The ACT Math section tests math skills that every high school student should have. Even if you think you are good at math, it won’t be a walk in the park, and even if you think you are bad at math, it won’t be impossible. It will test not just what you already know, but your ability to figure things out on the fly, so memorization and practice are both a necessary part of the preparation process.
Test Optional isn't for Aspiring College Athletes
Most high school athletes looking to play in college can readily rattle off their relevant statistics, be it best times, yards rushing, batting averages, or goals. They'll be able to tell you how often they qualified for the various all-state honors available. But far too many couldn't tell you if they would be an NCAA D1 qualifier for their sport.
A "qualifier" is an athlete who has qualified to participate in NCAA D1 sports by meeting all academic requirements. This means that the athlete has met the minimum required GPA in 16 core classes with a matching ACT or SAT score. D1 uses a sliding scale to determine the require test scores--the lower your GPA, the higher test score required.
5 Tips to Writing a Great College Application Essay
Maybe writing isn’t your best subject in school. That’s okay. Here’s what you can do to make the most of your college essay even if you worry about the strength of your writing skills.
An Overview of the SAT Critical Reading Section
The verbal section of the SAT exam includes a section on critical reading. Reading “critically” means reading without simply accepting the text as fact. When you read a text critically, you are trying to evaluate the validity of the claims presented, recognizing that the author necessarily has experiences, biases, or prejudices that influence his or her views on the subject.
If the piece presented is an argument, the author's biases may influence the choice of material presented or excluded, and the relative importance accorded to each claim in the construction of the overall argument. Ultimately, you have to try as far as possible to separate the author's biases from the objective merits of the claim.
An Overview of the ACT Reading Test
The ACT Reading test requires you to read four short passages and answer ten multiple choice questions about each one. The time limit for this section of the ACT is 35 minutes, a little over a question a minute. Of course the 35 minutes includes the time required to read the passages, so in practice you'll need to answer around 2 questions a minute, depending on how fast you read and how thoroughly you understand the passage.
What’s a Good ACT Score?
Recently, a parent contacted MyGuru about ACT tutoring. Her daughter’s first session with the tutor went well, but because she was scheduled to take a practice ACT test in school the next week, they waited to schedule another session until the results of that test were available.