act, sat & essay writing

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ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING Dr. Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.S. Epidemiologist Postdoctoral Fellow Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences [email protected]

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ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING. Dr. Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.S. Epidemiologist Postdoctoral Fellow Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences [email protected]. Objectives. Discuss ACT and SAT - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: 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]

Page 2: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 3: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

ACT American College Testing

Page 4: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 5: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 6: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 7: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

REMEMBER:

Test scores are only ONE factor used for college admissions and scholarship

decisions!!!

Page 8: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

What is the national average score for the ACT and what score do YOU want?!?

Page 9: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 10: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 11: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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%

Page 12: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 13: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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%

Page 14: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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.

Page 15: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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%

Page 16: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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.

Page 17: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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 ˚

Page 18: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

SATScholastic Aptitude Test

Page 19: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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!

Page 20: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 21: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 22: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 23: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 24: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 25: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 26: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 27: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 28: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

OR BOTH????

Page 29: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

What is the difference between an aptitude and an achievement test?

Page 30: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 31: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 32: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 33: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 34: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 35: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 36: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

ESSAY WRITING

Page 37: ACT, SAT & 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?!?

Page 38: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 39: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

Page 40: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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?

Page 41: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 42: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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!

Page 43: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 44: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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

˚

Page 45: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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˚

Page 46: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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?

Page 47: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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?

Page 48: ACT, SAT & ESSAY WRITING

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