One Step to Improve Your Practice Test Results

Read the explanations for the whole test -- not just the answers you got right.

I'm assuming here that you are using a practice test book that has explanations. If you're not, go get one that does. After you take the practice test, take a break -- a day or a week, whatever works with your study schedule. Then go back, grade the test, and read through all the explanations.

Sometimes students get the right answer the wrong way -- which means the student may not actually understand the problem. Reading all the explanations will help you make sure you getting the most use out of your practice test.

Choosing Which Scores Get Sent

The College Board will let you choose which SAT scores get sent to schools. Here's the official new policy. This takes effect in March 2009.

Here are the "Fast Facts" from the policy:

"Fast facts

• Students will be able to select which scores they send to colleges by sitting (test date) for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests™.
• Scores from an entire SAT test will be sent—scores of individual sections from different sittings cannot be selected independently for sending.
• Students can send any or all scores to a college on a single report—it will not cost more to send one, multiple, or all test scores.
• Students will be instructed to follow the different score-reporting requirements of each college to which they apply.
• Score Choice will be optional—if students do not use it, all scores will be sent automatically.
• Score Choice can be used on any score report that students send:
  • The four score reports available through online or phone registration (applying to already scored tests) and additional score reports
• Score Choice functionality will be available to all students via the Web or by calling Customer Service toll free (within the United States )"

A Good Blog on Paying for College

Kim Clark writes for US News and World Report; I've read a number of her blog entries and they're pretty useful. They generally contain solid information and link to good resources...

Most Students Get Into First-Choice School

This is an interesting article about getting into school.


I'm not sure of all the implications. Perhaps students are getting better at choosing realistic goals? The study sample is small, but the story is very interesting.

Back From the Holidays -- Good Writing Tip

This post is more about good writing for school than for the tests. But I couldn't resist. Using a spell-checker, as everyone knows, can help. But it's not a replacement for careful proofreading. As evidence, I offer the following poem....

Ode to the Spell Checker

author unknown

Eye halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea.
It plainly marks four my revue miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a quay and type a word and weight for it to say
Weather eye yam wrong oar write.
It shows me strait a weigh as soon as a mist ache is maid.
It nose bee fore two long and eye can put the error rite.
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it,
I am shore your pleased to no.
Its letter perfect awl the way.
My checker told me sew.

SAT Changes for March 2009

This story in US News and World Report discusses the fact that students will be able to choose which SAT scores a college sees, beginning in March.

The Most Important Word in an SAT/ACT Essay

Because.

That's it -- the most important word. You are more persuasive if you provide a reason for something. You will earn a better score on your essay if you are more persuasive.

A Harvard behavioural psychologist (Ellen Langer) did a study to determine how important the word "because" is. The gist of it is that when a person asked to cut in line to make five copies, 60% of people said OK.

When the same person asked to cut in line to make five copies because she was in a rush, 94% of people said OK. When that same person asked to cut in line to make five copies because she needed to make copies, 93% of people said OK.

So, even though that second reason isn't compelling, the person was vastly more persuasive when she had a reason than when she didn't. 33% more people said OK, even when the reason was bad. 33%.

I've been telling students for years that the two most crucial elements of thesis writing are to answer the question asked and use the word "because" before giving a reason. Explaining WHY you think what you think is critical to success.

Even Harvard psychologists say so.

I haven't read the whole study yet --and I sure would like to -- but I found the information about the study here, among other places.