Education Resource

Jane Saeman asked:


Most students intending to progress from school into college are aware of the SAT tests and how they can affect their chances of getting into the college of their dreams, but increasingly there’s a knowledge that SAT isn’t going to be enough, that adding an ACT score can give them an even better advantage of acceptance. Whereas a SAT score is based only on the 3 basic components of Verbal, Mathematics and Writing (required), the ACT covers 5 components including English, Mathematics, Science and Reading plus a writing test which is optional.

ACT results take about 8 weeks to come back so you need to keep this in mind if you hope to use this to support your college application. Make sure you take the test in plenty of time — you can even take it up to a year beforehand if you choose to do so. If you’re looking for scholarships, then having a good result quite far in advance of the application process will mean you have more scholarship opportunities still open to apply for. If you have left it late for taking the test this year, then take advantage of the early viewing period which is about 2 weeks after you take the test. This means you can find out what your score is before the actual results are mailed out to you by checking them out online, and you can use this in your application process.

It’s going to cost you about $8 to do this, but if it helps you secure both your first choice college place, and a scholarship, then it’s well worth the investment.

If you find that your scores are lower than you’d hoped, or need for your college, then it is possible to redo the ACT again. This is another reason that it’s a good idea to do the test early on in the school year as you’ll have plenty of time to revise and then retake the ACT without being under time pressure — remember however that taking them again is a gamble, it is possible to get a lower score instead of the higher one you desire!

The best possible ACT score is 36, so you’re aiming to get as close to this as possible to give yourself the best advantage possible with regards to your college application. Make sure that you know what ACT score requirement is needed for the college your applying to and that’s the minimum of what you’re aiming for!

There’s a handy chart at the ACT organization’s website that will let you see how your score ranks up against others who have taken ACT during the same year as yourself. This allows you to see how you measure up not only for the college of your choice, but also against your peers on a national level.



Tamara

Pat O’bryan asked:


I just got back from driving through the hill country and listening to Dan Kennedy interview Gene Landrum. As a “gold” member of Dan Kennedy’s mentoring service, I get CDs every few weeks of Dan, or his partner Bill Glazer, interviewing a mega-successful entrepreneur.

Lundrum gave Dan a delightful interview full of amazing stories taken from his books. And he made me feel like I belonged to a group, which is a feeling I don’t get much- even when I’m hanging out with musicians. You’d be amazed at how many artists and musicians are just sitting around waiting to be discovered while they continue to do the same thing all the other musicians and artists are doing.

Losers, losing by following losers. Not much of a plan, but it’s pretty popular.

Until I discovered the internet marketing world, I felt like the only square peg in a world of round holes. Listening to Dan’s interviews makes me realize that I’m actually in good company- I’m a member of a group of entrepreneurs who follow Sam Walton’s Rule #1.

Do you know Sam’s “Rule #1?” He used it to build the most successful retail business in history.

Do you want to know the secret that he used to make WalMart unstoppable?

Keep reading.

His “rule #1″ has been my credo all my life, and I’ve caught a great deal of shit for it- it turns out that Ayn Rand, Thomas Edison, Frank Lloyd Wright, Henry Ford, H. Ross Perot, Donald Trump, Richard Branson, and most of my other heroes had the same credo.

Want to hear a story?

Due to a bizarre and surreal series of circumstances, I found myself living the life of a high-school drop-out street hippie in 1973. I’d tell you the story, but you wouldn’t believe me.

Kafka’s an amateur compared to East Texas wingnuts- and I got on the wrong side of a town full of East Texas wingnuts and had to quit high-school at 17.

My best option at the time was to move in with a house full of hippie musicians in the Montrose area of Houston. It was shelter, and we usually could scrounge food- Anderson Fair, a spaghetti restaurant that featured folk music, would feed us in return for a few hours of music, but only the zucchini spaghetti.

You can live on zucchini spaghetti if you have to.

We played strip clubs and gay bars. We played for peanuts- literally.

After a year or so of this, on a hot and humid night, I accidentally drank a quart of mysterious tea, which caused me to take a psychic time-out. When I came back from visiting the red queen, I realized I needed to go to college.

So, I walked, in the early morning hours, through the darkest, most dangerous part of Houston, to the bus station and took the bus home. I walked into the house as my father was drinking his morning coffee and announced that I was ready to go to college.

Skeptical, he suggested I get a job. After a year or so of manual labor, I finally made my way to North Texas University- on the strength of a good SAT score and a better audition with the piano faculty.

After a year of cutting down trees, I was probably the “buffest” piano major on the campus. While I was there, I designed and -with the help of a physics major buddy of mine- created the first laser light show in the southwest. We had a running engagement at the Fort-Worth Museum of Science and History.

After three years at NTSU, I sent an audition tape to the University of Texas, and got accepted in their graduate composition program.

I still hadn’t gotten my high-school diploma, technically, I was a high-school drop-out going to grad school.

I loved college. I ended up with music and English minors, but that only tells part of the story. I was a photography major, studying under Gary Winnogrand. I studied journalism. I took art classes. I was in heaven. My degree plan was to not worry about getting a degree. I was getting an education.

After a few years, I got a glimpse of the naked under-belly of the modern classical music world and didn’t like what I saw. A showdown with a famous composer during a seminar was the final straw.

He accused me of prostituting my art by making money writing commercials. What a crock! This was the same guy who financed his studio by doing sound-effects for shampoo commercials. And some of the other ways he prostituted didn’t have anything to do with his art.

I bailed on college, and joined a rock band.

Wouldn’t you?

A short time later, we were touring with Cheap Trick, Heart, ZZ Top, The Climax Blues Band- it was a wonderful, exhausting, amazing experience.

At this point in my life, I was probably the best educated high-school dropout rock star on the planet.

What’s this got to do with internet marketing, writing e-books, and running an international online business?

EVERYTHING!!!

I think the most valuable benefit of my internet marketing lifestyle is the people I get to hang out with. After years of being a loner, I’ve got a “peer group!”

I get to hang out with Joe Vitale, who broke all the rules in the book publishing business, and went to number one twice on the national best-seller charts- while the authors who played by the rules sat around and complained.

I get to hang out with Cindy Cashman, who made a million bucks by “writing” and promoting a blank book with a great title.

I get to hang out with Craig Perrine, who has achieved amazing success by breaking the rules in the internet list-building business.

And there are many others- the internet marketing is world populated with wild, intelligent, brave, and interesting people.

These are the mavericks- the square pegs- I’m honored to know them.

All my life, I’ve heard “get a REAL job!”

The miserable, gray people- the ones trapped in the job they hate (which, according to Dan Kennedy’s research, is at least 2/3 of the population) wanted me to join them in their misery.

Parents. Teachers. Unsuccessful musicians. Bosses (musicians have lots of bosses- because we keep a day-job just long enough to book gigs, then we move on).

Television- Trump and Branson have TV shows, and that’s a good start… but they’re about hiring employees! The winners get a JOB!

You can bet your momma’s egg money that Donald Trump doesn’t want a job. Richard Branson doesn’t want a job. They didn’t get where they are by working for someone else.

I think they should award prize money to the contestant that tells Donald Trump to take a flying f**k at the moon, and starts his own business.

The education factories- imagine what would happen if schools taught entrepreneurship instead of wage-slavery? Our whole education system sucks lemons because it’s based on a 19th century model, and designed to turn out workers- for jobs that haven’t been available in decades! Factories that turn out waves of miserable, gray people- suffering through the week and living for the weekend.

What would happen if they taught people how to think, instead?

Family- here’s the big one. Anytime my family gets together, I get to hear about how I’m the one who’s always “coloring outside the lines” from one of my relatives- he thinks he’s insulting me!

That’s the thing I’m proudest of, and the key to my success. Nobody ever accomplished anything important, or grand, or OUTRAGEOUS by coloring inside the lines.

Following the rules is for losers.

Did you notice the list of heroes I put at the top of this article? They have a lot of things in common:

1. They didn’t wait for permission to be great- they just went ahead and did it.

2. They didn’t worry about credentials or diplomas. Richard Branson has an eighth grade education. Frank Lloyd Wright had about three months of formal schooling. All educated successful people, regardless of how much “schooling” they have, are self-educated. You can’t trust the educators to educate you.

3. They were OUTRAGEOUS! Branson and his hot-air balloons, and now space flights. Thomas Edison announcing the light bulb long before he actually had created one. Everybody on that list listened to sage advice from the gray people and called bullshit on it. Then they went on to create a better world.

4. They made their own rules. And then broke them.

5. They had grand failures, followed by grand successes.

I tell my clients at the Your Portable Empire University, and I’ll tell you- there ain’t no such thing as failure. It’s all data. To succeed BIG you may have to fail big. It’s just a stretch of highway- you may have to go through some bad road to get where you’re going.

The odds that we will be as successful as Thomas Edison or Richard Branson are small, even if we try… but if we don’t try, there’s no chance at all.

I’d rather fail big than live small, wouldn’t you? Especially knowing that “failing big” is just a stop on the way to “living large.”

And what was Sam’s “Rule #1?”

Here it is: “Break the rules.”



Erin

Global Education asked:


About SAT

The SAT is an aptitude test. Like all aptitude tests, it must choose a medium in which to measure intellectual ability. The SAT has chosen Math and English. Most of the aspirants for undergraduate studies to US need to take it. NEW SAT takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes. It contains Critical Reading, Math and Writing Section. The NEW SAT is about 2400 marks, English section is for 1600 marks while Math section is 800 marks. The writing section is measured on a scale of (0 to 6 points). SAT is offered 6 times a year in India you can register for the exam online on www.collegeboard.com. The present fees for SAT is around $ 85 USD, You will select a test day, pay with an international credit card and complete the transaction entirely online. SAT scores are valid for a period of 5 years.

About SAT SUBJECT TEST

SAT subject test where formerly known as SAT II, subject tests are given to access your skills in specific areas subjects include Math, History, Physical Science, Literature and SAT Subject Tests are given to assess your skills in specific areas. Subjects include math, history, physical sciences, literature, and foreign languages. SAT Subject Tests are an hour long and consist entirely of multiple-choice questions.

The score is from 800 marks. It is taken as per direction of universities for the choice of programs mentioned.

About Graduate Record Exam

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is taken by students interested in pursuing their Masters program in US but renowned universities across the globe accept GRE scores. GRE is essentially a computer adaptive test which is about 2 hours and 30 minutes. It consists of Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing. The scoring pattern of GRE is on Verbal (800), Math (800) and Analytical Writing section is graded on a scale of (0 to 6 points). GRE is offered all year around you can register for GRE on www.gre.org. You need to pay $160 USD for registration. GRE scores are valid for a period of 5 years.

About GRE subject test:

The GRE Subject Tests are intended to measure your knowledge of specific subject matter. Subject Tests are available in eight disciplines: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Literature in English; Mathematics; Physics; and Psychology. These tests are given in paper-and-pencil format. These tests are given separately from the GRE General Test and require additional fees. Check with the universities to which you are applying to determine whether any of these extra tests are required.

About GMAT:

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is taken by students interested in pursuing MBA program in the US. It is also accepted by major business schools world wide. It consists of 3 sections (Quantitative, Verbal, and Writing). It is a 4 hour computer-adaptive test (CAT). Scoring pattern is on a scale of 800. GMAT is offered all year around you can register for GMAT on www.mba.org . You need to pay $250 USD for registration. GMAT scores are valid for a period of 5 years.

Importance of SAT, GRE, GMAT:

As the admission process gets tougher every year. It is mandatory for

the students to prepare sincerely for the above exams. The preparation

time for these exams extends from three months to six months. On a

broad spectrum the ETS board the governing body for the exam evaluates

students on their knowledge in Math and English from grade eight to

degree level, but individual stress is given on basic writing skills

as far as Analytical writing is concerned.

Do’s and Don’t for Exam preparation.

The do’s

1. Be realistic in your expectations.

2. Do take the writing Analytical section seriously.

3. Take practice test with the sole aim of improving your endurance and timing.

4. Take mock test as far as possible it acts as a dress rehearsal.

5. Practice alone makes you perfect.

The Don’t

1. Don’t be too confident about your test taking abilities.

2. Don’t focus only on particular testing areas at the cost of other sections.

3. Don’t be obsessed about scores during practice.

4. Don’t burn the mid night oil without a proper back up plan.



Rosa

Jonathan C asked:


I have good grades but not the top, I mess up sometimes and dont talk in class. I am shooting for a very high SAT score. Will my SAT score make up my average, 95?

Raul

markisusmarkmark asked:


I’m taking the SAT II’s tommorow. If I don’t list any score recipients in my account, does that mean I can’t send my scores to colleges later when I apply for college?

Maurice

Queen of All Trades asked:


My SAT scores are posted online. However, it gives the separate scores for the Reading, Math, and Writing. In order to know my total score, am I suppose to add all of the scores together?

Gail

Hugh Goldsmith asked:


Mathematics is a problem for countless students. Memorizing formulae, clearing concepts and calculating huge equations is quite abstruse for most of us. In fact, it is often noticed that many students perform really well in all their subjects but mathematics. Therefore, to deal through this academic incapability of a student towards mathematics, many parents are now considering for some valuable added source of assistance for their children. And this kind of assistance is widely served by the organization of math tutor New York. An experienced math tutor not only focuses on the problems of the student but also provide him with the efficient guidance for better understanding.

A recent survey has proved that working couples get to spend only an hour with their children. Hence, this statement is valid enough to justify the fact that they practically cannot afford to pay much attention to their kid’s education. Such a scenario in a family, demands a presence of a well qualified math tutor New York who can take the responsibility of the student. On the other hand, in many cases, parents themselves are not from the math background and because of this, it is completely out of their reach to help their kids with the problems related to mathematics. Hence, under such circumstances, the students are left with no other option than depending on the classroom studies, which in turn, are definitely not sufficient. Moreover, they are also required to concentrate on other subjects along with the difficulties of mathematics. Thus, getting a math tutor New York is an intelligent decision, as he knows the best about time management and can provide the students with perfect solutions when it comes to sorting out the problems of mathematics.

Almost all math tutors from New York are well trained in teaching kids of different levels. They basically have various techniques and charts that offer elaborative study about each and every concept of math. Moreover, they also make efforts to establish a convenient relationship with the student, so that they should not hesitate in asking questions and discussing their weak points. They conduct frequent tests and assignments to test the performance of their students. Many students have a tendency of memorizing the formula and escaping through the mechanism. This kind of an attitude should not be entertained with the students as it may block their level of understanding the basic concepts of mathematics.

You can easily search for a professional math tutor New York from the source of the Internet. All tutors providing such services present their entire descriptive profile on the web through the websites. These sites display each and every detail about their years of experience, number of students, qualification and specializations. Try to contact their previous clients and students for more information about their teaching style and strategy. One can also consult with his or her friends who are already taking the services of these tutors for the improving their child’s future in mathematics. Do not neglect the fact that only sincere efforts and regular practice can make your child smart in mathematics.



Robert

Joshua D asked:


I need an idea of the SAT score requirements in order to be more aware of the standards I have to put myself into when preparing for the SATs. =)

Troy