So, you’ve been studying for the ACT and have to take the SAT in April. Good news - there’s a lot you can apply from ACT prep.

What you CAN use:

• Grammar. The Writing & Language section of the SAT is very similar to the English section of the ACT. Definitely review the cheat sheet and grammar packet in your folder.

• Math strategies and content, especially for the No-Calculator section, where strategies are often most helpful in eliminating wrong answers.

• Paired passage strategy for Reading: Read Passage 1 first, then do the questions, then read Passage 2.

• Science strategies for any graph questions - treat each answer like its own T/F statement.

What is different:

• Reading. It is longer, more dense, and includes a thorny historical passage. Here are some tips:

  • Usually time is less of an issue, so take your time and ANNOTATE.

  • Use the blurbs/titles above the passages - they are way more helpful than the titles for ACT Reading, especially for the historical passage. 

  • Rely heavily on process of elimination and avoid extreme answers or answers that do not match the tone/main idea of the passage. 

• Math is divided into two sections, but timing is more forgiving. Matt’s tips:

  • There is a no-calculator section, so even writing out basic arithmetic is a good idea!

  • Grid-in questions - students have to fill in answers without multiple choice.

  • SAT provides a formula sheet for students to reference.

  • Calculators with CAS ARE allowed on the SAT.

No matter what, a good score can only help you! Don’t let the SAT intimidate you - trust what you know and do your best!

Summer is almost upon us. Sunnier days, warmer temperatures, looser schedules, and college essays. You weren’t expecting that last one, were you? 

Summer is a great time to travel, spend time with friends and family, make some pocket money, and generally take a break from the daily grind, but it’s also an ideal time for students to get started on writing college essays. 

College application deadlines have a tendency to sneak up on students in the fall. Everyone gets busy with school and extracurriculars underway, plus there are campus visits to make, school meetings to attend, and lots of online forms to fill out. To ease the load, we at ATC recommend students try to get a jump on essay writing in the summer.

Once students know where they plan to apply, our professional writing teachers are there to bring more ease, joy and purpose to the college essay writing experience. We coach students from brainstorming to final draft, assisting through each phase to help kids find their unique voice and tell their stories in the best way possible.

Most schools require some form of the all-encompassing “personal statement.” That term may seem vague or even scary to students, but our writing coaches can help candidates identify compelling personal stories and craft the best essay with any tone, style, or subject. We work to get to know our students and help them express their core values through their essays. This drafting process can take time, so that’s why it’s best to get started early. 

Supplemental essays are additional pieces of writing required by many selective universities, and they can be just as important and revealing as the personal statement. We help students sort through their college lists and the supplemental essays required in order to make a smart plan for writing. 

Every student’s process is different – just like every student’s story is different. An essay may take one student ten sessions to craft and another student churns theirs out in six. That’s why we offer different packages to suit students’ needs. And, as professional writing teachers, we make sure each essay is polished by the end. 

We are proud to announce that 2021 ATC essay students have been admitted into the following schools: 

Yale University

University of Chicago 

Brown University

Washington University in St. Louis

UCLA

Oberlin College 

Colby College 

University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Michigan

University of Texas

NYU

Indiana University

Ohio State University

…and more! 

How is the Reading section changing? 

Upcoming ACT tests may include one passage in the Reading Section that calls for students to interpret a graph, figure or table. Several of the questions will ask students to examine the ideas and data in the graphics and to assimilate them with details from the passage. The students’ responses will fall into the “Integration of Knowledge” category. 

Click here to see a sample from the ACT’s website. 

How should you prepare for it? 

The data analysis you are already doing for Science is great preparation. However, if you would like more practice connecting data from a figure to ideas within a passage, some SAT questions provide a good way to practice this skill. Check out passages 2 and 3 from SAT 1 on the College Board’s website. 

Are there any other changes to the Reading? 

We have heard from students that some passages are in a different order than the typical test. Also, certain passages may have 9 questions while others may have 11. Overall, these changes should not impact the strategies you’re already using to practice Reading, but it’s good to be prepared for different formatting. 

When are these changes taking place? 

The ACT has already started rolling out these changes on some test forms, but we believe they are  likely to show up on the December 2021 test. However, it is not guaranteed that every Reading section will include a graph, table, or figure. 

Standardized tests are a different hurdle than a subject-based test in school. The question types are repetitive, frustrating, and often designed to throw students off the scent. In order to maximize their scores, students should work with their tutor to master strategies that will position them to utilize their time wisely and avoid common mistakes:

1. Low Hanging Fruit

Simply put, some questions are hard and some questions are less so. On the score sheet, however, each correct answer earns the student the same number of points.

2. The Sunk Cost Fallacy

The sunk cost fallacy is the idea that “I’ve put in this much time, so I need to complete this task in order to make use of the time that I’ve put in.” This is a score killer on the ACT or SAT. The correct question is “How much time is wise to put into a question before the probability of finding the correct answer becomes too low to warrant continued effort?”

3. Jumping Ship

Every student should work with their tutor to establish a timeframe that is reasonable for a single question. A student should know that if they are still stuck after a specific timeframe, i.e. 45 seconds, that the best course of action is to mark the question for later and move on. It may end up taking the student 4-5 minutes to figure out the answer; in the same timeframe, that student could answer up to 10 other questions!

4. Taking the Test in “Passes”

When a student skips questions, it is still advisable to go back and give them a second try. The result of this skip and return method is that it creates tiers of questions. First, students go through the whole passage or section answering the easy and medium questions. Second, they take another pass attempting harder questions. Last, students attempt the truly confusing or seemingly impossible questions. If time runs out, students guess on the questions left unanswered.

5. Process of Elimination

Don’t worry about the correct answer. The surest and fastest way to the right answer is by eliminating incorrect answers. The patterns in test answers allow students to quickly eliminate incorrect answers by identifying self-contradictory answers, answers that don’t address the question, and answers that contradict passages, charts or data.

Process of elimination also builds in several checks for students by ensuring that each answer is read and that the most likely answers are read the most closely for matching to the relevant passage or chart.

6. Use the answers to find the answer.

The answers themselves will often provide invaluable clues for where students can look in the passages or what their focus should be in approaching a particular question. With practice on each respective test, students will begin to recognize patterns in answers and develop mental models that allow them to quickly extract the information needed.

Recently, the ACT introduced a change to how scores are presented. If students have taken multiple ACT tests, the company will now automatically calculate and display a superscore, which averages the HIGHEST score in each of the individual four sections.

For example, let's say Steve took the Feb test and his scores were the following:

English - 25, Math - 28, Reading - 29, Science - 22, Composite - 26

Then, he took the April test, and these were his scores: English - 30, Math - 25, Reading - 27, Science - 27, Composite - 27

His April composite would only go up 1 point from February, but his superscore would increase by 3 points because it would incorporate the highest scores from each test (italicized).

Superscore: English - 30, Math - 28, Reading - 29, Science - 27, Composite - 29

Ultimately, colleges MUST accept superscores for these scores to "count" in the student's application. However, the ACT just made it A LOT easier for schools to see these scores in one place. Students used to have to send score reports from multiple tests, but now the ACT puts your best scores front and center on one clear report. However, you still can (and should) elect to ONLY report one test if your scores are strong in all four sections.

Since this is a recent change, we don't know if it will motivate more schools to accept superscores (the list is growing), but here's our take on the pros and cons of this change:

Pros:

1. It puts less pressure on ONE single exam, taking into account other factors that could affect performance on test days.

2. In a year where many students are still considering test-optional, it clears the path for students who do test to report higher overall scores.

(Possible) Cons:

1. It may lead to more competitive ACT ranges for schools who do accept superscores.

2. Schools will see scores from all tests, so you may have to show colleges a less desirable score (like Steve's 22 in science) in service of a higher superscore.There's a lot more information on ACT's website, but we've gotten many calls and emails on this topic so we wanted to share our thoughts.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions and thanks for reading!

We are all looking forward to movies and other entertainment opening up, so we can go out with our friends. If you were to get this invitation, you would probably be eager to accept, and you would not be likely to correct your friend's grammar: “Ahem! You should say, 'he and I' are going to the movies, not 'me and him'!” But if you will be sitting for a standardized test focusing on proper use of standard written English, you'd better know how to use pronouns correctly.

The grammar analysis way to correct pronoun usage 

Some pronouns are in the “subjective case”: I, you, he/she/it, we, you, they, who. Use these pronouns to “do” the verb in the sentence, for example, “I like ice cream, you like ice cream, he/she/it likes ice cream,” etc. Other pronouns are in the “objective case”: me, you, him/her/it, us, you, them, whom. Use them to “receive” the verb in the sentence, for example, “Give me an ice cream cone, I'll give you an ice cream cone, let's give him/her/it an ice cream cone,” etc. (If you noticed that some pronouns do not change with case, good for you! English grammar is not logical!) Luckily, you can often choose the correct pronouns just by using your “ear”. But sometimes your ear can mislead you...

An easy way to avoid a pronoun trap

What about the sentence, “Me and Jess will be home late”? Or “She gave her tickets to Frankie and I”? These sentences may or may not sound funny to your ear. But here's how you can quickly and easily find the correct pronoun to use in these sentences: 

Mentally “cross out” the other person. 

If you cross out “Jess”, ask yourself: would you say, “Me will be home late,” or “I will be home late”? Easy, right? So if you put Jess back in, you would say, “Jess and I will be home late.” (It's polite to put the other person before yourself.) Similarly, ask yourself if you would you say, “She gave her tickets to I,” or “She gave her tickets to me”? Then you'll know the correct pronoun usage when Frankie is included: “She gave her tickets to Frankie and me.”

One more trick for who and whom 

Hardly anyone uses the word whom in conversation, so our ears get used to hearing who all the time. But who is in the subjective case and whom is in the objective case, and there are situations when whom is required. To easily figure out which to use, try this: 

Plug in they and them in place of who. 

If the word without the M (they) works, choose the word without the M (who); if the word with the M (them) works, choose the word with the M (whom). (If the who/whom appears in a question, make up a sentence to answer the question.) So, how about “Who/whom did Chris ask to the dance?” Let's answer that question using they and them: “Chris asked they to the dance,” or “Chris asked them to the dance.” Clearly, we want the M-word them, so we choose the M-word, whom: “Whom did Chris ask to the dance?” How about this one: “Who am I speaking to?” Let's answer: “I am speaking to they,” or “I am speaking to them.” Again, the M-word works, so “Whom am I speaking to?” (or, more properly, “To whom am I speaking?”) is correct. One more: “Whoever ran the fastest won the prize.” Well, “They ran the fastest,” or “Them ran the fastest”? We go with the not-M word, so whoever is correct.

A word of caution

Now that you know how to use pronouns correctly, don't annoy people with your new knowledge by correcting their conversational grammar. One mother made her kids roll their eyes when she insisted on correcting the grammar in classic songs: “Whom Do You Love”, “I Can't Get Any Satisfaction”, and “Lie Lady Lie”. (However, one of these children grew up to be a writer, and he ultimately appreciated his mom's efforts.)

Imagine you’re in a grocery store looking for tortilla chips. Maybe you remember a display with chips, salsa, and guacamole in a specific area of the store and head there first. If that doesn’t work, there’s always aisle markers, although tortilla chips could be under “snacks'' or “international,” so you may have to check a few places. Finally, there’s the surefire (but longer) process of going down every aisle until you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Skimming a reading passage can follow a similar process. Standardized test questions will often require readers to look back for information without giving them helpful line markers. However, among the biggest mistakes readers make are a) re-reading large chunks of the passage and wasting valuable time or b) looking frantically for information without using skimming techniques. 

This is where the grocery store analogy comes in handy: a flexible approach to skimming. Ideally, a reader can approximate the relative location (beginning, middle, or end) of a piece of information and skim for what she needs. Other times, a question might contain a key term, like “electric vehicles,” and she’ll have to use her “aisle markers,” or topic sentences, to identify the paragraph most likely to contain what she’s looking for. I’ll tell students to scan topic sentences for related buzzwords (like car or eco-friendly) before they decide to dive into a paragraph. If a question mentions a seemingly essential detail, a reader might have to skim the whole passage until she finds the sentence containing it. Best to do this quickly but methodically, starting at the beginning of the passage and progressing to the end. 

There isn’t one right way to look for a key phrase in a passage, but skimming is an essential skill in a time-based reading test. However, skimming should only be used when the reader NEEDS to find information to answer the question--it’s often better to rely on your understanding of the passage and process of elimination! ACT reading is always a crunch (and not the satisfying tortilla chip kind) so these strategies will help students skim efficiently when it’s required. The most important thing is to not get overwhelmed or lost in a passage without a precise idea of what you’re looking for!

Greetings, ATC families!

I know the transition from summer to school isn’t the easiest, but I hope students are settling in with new school supplies (somehow, it helps!) and a stimulating first week of classes. We’re busy gearing up for the September ACT exam at ATC, which is many of our students’ first official test. Here are some tips for what to expect on your child’s first ACT or SAT test, whether it occurs in September or April.

The first test is like the first pancake--it usually comes out a little different than expected.

Even if a student takes a full proctored test at home or at our office, there’s nothing like the real thing. It’s unnerving taking the test in a large group setting, bubbling official answer sheets, and of course, sending results to actual colleges. It’s totally normal for students to feel a heightened anxiety before the first test, which is often exacerbated by the pre-test routine (and early wake-up call). This is why we consider the first test to be part of the test prep experience and we caution parents and students: do not expect to be “one and done.” If it happens, great, but more often than not, the first test is a good way to prepare for test-day nerves.

Bring snacks and water.

And eat a good breakfast! Check out our instagram account @academictutoringcenters for our favorite pre-test overnight oats recipe. But seriously, this is a good time to eat protein, carbs, and sugar--bring something that will give you energy: a protein bar with chocolate or a nut butter and jelly sandwich. Gum and mints are good brain stimulators, too!

Don’t forget to breathe.

Sometimes, when we’re under duress, especially in a time crunch, we forget to save a few seconds for a deep breath. This is essential, especially if students feel themselves getting stymied by the test at any point. Even though the clock is ticking, nothing is going to help more in those moments than closing your eyes, taking a breath, and pausing for a mental break. If you’re interested in more mindful test-taking strategies like this, feel free to book a session with our resident mindfulness expert, Ellie.

Avoid talking about the test, both during and after the exam.

I know it’s tempting, but trust me on this one. Use the breaks to eat and refocus before the next section. And after the test, don’t dwell--go do something fun!

Sign up for the next one.

Wait ten days for the results, or just sign up. Either way, for both parents and students, knowing all of the eggs aren’t in one basket (I’m mixing my breakfast metaphors here) is a healthy approach to any test.

Wishing you the best in September from all of us at ATC!

Rachel

Dear ATC Community,

With college essay season in full swing, I thought I’d share a response to the most common questions I receive as a writing tutor/essay coach: What makes a good topic and how do I start brainstorming? Below is an excerpt from an essay I wrote for the parenting blog, Grown and Flown.

“That’s weird.”

In conversation, some might take offense to that response. In college essay writing, “weird” is a great start. Most people, especially socially conscious teenagers, try to avoid the label. However, unique interests, like playing the ukulele or collecting antique spoons, often reveal something significant, or at the very least, spark questions.

Identifying your most compelling quirks is a challenge. I often start brainstorming conversations with the question: what’s the strangest thing about you? However, it’s tough to look in the mirror and see beyond the familiar, especially when you’re facing down the pressure of application deadlines.

Writers must dig deeper to uncover the real personal essay gems. One strategy is to literally, dig. Most teenagers’ rooms could qualify as archeological excavation sites, layered with relics, old papers, ticket stubs, etc. While this is annoying for parents, it can be ideal for brainstorming. You might find a trove of old sketches or a forgotten journal, or maybe, a receipt that reminds you of the snowy day you went searching for sleds and wound up on cookie sheets. Sometimes, our subconscious tells us to save trivial things that have a special memory tucked within.

Another trick is to turn the question around, asking family or friends, “What’s the strangest thing about me?” This might turn a family dinner into a roast, especially if siblings are involved, but people close to us can often see endearing quirks we can’t. Some of the best essay topics reach toward the absurd or contradictory, like a surfer who’s afraid of the ocean or a kid teaching a parent how to ride a bike. One of my favorite essays features a mom who creates artwork entirely out of garbage. The core themes of the essay are embracing differences and finding beauty in strange places. That’s step two of the process. After identifying “the weird,” colleges expect students to delve deeper—extrapolating a quirk or experience into a larger, more meaningful idea.

To parents beginning the college process: encourage your teenager to welcome the weird, the paradoxical, and the downright bizarre as possible essay topics. Writing about these things not only separates human beings from clichés, it shows a self-awareness that comes from genuine introspection. In a sky-high pile of essays, it’s always refreshing for a reader to think, “I’ve never seen that before.”

As always, thanks for reading and good luck gearing up for the new school year!

Rachel

Hi, ATC friends!

Although the February (2020) test went well for many of our students, it was a frustrating experience for others. Why? ACT didn’t use a consistent “form” -- they gave everybody different tests, which resulted in a delayed score release. So, not only were there surprising elements across multiple versions, many students found out their scores with only a couple days to register for April (some results even came out after the registration closed!) Not cool, ACT. We think they’re testing out different options for fall when students can take individual sections, but we don’t know for sure. Unlike April and June where booklets are available, most details about the February test will remain a mystery.

However, instead of throwing the score report into the trash, here’s how to learn from it to get ready for April.

First, make sure you’re downloading the full report instead of just looking at numbers for each section. After you log in to ACT’s website, click on the link that says “download student report pdf”.

There, the information is broken down into distinct categories, which tell us a lot about what types of questions students are missing.

One of the categories I find most helpful is under English: Conventions of Standard English. This tells me whether or not students missed grammatical questions, so I can narrow our focus to practicing punctuation or subject/verb agreement rather than deciding when to “add” or “delete” a sentence.

Another category to look at is “Interpretation of Data” under Science. If your child is missing lots of questions in that category, it’s likely that he or she is misreading the graphs and tables, and not looking closely enough at axes, keys, table headings, or units. This is super important because most of the science questions directly involve this type of data analysis.

A second helpful part of this extended PDF is that it actually tells you how many questions your child missed in each section. Next to each percentage is a little number that shows how many questions in that category were asked. That way, test takers can turn their attention to the categories with the greatest amount of questions, rather than focusing on areas with low percentages and low question totals.

One other way to improve and get more information--take a free practice test with us! If you thought the February test was not indicative of your ability, we have free tests every weekend and a simulated, proctored exam at the First Bank of Highland Park twice a month. We even have one coming up this weekend and it’s not too late to sign up. Otherwise, don’t hesitate to come into the office and take a practice test on a Saturday/Sunday morning or over spring break.

If you have questions about your score report and want our input, don’t hesitate to ask. And also, if you are taking April (one month from today!), don’t forget to order your booklet so you can get the actual questions you missed and answers you put.

We are here with help, resources, and guidance for whatever you need!

All the best,

Rachel

From the perspective of college students; ATC Interns Jonah and Caroline

What is Chat GPT and how is it used?

Chat GPT is an artificial intelligence tool that generates answers to math and written questions, but can also provide human-like dialogue and produce essay responses. Students across the U.S. have discovered the tool as a useful aid in assignments and online tests. Although some may argue on behalf of its efficient information gathering, schools across the nation have had difficulty detecting plagiarism and enforcing rules regarding GPT’s use in schoolwork.

Okay, what risks do I need to know about?

The main and biggest concern of Chat GPT is plagiarism. Although students believe it is difficult to detect, AI-combatting technology can determine roughly how much of an assignment consists of information from Chat GPT, and over time, it will become stronger at detecting such plagiarism. Many students are eager to use Chat GPT for help on schoolwork, but the reality is that being caught using artificial ideas can result in failing grades or disciplinary action - even putting college acceptances at risk. Furthermore, using Chat GPT to think for you only inhibits your learning. When answers are provided for students, they miss the essential opportunity to struggle on their own to find the right idea or solution. With easy accessibility to this technology, students may see a decline in work ethic, writing ability, and test scores in school.

Can you use Chat GPT for college essays?

No. College essays are meant to be a glimpse into who you are as a person, and their most important aspect is authenticity and originality. Chat GPT cannot not generate an essay or idea that is true to you. To start a college essay, it is important to analyze the experiences and people who have shaped you into who you are. A Chat GPT college essay will be too broad and too cliche to give any meaningful insight into a student’s unique qualities.

Can this software be used responsibly?

With all of this being said, Chat GPT can still be very useful. For example, Chat GPT can help students check over their work and identify where they may have gone wrong in a problem (this works for practically any subject!). Additionally, Chat GPT can be a great resource to help brainstorm ideas for an essay or collect information for research purposes. Use Chat GPT as a resource, not as a solution!