How to Prepare for the ACT

Some high school students don't realize the importance of getting good scores on the ACT until they don't get accepted to the college of their choice. A great ACT exam score boosts one's chances of being admitted to prestigious colleges and universities, while a poor score can really sink those chances. If you're preparing for college, it's certainly wise to beef up your study efforts.

This task, however, is no walk in the park. While the ACT quizzes students on familiar topics, it's still not the kind of exam you can ace with ease without the right preparation and academic fundamentals. This standardized test consists of timed sections that span questions on English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. You'll need to think fast so you can jump from a reading comprehension item to a math or a science problem.

The ACT consists of 215 multiple choice questions that are designed to be answered within at least 3 hours and 30 minutes, with a quick break include. To get an idea of the actual test, you can visit various online simulations that may even provide you with the correct answers. However, to truly prepare yourself for such a grueling and important exam, you may want to sign up for an ACT preparatory course at a reputable learning center.

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The Importance of the PSAT

The Preliminary SAT or PSAT is taken during a student's junior year in high school. PSAT scores are not as critical to a student's admittance to colleges and universities, which give more weight to SAT scores in their admissions decision. However, doing well on the PSAT can be very important for several reasons.

For one, PSAT scores are used as the basis for awarding National Merit Scholarships, which not only give financial aid to students but also greatly weigh into every student's chances of entering the university or college of their choice. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recognizes not only the ultimate winners of of the scholarships, but also those who scored well enough on their PSAT to qualify as Commended Students. The list of Commended Students is eventually narrowed down to the semi-finalists, then the finalists, and finally the winners.

Commended Students who do not go on to become National Merit scholars may still qualify for the various scholarships offered by other corporations and organizations. Many colleges and universities also place a high value on a Commended Student recognition in deliberating students' admissions, and even actively recruit National Merit finalists.

In addition to the possible scholarships one may get from a high PSAT score, the PSAT by itself serves as a good preparation for the SAT. How a student does on the PSAT can be a good indication of how much preparation they may still need for the SAT.

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Preparing for College Entrance Tests

For many high school students, senior year can be a happy and sad period in one's academic life. Students feel happy because they'll finally graduate and have the opportunity to go to college (or even start working), and sad because they'll be missing some friends who'll be going far away to pursue their dreams.

However, most senior high school students will no doubt be scrambling to prepare for their college admissions exams. Higher educational institutions have their own standards in accepting freshmen but they are usually based on ACT or SAT results—the two most common college entrance tests. Students who are ill prepared therefore have very slims chances of making it to the college or university of their choice.

It is thus not surprising why a lot of high school seniors take the time to attend special tutorial classes that will improve their chances of scoring high on the ACT and the SAT. The better the preparation, the better their chances of getting into their chosen colleges or universities. As such, students will need the guidance of highly competent and dedicated tutors who can prepare them for incredibly difficult test questions. Such tutors typically know how to address the individual needs of each student and will devise tailored programs to suit the student's learning needs and difficulties.

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How Tutoring Can Help Your Children in Their Studies

School is supposed to help kids learn, to equip them with the necessary skills and competencies so they won't be helpless once they come of age and enter the workforce. Yet not all kids can easily grasp what's being taught in a typical classroom setting. There will always children who will take a bit more time to master subject matters such as math and history, among other things.

Parents may thus want to obtain the services of a capable tutor the moment they notice a sharp dip in their children's grades. The goal of tutoring outside the school setting is to provide a conducive learning environment for the child, where he or she is free to learn at a comfortable pace and in a reassuring environment. Tutoring may not instantly turn your kid into a genius, but it should help your little one better understand the various lessons taught in school.

In any case, it is important for parents to have realistic expectations as regards their children's academic performance. Instead of scolding a child for having bad grades, parents should ask their children if they're experiencing any difficulties in school. Parents should also carefully work with the tutor to work out ways to help their young ones understand each lesson.

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Why Bother with Math? Because it’s Useful!

Kids have asked countless teachers, parents, or even peers about the importance of math in their daily lives. In truth, it can be hard to justify the importance of learning a subject that really has limited, practical use in the daily lives of many people. However, it’s not really the theorems, equations, and skill in manipulating numbers that make learning mathematics worthwhile, but rather the kind of critical thinking it encourages.

Experts are convinced that mathematics inspires children to use logic in their daily lives, especially when it comes to dealing with abstract concepts such as time. The simple act of determining whether or not they’ll be late for school is enough to help students decide what they should do to make it to class on time. Using even the most basic numerical skills like addition and multiplication will help children deal with adult stuff like insurance, mortgage, and banking once they grow up .

There is also the fact that without math, computers, mobile phones, and even the Internet would not be possible. If children today are not equipped with the same mathematical skills their parents have acquired, it would be difficult to achieve the same level of technological innovation in the future. Besides, problem-solving exams can help children prepare for real-life problems in the future.

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