Today many of our students took the ACT Exam, June 2008. Here is some feedback we received:

Most difficult section: Math

Increased emphasis appeared to be on Trigonometry and Intermediate Algebra. Not as many coordinate geometry questions. Although on average there are typically less than 5 questions involving trigonometry there were more according to some students.

Here is the typical ACT Math Section: 14 covering pre-algebra, 10 elementary algebra, 9 intermediate algebra, 14 plane geometry, 9 coordinate geometry, and 4 elementary trigonometry.

Reading: Average difficulty. Nothing too unsual. Here’s the typical ACT question breakdown: 35 minute, 40 question reading section measures reading comprehension in four passages. Today’s reading section featured nothing out of the ordinary including one reading passage on Neanderthals (very common for test writers to include passages with complex scientific terms).

Essay Topic:
Lawmakers arguing whether companies should be able to advertise harmful products; your point of view.

Science:
Conflicting view points: two different graphs supporting the arguments
Data Representation, somewhat more difficult with more questions than usual.

The ACT science section is a 35 minute, 40 question test. There are seven passages each followed by five to seven questions. There are three Data Representation passages with 5 questions following each passage, 3 Research Summary passage with six questions each, and one Conflicting Viewpoints passage with 7 questions.

If you have more information you would like to share, any specifics, please feel free to do so. We’ll post a trend analysis on the ACT later, but wanted to share some of the feedback we had received.

For students:

The ACT exam hopefully went well. If you have any questions or comments, or are interested in getting help on future tests -contact us.

For parents:

Once the test scores come back, give us a phone call or fill out our consultation form to get help. Our ACT Tutors will help you figure out exactly what went well and fix the ACT sections that need improvement.

Although it might seem like the ACT exam is too difficult, our strategies and methods help students succeed on their tests. So if you took the ACT exam today, June 14th, take the day off, you deserve it.

Ross Blankenship, Director of Tutoring and Admissions Consultant

Call (800) 501-Prep to find out about more ACT prep and ACT private tutoring.

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As sample of a new test prep and admissions consulting commercial is ready.

Top Test Prep provides SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT and other test preparation services. Here’s a commercial made by Google’s great short story creator.

Contact Top Test Prep today for private tutoring and SAT, LSAT, ACT, and GMAT Prep – (800) 501-Prep.

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We came across a unique article about the most interesting, dare we say “strangest” scholarships and wanted to share with our readers. Some pretty amusing ones and all credit goes to Jenny Sweeney, who we cite below. Top Test Prep writers thank her for posting this.

Oink, Oink

Has your room been compared to a sty? Are you comfortable living in a messy habitat? These aren’t requirements for a scholarship, but they are attributes of the creatures you care about – pigs! If you’re interested in creatures of the bovine persuasion, this is the scholarship for you; the International Boar Semen (IBS) Scholarship is available for those interested in swine management. For more information, visit piggene.com/IBS/ibs_home.htm.

The Next Generation of . . . Klingons

Trekkies, leave your capes, figurines, posters and other memorabilia behind. Just bring, well, yourself! Klingon Language Institute, in an effort to promote language study, awards one lucky winner a $500 Kor Memorial Scholarship-but don’t worry, fluency in Klingon is not a requirement. Check out the requirements for this scholarship at: kli.org/scholarship/.

Think Tall Thoughts

You’ve got Michael Jordan’s stature but you’re about as agile as a water buffalo. That’s okay with Tall Clubs International! Males over 6’2″ and females above 5’8″ are encouraged to apply. The reward is no small (pun intended) amount either; Tall.org awards a whopping $1,000 scholarship to the winner. Find more info at: www.tall.org.

Yo, Shorty!

For the vertically challenged, the Billy Barty Foundation offers scholarships to students of “short stature”. Similarly, the Little People of America awards students – and their families – scholarships. To join, members must be 4’10″ and shorter. Scholarship amounts range from $250 to $1000. Read all the requirements at: lpaonline.org.

Bit of the Bubbly, Please

Finally, your weakness for wine might serve another purpose-besides the pounding morning-after headache. The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (AASEV) awards multiple students for enrolling in science fields relating to the grape and wine industry. The scholarship amount is not predetermined; it varies year to year. To read other requirements for this scholarship, go to: asev.org/scholarship-program.

Bowling for Dollars

Though those middle-school years of loitering around bowling alleys have ended, your talent for earning turkeys may finally be cashing in. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) offers a range of scholarships, including the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow that offers a $1,500 renewable scholarship for distinguished male high school bowlers and the Alberta E. Crow Star of Tomorrow that also offers $1,500 in renewable scholarship funds for great female high school bowlers. Read more at: bowl.com/smart/locateState.aspx.

Got Milk?

The Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year award is given to twenty-five graduating high school seniors who have what it takes to sport the famous milk mustache; winners receive $7,500 in scholarship funds. If that’s not enough, winners receive a special ad that runs in USA Today. If that’s not enough, winners receive an all-expense trip to an awards ceremony at Disney Wide World of Sports’ Milk House in Orlando, FL and an induction into the Milk House Hall of Fame.

Offer an Organ

You signed up to be an organ donor when you received your license. Put that heart on your ID to use! The Students for Organ Donation Youth Leadership award one or two $500 to $1,000 scholarships to full-time high school or undergraduate college students. Successful candidates actively promote organ donation and transplantation. More criteria to apply for this scholarship can be found at: studentdonor.org.

Tee It Up

You’ve seen them trudging up and down the greens, toting thirty pounds of iron on their backs, and offering tips to improve swings, distance and posture. Finally, they’re due their recognition; Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, founded in 1949, offers anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 per year to caddies. Eligible applicants must have served at least two years as caddies, helpers in the pro shop or course superintendent operations at a club in Massachusetts. Read more information: ouimet.org/scholarships/

Hot, Hot, Hot

You’ve heard it, those three little words…in case of a fire: stop, drop and roll to safety. Earning a scholarship from the American Fire Sprinkler Association is almost just as easy; AFSA offers ten $2,000 scholarships per year to graduating high school seniors. Requirements include reading an essay and taking an online (and open-book) test. Read more about this sizzling offer on: afsascholarship.org.

Sweeney, J. (2008, February 22). Top 15 Strangest Scholarships. Retrieved June 3, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-15-Strangest-Scholarships&id=1002481

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