Dear rising seniors, the first chance to take the SAT will be shortly after school starts this Fall term. Be sure to take time at the end of summer to get an academic coach and a good study guide (Princeton Review for example) to help you score your best on your first attempt at the SAT (or ACT).
The SAT has sample questions on their web site, but it is not enough to prepare you for the actual exam. Areas of Math that are covered include algebra, geometry, arithmetic, conversion of units of measure, understanding value insertion into a rational expression in one or two variables, word problems, and reasoning skills.
The essay portion asks for specific examples to support your argument in the given topic. If you can't keep up with current politics, then you need to review some of the key monetary, political and social events over the past half century in our country.
Get into the habit of reading the news--local, national and international. The BBC World News station on TV is one of the best for world news events. They have won several broadcasting awards for their excellence in presenting the news from around the globe. I am sure they have streaming video on their website as well. You are about to become a responsible citizen of this country and the world. Remember that information is power!
The reading comprehension sections may be one long passage, two short comparative passages or one moderately long passage. Questions appear in the order of the reading materials for the single passages. Remember to read a little, answer a few questions, read some more, answer some more items, etc. If you spend the whole allotted time reading, you score no points!
The grammar and the vocabulary are contextual. For example, you will be given a sentence and you must judge whether the grammar is correct as is or there is a better way to state the sentence. The vocabulary sections have one or two blanks in the sentence(s) and you have multiple choices of words that best fit into the context.
The vocabulary words are college level words and not ones familiar to you, so get a good guide for SAT vocabulary words.I recommend perusing several books over the summer and making flash cards in 3 segments of the alphabet for each of your summer months, i.e., vocabulary beginning with letters A-J for June memory work, K-R for July memory work, and S-Z for August memory work. The more words you can add to your vocabulary before testing, the better your language score will be. Besides, you are likely to see some of these words in your reading comprehension as well.
Here's hoping part of your July and August will be spent with Academics Upward Tutoring in Spartanburg, SC to prepare you for your college board exams!
Dr. Linda B. Greer drgreer@charter.net
BS Chemistry, minor in Biology
MS Polymer Chemistry, minor in Statistics
Ed.D Math Curriculum & Instruction, College Level
