Essay writing may not require long legs and lots of makeup, but it does benefit from the same cutting-edge “wow factor”. And the best way to make your essay runway-worthy is to give it some flair that says to the bleary-eyed reader, “Hey, this is going to be a good one.”

Not sure how to stand out? Try starting your essay with a one-word sentence taken from the theme of the assignment. For example, if the essay asks, “Do actions define a hero?” begin with “Hero.” Or, open your essay with a repetitive sentence: “A hero is x, a hero is y, but most importantly a hero is z.” Another good tactic is to begin with a thought-provoking question: “What is a hero?”

Standardized tests are taken by over a million students per year, and essay graders read hundreds of essays. Your essay needs to shine – so strut your stuff and begin with a stylistic bang!

From December 1st -8th you can vote on Facebook at www.votelgr.org EVERY DAY, and Chase customers can vote once on Chase.com. The non-profit that receives the most votes will win the 1 million dollars!

Please, we need your support. WilsonDailyPrep provides Let’s Get Ready students with online tutoring and the opportunity to receive a $100 graphing calculator to be used on an upcoming SAT as well as in college, helping make a huge difference in their test scores and future college success. However, in order for Let’s Get Ready to continue its invaluable work with disadvantaged students, we need you to vote this week! Voting at www.votelgr.org (can be daily up to December 8th) will make a significant difference in a student’s life.

And, please spread the word: we can all support deserving students as they reach for their college dreams. Additional information about Let’s Get Ready and how to get involved in the Chase American Giving competition can be found here: http://www.letsgetready.org/. Also, learn more about WilsonDailyPrep’s non-profit organization, Graph It Forward Today at www.graphitforwardtoday.org.

*Let’s Get Ready is an innovative, grassroots college access program started in 1998 on the premise that dedicated college students can coach, tutor, and mentor aspiring high school students on the SAT and college admissions process. Since 1998, the program has grown throughout the Northeast and has impacted over 12,000 students using over 5,000 college student volunteers.

Last night when I read a few of the stories I realized how terrific an exercise these mysteries are for my “big” kids – my SAT and ACT students. Reading success on the SAT/ACT requires inferential reasoning. These stories might be for 5th- 7th graders, but they make you think about and look closely at the text. In order to solve the mystery you have to look at every word and search for meaning behind the words. I guess I am not a very good detective because I spent quite awhile trying to figure out some of the mysteries within the book. And, I had to utilize every reading strategy I teach. Definitely not easy!

When I teach a class on how to address the reading passages on the SAT, I always wear a detective hat and carry a magnifying glass. We all need to be detectives when we read! What I love about these mysteries is that they are the length of an SAT passage (slightly longer) and they are fun! Students (and my children) don’t realize that they are gaining strong reading skills; all they want to do is figure out why Peter the plumber is guilty.

I can’t say that these short mysteries will turn my children into readers, but they are enjoying solving the mystery and I am enjoying watching them go back and back again to the story in order to fit all the clues together. I recommend sitting down at the kitchen table and reading the stories as a family (xerox the stories for all family members). Make it into a game – the first person who solves the mystery gets a cookie!

Books: Five- Minute Mini-Mysteries – Stan Smith

Kids’ Whodunits: Catch the Clues! Hy Conrad

I am sitting in the kitchen trying to tune out the Bears vs. Lions game going on in the other room. (My husband is from Chicago and is a huge Bears fan.) Last week I wrote about football and how having a gameplan is key to testing success. Well, this week I am giving you your playbook. What play you choose is up to you, but the one play that THIS SAT/ACT COACH RECOMMENDS is planning on taking a test at least twice!

Game plans: Pick ONE and stick to the plan!

Plan #1:
You want to start studying now or have been studying since September, and you are thinking about taking both the SAT and ACT.

• October PSAT
• December ACT

Evaluate scores from both tests during holiday break and pick one test to pursue intensely in the winter/spring. (If this is your plan you must sign up for the December ACT by November 4th.) Sign up for the WilsonDailyPrep (www.wilsondailyprep.com) for a month to become familiar with the ACT. Or, participate in a FREE Graph It Forward Today ACT Study-a-thon. Go to www.graphitforwardtoday.org for details.

Plan #2:
Begin studying for the SAT now. Take the SAT twice and then think about taking the ACT in April and June if not happy with your SAT scores.

• October PSAT
• January SAT
• March SAT
• April ACT
• June ACT

Plan #3:
Begin studying now for the ACT. Take this test twice and then begin studying for the SAT in early March if not happy with your ACT scores.

• December ACT
• February ACT
• May SAT
• June SAT

Plan #4:
Begin studying in the new year (January 1st) after PSAT scores are released. Follow Plan #2 or #3 but move the dates to late spring/ early fall of senior year.

• February ACT
• April ACT
• June SAT
• October SAT

Or…

• March SAT
• May SAT
• June ACT
• September or October ACT

Plan #5:
The Ping Pong approach – I DO NOT RECOMMEND!

• December ACT
• January SAT
• February ACT
• March SAT
• April ACT
• May SAT
• June ACT

If taking SAT II’s please keep these subject tests in mind when creating a game plan. You can take up to two SAT II Subject Tests in one day, but you CAN NOT take a Subject Test the same day as the SAT I. Many students take SAT Subject Tests in either May or June (correspond with studying for AP exams).

Remember, the key to winning a game is to have a plan, show up for practice, and go in ready to dominate!

Weekly Word

Impasse (noun): A situation in which no progress is possible, esp. because of disagreement.

Foreman Irwin reported that the jury had reached an impasse and could deliberate no further.

Football players have a set season: a set training schedule, a set of scheduled games, and a set of strategic game plans. A good coach motivates players to stick with the schedule and be ready for game day. Training is involved. Practice. Confidence. Test takers, too, should have game-days planned in advance. It is crucial that students have a pre-determined plan for tackling standardized tests in order to be in control, perform at their absolute best, and succeed on test day.

1. Take a PSAT and an ACT as soon as possible. (The October PSAT scores do not come out until December, so students should take a practice exam on their own to get an immediate score. Go to your high school guidance office to obtain these exams.)
2. Compare the PSAT score to the ACT score. Go to http://wilsondailyprep.com/files/article/SAT_and_ACT_Score_Co31CA9D.pdf for the comparison chart.
3. Think about taking both exams if the scores are the same. (In this case I recommend starting with SAT preparation since SAT skill building increases ACT scores but not the other way around.)
4. Plan on taking and studying for only one of the exams if the scores are significantly higher on one test.
5. Go to http://wilsondailyprep.com/resources/ to see when the tests are offered and create a timeline.
6. Create a study plan based on this timeline.

Once a game plan is set, stick to it! This will ensure that goals are set, worked towards, and reached. Also, the testing schedule is very tight, and changing things around only prolongs the process. The test schedule also depends on the student’s areas of expertise, personal schedule and college choices. Remember that final exams, AP exams, SAT II’s, concerts, games, etc. also need to be fit in. High school students tend to be extremely overloaded!

All students are different! Some may hit a home-run their first try. Others may need to take the test three times before hitting their marks (which is not uncommon). Therefore, plan on taking the tests multiple times.

Are you now thoroughly confused? More stressed than before? Relax! Next week we will give you some sample game plans.

Weekly Word

Paradox (noun): An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.

Paul voiced his paradoxical belief often. He continually shouted, “The world is flat.”

• 2 hours long
• Contains 3 sections – critical reading, math, grammar (called writing on the test, but the section just focuses on grammar)
• Scores not reported to colleges
• Used to award National Merit Scholarships – but only 3% of all students taking are eligible because one must score approximately a 2100 or higher!
• Registration is usually through the schools
• Thought to be a predictive indicator of future SAT scores (see my former blog post about this)

So if the scores are not sent to colleges and you are not one of the 3% eligible for a scholarship, then why take the PSAT? What is the purpose of this exam?  Well, there are a five main reasons:

1. It’s good to sit through a standardized test and experience what many students consider torture.   Think of it as building up your tolerance!

2. Use the test to recognize if you need to bring more water or candy, if you need to sleep more the night before, and if you need to take Tylenol to get through the test!

3. Assess whether you have a timing issue, meaning you can’t finish each section in the allotted time.

4. See if you need to engage in a future test prep course.

5. Evaluate whether the SAT is even for you!   If you HATE the PSAT then think about the alternative exam – the ACT.

Many schools now offer this test to sophomores as well as to juniors.  Personally, I think 10^th grade is too soon to begin torturing students.  Students in sophomore year should still have an idyllic view of the world!  What many students consider torture (testing and test prep) should not begin until junior year!  Many sophomore students burn out if they begin prepping too early.  (Yes, beginning vocabulary study is never too early, but other than this – wait!)

So… begin sharpening those pencils and packing your goody bag.  Yet, please remember that the PSAT does NOT count for 97% percent of you and therefore you should not lose sleep over this exam.

A key to scoring to your potential is to know when to move on! If an answer doesn’t jump out at you and you begin to hear the imaginary “tick/tock” then you should do one of the following:

1. Pick an answer and put a note on your test booklet so that you remember to return to the question after you have answered all the other questions. You do this when you have invested time in the question. Meaning, you have spent 30 seconds (or more) analyzing the question. Narrow down the choices to three (usually two out of the five answer choices are ridiculous and can be eliminated immediately) and then make an educated guess. You do not want to completely skip the question because you have already invested time and brain cells!
2. Completely skip the question and come back to it later (once again putting a note on the test booklet to remind you). Skip when you see that the question is so difficult that you will not be able to make an educated guess without spending an enormous amount of time on the question. For example, if you glance at the last question on the sentence completion page and see that you do not know any of the vocabulary then don’t invest time – just skip!

Not investing time and simply skipping is a great strategy for the reading passages. Often, the answer to a skipped question will become clear as you answer other questions. Go back and answer skipped questions after you have finished the other questions in the passage or you have finished the section. For example, reading questions that require you to look at line passages for every answer choice given should be skipped and answered at the end of the reading. Same goes for “All of the following… EXCEPT” questions. These are time intensive questions that will take less time if all other questions are answered first.

Frustration and anxiety arise when you come to a tough question you cannot answer. And, frustration and anxiety can destroy any test-taker. Therefore be SMART – make an educated guess or simply SKIP the question – and move on. As you take the test the brain develops a natural rhythm and what seemed impossible a few minutes ago might not be so impossible now. Nobody is watching you take the test- answer the questions in the order you want to answer them! Don’t get caught up on a single question. Come back to it!

Did you know that the Skip to My Lou song is really a dance? That is the goal for taking this test; dance your way through the test with confidence and a sure foot . So, skip to my Lou, my darling!

Weekly Word

Trite (adj): Cliché; lacking originality or freshness.

Trite Terry never had an original thought or idea. He always just repeated whatever cliché fit into the situation.

Promiscuous Pronouns…

The “pronoun” was a 4th grade vocabulary lesson that you never thought you would need to worry about…until now. He, she, it, you, us, they, them, etc. – these are pronouns. Pronouns are the number one mistake on the SAT and are also a real problem on the ACT. Since pronouns are in all the wrong places with the wrong words, I always tell students to think of pronouns as promiscuous.

Promiscuous means characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association.

A pronoun must take the place of one, and only one, specific noun! If a pronoun is going with all sorts of nouns, it is a promiscuous pronoun, and this is a very bad thing. If you can’t tell what noun the pronoun is taking the place of- another bad thing. And finally, if the pronoun des not agree with the noun- yet another bad thing!

So, since being promiscuous is not a good thing, pronouns, too, are not a good thing on these exams. Therefore, always check pronouns twice in the grammar section and make sure they are correct! (Always make sure to especially double check “it”. “It” is the most promiscuous pronoun on both tests!)

Want some practice? Try this exercise:

Choose the best way to phrase the underlined portion of the sentence. If the original version is the best phrasing, choose choice A.

Laurie, Jimmy, and Tom were running home from school yesterday when he tripped and fell.

a) when he tripped and fell.
b) where it was Tom who tripped and fell.
c) when it was him who tripped and fell.
d) when Tom tripped and fell.

Answer: D. In the original sentence, who is “he” referring to? We don’t know, so “he” is promiscuous! Fix it by replacing “he” with “Tom”. Now the sentence is clear.

You have decided to enroll in an SAT/ACT Prep course and you are ready to begin… now what? How do you choose a program that is right for you? What types of programs are best? Should you do in-classroom study, online coursework or both?

In my experience, students benefit from in-person coursework, coupled with online practice programs. One enhances and reinforces the other. However, if you can only do one or the other that is okay too – just as long as you do something. Preparatory courses are critical to SAT/ACT success.

For onsite coursework, first, choose a program that provides full practice exams under timed conditions. The more realistic the practice is to the actual exam, the more at ease and prepared you will be when the time actually comes. Next, you want engaging, experienced tutors that have many tricks and strategies up their sleeves. Young and energetic may seem good, but young often denotes a lack of experience. Look for programs that offer qualified tutors (with many years under their belt) and that offer separate teachers for both the math and verbal portions of the tests. You want instructors who are experts in his/her field –not all fields. The more specific the expertise, the better!

As far as frequency goes, I advise you find a course structured to 2-3 hours per week – with a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks lead-time. With the WilsonDailyPrep program, our students spend three full months preparing – with very positive results.

For online courses, I recommend my WDP program because we hold students accountable. Yes, our program takes only 6 minutes a day and this may not seem like enough – but if students are not taking an onsite course in conjunction with our program, we provide EXTRA weekly work and individualized feedback.

Lastly, I do not recommend online courses that fail to provide ACCOUNTABILITY – an actual person guiding the student and making the student complete weekly assignments. I often see students who mean to and want to study, but time slips away! It is very hard to spend the weekend on reading, writing, math, grammar – on top of schoolwork! With our program, you have a personal coach giving you that extra nudge along the way!

Beginning the essay is always the hardest part. Below are three KEY suggestions to consider before the pen ever hits the paper.

KEY #1: DO NOT BUY ANY OF THE COLLEGE ESSAY BOOKS SOLD AT BOOKSTORES OR ONLINE SITES

College Essay books are filled with polished, professional essays – the elusive “one in a million” examples. After reading ten of these “perfect” papers, you will begin to psych yourself out, thinking that your essay will never be good enough. Even worse, you may try to model your essay after one of the examples presented in the books. Bad idea! Why? Because your college essay should reflect YOU and YOUR VOICE, not someone else’s “perfect” one.

KEY #2: DO NOT TRY TO BE SOMEONE YOU’RE NOT

Instead, turn to yourself. You need to write about a moment, an event, a turning point, or a passion in YOUR life. Don’t write about being the captain of the football team or president of the law club. Although these are certainly impressive duties, they’re boring! All of this information is already on your application. College admissions committees want to see something more! Therefore, write about something not already listed on your resume or transcript. Write about an important friendship you formed because of playing football or a specific, exciting day spent while president of Amnesty International. Maybe you were involved in a letter campaign that changed some legislation or a guest speaker resonated with you and became a hero in your mind. These sort of details provide insight into you as a person.

Remember, the primary goal of the college essay is to show you for who you are. Are you funny? Persistent? A leader? The essay is your chance to truly show off and let the college hear your voice.

KEY #3: WRITE FROM THE HEART

Colleges do not expect you to have performed heart surgery, written award-winning operas, or climbed Mt. Everest. So, stop thinking that you need to write about something exceptional and just write from the heart. Write about the everyday. Write a “slice-of-life.” You want to set yourself apart from the other applicants by pointing out what makes you unique. I once read a terrific essay about a young man who loved to eat chicken soup! Remember, unique does not necessarily mean spectacular.