Scores for the January SAT I and SAT subject tests have been posted on the College Board website. Check them out by clicking on the College Board link and signing in. Good luck!
Posted in SAT, SAT Subject Tests, Test prep, academics | Leave a Comment »
One of the questions we often get at Academics Plus is: What is the difference between the SAT and the PSAT? So today, as well as the next five days, we will post blogs listing the differences between these two important exams.
The following is an excerpt from a short article written by Justin Dolecki over at the Princeton Review.
It’s not used for admission! The PSAT is a rite of passage for many high school sophomores and juniors. Like the SAT, the PSAT is a standardized test given to assess math, critical reading, and writing skills (how good of a job these tests do at assessing these skills is open for debate), but unlike the SAT, the PSAT isn’t used to evaluate candidacy for admission to college.
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in PSAT | Leave a Comment »
Parents of high school students often feel overwhelmed and bewildered by all the information about the standardized exams students must take in preparation for college. At Academics Plus Tutoring Center, we are often asked questions such as: When should my child take the SAT? What does the SAT measure? What are the SAT subject tests? How many SAT subject tests must my child take? Which SAT subject tests should my child take?
We figured the questions our students ask are most likely the same questions our readers have, so over the next few weeks we will post the most frequently asked questions and our responses. Feel free to post your own questions in our comment box, and we will do our best to answer your question as well.
What is the PSAT?
The PSAT is a Preliminary SAT test (or as we like to call it, the Practice SAT). It is offered in October of a student’s junior year and it is a shorter version of the SAT (2 hours and 10 minutes rather than 3 hours and 45 minutes); it resembles the SAT in format and content with some minor exceptions.
The benefits of taking the PSAT are that: students receive feedback on their strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study which allows them to identify necessary areas of focus, it also allows them to get a sense of how they would score on the SAT, and enables them to determine how much preparation they need to do to get their goal scores. In addition, the PSAT scores are used for eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship programs. For more information about National Merit Scholarship programs, click here: http://www.nationalmerit.org/
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in PSAT | Leave a Comment »
Parents of high school students often feel overwhelmed and bewildered by all the information about the standardized exams students must take in preparation for college. At Academics Plus Tutoring Center, we are often asked questions such as: When should my child take the SAT? What does the SAT measure? What are the SAT subject tests? How many SAT subject tests must my child take? Which SAT subject tests should my child take?
We figured the questions our students ask are most likely the same questions our readers have, so over the next few weeks we will post the most frequently asked questions and our responses. Feel free to post your own questions in our comment box, and we will do our best to answer your question as well.
What is Early Action?
Put simply, Early Action is simply a promise by universities and colleges to review applications on an rushed schedule.
Upsides to Early Action: Students will get admission decisions from the colleges/universities in advance of the typical notification date. Unlike the Early Decision program, the Early Action program does not require students who are accepted to attend.
Downsides to Early Action: Whereas students who participate in the Early Decision plan, get the benefit of Early Decision preference (its easier to get into schools using the Early Decision program), students who participate in the Early Action plan don’t enjoy nearly the same level of preference (there is a slight advantage, but not as significant as that provided by Early Decision).
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in College Application Process | Leave a Comment »
Parents of high school students often feel overwhelmed and bewildered by all the information about the standardized exams students must take in preparation for college. At Academics Plus Tutoring Center, we are often asked questions such as: When should my child take the SAT? What does the SAT measure? What are the SAT subject tests? How many SAT subject tests must my child take? Which SAT subject tests should my child take?
We figured the questions our students ask are most likely the same questions our readers have, so over the next few weeks we will post the most frequently asked questions and our responses. Feel free to post your own questions in our comment box, and we will do our best to answer your question as well.
What is Early Decision?
When students apply to a particular school under the Early Decision plan, they apply early and agree to attend the school if accepted.
Upsides to Early Decision: Students will get admission decisions from the colleges/universities well in advance of the typical notification date.
Downsides to Early Decision: Students must take all the required tests before fall of senior year and complete applications for admission (and financial aid) no later than November 15. Early decision plans are “binding.” This means that if a student applies to a particular college as early decision candidate, he or she must attend if accepted and offered an adequate financial aid package.
Hint: Students should only apply under an early decision when they are very, very sure of the college they want to attend. Students who plan to weigh offers and financial aid packages from multiple colleges later in the spring should not apply under early decision plans!
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in College Application Process | Leave a Comment »
We are all about communicating at Academics Plus Tutoring Center, so this short article about healthy communication piqued our interest. Thought we’d pass along the tips to help families get into chat mode. Happy communicating!
Health Tip: Teens, Talk With Your Parents
(HealthDay News) – It may be difficult for teens to talk with their parents, but communicating openly and honestly is vital to a teen’s physical and emotional health.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions to help teens and parents communicate:
- Schedule time every day to talk as a family. Share stories about your day, and talk about anything that’s on your mind or bothering you.
- If you want your parents to know something, you need to tell them. They can’t read your mind.
- If you’re asking for something, be clear in stating what you want and why you’re asking for it.
- Be patient. Try to stay calm and get along. Both parents and teens should learn to compromise.
- Make a list of things that you need to discuss, or changes that you would like to make.
Diana Kohnle Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Posted in Parenting Tips | 1 Comment »
Parents of high school students often feel overwhelmed and bewildered by all the information about the standardized exams students must take in preparation for college. At Academics Plus Tutoring Center, we are often asked questions such as: When should my child take the SAT? What does the SAT measure? What are the SAT subject tests? How many SAT subject tests must my child take? Which SAT subject tests should my child take?
We figured the questions our students ask are most likely the same questions our readers have, so over the next few weeks we will post the most frequently asked questions and our responses. Feel free to post your own questions in our comment box, and we will do our best to answer your question as well.
Should I enroll my child in one on one SAT tutoring or an SAT class?
Many parents ask us which is a better route to take – individual or group tutoring – and our response is always the same: if finances are not an issue, individual tutoring is typically the best route. When a student works one on one with an experienced SAT tutor not only can the tutor help the student streamline their time and focus only on the areas they need help, he or she can help the student develop a clear understanding of him-or herself as a learner and test taker.
An experienced and skilled SAT tutor will be able to guide each student through the interpretation of the SAT questions and help him or her learn the methods and strategies that serve him or her best. All of the preparation time spent is spent effectively helping the student become more knowledgeable and a better test-taker.
In a classroom setting, some kids are motivated, while some are not and there often is a varying range of abilities which can make the preparation less than optimally effective. That being said, group instruction is better than no instruction. Students who participate in an SAT workshop will still receive the benefit of an experienced SAT instructor guiding them through the important concepts and helping them develop a repertoire of effective test taking skills and strategies.
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in SAT, Test prep | Leave a Comment »
Parents of high school students often feel overwhelmed and bewildered by all the information about the standardized exams students must take in preparation for college. At Academics Plus Tutoring Center, we are often asked questions such as: When should my child take the SAT? What does the SAT measure? What are the SAT subject tests? How many SAT subject tests must my child take? Which SAT subject tests should my child take?
We figured the questions our students ask are most likely the same questions our readers have, so over the next few weeks we will post the most frequently asked questions and our responses. Feel free to post your own questions in our comment box, and we will do our best to answer your question as well.
Should I hire an SAT tutor for my child?
The truth is that most NYC high school students enroll in some type of SAT prep program, whether it be individual tutoring or an SAT class. Part of the reason is that, as we mentioned in earlier blogs, the SAT measures a different set of skills than many students are using in high school. Furthermore, the format of the SAT differs from most high school tests and it is absolutely essential that students not only have the academic knowledge, not only have mastered the critical thinking skills required, but understand HOW to take this exam (the scoring system, points, should they omit questions or answer all etc). So, while some student can hone these skills and prepare on their own, we would like to address the many benefits to working with an experienced SAT tutor.
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in SAT, Test prep | Leave a Comment »
Parents of high school students often feel overwhelmed and bewildered by all the information about the standardized exams students must take in preparation for college. At Academics Plus Tutoring Center, we are often asked questions such as: When should my child take the SAT? What does the SAT measure? What are the SAT subject tests? How many SAT subject tests must my child take? Which SAT subject tests should my child take?
We figured the questions our students ask are most likely the same questions our readers have, so over the next few weeks we will post the most frequently asked questions and our responses. Feel free to post your own questions in our comment box, and we will do our best to answer your question as well.
When should students start preparing for the SAT?
Because the SAT is a reasoning test, it is important that students start as early as possible. The earlier the better, for a multitude of reasons, two of which we’ll mention.
One, if your child does not have strong critical thinking skills, there will be time to develop and hone these skills. It is impossible to develop strong critical thinking skills in a short period of time. Unfortunately students can’t cram for a critical thinking test like they can for a chemistry test as it is not just a matter of memorizing formulas or concepts. Critical thinking skills are a composite, intertwined set of skills and abilities and it often takes some time to build these skills.
Two, if your child does start early and it is determined that they do have strong critical thinking skills, then they will be ready to take the exam early, get it over with and focus their attention on the multitude of other standardized exams and responsibilities (and there are many) they have. But if they don’t begin early enough, there is no recourse. In general we suggest to start your child in 10th grade, and not to start later than the 1st semester of their junior year.
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in SAT, Test prep | Leave a Comment »
Parents of high school students often feel overwhelmed and bewildered by all the information about the standardized exams students must take in preparation for college. At Academics Plus Tutoring Center, we are often asked questions such as: When should my child take the SAT? What does the SAT measure? What are the SAT subject tests? How many SAT subject tests must my child take? Which SAT subject tests should my child take?
We figured the questions our students ask are most likely the same questions our readers have, so over the next few weeks we will post the most frequently asked questions and our responses. Feel free to post your own questions in our comment box, and we will do our best to answer your question as well.
How should parents view the SAT?
View the SAT preparation process as an opportunity for your child to develop a skill set that will help him or her meet future demands. Although the SAT is often experienced as a hardship by students, it really measures a set of very important skills. The reason many students don’t fare well on the exam, is not because the test is an unfair one, but is because the student hasn’t had the opportunity to develop the skills that the SAT measures. And critical thinking skills are so important; being a strong critical thinker will help your child in every single area of his or her life.
Keep in mind that the SAT is a singular event. It is certainly not the only challenging experience your child will ever face. So encourage your child to keep the focus on what he or she can do, and apply him or herself to the best of their ability. And then the SAT preparation process can become an empowering process, a means to an end, and be of some assistance in helping him or her develop those traits that help him or her achieve success in all areas of life.
Our goal is to make this blog the most helpful and informative blog on Academic Success and SAT preparation. To do this, we need your help, so please give us your feedback and make comments to our blog!!
For more information, FREE articles, resources and audio files, visit: www.howtoacethesat.com and www.academics-plus.com
Posted in SAT, Test prep | Leave a Comment »
