ACT Test Dates Fall 2008

September 13, 2008 and October 25, 2008 are the last two practical dates for High School Seniors to sit for the ACT exam. There is a December exam on December 13, 2008 but this should be only used as a last resource. Summer is almost upon us. There will be plenty of time to prepare for the September and October exams without the distractions of other schoolwork. Please plan ahead and use your time wisely. The ACT has a wonderful student friendly website http://www.actstudent.org/index.html with lots of good information including free practice tests. I have also reviewed a wonderful DVD package from College Prep Coach. There are three DVD's which include general test taking strategies; Official Study Guides for both the SAT and ACT as well as specific lessons for solving problems on both tests. College Prep Coach sells this terrific study aid for $249, but if you mention Testniques you will only pay $225! For more information please go to http://collegeprepcoach.net/

SAT Fall Test Dates

The College Board www.collegeboard.com has just released the 2008-2009 test dates and registration deadlines. If you will be a high school senior in the fall of 2008 please be aware of these important dates: October 4, 2008; November 1, 2008 and December 6, 2008. Most college applications must be complete by December 31, 2008. Be logical please! Take the October or November tests so there is ample time to forward your results to the appropriate schools. Furthermore, if you need these SAT scores to narrow down your choices of colleges, it is even more essential to take the October or November test so you have enough breathing room to make an informed decision.

Vocabulary and the National Spelling Bee

I watched last nights National Spelling Bee from Washington, DC with awe. A parade of kids mostly 12 years old were spelling words that most people will never be exposed to in their lifetime. None of these really hard words is ever likely to show up on the SAT as choices for the sentence completions. However, these spellers were trained to ask certain questions before attempting to spell these words. Often the first question asked was, "Can I have the country of origin please?"

Which brings me to the point that I emphasize time and time again--You know more words than you think! If you are fluent in another language you should notice many difficult words have similar root words. For example ami and amigo mean "friend" in French and Spanish respectively. So, it should come as no surprise that amiable is an English word that means friendly.

Not Happy with Your SAT? Try the ACT

After studying hard for the SAT and taking the test at least two times, you are still not satisfied with your score. What to do? Well, you can take the SAT again, or you can consider the ACT. Both exams are acceptable at all colleges. College admissions officers do not favor one exam over the other. And depending upon the type of student you are, the ACT may fit your skills better than the SAT.

The ACT is curriculum based, that is, the questions are aimed more at what you actually learn in High School. Therefore the ACT is more knowledge based and straightforward. The SAT on the other hand is more of a reasoning test which favors students who have excellent problem solving skills. The format of the ACT consists of three mini tests—Math, English and Science with an optional 30 minute writing test. While the ACT is shorter (2 hours 55 minutes vs. 3 hours 45 minutes for the SAT), it is more time intensive—the student must answer each question quickly in order to get through an entire section in the allotted time.

Many college advisors contend there are two distinct groups of students which may score much higher on one test or the other. High achievers who get the highest grades in the most difficult classes through hard work generally do better on the ACT. Gifted underachievers who are bored in class generally do better on the SAT. Which type of student are you?

My advice for all High School juniors is simple. After you receive your May or June SAT score, check to see whether your SAT score fits into the admissions criteria for the schools you will be applying to. If not, purchase The Real ACT Prep Guide (2nd Edition) and familiarize yourself with the test during the summer. Take the ACT in September or October of your senior year. Whichever test yields the highest score, send the scores of that test along with your college application. It’s a no lose proposition.

Order Your 2008 Summer Study Guide

For Sophomores in particular who will become juniors in the fall of 2008, the summer is a precious time that you must use to your advantage. I have written a 31 page comprehensive summer guide. This is a step by step method which sets forth a game plan during the summer months. Following this plan will put you light years ahead of your friends. It is available in E-Book form for the low price of $9.97. It is available now through June 15, 2008. To order please go to www.testniques.com and click on the Special Offer Tab.

The May SAT is Two Weeks Away

With two weeks to go, the best way to prepare for the May 2008 SAT is by doing as many practice tests up to the Thursday before test day. Allocate one hour each day to complete two 25 minute sections of a practice exam. When you are ready for sections 8, 9 and 10, complete those in your one hour practice time since those sections are on 50 minutes in the aggregate. Using this regimen, you should be able to complete at least 2 full practice exams, possibly three. Score the exam pursuant to the instructions in the test book. With persistent practice your scores should improve with every exam. This will give you positive reinforcement and confidence going into test day.

College Admissions

The 2008 College Admissions data is being released by the elite schools. According to the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal many Ivy League schools are accepting applicants at rates lower than 10% with Harvard's acceptance rate at around 7.9%. Once again schools are swamped with a record number of applicants for a limited number of spaces. This trend is expected to continue at least through 2010. In this highly competitive environment, it is important to prepare a well rounded resume with your application. This includes your entire body of work throughout High School--grades, extra-curicculars, standardized test scores, leadership roles, community service, recommendations, work experience as well as any other creative talent you may have to stand out from all those qualified applicants.