EXTENDED TIME FOR ACT/SAT - I HAVE BEEN DENIED ENTIRELY AND DESPERATELY NEED EXTRA TIME

EXTENDED TIME FOR ACT/SAT - I HAVE BEEN DENIED ENTIRELY AND DESPERATELY NEED EXTRA TIME. I MAY HAVE PARTIALLY ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE IN ANOTHER POST BUT I HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE IT ITS VERY OWN POST DUE TO ITS IMPORTANCE. THERE ARE MANY REASONS THE ACT OR SAT WILL CITE IF THEY DENY YOU EXTENDED TIME. HISTORICALLY, THE ACT IS MUCH HARDER TO GET EXTENDED TIME THAN THE SAT. FOR BOTH THE ACT AND THE SAT IT IS BEST IF YOU HAVE BEEN TESTED SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR THE EXTENDED TIME, AND IT IS ALSO BEST IF YOU HAVE BEEN USING EXTENDED TIME AT YOUR SCHOOL. OK IF YOU HAVE YOUR INITIAL REQUEST DENIED FOR EXTENDED TIME YOU CAN APPLY FOR IT AGAIN. NOW WHEN YOU APPLY AGAIN YOU FIRST NEED TO FIND OUT WHY THEY DENIED YOUR REQUEST THE FIRST TIME. WAS IT BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION? SOME EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIANS WRITE VERY BRIEF REPORTS (NOT GOOD) AND SOME WRITE FAR BETTER REPORTS THAT HAVE A LOT OF SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE STUDENT IN THEM. THE BETTER THE EDUCATIONAL REPORT, THE MORE LIKELY YOU WILL OBTAIN EXTENDED TIME. WHEN YOU REAPPLY FOR EXTENDED TIME - AND I RECOMMEND ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS THAT YOU REAPPLY SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE IT CANNOT HURT YOU - ALWAYS PROVIDE SOMETHING EXTRA THAN THE PREVIOUS TIME. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO IS GET THE EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN TO ADD A LETTER WITH YOUR REQUEST EXPLAINING IN FURTHER DETAIL WHY YOU SHOULD GET EXTRA TIME. THEY SHOULD ALSO ATTTEMPT TO PROVIDE SOME TYPE OF ACTUAL DIAGNOSIS. HAVING AN ACTUAL DIAGNOSIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GETTING EXTENDED TIME. FURTHERMORE, YOU YOURSELF CAN WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER STATING THAT IF YOU DO NOT GET EXTRA TIME THAT THEY ARE DENYING YOU ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION (WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING IF YOU REALLY NEED THE TIME). THIS WILL USUALLY GET THEIR ATTENTION. YOU CAN ALSO HAVE YOUR TUTOR WRITE A DETAILED LETTER TO THEM ON HIS OR HER PROFESSIONAL LETTERHEAD. YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR CAN ALSO ADD A LETTER. DON'T GIVE UP! THE MORE YOU BOTHER THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING THE EXTRA TIME THE MORE LIKELY YOU CAN GET IT.

PRIVATE GRADE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS - ADMISSIONS PROCESS

PRIVATE GRADE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS - ADMISSIONS PROCESS. THE PROCESS FOR APPLYING TO PRIVATE GRADE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES IS VERY SIMILIAR TO THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS BUT FAR LESS COMPLEX. HOWEVER, IN SOME US CITIES IT CAN BE QUITE COMPETITIVE TO GET YOUR CHILD INTO A PRIVATE SCHOOL. SOME CITIES HAVE A DEARTH OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS! FOR INSTANCE, IN DALLAS TEXAS, UP UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, THERE WERE VERY FEW PRIVATE GRADE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS! THE SITUATION RIGHT NOW IN DALLAS IS VERY MUCH IMPROVED WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN PLANO (JOHN PAUL II) AND ALSO OTHER SCHOOLS SUCH AS PARISH SCHOOL. SO AT THE MOMENT IT IS EASIER TO GET YOUR CHILD INTO A PRIVATE SCHOOL IN DALLAS THAN IT WAS EVER BEFORE. IF YOU LIVE IN A MAJOR US CITY, WHAT YOU CAN DO IS GOTO THE YELLOW PAGES AND CHECK UNDER PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. YOU CAN AT LEAST GET A FEW NAMES FROM THERE. THERE ARE ALSO MANY SOURCES ONLINE THAT CAN HELP YOU LEARN THE NAMES OF GOOD PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN YOUR AREA. AGAIN THIS SITE IS MAINLY DEVOTED TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BUT AT THE MOMENT I WILL BE ADDING SOME INFORMATION ON PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS ALSO.

MOST PRIVATE SCHOOLS HAVE AN ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT. THEY WILL USUALLY REQUIRE A STUDENT TO TAKE ONE OF THE SEVERAL PRIVATE SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMS SUCH AS THE ISEE OR THE SSAT. THERE IS A LOT OF TUTORING AVAILABLE FOR THE ISEE AND SSAT. THE ISEE, THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAM, IS PROBABLY THE MOST POPULAR EXAM FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS. TUTORING CAN GREATLY HELP A STUDENT WITH THIS TEST. I DO TUTOR IT AND HAVE SO FOR OVER 2 DECADES. THE ISEE IS A VERY DIFFICULT EXAM. THAT IS ONE REASON THAT TUTORING CAN HELP SO MUCH HERE. I WOULD SAY THE ISEE IS FAR MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE ACT/SAT ON AN AGE COMPARISON BASIS. ANY PRIVATE SCHOOOL YOU APPLY TO WILL WANT YOUR GRADES FROM THE MOST RECENT SCHOOL YOU HAVE ATTENDED. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE AN INTERVIEW REQUIRED AND THEY USUALLY HAVE THEIR VERY OWN APPLICATION YOU THE PARENT MUST FILL OUT. ONCE AGAIN THIS IS ANOTHER SUBJECT ENTIRELY. I AM CONSIDERING ADDING PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS INFORMATION TO THIS BLOG OR CREATING ANOTHER ONE FOR IT ALONE. AT THE MOMENT, I WILL ADD SOME INFORMATION TO THIS SITE ON THE TOPIC OF ADMISSIONS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

TUTORING - HOW TO SELECT THE BEST SERVICE IN MY AREA?

TUTORING - HOW TO SELECT THE BEST SERVICE IN MY AREA? I HAVE BEEN ASKED THIS MANY TIMES. I WOULD SAY THE BEST GROUP TUTORING SERVICES WOULD BE KAPLAN OR PRINCETON REVIEW. THEY ALLOW YOU TO RETURN FREE IF YOUR SCORE DOES NOT GO UP (OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T SAY MUCH BECAUSE IF THEY DID NOT IMPROVE YOUR SCORE IN THE FIRST PLACE THAT DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR THE FUTURE). GROUP TUTORING FOR THE ACT AND THE SAT NEVER IS AS SUCCESSFUL AS INDIVIDUAL, PRIVATE TUTORING. ALSO ABSOLUTELY DO NOT USE A GROUP TUTORING SERVICE IF THE INDIVIDUAL HAS ANY LD ISSUES. I MEAN IT. YOU WILL WASTE A LOT OF MONEY AND GET NOTHING DONE. FOR THE MONEY, GROUP TUTORING IS VERY EXPENSIVE COMPARED TO PRIVATE TUTORING. I WOULD ALWAYS GO WITH A PRIVATE TUTOR IF YOU CAN. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO LOCATE A GOOD TUTOR? AND BELIEVE ME, THERE ARE SOME VERY GOOD TUTORS AND SOME VERY BAD ONES. THE BEST WAY TO FIND A GOOD ONE WOULD BE WORD OF MOUTH. ASK YOUR FRIENDS, SCHOOL COUNSELOR, ETC. SCHOOL COUNSELOR USUALLY KNOWS WHO IS GOOD AND WHO IS NOT. ALSO IF YOU FIND A TUTOR YOU WANT TO HIRE, ASK THEM TO PROVIDE YOU WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCES. I HAVE MYSELF OVER 400 LETTERS OF REFERENCE ON FILE. THEY ARE FROM 400 PAST SATISFIED CLIENTS WHO WILL VOUCH FOR ME THAT I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING AND CAN DO IT WELL. IF WORST COMES TO WORST, YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK IN THE YELLOW PAGES! LOOK UNDER TUTORING.

WHEN STUDYING FOR THE ACT AND SAT WHY USE ONLY PREVIOUS (REAL) TESTS?

WHEN STUDYING FOR THE ACT AND SAT WHY USE ONLY PREVIOUS TESTS? I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. THE REASON WE STUDY PAST REAL TESTS AND WORK THOSE IS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY SIMILIAR TO CURRENT TESTS THAT YOU MIGHT BE TAKING. THE ACT AND THE SAT I ARE WELL KNOWN FOR REPEATING MANY OF THE SAME ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CERTAINLY QUESTION TYPES. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO STUDY A BOOK THAT HAS PRACTICE TESTS IN IT THAT ARE NOT ACTUALLY REAL?? REMEMBER, ONLY BOOKS LICENSED BY THE ACT OR SAT (COLLEGE BOARD) ARE GOING TO HAVE ACTUAL PAST REAL TESTS IN THEM. OTHER AUTHORS ARE NOT ALLOWED BY COPY RIGHT LAWS TO PUT ACTUAL PAST TESTS IN THEIR BOOKS. THUS, IF YOU STUDY ONE OF THESE OTHER BOOKS YOU WILL END UP WORKING PROBLEMS THAT MAY HAVE NEVER APPEARED OR NEVER WILL APPEAR ON A REAL TEST! WHAT A WASTE OF TIME! THERE ARE VERY FEW BOOKS THAT ARE SANCTIONED BY THE TEST MAKERS. YOU CAN FIND THEM ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BLOG UNDER BOOKS THAT I RECOMMEND FOR STUDYING FOR THE ACT AND SAT. THE ONLY OTHER TEST BOOKS THAT ARE GOOD ARE GOING TO BE FROM KAPLAN OR THE PRINCETON REVIEW. BOTH KAPLAN AND THE PRINCETON REVIEW HAVE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH ON MAKING THEIR TEST BOOKLETS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY. FIRST THOUGH I WOULD CHECK OUT THE BOOKS PUBLISHED BY THE COLLEGE BOARD (SAT) AND OR THE ACT. I CANNOT TRULY EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. SEVERAL DECADES AGO AT MY TUTORING BUSINESS I SWITCHED OVER MY COURSE BOOKS TO ONLY THE AUTHENTIC TEST MAKERS BOOKS. MY SCORES FROM MY TUTORING STUDENTS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED!!!! I MEAN DRAMATICALLY.

A LOT OF STUDENTS AT MY HIGH SCHOOL ARE APPLYING TO THE SAME COLLEGES

A LOT OF STUDENTS AT MY HIGH SCHOOL ARE APPLYING TO THE SAME COLLEGES. THIS IS A PROBLEM AT SOME SMALLER COLLEGES. SMALLER SCHOOLS OFTEN WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HOW MANY STUDENTS AT A PARTICULAR HIGH SCHOOL ARE APPLYING TO THEIR COLLEGE, AND THEY MAY LIMIT ADMISSIONS DUE TO THIS. LARGER UNIVERSITIES DON'T SEEM TO CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT HOW MANY STUDENTS FROM WHAT SCHOOL ARE APPLYING. FOR INSTANCE, LET'S SAY COLLEGE X HAS 10 APPLICANTS FROM HIGH SCHOOL Y. THAT IS CONSIDERED A LOT OF APPLICANTS FROM THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL SO THEY WILL BE EVEN MORE SELECTIVE THAN NORMAL IN DETERMINING WHO GAINS ADMISSIONS TO THE COLLEGE FROM HIGH SCHOOL Y. YES YOUR RIGHT; THIS SEEMS VERY UNFAIR. I THINK IT IS ALSO. BUT REMEMBER THAT LARGER COLLEGES DON'T NORMALLY DO THIS. ITS ONLY THE SMALLER AND MORE SELECTIVE SCHOOLS THAT MAY DO THIS. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO GAIN INFORMATION ABOUT SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. JUST DO YOUR BEST.

EXTENDED TIME - I HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR 50% EXTENDED TIME BUT NEED MORE

EXTENDED TIME - I HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR 50% EXTENDED TIME BUT NEED MORE. THIS CAN HAPPEN. USUALLY THE ACT AND OR THE SAT I WILL GIVE YOU THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF EXTENDED TIME THEY THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH EVEN IF YOUR DOCUMENTATION SAYS OTHERWISE. WHAT YOU CAN DO IS HAVE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR WRITE THEM A LETTER EXPLAINING WHY YOU NEED MORE TIME. ALSO IT WOULD BE BEST TO INCLUDE A LETTER FROM YOUR TUTOR (IF YOU HAVE ONE) AND THE PERSON WHO DID YOU EDUCATIONAL TESTING. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE THIS WILL WORK, BUT IT CANNOT HURT. EVEN IF THEY TURN YOU DOWN IT WOULD BE WORTH A SECOND OR THIRD TRY. I KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE THAT BOTHERING THEM CAN HELP. FURTHERMORE, IF YOU MENTION THAT NOT GETTING ENOUGH TIME IS EQUIVALENT TO DENYING YOUR CHILD ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION THEY MAY LISTEN MORE. THEY ARE ALWAYS NERVOUS ABOUT ANY TYPE OF LEGAL LANGUAGE, BUT WHAT I SAID IS TRUE. IF YOU DON'T GET THE TIME YOU TRULY NEED, IT IS EQUIVALENT TO NARROWING YOU COLLEGE CHOICES BY QUITE SOME BIT!!

SHOULD I TAKE BOTH THE ACT AND THE SAT I FOR COLLEGE?

I HAVE SEEN A TREND RECENTLY WHICH WOULD DEFINITELY INDICATE TO ME THAT IT IS BETTER FOR A STUDENT TO TAKE BOTH THE SAT I AND THE ACT. THIS SEEMS TO LOOK BETTER TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PERSONS. BUT THIS ONLY LOOKS BETTER IF YOU CAN DO WELL ON BOTH TESTS. IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO DO WELL ON BOTH TESTS!! THUS, FROM A PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW DOES THE STUDENT HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND MONEY TO PURSUE STUDYING BOTH TESTS? SOMETIMES YES SOMETIMES NO. YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER ALL THINGS. IF YOU CAN DO WELL ON ONE TEST YOU ARE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE. BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE BOTH TESTS AND DO WELL ON THOSE GO FOR IT! I HAVE SEEN LOTS OF EXCELLENT ADMISSION STORIES HAPPEN WHEN A STUDENT HAS TAKEN BOTH TESTS.

SAT I - HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE PER QUESTION ON THE SAT IN EACH CATEGORY?

IF YOU HAVE NORMAL TIME (NO EXTENDED TIME) THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ARE GENERALLY TRUE. ON ANY SAT I SECTION OF 20 MINUTES YOU ALMOST HAVE ONE MINUTE PER QUESTION BUT NOT QUITE. ON ANY SAT I SECTION OF 25 MINUTES AGAIN YOU ALMOST HAVE ONE MINUTE PER QUESTION BUT NOT QUITE. THE SAT I TIMING IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN THAT OF THE ACT. IF YOU HAVE 50% EXTENDED TIME, YOU HAVE ALMOST 1.5 MINUTES PER QUESTION FOR QUESTIONS COMING FROM THE 20 MINUTE SECTION OR THE 25 MINUTE SECTIONS. WITH DOUBLE TIME, ROUGHLY YOU ALMOST HAVE TWO MINUTES PER QUESTION ON QUESTIONS COMING FROM THE 20 OR 25 MINUTE SECTIONS. THIS APPLIES TO BOTH MATH AND VERBAL. REMEMBER THOUGH ON THE READING YOU MUST BUDGET IN TIME FOR THE ACTUAL READING OF THE PASSAGE. THE TIMING ON THE WRITING SECTION IS A LITTLE WORSE. YOU ONLY HAVE ABOUT 3/4 OF A MINUTE PER QUESTION (THAT IS AN APPROXIMATION). SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE SAT I IS A LITTLE MORE FRIENDLY ON THE TIME ISSUE.

ACT TEST - HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE PER QUESTION IN EACH OF THE FOUR CATEGORIES?

GOOD QUESTIONS. HERE GOES. IF YOU HAVE NORMAL TIME ON THE ACT (NO EXTENDED TIME) THE FOLLOWING IS TRUE: MATH YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PER QUESTION, ENGLISH YOU HAVE ABOUT 36 SECONDS PER QUESTION, READING YOU HAVE ABOUT 53 SECONDS PER QUESTION, AND SCIENCE YOU HAVE 53 SECONDS PER QUESTION. NOTICE THAT THIS ASSESSMENT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY TIME YOU HAVE FOR READING THE PASSAGE, ETC. READING AND SCIENCE WOULD BE TWO SECTIONS WHERE YOU WOULD FOR SURE HAVE TO BUDGET EXTRA TIME TO READ THE PASSAGES AND THE CHARTS AND THE DATA.

IF YOU HAVE 50% EXTENDED TIME THE FOLLOWING IS TRUE: MATH YOU HAVE 90 SECONDS PER QUESTION, ENGLISH YOU HAVE 54 SECONDS, READING YOU HAVE 80 SECONDS AND SCIENCE YOU HAVE 80 SECONDS. AGAIN, THIS EVALUATION DOES NOT INCLUDE EXTRA TIME NEEDED TO READ THE PASSAGE IN THE READING AND DO THE SAME IN THE SCIENCE.

IF YOU HAVE 100% EXTRA TIME THE FOLLOWING IS TRUE: MATH YOU HAVE 120 SECONDS FOR EACH QUESTION, ENGLISH YOU HAVE 72 SECONDS FOR EACH QUESTION, READING YOU HAVE 106 SECONDS PER QUESTION, AND SCIENCE YOU HAVE 106 SECONDS PER QUESTION. ONCE MORE, THIS EVALUATION DOES NOT INCLUDE THE EXTRA TIME NEEDED IN THE ENGLISH AND SCIENCE FOR READING THE PASSAGES AND THE CHARTS.

THE WORST SECTIONS ON THE ACT FOR TIME ARE THE READING AND SCIENCE. MANY GOOD STUDENTS RUN OUT OF TIME ON THOSE. SO BE MOST CAREFUL WHEN BUDGETTING YOUR TIME ON THOSE SECTIONS.