The Saturday before the October 4th SAT, Artful Tutoring is hosting a Simulated SAT test (SIMSAT, for short). We’ll take the whole test in the morning, take a break to eat pizza (on us!) and chill out, and then have a two-hour session to go over the answers and talk strategy. The strategy session is intended to give you the most-bang-for-your-buck pointers—the ones you can use on almost all the questions.
Where? GW Community School, 9001 Braddock Rd., Suite 111, Springfield, VA 22151.
When? Saturday, September 27th, 8:15-2:30pm. (The test goes until noon, followed by pizza, and then a discussion of the answers and strategy for the last two hours.)
How much? $75 for the whole day!
How do I sign up? Give us a call or drop us an email to register. We want to keep this small, so it’s as helpful as possible for students—so there are only 20 spots. Register early!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Should I Take the ACT?
The short answer is: Yes!
The ACT is a great no-risk option for students. Most universities and colleges will accept ACT scores in lieu of SAT scores. While SAT scores are sent to colleges automatically, you can choose to send or not send your ACT scores to your preferred schools—or to send your best ACT score out of a couple scores.
Here are the dates for the remaining ACT tests this year:
October ACT
Test date: October 25, 2008
Registration deadline: September 19, 2008
December ACT
Test date: December 13, 2008
Registration deadline: November 7, 2008
Give us a call if you decide to take the ACT and want some help.
The ACT is a great no-risk option for students. Most universities and colleges will accept ACT scores in lieu of SAT scores. While SAT scores are sent to colleges automatically, you can choose to send or not send your ACT scores to your preferred schools—or to send your best ACT score out of a couple scores.
Here are the dates for the remaining ACT tests this year:
October ACT
Test date: October 25, 2008
Registration deadline: September 19, 2008
December ACT
Test date: December 13, 2008
Registration deadline: November 7, 2008
Give us a call if you decide to take the ACT and want some help.
What's the Deal with SAT Subject Tests
Yeah, what is the deal?
SAT Subject Tests are one-hour tests that test students’ knowledge in a variety of areas: American History, World History, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Biology, Math Levels 1 & 2, and tons of languages.
Should I take them?
Most selective schools require you to take two Subject Tests of your choosing. If you’re applying to schools such as UVA or William & Mary, you should determine which tests you would score best in, and sign up for those.
What if I’m not applying to one of those “selective schools”?
Including SAT Subject Test scores in your application gives a more complete picture of your academic performance, regardless of whether your school asks for them or not.
If you have a high GPA and want to show colleges that you’re bright, in addition to being a hard worker—consider the SAT Subject Tests.
If your GPA isn’t what it should be, and you’re in fact much smarter than your grades show—consider the SAT Subject Tests.
If your SAT reasoning score wasn’t as high as it could’ve been—consider the SAT Subject tests.
So . . . what do I do?
Check out the registration dates on the front of this mag—the test dates and registration dates are the same for November and December regular SAT test.
But I need help!
Then give us a call! We’ll send someone out to help you prepare.
SAT Subject Tests are one-hour tests that test students’ knowledge in a variety of areas: American History, World History, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Biology, Math Levels 1 & 2, and tons of languages.
Should I take them?
Most selective schools require you to take two Subject Tests of your choosing. If you’re applying to schools such as UVA or William & Mary, you should determine which tests you would score best in, and sign up for those.
What if I’m not applying to one of those “selective schools”?
Including SAT Subject Test scores in your application gives a more complete picture of your academic performance, regardless of whether your school asks for them or not.
If you have a high GPA and want to show colleges that you’re bright, in addition to being a hard worker—consider the SAT Subject Tests.
If your GPA isn’t what it should be, and you’re in fact much smarter than your grades show—consider the SAT Subject Tests.
If your SAT reasoning score wasn’t as high as it could’ve been—consider the SAT Subject tests.
So . . . what do I do?
Check out the registration dates on the front of this mag—the test dates and registration dates are the same for November and December regular SAT test.
But I need help!
Then give us a call! We’ll send someone out to help you prepare.
Our Favorite SAT Prep Books
- The Official SAT Study Guide. The virtue of this book is that it has 8 real tests.
- Princeton Review’s 11 Practice Tests for the New SAT and PSAT. While these tests are not “real,” they include helpful explanations for every test question.
- Kaplan’s 12 Practice Tests for the SAT. 12 is more than 11!
- And of course, the Manuals written by the most Artful Tutor in town—Art Edwards. You know, the ones with all the Harry Potter and Star Wars jokes. They’re not sold in stores yet, but we’re happy to share them with our current students. You’re welcome!
So Which Is Easier--the SAT or ACT?
You might find the ACT easier because:
- It doesn’t take off points for wrong answers.
- It doesn’t try to “trick” students as much as the SAT does with its wrong answers.
- The grammar rules tested in the English section are more familiar.
- It asks more straightforward questions in the Reading section.
- It depends more on content knowledge than strategy (especially the math section).
- It is not a vocab test as much as the SAT—no Sentence Completion section.
- It is easier to get a high score on the Essay.
- It doesn’t include math concepts such as trig, logs, or matrices (as the ACT does).
- It includes a math reference section with formulas you need.
- It tends to not be as much of a time crunch as the ACT.
- It doesn’t include a science section (as the ACT does).
- The Reading questions point you to the exact line in the passage where the answer is.
Help! My Vocab Sucks
Do words like “inimical” and “stygian” strike terror in your heart? Does the Sentence Completion section cause you to abandon all hope? Fear not! We’ve got some quick tips for you . . .
1. Read, read, read. Read the newspaper, your English books. Keep an index card as your bookmark, and write down all the unfamiliar words you see—then make flashcards. Read with a dictionary and look up definitions as you go. Learning words in context is the best way to pick up new vocab.
2. Pick up a copy of Vocabulary Cartoons—a great book full of silly cartoon mnemonics. (Example: a picture of bulls working to build a wall, for the word “bulwark,” which means “defensive wall.”)
3. Also check out Peterson’s Success with Words. It’s an exhaustive workbook that helps you learn how to recognize roots, as well as learn boatloads of SAT vocab.
4. Try Hot Words for the SAT — a more manageable, but still effective, set of words.
5. Freerice.com! Fun, addictive, and helpful.
1. Read, read, read. Read the newspaper, your English books. Keep an index card as your bookmark, and write down all the unfamiliar words you see—then make flashcards. Read with a dictionary and look up definitions as you go. Learning words in context is the best way to pick up new vocab.
2. Pick up a copy of Vocabulary Cartoons—a great book full of silly cartoon mnemonics. (Example: a picture of bulls working to build a wall, for the word “bulwark,” which means “defensive wall.”)
3. Also check out Peterson’s Success with Words. It’s an exhaustive workbook that helps you learn how to recognize roots, as well as learn boatloads of SAT vocab.
4. Try Hot Words for the SAT — a more manageable, but still effective, set of words.
5. Freerice.com! Fun, addictive, and helpful.
Fall SAT Testing Heads-Up!
Many of you have been gearing up for the October 4th SAT Test. (By the way, if you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time! Late registration runs until September 19th, if you sign up online or by phone.) We’re sure that once October 5th hits, most of you will feel a tremendous sigh of relief, after months of preparation and hard work. It’s almost over!
Some of you don’t feel quite ready to take the SAT in October, however. Good news! You still have both time to prepare and time to apply. Here are the dates for the remaining SAT tests this year:
November SAT
Test date: November 1, 2008
Registration deadline: September 26, 2008
December SAT
Test date: December 6, 2008
Registration deadline: November 5, 2008
(A note about the December test: Even if you’re looking at a college application deadline of December 1, most colleges will accept December 6 test scores. Call your school to find out! You could buy yourself some time that way, if you need it.)
As always, give Artful Tutoring a call for the highest quality one-on-one test prep in the area.
Some of you don’t feel quite ready to take the SAT in October, however. Good news! You still have both time to prepare and time to apply. Here are the dates for the remaining SAT tests this year:
November SAT
Test date: November 1, 2008
Registration deadline: September 26, 2008
December SAT
Test date: December 6, 2008
Registration deadline: November 5, 2008
(A note about the December test: Even if you’re looking at a college application deadline of December 1, most colleges will accept December 6 test scores. Call your school to find out! You could buy yourself some time that way, if you need it.)
As always, give Artful Tutoring a call for the highest quality one-on-one test prep in the area.
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