ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING
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Transcript of ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING
ACT, SAT& ESSAY WRITING
Dr. Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.S.Epidemiologist
Postdoctoral FellowWayne State University School of Medicine
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health [email protected]
Objectives
1) Discuss ACT and SAT What they are, test components, strategies for success
2) Compare and contrast ACT & SAT3) Advantages/disadvantages of both4) Discuss admission/scholarship essay writing
Role of the essay Where to start when writing Mechanics Tips Should you have a reviewer?
5) Answer questions
ACT American College Testing
What is the ACT?
Achievement test, measuring how much you learned in school
Up to 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test
Scale scores range from 1-36 Two scores for writing Test
Combined english/writing score (1-36) Writing sub-score (2-12) Comments from one of the trained readers
ACT national average score is 21 Typically taken first in junior year˚
Basics of preparation
Become familiar with the content and format of ACT
Learn appropriate test-taking strategies Use ACT Online Prep—ACT’s test preparation
program Review “The Real ACT Prep Guide”—the official
test prep book Take ACT’s free practice test See your counselor for other test preparation
materials Visit the ACT website at
www.actstudent.org˚
The Best Preparation Is A Solid High School Curriculum
English 4 YearsMathematics (Algebra 1 and above) 4 YearsSocial Studies 3 YearsScience 3 Years
Foreign Language 2 YearsArts 1 Year˚
REMEMBER:
Test scores are only ONE factor used for college admissions and scholarship
decisions!!!
What is the national average score for the ACT and what score do YOU want?!?
ACT English
Editing five short passages75 questions - 45 minutes – 9 minutes Per passage
Usage - Mechanics Skills40Q 53%
Rhetoric Skills35Q 47%
Punctuation10Q13%
Grammar and Use
12Q16%
SentenceStructure
18Q24%
Strategy12Q16%
Organization11Q15%
Style12Q16%
CommaSemicolonEnd-stopDashes
Hyphensquotes
TenseSubject-verb agreement
Pronoun useAdverb vs adjective
Double negativeIdioms
Possessivescomparisons
Run-onComma splice
FragmentCoord conjunction
ParallelismMisplaced modifiers
ClausesSubordination
Split constructionUnintended meaning
Appropriate supportMain ideaAudienceEffective:
Opening sentenceConcluding sentence
Paragraph developmentSentence-level structureParagraph-level structure
ConcisenessAmbiguity
Low-level usageShifting point of view
I grew up with buckets, shovels, and nets waiting by the back door; hip-waders hanging in the closet; tide
table charts covering the refrigerator door; and a microscope was sitting on the kitchen table.
A. No changeB. Waiting, by the back door,C. Waiting by the back door,D. Waiting by the back door
A. No changeB. Would sitC. SittingD. Sat
ACT English Practice Question
ACT Math
60 questions - 60 minutes
Direct use of math facts or formulas
32Q 53%
Word Problems16Q 27%
Pre-Algebra14Q23%
Elementary Algebra
10Q17%
IntermediateAlgebra
9Q15%
Geometry14Q23%
CoordinateGeometry
9Q15%
Trigonometry4Q7%
Inference/ decision making12Q 20%
PRACTICE ACT MATH PROBLEM
What is the value of x when 2x + 3 = 3x – 4 ?
A) –7
B) -1/5
C) 1
D) 1/5
E) 7
ACT Reading4 Passages – 40 Questions – 35 Minutes
Read 750 wordsProse/Fiction10Q 25%
Read 750 wordsHumanities
10Q 25%
SpecificDetail
SequenceCause/EffectComparison
Author’s VoiceMain Idea
GeneralizationConclusion
Words in Context
Read 750 wordsSocial Science10Q 25%
Read 750 wordsNatural Science
10Q 25%
Explicit Questions14Q 35%
Implicit Questions26Q 65%
ACT Reading Practice Question
(65) Existing that way all the time, on the edge of hunger, on the edge of kindness, gave Abshu an appreciation for a life fully lived. Do whatever job makes you happy, regardless of the cost; and fill your home with love. Well, his home became the community center right around the corner from Brewster place.
• As it is used in line 65, the term the edge refers to a place where Abshu felt: A. most alive.B. unfulfilled.C. defeated.D. most competitive.
Understand7Q 17 5%
7 passages - 40 questions - 35minutes
3 passagesData Representation
15Q 37%
1 PassageConflicting Viewpoint
7Q 18%
3 passagesResearch Summary
18Q 45%
3 3 1
9 6 5
3 9 1
Identify data pointsIdentify units/labelsIdentify trendsIdentify variablesIdentify controls
ExtrapolateInterpolatePredictGeneralize
HypothesizeConcludeCompareEvaluate
ACT Science Reasoning
Analyze20Q 50%
Generalize13Q 32 5%
ACT Science Reasoning Practice Question• Spent fuel (SF), a radioactive waste, is
often buried underground in canisters for disposal. As it decays, SF generates high heat and raises the temperature of the surrounding rock, which may expand and crack, allowing radioactivity to escape into the environment. Scientists wanted to determine which of 4 rock types—rock salt, granite, basalt, or shale—would be least affected by the heat from SF. The thermal conductivity (how well heat is conducted through a material) and heating trends of the 4 rock types were studied.
• The scientists calculated the temperature increase that would be expected over a period of 100,000 yr in each rock type at a point within a site holding buried SF.
• According this study, if another set of temperatures had been calculated for a time 1,000,000 years in the future, the calculated temperature increase in any of the 4 rock types would most likely be closest to:
A. 0°CB. 10°C.C. 20°C.D. 30°C.
10 Strategies for ACT
1) Skip the directions2) Skim the whole section3) Pace yourself4) Answer the easy questions first5) When in doubt, guess6) Don’t lose your confidence with tough questions7) Frequently check your place on the answer sheet8) Don’t get sidetracked by the unimportant9) Understand what you’re being asked10) Stop a minute or two before your time is up
BONUS: Make a study plan and follow it ˚
SATScholastic Aptitude Test
SAT: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?
Aptitude: predicts your potential for future success
Assess your academic readiness for college Provides a path to opportunities, financial
support and scholarships Measures the skills required for success in
college and beyond!
SAT
Taken 1st time in spring of junior year Indicates how well you use skills and knowledge
attained in and out of the classroom How you think, solve problems, and communicate
3 hr and 45 min exam 10 sections
3 critical reading sections 3 math sections 3 writing sections 1 experimental section
Total score is between 600-2400 National average for the SAT is 1510˚
SAT
Offered 7 times a year January, March, May, June, October, November,
December Students can register at www.Collegeboard.com SAT Fee Waivers are available Cost is $45.00 and includes 4 score reports˚
SAT Critical Reading
Time Total 70 minutes
Two 25-minute sectionsOne 20 minute section
Content Reading Comprehension:
Single paragraphsLonger passagesPaired paragraphsPaired longer passagesSentence level reading
Question Types Multiple-choice with 5 answer choicesCritical ReadingSentence completions
Score 200-800
SAT Writing
Time Total: 60 minutes
25-minute essayOne 25-minute multiple choice sectionOne 10-minute multiple choice section
Content Grammar and usageWord choice (diction)
Question Types Multiple choice with 5 answer choicesIdentifying sentence errorsImproving sentence errorsImproving sentencesImproving paragraphsStudent-written essay
Score 200-800; essay sub-score: 2-12
SAT PRACTICE WRITING PROBLEM
Hoping to -------the dispute, negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt would be --------to both labor and management.
A) enforce…usefulB) end…divisiveC) overcome…unattractiveD) extend…satisfactoryE) resolve…acceptable
SAT Math
Time Total: 70 minutesTwo 25-minute sectionsOne 20-minute section
Content Algebra IAlgebra IIGeometryData analysis, statistics, probability
Question Types Multiple-choice with 5 answer choicesStudent-produced responses (grid-ins)
Score 200-800
SAT SUBJECT AREA TESTS
Measure your knowledge and skills in particular subject areas
SAT Subject Tests fall into five general subject areas:English Languages
Literature Chinese with Listening
History French
US History French with Listening
World History German
Mathematics German with Listening
Mathematics Level 1 Spanish
Mathematics Level 2 Spanish with Listening
Science Modern Hebrew
Biology E/M Italian
Chemistry Latin
Physics Japanese with Listening
Korean with Listening
10 Strategies for SAT
1) Create a study plan and follow it2) Don’t get stuck on any one question3) Learn the directions in advance4) For the essay, develop your ideas and express them clearly, using examples to
back them up5) For the writing multiple-choice questions, think about the simplest clearest way
to express an idea6) For sentence completions, as you read, try to predict what word should go in
each blank7) For reading comprehension questions, skim the passage to see what it’s about8) For the math multiple choice, you’re allowed to use a calculator, but it won’t
help you unless you know how to approach the problems9) For the math grid-ins, you must come up with the answer and fill in the grid10) Relax the night before the test
OR BOTH????
What is the difference between an aptitude and an achievement test?
SAT Aptitude Test Given 7 times per year Reading, Math, and
Writing ¼ of a point deduction for
wrong answer on multiple choice
200-800 points per section, for a total score of 600-2400˚
ACT Achievement Test Given 6 times per year English, Math, Reading,
Science Reasoning, and optional Writing
No penalty for wrong answer
1-36 for each subject, averaged for a composite score, 2-12 for the Writing Test˚
ACT/SAT COMPARISON
SAT Math section includes
Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra 2
Sends 4 free reports to colleges of your choice, each additional report is $10
Formulas given for math section˚
ACT Math section includes
Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Trigonometry
Sends 4 free reports to colleges of your choice, each additional report is $10
No formulas given for math section˚
ACT/SAT COMPARISON
SAT Advantages
10 short sections, the longest of which is 25-minutes
Tests 9th and 10th grade math, plus a few reasoning concepts
About 1/4 of Critical Reading questions are vocabulary-based
“Score choice”: choose to send best scores while suppressing lower scores˚
SAT Disadvantages
The SAT is about 4 hours long
¼ point penalty for wrong answers
If you don’t like writing essays, the SAT begins with a timed essay that is graded and factored into your writing score˚
ACT Advantages
Only 4 sections, the longest is 1 hour
~3 hours long “Score choice”: only
send your highest score to colleges
No penalty for incorrect answers˚
ACT Disadvantages Time demand can be
profound Science section is
challenging for those w/ difficulty reasoning with numbers and graphs
Math concepts include trigonometry
ACT English will certainly challenge knowledge of colons, hyphens, commas, etc˚
Additional Resources
College Information– CSO College Center: www.CSOcollegecenter.org– The College Board: www.collegeboard.com– Peterson’s: www.petersons.com– The Common App: www.commonapp.org– Hobson’s Collegeview: www.collegeview.com– Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.org
Additional resources
Testing– ACT: www.act.org– ACT Fee Waiver Instructions: www.actstudent.
org/faq/answers/feewaiver.html– SAT: The College Board: www.collegeboard.com– SAT Fee Waiver Instructions: www.collegeboard
com/student/testing/sat/calenfees/feewaivers.html– Preliminary SAT(PSAT): www.collegeboard
com/student/testing/psat/about/html– Free Test Prep from Number2 com:
www.number2.com – The Princeton Review: www.princetonreview.com– Kaplan’s Test Prep: www.kaptest.com
ESSAY WRITING
Gives some context for your accomplishments Allows you to add your voice to the admission
process Gives readers insight into you as a person Allows admission/scholarship committee to evaluate:
Writing style Language usage Organization Persuasion skills Confidence˚
WHY DO I HAVE TO WRITE ESSAYS?!?
Role Of The Essay
Allows you to add information that you couldn't share in other parts of the application
Adds clarity, depth, and meaning to information collected in other parts of your application
Enables you to make the best possible case for why you should be admitted/awarded a scholarship˚
It's your only chance to explain to college admissions/scholarship committee why you are a good fit:
become more than just another application become an individual share your personality your goals your experiences explain any opportunities or obstacles that have
affected your academic record˚
ROLE OF THE ESSAY
TRUE OR FALSE (and why):
If I write one good admission/scholarship essay, I can send the same essay to all of the
schools/scholarship search committees?
WHERE DO I START?
Complete the application FIRST! Use the application to help you:
Think about your life story and how you will convey it Think about your academic experiences as a whole Connect the issues raised by the application to your
responses in your personal statement Find the questions that your readers might ask
You as the writer have a responsibility anticipate & answer your readers' questions, even before they are asked˚
NOW WHAT??
1) Investigate and explore your audience Info about the universities their admissions process What does the committee want to find out about
applicants through the personal statement? This info can be found on the university or
scholarship website
2) Explore Yourself! The more comfortable you are with writing about
yourself and your story, the better your essay will be!
Mechanics of Writing the Essay
Be original - be yourself Tell a story - your story Remember to put things in the
words and language with which you are comfortable Don’t use big, fancy words,
especially if you are not sure of the meaning of the words
A simple style is best Good writing sounds like
speech rather than a vocabulary review lesson
Use clear, vivid writing style˚
The body must relate to the first sentence of the paragraph
Use transition words Your conclusion is crucial Revise, Revise, Revise! Read aloud what you have
written to help you locate areas that don’t make sense
Put your draft aside for one day, then read it again and revise˚
Tips for Writing :
Get Personal A successful essay is the one where the reader learns about you
and your life Details, Details, Details
Use details to personalize your essay and to make it more interesting
Be Honest Write about what really happened and who you really are
Don’t just list the facts The why and how about the information is also important Use specific, concrete examples and language Avoid generalities like "being on the track team was fun” Make sure your response directly addresses the ? Expand on information contained elsewhere in your application
˚
Tips (cont)
Get right to the point Adding unnecessary info is distracting and not helpful
Adhere to word restrictions Better to be under the limit than over the limit
Responses should complete the application The personal statement is an extension of your
application It should provide new information
Do not repeat things you've already said in other parts of your application
A strong essay demonstrates self-awareness, a key indicator of intelligence˚
In your essay did you:
1) Assist the reader in learning about you?
2) Explain experiences, accomplishments, and point of view that you would contribute?
3) Explain your attributes and experiences that are not evident from your academic record?
4) Describe any unusual circumstances or challenges you have faced?
5) Discuss how you responded to these circumstances or challenges?
6) Discuss your interest in your intended major?
7) Discuss how your interest developed?
8) Describe any relevant work or volunteer experience you’ve had?
9) Discuss your long-term goals after the Bachelor’s degree?
Having someone review the essay is a necessary step in the process
Incorporate the suggestions for improvement Fine line between having your college essay edited and
having it rewritten by the reviewer Ultimately, the essay you submit must be your work, not the
reviewer’s Be careful about suggestions for major revisions like
changing the basic thoughts and content of the essay or adding things that are NOT truly your story
An essay that is written by someone else is not yours and should not submitted with your application
Should You Have Someone Review It?
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
General Websites http://www.collegeboard.com/apply/essay_skills/ http://www.carleton.edu/admissions/essay/ http://www.west.net/~stewart/beste.htm http://www.accepted.com/college/dosdonts.aspx http://www.accepted.com/college/tenwritingtips.aspx http://www.accepted.com/college/miningyouridentity.aspx