Guessing

Guessing on the SAT is a matter of math. There is a 20% chance of guessing correctly if the student cannot eliminate any of the answers; a 25% chance if she can eliminate just one answer; a 33% chance if two answers can be eliminated; and a 50% chance if three can be eliminated. Because of the way the SAT is scored, there is no statistical advantage to guessing on an SAT question without first eliminating one answer choice. Most test prep advisory services instruct students to guess if they can eliminate at least one answer. I believe that a student should not guess unless she can eliminate at least two answers. This is especially true at the end of a math section or at the end of a sentence completion sequence where the difficulty factor of the questions are high, making it much harder to find the correct answers.

Setting Goals

If you have reviewed the U.S. News and World Report Ultimate College Guide, you should have a general idea what SAT score will qualify into the admission matrix of schools you are interested in. Set a goal for 50 points higher than those average scores. Keep taking practice tests until you consistently reach your goal. Then, not only will you be able to confidently apply to the college of your choice but you may open up a whole new set of choices.

Questions For Seniors in High School

High School Seniors must be asking the following questions: Should I take the SAT again in the fall? What topic should I choose for my college essay? What colleges should I apply to? When do I start the process? When do I go on campus tours? How many recommendations do I need? How do I market myself? Which colleges best match my interests and abilities? Take the summer time to think through these extremely important questions. I am preparing a survey that may help answer some of these questions. To request this questionaire, email me at Steve@testniques.com

Simple Time Management

For one week keep a journal of your daily activities. This should be easy when school is out. After one week, look where you waste the most time. Then turn this unproductive time into SAT Study Time. One hour per day does not sound like a lot, but cummulatively it becomes 75 hours for the entire summer. Now ask yourself if you will be prepared for this test with 75 hours of study time under your belt. Of course you will be more prepared than perhaps any test of your life.

June Tests Scores Available June 21st

On Thursday June 21st the SAT scores will be available online. Hard Copy scores will be mailed two weeks later. If you have a password and ID, long onto the collegeboard website Thursday morning to get your scores. For a $10 fee you can order a written student score report. From this report you can learn many things about how you took the test. The student score report is helpful for students thinking about taking another SAT. From the student score report you can detect certain tendencies, ie. types of questions answered incorrectly, difficulty of questions answered incorrectly, patterns at the end of sections, etc. More on this in a future entry.

You Are the President of You!

How you manage your time this summer will determine how smoothly your next high school year will run. For High School Seniors especially, the two biggest events of the Fall Semester will be the October or November SAT and the College application process. Most students regret the fact that they even have to take the SAT again. If only they had put in more time and effort. Juniors, learn this invaluable lesson, put in the time, so you dont have to worry about another SAT during your senior year! Seniors, learn from your mistakes, start the college application process early. Gather as much information from the internet this summer. Amass all of your information---essay ideas, lists of achievements, a mock resume, recommendation requests, schedule campus visit dates, talk with admissions officers and financial aid officers at the universities you are interested in.

2007 Ultimate College Guide

The U.S. News 2007 Ultimate College Guide is a useful resource when gathering information about prospective colleges. The book is stocked with information including costs, most popular majors, admission criteria such as required G.P.A. and SAT scores, campus size, financial aid, demographics and extra-curricular activities. I believe that this book is a must have for High School juniors starting the college application process this fall. The book can be purchased from the home page of www.testniques.com