College Compass

4 Tips to Properly Study for an Exam

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Dave G

Exam season is buckling down. Before you go haywire on studying, let us teach you how to study efficiently. Believe it or not, many students waste precious hours of study time by studying the wrong way for their exams. Knowing how to properly study for an exam is the first step in acing it. Follow our strategies and be ready for those dreadful exams. 1. Preview Your Notes Before You Begin Studying Before you dive right into memorizing every single page of your notes, first briefly skim them so that you get a general overview of the material that you … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores | Tagged 4 Tips to Properly Study for an Exam, how to properly study for an exam, how to study efficiently, Preview Your Notes Before You Begin Studying, Rewrite Your Notes, Use Mnemonics While Studying, Use Outlines and Graphic Organizers | Leave a comment

Medieval Medicine and SAT Vocab

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Calvin

Students preparing to take the SAT are always trying to find new tricks for learning all those obscure vocabulary words that the test makers love to cram into the verbal portion of the exam. Sometimes knowing a little history can make it easier to remember a vocab word, or even several. Melancholic, choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, humor, and temperament are some of the most commonly tested words on the SAT, and while they might look hard to remember (and pronounce), knowing where they come from and the strange relationship they have to the dark ages will ensure that they stick in … Continue reading →

Posted in Vocabulary | Tagged SAT vocabulary | Leave a comment

How Do I Cancel My SAT Scores?

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Jessie

Canceling Scores & Utilizing Score Choice: Part 1 How Do I Cancel My SAT Scores? If you come out of the SAT knowing you did poorly, you have 2 options to “cover up” your bad score. 1) You can cancel your SAT score or 2) You can use Score Choice when sending colleges your SAT scores. In this post, I will cover canceling your scores, but check out our other posts from this series to better understand score choice and rescheduling test dates. Canceling Scores & Utilizing Score Choice: Part 2 – How Do I Use Score Choice to Show … Continue reading →

Posted in Standardized Tests | Tagged SAT, sat subject tests, score cancellation | Leave a comment

Ask Test Masters – Work Experience & Resumes

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Jessie

You ask and we answer! Do you have question about college admissions, applications, entrance exams, or anything pertaining to college preparation? Drop us a line at Ask Test Masters, and we will answer your question in an upcoming post! Question: I am working on my college resume, but I don’t feel like I have enough to fill the page. I haven’t received an award and I don’t have any work experience what should I do? Answer: A resume is meant to show off your strengths, not highlight your weaknesses, so there are ways to spin your resume to work for … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Interviews, Resumes, & Essays | Tagged college admissions process, resume, work experience | Leave a comment

Healthy Brain Food for Test Day

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Dave G

It’s testing season! Whether or not it’s the SAT, the ACT, AP Exams, and/or even your final exams, it is important to make sure you have a healthy test-taking diet to fully get your mind prepared for what lies ahead. Here are a few suggestions as to what you should include in your meals so that you can boost brain function for test day. PROTEIN This includes eggs, ham, sausage, bacon, salmon. They contain the brain-healthy nutrient choline which boosts brain cell function, which in turn boosts brain productivity as well as memory. FRUITS Berries are considered … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Standardized Tests | Tagged brain boosters, brain food, brain-healthy nutrient, fruit brain food, Healthy Brain Food for Test Day, healthy food for your brain, healthy test taking diet, nuts and seeds brain food, protein brain food, vegetables brain food, whole grains brain food | Leave a comment

SAT Vocabulary Word of the Week: Abrasive

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Dave G

Each week, College Compass offers a vocabulary word that will help prepare you for the SAT and PSAT. We aim to give you not only the best words to study, but also the most accurate information so that you remember these words. Knowing these words will help lead you to the correct answers on the verbal section, thus adding to your score…which is the whole point of learning the vocabulary, right? THIS WEEK’S WORD ABRASIVE [uh-brey-siv] adjective Overly aggressive; Coarse; Harsh EXAMPLE: Although it may not be the best way to be, one way to be PERSUASIVE is to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Vocabulary | Tagged abrasive psat, abrasive sat, PSAT vocabulary words, SAT vocabulary words, testmasters vocabulary list, Testmasters vocabulary words | Leave a comment

A Chat with a Perfect Scorer

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Jessie

Joan Zhang with Test Masters Scholarship

In January 2012 Joan Zhang bubbled her way to SAT perfection. This is no small feat, as each year less than .02% of high school students earn a perfect 2400. I had the pleasure of talking with Joan about her success and her preparation with Test Masters. Through our chat, I discovered something unexpected – she is just like any other high school student. That’s right, Joan isn’t a hybrid teenage robot who magically computes every correct answer on the SAT. Many people put perfect scorers on an idealistic pedestal laced with stereotypes – Perfect scorers know what they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Standardized Tests | Tagged 2400, perfect score, SAT, SAT advice, SAT practice, SAT prep, Test Masters | 1 Comment

Northwestern University is all Smiles with the Happiness Club

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Jessie

For many college students, stress and frustration from deadlines and rigorous academics are part of life. If you are looking for a university that eases the tension, Northwestern University just might be for you. Walking through campus, you may notice students dishing out “free hugs” and sharing smiley face stickers. This is because students on campus have united to form the Happiness Club. With lemonade stands, hot chocolate booths, silent dance parties, and bubbles, the Happiness Club aims to alleviate collegiate stress and build a stronger community. The official vision of the Happiness Club is: to “try to foster a … Continue reading →

Posted in College Profiles | Tagged Campus life, Northwestern University, school organizations | Leave a comment

Avoid Senioritis and Stay Accepted in Your Last Month of High School

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Dave G

Congratulations Seniors! You are just one month away from the beginning of a new life. By now most of you have been accepted to college. Now, it’s just smooth sailing from here on out, right? It can be. But DO NOT mess up such great opportunities that are coming your way! Here are some ways in which you can stay focused and stay accepted. Organize Your Time Effiectively If you were one of those students who flew through high school without having to write out your daily events, well way to go. You survived. But now it is time to practice … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Seniors | Tagged accepted to college, Avoid Senioritis, Avoid Senioritis and Stay Accepted in Your Last Month of High School, Continue to Challenge Yourself Academically, Find Future Fellow College Students, Get Extra Volunteer and/or Work Experience, Organize Your Time Effiectively, Stay Accepted in Your Last Month of High School | Leave a comment

SAT Vocabulary Word of the Week: Placid

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Dave G

Each week, College Compass offers a vocabulary word that will help prepare you for the SAT and PSAT. We aim to give you not only the best words to study, but also the most accurate information so that you remember these words. Knowing these words will help lead you to the correct answers on the verbal section, thus adding to your score…which is really the whole point of learning all this vocabulary in the first place. THIS WEEK’S WORD PLACID [plas-id] verb Pleasantly calm or peaceful; tranquil. EXAMPLE: Sitting on the dock overlooking the beautiful lake might just be the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Freshmen, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Seniors, Advice for Sophomores, Vocabulary | Tagged placid act vocabulary, placid sat vocabulary, PSAT vocabulary list, sat vocaublary list, testmasters vocabulary list | Leave a comment