Tutor Doctor Longmont: SAT and ACT tests: the Rise (and Why) in Taking Both

Testing, Testing

More Students Are Taking Both the ACT and SAT 

excerpts from  TAMAR LEWIN Tamar Lewin is a national education reporter at The Times.

Published: August 2, 2013 Source

AS if applying to college isn’t taxing enough, the process seems to have been ratcheted up another notch. Ambitious high school students are no longer content with just one college admissions test. Not a single college requires it, but many applicants to the nation’s most selective colleges and universities are taking — and retaking — both the ACT and the SAT.

GRAPHIC: Where the SAT and ACT Dominate

For more than half a century, the ACT was the also-ran of the college admissions world. Although almost every college for years has accepted either test, the SAT has long represented the gold standard. Some Eastern colleges actually frowned on the ACT, and few students outside the South and the Midwest, where the ACT has been the dominant assessment, would even consider taking it.

In fact, the ACT has pulled ahead for the first time: 1,666,017 students took the ACT last year; 1,664,479 took the SAT.

It’s not that the SAT is losing customers. On the contrary, the number of test takers has grown. It’s that the ACT is growing much faster, in part because 12 states now require, and pay for, all public high school juniors to take the test.  This included Colorado. Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming require students to take the test, and Arkansas pays for the ACT if districts want to offer it. The SAT has only Delaware, Idaho and MaineThere is also a real shift in the behavior of top high school students, with many more choosing to work toward impressive scores on both tests.

Some schools have 10th graders try the Preliminary SAT but also PLAN, the ACT version, to see which yields a better score and thus which to prep for. The following summer, serious test preparation starts. Whether reviewing on their own, in classes or with a private tutor, a considerable chunk of the next year and a half is devoted to vocabulary lists, problem sets, mock tests, real tests and retests; Advanced Placement and SAT subject tests add to the workload..

There are clear differences between the tests. The ACT has four long sections, the SAT 10 shorter ones. The ACT has a science section and covers more advanced math, including trigonometry. 

Speed is more of an issue on the ACT,  with many students finding that they do not have enough time to work through all the questions (the ACT allows only 45 minutes for 75 English questions and 35 minutes for 40 reading questions, while the SAT gives 70 minutes for 67 reading questions and 35 minutes for 49 writing questions).

Jonathan Chiu, the national content director of high school programs at the Princeton Review, offers a similar analysis, citing gamesmanship in taking the SAT. “ACT is more straightforward in their question construction,” he said. “In math, they give you the information you need and tell you to solve for x. The SAT would give you the information, then ask for the value of 1/x. But since you’re going to have to solve for x to get there, they’ll make the value of x a possible answer, knowing your eyes will go straight to the number you’ve just figured out.”

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“The tests predict college performance equally well, and despite urban legend, most people do about as well on one as on the other,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s dean of admissions and financial aid.

“We see a lot of test results between the ACT, the SAT, the subject tests, Advanced Placement and the International Baccalaureate,” he added, “so it doesn’t concern us at all whether students send the SAT, the ACT or both.”

Need to score better on the SAT or ACT test?  Did not do as well as you had hoped on your practice test?   Do you need a better GPA for college?  contact  Tutor Doctor Longmont today for a FREE consultation to show you how we can help.

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Tutor Doctor Longmont: Smooth Transition: Getting Ready for School

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Can you believe school is about to start at Coal Ridge?   Or is this your student’s first year at Fall River? The summer is almost done and the new academic year is creeping up faster than you can imagine. If you want a seamless transition to the new school year—let’s say at Aspen Ridge Preparatory School or Timberline-- planning and preparation will make it easier on everyone. Here are a few things you can start doing now to help your students to get back into the groove.

Happy mornings: Did you have a few bad mornings last year? Were the early mornings hard to start for Trail Ridge?  Think about what went wrong and try to institute routines that will make your mornings easier. If your students don’t like getting up, then completing homework, packing bags and setting out clothes the night before should become part of a new morning routine. Discuss these new routines with your students and get their input on bathroom schedules, lunches and breakfasts—they are far more likely to participate in a routine that they helped create.

Get back into the routine: Staying up late and sleeping in have probably become a habit in your home, so start getting your kids to bed a little earlier.  Altona and Skyline start earlier that Indian
Peaks.  Set an alarm so that they get up earlier too. This will help with the switch back to an academic timetable.

Reconnect: Get together with other moms and let your students reconnect with school friends they may have missed over the break. Reconnecting with friends will help them to look forward to a new school year.

Wardrobe check: Go through your student’s wardrobe with them to see what fits and what doesn’t. This will also help you to see what they need for the coming school year. Shopping for a new school wardrobe will also get them enthusiastic about the going back to school.  Does your school have uniforms-  such as  Twin Peaks Charter?

Get organized: Buy a large chalkboard or calendar for the kitchen and start filling in activities and sports as well as travel arrangements so that everyone is informed and prepared.  

Catch up with paperwork: Every new school year brings a slew of reading and paperwork that needs to be done. Starting now will mean you are prepared for the new year and the school has all the information they need.

Start your stationery shopping: Starting early means that there is no mad rush at the end and that you save money on school supplies.

Planned lunches: Making school lunches is one routine you will have to get back into. Ask your students to make a wish list of the lunch items they would like to see on the menu. Plan a schedule for lunches so that you are not scrambling around in the morning.

Tutors: If your student struggled with a subject last year, book a tutor for the start of the academic year. You don’t want your student to fall behind or feel overwhelmed. Getting a tutor will help them to fill in gaps and build confidence.   Call for your FREE consultation.  Do you know what the Tutor Doctor  difference is?

Prevent brain drain: Take your student to the library to get some books. Reading and writing exercises now will help them to get over the summer holiday brain drain. 

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Tutor Doctor Longmont: How to Save Money with Back To School Supplies

Picture by Liz Latham

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 Whether you live in Niwot, Dacono, Longmont or Frederick, you can save money with these simple tips. Returning to Indian Peaks or Alpine Elementary doesn’t have to be expensive. Check your local school’s websites for needed supplies.  

Reduce the Cost of Back to School Supplies

Along with new wardrobes, sports uniforms and stationery, back to school supplies can really pack a financial punch. Starting early will give you enough time to find coupons for your favorite products, shop around for all your essentials and avail yourself of deals that could save you fistfuls of money. 

Make a list

Start with the school’s recommended list of stationery and add other essentials you and your student deem necessary for the coming academic year. Give the house a thorough once-over to find just how many of these items you already have. Check drawers and cupboards for markers, pencils, pens and other stationery items you may have lying around. This list is sacred; do not be tempted to deviate from it when you are in the store unless you discover an item that you have forgotten. 

Shop around for deals

Go online to compare item prices in different shops in your neighborhood. Of course you don’t want to go to each individual store to buy a couple of items because the savings can be negated by traveling costs. Shopping online for items will alert you to any special deals or sales that stores are having and, if you know what to get from each store, you can pop in over the next couple of weeks if you happen to be driving by or are in the area. If you find great deals online with free shipping or shipping that costs less than your shopping travel expenses, then order them online—this will save you money and time!

Coupons are king

If you are not using coupons, then now is the time to start. You can get amazing deals on everything from clothing to pencils if you download and print coupons that you find online. It only takes a minute and can save you 30-50% of your back-to-school spending. Work with other parents so that ‘buy one get one free’ deals can be shared between families. Some of the most popular couponing sites are:

Coupon Divas

The Crazy Coupon Lady

Target

Bargain Briana

Common Sense with Money

Coupon Cravings

Deal Catcher

Retail Me Not

Getting Crafty

Avoid buying Disney-themed stationery or celebrity-endorsed items and get some craft supplies from the dollar store instead. Get your students to design their own covers for files, pencil cases and books. That way they will have created unique one-of-a-kind items that look great but cost less.

Clothing Swap

Get together with other parents to arrange a clothing swap. This is a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way to add to your wardrobe. Every student has clothing that they no longer use which is still in excellent condition. Parents and students can meet to exchange items of clothing and share their wardrobes. Unwanted items can then be donated to a charity. You can get more details on how to run a successful clothing swap here.

This year getting ready for the new academic year need not cost you an arm and a leg. After the back-to-school rush has passed, many stores have sales on their back-to-school items that didn’t sell. The frugal parent can shop then for the future and stock up on supplies that they will need next year. 

Tutoring

Don’t forget the best back to school item—a tutor!! Tutoring can be an investment that saves you on future education costs.  Call today to find out how to begin your best investment ever!

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Tutor Doctor Longmont: What to Expect in High School

Feeling a little intimidated about starting at Skyline or Silver Creek?  It’s no small wonder! This is the year when every grade matters and your permanent record counts. The transition to Erie or Frederick High School is a big one  too and may take a couple of weeks or months to get used to. It’s really good practice for the jump from school to college life which is an even bigger change. One of the ways in which you can make a seamless transition to high school life is to learn good organizational skills and have a solid base in math, science and language arts.

Academic tracks

You’ve already selected the academic track you will take to realize your future career aspirations, but it’s impossible to judge how much you will enjoy a subject before you start taking it. If you find your workload is too big, it may be advisable to defer some courses until you have found your footing. It’s best to do a few things really well than many things badly. If you are feeling overwhelmed or you have trouble keeping up with or grasping material, speak with your teacher, parents or student counselor.

Dealing with academic issues early on will mean you have time to change tactics or get a tutor who can help you to stay ahead of the curve. Great teachers, such as the ones at Longmont High School and Lyons High School, and parents are there to support you and help you through the transition.

Take care of yourself

With the increased academic load, it’s important to maintain a good balance in life. This is a life skill that will ensure a happier healthier you. Take time out with friends and socialize, eat well, exercise regularly and make space in your life for family time too. Getting the balance right is tricky, so speak with counselors or your parents if you are finding that you don’t seem to have enough time to fit everything in. 

Be prepared

The first few weeks at Mead or Niwot High School or any St Vrain Valley High school are the hardest. You can ease the transition by getting organized before your academic year begins. Ensure that you know the basic layout of the school so that you can find all your new classes with ease. You should also be aware of how long it takes you to get from one class to another so that you can avoid being late.

Identify your support group and know which of your friends will be attending school with you, who your teachers are and which counselors are there to help.

Join social and sports groups early on to help you to make new friends with similar interests. Getting involved will help you to feel at home.

Tour the school’s website for important information, teacher profiles and other pertinent rules and regulations that may apply to you.

High school is a fun, exciting time for you. While it may seem strange and intimidating in the beginning, you will soon get the hang of things. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are not coping socially or academically. You will be amazed at how helpful your fellow students, parents and counselors will be. 

Need organizational skills or test taking skills help? Are your math or language arts classes getting harder and harder?  Are you starting a new language and need some extra help?  Call Tutor Doctor Longmont for one to one learning in your home.  We serve the St Vrain Valley School  Longmont, Firestone, Erie, Frederick, Niwot, Dacono, Mead.  A FREE consultation STARTS YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!! We take the stress out of homework and tests. :)