Written by Dr. Kuni Beasley
\nTaken from Practical Homeschooling Magazine #107
\nJanuary\/February\/March 2013 Edition
\nwww.home-school.com<\/p>\n
1. \u00a0First Impression<\/strong>. \u00a0The more competitive the college, the more test scores are used to separate the GREAT students from the good students.<\/p>\n 2. Use the SAT & ACT Websites<\/strong>. \u00a0(Collegeboard.org & ACT.org) \u00a0There is a 50-point difference on the SAT between students who use the website and those who don’t (out of 800 maximum points)! \u00a0For the ACT, there is a 5-point difference (of of 35 maximum points). \u00a0As a minimum, we recommend a thorough trip through the websites, including taking the practice questions.<\/p>\n 3. \u00a0Not Academic Tests<\/strong>. \u00a0The PSAT, ACT & SAT are not academic tests. \u00a0They are tests of reasoning ability and problem-solving ability. \u00a0Until recently, the SAT published on their website that the SAT was a test of “Reasoning Ability”. \u00a0The ACT is not much different.<\/p>\n 4. When to Take the Tests<\/strong>. \u00a0Take the tests early and often. \u00a0Start in middle school. \u00a0Take the PSAT in October and take one SAT and one ACT for experience once a year. \u00a0In grades 9 and 10, the the PSAT in October and one SAT and one ACT per semester. \u00a0Junior year, take the September ACT, the October PSAT, and the October SAT. \u00a0Continue to take the SAT and ACT until you get \u00a0the score you need for admissions and\/or scholarships. \u00a0Senior year, repeat the same sequence until you get the score you need.<\/p>\n 5. \u00a0Myths and Truths<\/strong>. There is so much misinformation. \u00a0Make sure you know the facts about taking the tests!<\/p>\n 6. \u00a0PSAT\/NMSQT<\/strong>. \u00a0The Preliminary SAT\/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is administered in October for juniors. \u00a0Technically, it is a practice for the SAT and the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship. \u00a0Its effectiveness for SAT practice is pretty lame. \u00a0The only practical function of the PSAT is the National Merit Scholarship competition.<\/p>\n 7. \u00a0Testing Universe<\/strong>. \u00a0The college testing universe is divided into two camps: 8. \u00a0Test Components<\/strong>. \u00a0Here’s what’s on these tests. 9. The Truth About Essays<\/strong>. \u00a0The essay is included in the SAT and optional on the ACT. \u00a0You need to know if your student even needs the essay score. \u00a0Many colleges believe the essay grading is flawed, so thy use only the Math and Reading scores in admission and scholarship qualification. \u00a0Check with the colleges you are considering to see if they require the essay.<\/p>\n 10. \u00a0Test Prep Strategies<\/strong>. \u00a0Most prep courses provide a quick test intro or try to re-teach high school. \u00a0Neither of these have the effect of a real test-taking program. \u00a0We recommend taking the test several times to gain “test maturity” then undertaking a program that teaches specific test taking skills (we have one of the best).<\/p>\n 11. \u00a0Bad Test Practices<\/strong>. \u00a0When a student asks what to do to prepare for the SAT or ACT, the typical answer is “Practice”. \u00a0Although this is a sound response, it begs the question: “Practice what?”<\/p>\n 12. \u00a0The Week of the Test<\/strong>. \u00a0Here’s your general guidance: Night Before the Test<\/span> Day of the Test<\/span> For more details, visit www.RealCollegeScholarships.com and request the free, lengthier report, “12 Secrets Parents Need to Know About SAT and ACT.” \u00a0While there, also pick up the free report, “Secrets Parents Need to Know About M.O.N.E.Y. for College.”<\/p>\n Dr. Beasley taught college for 16 years, including 13 years at LeTourneau University. \u00a0He is credentialed to teach 14 subject areas through the graduate level. \u00a0In the 1990s, he opened and oversaw nine schools in the Dallas area. \u00a0In 2002, his schools converted to the Internet and were opened to homeschoolers. \u00a0His SAT and ACT prep programs have been used in public and private schools in nine states. \u00a0Dr. Beasley has prepared homeschoolers to be admitted to some of the top colleges in the country, to ear significant scholarships, to receive service academy appointments, and to obtain ROTC scholarships. \u00a0To find out more, visit NewCollegePrep.com and RealCollegeScholarships.com.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Written by Dr. Kuni Beasley Taken from Practical Homeschooling Magazine #107 January\/February\/March 2013 Edition www.home-school.com 1. \u00a0First Impression. \u00a0The more competitive the college, the more test scores are used to separate the GREAT students from the good students. 2. Use the SAT & ACT Websites. \u00a0(Collegeboard.org & ACT.org) \u00a0There is a 50-point difference on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,47,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classroom-help","category-informative","category-preparing-for-college"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1616"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1618,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616\/revisions\/1618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansashomeschool.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe SAT is from the College Board in New York City, with actual test development by the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ. \u00a0In addition to the SAT, they produce SAT subject tests, Advanced Placement Program (AP) exams, PSAT\/NMSQT, and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
\nThe ACT is from American College Testing in Iowa City, Iowa. \u00a0In addition to the ACT, they provide the EXPLORE test for 8th and 9th graders, the PLAN test for 10th graders, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) processing, and NCAA Eligibility processing.<\/p>\n
\nThe PSAT is a mini version of the SAT, with two 25-minute Reading sections, two 25-minute Math sections, one 30-minute Writing Skills section, and no essay. \u00a0It takes about 2 1\/2 hours, plus administrative time.
\nThe SAT has four elements and 10 sections: Math (three sections; two 25-minute and one 20-minute), Reading (three sections; two 25-minute and one 20-minute), Writing (two sections; one 25-minute and one 10-minute), Essay session (25-minutes – included in the test), and an “Experimental” section (Math, Reading or Writing section). \u00a0(The “Experimental” section in inserted for research purposes. \u00a0The test creator uses it to pre-test questions for future tests, to determine their difficulty level. \u00a0Students are not scored on this section, but you don’t know which section it is, so you can’t skip it.) \u00a0It takes about 4 hours, plus administrative time.
\nThe ACT has four sections plus an optional essay: \u00a0English (45 minutes), Math (60 minutes), Reading (35 minutes), Science (35 minutes), optional Essay section (30 minutes). \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 It takes about 3 to 3 1\/2 hours, plus administrative time.<\/p>\n
\na. Review 1-2 hours\/day Mon-Thurs
\nb. Drive to the testing site before<\/em> the test. \u00a0Know your route!
\nc. Get your Test Registration form<\/p>\n
\na. Eat a light dinner
\nb. Bathe. Set clothes out.
\nc. Get into by by 10:00
\nd. \u00a0Put the registration, your ID, a snack, 6 pencils, and 2 calculators in a plastic bag and tape it to the bedroom door.
\ne. Park your car close, with an easy way to get out (don’t get blocked in), and make sure the tank is filled.<\/p>\n
\na. Up at 6:00! \u00a0Hydrate: drink 16 oz of water
\nb. Have a light breakfast.
\nc. \u00a0Dress in light, loose, layers.
\nd. Get there early.
\ne. Turn your cell phone off. \u00a0Better yet, leave it in the car.<\/p>\n