Included in this post are the 365 most common and frequently tested vocabulary words for tests such as the SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, ACT and GRE exams.
This vocabulary word list will help in your preparation for these exams.
This list was prepared by Admissions Expert and Founder of Top Test Prep, Ross Blankenship.
In the next few posts, I’m going to cover some basic information on how students can best prepare for the SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, SSAT and several more. The College Board’s SAT test is released and administered roughly six times per year, and students often use a combination of test prep books, tutoring, and self-study to be prepared for the exam. No matter your method, there are some basic tips you can follow to be best prepared on test day.
SAT Test Strategies:
(1) Practice under timed, actual conditions. By simulating the test environment, you will be better prepared on test day. What this means is that if the SAT exam will be held on a Saturday at 9am, then you should take every practice test at the same exact time. You should also follow the exact instructions on the test and take only the amount of time allowed for your breaks. Often times students prepare for the SAT by taking random sections of the test at odd hours of the week. This disorganized approach won’t help you on test day. Every time you take a test, it must be under the exact conditions – time, day of the week and a quiet location.
(2) Focus on fewer questions. Students are perplexed when I tell them this. There’s a belief by many students that quantity will out measure quality when prepare for the SAT. Yes, you should still try thousands of SAT questions – but when you go through and grade them – pick a few from each section to focus on for during your remaining preparation. So do 2000 to 3000 SAT practice problems, but pick 5 to 10% of these – between 100 to 300 – from all of the combined questions, and focus on them for the rest of your SAT preparation time. These questions will no doubt be similar to those that will appear on the actual SAT exam.
(3) Set a solid study schedule. I can’t emphasize this enough! If you are preparing for the SAT and you don’t have a study schedule that balances all of your work, school, and extracurricular activities, you’ll likely lose focus and your long-term vision of improving your test scores. Your study schedule should include at least 15 to 20 hours per week of actual SAT preparation. You need to treat your SAT prep as if it were a part-time job. Too often I hear students say they’re too busy, or just don’t have enough time to get your scores up. The bottom line is…you do have time. Any high school student can prepare – no matter the number of AP courses, extracurriculars, other jobs – there’s no excuse. Set a solid study schedule, and stick to it!
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This article about “How to Prepare for the SAT” was written by President and Founder of Top Test Prep, Ross Blankenship. Top Test Prep provides test preparation and private tutoring for the SSAT, ISEE, SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT and more. Ross Blankenship is also an admissions expert and educational expert who helps students get into top schools.
How college admission offices use social networking sites‚ and why that matters for your MySpace, Facebook and other pages
Imagine taking the time to fill out your college app, write a stellar essay, then ending up being rejected from your top college choice or a scholarship opportunity because an admissions rep checked out your Facebook page and didn’t like what was there.
It happens.
Never before has it been so simple for admissions officers to get extra information about students. Simply looking at someone’s Facebook or MySpace page can be an excellent indicator as to whether or not they really fit the personality picture that their application painted.
A 2009 Survey performed by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) found that 88 percent of admissions officers said that social networking sites (such as Facebook or MySpace) were either somewhat important or very important to their current and future recruitment efforts.
How to deal?
Of course, there are some ways to avoid the negative impacts of social networking. Here are some.
1. Don’t use them. The simplest way to avoid this problem is to avoid social networking sites altogether.
2. Turn all privacy settings on. With applications such as Facebook, you can control who is able to view your profile. While applying to colleges, it may be worth turning all the privacy settings on.
3. Ask your friends and family for their opinion on your profile. Have them look at your profiles to ensure they won’t have a negative impact on your reputation. They will often give you the most objective opinion as to whether that latest party photo is too risky.
4. Always err on the side of caution. Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you think your social networking activities are too risky, then take the profile down.
Always consider the impact that social networking can have on your applications. Taking the time to do so now will ensure you aren’t left wondering why your application was denied.
Ross Blankenship is the president and director of TopTestPrep.com. He is an admissions expert who has helped students get into top prep schools, colleges and graduate schools through Top Test Prep’s private tutoring and admissions consulting programs.
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