Avoid Running Out of Time on the SAT/ACT

With enough practice and time, students can work through every question on the SAT or ACT. In fact, time management is often the major difference between a good test score and an excellent test score.

Studying for the exams is often as much about understanding how to efficiently use your time as it is about memorization or problem-solving skills. There are three rules of thumb to help you maximize your chances of success on the SAT or ACT.

1. Create an outline to maximize writing time: The key to the essay component of each test is the effective organization and succinct communication of ideas. The allotted time is simply not enough to communicate anything but the simplest and most direct ideas.

Start your studying by finding a list of essay prompts and allowing yourself five minutes each to outline a response. Every outline should contain a strong thesis statement that clearly declares your position as well as two to three pieces of supporting evidence.

Completing the essay is then simply a matter of connecting the pieces. Practicing this approach makes the process flow smoothly, and the five minutes spent organizing your thoughts will allow you to write proficiently.

2. Spend one minute per math question: When you take practice tests, be vigilant about following the time limits for each section, particularly math. Better yet, try practicing completing the section with five minutes fewer on the clock. If you can adapt to a shortened test time frame, you are more likely to finish when dealing with the stress of test day.

Another strategy is to keep moving through questions, no matter what. Allow a little over one minute per question, and move on if you are unable to find an answer in that time. For the ACT, take your best guess and move on since there is no penalty for wrong answers. For the SAT, you should only guess if you have been able to eliminate at least one possible answer – otherwise, your score will go down.

It hurts to leave questions blank, but spending five minutes to answer one question means you will be leaving five other questions blank when you run out of time. Do the math – it's not a good trade. Circle the questions you skip or guess on, and come back to them if you finish with time left over.

Completing practice tests can also help you with a key test-taking strategy: getting to know your nemesis. The SAT math sections are arranged in roughly ascending levels of difficulty, with the final three to four questions of each section being the most difficult.

If you consistently miss those last few questions on practice tests, simply plan to count them as extra credit on the actual exam. If time remains when you have answered everything else, see if you can find a solution to the harder questions. If you can answer at least one, consider it a bonus. Remember that your goal is not to get a perfect score, but to get your best possible score.

3. Skim questions first and reread as needed: Reading comprehension is the most difficult section of each test from a time management perspective. Most students run into difficulty with the reading sections because they read each passage closely on first approach before they ever look at the questions.

The problem with this technique is that many test-takers end up reading each passage three to four times once they get to the questions. Most students can't recall the passages in sufficient detail to answer the questions directly, and must go back to scan the passages for evidence to support their answers.

A more efficient use of time, especially for slower readers, is to skim the passages to get a basic sense of the topic and voice. Then, scan the questions and look for ones that refer to particular lines of text. Do those questions first and save the questions regarding the general sense of the passage for last.

By the time you have answered the questions that reference specific lines of text, you will have a good sense of the passage as a whole. Be sure to answer all the questions regarding a particular passage before going on to the next. This strategy applies to the long sections of text in the science portion of the ACT as well.

Overall, remember to simulate test conditions during practice tests. There is no substitute for learning to apply your hard-earned problem-solving techniques under pressure.

More ways to say ‘Why I love this college’

Robert Cronk, author of “Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays” ( www.jumpstartessays.com) took issue with some of my advice in last week’s “Why this college?” column.

I suggested that students respond to colleges asking that question by demonstrating that they have done their homework: They should write part of their essay about why the college is a good academic fit for them by delineating special programs and specific classes that interest them. I still believe that is good advice but he made some valid points.

Cronk shared this. “So many times, the “Why this school?” essay will go on about how awesome the school is, how great the faculty is and how unbelievable certain programs are. And that’s so wrong.” He offered four great ideas:

• Make the essay about YOU. Schools don’t need or want to hear accolades about themselves. They want to know why their school would be a good fit for YOU.

• Cronk is not a fan of oozing adoration where students frequently come off as being blindly in love with a college. He says to never say things like “I’ve wanted to go the Great State since I was 2 years old.” Or “Going to Great State would be the culmination of a lifetime dream.” He even suggests being a little aloof and saying something like “I wondered if Great State would be a fit, so I investigated…”

• It’s all about the approach. Cronk shares what he calls a “crude analogy.” He says, “Imagine that the school is a classmate of the opposite sex that you really would like to hang out with. How would you approach that person? Would you walk up and say “You’ve been my dream since second grade”? Of course not. It would be a turn-off and you would come across as a little nutty and desperate. And you know desperate does not work. What would work is… “Hey, I love sci-fi movies and I heard that you might also.” A little cool and casual might win the day.”

• Students shouldn’t feel compelled to talk about the college as if it were “love at first sight.” An essay where a student writes about how the school grew on them after their visit or after their research will be much more convincing.

Another tip I’d like to add is to show the college how you’ll make a difference on their campus. Students who can demonstrate what they’ll contribute to student life are more attractive candidates.

A few words of advice on extracurricular involvement

“What extracurricular activities look good on a college application?” We hear this question often—many times from students who have come to view the college application process as an exercise in spin, rather than an opportunity to exhibit passion. While the temptation to “amass” activities is strong, especially given the competitive nature of college admissions, it’s important to realize that superficiality will not get you far in life, and it certainly won’t help you get into the college of your choice. College admission officers are interested in meaningful engagement, not perfunctory participation, and are smart enough and experienced enough to distinguish between the two. That being said, here are a few rules to abide by as you plan your extracurricular involvement:

Keep it real. Every admissions season, colleges strive to admit a diverse community of students with a wide range of talents and interests. If you’re not interested in sports, student council, or some other typical extracurricular activity, don’t worry about it. Colleges are just as intrigued by the student filmmaker or poetry club founder as they are by the power forward or student body president. Provided that you demonstrate a deep and consistent commitment, admissions officers will take notice, whatever the activity.

Focus on depth, not breadth. Students who assume leadership roles and participate extensively (10-20 hours per week) in one or two pursuits will always outshine comparable applicants who merely dabble in several or more activities. If you want to have an impact, find your niche, and improve your college admissions prospects in the process, forget the “laundry list” and commit to the wholehearted following of your true extracurricular interests.

Take advantage of the summer. Do you want to show colleges that you are serious about your extracurricular pursuits? Then use your summer to secure an internship, take a class, or enroll in a camp that will allow you to further explore your interests outside the classroom. There is no better way to impress an admissions rep than to forego those lazy summer days and use your vacation to better yourself.

Get a job. A job, perhaps more than anything else, demonstrates to an admissions committee that you are mature, practical, and ready to take on the responsibilities associated with adulthood. If you can get a job in your area of interest, great; if you can’t, get one anyway. Most of us, at one time or another, have had to find alternative, less attractive ways to fund the pursuit of our passions. Show colleges that you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty.

All in all, extracurricular life is not about building a resume (you’ll have plenty of time to do that later); it’s about finding yourself and your true calling. Follow your heart, strive for authenticity, and college will take care of itself.

4 College Admissions Strategies for Students With Bad Grades

As a high school student in Tennessee, Austin Herrera knew that he wanted to go to college. But with grades ranging from A's to D's, he knew his options would be limited. 

Herrera says he was too distracted in school and his reputation as a class clown, extracurriculars and lack of interest and effort affected his grades. Dyslexia, he says, was another hurdle that affected his grades and confidence. 

"I doubted myself and sort of gave up on myself when I saw the grades that I had, because I would work hard and study but I still came out with a low grade," he wrote in an email. 

Herrera switched schools his senior year and used the new atmosphere to change direction and focus on the future. Realizing that his past academic problems would affect his admission chances, Herrera used his personal statement to acknowledge his grades, discuss his learning disability and show his interest in studying business and film. 

"I explained dyslexia – what it was and how I learned. I just explained that I'm a very hard worker and passionate." 

Herrera was accepted into two of the five schools he applied to and now studies film as a freshman at Columbia College Chicago. 

For students who struggle academically in high school, the college application process can be especially stressful. The competitive admissions process can make these students feel like college is out of reach, but there are still options. 

Admissions experts say students can explain an academic dip in college applications and use the rest of their senior year to make their application more appealing. Students should talk to a counselor to examine all their options, but the following four strategies can help students with poor grades strengthen their college applications. 

1. Take responsibility and offer an explanation: There are many reasons a student's grades can drop, including family issues, illness, a switch in teachers during the year or a lack of maturity. Admissions officials recognize that grades aren't always an indicator of capability, so experts say students need to take the time to write an honest explanation about their grades. 

"Everybody makes mistakes; there's not one perfect person out there. But how do you learn from those mistakes – if you can explain it thoughtfully and in a mature way, often times a college is going to understand that," says Kat Cohen, CEO and founder of IvyWise, an educational consulting company. 

Students can discuss poor grades in a personal statement or in the additional information field on the Common Application. 

"You can point out on it, 'I take full responsibility for the grades that I earned early on. I was not mature enough. I didn't realize the effort that it would take to be successful in high school. I've learned and I've improved,'" says Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management at the University of Georgia. 

2. Get recommendation letters from teachers and counselors: A good word from a high school counselor or teacher who knows a student well can go a long way in college admissions, experts say. 

"Sometimes a great letter of recommendation can come from a teacher who has seen a student greatly improve their grade and go from very low to very high, even if the student has higher grades in other classes," says IvyWise's Cohen. 

Students should develop close relationships with counselors and teachers and have an explicit discussion about what they'd like addressed before a letter is written, experts say. 

3. Wait to apply and improve your grades: Early admission is extremely competitive, so experts recommend students with poor grades on their transcripts apply during regular admission and use the extra time to take challenging courses and improve their GPA. 

"Focusing on your grades now is critical. There are lots of different ways to improve your grades," says Cohen. 

Students should use their teachers as tutors, visiting them frequently to discuss what to focus on and what weaknesses to work on, she says. 

4. Start at a community college: For students without the academic background for a four-year institution, admissions officials recommend attending a community college for at least a year. That's especially true if students need to catch up on developmental course work. 

"Community colleges are better prepared to handle that and get the student up to that level playing field so they can transfer to a four-year university," says Jeff Fuller, director of student recruitment at the University of Houston. 

Students who take this route should maintain a perfect grade point average, Fuller adds. 

Admissions officials want to make sure applicants will be able to thrive in college. Students with low grades will need to prove that their past poor grades aren't indicative of who they are now and their capabilities as a college student. 

"The F will always be on their transcript. But like everything in the college admissions process, students that show that they can overcome either adversity, academic preparation, whatever it may be – those are great telling signs for a student's perseverance and persistence towards graduation," Fuller says.