ACT Index
March 20, 2009
So your guidance counselor, family and friends keep telling you that your SAT test and ACT test are a key part of the admissions process. In fact, some school counselors think that your SAT tests and ACT scores are even more important than your school grades, your admissions essay and letters of recommendation. So you probably need to know that "sat" is not just the past tense of sit and that "act" isnt just what stars do!
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March 10, 2009
Hopefully, you've already been studying for your upcoming standardized tests for many weeks and months. But even hours of preparation can be undone on test day by forgetting a calculator or losing the testing center's address.
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February 11, 2009
It's all too easy for juniors to hit a lazy streak in February -- finals are long over, the winter holidays are but a distant memory, and spring break is just around the corner. February feels like limbo, the month juniors need to get past in order to reach their senior year. Little do they know how stressful senior year can be.
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January 07, 2009
As the new year starts, high school juniors can start checking things off on their college app to-do list. Register for standardized tests, visit a college, plan to take SAT subject tests, identify teachers to write your recommendations, and set up an appointment with your guidance counselor. Get ready!
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November 03, 2008
After the past few posts on test scores, I'm pretty bored with the subject. Nevertheless, amid reports that ACT scores are down this year (overstated -- they're just down 0.1, and that's equal to 2006 scores), I hear again the question about whether the SAT or the ACT is better. There are very few, if any, competitive institutions left that prefer one test or other. All instituions will use your best score. So take both tests and focus on whichever one you feel you'll do best.
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October 31, 2008
As simple as the question sounds, it's hard to answer. As I wrote in the last couple of posts, by and large your test scores are FAR less important than your overall academic record. They do count, however, and usually a lot more than most of the noncognitive factors (essays, recommendations, leadership, etc). Even so, there are a lot of cases where a low score won't be a detriment at all. To start, keep in mind that there are LOTS of colleges and universities, and they don't all have the same test-score standards.
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October 29, 2008
Even though I do my best to convince students and families that the standardized tests, the SAT and the ACT, arent nearly as important to admission as the media might lead you to believe, I still get begged for advice on how to do better. Can test prep help? The College Board swore prep courses had no impact, but then they started selling prep services too. (Quick test. This is: a) ironic b) dumb c) confusing d) all of the above.)
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