College Compass

PSAT/SAT Vocabulary – Antidisestablishmentarianism

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Bill

This Week’s Word: Antidisestablishmentarianism [an-tee-dis-uh-stab-lish-muhn-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm] noun Both the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT have been known to test students on seemingly absurd words, and antidisestablishmentarianism is a doozie. Most people may look at this word and panic, but College Compass SAT vocabulary experts (that would be you) know not to be afraid of a few fancy prefixes. Consider this word, what is the first thing you notice about it? It should be that the word begins with two prefixes, “anti” and “dis.” Both of these prefixes commonly indicate that the word they help form will be opposite in meaning to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Miscellaneous, Vocabulary | Tagged Antidisestablishmentarianism, PSAT Vocabulary, SAT vocabulary | Leave a comment

Grammar Crammer – Pronoun Case

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Calvin

When studying for standardized exams that test standard English, we tend to become increasingly self-conscious of our own use of grammar in our everyday speech and correspondence (if tweets and facebook posts count as correspondence). Sometimes, we might even go too far and over-correct ourselves. Well intentioned as these over-corrections might be, the SAT and ACT consider them to be just as wrong as the original mistakes. One of the most common instances of over-correction is the use of the pronoun “I” when the pronoun “me” should be used. Most people have no trouble spotting errors in which “me” is … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment

5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Calvin

School is finally out for summer! Congratulations, you’re free! Now what? Just because there isn’t anything you have to do now doesn’t mean you should spend your whole summer on the couch eating potato chips and watching reruns while obsessively checking facebook. Summer is in fact a golden opportunity for padding your resume and getting ahead of the competition when it comes time to apply to college (I know you didn’t want to hear that, but it’s true). Summer activities aren’t just about looking good on your college applications, though – they should be fun, too! These 5 summer activity … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Miscellaneous, Opinion | Tagged Improve Your College Application, Improve Your resume, Summer Activities | Leave a comment

Be a National Merit Scholar! Part III – Scholarship & Opportunities

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Bill

Incentive is the mother of all motivation, and the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) is no exception; one of the most obvious reasons students compete so desperately to become National Merit Scholars is the financial reward that accompanies such an achievement. Before we dole out sagacious and prescient advice on how to Be a National Merit Scholar! (like study your vocabulary, for example), we want our students to know exactly what they are competing for. There are several different types of scholarship associated with being recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). National Merit Scholarship $2500 Scholarships – … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Sophomores, Financial Aid, Scholarships, Standardized Tests | Tagged Be a National Merit Scholar!, National Merit, PAST, PSAT/NMSQT | Leave a comment

ACT Math – Trigonometry Sample Question

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Calvin

One of the main differences between ACT Math and SAT Math is that the ACT tests trigonometry, while the SAT does not. So, what kinds of trig questions can you expect to see on the ACT? Consider the following typical problem: Which of the following is equal to tan(Θ)cos(Θ) when sin(Θ) = (2/3) and 0<Θ<(π/2)? There are two main ways you could go about solving this: with a calculator or without. Because I know how much you love your TI-83s, let’s try the calculator way first. First, we need to find Θ, so we can type the following into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous, Sample Questions | Tagged ACT, ACT math, example problems, Trigonometry | Leave a comment

A Word from Humanities Texas Teacher of the Year, Camille Quaite

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Bill

“When I stop learning, I shall stop living.” – Camille Quaite Camille Quaite, a teacher at Bellaire High School and Test Masters employee since 1996, was recently recognized by Humanities Texas, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, for excellence in teaching. Ms. Quaite, who was one of only thirteen other recipients, was meritoriously given the prestigious Humanities Texas Teacher of the Year Award. Quaite, who is known for her bold commitment to the humanities in the classroom, expects her students to dedicate themselves to learning as she has dedicated herself to teaching- Quaite says, “Ophelia, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous, Opinion | Tagged Texas Humanities | Leave a comment

Ask Test Masters – Should I Just Give Up Hope?

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Bill

Have a question? Ask the experts at Test Masters!

Reader Malik asks, “I took my SAT and ACT and my scores were far from the best (1500 and 22). I want to get a really good score, my dream school is actually Carnegie Mellon but I do not meet their test requirements. I’m planning on retaking the test but I doubt that I will get a great score. I have a 3.8 GPA and I’m fairly active. Please tell me, do I have any chance at all at getting into a real good school. Should I just give up hope?” Dear Malik, Having an excellent GPA goes a long … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Ask Test Masters, Miscellaneous | Tagged Can I get into a good school with a below average SAT score?, Carnegie Mellon, Low act score, Low sat score, What do I do if my SAT score is low? | Leave a comment

How Many Times Can I Take the SAT?

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Bill

In the past, if you took the SAT more than once, every single SAT score you had ever received was included in your college application. It’s the way things were, all the good, bad, and ugly just jumbled together for any old college admission officer to see. No wonder students would freak out about the SAT, every score went onto a permanent record. Today, students can utilize a score reporting policy known as Score Choice. Developed by College Board to “reduce student stress and improve the test-day experience,” Score Choice allows students to pick which SAT Score Reports get sent to … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Miscellaneous | Tagged Applying to College, college advice, how many times can I take the SAT, how many times should I take the SAT, Prepare before you take the SAT, prepare for the SAT, score choice, take the SAT again, Taking SAT multiple times, What is the magic number for taking the sat | Leave a comment

What does it really take to get into the Ivy League? Part X: Epilogue

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Calvin

Over the past year I have read and responded to many questions from bright, eager high school students who want to know if they have what it takes to get in to their dream schools. Usually, their inquiries go something like this: “These are my grades, these are my test scores, these are my extracurricular activities, etc. Do I have what it takes to get in?” or “I’ve been doing really well, but I have this one problem. Can I still get in?” The answer of course is always some variation on “it depends.” I always give the most helpful, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, College Majors & Programs, College Profiles, Miscellaneous | Tagged College Admission, college advice, college applications, Ivy League | 2 Comments

SAT Critical Thinking

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Bill

Consider the example problem below; read the short passage, review the question and answer choices, and try to determine the correct answer on your own before moving on to the solution. This problem would fall under the Critical Reading category, however it is a little advanced for the SAT. That is to say, rest assured that the majority of questions you face on the SAT will not be as difficult as this example problem. The point of this exercise is to give you an example of the type of critical reasoning you will need to be capable of to obtain … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous, Sample Questions | Tagged Critical Reading, SAT, SAT prep | Leave a comment