SAT Tutor

2012-02-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

A special thanks to Jason Ferguson, Director of Admissions at Hampden-Sydney College, for participating in the Admissions Spotlight Series. Joseph Fernandez from Parliament Tutors conducted this interview.

As the Dean of Admissions, what are your day-to-day responsibilities?

Really? My day is never the same…which is a good thing. With that said, every day I work to recruit the best and brightest young men to our campus.

What do you consider the most significant parts of an application, the parts which applicants should prepare the most carefully?

While each part is important, applicants need to take care when filling out the application. Make sure that their application is complete and the information is correct. Make sure the essay is well-written and the teacher’s reference is from someone teaching them an academic subject.

Is there anything you frequently see on an application that you hope to never see again?

The name of another college in the essay…It has always been my dream to attend [insert the name of another school].

What common pitfalls should applicants be careful to avoid?

Trying to overload the extra-curricular activities page. Only list those activities that are important to the applicant and those activities that they have a passion for.

Are there any myths about the application process which you would like to dispel?

That the application process is a difficult one. Granted, I work for a small institution. However, the more time to spend getting to know what each college needs and wants, the easier the process will be for you. Also, most admissions officers are willing to offer assistance…all you have to do is ask.

What advice would you give to an applicant with below-average test scores but significant extra-curricular experience?

For Hampden-Sydney, get to campus for an interview. While significant extra-curricular experience will never replace academic performance, it is always good for us to have a face to go with the name. Furthermore, the interview will give us better insight into the type of candidate you really are.

Do you frequently have to turn away applicants whom you wish you could admit? If so, what could those applicants do to be admitted?

Of course we do. Those applicants just weren’t ready for the academic rigors of curriculum. At least, they had not shown that they are ready at the time for their application. While they can’t go back in time and change their high school performance, we do suggest that they go elsewhere and improve their academic record and show that they are indeed ready for the challenge.

How much faith do you have in the ability of the SAT to predict success at in college?

The SAT is a factor that we consider in conjunction with a number of other credentials. We take a holistic look at the application and make decisions that are in the best interests of the College and the applicant.

What do you look for in a recommendation letter?

Hopefully, the teacher will give us an honest assessment of the student….his work ethic, contributions to the class, and a better insight into the type of learner he is.

Joseph Fernandez is an SAT Tutor with Parliament Tutors. He is a New York Tutor.

Math Vocabulary #1

2008-09-29T12:46:00.000-04:00

#2 KNOW the Instructions

2008-09-22T11:57:00.003-04:00

Secret #2:

KNOW the SAT test instructions. Be MORE than fully prepared, thoroughly familar with each section and it's instructions, types of questions and their style.

Do not waste a single precision second looking back to the beginning of a section or listening to anything that the proctor has to say. This is a serious competition, so be competitive.

This is especially true on the math section where certain formulas are given, circles, triangles, etc. I have seen too many students look back to that section trying to remember the area vs. circumference of a circle.

For an exercise, practice writing down all of those from memory over and over again.

Can you outline the entire SAT exam, number of sections, time, number and types of questions? Do it

101 Secrets of the SAT #1

2008-09-21T16:07:00.002-04:00

Ok, I've been wanting to do this for a while, write and publish a book (booklet) unleashing my accumulated knowledge on SAT to help folks out

#1. The Writing Section is still useless for admissions.

In 2005, the SAT was revamped to some things were dropped, others added. Of the biggest changes was the addition of the Writing section. It is two multiple choice sections and an essay. Colleges and universities have not been using it for admissions. Though some are looking at it for placement tests.

Much has been written on the changes, so I need not comment much. Every student should strive to do well on all tests. Since this test does not count for much, if anything at all, your efforts are best spent on improving your Math and Critical Reading scores.

I'll write more on the Essay section later.

Let your pencil do the walking

2008-08-27T11:54:00.002-04:00

The #1 mistake that I see students make on SAT math problems is that the do not read the problem thoroughly. To do so, you must slow down and read the question word by word, underlying key words.

The #2 mistake that I witness is that students try to do the math of the SAT in their heads. This causes two problems.

First, doing math in your head is prone to making simple math errors. Second, it may actually take you LONGER to do the problem in your head, than if you wrote it down. Let's take a brief look at both:

1. Errors - Too many times have I been guilty of this myself. Speeding through simple arithmetic and making common errors, 2 + 3 = 6. Or the blunder I pulled on the June 07 SAT, a right triangle has base legs of 2 & 3, what is the hypotenuse (there was a figure). I of course added 2 + 3 and got 5, so the answer was the square root of 5! Which was of course one of the choices. But it was not the answer, the square root of 13 is the answer. Had I written down a~squared + b~squared = c~squared and actually entered the numbers and multiplied, then added: (2 x 2) + (3 x 3), I would not have scored 1 question less than a 700!

So, slow down. Write down. Wear your pencil out, it is how you have always learned to do math.

2. It may actually take longer. This may not sound right, but it can be true. While taking the SAT you have anxiety & are nervous. There is a lot going on in your head. If you use your trusty arm and pencil to help you organize your math processes, it might result in a faster, more accurate result.

SAT Oct 4th ~ 39 days and counting

2008-08-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

Another lesson!

Forty Days to Oct 4th

2008-08-25T06:48:00.002-04:00

Only 40 days left to work on what you do not know.

Slope of a line is absolutely on the SAT Math section. You may read, linear function, the graph of a line, f(x) is directly proportional to x and several other key words and phrases that immediately inform you that the question is about a line.

Here is a review of some general slope ideas.

SAT Functions f(x) #2

2008-08-23T15:19:00.004-04:00

Here is the second in my series on functions on the SAT.

To practice how the SAT Tests functions, use the Official SAT Study Guide & download my Functions "Cheat Sheet." It lists all of the function problems in the study guide.

I'll write more function problems and then solve them on a YouTube video

Back with functions, f(x)

2008-08-21T09:08:00.001-04:00

Here is the first of many SAT Math lessons to come.

Functions on the SAT Math, f(x)

Worthless SAT Essay

2008-05-23T16:30:00.001-04:00

Here is a funny piece about how bad the SAT Essay really is.

The Unabomer got the highest score:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/05/write_like_the_unibomber.asp

Prep Big Business

2008-04-05T12:20:00.001-04:00

From The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Long after the end of the regular school day, light from a classroom streamed into a dimmed hallway at Magnificat High School in Rocky River. Ten juniors, from Magnificat and several other schools, sat with workbooks and calculators while Charles Fuller, a teacher at Benedictine High School, made sure no one had unresolved questions or problems.

When he turned off the light to focus on a PowerPoint presentation, the students leaned forward attentively -- looking into their future, in one sense, as they searched for an edge in the competition for college.

For high school seniors, late winter and spring is the time of waiting for word about college admission and financial aid. For juniors, the process is just starting.

Some have already taken the standardized SAT and ACT admissions tests, but others are getting ready for test dates in April, May and June. Classes like Fuller's, part of a six-week course run by The College Review, a Beachwood counseling and test prep company, are becoming popular with families seeking a boost.

Popular perception once had it that a good night's sleep was the best way, or only way, to prepare for college entrance tests. Now that would be like skipping spring training to get a good rest before baseball season.

"It's critically important that students prepare for standardized tests," said Randall Deike, vice president for enrollment management at Case Western Reserve University. "Taking practice tests and understanding what to expect in the test environment can be incredibly helpful."

"It is inappropriate for a student to go in unprepared," said College Review manager Susan Henschel. "They do have to do outside work to learn specific strategies. Test scores are what open the door to college. Ohio is getting more into it because the requirements of state schools are going up. People are realizing they need formal preparation."

From scattered tutors and a few books, test-prep has grown to a mass industry. Including everything from iPod math exercises to vocabulary-building graphic novels, it ranges from online courses, both paid and free, to a variety of classes and individual tutoring that can cost upwards of $4,000.

Nationally, Kaplan Inc. and Princeton Review are the biggest test-prep companies. The past decade has seen particular growth, said Kristen Campbell, director of SAT and ACT programs at Kaplan.

"It's not about if you go to college, it's about where you go to college that has further fueled the competition," she said.

"Today's families know this. They want to create the best application possible.

"Hope is not a strategy. It definitely was a common perception that you couldn't prepare for these tests, but we always recommend getting as much practice as possible -- knowing the first thing you're going to face is the essay, when to guess or not, getting used to the types of questions."

"These are all good students," Fuller said during a break in his College Review class at Magnificat, "and everyone wants to shoot for that perfect score. The goal is to improve every section you do."

Goals must be individual, Henschel said. "It's customized to the student. We ask what score they want, do diagnostic work to determine if they can reach it, and help them reach it. The scores come back to show it."

College Review, which works with both individuals and school districts, uses state-certified teachers with good track records in preparation. It has grown to serve students statewide and beyond since starting 12 years ago. The work is no longer seasonal. "It's continuous," Henschel said. "Students are taking the exams from January to June of 11th grade. And because of admissions requirements going up, especially in Ohio, many students consider 'rolling admission' as the most favorable option. Summer is one of our busiest times."

Research by the College Board, which administers the SAT, found that students can increase their scores about 40 points by taking the exam a second time after taking a short course.

Formal courses or pricey personal tutoring are not the only options. The College Board and ACT offer free online quizzes and questions in addition to paid prep.

Mary Nixon of Cleveland Scholarship Programs, www.cspohio.org, a nonprofit resource and counseling center that works with individuals and about 100 schools in the area, prefers LearningExpressLibrary.com. An online service with the Ohio Public Library Information Network, it has a wide variety of practice tests, including the SAT and ACT, and can be tailored to focus on specific subjects.

"It's portable and interactive," she said.

But all the anxiety, and the focus on testing, "worries a lot of admissions professionals," said Brian Williams, vice president for enrollment at John Carroll University.

"What I tend to see is students and families trying to be as competitive as possible," he said. "But there's a number of different ways colleges view test scores in the admission process. The choice of focusing on tests varies. For the majority of colleges, a swing in test scores will not make or break admittance or scholarship. So many other factors tell a larger story."

In fact, more than 750 of the nation's 4,000 colleges, including more than two dozen in Ohio, have made the ACT and SAT optional. Randall Deike at Case is an advocate of standardized tests in admissions but stressed they are only one factor. Preparing for the tests, especially with practice exams, is vital, he said, but students should first take advantage of what's available online. "The College Board and ACT sites do an excellent job."

Purchasing services "depends on the student" and should be a family decision. There is debate about whether tutoring makes a significant difference, Deike said, though the coaching, motivation and structure of classes help some students.

For families seeking any edge, however, or the reassurance of feeling they did what they could to gain one, an improved test score or one that hits a goal is the dividend of prep classes.

"There was screaming in the background," Henschel said last week, after a round of phone calls from parents when the latest SAT scores went out. "It was pretty exciting. They were pleased."

Fierce

2008-04-04T21:31:00.000-04:00

How will you perform?

2008-04-03T22:47:00.003-04:00

A new study says that you will do pretty much the same where ever you go [I guess that means, I would have skipped as much class at CMU as I did at Penn State]

http://media.www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2008/04/01/Metro/Study.Plays.Down.fit-3294186.shtml

that damn essay

2008-04-01T07:30:00.001-04:00

I don't write much about the essay, though I have given several lessons on it [they are soon to make it to a youtube.com near you]

This article regarding the length of the essay may be a few years old, but in terms of standardized testing, it is fresh.

More turn to test prep for the SAT

2008-03-24T14:20:00.002-04:00

More students turn to test prep for the SAT.

Practice makes perfect. Or at least a better score. Test prep works - but the student must be PROactive in the preparation and not REactive like in a high school course.

Most students walk into high school classes unprepared. The teacher expects this and spoon feeds them everything that they need for an exam. The teacher writes the exam, or at a minimum know what the questions are going to be and can 'teach to the test.'

Not so with the SAT. All that we know are the general subjects for math & common questions for reading. There is no teacher that can give you a BIG HINT that, "This is very important, you may see this again." Basically telling you what is on the test.

On the SAT, a student can learn a lot about the test, but cannot work the same way that they do for a high school class.

In my opinion, those students who take a prep course and only go up a little bit face the course as if it was any other high school class. They expect the teacher to spoon feed them.

Learning methods that work, requires practice outside of the prep class and the DESIRE to score. More to follow...

The Waiting Game

2008-03-22T13:59:00.001-04:00

SAT's are taken, Transcripts are sent.

Now the WAIT. Here is a good article on anticipation for college acceptance.

Another blow to SAT Subject Tests

2008-03-19T07:41:00.002-04:00

If the proposal reported in this article goes through, the College Board will take a major hit against "Subject Tests." I believe that subject tests were originally produced for the UC system, and remains their largest customer.

Well, good riddance! I am in the business of putting myself out of business. Though I've always been the kind of student who benefits from standardized tests, I do not believe that they have any real value. I'd love to see them go by the wayside, especially SAT Subject Tests. They have no real value.

Neither does the regular SAT, but I do not see that going away anytime soon.

Campus visits

2008-03-19T07:21:00.002-04:00

Here is a nice article about dragging your teen to a campus for a visit.

I never went through it personally. I went on my own campus visits (with my dad's car & a few friends piled in ~ thanks dad, that was an awful lot of trust). Most articles that I have read report that for the average student, visiting the campus is very important. Many students get a "feel" for their college and decide that it is right for them walking around.

I like that. I did that too.

I remember my first time on Penn State's main campus. I had already been accepted, it was fall, the weather was perfect, I could afford to go without any help from my parents and there was somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 thousand women under the age of 25. To my seventeen year old eyes, that was pretty amazing. Oh, and there was a football game on Saturday; that seemed fun too.

BAMN protests the SAT

2008-03-18T17:08:00.002-04:00

Members of "By Any Means Necessary" [BAMN] protested against the use of the SAT in California today. Pretty interesting article.

Get the QAS for your SAT

2008-03-18T01:24:00.002-04:00

College Board offers the ability to purchase what they can the "Question and Answer Service."

BUY it

Even if you just got your scores back from Jan, spend the $18. You receive a new question booklet - not your actualy one, but one that has the same questions in the same order that you took them on the SAT.

If you plan on taking the test again, working on the actual SAT exam questions is valuable.

Also get the Official SAT Study guide & then go to my website: www.mccaffreytutoring.com and do my "Cheat Sheets" that list exact problems to do like slope, functions, geometry, probability, etc.

Good luck on your test prep

UC dropping SAT Subject Tests?

2008-03-16T17:19:00.003-04:00

I am often asked about SAT Subject Tests; are they necessary, are they useful, etc?

They have been around for awhile and used to be called SAT II. Their biggest customer is the University of California system.

Now it appears that UC may be looking to drop the SAT Subject tests. Will other schools follow.

Here is the article from today's LA Times.

Clayton gets a 2400

2008-03-09T11:53:00.003-04:00

From Union-Tribune of San Diego:

Clayton Greenberg scored a 2400!

Last year, 2.2 million students took the SAT, and 269 seniors earned a top score, including 45 in California, according to the College Board, which administers the test. Figures for how many juniors earned a top score were not available.

Clayton attributes his success on the test to hard work and lots of preparation (Never heard that before on this site!). Linda Greenberg, his mother, said her son “puts his heart and soul into everything he does.”

Do you?

Look, don't psych yourself out by saying only geeks get high scores. That is simply not true, average students can beat ANY test - if they know how to take a test.

Students Still Believe in the SAT

2008-03-09T11:48:00.003-04:00

This article last week in the LA Times highlights how students still believe that the SAT matters - as does test prep.

Test prep works, as long as you work it.

So work it, even if all you do is practice problems in a test prep book.

Quiz: SAT Quiz One

2008-03-06T18:31:00.001-05:00

View this quiz on Quibblo
More quizzes on Quibblo

Feb 27 Official Question of the Day

2008-02-27T11:16:00.003-05:00

I have all of my students sign up for Collegeboard.com's Question of the Day. If you want to have a high score on the SAT, then practice, practice, practice!!!! Did I say practice?

Well what better to practice than to get an actual question from the test writers.

Today's question is [I hope that CollegeBoard does not get mad at me for showing this question - but heck, I tell everyone to read their stuff & buy their book. So, I think that they should be happy with me - I make them money]:

A woman drove to work at an average speed of 40 miles per hour and returned along the same route at 30 miles per hour. If her total traveling time was 1 hour, what was the total number of miles in the round trip?

This is a "HARD" -- so that means that there is some math involved. Questions on the SAT Math are given in relative order of difficulty. Meaning that the first questions are easier than the last questions. So you will see this question in the last 1/4 of the test.

Hard questions also have hard answers. So if the numbers in the problem appear in the answer choice, like A & E, they are usually wrong.

Also if you can find an answer choice with one easy math step, like D. 35 which is the average of 40 and 30, it will most likely be wrong as well.

Think about it: How could this be a hard problem if the math was short and easy?

So here we are having eliminated A, D & E - leaving us with a 50/50. NOW is the time to make a good guess.

B. smells fishy, it looks too close to 30. The answer has to be somewhere around the middle of the two numbers but less than the average (because 30 is slower than 40, it hogs more time).

C. fits the bill. It looks just right, being an "ugly" answer that is around the average.

It is the correct answer.

Less than 40% of 50,000 people answered correctly - yet it is one of the easiest "Hard" questions to guess the correct answer!

On guessing: if you have absolutely NO clue, then do NOT guess. It will hurt you. But if you can eliminate 2 or 3 answer choices, then I say: GO FOR IT!

Grid-In Fractions

2008-02-27T11:00:00.002-05:00

If your answer is a fraction, do not bother to reduce.

2/4 is as good as 1/2 ~ the grading computer calculates the equivalent decimal and compares it to the acceptable answer automatically. [Thank you Princeton Review ~ their "Math Workout for the New SAT" is an excellent resource, one that I refer to often. If you can complete all of the problem types that they have in that book, you can score 600+]

I personally like using fractions [but hey, I'm a math geek]. The SAT makes it easier to use fractions and often there is very little math involved other than some simple multiplication and CANCELING, my favorite math activity. There is just something so enjoyable in striking through a number!

The one thing to consider is that 1/2 is three bubbles to fill in, whereas its decimal equivalent .5 is only two bubbles to fill in. It may sound trivial but less bubbles to fill in means more time solving problems.

The Perfect Score

2008-02-17T12:08:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to KZ, my first student to score an 800 on a section of the SAT.

Scores are out today

2008-02-14T11:49:00.001-05:00

Check online and go get your scores!

Tolerance Problem

2008-01-28T11:36:00.000-05:00

The “Tolerance Problem.”
Monday January 28, 2008’s SAT Question of the day, goes something like this:
The weights of 12 sacks of potatoes range from 14.75 pounds to 15.15 pounds. If P is the weight, in pounds, of one of these sacks, which of the following must be true?
A. P – 14.75≤ 0.2
B. P – 14.95≤ 0.2
C. P + 14.95≤ 0.2
D. P – 0.2≤ 0.2
E. P – 12≤ 0.2

**** SORRY ****** For some reason, Blogger will not recognize the absolute value sign. For a better view of the problem, please download the pdf (link at bottom)

Solution:
Sorry, there is no “solution technique,” that I know of, to solve this medium level SAT algebra problem. Less than half of the SAT students have selected the right answer to this medium level difficulty question. You have to know the specific content of what is being asked in the Tolerance Problem. The answer is an algebraic expression that defines the acceptable tolerances or limits for something that is produced or sold. I happen to like this problem because I studied manufacturing as an undergrad and despite never working in the field I have retained this specific content (that and the reason why McDonald’s chairs used to be bright orange; oh my professors would be so proud).

Here is how the Tolerance Problem works. You are given the range of two units of measurement, in this case weight in pounds, of multiple items, produce like potatoes or apples or something being manufactured like the size of a bottle opening or the width of a nail. Rarely does the number of items have anything to do with the problem; it is just there as a statistical sample size to show you that there is more than a couple of the thing being measured. The combined weight of the 12 sacks is not mentioned, you are working to solve the acceptable tolerance limit for an individual sack, defined by an algebraic expression using absolute value ( P )and a less than or equal to inequality (≤).

When you buy a bag or box of anything at the store that is sold by weight not by volume, you do not get the EXACT amount. Instead, you purchase an amount that is ABOUT the weight listed. If it is produce like potatoes or apples in a bag, the store sets a limit to what the bag can weigh and still be sold. This RANGE of weight is the acceptable lower limit (any less and the consumer does not get enough) to the upper limit (any more and the store is giving away too much).

To find the RANGE, take the UPPER LIMIT (larger measurement, here: 15.15) and SUBTRACT the LOWER LIMIT (smaller measurement, here: 14.75)
· RANGE = UPPER LIMIT – LOWER LIMIT
· RANGE = 15.15 – 14.75 = 0.04 pounds
· The TOLERANCE is expressed as the AVERAGE of the LIMITS plus or minus
one-half of RANGE.
· The AVERAGE of the LIMITS = (UPPER LIMIT + LOWER LIMIT) ÷ 2
AVERAGE = (15.15 + 14.75) ÷ 2 = 14.95 pounds
· Expressed in algebra, using absolute value, an individual potato sack would be:
P – (AVERAGE of the LIMITS)≤ RANGE/2

So our solution today is: B. P – 14.95≤ 0.2
The TOLERANCE is 14.95 ± 0.2 pounds

Download the TOLERANCE PROBLEM pdf file

How about some Vocab?

2007-12-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a nice list of 1000 SAT Vocab Words; have fun stormin' the castle! (do you think it is going to work? It'll take a miracle) b' bye!

'Twas the week before Christmas . . .

2007-12-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

"Twas the week before Christmas Break and all through High Schools, not a SAT prep book was stirred, not even by an over-achieving geek.

Well, it doesn't rhyme very well and it would be painful if I kept it up, even for me. Seriously, this week is usually a time to let down a bit and relax. Most schools are in the holiday spirit and know that minds are elsewhere. So Mr. Grinch may give you a test before Dec 20, but the majority of work will not be tough. So, relax and enjoy the week.

This Christmas break is a nice long one, with Dec 25 on a Tuesday, we get two weekends. It is an excellent time to do some prep work - WITHOUT PRESSURE!

Take the Big Blue Pillow and begin doing some problems. Let me set the stage for you... wake up some time after 10 or 11am, eat cookies or left-overs for breakfast, curl up on the couch and turn on the tv -- then get down to some serious, or not so serious work.

Here is how to tackle working during the break. Do as many problems as you can until you fall asleep - then take a nap. If you can do the problem - skip it. Only work on problems that you can't do! And here painful part, go look up the concept covered by the problem and read it!

Merry Merry

Parabola Blog

2007-11-15T01:31:00.000-05:00

Another Parabola

2007-11-15T01:18:00.001-05:00

Here is another parabola problem that has a square labeled PQRS with an area of 64. The top corners intersect a parabola that sits on the bottom side.

The function of the parabola is y=ax^2

The key to solving this problelm is remember that parabolas are symmetrical. Since the square root of 64 = 8, then all sides have a length of 8. QR = 8, and so the point R is (4,8)

Substitute these two points into the equation and solve

8 = a*(4)^2

8 = a* 16

8/16 = a * 16/16 a = 1/2

Fun with Parabolas

2007-11-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

To get a good handle on SAT parabolas - download my cheat sheet. It covers the basics and has questions from the BBP listed on the bottom.

Fun with Parabolas

Email me any question

2007-11-08T06:53:00.000-05:00

Hi - thanks for reading SAT - Tutor

If you can think of the problem, email it to me.

If you can sketch it & scan it all the better

My email address is phil@mccaffreytutoring.com

I'd love to hear from you

Symmetrical Parabola's: opposit "a"

2007-11-07T02:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the feedback, come back and tell your friends. Sat-tutor is about to have a whole lot more, including practice problems and video explainations.

When two parabolas are defined by quadratic equations that have "opposite" coeffecients, the SAT is giving you a REALLY BIG clue. Looking something like:

f(x) = x^2

f(x) = -x^2 + k (where ^ is the symbol for exponent & k is a constant)

The SAT will give you points where these two intersect. Notice that they are both symmetrical about the Y-axis, making the two points of intersect equal distance from the Y-axis (where x = 0). Let's call those two points: P & Q

They give some clue about these two points, something like: the distance of line segment PQ is 6. What is the value of k?

First step:

The distance between PQ is important. Since the parabola's intersent at a point x, -x, the total distance between them, 2x is equal to 6. 2x = 6. x = 3, -x = -3

Second step:

Substitute x = 3, into the first equation. 3^2 = 9. The points of intersection P & Q are (3, 9) & (-3, 9)

Third step:

Substitute P or Q into the second equation: f(x) = -x^2 + k

9 = -(3)^2 + k

9 = -9 + k

18 = k

The one thing that I highly recommend SAT prep students is to buy "The Official Study Guide" published by The College Board. It has 8 practice tests from REAL SAT's. It is the only one that has REAL practice problems - so it is the best piece of intelligence.

I have my students go through and do every parabola problem in The Guide.

Check back in a few days and I will post all of the parabola problems in The Guide, with notation for "Symmetrical Parabola" problems.

Excuse the really crude drawing but it is now 3:30 in the morning. I had crashed in a chair after coming home from my night school class & was on my way to bed when I saw you had posted, so I cranked out this thought before I forgot it.

Now that I know how easy it is to make a drawing and post it - watch out!

Symmetrical Parabola's

2007-11-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

The SAT loves to give a trick question: finding something out about a parabola by solving another puzzle first. More on this later - I just wanted to write down the idea so that I can come back and do it justice

SAT Dates

2007-10-01T09:29:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for the SAT:

SAT Test Date Registration Late Registration
Nov 3 2007 Oct 2 2007 Oct 11 2007
Dec 1 2007 Oct 30 2007 Nov 8 2007
Jan 26 2008 Dec 26 2007 Jan 4 2008
Mar 1 2008 Jan 29 2008 Feb 7 2008
May 3 2008 Apr 1 2008 Apr 10 2008
Jun 7 2008 May 6 2008 May 15 2008

Root Words

2007-05-02T23:14:00.000-04:00

Here is a list of the some of the most common root words from Latin & Greek. Some will say to not try to learn root words themselves. But to use them as tools in building a better vocabulary.

I do not completely agree. Building a better vocabulary is one of the most important things to which an educated person strives . But I have found root words useful in making very good guesses on the SAT. On October 2006's exam, I did not miss a single sentence completion [19 total], though I did not know all of the words.

I remember well taking the SAT in 1980 after two years of excellent Latin instruction [thank you Sister Celestine]. I know that I did better on the then "Verbal" portion because I knew some Latin. The only preparation I did for the SAT was to review a long list of root words and modern words formed from them.

Our good friends over at another company have put this list together:
Cap/Cip/Ceipt/Cept/Ceiv/Ceit [take]

Gen [birth, race or kind]

Dic/Dict/Dit [tell, say or word]

Spec/Spic/Spit [look, see]

Super/Sur/Sum[above]

Tent/Tens/Tend/Tenu [stretch, thin]

Trans [across]

Doc/Duc/Dac [teach, lead]

Co/Con/Com [with, together]

Vers/Vert [turn]

Loc/Log/Loqu [word, speech]

Sen [feel, sense]

De [away, down, off]

Nom/Noun/Nown/Nam/Nym [name, order or rule]

Cla/Clo/Clu [shut,close]

Vo/Vox/Vok/Vow [call]

Mal [bad]

Fra/Frac/Frag [break]

Gress/Grad [step]

Sec/Sequ [follow]

Que/Quis [ask, seek]

Sacr/Sanct/Secr [sacred]

Scrib/Scrip [write]

Pathy/Pas/Pat [feeling]

Dis/Dif [not]

Circu [around]

Prefixes & Suffices, a taste of what's to come

Pro [much, for or a lot]

Sub [under]

Ab [away, from]

Ob [against]

The absolute BEST SAT Site Online!

2007-04-25T12:06:00.000-04:00

Of course I believe that SAT preparation is an absolute must for any serious student. Here's why (at the end of my rant is the link to the great site)

I remember well walking out of the room in my high school where I took the SAT in 1980 - the sickening feeling still haunts me. What made me so mad was that I had not prepared and could have scored much higher than I did.

We were misled. We were told that it was a true "aptitude" test [of course ETS has stricken any meaning from SAT - it is no longer an acronym, the only letter that is still true is "T" for Test]. We were told it has its roots in IQ testing - rubbish, lies, filth.

It tests nothing but how well you do on it! No other math has the poor wording of this confusing and purposefully tricky examination. No one edits by multiple choice!

I was mad also that the math content was so easy. Yet, in the midst of a hectic junior year studying Trig, AP Chem, AP Bio, AP English, etc., I was stumped by middle school level problems! That is true, the concepts tested on the exam are ones that most students have not seen in years.

So to prepare, READ the content of preparation material and familiarize yourself with the key concepts that you probably once knew well but now will take some time to pull from your long term memory. That way you will not sit on exam day looking like a fool from "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?"

Go to www.proprofs.com/sat/

It is simply fantastic & it is FREE!

I can tell you by experience of taking the exam and reading every practice test out there that the key concepts are covered! Read them - practice the problems and get your mind ready for the sum of a three consecutive odd prime integers greater than 9 is twice the difference of your birthday minus the absolute value of pi during a leap year. In terms of x what is the time that you go insane solving problems that have no basis in real academic instruction.

I'll plan on editing the postings from this blog and heading on over to join ProProfs. I'll see you there

Back Again, are my roots showing?

2007-03-27T12:25:00.000-04:00

After a long hiatus of working with students, boy do I have a lot to post.

Here is a nice find, Latin & Greek roots, prefixes & suffixes. Can't help a po' boy with the vocab!
This will shortly be available at www.mccaffreytutoring.com as a pdf [I only have about a hundred pdf's to post!]

Greek and Latin Root Words*

Root

Meaning

English Words

arch ancient archetype

aster/astra star astronomy

audi hear audible

bene good/well benefit

bio life biology

brev short abbreviation

chloro green chlorophyll

chrono time chronology

derm skin dermatologist

dic/dict speak dictionary

fer carry transfer

fix fasten affix

gen birth generate

geo earth geography

graph write graphic

hemo blood hemoglobin

herb plants herbaceous

hydro water hydrate

jur/just law jury

log/logue word/thought dialogue

luc light lucid

manu hand manual

meter/metr measure thermometer

neg no negate

ocu eye ocular

olig few oligarchy

op/oper work operation

osteo bone osteoporosis

path feeling sympathy

ped child pediatrics

phil love philosophy

phys body/nature physical

pod foot podiatrist

proto first prototype

pseudo false pseudonym

scrib/script write scribble

sect cut dissect

sol alone solitary

struct build construct

tact touch contact

tele far off telephone

ter/terr earth territory

vac empty vacant

ver truth verify

verb word verbal

vid/vis see video

Greek and Latin Prefixes-/-Suffixes*

Prefix/Suffix

Meaning

English Words

ad- to addict

-al relating to maternal

ambi- both ambidextrous

ante- before antecedent

anti- against antifreeze

-arium place of aquarium

auto- self autobiography

centi- hundred centimeter

circum- around circumvent

con- with concert

de- from/down depart

deci- ten decimeter

di- two diameter

dis- opposite disable

-dom quality/state freedom

ex- out exit

hetero- different heterogeneous

hypo- too little hypoactive

-ic relating to poetic

-ile quality/state juvenile

in- not invalid

inter- between interstate

intra- within intramurals

-ism quality/state catholicism

-ist one who practices biologist

macro- large macrobiologist

micro- small microbiologist

milli- thousand millipede

mis- bad miscarriage

mono- single monotheism

nano- billion nanosecond

neo- new neonatology

-ology study of biology

omni- all omniscient

-ous quality/state nebulous

pan- all pantheon

per- throughout pervade

peri- all around periscope

poly- many polygon

post- after postpone

pre- before precede

pro- forward progress

re- again reappear

retro- back retrogress

sub- under submarine

super- more than supermarket

sym- together symbol

-tion quality/state preservation

-ular relating to cellular

un- not unwilling

Another great question of the day

2007-02-05T20:49:00.000-05:00

In partnership with Kaplan, the New York Times has a test prep question of the day online:

New York Times Question of the Day

It looks pretty good. There is also a word of the day that archives the Kaplan test prep question, be careful to only do archives after the test changed in 2006 -- don't waste your time on analogies.

Sentence Completion

2006-12-23T16:06:00.001-05:00

Sentence Completion
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Triggers & Clues

Sentence completions are not really that hard. They are poorly written, poorly worded, ambiguous, tricky, and full of traps. Usually you can put in more than one answer choice. But the key is "the best choice." That is, what ETS says is the best choice. So you've got to practice these and learn to think like a test writer. There are certain standard formats that are used. If you can recognize the format, you will have an easier time with these lovely wastes of time that you are paying money to torture yourself with.

STEP #1 – Choose your own word

Put your hand or answer form over the choices as you read the question. Try to think of a word that fits. WRITE that word down and then take a look at the answer choices. Find the one closest to your choice and MOVE ON!

STEP #2 – Find the “Clue” word or phrase

If a word does not jump out at you as an answer or you are having difficulty choosing your own answer, relax. ETS is generous; they usually give you one right in the question. Read the question carefully and look for, "the clue." Often the clue can be used as the answer, so find an answer choice that matches the clue.

STEP #3 – Find the “Trigger” word or phrase

Many of the sentence completions are long, often joining two phrases with a “trigger” word that is very helpful. These are words that trigger the flow of the sentence helping to determine the answer choice and the clue. They can be negative or positive; such as: “and;” "although";"while"; "but"; "therefore"; "however"

STEP #4 – The Good & the Bad

If you still cannot find a choice that fits, determine whether the word is a good word or a bad word. No not a four letter "bad" word, I mean happy or sad; positive or negative; agrees with or disagrees with - you get the idea. You can mark a (+) for good & a (-) for bad, up or down arrows or use smiley faces. Whatever works, as long as you practice your style and can use it on test day is all that matters.

STEP #5 – Two Blanks: Find one at a time

When you get to questions that ask for two words there is usually a clue and a trigger to whether the answer choices are both good, both bad or one of each. In the answer choices for two-blankers there WILL BE two answer choices where one of the words works, but they other one will be wrong. Do not get suckered into picking just one that works and move on. You must eliminate the obviously wrong choices and then work on the three remaining.

STEP #6 – The Ugly

Remember that sentence completions, like the math questions are written in "order of difficulty." The first third are supposed to be written so that the average high school student can answer them. (BTW - since the average vocabulary has dropped the words are actually easier. Blame the video generation or whatever, but at least that is good news for us).

For easy questions pick easy answers, ones that are not too ugly.

For the last three questions do not pick words that the average person will know – cross them out immediately because the CANNOT be the answer. On my last SAT, I picked the right answer on 5 or 6 really hard sentence completions, but eliminating the obviously wrong easy answers and then picking the ugliest word that I had no clue what it meant.

STEP #7 – Building Vocabulary

There is no better way to increase your vocabulary than to read and USE a dictionary to look up meanings of words that you do not understand. For hard words, the SAT favors classic works of literature from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Poe, Austen, & Shelly are full of great big words. Ayn Rand would be a perfect vocabulary builder. Here philosophical treatise "The Fountainhead" is considered to be a must read by any intellectual - so of course all of the ETS test writers consider themselves to be intellectual and will use words from someone like Rand.

No Shakespeare; Elizabethan is out but Victorian and early 19th century is very much in; Jane Austen, Poe, Hawthorn, etc.

Just forFun: Me & Mr. T

2006-12-23T15:57:00.000-05:00

Great Algebra Problems

2006-11-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

www.edhelper.com is a pretty cool site; though it is subscription based, it has a large number of free problems here is their Algebra Page

There problems are remarkably similar to the SAT

Canadian Math Problems

2006-11-19T21:19:00.000-05:00

This is really good, the SAT problems have the same concepts as these problems:

Canadian Math Problems

ABP - Always Be Practing!

b is backwards: Parabola - bx

2006-11-07T06:37:00.000-05:00

Tutoring this weekend, I reviewed the standard equation of a parabola:

ax² + bx + c = 0

If you read my last posting on parabolas the constant "b" which is multiplied by x controls the movement of the parabola left and right in relation to the y axis.

If b = 0; then the parabola is centered exactly on the y axis

But if b > 0 (positive), the parabola shifts to the left.

Obviously if b < 0 (negative), the parabola shifts to the right

Looking at this normally, it just looks backwards - but it is true.

So remember, b is backwards.

Atticus Finch & the Essay

2006-10-25T10:56:00.000-04:00

Last night I gave my first "Tricks & Traps of the SAT" Seminars at the Sewickley Public library. Special thanks to Meghann the librarian for help & support. We were both so pleased to see our community library being used by folks from the surrounding community and not from our immediate school district.

I'd also like to thank the teens who showed and participated, I had a lot of fun and they were highly interactive.

As I was describing how to use literary references on the SAT essay, I asked each student to select a book that they had studied in English class and liked. Ben said, "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Nelle Harper Lee, published in 1960 during the civil rights movement in America.

It is the PERFECT literary reference for ANY SAT essay. No kidding - and you do not even have to read the book. Read Sparknotes.com commentary on the moral character of Atticus Finch and his regard for the deep seated good of mankind. The 1962 movie adaptation starting Gregory Peck is awesome & will give you all that you need to know to use this classic as a reference to the humanistic essay that you will be forced to write for the SAT (& it is available for free in the library).

ESSAY Advice:

Read all 8 essay statements and questions in the BBP.
Outline responses that will match all of them.
Prepare polished sentences with literary references ahead of time, to be memorized and included in your essay.

Quoting a noble statement from Atticus Finch or simply describing his character as one of your key supporting points is brilliant; thanks Ben, generations of SAT students will be grateful for your insight.

I have learned that the best thing about being a teacher is learning from my students; "When you teach, you learn twice."

The Bad; an example

2006-10-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

Here is today's Question of the day from Collegeboard.com:

The dramatist was -------over his lack of funds and his inability to sell any of his plays, and his letters to his wife reflected his unhappiness.

a. despondent b. supercililous c. prudent d. encouraged e. fortified

If you put your hand over the blank and read the sentence a natural response might be "depressed" or "bummed out." Lets look for clues - inability, unhappiness are connected by the trigger AND - so they are in agreement. The blank must be bad. c, d, & e are eliminated right away. If you do not know despondent from supercilious - which one sounds worse? Despondent - which is the best choice, for it describes that dramatists emotional state.

Seven Days & Counting

2006-10-07T13:57:00.000-04:00

It is almost here, I look forward to the cram-jam tomorrow!

If you are going to take the test again (or for the first time) and want to raise your Vocab scores here are few classics that Kaplan has made into SAT Vocab Study Aids:

Frankenstein

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

The Tales of Edgar Allen Poe (my favorite for long ago, I've got to get this one!)

Answer the right question

2006-10-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

I'm a certified, registered, card-carrying math geek. So am comfortable that I am not bragging when I say I have been helping students since I was in the 3rd grade (at school, at home with my older sisters, even longer - they hated that pesky little brother yelling out their math answers, so OK maybe that wasn't helping them). For many years the teachers did not know what to do with me because the system required that all students learn at the same pace.

I am so pleased with our public school that now recognizes those kids and accelerates them in all subjects. Truly it is a sin to bore a child with something that they already know.

Well, it's been 34 years of watching people do problems and I can state emphatically that the #1 mistake in doing word problems is NOT answering the right question. I do it myself, I am just as guilty.

This mistake stems from reading the problem too quickly and beginning to answer the question even before you have read all the way through. I just did it yesterday. I read a question, thought I knew the answer, which of course was one of the answer choices. When I took the time to read it slowly, I found that it was actually asking something other than what I had answered.

Yesterday I watched four students in a row read word problems and saw this mistake again.

Please be conscience of this tendency and slow down, read the WHOLE question. Ask yourself, "What is the question asking for?"

Then unlike the sentence completion where you do not want to look at the answer choices, in math you absolutely want to look at the answer choices so you can get an idea of the format or style of the answer.

When I miss a problem (& I do miss them); it is usually because I have not read it completely.

On Oct 14th; we all have to slow down and answer the right question.

PRP: Percents, Ratios, Proportions

2006-10-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

PRP – Percent, Ratio, & Proportion (& maybe fractions)

The SAT used to be full of PRP problems, but in studying all eight sample tests in the BBP (last night watching Ohio State roll over Iowa), I have found that there are only two or three of these types of questions on the new SAT.

I am not absolutely sure that all future SAT’s will have the same proportion of problems as the BBP, but it is a pretty good guess. I’ll know more in the future as I keep taking the tests that allow me to buy the actual test booklet, but that will be of little help on Oct. 14^th.

These problems are very easy & a great place to score. They are almost all in the medium section, the one section that we are all targeting to get 100%. They can be “tricksie,” so it will pay dividends to look over the following examples and know how to do them cold & quickly – but don’t rush. There are most certainly traps in the answer choices – they will put in the most common arithmetic mistakes as answer choices.

PRP ?’s from the BBP:

Test #1
Page Question
397 8
410 10
425 10

Test #2
460 6
472 6
491 6

Test #3
548 3
550 12

Test #4
582 3
587 19

Test #5
652 1
680 3
680 5

Test #6
720 13
747 15

Test #7
778 13
796 19

Test #8
843 16
870 12

Oct 14th is coming

2006-09-27T21:01:00.000-04:00

We are just a few short weeks away from the big day. I am excited to take the SAT with my students and put my own skills to work. I'm only looking for a math score; in a short while, I'll start a prep course for verbal as well.

With most of you I have gone over content, we need to keep that up. But in addition we need to talk about the style of the problems and some techniques that will help you solve them.

Among the techniques are:

1. Estimating -- this works especially well when there is a geometric figure drawn to scale -- MEASURE; use your answer sheet as a ruler and estimate the answer.

2. Eliminating wrong answer choices - so at least you can have a better guess. I can't use any names here for privacy, but there is one young lady who is an eliminating machine. Use your noggin and if you can't solve it immediately think of what the answer can NOT be and cross it off. Guess on every problem, no matter what you read, fill in every circle.

3. Backsolving - putting the answer choices into the question and see which one fits; this is particularly strong with algebra equations that have number answer choices.

4. V2V go to 7/11; or Plugging in your own numbers. If there are Variables in the problem and Variables in the answer choices. Pick numbers of your own and put them into the equation; then plug them into the answer choices and find the match. "7/11" means to pick convienent #'s; it also means try a different set, like 7 & 11, since both are prime and easy to handle they usually work.

I'll try to pick out a few problems from the BBP that is a good example for each type.

I have given a few lessons on the essay - pick a few good pieces of literature that you have read; Melville, Poe, Jane Austin, Steinbeck, Hemmingway. If you have not read ANYTHING it is a little too late, but not too late to learn about a work and use it in your essay.

The essay is EXTREMELY generic. It has to be 1.4 million people take the SAT. Read all 8 essay topics in the BBP, I did that with a student last week and we laughed because our generic outline could be molded to each one.

Make a brief outline of the major ideas that you can use; plan ahead with phrases that you will write in your answer book to pull from as the body of your essay.
Be Positive
Be pro-America
Do not be religious or political
Use real examples - but be short and to the point. Always write about how education is the solution to every problem (remember that English teachers are reading this) & that education comes in many forms.
Tie your example into a character from literature.

Keep your hard work up & get plenty of rest, eat right and exercise!

PRP: Percents, Ratios, Proportions

2006-09-19T06:54:00.000-04:00

You will see percent changes, ratios and proportions.

Do not let these burden you with any stress, they are not difficult. But the answers have traps - every possible arithematic mistake you could possibly make is one of the answer choices.

So choose wisely.

Always ask yourself, "What is the question asking?"

These are rarely if ever in the first third of questions in a section (aka: easy); they are mostly in the medium level.

Friday night I plan on going through the BBP & pulling out all the PRP and make a list for practice.

Then the following week, system of equations and word problems that use system of equations.

Lastly sequences and word problems involving the use of our wonder-word INTEGER

Slope Intercept y = mx+b

2006-09-08T23:51:00.000-04:00

SLOPE INTERCEPT FORM

OK, everyone has worked with the graph of a line in the XY Plain; where y is the vertical axis & x is the horizontal axis.

The standard form of a line is written y = mx + b. There will probably be only one or two problems on your SAT that requires using this wonderful knowledge from several years ago. But it is not rocket science & if you spend a few minutes working on it, most of the rust will be removed and you will get these questions.

Warning: The questions can be tricky, so practice reading the wording and then try to ask yourself all of the different ways that a slope question can be asked. They can be easy medium or hard. Do not over-think the easy questions, they really are easy. But most of the examples in the BBP have medium and hard problems.

Y & X are coordinate points in the plain. m and b are constants, where m is the slope and b is the y intercept.

m - “SLOPE = RISE/RUN.” Slope is the ratio of the change in y to the change in x.

The numeric value of m is determined by how many units of y increase for every increase in units of x.

GIVEN TWO POINTS: x₁,y₁ & x₂, y₂ are points on the line. Calculate slope, m using the formula: (y₂-y₁)/(x₂-x₁)

b – “Y Intercept”

The value of b is the value of y when x=0. If the line passes through the origin (0,0), then b = 0. This can be a trick in a slope question.

Parallel & Perpendicular.

Parallel lines have the same slope with a different y intercept. (If they had the same intercept, they are NOT parallel, they are the SAME).

Perpendicular lines have a slope that is “the opposite inverse.” -1/m

Reflection is another issue that I will cover later.

Here are the problems in the BBP regarding slope intercept form.

Page #

399 14

487 2

522 17

672 12

682 11

736 14

745 9

775 4

Know what a line looks line when m = + or - & b = + or –

Parabolas

2006-09-07T14:37:00.000-04:00

Fun with parabolas!

A parabola is the bowl shaped graph of the simple equation f(x) = x²

Most SAT students do not remember how to graph a parabola, so it is considered a hard question. But in reality parabola questions are often very easy and almost always, usually, most of the time involve simple questions about the constants a, b, c from the classic equation:

ax² + bx + c = 0

In total, there are only six things to know about a, b, c. If you can learn the “Parabola Six” you can answer most, many and hopefully all parabola questions on your SAT.

The Parabola Six:

a is negative - parabola points down
a is positive - parabola points up
b is negative - parabola moves to the right
b is positive - parabola moves to the left
c is negative - parabola moves down (y intercept <>
c is positive - parabola moves up (y intercept > 0)

I’ll list all the parabola problems shortly from the BBP; they are worth doing because any parabola is a hard to medium and is an easy scoring opportunity.

Great Advice

2006-09-06T15:49:00.000-04:00

Here is another SAT blog that offers great advice (it lets me know that I am not only blogging-SAT tutor in the world):

www.eprep.com

TI-83 SAT Programs

2006-09-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

OK, you all know how I like to do all the math on the SAT by hand. Most of my students have suffered through my opinion of the calculator-addicted generation & have seen my smug glances as I do the math by hand waiting for them to fumble with a calculator.

The truth is that the SAT contains easy math and tricky problems. But I did buy my first TI this summer for a class and am amazed at with its capabilities.

So in my never-ending quest to help my students beat the test, I went a searching and found this:
http://www.highersat.com/products.html#New%20SAT

downloadable programs that solve SAT problems & Vocabulary words programmed into it, pretty sweet.

free resources

2006-09-05T10:34:00.000-04:00

www.princetonreview.com http://www.princetonreview.com/college/testprep/testprep.asp?TPRPAGE=78&TYPE=SAT-PRACTICE-TEST
www.kaptest.com http://www.kaptest.com/Kaplan/3/College/SAT;jsessionid=2YSOVPFOBVNOFLA3AQJHBOFMDUCBG2HB
www.sparksnotes.com http://testprep.sparknotes.com/account/firstOneFree.psp
http://www.testprepreview.com/sat_practice.htm
http://www.petersons.com/testprep/tips.asp?id=400&sponsor=1&path=ug.pft.sat

algebra lessons:
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/index.htm

vocabulary:
http://www.flocabulary.com/

4 Weeks; 4 Years; 4 Ever

2006-09-05T02:12:00.000-04:00

College lasts four years, its impact lasts forever. Your college is not the most important thing in life, but it is very important. Your success and happiness in life is not dependent upon a college degree and there are many examples of successful people who did not attend college or did not finish. But these are few and far between.

Our economy is one of skilled labor and knowledge workers; a college degree is a job's entry ticket. (Along with employment comes money, with which you can buy food and shelter - you do want to live in doors and eat, don't you?)

Acceptence into almost every college and university in the U.S. requires that you take the SAT. It is the one thing that admissions officers can hold as a standard among the many diverse students begging to walk their hallways and fork over money.

So follow my logic in asking for just a little sacrifice over a short period of time that will have a lifelong impact. Take a look how you spend your time, activities, work, sports and studying. If you can devote a scheduled amount of time to preparing for the SAT, your score will improve.

In talking with a new student today, I asked, "What do you do on Sunday afternoon?" "Videogames," was the answer(I am sure with his AP classes there is some homework in there). I pointed out that if he simply took that same time over the next four weeks and did one SAT practice exam every week, his score would rise dramatically.

So I am challenging him:
Four weeks of hardcore study, that will result in four years at his chosen school with a result that will last forever.

To raise your score, the best thing to do is to write a schedule of work that requires sacrifice and committment. Having re-entered the SAT world, I think that the best program for success is for a junior to begin prep work in late July, early August before their junior year and then plan to take the test three times (it is offered six times), with Oct & Jan as must dates. These have the QAS program, which allows you to purchase your test booklet and actual answer responses for $15. If you do not get the score you are aiming for after these first two attempts, you have data on where to improve and can attack the next round of exams.

If you do just an hour or two of intense prep before the school year starts, you can maintain momentum through those hectic first few weeks. Yeah, I know it stinks to have to work on boring academic subjects in the summer, especially math and grammar. But four weeks of sacrifice has a forever impact.

Besides, most of the SAT math is stuff that you studied so long ago that you literally have to relearn somethings like slope intercept form of a line, geometry, parabolas and integers. Not to mention mastering the tricky wording and questions that are truly brain-teasing puzzles.

But if you are reading this now, it is too late for this type of prep. So we have to go to plan B and fit test prep into an already busy schedule.

Let's find some time in your schedule:

Do you have an iPod/MP3? Get your hands on Flocabulary, Rock the SAT or Vocab Rock and listen to Vocab words when you have some time - even five or ten minutes. The perfect time is your commute to school and back. If you commute for a total of 10 to 15 minutes per day, do you realize that is an hour of studying?
Record yourself. If you have a cassette recorder or can digitally record yourself - read the vocab list from any of the study guides, especially The Princeton Review. Then play it back during your commute, exercise or downtime. Go for a walk after dinner and get 20 minutes of vocab into your head.
Flash cards. Get with a friend and do old fashioned flash cards; or (gasp) ask your parents to help you. I've met with tons of parents and am one myself - parents want you to do well and will help with flash cards for a few weeks (heck, they might learn something too).
The SAT question of the day from the College Board - it is a must.
The Official Study Guide - "the big blue pillow" (BBP) it is a must, get it, read it, do all the practice tests. All of them.
Kaplan's kaptest.com has 1000 free questions on line - crunch out 15 to 20 questions a couple of times per week.
Online, free, full-length, diagnostic SAT exams - there are several. Take them! One each week, if you can. There is nothing like being timed and getting feedback in terms of a score.
Memorize the six triangles - play with their angles, lengths, areas & perimeters - you WILL be tested on them & it pays to have these cold.
Memorize the movement of parabolas - these are easy questions that most students get wrong. There are only six possible answers to a parabola question: a (+ or -); b (+ or -) & c (+ or -). I'll write up a study sheet on parabolas.
Memorize circles - Area, Circ., tangent, degrees, arc -- pull out 10 circle problems from the Big Blue Pillow and work through them with an eye for understanding the limited number of questions that the SAT asks on circles. You will see a circle.
Memorize the Box Solutions for rate, work, mixture, d=rt, ratio's
Practice percent of a percent
Relax and have fun

QAS - get your test booklet

2006-09-03T14:16:00.000-04:00

You may order your actual test scores, booklet and even a copy of your answer sheet for certain SAT dates, call QAS. Oct, Jan, & May.

All others you can order your responses and whether they were right or wrong, SAS.

This is an absolute must. Mistakes are made, so get what you can and double check ETS.

From their website:

Additional Services

The Student Answer Service (SAS) and The Question-and-Answer Service (QAS) can provide you with excellent feedback on your performance on the test.

QAS and SAS are only available for the SAT Reasoning Test.

The Question-and-Answer Service (QAS): includes your response to each question and the correct answer, information about the type of question and level of difficulty, and scoring guidelines. QAS is available only for the October (Saturday), January (Saturday) and May (Saturday and Sunday) test dates.

The Student Answer Service (SAS): includes your response to each test question, a record of whether you answered each question correctly, incorrectly, or not at all and information about the type of question and level of difficulty. Copies of test questions are not included with SAS. SAS is available for all test dates other than those where QAS is available.

Ordering SAS or QAS After You Register

If you don’t order SAS or QAS when you register, you can still request these services later either online or through the order form you receive with your score report.

Goodest Grammar Sites

2006-09-03T10:58:00.000-04:00

Once again, my young discipuli, I am recommending free resource. English Professor Paul Brain has complied a very nice list of Common Errors in English.

I believe it is a very useful study tool since sentence correction on the SAT is primarily concerned with spotting errors.

Bartleby.com (a bookstore named after one of the worst books to be called a "great classic" in the English language) has a free grammar site, from the publishing house, American Heritage. This site is easy to read, relatively short and does the opposite of Professor Brian's in that it tells what TO DO. Hence one site reports mistakes and the other teaches proper usage, covering two bases!

Do not forget to sign up to recieve the daily question from the College Board. The founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton, is credited with the maxim, "Small profits, frequently taken," meaning earn just a little bit of money, very often and you will be successful. The same applies to SAT prep, doing just a little bit several times per week creates comfort with SAT questions.

Discussing these questions with a student this week, we agreed that the questions were somewhat easy. But that is just fine. It keeps real questions in front of you and it will not take too much time to read the email and hit an anwer choice. If you hit the incorrect one, the answer is explained. And remember that the easy question count just as much as the hard ones, so we want to get ALL of the easy questions correct, MOST of the medium questions and a FEW of the hard. Answering 2/3 of all the math questions correctly is roughly a 600.

Knowing the wording and the style of the math questions cannot be over stated. Kaplan's free question bank at Kaptest.com is another excellent resource. (For the most part, I like their books as well).

College Board Announces 2006 Scores

2006-09-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

The College Board has issued a press release giving details of the scores of the New SAT with a writing section.

Read it here: NEW SAT Press Release

Great Question

2006-08-30T07:22:00.000-04:00

Which of the following CANNOT be the lengths of the sides of a triangle?

1, 1, 1

1, 2, 4

1, 75, 75

2, 3, 4

5, 6, 8

Do you know the BIG SIX Triangles

2006-08-29T14:54:00.000-04:00

note: Blogger no longer considers me a spammer, yeah.

The SAT uses 6 triangles over and over again, over 90% of the triangles you will see on the SAT are one of the big six.

Name them (answer in the comment to follow):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

KAPTEST.com

2006-08-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

Amazon just sent me the lastest SAT math only books from Princeton Review, Barrons & Kaplan; I'll be giving a review of each one shortly. If you want extra work in SAT math & a little more detail of what is on the test, any of these three will do.

At first glance, Princeton Review is pretty much the same as its big book, just with more practice.
Barron's has some pretty hard problems that mix it up. I like that because if you can master hard problems in the SAT style, you will be well prepared come test day.
Kaplan is fairly detailed, they have a very nice list of 100 top math concepts.

I also went to each company's website, they all have free stuff. Free is good remember. PrincetonReview.com and Barronstestprep.com each have a free practice test. But Kaptest.com is much better, because it has a free question bank.

This question bank of over 1,050 SAT style questions allows you to customize your own work, in the subject area and in a level of difficulty. I took 12 Hard Math questions on my quiz and sad to say, only got 11.

But it is a must for anyone who wants to have serious practice for the SAT.

Sightseeing - Estimating - Guessing - Eliminating

2006-08-22T15:20:00.000-04:00

The ability to guess the right answer on a multiple choice test cannot be overstated. The answers are right in front of you.

Geometric Figures are drawn to scale, unless they say "Not drawn to scale." So you can literally measure them with the edge of a piece of paper and your pencil. Try it, you are going to be simply amazed at how many triangle questions you can answer without doing any complicated geometry.

Being able to "see" what the question is asking is so important. So DRAW it out, mark up that test book. Many students cannot write in textbooks in high school and I think this makes them reluctant to writing on the "official" test booklet. Baloney - its your's, you paid for it, mark it up.

Write out the question in other words and try to get an estimate, many answers are an order of magnitude away from the right answer, so you can scratch them off and through elimination find the correct answer choice without doing the complicated math.

The key is to mark the right answer, not do the question in the right way. Scoring is the ONLY thing. So if you have to count on your fingers and write out a problem as if you were in 5th grade, do it and get over a 600! Trust me your friends will never see your test booklet ever again & neither will you.

ABC; 123; Easy, Medium, Hard & no Spam

2006-08-22T15:17:00.000-04:00

Hey Blogger.com, I'm not a spammer. I'm a SAT Tutor who is looking to make an honest living.

I hope to compile my own resources and have them available for my students and anyone else who is interested in learning how to beat the SAT. I will not deny that I INTEND to make a profit off of my musings, but it is a long road from intentions to the teller station. Until then, take off the spam verification.

If it was a spam site, why would I type in verification every day? Maybe I just don't know that much about what you are trying to do & yes, I understand that spam sucks.

on to my post . . . (i hope to edit all of that out once ya'll actually check the site like you advertise that you will).

EASY -- MEDIUM -- HARD

Questions on the SAT are for the most part arranged in order of difficulty. That is the easy questions come first & the hard questions are last. This is especially true for the Math section. The truth is that the average student does not even need to attempt many of the difficult questions in order to acheive the target score.

The SAT prep literature is full of recommendations about mastering the basics and earning a 600 by correctly answering the easy & medium questions. Yup that's right if you get about a 70% on the test, you get a 600.

Truth be told, each question is worth the same amount of points -- so take your time and work on the first 2/3 of each math section. Just because the test is timed does not mean that you have to rush to finish each section (unless you want to get into MIT or CMU, then you had better be able to finish each section).

Take your time. Practice taking timed sections. As I have written, there is plenty of available testing resources. Anyone who has improved their score has practiced. You may not need a coach like me, but a coach keeps you on track and keeps you looking at the material.

Complete the entire practice section and only then go to look at the answers.

Medium questions are only slightly tricky, if you are stuck, well move on. You might just get one of the really hard questions right through your practice and preparation, so make sure that you at least look at them - but do NOT give them a huge amount of your time by rushing through the most important part of the examination -- the first 2/3.

Yo! Check it out: Flocabulary

2006-08-21T09:04:00.000-04:00

Vobab Prep has come a long way, I have already listed a number of vocabulary resources, but this one commands a posting of its own.

Flocabulary sets SAT Vocab to hip-hop & rap songs in a truly artist, poetic, clean and non-threatening way. Hip-hop is a genre whose popularity cannot be denied. Using it as a tool to increase vocuabulary skills is simply brillant.

You can buy the book with CD or download MP3's & the worksheets in .pdf format. Or you can simply list online and follow along with the lyrics, that is one thing that I like best about this site - with internet access their resources are readily available for free.

Bravo Zulu [Navy-speak for: "Good Job"] to creators Adam & Blake.

Another free online practice exam

2006-08-18T08:47:00.000-04:00

Here is another online free SAT practice exam from Peterson's.

I am going to try to carve out some time and take it in the next week or so; maybe Labor Day weekend, when all I have scheduled to do is finishing building a fence I started when our two-year old lab, Buddy was a puppy!

Review: Spark Notes

2006-08-17T10:23:00.000-04:00

One thing that I will attempt is to review as much of the available resources on SAT Test Prep as I can find.

SparkNotes is a relative newcomer to the study industry. Started in 1996 by some Harvard students, it was acquired in 2001 by Barnes & Noble and has great interesting material.

What I particularly like is that there are FREE tests & test questions, along with an analysis. Most high schoolers are all about free, so why not take advantage of this opportunity. There is so many study guides available how do you know what to spend money on? Well, don't spend any if you can help it [so says the capitialist who wishes to turn this site ultimately into a business].

The #1 factor of SAT improvement is practice and here is free practice and feedback - get on it!

Cliffs Quick Reviews

2006-08-16T20:03:00.000-04:00

Here are the four books that I highly recommend (linked to Amazon); each of them cover the topic in an easy to read "no-bull" manner. Since most of what is on the SAT is just a refresher for the average student, these books are the perfect refresher. Brand new they sell for about $10 each. But you can find them at used books stores, like my favorite: Half Priced Books or online, links below.

Cliffs QuickReview Math Word Problem

Cliffs QuickReview Basic Math and Pre-Algebra

Cliffs QuickReview Algebra I

Cliffs QuickReview Geometry

Some of my students cannot find these locally, I saw Basic Math & Algebra in Staples this morning for $9.99 each and will hit Barnes & Noble & half-price tonight to see if I can find it.

You may also want to try www.abebooks.com; I highly recommend it to my students.

Here is a link to Cliffs Word Problems , where it is selling for $1 -- yup that is ONE DOLLAR, good site for anyone to know about. (I just purchased the textbook for my next college course for my teaching certificate. The bookstore wanted $107, I bought it brand new online for $54 - you do the math).

Great Math Site

2006-08-13T15:49:00.000-04:00

A wonderful math teacher named, Elizabeth Stapel, has created a very useful math site called, "Purplemath."

Here links and lessons are fantastic, especially the "solving word problems" section of her Practical Algebra Lessons page.

The main purpose of this blog is to help anyone who wants to learn more about improving their score on the SAT, finding great sites like Elizabeth's is invaluable for those who wish to improve and NOT spend a ton of money on prep books and materials.

One of her links is Kathryn Shulte's Free Math Worksheets. These are excellent!

Of course, my secondary purpose is to create enough content for my own SAT prep course, materials and internet site! I love doing this and hope to make it a full time occupation in a short period of time. Stay tuned!

The Work Problem

2006-08-11T10:02:00.000-04:00

The Work Problem

Using the WORK BOX

The “Work Problem” usually sounds like this:

Socrates can paint a room in 2 hours, Aristotle can paint the same room in 90 minutes. How long will it take them to paint the room if they work together?

Just like the “DIRTY” [D=R*T] & the “MIXED NUTS” [Wt * $ = Cost] we can use a box to lay out this unique system of equations.

Worker

Work Rate X

Time =

Work Done

Socrates

1/2

x/2

Aristotle

2/3

2x/3

You must be able to convert the work rate from the problem into the answer’s expressed units. In this case, how many hours will it take them together.

Socrates paints at 2 hrs for the whole job, so he is 1/2 of the job per hour.

Aristotle paints at 11/2 hrs for the whole job, so he is 2/3 of the job per hour. [This takes some practice ~ but is not as ugly as it looks on first glance].

Since they are working together to complete the whole job, the problem can be expressed as:

x/2 + 2x/3 = 1; combine like terms

3x/6 + 4x/6 = 1

7x/6 = 1hr.

x = 6/7 hrs.

Check your work

6/7*1/2 + 6/7*2/3 = 3/7 + 4/7 = 1

Let’s do a few more:

The Mixture Problem

2006-08-10T22:59:00.001-04:00

MIXTURE PROBLEM

“Mixed Nuts” using the “MIX BOX”

There is a problem called the, “Mixture Problem.” It is an algebraic system of equations with two interrelating quantities and prices. It goes something like this:

PROBLEM:

Guido’s Health Store sells a mixture of raisins and nuts. Guido buys the raisins for $2.50/lb and the nuts for $3.50/lb. How many pounds of each should be mixed to make 20 lbs of this snack worth $3.00/lb?

SOLUTION:

I like to call this one “Mixed Nuts” because no matter what the SAT is mixing, it is just like the nuts problems & so since I teach problem solving techniques using goofy names (so that you will remember), go with me on this one.

The solution is easy-peasy-lemony-squeezy; all you have to do is use the MIX BOX & the answer falls out every time.

Here is the mix box:

Things to be mixed	Weight X	Per/Weight Unit =	COST
Raisins
Nuts
Total Mixture

So what goes in the box? It is a system of equations & the box simply organizes the information. The algebra solution looks like this:

[Weight of nuts x Price of raisins] + [Weight of nuts x Price of nuts] = Total Cost

What do we know, the cost of raisins per pound and the cost of nuts per pound and the total weight and cost for which we are aiming. Lets fill all that in on the chart.

Things to be mixed	Weight X	Per/Weight Unit =	COST
Raisins		$2.50
Nuts		$3.50
Total Mixture	20	$3.00

The total weight is 20, so the weight of raisins plus the weight of nuts equals 20.

Wr + Wn = 20; solving for Wn:

Wn = 20 – Wr; lets put that in the box

Things to be mixed	Weight X	Per/Weight Unit =	COST
Raisins	Wr	$2.50
Nuts	20 - Wr	$3.50
Total Mixture	20	$3.00

Now figure the cost by multiplying across the box (and this forms the system of equations).

Things to be mixed	Weight X	Per/Weight Unit =	COST
Raisins	Wr	$2.50	2.5Wr
Nuts	20 - Wr	$3.50	3.5(20-Wr)
Total Mixture	20	$3.00	60

Add ‘em up:

Raisins & Nuts = Total Mixture

2.5Wr + 3.5(20-Wr) = 60; simplify

2.5Wr + 70 – 3.5Wr = 60; combine like terms

-Wr = - 10

Wr = 10; and since Wn = 20 – Wr, Wn = 10

Variations on the mixture problem.

There are only a limited number of options on the mixture problem, you can be asked to calculate the weight or the cost of either of the two components or the total; basically giving us about six variations on this problem. Master the variations and the possible wording on this puzzle and you will have increase your confidence and ultimately your score.

Try these ones on for size:

Word of the Day Part II

2006-08-10T21:45:00.000-04:00

http://signup.dictionary.com/wordoftheday

looks pretty good; practice makes perfect sense for improving scores (no one is perfect, except the Lord)

Distance Table

2006-08-10T09:51:00.000-04:00

Rate X

Time =

Distance

Under construction, sorry for the delay on the distance table. I have re-written my study guide on this one after reading several good math word problem books. Oh yeah, I read books on how to solve math problems, tis true, I'm a geek - that's why parents pay me their hard earned money to teach their kids ;~)

Names of Numbers used by the SAT: #1 INTEGER

2006-08-05T10:44:00.000-04:00

The SAT Math problems are all word problems; it is imperitive that you understand the meaning of the words being used.

Here is a beginning to the list of Math Vocubulary that you MUST be able to understand:
Integer; Rational Number; Factor; Multiple; Product; Sum - not to mention all of the many Geometry terms used. This gives me a great idea for a Sat Math Vocab list.

Lets start with the #1 math word on the SAT: INTEGER

Integer: 1 : any of the natural numbers, the negatives of these numbers, or zero

since natural number is used in the definition, what does it mean:

Natural Number: the number 1 or any number (as 3, 12, 432) obtained by adding 1 to it one or more times : a positive integer

Examples of integers are: -567,-27, -12, -4, -3,-2,-1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 34, 567, etc.

Another way to look at it is that integers are points on a number line. They are NOT fractions, or decimals.

So the SAT uses the word integer in many ways. But one of the most common SAT math questions is what I call the "Consecutive Integer"

Here is an example:
The sum of two consecutive integers is 11, what is the value of the least?

There are only two numbers that solve this problem, 5 & 6; 5 + 6 = 11. 5 is the correct answer choice (6 will be one of the choices as well, just in case you did not read the entire question).

To solve any of these with algebra, you make one integer n. The "consecutive" means the next number, so the next number is n+1. Your equation is then:

n + (n+1) = 11; solve for n.
2n + 1 = 11
2n = 10
n = 5

That would be an easy problem (the math is broken into easy, medium & hard); a medium problem throws some twists into the verbage.

MEDIUM

The sum of two consecutive odd integers is 47 less than their product. What is the value of the smallest integer

The key here is that "odd" requires you to add 2 to n, instead of just one. They are consecutive & odd, like 3 & 5.

Here is the set up:

n + (n+2) = n*(n+2) - 47

simplify:

2n + 2 = n^2 + 2n - 47

n^2 - 49 = 0

(n-7)(n+7) = 0; n is either 7 or - 7

lets check our work

7+9 = 7*9 - 47

16 = 63 - 47

16 = 16 check

(note: -7 does not work here, because -16 does not equal positve 16; but don't worry our friends at the College Board will have - 16 as an answer choice).

This also would make a great "grid-in" or officially the "student response" where you have no multiple choice answers and have to come up with the answer on your own. There are 10 of these on the SAT.

Word of the Day

2006-08-04T12:28:00.000-04:00

WordSmart has a nice email vocabulary word of the day. Though not all of the words are challenging, it is still excellent practice.

Vocubulary on the SAT is test IN CONTEXT. So try to study in context by using the word in a unique sentence; created by you. If it is silly and funny, you will remember it.

Flash cards work! Use colored flash cards and write in different colors. Use a sharpie or thick marker so that you can read it easily. Since nouns, verb, adjectives and adverbs are all tested, put them in piles and then try to create outrageous sentences using just SAT Vocab words.

The Princeton Review list of words is priceless. It can be found in their prep book as well as in WordSmart (not affliated with the website above). Princeton Review works very hard to know what words are most likely to be on the exam. Years ago, when I was being trained by them, some of the instructors actually took the exams in order to memorize the words. I don't know if that is the case now, but it was a great idea then and it leads me to trust the list now.

Others like Kaplan will say that there is no way to know exactly what words are on the test & this is true as well. All that Princeton says is that they keep a close eye on words that appear over and over and therefore are more likely to appear again.

There is only one way to gaining a better vocabulary: READING!

From the list of words that I have looked over and the reading that is available, I would spend some time in the classics with the blue Webster's collegiate dictionary and a highlighter. Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe and any other "classic" 19th century author.

If you do not have your own dictionary, shame on you. Go to a used book store (I love Half-priced books) or buy one from Abe Books. Write in it, highlight it, mark it up and tear it up - get going on the most valuable resource for vocabulary that there is on the planet. Make up a game with a friend of throwing words at each other and having to give the definition and use it in context.

Vocab builiding is a lot of hard work & there is no short cut. But a sound use of the english language is most definitely something that every college desires of its graduates.

So get to work!

Rough Rules for Math

2006-08-03T08:57:00.000-04:00

Last year, I scratched out a few notes to give to a student before the SAT. I then rewrote the scratch so that I could go over it with another student.

Here is the beginning of my Math advice in all of its unglorious roughness (I promise that these will continue to be editted and might have some logical flow to them).

Phil’s SAT Math Reminders:

SLOW DOWN – you have plenty of time to score well. Remember that getting a 70% gets a 600! Breath deeply during the exam. Take breaks to take deep breaths, your brain NEEDS the oxygen & it helps to control your nerves.
Time yourself as practice. Practice doing math problems for 15, 20 and 25 minutes. Set a timer so that you can get a feel for the length of the sections.
Mark your answers in your test booklet and only fill them in when you have a few minutes left (here is where your mastery of time comes in handy). Moving back and forth between the test booklet and the answer sheet is a waste of time. When you have transferred all of your answers and guesses - then go back over the questions that you think you can find the solution to. Taking this break might clear your mind and give you that "Ah ha!" moment.
RTQ – Read The Question; before each question, take a deep breath and then read the entire question. Too many mistakes are made when students start attempting an answer BEFORE they even read the entire question. Too many mistakes are made by reading into the question. Get your hands on as many SAT practice tests as you can; form a study group with friends and each buy one of the big books with only practice tests - Barrons, Kaplan, Princeton Review. Read the question style.
W? – WHAT is the question asking? Make sure that you know what you are solving for. If it is past half way, there is probably two steps and you have to solve for one thing and then use that answer to solve for real answer. You can bet that 9 times out of 10, the first answer and all permutations of it are in the answer choices.
Know the RATIO BOX or RATIO GRID; you can solve the four hardest word problems on the SAT: 1. Ratio’s; 2. Work; 3. Solutions (as in Acid solution); 4. Time-Speed-Distance. Princeton Review has a great Ratio box; my more thorough box will be posted shortly.
Average – Arithmetic mean [Mean, Median, Mode]
Probability – simply have to practice these.
Permutations - how many ways can seven runners finish a race: 7! = 7*6*5*4*3*2*1
Time = Speed x Distance these can be very tricky; I will be posting about 50 of these so that you can get plenty of practice
Plug In! – If there are variables in the question & variables in the answer, put in your own numbers and see which one works.
Backsolve – for multiple choice questions the answers are right in front of you, set up your equation & put the answer choices into the equation. It is best to start with choice C and then move up or down. [answers are in ascending or descending order]
Eliminate wrong answers through: Process of elimination. Eliminate wrong answers. Get rid of a few choices that are obviously wrong. You may get to the right answer without even having to do the problem. If you are stuck, pick one of the remaining and move on.
GUESS!!!!! --- do not leave a circle blank on a multiple choice question. For Grid-ins, there is very little chance of simply guessing the answer.
Spend time wisely – do your best on the hard problems, but remember answering an easy or medium problem correctly is worth the same amount as the hardest problem. Did I say slow down and breath deeply yet?
Three Dimensional (3-D) problems usually have a two dimensional answer. There is usually a quick trick with 3-D.
Special triangles. Know them, cold. They WILL BE on the test. 3-4-5; 5-12-13; equilateral; isosceles;30-60-90; 45-45-90.
Sum of the interior angles of a polygon, 180(n-2), where n=number of sides.
Rules of Divisibility, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 are the most common.
REMAINDER – look up the remainder problem and practice it. You have probably not done a remainder problem for several years. NOTE: a calculator will not help you on a remainder problem as much as knowing how to solve it.
SLOPE INTERCEPT FORM y = mx + b; solve for slope (m); parallel slopes, perpendicular slopes, lines in a coordinate plane, midpoints, rise/run.
Make a ruler out of your answer sheet and measure the figures, most are drawn to scale.
Algebraic factoring; usually not that hard so don’t over think it.
Fan Problem - Funky multi-step intersecting lines and triangles; find the 180’s! [Fan problem - there will be an entire posting on what I mean by the fan, I have just come up with it and it is working well with my current set of students]
Circles, circumference, diameter, radius, tangent, area, arc’s. Practice, practice, practice. These are all easy, so they have to word the problems with tricks.
Quadratic.
Exponents. Rules of adding, multiplying and raising to a another power. Squares & cubes.
INTEGER – get to know & love this word, it WILL BE on the SAT that you take.
Consecutive, even, odd, prime integers on the number line.
Digits; Distinct numbers; real numbers; rational numbers; factor; multiple; remainder; prime – know them.
Arithmetic rules for evens/odds e+ e = e; o + o = e; o x o = o, etc
Read the question thoroughly, take your time and aim to get the first 2/3 of each section correct – that’s a 600!
Order of Operations – PEMDAS
Memorize the instructions and the given formulas. They are given for a reason, they WILL BE used. So get used to them and make note of your practice problems that use the given formulas. Using your time wisely means being able to see when this formulas will be used and NOT having to turn back the page to search for them.
Write down each step as if this was 8^th grade and you were getting graded on your work. Joe Cool does math in his head & skips steps. Write down every miserable step to avoid simple math mistakes. You have the time to get a 600! So use the time and get the easy & medium difficulty questions.
Distributive law
Adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing fractions. The answer choices are in fractions, so a calculator may not be an advantage.

SAT Vocabulary Book List

2006-08-01T21:25:00.000-04:00

Here are some excellent vocabulary building resources. The new thing in learning words for the SAT is READING. Now who would have thunk it?

Of course there are plenty of people willing to capitalize on this "new" sensation, so they have written books around the SAT Vocabulary list. Here are the ones that I have run across so far (plus a few more)

The Marino Mission, Karen Chapman
The Mayan Mission, Karen Chapman
The Tales of Edgar Allen Poe
Frankenstein: A Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Classic (Kaplan Score Raising Classics) (Mass Market Paperback), Mary Shelly=
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Classic (Kaplan Score Raising Classics) (Mass Market Paperback), Robert Lewis Stevenson
Spark Notes SAT Novels: Busted (SparkNotes SAT Vocabulary Novels) (Paperback)
Tooth and Nail: A Novel Approach to the New SAT (Paperback), Charles Elster
Test of Time: A Novel Approach to the SAT and ACT (Harvest Original) (Paperback), Charles Elster
Simon's Saga for the SAT I Verbal (Paperback), Philip Geer
Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder, Mark Phillips
The Pinocchio Intermediate Vocabulary Builder, Mark Phillips
Picture These SAT Words in a Flash (Cards), Philip Geer
The Ring of McAllister: A Score-Raising Mystery Featuring 1,046 Must-Know SAT Vocabulary Words (Paperback), Robert Marantz
The Dropanchor Chronicle: A SAT Vocabulary Novel (Paperback), Stephen D. Ring
SAT Vocabulary Building Novel: From the Other Side (Paperback),Raymond Karelitz
Vocab Rock! Musical Preparation for the Sat And Act (Paperback), Keith London
Rock the SAT, Michael Moshan
Vocabulary Cartoons: Building an Educated Vocabulary With Visual Mnemonics (Paperback), Sam Burchers et al
Vocabulary Cartoons II: Building an Educated Vocabulary With Sight and Sound Memory AIDS (Paperback), Sam Burchers
Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day: 180 Reproducible Cartoons That Help Kids Build a Robust and Prodigious Vocabulary, Marc Tyler Nobleman
Illustrated Word Smart: A Visual Vocabulary Builder, Tom Meltzer
More Illustrated Word Smart (Smart Guides), Morgan Chase
500 Key Words for the SAT, and How to Remember Them Forever!, Charles Gulotta
Fiske WordPower, Edward Fiske

Question of the Day

2006-07-31T10:05:00.000-04:00

The College Board, a new name made up by Educational Testing Service (ETS) oversees the SAT. They are trying to make themselves out to be extremely interested in the education at American colleges and universities. When in reality, they have almost nothing to do with real education. But their test, the SAT (which now stands for nothing), IS still the standard that we are stuck with.

The new kinder, gentler College Board is active in the test preparation business (after decades of saying that students could not prepare for the test - that is because it was originally designed as an IQ or "Aptitude" test). Now of course, everyone knows differently. Preparing for the SAT does make a difference.

So being the greedy, money-grubbers that they are, ETS wants you to pay them for test prep. On their website, www.collegeboard.com, they offer a free SAT question of the day. Once you sign up, it will be emailed to you 7 days each week. Real SAT questions from real SAT test writers & its free.

If they are willing to offer it, then everyone who is taking the SAT should practice these questions.

Here we go again

2006-07-30T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hello,

I'm an SAT Tutor & want to share with the world all that I find out about beating the SAT.

I am particularly good at the Math section; but not bad at Verbal. Most of my students are math students - so it will be my focus, though I hope to use this blog for several purposes:

1. to prepare my own material for tutoring - ultimately a workbook
2. to ultimately gather students for my own online tutoring service.

I hope you enjoy.

Root	Meaning	English Words
arch	ancient	archetype
aster/astra	star	astronomy
audi	hear	audible
bene	good/well	benefit
bio	life	biology
brev	short	abbreviation
chloro	green	chlorophyll
chrono	time	chronology
derm	skin	dermatologist
dic/dict	speak	dictionary
fer	carry	transfer
fix	fasten	affix
gen	birth	generate
geo	earth	geography
graph	write	graphic
hemo	blood	hemoglobin
herb	plants	herbaceous
hydro	water	hydrate
jur/just	law	jury
log/logue	word/thought	dialogue
luc	light	lucid
manu	hand	manual
meter/metr	measure	thermometer
neg	no	negate
ocu	eye	ocular
olig	few	oligarchy
op/oper	work	operation
osteo	bone	osteoporosis
path	feeling	sympathy
ped	child	pediatrics
phil	love	philosophy
phys	body/nature	physical
pod	foot	podiatrist
proto	first	prototype
pseudo	false	pseudonym
scrib/script	write	scribble
sect	cut	dissect
sol	alone	solitary
struct	build	construct
tact	touch	contact
tele	far off	telephone
ter/terr	earth	territory
vac	empty	vacant
ver	truth	verify
verb	word	verbal
vid/vis	see	video

Prefix/Suffix	Meaning	English Words
ad-	to	addict
-al	relating to	maternal
ambi-	both	ambidextrous
ante-	before	antecedent
anti-	against	antifreeze
-arium	place of	aquarium
auto-	self	autobiography
centi-	hundred	centimeter
circum-	around	circumvent
con-	with	concert
de-	from/down	depart
deci-	ten	decimeter
di-	two	diameter
dis-	opposite	disable
-dom	quality/state	freedom
ex-	out	exit
hetero-	different	heterogeneous
hypo-	too little	hypoactive
-ic	relating to	poetic
-ile	quality/state	juvenile
in-	not	invalid
inter-	between	interstate
intra-	within	intramurals
-ism	quality/state	catholicism
-ist	one who practices	biologist
macro-	large	macrobiologist
micro-	small	microbiologist
milli-	thousand	millipede
mis-	bad	miscarriage
mono-	single	monotheism
nano-	billion	nanosecond
neo-	new	neonatology
-ology	study of	biology
omni-	all	omniscient
-ous	quality/state	nebulous
pan-	all	pantheon
per-	throughout	pervade
peri-	all around	periscope
poly-	many	polygon
post-	after	postpone
pre-	before	precede
pro-	forward	progress
re-	again	reappear
retro-	back	retrogress
sub-	under	submarine
super-	more than	supermarket
sym-	together	symbol
-tion	quality/state	preservation
-ular	relating to	cellular
un-	not	unwilling