Tutor Talk
January 26, 2010
Trends in Admission Testing: Inside Information from the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (Part 3)
By: Jed Appelrouth
Spotlight on the SAT and the ACT
The ACT is on the rise. Attending the National Association for College Admission Counseling annual meeting in Maryland, I could clearly see that the SAT is continuing to lose ground to its longstanding rival. During a well attended session, SAT Test Prep: Sharing What Works, as soon as one college counselor mentioned the success his students were having prepping for the ACT, heads began nodding in agreement throughout the auditorium. More and more schools, college counselors, educational consultants and tutors are shifting their energies toward this alternative to the SAT.
People love to attack the SAT, which has become a magnet for controversy. Over the years, the SAT has been blamed for many of the ills, shortcomings and inequities of the US educational system. In my research I have found dozens of critiques and analyses of the SAT, exploring its biases, lack of predictive strength and various other failings, whereas critiques of the ACT are conspicuously rare. Most educational researchers have chosen to overlook the ACT, which in turn has benefitted from the relative lack of public scrutiny. The few researchers who have examined the ACT in the same light as the SAT have discovered that the ACT is not a corrective for the SAT; the ACT shares many of its flaws, privileging the same groups and creating the same social, racial and economic divisions as the SAT.
The FAB Just Got Even More FABULOUS!
By: Linda
Appelrouth Tutoring Services is the proud parent of a brand new bundle of joy! No, no one had a baby. But after years of meticulous analysis and hard work, The Fabulous Guide to the SAT is now complete. Consider this Extreme Makeover: SAT Edition. While this new study guide is based on the same foundation of proven strategies that have helped hundreds of our students get their dream scores, it has seriously bulked up on practice problems and content.
The Fabulous Guide to the SAT is filled with humor, creativity, illustrations and diagrams designed for visual learners. Included in the book are sample study schedules for students to follow whether they have 1 day or 3 months to prepare and a 7-week, 600-word vocabulary plan to increase students’ scores. It teaches students a revolutionary way to think about Critical Reading and instructs them in all the key Math and Writing concepts. Learn how to rock the essay, guess strategically, manage time effectively, spot wrong answers, and conquer test anxiety.
(read more…)
Too much prep, too soon?
By: Jed Appelrouth
Outside of a session at the National Association for College Admission Counseling annual meeting in Maryland, I spent a good deal of time talking with other tutoring operators at the conference. Numerous operators are pushing prep at a very early age and encouraging students to make enormous investments of time and energy towards their score goals. One company in Pennsylvania, catering primarily to Asian-American students, is pushing parents to begin SAT prep in the 7th grade and continue through senior year. Another company advocated 2-hour prep sessions, twice a week, throughout the entirety of junior year, in addition to bi-monthly mock tests: an investment of over 200+ hours. Another operator encouraged his students to cancel the score of their first actual SAT or ACT, simply to give them a feel for the testing process. These recommendations troubled me. I believe in economy of prep and finding the minimum amount of tutoring needed to gain the maximum result. Preparing for the SAT or ACT should not be a full-time job for students, nor should it span 5 years! Students have enough on their plates as it is, and we need to get the SAT or ACT over and done with as efficiently as possible to allow students to return to their busy lives.
January 19, 2010
The Daily Show’s Take on the SAT
By: Linda
What? SAT Prep cool?! What is Demetri Martin thinking? If you need a quick pick-me-up to help you escape the SAT doldrums before Saturday’s test, watch the short video below. And then go look up the word alacrity.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Martin – The SAT | ||||
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January 15, 2010
21st Century College Tours
By: Linda
There is no better way to determine if a college is right for you than to stroll the hallowed halls yourself, asking questions, sitting in on classes, eating the food. However, busy schedules and a dream-college list 20 schools long don’t always mix. What to do if you can’t fit in the time to visit everyone of your favored schools in person? Go Internet, young men! (and women; a Horace Greeley allusion for those U.S. History buffs.)
Below are a handful of websites who offer virtual tours of hundreds of American colleges and universities. Did I mention they are free? Well, they are. But, most require that you register with them in order to view more than one or two colleges. You might get useful information from them; you might not. I suggest you set up a filter on your email account and shovel all their mail to one particular folder to look at at your leisure.
Calendar
Next SAT Test: March 13, 2010
Next ACT Test: April 10, 2010
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