHOOL FOR MY CHILDREN?

Unfortunately that topic is for another blog! I will be developing a blog soon regarding the truth on entrance to private grade schools and high schools. These schools have their own entrance examination (usually it is called the ISEE) just like colleges use the SAT and the ACT.

I am INTERESTED IN GETTING MY CHILD INTO AN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL? WHERE DO I BEGIN?

There is very much a "Science" involved in getting a student into a very selective school such as an Ivy League School. Harvard regularly turns down thousands of valedictorians each year! So yes it is hard to get into these schools, but it is certainly not impossible.

One must have the numbers or be an excellent football player, basketball player, etc. or both. The first thing I would do is hire a college councilor in your area who has already previously helped students get into a highly selective school such as an Ivy League school. I have tutored many students who have gone to such schools and there is definitely a list of what to do's and what not to do's. This topic will be discussed in far greater depth soon.

Which test is BETTER FOR LD (Learning Differenced) STUDENTS?

In general, the ACT is the better test for learning differenced students. This is only TRUE AS LONG AS THE STUDENT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR EXTENDED TIME TESTING. The ACT is NOT a good test for anyone who has problems completing tests on time. The time structure used on the ACT is very harsh. Even the best student's have problems completing the ACT on time.

You would need to get advice from a private tutor who has experience in this area to get an accurate answer for this question for your child. Every child is different, and the above is a guideline only. I have had many cases where clients needed to switch tests to do the best.

What is the 50th PERCENTILE SCORE USED FOR ADMISSIONS?

The 50th percentile score which is listed in many books and on many websites is the score that was made by the middle 50% of students in the most recent incoming Freshman class. This means that it is not the score made by the top 25% of admissions and it is not the score made by the bottom 25% of applicants. It is just the score made by the middle 50% of admissions in the freshman class.

Is this a good score to use? Yes it is an EXCELLENT guideline to what the score you would need to get into that university. I call it the "middle of the pack" score. It is a very, very safe place to be if you other credentials are decent. Of course, for example if your grades are very poor you would want a higher score to give you a better chance of getting in.

There is a very massive book published by the makers of the SAT that lists this information for every single college in the USA it is called "The College Board College Handbook 2008". I am going to list more resources later on.

What is considered a GOOD ACT SCORE?

IF YOU MUST KNOW I WILL SAY IT BELOW. BUT PLEASE GET AWAY FROM THE CONCEPT OF "GOOD SCORES" AND "BAD SCORES". THERE IS REALLY NO SUCH THING. WHAT SCORE DO YOU NEED TO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO IS THE QUESTION!!!

Again I have a rule of thumb here that is easy to remember. I call it the 23/24/25 rule. An ACT score around 24 is considered a very respectable score. It is equivalent to an SAT score in the 1100's. One can get into many schools with this score. This rule of thumb, just like the 10/11/12 rule of thumb for SAT scores, assumes you come from a decent accredited high school, have decent grades (A's,B's, and a few C's), and have some extracurricular activities. Again this is only a rule of thumb. I will be posting in the future more specific scores for schools. Most colleges on their websites will list scores they want. Its very easy to find this information. You should check the scores of the institutions you most want to goto. Most colleges will list a 50th percentile score. What is that? See the next post. I HAVE SEEN MANY STUDENTS GET INTO COLLEGE WITH AN ACT SCORE OF 20 SO AGAIN THIS IS VERY SUBJECTIVE. I REALLY DON'T EVEN LIKE THE 23/24/25 RULE.

What about TUTORING FOR THE ACT AND THE SATI?

Tutoring is a very, very effective means of getting your child a better score on the ACT or SAT. However, tutoring has limits. There are certain guidelines on how to choose a good tutor that I will explore in a later post.

Right now the question is do you need a tutor? My answer to that is if you can afford a tutor for these tests, get one. You will never be sorrow. I have never seen a high school that has a good preparation program for the ACT and or the SAT I. NEVER. I would avoid group tutoring courses at all costs, especially if you have an LD student. A private tutor is the best route to go. If you cannot afford a tutor I have suggested in other posts what books are best for your child to work from.

Again choose only books that are authored by College Board or the Princeton Review for the SAT I, and only choose books that are authored by the makers of the ACT or Princeton Review for the ACT. There will be more information later on regarding this.

When is a good TIME for a student to START PREPARING FOR THE SAT OR ACT?

This is a very important question. You will find that most high schools, even private ones, give little or no advice here.

Timing is the key. Especially if you want your child to goto a very selective school such as an Ivy League school. I recommend starting the earlier the better. The earliest I have seen a student start is 8th grade. Yes that is right, 8th grade. However, I would say a very good time to start is summer after Freshman year with a tutor. Start no later than summer before Junior year. The earlier you begin the more time you have to prepare. It should seem obvious that this is the best formula. I literally get hundreds of calls the weeks before each ACT and SAT. That is very much too late! "The early bird gets the worm." That trite old saying is very accurate in this situation.

What does LEARNING DIFFERENCED mean (LD)?

Learning Differences are a set of learning issues like Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, ADD, ADHD, etc. etc. that a student can have which inhibits his or her ability to learn things in a conventional manner. There are many dozens of different types of Learning Differences. Federal Law has drastically changed on this issue in the past several decades. What this means for college admissions is many things. The most pressing issue is probably that if your child is diagnosed with LD they can POSSIBLY get accomodations on the SAT or ACT such as extended testing time. This can be crucial in helping an LD child get into college. Your child must be diagnosed by a licensed professional. This differs from state to state somewhat but it is usually a degreed psychologist or an educational diagnostician. Furthermore, many colleges (i.e. the University of Denver and Arizona State University) have very good LD programs specifically designed to help LD students achieve in college. More information on this topic is to follow.

How DO I KNOW WHICH TEST IS BETTER FOR MY DAUGHTER (THE ACT OR SAT)?

Extremely common question. Most schools only offer the PSAT (the Pre SAT) and not the PLAN (the pre ACT) so it can be hard to determine which test is better. Here are some general guidelines:

CHOOSE THE SAT I IF:

- Your student is better at math. The SAT I is roughly 50% math and 50% reading. Most colleges are NOT using the Writing portion for admissions (only the most selective schools are).
-Your student is good at figuring out puzzles. Most of the questions on the SAT I are designed to test a student's thinking abilities (or that is what they say). A student good a thinking on his feet or figuring things out quickly would do well on SAT I.

CHOOSE ACT IF:
-Your student is Learning Differenced. It is generally a much better test for LD students.
-Your student is better at reading.
-Your student is very good at making good grades and is a hard worker. The ACT is supposedly a test more over what one learns in school.

I will be posting more on this later.

Is there a lot of SCHOLARSHIP MONEY OUT THERE FOR COLLEGE?

Yes there is! I am not an expert in this area. However, I have seen dozens of my past students get thousands upon thousands of dollars in academic scholarship money which in part was due to their high SAT or ACT scores.

For example, recently I tutored a young lady who needed to improve her ACT score by 3 points to goto college absolutely free. She called me with only 4 weeks to go. She did not know about his offer any earlier. I was able to improve her ACT score from a 28 to a 31 in five one hour sessions. This was nothing short of a miracle for me. She got a full scholarship to a great midwestern university worth $100,000.00 over four years. Nothing is more important to me than saving my clients that type of money. Her father had recently passed away so this was a true victory.

Their is scolarship money out there for good grades, good SAT scores, good ACT scores, football, baseball, basketball, acting, etc. etc. and the list goes on. Each university usually has a list of their own scholarships they give out. Just ask them. I will be posting some resources later on about scholarships. Their are many fine books on this topic. I would goto a half price or discount bookstore in your area and you can easily browse some cheap books on the topic. Of course any bookstore like Borders has hundreds of books on the topic.

Furthermore, there are several universities in the US that "buy" good students. That's right folks. Southern Methodist University (SMU) is one o them. I went to SMU on a completely free four year School of Engineering and Science scholarship. They treated me wonderfully.

College Admissions IS A BIG GAME WITH ITS OWN RULES

I view college admissions as a game with certain rules that can change from time to time. Like any other game, i.e. football, there are certain things one would want to do to improve their game and get the highest "Score".

DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOU KNOW THE RULES TO THIS GAME, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THE GAME SINCE YOU WENT TO COLLEGE. If you do, you can make some disastrous mistakes. I see parents all the time who think they know what is best, and they disregard professional advice in this area and often are very disappointed with their results. Do your homework! College Admissions Myth Busters is part of your homework. I will be suggesting many books, magazines, web sites, etc. later on in this blog that will become a very important assett to your quest.

HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU TAKE THE ACT?

Good news here. You can take the ACT an unlimited amount of times!!!

Yes that is right. As long as you do not send any ACT scores to any colleges you can do this. What I mean is that on any individual ACT you take NEVER send scores to any colleges. Then, when you get your testing done, pick the highest score or scores and send that to colleges. That way when colleges get the score it looks like you only took the ACT once or twice (the ACT will only send the scores you WANT them to send - this is NOT true of the SAT). This is an enormous advantage because colleges generally like students that have taken the test the fewest amount of times to get the highest scores. For example, lets say you have taken the ACT 8 times and send all those scores to colleges. They see your worst and best scores. In contrast, lets say another student only sent one score to the colleges and it was a great score. Who do you think looks better?

What is a TEACHER RECOMMENDATION?

Most colleges require several teacher recommendations from your teachers in high school. They usually prefer them from the English, Math, and Science teachers. Other teachers will do also. This is why you always would like to maintain a good working relationship with all of your teachers. If you have not done this, there are other sources of recommendation letters that are also good. More on this in an upcoming post.

You cannot see the teacher recommendations. They are sent in a sealed envelope to youyr high school counseling office who then sends duplicates of them off to the colleges.

I have written many good letters of recommendation to colleges as a private tutor. If you have a tutor you can get them to write on also. BUT their are certain things they should say and certain things they should NOT say in these tutor recommendation letters. More on that later.

Hey give us an example of some SECRET INSIDER INFORMATION in regards to college admissions?

OK this should wet your whistle a little. Colleges take very, very seriously any student and parents that come on a college visit to their university. When you do that, make SURE THAT YOU REGISTER WITH THE ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT. Do not just goto the school of your interest, i.e. the Engineering school, because they do not have power over admissions like the admissions department does!! Ask for a guided tour, and bring both of your parents. After the visit, send the persons you met a hand written thank you note with a small color picture of yourself in it. You will be suprised. Make sure you take both parents with you. Not just one parent - both! This indicates a very advanced degree of seriousness to bring both parents with you.

Why do you think this is important? Colleges are a business like anything else! They would much rather accept a student that they know is interested in their school vs. taking another student they don't even know who might turn them down. It costs money and time to get turned down by a student. Colleges have to goto their waiting list of less desirable students.

What are the top FIVE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO GETTING INTO COLLEGE?

Here is an answer to that. It is only a general answer. There are as many exceptions to this as you can think of but the below will point you in the correct direction:

#1
Usually your semester or yearly grades (this depends upon how your school reports grades to the colleges).

#2
Usually your extracurricular activities

#3
Usually your SAT or ACT scores or both scores

#4
Usually teacher recommendations

#5
Usually Application essays

*Please note that #2 and #3 above can be interchanged. Some colleges look at SAT ACT scores second and extra curriculars third. I would also have to say that your grades are almost always by far the #1 most important thing to getting into college. The more AP and honors courses you can take the better. We will get into detail on types of classes to take later on.