Tag Archives: SAT

book reviews, test prep, Uncategorized

Direct Hits: SAT Vocabulary resource

 

direct hits booksEvery SAT coach and college professional will tell you that vocabulary is the key to every aspect of the college application process–from the SAT/ACT tests to writing the essay vocabulary plays an integral part. The Direct Hits SAT Vocabulary books address this issue by helping your student enrich their vocabulary. According to Direct Hits, “A rich and varied vocabulary enables us to speak more eloquently, describe more vividly, argue more compellingly, articulate more precisely, and write more convincingly.”

A powerful and extensive vocabulary has a correlation with success in school, business and of course, standardized tests. However, increasing  your vocabulary can be exhausting unless your have the right tools. Direct Hits have addressed the vocabulary study issue by providing a list of core vocabulary (1-225 words) and tough vocabulary (226-440). What’s unique about these books is that a) it’s a manageable list, b) word definitions, c) use in a sentence, and d) the Greek origins of suffixes and prefixes. At the end of the books, there is a simple list of all the words with quick definitions, along with a test to check out how much you have learned.

What I like about these books? They don’t overwhelm you. Your junior high school student can take both of them and in one summer, easily master these 440 vocabulary words. Or if your student is just beginning high school, they can take one word a day and master each one successfully before moving on to the next.

Direct Hits explains their approach: “We study the SAT, research trends of the test, and publish Direct Hits books … that have proven to increase student success.” Their group of educators works hard to improve the books (currently in the 5th Edition) as the SAT changes. To help you see how effective these books can be, they offer free downloads in PDF format to check the books out.

If you are looking for a good summer reading/study course of action for SAT vocabulary, these books will fit the bill.

Here’s a PDF excerpt from the SAT Vocabulary book about “Words with Multiple Meanings“.

Direct Hits vocabulary books are also available as e-books. They can be read on a computer or on mobile devices through the free Kindle app?

Direct Hits Core Vocabulary

Direct Hits Toughest Vocabulary

Free Kindle Reading apps for MAC, PC, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android Smartphone

You can also make contact with Direct Hits online:

DirectHits website

DirectHits Twitter

DirectHits Facebook

 

test prep

Top 5 standardized test tips for college-bound students

images-4Standardized tests are no walk in the park – they are designed to ascertain not only your knowledge base, but also your ability to read and comprehend, your capacity to formulate your own thoughts, and your overall preparedness to enter the college arena. Every parent wants their kids to go to college, but those that aren’t willing to take standardized testing seriously are bound to have trouble with these tricky exams.

However, those teens that are set on attending college in order to better themselves will find that the scores they get on the SATs, PSATs, and/or ACTs can greatly influence their college choices. So being prepared is imperative. And here are just a few standardized test tips that will help.

  1. Check your required items. Registering for an exam date and paying your fees are only the beginning of the process when it comes to being prepared. You also need to show up on test day with all the things you’ll need to successfully ace the exam. For example, you’ll need to provide your ID and an admission ticket to gain entrance to the testing facility. And once you’re inside you’d better have the proper supplies on hand, including number 2 pencils and in some cases a calculator (SATs) – don’t forget the batteries. You might also want snacks, since these tests can be rather long, a watch to track your time (no cell phones allowed), and layered clothes in case you get warm or cold.
  2. Get your zzzzs. The absolute worst thing you can do is burn the midnight oil cramming for your upcoming test. Students that take exams on a sleep deficit are likely to have trouble with focus, memory, and comprehension, which means you might read the same sentence three times before you figure out what it says, and even then you won’t be able to remember the answer that you swear you knew a couple of hours ago. So do yourself a favor and go to bed so you can wake up refreshed, rested, and ready to ace the test.
  3. Be thorough and budget time. The biggest mistakes that most students make during standardized tests have to do with timing. If you’re in too much of a hurry, you are likely to misread questions, so take the time to read through each question once slowly to ensure that you catch the meaning the first time around. However, don’t waste time reading through the same question over and over if you don’t get it; move on to complete the questions you know and then come back if you have time left over when you’re done.
  4. Use study guides and sample tests. Studying is an important part of test-taking because it helps you to retain pertinent information. But sample tests go the extra mile by letting you time yourself and helping you to gain an understanding of how the actually test might progress.
  5. Hire a tutor. Once standardized tests have become old hat you may not need a tutor (say for GMAT or LSAT test preparation). But since the SATs (and other entrance exams) are your first rodeo, so to speak, it couldn’t hurt to get a little extra help from the pros, especially since your score on the test will go a long way towards determining which colleges will grant you admission.
Guest Posts, test prep

3 Truths of Raising your SAT Score

….and In Defense of Distracted Students.

Over my 10 years as a teacher, I’ve taught nearly every age group. Above all, I have the most sympathy for the challenges of my teenage students. Teenagers’ reputations of being impulsive, difficult, and outright defiant are well-deserved. If you are trying to push your teen toward an improved SAT score and better college opportunities it can be frustrating.

That’s why I developed SAT Habit, a personalized SAT Prep service, designed for families without the time for or access to high-end professional tutoring. Here are the top challenges I think all parents need to think about when considering test prep:

1. Raising SAT Scores requires students to understand where they are starting from and the benefits of a higher score

Before students can raise their SAT scores they have to make an honest commitment to do the work involved. The distractions of teenage life are irresistible without the student making a commitment.

The best way to motivate students to prep is show them where they would currently score and the benefits of raising that score. While this doesn’t work for everyone, it’s a necessary first step. SAT Habit shows students where they currently stand in less than 30 minutes per section (compared to traditional practice tests, which are over three and a half hours in total).

With a baseline score, families can understand the impact of raising that score and decide to re-focus student time from other activities.

2. It’s too easy for students to do SAT “practice” or attend a class without ever improving their      scores.

sathabitThere’s a school of thought that the best way to improve on the SAT is to simply do lots of problems until you get them all right. This approach works for some, but most have to do thousands of problems before they see dramatic improvement: that’s hours a day that students and families don’t have.

They key to improving faster is mindful reflection. Students have to be able to explain to themselves why got they a question wrong. This is basically the entirety of what I do with students as a professional tutor. I find their weak areas and push them to reflect on why they are getting questions wrong. Then we work together on knowledge gaps and improvement strategies.

SAT Habit pin-points weak areas faster than I can as a human and is the only prep service that forces students to reflect on why they get questions wrong and follows it up with strategies to get each question correct.

3. It’s impossible to stick with it if you can’t see results

While making the initial commitment to test prep is tough for most students, sticking with it can be even harder. Traditional test prep either forces students to take multi-hour, full-length practice tests or relies on a tutor’s assurances that students are getting better.

Technology allows students instant feedback on nearly every aspect of a their lives. That’s why we built SAT Habit’s algorithms to show students in real time how their scores are changing based on their practice results. A study conducted at MIT found that the average student raises his or her score by 100 points on SAT Habit in just seven study sessions.

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This guest post is from Tom Rose, Co-founder of SAT Habit 
and a professional test prep tutor since 2007.
test prep

Frequently asked questions about the SAT–answered

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Veritas Prep’s Shaan Patel Answers Five of the Most Commonly Asked Questions About How to Smartly Prepare For the SAT

q-and-aDo you have questions about the SAT? You’re not alone. For many students and families, the SAT is daunting. To help answer many of the most common questions about the SAT test, Shaan Patel, a perfect SAT score recipient and Director of SAT Programs at Veritas Prep, identified the five questions he’s most frequently asked and offers responses below:

Q. Why do smart students struggle with the SAT?
The SAT is very different than the tests students take in their high school classes, but many think that if they are a solid A student, they don’t need to prepare for the SAT. That overconfidence is the number one reason students who normally do well academically post disappointing scores the first time they take the exam. The SAT rewards the prepared and it is absolutely an exam students can master with effective SAT prep. Students that spend time learning and practicing key strategies, reviewing grammar rules and vocabulary and taking practice tests will be much better positioned for success on test day.

Q. For students applying to competitive colleges and universities, is your GPA or SAT score more important?
When admissions officers look at GPA and SAT scores, only one is a standardized measure: the SAT. Grade point average has a high level of variability from school to school, which means it isn’t a consistent or standard measure with which to compare or evaluate applicants. So when it comes to college admissions, the four hours you spend taking the SAT is more important than the 4,000 hours you spend working on your GPA. Given that, whether you take an SAT course or prep on your own, you need to put considerable effort into preparing for the exam.

Q. When is the best time to take the SAT?
While many consider spring of junior year the best time to take the SAT, Veritas Prep actually recommends that students first take the exam during the winter of their junior year. The reason is simple – timing. Students that wait until spring of their junior year are preparing for the SAT, finals and often AP exams as well. Add in sports, extracurricular activities and a job, and that is a lot to handle. The best plan is to take the SAT in the winter when you have more time to dedicate to SAT preparation. A common argument is that you should wait to take the SAT until after you’ve completed algebra II, but the truth is, if you prep properly you’ll have command of the strategies you need to correctly solve SAT math questions, not to mention the rest of the exam.

Q. What’s the biggest misconception about the SAT?
The SAT is an unknown to a lot of people, so there are actually lots of misconceptions. The biggest misconception is that high school or AP classes are preparation enough for the SAT. Unfortunately, that just isn’t true. While AP classes can help on the SAT Subject tests, overall, the average high school curriculum is not designed with standardized college entrance exams in mind. The SAT tests different skills than what you learn in high school, and some properties of the exam even contradict what your teachers may have taught you. For example, English teachers emphasize quality over quantity when it comes to writing essays; however, on the SAT, the more you write on the essay, the higher you score. To get ready for the SAT, you’ll have to spend time preparing specifically for the exam in addition to your regular high school coursework.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you can give to students preparing for the SAT?
Practice, and practice only with official College Board SAT practice tests. The best way to prepare for the exam is to use questions produced by the folks who created it. The College Board releases a question of the day that you can sign up to receive by email, as well as makes several tests available at little or no cost. A College Board SAT practice test is also among the free SAT resources Veritas Prep offers on its website.

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Patel improved his SAT score from 1760 to a perfect 2400, earned more than $237,000 in scholarships and co-authored the Veritas Prep SAT 2400 program, which is available as a classroom course, live online, on demand in high definition or in private SAT tutoring sessions. Additionally, McGraw-Hill recently published his book, “SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps.”

For more information, visit www.veritasprep.com/sat.

About Veritas Prep 

Veritas Prep is the world’s largest privately-owned provider of test prep and admissions consulting services. It offers industry-leading programs to help applicants improve standardized test scores and gain admission to the world’s most selective universities. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep offers its live classroom GMAT prep course in more than 90 cities worldwide and as an interactive online course available to students everywhere. Its Veritas Prep SAT 2400 course is available as a classroom course, live online, on demand or in private tutoring sessions and features the only zero risk, money back guarantee in the industry. In addition, Veritas Prep offers admissions consulting services for applicants seeking entry into competitive business schools, law schools, medical schools and other graduate programs. For more information, visit veritasprep.com.  

Guest Posts, test prep

SAT Prep Crunch Time: Veritas Prep Outlines 5 Things Students Can Do Now to Boost Their SAT Score

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Veritas Prep (www.veritasprep.com) recently released a list of five things students can do now to boost their chances at a higher score. The SAT is offered seven times annually in the United States – six times internationally. The tips outlined benefit students who may not feel adequately prepared and are doing what they can in the final weeks before the exam to improve their performance, as well as provide an extra edge to those who have spent the summer studying or taking an SAT course.

To help students get ready for test day, Veritas Prep recommends the following:

1) Be Prepared to Write a Longer SAT Essay
An MIT study found that longer SAT essays receive higher scores, so unlike what your high school English teacher may have told you, on the SAT quantity is just as important as quality. SAT essay readers have hundreds of essays to read and can only spend a few moments reviewing each one, so because the logic is that smarter students have more to say, essay readers discriminate against short essays. To improve your score on the SAT essay, make sure you practice filling up two full notebook pages in 25 minutes before test day.

2) Research Two Literary Works, Two Historical Examples and Two Current Events in Advance
Although writing full two pages for the SAT essay will take you far, if you want to maximize your essay score potential, you’ll need to fill those pages with scholarly examples. If you don’t think you can come up with solid academic examples in 25 minutes on test day, don’t worry. You can actually plan out what examples you will use in your essay right now. This works because SAT essay topics are extremely broad. They won’t ask you about specific material such as the Declaration of Independence or the Watergate scandal; instead, SAT test writers must offer topics that are very general so that every student is able to write about the topic. Use this to your advantage by researching examples that are applicable to multiple themes in advance.

3) Stop Using Algebra
Have you ever been given a multiple-choice exam in a high school algebra class? Chances are, probably not. That’s because you could just plug in the potential solutions into the original algebra equation and see which one works. Well, guess what? That’s exactly how the SAT is setup. This enables you to practice a powerful strategy we use at Veritas Prep called Plug In Numbers. If there are variables in the question and numbers in the answer choices, plug the potential options into the original equation and see which one works. For students that might struggle with time management during the Mathematics section, this can ensure you complete the questions in time.

4) Don’t Make Assumptions on SAT Reading
The biggest mistake students make on the SAT Reading section is that they make assumptions rather than inferences. What’s the difference between an assumption and inference? An assumption is a conjecture that is not based on textual evidence, whereas an inference is a conjecture that is based on textual evidence. Every correct answer on the SAT Reading section is based on textual evidence from the passage. So get in the habit of not making any assumptions, both when you read and even in real life.

5) Learn the 15 Writing Rules Tested on the SAT
Did you know that there are only 15 grammar rules you need to know to successfully answer every Improving Sentences and Identifying Sentence Errors question on the SAT correctly? Most students miss this huge opportunity to cut down on their study time. They go into the SAT thinking that any one of a hundred different grammar errors could pop up at them during the Writing Multiple-Choice section and doom their SAT score. Don’t let this be you! Make sure to check out Veritas Prep to learn the 15 SAT Writing Rules you must know.

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About Veritas Prep
Veritas Prep is the world’s largest provider of test prep and admissions consulting services. It offers industry-leading programs to help applicants improve standardized test scores and gain admission to the world’s most selective universities. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep offers its live classroom GMAT prep course in more than 90 cities worldwide and as an interactive online course available to students everywhere. Its Veritas Prep SAT 2400 course is available as a classroom course, live online, on demand or in private SAT tutoring sessions and features the only zero risk, money back guarantee in the industry. In addition, Veritas Prep offers admissions consulting services for applicants seeking entry into competitive business schools, law schools, medical schools and other graduate programs. For more information, visit veritasprep.com.

In addition to its online SAT prep course, Veritas Prep also makes several free resources available to students, including a free SAT practice test and a free, live one-hour online SAT prep seminar. To learn more about Veritas Prep’s SAT offerings, visit www.veritasprep.com/sat.

Guest Posts, test prep

Deciding whether to take the SAT or ACT

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Getting ready to apply for college can be nerve-racking at best, terrifying at worst. Perhaps one of the most daunting obstacles between you and your dream school is the dreaded standardized test. There are two standardized tests that are accepted by almost every university: the SAT and the ACT. Choosing which of these two tests is right for your skills and study habits can increase your likelihood of scoring high enough for the top universities as well as make the standardized testing process much less stressful.

The first step in deciding which standardized test to take is checking the requirements for every school you are interested in. Although most schools will accept either test, a few schools will only accept one or the other, so this is something you need to check on before making a decision. Some top universities will require up to three SAT Subject Tests (SAT II) if you choose the SAT route. For the ACT, the test is offered in two versions: with writing and without. The only difference is an extra section requiring you to write an essay. Many top schools will require that you take the test with writing, which is something to check before signing up for your test.

The SAT and the ACT have a few organizational differences. The SAT tests math, reading, and English. This test consists of ten sections that are a mix of these three categories in a random order. The SAT always has one section that does not count towards your score. The ACT tests math, reading, English, and science. It consists of four sections that are always presented in the same order: 1.) English, 2.) Math, 3.) Reading, 4.) Science. The science section is essentially a reading comprehension section that requires basic knowledge of scientific vocabulary, experiment procedure, and understanding graphs and charts.

The SAT is an aptitude test, meaning that it is testing ability, rather than learned information. The ACT is more of an achievement test, meaning that it is testing information that must have been learned. An example of this difference is the math section of the two respective tests. The math sections on the SAT contain a formula sheet with every formula you could possibly need. The ACT has no formula sheet, so formulas need to be studied and memorized. This difference is reflected in the types of questions asked. The SAT math is much more likely to ask math questions that test logic, questions where you will be required to “figure out” what the question is asking. The ACT math is more likely to ask questions you would find on a math test at school, questions that become easy if you took the time to learn your trigonometry formulas.

Due to the differences between the two tests, it is beneficial to pick the test that will be the best fit for you. The ACT is a better pick for someone that has had a strong academic career in high school. If you have completed Algebra II and Trig, you are at least familiar with all of the math concepts on the ACT. If you have already taken Pre-Calculus or Calculus, than you are already adept at anything you will encounter on the ACT math. Similarly, if you have done well in science classes in high school, than you are already practiced in everything you will need to know for the ACT science section. If you have not taken a strong math and science course load, than the SAT will probably be a better option for you. To do well on the ACT, you need to have memorized math and science concepts and formulas, which is fairly easy if you have a strong background in math and science. If this is not the case, than the SAT is probably better for you, because you would waste time memorizing formulas for the ACT that could be better spent working on practice problems.

Whichever test you decide to take, there is no better way to prepare than taking practice tests. Take as many practice tests as you possibly can. This not only familiarizes you with the types of questions you will see on the test, but also prepares you for working under time limits. On both tests, the time constraints are difficult. Taking practice tests helps you to get faster at doing problems, so that you can finish more of the problems when you take the actual test. It may be wise to take practice tests of both the SAT and the ACT to see which one you do better on. Taking a real version of both of the tests is also not a bad idea. If you think you can do well on both, it looks good to take both tests.

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Today’s guest post  is by Michelle Synhorst, an SAT Tutor with Parliament Tutors in Houston, TX.

parenting, test prep

Texting to Teach–Seriously?

If you asked most educators and parents to suggest possible new ways to help teenagers significantly improve SAT, ACT and AP test scores as well as overall GPA’s, “texting” is probably not one of the first (or second or third) things that would come to mind.

After watching my teenage daughter on a car trip texting faster than I could think, it dawned on me that I needed to find a way to make text messaging (SMS) productive and not just social. And as most parents can relate, it would also be nice for text messaging to be anything other than a dinnertime distraction!

Consequently, the concept of eTextPrep came to life when I realized that the cell phone was the prefect way to help teens be more successful in school. I also knew that by utilizing the method of communication that teens know and love, text messaging, we could capture any student’s attention long enough to explore some great new learning opportunities.

Recent statistics show that the average teenager spends 88% of their time on their cell phone texting, not talking, and that number is on the rise. So to have an educational tool that fits into the teen “LOL, OMG, JK” lingo of brevity above all else is a great step! Studies indicate that the majority of teens not only have a cell phone but as most parents know, it is never far from their side!

The educational benefit behind eTextPrep is really very simple. Critical vocabulary words and terms applicable to the SAT, ACT and AP tests are sent directly to the student’s cell phone two specific times each day. With studies showing 98% of text messages are opened and read within four minutes of receipt, I knew the educational texts could not be ignored.

Remaining cognizant of the busy schedule of most teens, eTextPrep is designed so that the student simply has to open the text message, read the word, the part or speech or origin and finally, the definition. There is nothing for them to initiate or remember to do, just open the message and learn! eTextPrep is a great example of the growing acceptance in the education community that with today’s technology, learning can in fact be “anywhere and anytime.”

As the mother of four teenagers, I knew that in addition to really engaging students in learning, in today’s challenging economy, eTextPrep needed to stay affordable. eTextPrep is both – a very effective learning tool for the student and at only $7.99 per month is affordable to the subscriber.

At eTextPrep we are raising test scores and GPAs – one text at a time – every day.

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Today’s guest post was contributed by Lynne Anderson, President and CEO of ETextPrep. The educational content for eTextPrep has been designed by highly experienced and nationally recognized educators. Veteran teachers who instruct, test, tutor and grade the courses have authored material that is challenging, highly specific and adheres to rigorous course standards and requirements. eTextPrep AP Learning Programs include words and concepts students will see again on AP test day!

eTextPrep utilizes the mobile medium students know and love – their cell phone – and puts the power of learning in the palm of their hand.To learn more about the concept of Texting to Teach visit our website at www.etextprep.com, email info@etextprep.com or call 888-553-8398 to learn more.


test prep

Evaluating Test Preparation Options

Today I’m sharing a post from Akil Bello, owner and founder of Bell Curves, LLC, an educational services company in New York. Akil does a great job of explaining the test prep options you have for your college-bound teen. He has graciously allowed me to post his original article from his blog.

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When people say “test prep,” what they mean varies greatly, and it’s usually limited to what they did themselves or what they’ve heard of. As part of this blog, we hope to provide a bit more insight into some of the options for test preparation. Our team has blogged quite a bit about free prep resources (check out our two most popular post on test prep here and here), so it’s high time we devote a little space to the commercial products.

First, let’s establish why you should consider using commercial preparation programs: expertise. While you can prepare on your own, if you work with a good test prep company you avail yourself of their expertise and thus usually save yourself a lot of time or money, or both. It’s just like hiring a professional for anything; you can probably do it yourself, but maybe not as quickly and probably not as well. That established, let’s get to the matter at hand.

There are three typical ways to prepare for the SAT (and this applies to most other test as well, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, SSAT, ISEE, ACT, MCAT, etc): tutors, courses, or self-study. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses, and you should carefully assess which method works best for you. Here are a few key factors to consider when choosing a person or company to work with.

Courses

This is by far the most common approach to test preparation. Courses offer the best balance between time and money, since they are typically more efficient than studying on your own (since you have the help of an instructor to answer questions), and they are cheaper than a tutor (but provide professional instruction). Preparation courses come in many different sizes and shapes, and you should be sure to compare all characteristics before making a decision. The courses I’m discussing here are commercial courses offered by companies that specialize in test preparation (not a course offered at a college or by a HS teacher). The factors that generally impact learning most are:

  • Instructional hours
    Instructional hours refers to the actual time spent getting instruction, and does not include time spent taking diagnostic or practice tests. Some courses have as few as 12 hours and some have as many as 40, but the market average tends to be around 20 hours. Generally speaking, more is better.
  • Teaching method and focus
    Each company has its own teaching methodology and focus, with some companies focusing on teaching strategies or “tricks,” and others focusing on teaching content. Understanding the teaching method that will work best for you will enable you to choose the best company for you to work with. In general, students scoring at the extreme ends of the scoring scale will benefit more from content-based instruction.
  • Class Size
    As in most educational settings, smaller class size typically allows for greater personal attention, and for test preparation, which requires many non-intuitive strategies, greater personal attention will allow for more effective learning environments. Typical classes will range from 15 – 25 students.
  • Diagnostic Testing
    Research and experience have shown that the greatest improvements are achieved by students who not only learn the content of the test and practice testing strategies but who also take several timed full-length practice tests under simulated testing conditions (not at home while eating dinner) in order to become comfortable with the test setting and procedures.

Tutors

Because tutors offer the opportunity for individualized instruction and focused review, tutoring tends to achieve the greatest improvement for students. Tutoring also offers the greatest flexibility of scheduling and location. A good tutor will be flexible, accessible, personable, proactive, and responsive.  Many people claim to be SAT tutors yet have little experience working with the SAT other than the fact that they took it years ago to gain admission to college. Keep in mind that a person’s score only tells you how well they performed, not how well they will teach others (check out this post for more info)! It is important to know as much as you can about the history, training, and qualifications of any tutor you work with. A few key factors when choosing a tutor are:

  • Experience
    If you choose to hire a tutor it’s important that you hire someone with the experience to assess problem areas and recommend effective strategies for overcoming those problem areas. A tutor with limited experience or training will be less likely to understand the nuances of the test and student performance.
  • Curriculum
    A good tutor also will provide a comprehensive curriculum and lesson plan. Tutoring should consist of more than simple Q&A, and should be structured, planned, and focused.
  • Diagnostic testing
    A good tutor will provide opportunities for diagnostic testing and evaluation of those results to help guide and revise preparation, and improve your performance and skill set. There is really no substitute for taking simulated full-length practice tests.

Books, Video, and Online Study Aids

Online and offline study aids come in as much variety as do tutors and classes. Included instructional content ranges from books or online written instruction to video or interactive lessons. When evaluating what preparation works best for you, consider the format of the instructional content, the amount of included paper-based practice, and amount of included live supporte. Other major factors to evaluate are:

  • Style of presentation
    When choosing self-study material be sure to compare various styles of writing and presentation. Does having a cartoon character teach you math annoy or amuse you? Will watching a moving pencil while listening to a voice over engage or upset you?
  • Depth of instruction
    Since self-study material rarely includes the opportunity to ask questions, the instructional content must be complete and clear. Check out samples of 2 or 3 topics before buying to see whether you can follow the way it’s written and understand how to apply the strategies and information provided.
  • Practice versus Preparation
    Look for a fairly even balance between preparation material (instructional content) and practice content. To properly prepare for the test you must have some of each, since neither alone will usually get you the great score improvement you want or need.

We hope this helps you make the best decision possible when choosing your preparation. If you have questions or comments please post them below, we’d love to hear from you! And of course, we think we offer the best preparation available for most people and encourage you to come to one of our free SAT, GMAT, or LSAT information sessions to learn more or to sign up for one of our courses!

college guidance, test prep

College Helper #3-Akil Bello

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In his own words…Akil is “father, husband, GMAT-SAT-ACT-LSAT guru, aspiring abecedary, neophyte preceptor, inchoate pedagogue”. For those of you who are not linguists–that is a bunch of synonyms for “teacher”! Akil, along with his father and brother, started Bell Curves–a completely minority owned test prep company.

What sets Akil apart from the others (other than the fact that he looks snappy in that elf suit?)–is his absolute commitment to help your college-bound teen be prepared for those standardized tests. Not only does he believe that the test is more than a test–it’s a teaching and learning tool. But Akil is snappy with the wit, the words and with the expert advice on test prep.

Akil has a word for the wise to parents: “Use a test prep organization for the same reason you hire a plumber and with the same caution.”

Follow Akil on Twitter if you want to ROFL (and learn a few things in the process) and follow his company Bell Curves for the latest in test prep advice and counseling. The information you gather will be invaluable to you and to your college-bound teen!

Thanks Akil for always making me laugh, adding words to my vocabulary, AND helping kids prepare for standardized tests!

test prep

SAT "Eureka" Moments!

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When you’re a parent of a college-bound teen you have a ton of questions. Every day brings a new list of “how do I…, where do we find…, how do we do….; you get the picture! And if it’s questions you have and answers you need, one of the best places to go is #CampusChat on Twitter. Each week, @collegevisit hosts some experts in the field of college admissions and this past week was no exception.

This week’s guest was the ever flamboyant, always pithy, and never disappointing @akilbello of BellCurves.com. Since Akil was a captive expert about everything you wanted to know about standardized tests but were afraid to ask, I took the opportunity to listen (or read since it was a TweetChat) and soak up all his knowledge. And of course, the ever sharing, always helpful Parent College Coach that I am—I wanted to share the information with my readers.

Akil began by saying:

Test prep involves 2 things: learning to use the nuances of the test to your advantage and ensuring you have the information tested. If the student has one but not the other they will probably “not test well” but too many people see the test format as the problem.

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Eureka! I can’t tell you how many parents say their teens just don’t test well (I was guilty of that one myself!)

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When queried about the need for standardized tests, Akil replied:

Standardized tests are the buzz saw used in open heart surgery.

The SAT is fair in the way that a free throw contest is fair. It’s still a bad way to choose a basketball team.

Whether its requirement to wear a pink tutu or the SAT, colleges will always have some deterrent—they must!

Imagine trying to review 10,000 high school transcripts to find 1,000 students and not knowing if the school is inflating grades.

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Revelation! Although none of us “like” those stress producers, they do serve their purpose in allowing the admissions officials to level the playing field and narrow down the applicants.

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Then, I asked a question of my own–

What should parents/students look for when choosing a test prep company?

Look for type of focus: test-taking tricks (guessing strategies, pacing) or content (teaching vocabulary, math rules) duration of the program (courses range from 18 – 40 hours), quality of material, and type of people hired (smart or good teachers).

Don’t let “our teachers score perfect” sway you. Go see the teachers in action. Some smart people are horrible teachers

Avoid really large classes, really short classes, and classes taught by people with no testing experience.

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Finally! A straight, concise answer to a question that so many parents have asked me.

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Then, if that wasn’t enough, he tacked on an article to boot:

Here is a good post on teaching

http://gmat.bellcurves.com/blog/2010/03/13/einstein-cant-teach-me-physics/

The bottom line–

Akil said, “Use a test prep organization for the same reason you hire a plumber and with the same caution.”

Akil delivered! Check out his website (http://sat.bellcurves.com/) and show him some love on Twitter (@akilbello). It’s always great to find an expert in this field that openly provides advice and help.

Eureka!