THE ADMISSIONS TESTING BLOG: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Blog will ultimately contain thousands of commonly asked questions with answers regarding the College & Private School admissions process and the tests required. The ACT & SAT are covered, as is the GMAT & GRE for graduate school. The ISEE & SSAT are covered also (private school admissions). My entire intent is to provide this priceless information & insider "secrets" a parent would need to get their child into a superb, competitive College or Private School in the USA.

THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS POSTED HERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE RUN INTO IN THE PAST 30 SOME ODD YEARS OF RUNNING MY EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING/PROFESSIONAL TUTORING BUSINESS WHICH I OPENED IN 1981. MAINLY THE BLOG COVERS THE COLLEGE AND PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND IT ALSO COVERS IN GREAT DETAIL THE MANY TESTS USED FOR ADMISSIONS TO COLLEGES AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE USA. THE ACT, PLAN, SAT, AND PSAT ARE THE TESTS MAINLY USED FOR ACCEPTANCE TO A 4 YEAR COLLEGE. THE GRE AND GMAT ARE TESTS USED TO GET INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL (AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED A 4 YEAR COLLEGE), AND THE ISEE AND SSAT ARE PRIMARILY TESTS USED TO GET INTO PRIVATE GRADE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE US. I AM ADDING NEW MATERIAL ALL THE TIME. I TRY TO EXPLAIN AS QUICKLY, SUCCINCTLY, AND AS EASILY AS I CAN THE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS FACING PARENTS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN GAINING ADMISSIONS TO A GOOD, SOLID COMPETITIVE COLLEGE OR PRIVATE SCHOOL. WE WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU EMAIL TO US (COOKTUTORING@AOL.COM), AND WE WILL POST THE QUESTION WITH ANSWERS.

SPECIFICALLY THE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS ARE DERIVED FROM MY DAILY CONSULTING EXPERIENCE SINCE 1981. THEY ARE THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS PEOPLE DESPERATELY NEED TO KNOW. THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION CANNOT BE FOUND EASILY ANYWHERE ELSE TO MY KNOWLEDGE. IN OTHER WORDS, I AM TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE "SECRET INSIDER" INFORMATION - HINTS - STRATEGIES - TIPS, ETC. THAT COULD SERIOUSLY MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN GETTING INTO THE COLLEGE OR PRIVATE SCHOOL OF YOUR CHOICE! THESE ARE QUESTIONS I GET ASKED ON A DAILY BASIS FROM MY ACTUAL CLIENTS.

THE BLOG ALSO HAS MANY EXCELLENT RESOURCES REGARDING COLLEGE AND PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS AND THE TESTING NEEDED. I HAVE LINKS, THE BEST BOOKS YOU CAN BUY ON THIS TOPIC, ETC. ANYTHING I SUGGEST ON THIS BLOG IS SOMETHING THAT I USE IN THE DAILY OPERATION OF MY EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING/TUTORING BUSINESS.

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SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE BLOG'S AUTHOR

I AM THE OWNER OF CHRISTOPHER C. COOK & ASSOCIATES IN DALLAS, TX. WE (MY MOTHER (SUE COOK) AND I ARE THE ONLY EMPLOYEES) HAVE BEEN IN CONTINUOUS, DAILY OPERATION SINCE 1981. WE TUTOR A VARIETY OF ACADEMIC SUBJECTS (ENGLISH, ALL MATH UP TO CALCULUS 3, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, SPANISH, LITERATURE, AND MUCH MORE) AND MANY ADMISSIONS TESTS. THE TESTS WE TUTOR INCLUDE THE ACT, PLAN, SAT 1, SAT 2 SUBJECT TESTS, PSAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, ISEE, SSAT, AND A FEW MORE. MY MOTHER IS A FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER AT HOCKADAY, URSULINE ACADEMY, HILLCREST HIGH SCHOOL, AND BROOKHAVEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ALL IN DALLAS. SHE HAS OVER 40 YEARS TEACHING AND TUTORING EXPERIENCE. SHE HAS A BA FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS. I, CHRIS, AM A FORMER CIVIL/STRUCTURAL ENGINEER AND HAVE TAUGHT IN COLLEGE. I HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AND A MASTER'S DEGREE IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND APPLIED MECHANICS; I ALSO HAVE A MINOR IN SPANISH & SPEAK SPANISH FLUENTLY. I HAVE OVER 30 YEARS DAILY EXPERIENCE IN TUTORING AND EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING. THAT IS 30 YEARS OF TEACHING AND TUTORING STUDENTS DAILY IN THE ACT, SAT, ETC. IF YOU LIVE IN THE DALLAS FORTH WORTH AREA IN TEXAS AND ARE INTERESTED IN HIRING US PLEASE EMAIL US AT COOKTUTORING@AOL.COM.

I ALSO OFFER WHAT I CALL "ACADEMIC RETRAINING". THAT IS WHERE I CAN TAKE A STUDENT AND TEACH THEM APPROPRIATE STUDY SKILLS AND TEST TAKING SKILLS AND APPLY THAT TO THEIR CURRENT ACADEMIC MATERIAL. I CAN EVENTUALLY ENABLE A STUDENT TO BE ABLE TO STUDY AND DO WELL ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT NEEDING CONSTANT TUTORING! I HAVE EXTREMELY GOOD RESULTS DOING THIS,AND I HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION FROM PAST CLIENTS THAT I CAN SHOW YOU.

I HAVE INTIMATE, PERSONAL, WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE COLLEGE AND PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESSES AND THE TESTS USED THEREIN. I AM ABLE TO VIEW THESE ISSUES FROM A UNIQUE VIEWPOINT - MY DAILY EXPERIENCE OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS!

SMU: SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY

SMU: SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY (SMU) DALLAS, TX (MY ALMA MATER)!

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BUSINESS CARD FOR CHRISTOPHER C. COOK, OWNER

Thursday, December 11, 2008

SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WITH OR WITHOUT WRITING?

SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WITH OR WITHOUT WRITING?
OK WHAT THAT MEANS IS SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WITH OUR WITHOUT THE ESSAY. I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE THE ACT WITH THE WRITING OR ESSAY PORTION. MOST COLLEGES WANT IT THIS WAY. IF YOU HAVE EXPLICIT INFORMATION THAT THE ONLY COLLEGES YOU ARE APPLYING TO DON'T REQUIRE THE ACT WITH THE ESSAY THEN BY ALL MEANS DON'T DO IT. HOWEVER, I HAVE RARELY EVER SEEN THAT CONDITION.

CLARIFICATION OF THE ACTUAL LENGTH OF THE ACT AND SAT I

THROUGHOUT THIS BLOG I HAVE STATED THAT THE LENGTH OF THE NEW SAT I COULD BE AS MUCH AS 5 HOURS OR MORE. LET ME CLARIFY WHAT I MEAN. THERE ARE TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER HERE. THE FIRST IS WHAT I CALL "ACTUAL TEST LENGTH". THE ACTUAL REAL TEST TAKING TIME OF THE NEW SAT I IS 3 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES. THE ACTUAL REAL TEST TAKING TIME OF THE ACT IS 3 HOURS AND 25 MINUTES WITH THE ESSAY AND 2 HOURS AND 55 MINUTES FOR THE ACT WITHOUT THE ESSAY. EITHER WAY THE ACT IS SOMEWHAT SHORTER.
SECOND, WHAT I CALL "ACTUAL TEST CENTER TIME" MEANS THE ACTUAL TOTAL TIME YOU WILL SPEND AT THE TEST CENTER WHICH INCLUDES GETTING THERE 30 MINUTES EARLY, BREAKS, TEST POSSIBLY STARTING LATE, ETC. FOR THE SAT I YOU COULD BE THERE ALMOST 5 HOURS OR MORE. FOR THE ACT YOU COULD BE THERE 4 HOURS OR MORE. SO, THE NEWER SAT I AS OF MARCH 2005 IS ALMOST AN HOUR LONGER THAN ITS PREDECESSOR (I BELIEVE 45 MINUTES TO BE EXACT) AS FAR AS ACTUAL TEST TIME. I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THIS UP AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THIS. WITH EXTENDED TIME, THE NEW SAT I BECOMES 5 HOURS AND 37.5 MINUTES OF ACTUAL TEST TAKING TIME. THAT IS DAMN LONG! WHEN YOU INCLUDE THE ACTUAL TIME SPENT AT THE TEST CENTER, THIS COULD BE ALMOST 6 AND A HALF HOURS OR MORE! I HAVE HEARD HORROR STORIES OF STUDENTS GETTING THERE AT 7:30 AND LEAVING AT 2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON. THAT IS ABSURDLY LONG TIME FOR ANYONE TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH TAKING A TEST AT THAT AGE. THE LENGTH OF ACT WITH EXTENDED TIME (WITH THE ESSAY ON IT) IS 5 HOURS AND 7 MINUTES. AGAIN ACTUAL TEST CENTER TIME IS LONGER! THUS, OVERALL THE ACT IS SOMEWHAT SHORTER IN EVERY RESPECT THAN THE SAT. NOT MUCH SHORTER, BUT WHEN DEALING WITH TESTS OF THIS LENGTH BEING SHORTER BY 30 MINUTES OR MORE IS A BIG DEAL. THE ACT AND SAT I BOTH HAVE THEIR OWN RESPECTIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. YOU SHOULD EXPLORE THESE OPTIONS WITH A PROFESSIONAL AND SEE WHICH TEST IS BETTER FOR YOU PERSONALLY.

University of Texas at Arlington - New Engineering School

University of Texas at Arlington - New Engineering School
I received my Master's Degree in Civil/Structural Engineering & Applied Mechanics from the University of Texas at Arlington (& also was a course Instructor)