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Why the sudden need to ensure proper punctuation and spelling in a rowdy football cheer? Well, the UGA admissions department is now a lot more like pit bulls than bull dogs when it comes to the rules of standard written English. Students who want to proudly wave the Red and Black come fall 2009, must focus more attention on the Writing section of the SAT. Previously, UGA had only considered the combination Math and Verbal score of this standardized test when making admissions decisions. Now, however, the game has changed.

Straight from the Bull Dog’s mouth:

Writing and Standardized Tests

For students applying to enroll at UGA beginning in Spring, 2009 and later, the writing section must be submitted for both the SAT and ACT if both tests are to be considered for admission. For students who are only submitting the SAT, the writing section is always included in their final scores. For those submitting the ACT, they must have at least one submission of the ACT with the optional writing included. If they submit more than one ACT, at least one must have the writing included.

If a student is submitting both the SAT and ACT, they must have at least one ACT with the writing included: it will always be included with the SAT. If there are no submitted sittings of the ACT with writing, UGA will not be able to use the ACT for consideration for admission.

How Will UGA Use the Writing Score

UGA has a traditionally used standardized test scores and high school GPA to help predict success as a freshmen at UGA. In the past, the English and Math sections of the ACT and the Verbal (now Critical Reading) and Math sections of the SAT were used for the standardized tests, each section individually. These were combined with the student’s GPA and the rigor of the curriculum was also factored.

For the past three years, since the inception of the new writing sections of the ACT and SAT, UGA has required that students submit at least one standardized test with a writing section. Admissions has used the writing scores (and even reviewed some of the essays) on an individual basis to add information when needed. With two classes of freshmen students with writing scores having enrolled and completed their freshmen year we have now analyzed the role that the writing section can add to our ability to make better admission decisions. We will now incorporate it into the prediction regression for all applications. In order to do this, UGA must have a writing section for each of the types of tests (SAT or ACT) that the student submits as part of their application.

As in the past, while standardized test scores do play a role in admission, the choice of high school courses and resulting grades play a must stronger role in predicting success at UGA.

More news:

UGA to start adding in SAT writing scores

UGA might consider standardized writing tests

Good news:

Fear not, though. Students just need to review some simple rules about appropriate comma placement, parallelism and adverb use, and they are well on their way to higher scores. Our students frequently see big gains on their Writing section scores with limited study.

The news these days is always full of stories about Hollywood celebrities, presidential candidates, and foreign leaders. However, recently there is a new kid on the information block: The SAT. Over the past few months this standardized test has received more press than a pop star gone bad. Follow the links below to see what’s new.

Brookwood SAT scores tops in Gwinnett

SAT is losing a bit of its clout

Class of 2008 Matches ‘07 on the SAT

SAT Essay Test rewards Length and Ignores Errors

College Panel Calls for Less Focus on the SATs

Are you linguistically-gifted? Do you need money for college? If you answered yes to both these questions, then the Confessions of a Word Nerd Essay contest is for you. You could win up to $5000 in scholarships. Check out the link below for more details.

http://www.confessionsofawordnerd.com/essay_contest.php

The college admissions essay is the single most important essay most students will write during their high school careers. For a student on the admissions margin, in particular, it can be a deciding factor in the admissions equation. While schedule strength, grades, and scores all need to be within the acceptable range for admission to a given school, the essay offers the student a chance to come alive as a human being and present an aspect of himself beyond the data points and quantitative metrics of the application. A well-crafted essay can turn an admissions reader into a vocal advocate in the event that a student’s application makes it to the admissions committee.
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As summer comes to a close and the collegiate admission process beckons, many parents and students must make the important decision whether to use the next few months to prepare for the SAT, the ACT or to simultaneously prepare for both tests. Extremely familiar with the SAT, the majority of parents who seek out our services assume that the SAT will be the best assessment for their children. Most parents personally endured the rite of sitting for the SAT during high school. Additionally, they know how their children fared on the 7th grade TIP assessment, and the 10th and 11th grade PSAT assessments. But for many, the ACT remains a mystery. A growing number of Atlanta students sit for the “pre-ACT”, the PLAN assessment in 10th grade: the vast majority of our students have no academic exposure to the ACT. Many parents have heard of the ACT as an alternative to the SAT but don’t know if it’s worthwhile to make the investment into ACT preparation or simply stick it out with the SAT. In this article I will explain the topical and structural differences between these two assessments in hopes of better informing this decision.
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Where do intelligent people congregate? If you have any brilliant insight into the surprisingly elusive answer to this seemingly simple question, please share. Appelrouth Tutoring itself is filled with brainiacs, but we are always looking for more.

Let’s make a deal, don’t worry we won’t ask you to dress like a chicken (sorry, students, that was a joke for your parents). If you have great ideas where smart, well-educated adults mingle, send them my way. In return for the best suggestion, we will give you a prize! No, it’s not a toaster. The best suggestions will receive… drum roll please…
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The end is in sight. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. By January, it will be done. By March you will know. So close, yet so far away!

As your summer memories fade like daylight into the autumn dusk, you still have a big task ahead of you. The actual college application and…THE ESSAY! It doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds. The key to keep it in check–and meet all your deadlines–is to stay organized.
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While the summer weather isn’t exactly fading away, summer vacation is. Sorry, students, but you have only a few precious weeks before the demands of the school year start to creep back. As memories of long days at beaches and pools and late nights at concerts and movies wane in the face of back-to-school shopping, you, lucky Juniors, have more to worry about this year than your standard class load. That’s right, college-bound brainiacs, you’re time has come. If you’re lucky, you’ve seen older siblings struggle through this process and eventually reap the rewards. If you are the first to embark on this long, long journey, don’t worry. Think of what an inspiration you’ll be to those who come after.
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For a lot of people, the month of July means one thing–SUMMER CAMP! Kayaking, hiking, s’mores and bonfires. If you’re more of an indoor kid and aren’t thrilled by bug juice and arts and crafts, maybe now is the time for a different type of summer camp. Boot camp, sleep away camp, dance camp…is SAT camp the next big thing? Why not? Take a week out of your summer to learn the ins and outs of the most important test you will take in high school. Read about our Brookwood camp in The Atlanta Journal Constitution or visit our website for more SAT summer camp options.

So we all know by now that our moms were right and money doesn’t grow on trees. That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are plenty of ways for intelligent, enterprising high school juniors and seniors looking for a little help paying for college to rake in the big bucks. And I’m not talking about a summer lemonade stand.
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Parents often come to us and ask when would be the ideal time for their children to sit for the major collegiate assessments such as the SAT and ACT. Parents are daunted by the sheer quantity of assessments and the variety of available administration dates. We subject our children to so many tests during their junior and senior years: PSATs, SAT 1s, ACTs, SAT 2s, APs and/or IBs. Poor planning can compound the stress that our students face, especially come spring. Good planning, however, can lower the stress levels for parents and students alike and really take the edge off of the testing and admissions processes.
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Have you ever bombed an SAT and hoped to a higher power that the college of your dreams knows nothing about it? Well, previously there was nothing you could do short of canceling the entire test to prevent this from happening. However, the SAT is now changing its Score Reporting Procedure. Starting with the March 2009 test, students can choose to send only certain scores to universities as opposed to sending their entire history. Students can specify which sitting–exam date–they send to which colleges. This new option will be offered without additional cost and is also possible for SAT Subject Tests. The one hitch is that the College Board won’t let you pick your top Reading score and your top Math score and send them together if they came from different sittings. If this is the case, then you will have to send the complete scores from both test dates. For further information, visit the College Board’s Web site.

Hello, Readers! I know you all enjoy the posts we make to our blog. I hope you find them both entertaining and helpful. On that note, I’d like to hear from you. What would you like to know about in regards to college admissions and acceptance, standardized testing and all other things high school? Post a comment with a topic you’d like further explored. I look forward to hearing from you!

Congratulations, Seniors! You’ve been tested and interviewed to death, and now acceptance letters are pouring in! All that’s left before the best four years of your life begin is a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond for a snazzy new bath mat and towel set and a quick prayer to the roommate god that yours doesn’t sit in the dark and talk to his toes. Alas, if only it were that easy. For a minute, let us assume the best of all possible worlds. You’ve been accepted to your dream college and they have even granted you some sort of scholarship. However, unless you are the next Einstein, one of your parents is faculty or staff, or the university library shares your name, chances are you are not attending tuition-free. So even though you have successfully navigated the treacherous sea of college admissions, you are not home free. Now you must steer your way through the murky waters of funding your oh-so-exciting education.
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Please forgive the pun above. I couldn’t resist. Now that my utter lameness has grabbed your attention, I will impart some knowledge that will make your cringing subside. When GA Tech says they look only at your highest scoring sections in Math and Verbal (that means ENGLISH Test from the ACT and the Critical Reading test from the SAT) from standardized tests, they mean exactly that. After speaking with Admissions Officer Beatrice Hegidio, I learned the admissions department is so eager to make you look good, they will take your highest scores from either the ACT or SAT. In short, they will mix the tests to get the best score for you.
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Ah. The joys of high school P.E. classes–changing clothes in front of strangers; endless games of Capture the Flag; the seemingly fascist insistence on wearing only white socks. Whether you find P.E. to be a welcome break from the monotony of classes or your own personal ninth circle of hell, new studies show that it might have a lasting impact on your standardized test scores, if you’re female. Sorry, boys. A new CDC report suggests that physical education might actually improve high school girls’ test scores. So, ladies, double-knot your laces and get on the field. Game on!

Without question, the most successful tutors are the most adept at motivating their students. Academic coaches, test-prep coaches, we are essentially brokers in motivation. Our job is to find a way to convince teenagers to log out of Facebook, minimize their four open chat windows, turn off their cell phones, and do SAT and ACT drills. To be effective, we must convince our students to come home early the night of Homecoming in order to be rested for a Saturday morning mock test. We must convince our students to drill vocabulary flashcards on the plane ride home from Spring Break. We must convince them that on top of the three and a half hours of homework their school teachers have assigned them, our homework is equally, if not more, important.
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Spring Break! The two most beautiful words to any student during the dreary month of February. You can see it just beyond the horizon, all shiny and full of promise: sleeping late, bumming around, not doing homework. If you’re not beach-bound this March, Spring Break is a great time to visit potential colleges. Instead of the annual family road trip to the World’s Largest Ball of Twine (which, incidentally, is in Cawker City, Kansas), why not suggest a trip to the educational institute of your choice?
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What does that spell? MOTIVATION! Sorry about that; motivation is a really long word, and I never made even the JV cheerleading squad. I know you’re just as surprised as I am.

While motivation may be easy to spell, very often it is hard to find. If you’re at a loss as to how to convince your busy high school junior to buckle down and dedicate a significant amount of time to preparing for standardized tests, you’re in luck. Jed’s new Jed Said article tackles the elusive art of motivating an adolescent. So read on and prepare to inspire!

Tutors have said it and students have heard it thousands of times, but that is because it is true. The best way to improve your vocabulary is to read. We don’t mean the Oxford English Dictionary or the Encyclopedia Britannica. Read everything or anything, and you’ll see a surprising expansion of your vocabulary.
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