Eliminate Before You Calculate!

In this fast paced, video game, text messaged world, the desire for instant gratification has never been greater. I have witnessed many students fall into this speed trap, especially when it comes to answering the Math SAT questions. The need for speed often leads to misread questions, sloppy set ups and silly mistakes.
Before coming up with the answer read the question until it is fully understood. Eliminate the obvious incorrect answers. For example--if the answer calls for a positive slope, eliminate the answers with negative slopes; if the answer must be less than 90 degrees, get rid of all those answers greater than 90 degrees. This method allows you to enjoy more accurate calculations while avoiding the "sucker answers" which are designed to catch the careless speed demons!

Reading Scores A Concern Nationwide

Judging from the comments I am getting from my students, reading is the subject they need to work on the most. As I read through the newspapers this morning, I am finding a slew of articles about the poor nationwide reading scores over the past 17 years. When these reading scores are compared with the math results, the comparisons are even more striking. Is it our culture? To much time spent on video games and texting? For an in depth analysis please click on this link from the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/education/25reading.html

2 Dates Left for the SAT This Semester

May 1st and June 6th are the last two dates to sit for the SAT exam this semester. High School juniors are encouraged to register and prepare for one or both of these tests. Adequate preparation depends upon the student. 6 to 12 weeks of solid preparation should suffice. The time is now! Crack open those books and get serious. Don't wait to the last minute. Don't get shut out from the most convenient test centers. Don't just show up for the test cold, as many do for the PSAT. This one counts. Make it count!

Well prepared students will be proud of their results and enjoy a stress free summer knowing that the SAT is behind them.

Your Comments on the March 2010 SAT Exam

Many thought the Math was relatively easy while the Critical Reading was very difficult. Here are some excerpted comments from students who actually sat for the March 2010 SAT this past weekend:

i thought the test was ok, and i had enough time. i thought the math was kind of easy, the reading part was kind of hard

I thought the math section was easier than the reading. I found the reading and the vocabulary difficult, and on the reading sections I was rushing at the end. I think I wrote a pretty solid essay, but it definitely was not my best. I was so nervous going into the test, and when I read the essay question, my mind went blank. But, I picked it up and my nerves subsided as time went on.

I didn't expect the SAT to be like this. It was way harder than i expected it to be. The timing was on average, I had enough time, except for the last writing part, The essay itself was okay, I think i wrote a decent essay

I GUESSED ALL THE ENGLISH PARTS AND MATH I DID ALRIGHT

I personally thought that the March SAT was totally unfair... Each section was so sporadic and nothing was "leveled" I wouldn’t be surprised if someone got like a 300 in the reading and a 800 in the math...
The vocab was ridiculous and the reading passages were super hard. I found myself reading the same lines over and over again trying to comprehend what it was all about.. I felt like I was reading Hebrew or something.
The math was fair-- many have said that it was super easy, but as you know, math is my weakest area so I'm not sure how that might turn out..
Grammar was a bit tricky. There were a lot more tricky and hard questions than I expected...
The essay topic was really random and wasn't one of those typical SAT essay topics with a cliche quote asking for my opinion so I was caught off guard.. I think I managed to BS my way through and get some awesome supporting details from novels and thanks to Hitler, I think I'll be fine

Important Math Formula

To find the sum of the interior angles of any polygon use: (n-2) X 180 where n represents the number of sides. Using this formula to find the sum of the interior angles of 5 sided figure (a pentagon) (5-2) X 180=540 degrees. Assuming all the angles are equal, to find the value of each angle use (n-2) X 180/n so (5-2) X 180/5=108.

Proof Read Your Essay

You have carefully outlined and written the assignment. Now it's time to use the remaining few minutes to proof read what you have written. Ask yourself--did I leave out any words? If so, use a caret symbol and insert the omitted word.

Did you lose your concentration and write a double sentence? If so, cross out the superfluous material.

Did you mean to write their instead of there? Or should it be they're? Change it to the proper form.

Make only minor editing changes during the final proof. The graders know your essay was handwritten under time pressure without the use of spell check and grammar check. Do the best you can to make sure the essay is well written, well organized and that it answers the assignment.

Present Your Strongest Point First

SAT scores are released 17 days after the scheduled test day. For any given SAT, over a million essays are scored in less than 17 days. Think about that! How much time do you think the person grading your essay will actually allocate to reading your essay? The answer--less than two minutes.

Knowing this, it is only logical that you present your strongest argument first. Never assume that the grader will even turn the page to read the rest of the essay, let alone its conclusion.

When writing your essay, use engaging language (not baby words) and make sure your best example is your first example. Make a good first impression on the reader and get a higher score!