Most SAT and ACT percent problems can be solved in a matter of seconds. Here’s how:
Want a Free List of All the Math Topics That Have Recently Appeared on the SAT or ACT?
For a free list of all the math topics that have recently appeared on the SAT or ACT, and/or for answers to any other questions, you can reach me at robertkohen@koheneducationalservices.dream.press or 212-658-0834.
Colons
Colons do two major things: (1) introduce an explanation or (2) introduce a list of things. They must be preceded by an independent clause—a clause that could stand on its own as a sentence.
Let’s look at an example of uses (1) and (2).
(1) I don’t like video games: their flashing lights give me headaches.
In this sentence, the colon introduces an explanation for why the speaker doesn’t like video games—“their flashing lights give [her] headaches.”
Notice how the clause before the colon (“I don’t like video games”) is independent, i.e. it could stand on its own as a sentence.
(2) I love many sports: basketball, hockey, football and tennis.
This time the colon introduces a list of things. Again, the phrase preceding it (“I love many sports”) is an independent clause.
Be on the lookout for colons preceded by dependent clauses. This is a common trap on the SAT and ACT! For instance,
“The most fun sports are: basketball, hockey, football and tennis.”
This sentence is incorrect because the phrase preceding the colon, “the most fun sports are,” cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence.
Semicolons
Semicolons are used to separate two independent clauses, one before and one after the semicolon. The semicolon is like a weak period, in other words, which connects two related sentences.
Here’s an example:
“My cat Eli likes to watch birds; we buy him parrot videos.”
Both of the above phrases could stand on their own as independent sentences, but because they’re thematically related they can be connected by a semicolon.
Often, a conjunctive adverb (such as however, therefore, moreover, consequently or nevertheless) will be placed immediately after the semicolon and followed by a comma. For example,
“My cat Eli likes to watch birds; however, he has other interests as well.”
These adverbs further clarify the relationship between the two independent clauses but don’t change any of our rules.
That’s all there is to it! Now you’re an expert on colons and semicolons. Use this knowledge to land some extra points on the SAT or ACT.
Steve Schwartz is a professional college admission counselor with more than a decade of experience. He’s written the popular Get Into College Blog since 2009, moderates Reddit’s college admissions forum, and now hosts a podcast, College Admissions Toolbox.
Steve, please tell us a little bit about yourself and the work you do with college applicants.
I wowed Columbia’s admissions team with a college essay about my experiences lobbying government delegates at a United Nations conference in South Africa. (The real UN, not Model UN.) Delegates from government and non-profit organizations wrote my letters of recommendation. My résumé described my leadership in a national youth organization advocating sustainable development. Soon after Columbia accepted me, friends, neighbors, and people I barely knew began asking for advice on how to improve their college applications.
Today, I help students craft college essays that showcase their strengths. I also moderate Reddit’s college admissions forum (come check us out!), write articles on college admissions for my website, Get Into College Blog, and host the podcast College Admissions Toolbox.
It seems like today’s students are involved in more extracurriculars than ever before. Is that a good thing? What’s the “right” number of extracurriculars for a student?
It’s all about quality, not quantity. Focus your time on one thing (or a few) that you truly care about and would enjoy doing even if you knew that colleges wouldn’t know you’d done it.
Can you give us an example of what would make for a good extracurricular?
Suppose you’re a student interested in marketing. Here’s one step-by-step approach I might recommend to help you discover an extracurricular that will stand out and make for a compelling story:
* Talk with lots of small entrepreneurs / nonprofits in industries that interest you.
* Keep a list of the ones you like.
* Propose an idea you think your favorite would like and offer to carry it out for them.
* If they say no, see if you can figure out something else for them.
* If not, move on to your next-favorite.
* Repeat.
This one extracurricular could end up consuming all your free time, leading you to have only one. However, you’ll be a much more compelling applicant than one who “did” several, but did nothing truly meaningful in any of them.
Are there any common mistakes students should avoid when it comes to extracurriculars?
Too many students join a million clubs simply to “build their resumes,” do nothing significant in them, then list them on college applications. Those don’t “count.” Again, if you want an EC to “count,” you should do something that you enjoy. Otherwise, you won’t have anything compelling about it to include on your application.
If everyone is involved in extracurriculars these days, what can a college applicant do to stand out? Is just “being involved” enough?
Most people stay on pre-defined paths, whether they’re in high school, college, grad school, or the working world. However, if you want to do something unique and meaningful, and you want to stand out, you can’t follow a pre-defined course.
Don’t just “be involved.” Students who do this and then ask “how to stand out” don’t get it. Forging your own path isn’t easy. You don’t do something unique simply by trying to do something unique. It’s something that’s hard to relate to unless you’ve already done it, and the path there is seemingly random in nature.
By definition, you can’t try to be unique. At least, you can’t have a specific goal in mind. Instead of starting at Z, start at A. Don’t compete with people like yourself, and don’t work within established programs. Instead, explore your interests, use your skills, and do things outside the system. Things other people aren’t doing. This gives you the freedom to do things that will not only sound impressive, but will actually be impressive. And you’ll eventually get to do something that leaves a mark on the world.
You can follow Steve’s various projects and resources by checking out:
College Admissions Toolbox Podcast
Get Into College Blog
Reddit’s College Admissions Forum
Facebook and Twitter Pages for College Admissions Toolbox
You might see anywhere from 0-4 questions on any given test asking about these topics. Since there are only 40 questions on ACT Science, questions about actual scientific concepts you’ve studied in school usually don’t make up more than 10% of any section. Missing them should only have a minimal impact on your score then. Nevertheless, you want to try to answer these questions correctly—if only because they’re often some of the easiest questions on the test to pick points up on. Why?
There is a very easy method to solve these problems, one that doesn’t involve reviewing every single topic in biology, physics and chemistry. That method is using your own intuition.
When you see one of these questions, you first want to make sure that any information in the answer choices accords with what’s stated in the passage. Sometimes an answer will be wrong because something in an answer choice—even if only a word or two—disagrees with something established in the passage.
Next, try to reason out which answer choice would make the most common sense. Very often these questions can be solved without technical scientific knowledge, but with intuition alone.
Let’s look at a hypothetical question:
How does allopane gas affect the planet?
A) It cools the planet by giving off UV radiation to space.
B) It cools the planet by absorbing heat coming up from the earth’s surface.
C) It heats the planet by giving off UV radiation to space.
D) It heats the planet by absorbing heat coming up from the earth’s surface.
First look back to the passage – does it tell you what the gas actually does? Yes, this (hypothetical) passage tells you the gas heats the planet. Eliminate A and B – now you’re down to two possible answers, C and D.
You don’t really know how allopane gas heats the planet, but between C and D, which sounds more plausible?
Let’s look at C. UV radiation comes from the sun – think of the UV protection in your sunglasses. Things from the sun typically heat the planet. Would sending this back into space—i.e. getting rid of it, heat the planet? If anything, it would probably do the opposite, or cool things down.
How about D? If the gas absorbs heat from the earth’s surface, would that make things hotter? It definitely sounds possible – and it certainly sounds better than C!
While you won’t be able to solve every ACT science question that asks about actual science this way, you’ll be able to solve many of them. So the next time you see one of these questions, don’t panic and skip it. Instead, think of what the passage is saying as a whole and try out your own common sense on the answer choices. More often than not you’ll be able to figure things out without even knowing the actual physics, biology or chemistry behind the answers!
As the new (aka “redesigned”) SAT nears, College Board has begun to release official practice tests for the exam. While it’s not yet clear how accurately these tests will reflect the new exam, how you would score them or what your scores would mean, they are still your most important asset if you are preparing for the new exam now.
As I’ve written before, I don’t advise preparing for the new SAT until it’s been officially administered a few times in 2016. Nevertheless, if you’ve decided that you will be preparing for the new test now, here is where you can find every released practice test.
Remember to take each test timed and review missed questions carefully before moving on to a new test. Keep a record of the questions you’ve missed and how to solve them so that you can go back and review them over time.
The first four official tests are available, along with additional questions and advice, in the new Official SAT Study Guide 2016 Edition.
You can also find these four tests online for free, however. They’re available here with answer explanations, although these explanations are often less than optimal.
There is also a fifth exam—this one is technically a redesigned PSAT, but it’s nearly identical to the new SAT. The only difference is that it’s a little shorter. You can find it here.
The College Board has promised to release another four tests as 2015 moves along. Whether or not they actually release any more remains to be seen, but I will update this information and let you know right away if they do.
