Tips for Parents and Students for College ACT Test Success from Virtual Nerd Expert Tutor Leo Shmuylovich

The ACT college entrance exam is is administered many times throughout the year and many students are feeling extremely pressured as this test can be the deciding factor as to which college or university they will attend.  Test-taking anxiety and high stress levels are common this time of year and expert tutor and co-founder of the “Parent Tested Parent Approved” interactive tutoring website Virtual Nerd, Leo Shmuylovich, is here to help. Leo offers the following steps for successful ACT testing:

1)        GUESSING IS OK - First and foremost, remember that there is NO PENALTY for guessing. No matter what, make sure you at fill in a bubble for every single question. That means you have to make sure that you leave yourself enough time to bubble in an answer on every question (even the ones you didn't have time to read).

2)        ELIMINATE WRONG ANSWERS- You’ll have a better chance at guessing right if you first eliminate some answers, so when you a read a question, read the answers too! You’ll be surprised how many answers you can eliminate if you just take the time to read them over and apply them to the problem. Process of elimination is a technique that tutors really focus on for ACT and SAT.

3)        PLUG ANSWERS CHOICES INTO THE QUESTION - One way to get intuition about eliminating answer choices is to plug in every single answer in a math problem and check to see if it works. So if the problem is asking you to solve for a variable in an equation, just plug in the different answers and the one that works is the right answer! When you’re taking the test there are some tricks to plugging in the answer choices, and ACT tutors love teaching those to students. The key though is to get comfortable working with the answer choices, because then you’re not just taking the test, but you’re taking the test apart!

4)        FOCUS ON CHARTS AND DIAGRAMS - Diagrams and charts are also really important parts of the ACT. If you have a geometry problem without a diagram, then drawing one yourself, and keeping it to scale, can be a great trick for quickly figuring out the problem. If there is a diagram already drawn, use the diagram to estimate what they’re asking about. On the ACT, diagrams are almost always to scale. When you see a chart or graph, especially in the science section, you should get excited, because for the most part the problems in that section will be based completely on just interpreting the chart or the graph. You can basically skip the written description! ACT tutors often tell their students that 1/3 of the science section can be completely mastered if you just get good at interpreting charts and graphs. So when you’re practicing the science section, focus on charts!


5)        TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY - There are also some tips to keep in mind for time-management. One of the best things for time management is to stay calm as you take the test, and that’s why I always recommend that students practice without time restrictions. That way they are able to focus on the test and can overcome their fear of it. Then, we can add time pressure back in gradually, and that helps deal with issues of time management. Also, it’s a good idea to skip around the test, and pick off the questions that are easiest for you to do. If something is taking too long, try to eliminate an answer choice and just move on to other stuff. You can always come back at the end, and remember, don’t leave any question behind, bubble in every question!

6)        SEEK HELP IN WEAK AREAS- So far these tips have been all about cracking the test, dissecting it and using its tricks and structure to your advantage. It’s important to remember though that the test does rely on some basic math and science knowledge. As you practice taking tests, keep track of the problems that you find confusing, problems where the math was tricky or hard to remember. Make sure you seek out help for those topics, and strengthen your math and science foundations. Tutors and teachers can help you with this, and a lot of online resources exist as well that can help you strengthen your fundamentals and be fully prepared for the ACT!

ABOUT LEO
Leo Shmuylovich just completed his Ph.D in Physics from Washington University in St. Louis. He is currently on a year leave from medical school to help launch the company he co-founded, Virtual Nerd (http://www.virtualnerd.com/). He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, having graduated Magna Cum Laude in three years—and he was named a Merrill Presidential Scholar, one of the university’s highest honors. As a tutor and lecturer for The Princeton Review, he taught MCAT Physics and Biology classes, as well as SAT Math classes, to hundreds of students. He’s also worked individually with students on SAT, SAT II, AP exams, and science and math courses at both the high school and college level.

FACTS ABOUT THE ACT http://www.act.org/news/aapfacts.html



All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

Summer Tips for High Schools Grads and Their Parents from Top College Expert

Every summer before the start of college, nationally syndicated advice columnist Harlan Cohen gets a flood of letters from students sharing their deepest fears and anxieties.

Rarely do these soon-to-be college freshmen share these feelings with their parents.

Harlan, author of the bestselling college guide The Naked Roommate and parent college guide The Happiest Kid on Campus, says parents can and should be communicating with their college-bound kids this summer – just don’t grill them with 20 questions while playing Jeopardy music in the background (way too much pressure).

Instead, Harlan suggests parents plan a comfortable time to talk (weekend road trip, shopping trip, manicure, ballgame) and get students thinking about some of the big changes ahead.

Five Questions For Summer College Prep

1.    What would be your PERFECT first year in college? This is about creating expectations. Without any expectations, students will just plop on campus and wait for everything to happen (also makes it easier to do unhealthy and regrettable things) 

2.    How do you plan on making this happen? Try to get your son or daughter thinking about the activities, organizations, and opportunities available outside the classroom that help make them find connections to campus life.


3.    Who are the people on campus who can help? Have them think of five types of people who they can turn to for advice. These should be people who want them to win.


4.    How much time are you going to give yourself to make it ALL happen? Plant the seed that it can take a couple of years – not weeks or months – to make it happen. Help them set a realistic timeline, otherwise they’ll be set up for disappointment.

5.    What can I do to help? By asking, this sends a message that you are willing to help, but don’t assume they will need your help. Then go make plans to send lots of care packages (STUDENTS LOVE CARE PACKAGES)

Harlan Cohen is a bestselling author, nationally syndicated advice columnist (Help Me, Harlan!) and professional speaker who has visited over 400 college campuses. He has been featured as an expert in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition, and has been a guest on numerous radio and television shows, including NBC’s Today Show. 

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

The Best Time for Teens to Take the SAT

The Best Time for Teens to Take the SAT

By Tom Clements, author of How to Write a Killer SAT Essay... in 25 Minutes or Less!

One of the biggest mistakes a parent of a high school student can make is having their teen sign up for the SATs too early. While parents want to get a “jump start” on the test and college applications, and students simply want to “get it over with”, both scenarios miss the mark, resulting in test dates that occur long before a student's brain is actually ready.

As a professional tutor, veteran writer and educator, I advise parents to have their daughters and sons take the SAT test at the end - not the beginning - of junior year. There are a couple of very important reasons for this.

First of all, junior year is a year of exponential academic growth. High school students spend their first two years adjusting to the stress of academic life, learning not only the study skills they need to stay on top of math, science, English, and history courses, but also learning to deal with peer pressure, social networking (on- and off-line), activities, sports, and, most importantly, time management. For the vast majority of students, it's only junior year when things -- academic and otherwise -- start to gel and the learning curve begins to spike.

To take the best advantage of this exponential spike in learning, it's important for kids to take the SAT toward the end of their junior year, when math, reading, and writing skills are optimized. This is the time of peak performance.

And it's not just academics that receive a junior year boost; it's also psychological attributes like focus and maturity, the two qualities essential to success on a standardized test like the SAT. The SAT is a marathon, roughly four hours long, and test takers need not only focus to deal with the ten different sections of the test but also the maturity to pace themselves and not give in to distractions, frustrations, and ennui.

One of my students, for example, found himself in an SAT room seated next to a girl with tiny bells on her shoes, which, every time she wiggled her feet (which was often!), sent tiny sonic shivers through the room. My student had to find both the strength to focus and ignore the distraction and the maturity not to strangle the girl! Maturity, moreover, leads to greater self-confidence, an essential attribute of successful test-takers. 

Another student told me of the time her proctor for the SAT exam spent most of his time in the front of the room talking on his cell phone while the rest of the kids were trying to concentrate on the test. No one wanted to criticize the proctor, or even politely ask that he wait until the test was over, for fear of being ostracized and thrown even more off balance for the remainder of the test. No one wanted to lose focus on the crucial task at hand.

My generation, of course, never had to deal with anything remotely similar to a four- hour, nerve-racking standardized test on which college admissions now largely depend. It's a different world out there today, folks!

Which brings me to my second point… Because there is so much riding on this test, it's mandatory for students to take the SAT twice, once in March of their junior year and again a few months later in May. I’ve used a simple sports playoff metaphor with my students and their parents to explain the dynamics of this approach.

Which teams invariably do best in the playoffs? Those coming in for their first go-round or veteran teams, who've "been there, done that"?

The answer, of course, is that veteran teams perform better. Way better. Consequently, I position the March test as a "pre-season" game, where students can learn to deal with time constraints, distractions (remember the bells?), proctor problems, and the fear factor, which weighs heavily on most teens the first time they take the test. (By the way, the PSATs don’t have an essay, so there is no test-writing practice until their first SAT.)

Then, in May, when they take the test for the second time, the students come back into the room as "game-day veterans", much more confident about handling the circus atmosphere of the testing arena and more aware of what variables they have to contend with. Scores typically go up over 100 points for my students taking the test again in May.

It's these score increases that bring me to my final point. As an SAT tutor, I schedule my classes to run from January to May so that students can take full advantage of the points I've made so far:

• Exponential spikes in junior year learning
• Greater self-confidence that comes with maturity
• The ability to better focus on the task at hand.

When searching for the right SAT training course for you or your child, look for programs that leverage these attributes, enabling students to better assimilate and implement the strategies and techniques taught. The result: significantly higher scores than would have been obtained had they taken the test in the fall of their junior year.

The race, in other words, is not always won by those who start the earliest. In the surreal and stressful world of SAT testing, students need to slow down and smell the roses, both academic and psychological, to maximize their potential and obtain top SAT scores.

About the Author
Tom Clements, a father of four daughters who attended Ivy League undergraduate and graduate schools with his help, has spent over 20 years of his life tutoring for the SATS, as well as calculus, physics, and chemistry. A former Silicon Valley freelance writer for tech magazines, corporate trainer for international bankers, and former college English teacher, Clements holds a Masters of International Business degree from St. Mary’s College and a BA in English Literature. His new book, How to Write a KILLER SAT Essay ...in 25 Minutes or Less!, is available for purchase at Amazon.com. Or you may visit the author’s website, www.tctutoring.net, or visit Killer SAT on Facebook or more information.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.