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

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

DO ALL COLLEGES TAKE THE ACT?

GOSH YES! ALMOST EVERY SINGLE COLLEGE IN THE USA TAKES BOTH THE ACT AND THE SAT. YOU MIGHT FIND AN EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE, BUT I HAVE YET IN 30 YEARS TO FIND ANY COLLEGE THAT DOES NOT TAKE THE ACT. IT IS A TOTAL FALSEHOOD THAT COLLEGES WON'T TAKE THE ACT. THEY RESPECT BOTH TESTS EQUALLY, AND IN FACT MANY ADMISSIONS PERSONS THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY SPOKEN WITH OFF THE RECORD TELL ME THAT THEY PREFER THE ACT BECAUSE IT REFLECTS MORE ACCURATELY WHAT THE STUDENT HAS LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL!! THEY VERY WELL KNOW THAT THE SAT I HAS ALL SORTS OF TRICKERY ON IT AND IS TOO LONG.

WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE SAYING THAT THE ACT IS EASIER THAN THE SAT?

GOSH I HEAR THAT ALMOST EVERY DAY IN MY TUTORING BUSINESS FROM STUDENTS AND PARENTS. THEY ARE SAYING THAT BECAUSE IT IS QUITE FRANKLY TRUE RIGHT NOW AS OF JANUARY 2011. IT HAS BEEN TRUE SINCE MARCH 2005 THAT THE ACT IS "EASIER" THAN THE SAT.
THE ACT IS A MUCH SHORTER TEST THAN THE SAT AND HAS MUCH LESS TRICKERY ON IT. IT ALSO HAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS READING ON IT THAN THE SAT. IT IS EASIER FOR ME TO GET A STUDENT A GREAT GRADE ON THE ACT IN LESS TIME THAN IT TAKES FOR THE SAT. THE ACT ALSO HAS NO GUESSING PENALTY ON IT LIKE THE SAT. HAVING NO GUESSING PENALTY AUTOMATICALLY GIVES YOU A 20-25% CHANCE OF GUESSING A QUESTION CORRECTLY! SO YOU HAVE A BUILT IN CURVE OF 20-25% ON THE ACT. THE ACT ALSO AVERAGES ALL 4 SECTIONS OF THE TEST FOR ONE FINAL SCORE WHEREAS THE SAT SHOWS THREE SEPERATE SCORES (SO ON THE ACT LET'S SAY IF YOU ARE POOR IN READING IT IS MUCH EASIER TO HIDE THAT FACT VS THE SAT).

DO COLLEGES READ THE ESSAYS ON THE ACT AND SAT?

YES! COLLEGES DO RECEIVE YOUR ACT AND OR SAT ESSAYS AND THEY ABSOLUTELY DO READ THEM. THEY CONSIDER THE ESSAYS ON THE ACT AND OR SAT TO BE "UNPOLLUTED", THAT MEANS THAT NO ONE CAN COACH YOU ON THOSE ESSAYS SINCE YOU ARE DOING THEM DURING THE ACT OR SAT; THE ESSAYS ARE PURELY FROM YOU. SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE THESE ESSAYS SERIOUSLY AS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PERSONNEL DO READ THEM. ALSO, ON THE SAT I THE ESSAY CAN HAVE A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON YOUR OVERALL WRITING SCORE. SO YOU REALLY NEED TO DO YOUR BEST ON THE ESSAY ON THE SAT AND ACT. THE ESSAY ON THE ACT IS HANDLED A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY GRADING WISE; THEY REPORT THE ESSAY SCORE AND THEN A COMBINED ENGLISH/ESSAY SCORE. COLLEGES DO SEE ALL OF THE SCORES FOR THE ESSAYS.

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)