True to a Point Answers are usually the most difficult wrong answers to eliminate, mainly because they start out with correct information. Careless or hurried test takers might not notice, though, that at some point the answer choice becomes blatantly wrong. Today we will look at how these answers are designed to trick unsuspecting students. […]
Admission Tips: Four Pointers for Your College Application Résumé
There are a lot of items you will need to procure or create when putting together your college applications: transcripts, teacher recommendations, and essays, to name a few. You may also have to put together and submit a résumé. Given that most high schoolers have never had to put together a résumé for anything other […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Symbols and Functions
When I teach ACT and SAT classes, I find that the most intimidating math topic is always the Symbolic Function. The complaints are inevitable: “But I don’t know what an upside down triangle even means!” or “I’ve never seen this in school!” or “Does a star inside of a circle mean multiply? I just don’t […]
ACT English and SAT Writing Tips: “Neither” of the Words is Plural
The words either and neither almost always signal an error in ACT English and SAT Writing questions. Errors in agreement become an issue when these words are used as pronouns, as in the following phrases: either of these invitations neither of the boys As pronouns, either and neither are always singular. However, notice that in […]
Admissions Tips: Letters of Recommendation from Non-Teachers
The first person everyone thinks about when they’re looking to get a letter of recommendation is a teacher. This makes perfect sense, of course–letters of recommendation for college are almost always required to address academic performance, and who better to do that than someone who has taught you in an academic subject? However, if a college […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Ratio Rationale
Ratio questions on the ACT and SAT often cause panic among test takers. You know the ones. They ask how much cinnamon is needed in a larger recipe or how many yellow beads must be added to inventory in order to satisify certain proportions. But there is no need to fear these ratio questions–many are […]
Admission Tips: Letters of Recommendation From Teachers
College applicants often consider the teacher recommendation letter to be a bothersome and relatively useless part of the application and thus don’t worry about it until the absolute last possible moment. This is a mistake. Recommendations can not only sway college admissions officers in your favor, but also sway them against it. It’s important to […]
Volunteering is Good for Others AND Yourself… and Your College Applications
Everyone knows that helping others gives you good karma…but did you know it can give you career guidance, too? It can! Helping out with service organizations and volunteering your time and expertise to different causes not only helps out your community, it also lets you “try on” different jobs and see which ones fit the […]
ACT and SAT Reading Tips: Multiple Viewpoints
As if ACT and SAT reading passages are not difficult enough, the test makers like to select passages that contain multiple viewpoints to confuse the average high school reader. The more opinions a passage contains, the more likely students are going to misinterpret the author’s viewpoint, which is often the main idea. So how do […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Fractional Exponents
The ACT and SAT use exponents and roots on the tests to assess your ability to manipulate expressions. Most students think, “No problem! That’s why I have a fancy schmancy calculator!” but the test makers often use your calculator against you. The questions they serve up will likely involve variables so that your calculator is […]