Prep for the SAT with Master Tutors - 1-800-859-TEST

How to Improve Your SAT Vocabulary

Ryan Krug — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:55:00 GMT

The SAT verbal section places a strong emphasis on vocabulary. Unless you are an avid reader and keep a dictionary on you at all times, odds are your vocabulary is not up to the SAT's standards. In order to improve your vocabulary fast you have to commit to learning somewhere between 500 and 3500 words. In the short term, check out the mindfish video vocabulary page to start learning SAT words in a fun new video format.

5 TIPS TO MASTER THE SAT VOCABULARY

1. MAKE NOTECARDS- Notecards not only help you learn words by allowing you to use your written memory, but they also give you a way to rapidly review, sort, and reorganize hundreds/thousands of words.

2. FOCUS ON QUANTITY NOT QUALITY- Knowing 50 to a 100 words perfectly is not nearly as powerful as having a very basic understanding of a few thousand words. Focus on learning the basic quality of words and don't worry about secondary definitions.

3. KEEP YOUR NOTECARDS ON YOU AT ALL TIMES- If you are going to successfully learn several thousand words, you have to take advantage of all the little breaks in your day. I learned vocabulary in class before the teacher showed up, in the car when my parents drove, during television commercials, and even on the bench during my baseball games (wouldn't recommend this one unless you have an academically inclined coach). The point is that you are not going to learn enough words unless you find a way to fit it into each and every day.

4. KEEP A DICTIONARY NEARBY- You have to stop letting words slide by. Part of building a good vocabulary comes from being accountable to the words you come across in your life. Whether you see a word you don't know on a practice SAT test, read a word you don't know in a novel, or hear a word you don't know on television, you have to LOOK IT UP. Make notecards for the new words you come across and as you start learning and stop ignoring you will be amazed at how these words are all around you.

5. START WITH PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, and ROOTS- Learning thousands of words can be a daunting task and there is no way to learn every possible SAT word in a short period of time. So, whether you are planning on cramming in a few hundred the week before the test or learning a few thousand over the summer, start by learning the basic building blocks of words. The best prefix/suffix/root guide I have found is in the Barron's SAT Book .

GOOD RESOURCES

Looking for a huge list- Check out Barron's SAT Book or Gruber's Complete SAT Guide

Looking for a shorter list to get you started- Check out Hot Words for the SAT

Looking for a good vocabulary building book (not SAT specific) - Check out Word Power Made Easy

Good Luck,

Ryan

What is considered a good SAT score?

Ryan Krug — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:02:00 GMT

What is considered a good SAT score? It all depends on the schools you want to be admitted to. Below is a list of SAT scores for some of the nations top schools. If you don't see the school you are interested, go to the schools homepage and then check the admissions section of the site for the school's SAT score ranges.

Are my SAT scores good enough?

Ryan Krug — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:58:00 GMT

In order to understand if your SAT scores are good enough, you need to consider what schools you would like to apply to. Below is a list of over 300 schools and their corresponding Average SAT and ACT scores. If you don't see the school you are interested in, make sure and go to their admissions' website and look it up. Also, SAT and ACT scores will keep you out of a school, but they won't get you in. Just because you have scores above a school's average scores is no reason to assume you will get in. The quality and uniqueness of your application, including your essays, recommendations, and high school grades and activities will be the main reasons why a school decides to admit you.

College	Math SAT	Verbal SAT	ACT
Agnes Scott College	620	590	26
Albertson College of Idaho	571	563	24
Albion College	562	582	25
Allegheny College	598	600	25
American University	613	600	27
Amherst College	710	707	30
Arizona State University	538	551	23
Auburn University	547	563	24
Austin College	614	613	25
Barnard College	660	670	29
Bellarmine University	576	576	24
Beloit College	640	610	27
Birmingham-Southern College	598	588	26
Boston University	634	647	28
Bradley University	597	610	25
Brigham Young University (UT)	N/A	N/A	27
Brown University	690	700	29
Bryant College	522	557	22
Bryn Mawr College	672	638	28
California Polytechnic State University	594	639	28
Calvin College	584	595	26
Carnegie Mellon University	646	716	29
Catawba College	488	494	20
Centre College	612	603	27
Claremont McKenna College	690	700	30
Clark University	589	586	25
Clemson University	587	618	26
Coe College	577	572	25
Colby College	660	670	28
Colgate University	652	665	29
College of Charleston	595	590	24
College of Saint Benedict	585	605	25
College of the Atlantic	624	586	28
College of William and Mary	669	666	29
Colorado College	622	625	27
Colorado School of Mines	590	650	28
Connecticut College	660	650	27
Cornell College	599	590	26
Cornell University	667	700	27
Creighton University	590	599	26
Dartmouth College	702	713	31
Davidson College	659	656	28
Denison University	602	615	26
DePaul University	556	551	23
DePauw University	610	620	27
Dickinson College	623	612	27
Duquesne University	545	545	24
Earlham College	620	590	26
Eckerd College	564	564	25
Elon College	567	578	25
Emerson College	619	584	27
Eugene Lang College	610	570	27
Fairfield University	585	610	28
Fisk University	492	484	19
Flagler College	571	551	24
Florida State University	569	577	24
Fordham University	606	606	26
Gonzaga University	578	593	26
Goucher College	605	575	26
Grinnell College	682	670	30
Grove City College	633	639	28
Guilford College	570	550	25
Gustavus Adolphus College	610	620	26
Hampden-Sydney College	561	562	22
Hampton University	526	516	20
Hanover College	559	576	24
Hendrix College	630	610	27
Hiram College	573	566	24
Hofstra University	559	570	25
Hollins College	595	550	24
Illinois Institute of Technology	602	681	28
Illinois Wesleyan University	635	625	28
Indiana University-Bloomington	543	556	24
Iowa State University	590	620	24
Johns Hopkins University	671	703	29
Kalamazoo College	631	630	28
Kenyon College	681	661	30
Lafayette College	620	665	28
Lake Forest College	570	573	25
Lawrence University	620	625	27
Loyola University	629	605	27
Loyola University Chicago	574	574	25
Macalester College	690	670	29
Manhattanville College	530	530	24
Marist College	506	565	24
Marquette University	560	590	25
Mary Washington College	613	595	27
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	712	757	31
Mercer University	578	580	25
Miami University of Ohio	590	610	26
Michigan State University	552	579	24
Michigan Technological University	570	624	25
Middlebury College	710	700	30
Millsaps College	590	590	25
Montana Tech of the Univ. of Montana	530	539	22
Morehouse College	530	550	23
Mount Holyoke College	651	627	28
New College of Florida	693	637	27
New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology	596	612	26
New York University	672	666	29
North Carolina State University	578	615	25
Northeastern University	565	588	24
Northwestern University	675	703	30
Oberlin College	691	659	30
Occidental College	630	630	27
Oglethorpe University	617	603	26
Ohio Northern University	560	590	25
Ohio State University, Columbus	575	594	25
Ohio University	540	550	23
Ohio Wesleyan University	602	608	27
Pepperdine University	612	628	26
Pitzer College	624	610	25
Pomona College	730	720	32
Providence College	587	596	25
Purdue University	555	595	26
Randolph-Macon College	592	564	25
Reed College	667	704	30
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	626	684	26
Rhodes College	644	640	28
Ripon College	599	602	24
Rollins College	576	580	24
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	620	680	29
Saint Anselm College	551	556	23
Saint Louis University	585	595	26
Samford University	572	581	25
Santa Clara University	601	618	27
Sarah Lawrence College	660	590	27
Scripps College	666	641	28
Seattle University	562	561	26
Seton Hall University	539	548	25
Siena College	550	567	26
Simmons College	554	542	23
Simpson College	640	600	26
Skidmore College	630	620	27
Smith College	660	630	27
Southwestern University	621	615	26
Spelman College	549	524	22
St. Bonaventure University	523	531	22
St. John Fisher College	700	620	27
St. Lawrence University	570	570	24
St. Olaf College	639	635	27
Stephens College	566	513	24
Stetson University	566	557	24
SUNY at Binghamton	599	637	26
SUNY at Buffalo	566	589	29
SUNY College at Geneseo	619	626	27
Sweet Briar College	590	550	24
Texas A&M University, College Station	576	602	25
The College of Wooster	595	598	26
Evergreen State College	583	536	23
George Washington University	620	620	26
University of Texas, Austin	596	626	26

University of Tulsa	610	620	26
Trinity College (CT)	630	642	27
Trinity University	630	650	29
Truman State University	614	606	27
Tulane University	668	659	30
Tuskegee University	441	438	19
US Coast Guard Academy	620	640	27
US Merchant Marine Academy	600	610	27
US Military Academy	627	641	28
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa	547	546	23
University of Arizona	543	556	23
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville	576	587	25
University of California, Santa Barbara	570	602	25
University of California, Davis	598	637	28
University of California, Los Angeles	611	653	26
University of California, Riverside	504	553	21
University of California, San Diego	593	646	25
University of California, Santa Cruz	564	573	23
University of Colorado, Boulder	569	590	25
University of Dallas	620	600	27
University of Dayton	557	575	24
University of Denver	555	569	24
University of Idaho	549	559	23
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	613	660	27
University of Maine, Augusta	539	547	23
University of Maryland, Baltimore	592	621	25
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor	622	661	28
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	593	612	25
University of Montana, Missoula	550	540	22
University of Nebraska, Lincoln	570	589	24
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	501	514	21
University of New Mexico	572	540	22
University of New Orleans	553	535	21
University of North Carolina, Asheville	586	574	24
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	625	642	27
University of Notre Dame	665	685	31
University of Oklahoma	582	591	25
University of Pennsylvania	688	716	30
University of Pittsburgh	595	607	26
University of Puget Sound	631	622	27
University of Redlands	565	574	24
University of Rochester	665	687	30
University of San Diego	570	590	26
University of South Carolina, Columbia	555	569	24
University of Southern California	652	683	30
University of Tennessee, Knoxville	551	549	24
University of the Pacific	559	595	24
University of Vermont	568	574	24
University of Virginia	647	668	28
University of Wisconsin System, Madison	613	652	27
University of Wyoming	524	541	23
Valparaiso University	583	596	26
Villanova University	605	633	27
Wabash College	576	609	26
Wagner College	550	560	26
Warren Wilson College	579	544	24
Wellesley College	671	671	29
Wells College	580	550	25
Wesley College	574	562	25
Wesleyan University	700	690	29
West Virginia University	514	528	23
Westminster College (PA)	544	543	24
Wheaton College (IL)	661	658	28
Wheaton College (MA)	630	610	27
Whitman College	659	655	28
Whittier College	547	539	23
Willamette University	620	610	27
William Jewell College	580	560	24
Williams College	701	694	30
Wittenberg University	576	582	26
Wofford College	612	624	25
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	620	660	29

How to read SAT scores

Ryan Krug — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:42:00 GMT

SAT scores range from a low of 600 to a high of 2400. Of the million or so students that take the test every year only about 20 receive perfect scores, and schools, including the very best, don't expect you to be perfect.

There are three sections to the SAT – Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. The lowest score you can get on each section is 200, and the maximum score for each section is 800. First, the test grader will calculate your raw scores for the math and reading sections. You’re given one point for each correct answer and a quarter of a point is subtracted for each incorrect answer. No points are deducted for questions you don’t answer.

The writing section is, of course, scored a bit differently. Each essay is read by two readers, who score the essay on a scale of 1 to 6 (with 6 being the highest), which gives you a number between 2 and 12. If the two readers’ scores differ by more than one point, a third reader scores the essay as well, but the final score you’ll receive will be between 2 and 12. This score accounts for 30% of your total writing section score, with the other 70% of the score coming from writing-related multiple choice questions.

Once each section has a raw score, these scores are converted into scaled scores. This process converts your raw score into a score out of a perfect possible 800 points. The conversion from test to test changes slightly depending on the performance of that test's test takers.

In 2009, the average SAT scores for students were 515 for Math, 501 for Critical Reading, and 493 for Writing. Once you receive your SAT scores, you’ll be able to see where your weaknesses are. That way, if you chose to retake the test, you can focus on problem sections. Many colleges allow you to submit your best section scores, even if they come from different tests, so if you have extremely high scores in some sections, you don’t have to worry that by taking the test again, you’ll lose those high scores.

Still need to take the SAT? Here are national test dates!

Check out our blog titled "What SAT score do I need to get into college?" to determine if your score is good enough for the schools you are interested in.

Where can I retrieve my SAT scores?

Ryan Krug — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:29:00 GMT

All SAT scores are available at www.collegeboard.org, usually about three weeks after your test date. Additionally, your full score report will be mailed to you usually about 6 weeks after your test date. In order to retrieve your scores online you will need your login and password that you used to sign up for the SAT.

Your official score report will be provided to you and your high school, if you included the code, about five weeks after the test. Students who register online and wish to receive a paper score report by mail in addition to the online score report must request it when they register. Students who register by mail and who do not have active College Board online accounts will continue to receive paper score reports.

Hope this helps!

Ryan

What SAT score do I need to get into college?

Ryan Krug — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:15:00 GMT

In order to understand what SAT score you will need to get into college, you need to consider what schools you would like to apply to. Below is a list of over 300 schools and their corresponding Average SAT and ACT scores. If you don't see the school you are interested in, make sure and go to their admissions' website and look it up. Also, SAT and ACT scores will keep you out of a school, but they won't get you in. Just because you have scores above a school's average scores is no reason to assume you will get in. The quality and uniqueness of your application, including your essays, recommendations, and high school grades and activities will be the main reasons why a school decides to admit you.

College	Math SAT	Verbal SAT	ACT
Agnes Scott College	620	590	26
Albertson College of Idaho	571	563	24
Albion College	562	582	25
Allegheny College	598	600	25
American University	613	600	27
Amherst College	710	707	30
Arizona State University	538	551	23
Auburn University	547	563	24
Austin College	614	613	25
Barnard College	660	670	29
Bellarmine University	576	576	24
Beloit College	640	610	27
Birmingham-Southern College	598	588	26
Boston University	634	647	28
Bradley University	597	610	25
Brigham Young University (UT)	N/A	N/A	27
Brown University	690	700	29
Bryant College	522	557	22
Bryn Mawr College	672	638	28
California Polytechnic State University	594	639	28
Calvin College	584	595	26
Carnegie Mellon University	646	716	29
Catawba College	488	494	20
Centre College	612	603	27
Claremont McKenna College	690	700	30
Clark University	589	586	25
Clemson University	587	618	26
Coe College	577	572	25
Colby College	660	670	28
Colgate University	652	665	29
College of Charleston	595	590	24
College of Saint Benedict	585	605	25
College of the Atlantic	624	586	28
College of William and Mary	669	666	29
Colorado College	622	625	27
Colorado School of Mines	590	650	28
Connecticut College	660	650	27
Cornell College	599	590	26
Cornell University	667	700	27
Creighton University	590	599	26
Dartmouth College	702	713	31
Davidson College	659	656	28
Denison University	602	615	26
DePaul University	556	551	23
DePauw University	610	620	27
Dickinson College	623	612	27
Duquesne University	545	545	24
Earlham College	620	590	26
Eckerd College	564	564	25
Elon College	567	578	25
Emerson College	619	584	27
Eugene Lang College	610	570	27
Fairfield University	585	610	28
Fisk University	492	484	19
Flagler College	571	551	24
Florida State University	569	577	24
Fordham University	606	606	26
Gonzaga University	578	593	26
Goucher College	605	575	26
Grinnell College	682	670	30
Grove City College	633	639	28
Guilford College	570	550	25
Gustavus Adolphus College	610	620	26
Hampden-Sydney College	561	562	22
Hampton University	526	516	20
Hanover College	559	576	24
Hendrix College	630	610	27
Hiram College	573	566	24
Hofstra University	559	570	25
Hollins College	595	550	24
Illinois Institute of Technology	602	681	28
Illinois Wesleyan University	635	625	28
Indiana University-Bloomington	543	556	24
Iowa State University	590	620	24
Johns Hopkins University	671	703	29
Kalamazoo College	631	630	28
Kenyon College	681	661	30
Lafayette College	620	665	28
Lake Forest College	570	573	25
Lawrence University	620	625	27
Loyola University	629	605	27
Loyola University Chicago	574	574	25
Macalester College	690	670	29
Manhattanville College	530	530	24
Marist College	506	565	24
Marquette University	560	590	25
Mary Washington College	613	595	27
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	712	757	31
Mercer University	578	580	25
Miami University of Ohio	590	610	26
Michigan State University	552	579	24
Michigan Technological University	570	624	25
Middlebury College	710	700	30
Millsaps College	590	590	25
Montana Tech of the Univ. of Montana	530	539	22
Morehouse College	530	550	23
Mount Holyoke College	651	627	28
New College of Florida	693	637	27
New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology	596	612	26
New York University	672	666	29
North Carolina State University	578	615	25
Northeastern University	565	588	24
Northwestern University	675	703	30
Oberlin College	691	659	30
Occidental College	630	630	27
Oglethorpe University	617	603	26
Ohio Northern University	560	590	25
Ohio State University, Columbus	575	594	25
Ohio University	540	550	23
Ohio Wesleyan University	602	608	27
Pepperdine University	612	628	26
Pitzer College	624	610	25
Pomona College	730	720	32
Providence College	587	596	25
Purdue University	555	595	26
Randolph-Macon College	592	564	25
Reed College	667	704	30
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	626	684	26
Rhodes College	644	640	28
Ripon College	599	602	24
Rollins College	576	580	24
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	620	680	29
Saint Anselm College	551	556	23
Saint Louis University	585	595	26
Samford University	572	581	25
Santa Clara University	601	618	27
Sarah Lawrence College	660	590	27
Scripps College	666	641	28
Seattle University	562	561	26
Seton Hall University	539	548	25
Siena College	550	567	26
Simmons College	554	542	23
Simpson College	640	600	26
Skidmore College	630	620	27
Smith College	660	630	27
Southwestern University	621	615	26
Spelman College	549	524	22
St. Bonaventure University	523	531	22
St. John Fisher College	700	620	27
St. Lawrence University	570	570	24
St. Olaf College	639	635	27
Stephens College	566	513	24
Stetson University	566	557	24
SUNY at Binghamton	599	637	26
SUNY at Buffalo	566	589	29
SUNY College at Geneseo	619	626	27
Sweet Briar College	590	550	24
Texas A&M University, College Station	576	602	25
The College of Wooster	595	598	26
Evergreen State College	583	536	23
George Washington University	620	620	26
University of Texas, Austin	596	626	26

University of Tulsa	610	620	26
Trinity College (CT)	630	642	27
Trinity University	630	650	29
Truman State University	614	606	27
Tulane University	668	659	30
Tuskegee University	441	438	19
US Coast Guard Academy	620	640	27
US Merchant Marine Academy	600	610	27
US Military Academy	627	641	28
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa	547	546	23
University of Arizona	543	556	23
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville	576	587	25
University of California, Santa Barbara	570	602	25
University of California, Davis	598	637	28
University of California, Los Angeles	611	653	26
University of California, Riverside	504	553	21
University of California, San Diego	593	646	25
University of California, Santa Cruz	564	573	23
University of Colorado, Boulder	569	590	25
University of Dallas	620	600	27
University of Dayton	557	575	24
University of Denver	555	569	24
University of Idaho	549	559	23
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	613	660	27
University of Maine, Augusta	539	547	23
University of Maryland, Baltimore	592	621	25
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor	622	661	28
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	593	612	25
University of Montana, Missoula	550	540	22
University of Nebraska, Lincoln	570	589	24
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	501	514	21
University of New Mexico	572	540	22
University of New Orleans	553	535	21
University of North Carolina, Asheville	586	574	24
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	625	642	27
University of Notre Dame	665	685	31
University of Oklahoma	582	591	25
University of Pennsylvania	688	716	30
University of Pittsburgh	595	607	26
University of Puget Sound	631	622	27
University of Redlands	565	574	24
University of Rochester	665	687	30
University of San Diego	570	590	26
University of South Carolina, Columbia	555	569	24
University of Southern California	652	683	30
University of Tennessee, Knoxville	551	549	24
University of the Pacific	559	595	24
University of Vermont	568	574	24
University of Virginia	647	668	28
University of Wisconsin System, Madison	613	652	27
University of Wyoming	524	541	23
Valparaiso University	583	596	26
Villanova University	605	633	27
Wabash College	576	609	26
Wagner College	550	560	26
Warren Wilson College	579	544	24
Wellesley College	671	671	29
Wells College	580	550	25
Wesley College	574	562	25
Wesleyan University	700	690	29
West Virginia University	514	528	23
Westminster College (PA)	544	543	24
Wheaton College (IL)	661	658	28
Wheaton College (MA)	630	610	27
Whitman College	659	655	28
Whittier College	547	539	23
Willamette University	620	610	27
William Jewell College	580	560	24
Williams College	701	694	30
Wittenberg University	576	582	26
Wofford College	612	624	25
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	620	660	29

What is the average SAT Score?

Ryan Krug — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:55:00 GMT

The SAT was designed so that the 50% of students score would above a 500 on each section. Thus, an average score is typically 500 verbal, 500 Math, and 500 Writing (1500 overall). Below is a percentile breakdown for the 2006 SAT, and you can see that the 48 percentile is right at a 1500. While it is tempting to look at the percentiles, make sure and check out the scores that the schools you are interested require. This is the only real indicator of the scores you will need, and should be aiming for.

Percentile	Score, 1600 Scale (official, 2006)^{[citation needed]}	Score, 2400 Scale (official, 2006)
99.93/99.98*	1600	2400
99+	≥1540	≥2290
99	≥1480	≥2200
98	≥1450	≥2140
97	≥1420	≥2100
88	≥1380	≥1900
81	≥1280	≥1800
78	≥1200	≥1770
72	≥1150	≥1700
61	≥1090	≥1600
48	≥1010	≥1500
36	≥950	≥1400
15	≥810	≥1200
4	≥670	≥990
1	≥520	≥790
* The percentile of the perfect score was 99.98 on the 2400 scale and 99.93 on the 1600 scale.

The One, The Only….

Reid Spitz — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 03:17:00 GMT

“I’m in the Stanford band, and I don’t know how to play an instrument.”

“What? How can that be?...Are you a flag twirler or something?”

“No. I ‘play’ the trumpet, which basically means I hold it and dance around.”

“And do they KNOW you don’t know how to play?!!”

“Oh yeah. They encourage people to join who don’t know how to play.”

In a nutshell, I just described to you my interaction with everybody who knows nothing about the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB for short). It’s true. I’m in the Stanford band, and I don’t know how to play an instrument. Not only can I not play an instrument… I can’t even read music! To most people, this is shocking. They wonder, “why would the band let this kid in if he can’t even play, and why would he even want to join if he doesn’t know how?” Well, there’s only one essential piece of information most of these people are missing. This isn’t just any old college marching band. This is The One, The Only, The Truly Incomparable, Leland Stanford Junior (pause) University Marching Band!

There’s really only one word to describe the Stanford band: irreverent. For starters, when you’re trying to picture the Stanford band, throw away all your conventional notions of lock-step marching bands that wear funny hats and capes and play the school’s fight song every time the team gets a first down. In fact, it deliberately mocks these kinds of bands (cough cough USC). Instead picture a collection of ragtag Stanford students and alumnus- some with musical talent, some without- who dress oddly, play Rock-‘n’-Roll, ‘scatter’ instead of march, and when it comes down to it, just like to have a good time… often at the expense of other people.

Stanford University is a very fine institution-- one of the best in the world—and I love it with all my heart. With all the piles of work, however, it can start to feel a bit…stuffy. The band provides a perfect outlet to the stress, and it really is a unique thing about Stanford. It may very well be the thing I am most proud of about this school.

As someone who thinks that humorous social commentary is a healthy thing (my favorite TV show is South Park), I can tell you that I’m extremely proud of the band’s, shall we say, less shining moments. For instance, at a game at Notre Dame a few years back, the Stanford band did a field show mocking the ND mascot ‘The Fighting Irish’ with a field show entitled ‘These Irish, why must they fight?’ The drum major donned a nun’s habit at the game and conducted the band with a crucifix, which, obviously, enraged the Irish Catholics of Notre Dame, who went on to ban the band from ever returning to South Bend. At a game against BYU, one of the band members proposed to each of the Dollies (dancers), who were wearing wedding veils—a joke about polygamy, which was once condoned by the Mormon church. At a game at the University of Oregon, the band did a field show about the endangered spotted owl, which was at the time a huge political issue in Oregon. This field show got them banned, not just from the University of Oregon, but from the entire state! During the OJ Simpson trial, the band sent some of its members outside the courthouse and played a rousing “She’s Not There.” At the 2008 USC game, the band did a field show mocking USC alumni Jeff Francis, who is now wanted for sexual harassment charges. This, of course, got them booed off the field. The list of ‘offensive’ field shows goes on and on and on… and, honestly, I couldn’t be more proud. Nearly every school in the PAC-10 (soon to be PAC-12) hates us and our mascot tree, and we pretty much thrive on that.

So how did I become involved with the band, you might wonder. Well, early in fall quarter, there was an activities fair in White Plaza. The campus was abuzz with activity as everyone was out trying to determine what clubs they wanted to get involved in. As only band would do, they moved their table INSIDE the fountain in White Plaza and began partying in the fountain (a Stanford tradition known as fountain hopping). It was clear they were enjoying themselves, so I decided to hop in with them, shoes and all! It was at this moment I knew I wanted to join band.

I showed up for band practice, picked up a trumpet, and pretended to play. Ever since, I’ve been in the “trumpz” section, where I’m actually now beginning to learn how to play.

I’ve had some incredible experiences with band this year thus far. I played at every home football game, some basketball and volleyball games, and ‘Big Game’—our rivalry game with the University of California, Berkeley. I even brought my sister into the band one weekend while she was visiting! I’ve become pretty close to the people in band at this point, and I intend to be in band throughout my time at Stanford… who would have ever thought I’d be a band nerd!

I’d have to say my best experience with band, however, came right after New Years, when we traveled to Miami, Florida for the Orange Bowl. Now, if you know anything about college football, you know the Stanford Cardinal had an incredible season, going 11-1 in the regular season in the PAC-10 and winning a BCS bowl by 28 points, ranking 4^th in the country (and hey, we’re not really a “football school” like Texas, LSU, Alabama, etc., even though we ranked higher). This landed Stanford an invitation to the Discover Orange Bowl in Miami, a prestigious bowl game that pits the winner of the ACC against a highly ranked at-large team (sorry if this is all football mumbo-jumbo to you). Anyways, the point is that I got to spend four days in gorgeous South Beach at a five-star hotel right on Miami beach- with per diems- ALL ON THE SCHOOL’S DOLLAR! And for what!? I just hold the trumpet!! (Well, okay, I’m learning, but you get the idea). And the best part was that we WON!!!

It was an incredible, unforgettable experience, and I hope to have many more like it. So if any of you are considering coming to Stanford, consider joining the LSJUMB. It truly is ‘incomparable’.

Feel free to comment on this post below:

SAT versus ACT

Ryan Krug — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:46:00 GMT

People often ask what the differences are between the ACT and the SAT, and so I wanted to throw out a few of the most important ones.

The SAT, which you can sign up for at www.collegeboard.com, is scored out of 2400 with a possible 800 points coming from Critical Reading, Math and Writing.

The ACT, which you can sign up for on www.actstudent.org, is scored out of 36 with a possible 36 in English, Math, Reading and Science.

TIME

While the two tests have different formats, they do test many of the same concepts. The main difference is TIME. The ACT derives the majority of its difficulty by giving you a lot of questions in a short amount of time, while the SAT derives the majority of its difficulty by placing hard questions near the end of sections.

GUESSING

Another major difference between the SAT and the ACT is that the ACT doesn't have a guessing penalty. While it is advantageous to guess intelligently on the SAT, it is critical that you NEVER leave any questions blank on the ACT.

MATH

The SAT math section only covers arithmetic, algebra and geometry while the ACT math section covers everything on the SAT plus Algebra 2 and Trigonometry. The SAT is less time intensive but has more difficult word problems.

READING

The SAT critical reading section includes sentence completions and reading passages, while the ACT only has reading passages. The SAT places a HUGE emphasis on vocabulary while the ACT reading section is more time intensive.

WRITING

The SAT writing section is made up of three types of questions: sentence corrections, Error IDs, and Errors in Context. The ACT is made up solely of Errors in Context questions. Both tests cover the 15 grammar rules presented on mindfish.com, but the ACT places ENORMOUS importance on punctuation and context based corrections.

ESSAY

Both tests have essays, but the SAT essay questions are usually about broad ideals such as "is conscience more powerful than money power or fame." The ACT essay questions are usually about specific high school policies like "should schools ban cell phones." The SAT essay must be completed in 25 minutes while the ACT essay affords students 30 minutes to complete it.

SCIENCE

Unlike the SAT, the ACT includes a science section that is nothing more than a reading section with charts and graphs. In order to succeed on the ACT science section, students have to manage their time well and finish all seven sections.

Best of Luck and please feel free to respond with any specific questions,

Ryan

More ACT Science Score Charts

Bill Huston — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:50:00 GMT

I've been following a thread on College Confidential in which several students are speculating on the scoring of the most recent ACT Science section (October 23). Here are a couple more (abridged) ACT Science scoring charts that should help complete the picture a bit. These scales are a bit more lenient than the I posted previously and thus might more accurately resemble the scale from the October 23 test.

Here's one from April 2009:

And another from June 2009:

ACT Score Chart

Bill Huston — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:47:00 GMT

Scores from the most recent ACT test (October 23, 2010) are available online today. As the scores come back, many students may be wondering what the numbers mean. For example, "if I got a 29 on the Math section, how many questions did I miss?" Here's an ACT scoring chart from a couple of years back that should shed a bit of light on these types of questions. If you're trying to make sense of your score, find your section score on the far left or right of this chart. Then trace over the the section column (English, Math, Reading, Science) to determine how many questions you answered correctly on that section.

A Whole New World

Reid Spitz — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 04:09:00 GMT

In my last post, I told you a bit about my new home Stanford. Now I’ll start detailing some of experiences here. I’ll start from the very beginning (this was already five weeks ago, so I have some catching up to do!):

Move in Day

Ah, move-in-day. It’s a day that all high school seniors dream about for a good six months. “What it will be like when my new life TRULY begins?” they ask themselves. Move-in-day is supposed to be one of the monumental benchmarks in a young person’s life; the defining moment when a teenager’s parents surrender any semblance of authority over the child, and he/she is FINALLY completely free! One might even say it’s the moment when adulthood really begins. That’s what it’s supposed to be like, right?

Not for me. In fact, while most freshman eagerly await the day they move in, I was dreading it. I was dreading it not out of some fear that I would be homesick- I’ve been going to summer camp for 8 years now- but because I was actually physically sick; I was coughing, drowsy, and pale as a ghost.

Going to college is really one of the few “reset buttons” you get in life. Here you are, surrounded by people you don’t know, with an opportunity to make a new first-impression of yourself. Needless to say, I didn’t want people’s first impression of me to be of a walking zombie. Also, I wanted my parents there to continue to take care of me, as they had been for the past few days.

Alas, I had to face the reality that I would be going to college sick. Throughout the entirety of the first weekend here on campus, I was comatose. During the unpacking process, the commencement address, and ice-breaker activities, I did my best to put on a facade of contentment, but underneath I felt miserable. I wasn’t able to make the first-impression that I had wanted, but, looking back, it didn’t make a bit of difference.

I will say this, however-- despite the fact that I was unable to show too much emotion during my first day on campus, I was unbelievably excited to know that I was about to embark on my journey at STANFORD University. My life was about to change drastically. Sitting in the middle of Stanford’s gorgeous Main Quad, I was met with an emotion of excitement and nervousness as the president delivered his address to the class of 2014.

Fortunately, as the first week on campus passed, I began to feel better and better, even though everyone in the dorm knew me as “the sick kid with no voice” for a while.

My roommate

Let me introduce you to my roommate. His name is Tom Mallon, and he’s the Usain Bolt of high school track. He was the fastest 800 meter runner in the country in high-school, and he’ll likely go to the Olympic games in 2016. He and some of the other track runners at Stanford are looking to set the WORLD RECORD in the relay this year. He’s from Philadelphia, so he’s a huge Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers fan. As a Colorado native, I proudly rep my Rockies and Broncos, so half our room is decked out in Philly paraphernalia, the other half Denver (my side is better, of course). He likes playing pranks like changing my Facebook status when I leave my computer open and unattended or locking my bike up with a lock I don’t have a key for. I prank him back though, don’t worry! The other day I threw warm milk in his face outside the dining hall. In all honesty, I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. He’s got a great sense of humor but he’s also very easy to live with. He and some other guys in my dorm have become my closest friends here, and we have a great time hanging out together.

My Dorm

I live in Arroyo, which is an all-freshman dorm in an all-freshman part of campus. It’s co-ed with about 80 residents. It took me a while to get to know everyone in the dorm, but everyone is very amiable and TALENTED. Everyone has their own unique talents and interests. Some people in the dorm do research with the university, others play instruments like they’re in the New York Philharmonic, and still others are looking to become professional athletes. It’s a very eclectic group of people, but it makes for an interesting environment. I absolutely love it!

I love it so much, in fact, that I decided to run for my dorm’s president...and I won! I got the endorsement of our housekeeper Carol (picture of my campaign poster attached) and ran on a platform of anti-incumbency. I was, of course, joking, but I gave a whole speech about how I’d never been in student government but my opponents were “inside the political beltway” and that it was time to “throw out the bums”. Well, my dorm mates must have thought my speech was clever, because they elected me! Now I’m in charge of managing my dorm’s funds (about $8000 a quarter) and organizing events such as parties and trips. I anticipate we’ll be taking a ski trip to Tahoe in the near future.

Anyways, that about scratches the surface of the last five weeks. Still TONS more to come. On deck:

-The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band

-Scavenger Hunt through San Francisco

-My class with Professor Tobias Wolff

-sailing with the varsity sailing team

-the U$C (University of Southern California) football game

-And MUCH MORE

Keep reading! And GO CARDINAL!!!

Until next time,

Reid

What is a good SAT score?

Ryan Krug — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:36:00 GMT

What is a good SAT score? It all depends on the schools you want to be admitted to. Below is a list of SAT scores for some of the nations top schools. If you don't see the school you are interested, go to the schools homepage and then check the admissions section of the site for the school's SAT score ranges.

SAT ACT Conversion

Ryan Krug — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:14:00 GMT

Here is a conversion table to convert your SAT scores into an ACT scores or vice versa.

How to choose the right college.

Ryan Krug — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:57:00 GMT

Our friends over at myUsearch.com have come up with another great blog about important issues students often forget to consider when they select their colleges. The cash flow consideration is one that haunted many of my friends at Stanford. Just because you have scholarships to pay for classes and room and board, doesn't mean you will have money for books ($$$), food and entertainment. Make sure to talk to your school about on campus work opportunities and don't think that you can enjoy living on ramen and PBJs (it only works for a few weeks).

Check out the blog at http://myusearchblog.com/your-college-choice-five-issues-youll-forget-to-consider

Good luck,

Ryan

Scholarship Deadlines and Amounts

Ryan Krug — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:07:00 GMT

Scholarship Name	Deadline	Amount	Eligibility
Siemens Competition	10/1/2010	$100,000	All H.S. Students
Faith & Development Essay Competition	10/15/2010	$5,000	All Students (H.S. and College)
Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans	10/30/2010	$2,500	H.S. Senior with financial need
Coca-Cola Scholars Program	10/31/2010	$20,000	H.S. Seniors
Standout Student Scholarship	10/31/2010	$500	H.S. Students
Bennington Youth Writers Award	11/1/2010	$5,000	10th, 11th, 12th H.S. students with outstanding writing achievements
National Komen College Scholarship Award	11/1/2010	$10,000	Loss of a parent or guardian to * cancer or having survived a * cancer diagnosis at 25 years of age or younger.
Prudential Spirit Award	11/1/2010	$5,000	Any H.S. student, award based on community service
Sphinx Competition	11/10/2010	$10,000	African American or Latino who plays the violin, viola, cello, etc.
First Freedom Student Competition	11/15/2010	$2,500	All H.S. students
BOTAR President's Scholarship	12/1/2010	$2,500	H.S. Senior who has volunteered >15 hours at American Royal events
FRA Americanism Essay Contest	12/1/2010	$10,000	All H.S. students
NRA Defense Fund	12/1/2010	$1,000	All H.S. students
Big Dig Scholarship	12/3/2010	$3,000	All H.S. students
Principal's Leadership Award	12/3/2010	$12,000	H.S. Senior
Cross Lites Scholarship Contest	12/15/2010	$2,000	All H.S. students
Healthy Respect Win-Win Scholarship	12/30/2010	$25,000	All H.S. students
All-Ink College Scholarship Program	12/31/2010	$5,000	All H.S. students

Inside Tips for College Admissions

Ryan Krug — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:29:00 GMT

I recently came across an interesting article with some inside tips for college admissions: http://bit.ly/cJabvI

The article provides the following sound advice about the ESSAY.

"What is [the admission's official] looking for? Personal impact. If you're writing about someone who inspired you, make sure you write about exactly how that inspiration has changed your life or how you're a different person. Give examples of how that inspiration has changed you. Lecanda says, "We're admitting you, not the inspirational person, so make sure you write about yourself. Mike Sexton, SCU VP of Enrollment Management, says, "Too often they think the essay is a summary of their life and a 17 year old life is not exactly a novel yet." Better to choose something specific or a moment that affected you. "If they've traveled, we don't want travel log; we want to hear about the afternoon they sat with student in Nicaragua and talked politics or justice." Sexton says writing is critical, and students who write well stand a much better chance of being accepted. "All of our faculty want students who can write, whether you're studying engineering or business or English."

Good luck with your essays!

A free month of mindfish Pro for one of your students!

Bill Huston — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:55:00 GMT

Hello,

If you're reading this page it's because you just clicked on the email we sent. Many thanks for your interest!

If you have a student who could benefit from one free month of our mindfish Pro SAT prep service, please let us know. Click here to get your student signed up for a mindfish Free account. Then, you can click here to send us an email with the student's name. We'll make sure to give him or her all of the privileges of a paid mindfish Pro user.

Many thanks!

the mindfish guys

Greetings from Stanford!

Reid Spitz — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 21:38:00 GMT

And welcome to my blog! This will be my first entry...hope you enjoy! This entry will be about the purpose of this blog and what I hope to achieve by conveying my college experiences to you:

    Over the summer, I was given some sound advice from a friend while at summer camp-- he told me to keep a journal. Now, I’ve never kept a journal before, as I’ve always seen it as somewhat of a cumbersome and unnecessary activity. Why keep record of all of the mundane things I did today? Why would I ever care?
    But, looking back on my years as a camper, I sorely wish I had kept a log of my activities and stories, because now I only have vague memories of each summer. As my camping adventures fade farther back into the recesses of my mind, the summers have seamlessly blended together into one giant heap of distant memory, and I can no longer distinguish the summer of 2002 from the summer of 2006. I consider my camp experiences to be a huge factor in shaping the person I am today, so it saddens me that I can’t really remember many of them.
    But now here I am- a bright-eyed freshman in college- with a world of new opportunity. I have no doubt that my years here at Stanford will largely determine the man I am to become. And even though I missed out on keeping a journal at camp, I feel as if, in this stage of my life, I’ve been given another chance to start logging my memories.

    That’s the main purpose of this blog.

    As much as I’m writing down my Stanford experiences for you to enjoy them, I’m also keeping record for myself. I want to be able to look back at this blog years down the road and say, “Hey! I remember that!” This blog is serving as my virtual journal, and it’s my hope that you will enjoy reading my posts as much as I hope to enjoy them when I look back on them years later.

    And now a bit about the amazing, beautiful, and all around AWESOME school I attend--Stanford! If you don’t know, Stanford is nestled in gorgeous northern California amid palm trees, golden sun, and clear blue sky (most of the time). It’s gorgeous sandstone arcades and red-tiled roofs back to the gently rolling hills of the California landscape. But don’t let the campus’s breath-taking beauty fool you; Stanford has some of the most rigorous academics in the country. Everyone here is unbelievably bright, and this university has produced an unconscionable number of Fullbright Scholars, Nobel Prize winners, and other intellectual award recipients. The founders of Google, Yahoo, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and other software giants all went here, as well as President Herbert Hoover, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and hundreds of other famous politicians, actors, scientists, and intellectuals. Stanford has also won the “Directors Cup” for the past twelve years running, which is the award for the best overall athletic program in the country... So, in essence, we’ve got some of the best academics, THE best athletics, and the best weather of any school anywhere. Stanford really is THE BEST UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD! (unbiased opinion, haha :-P)

So that’s a bit about the purpose of this blog and where I go to school. In future posts, I’ll tell you all about some of the experiences that I’ve had thus far.

A little teaser of what’s to come:
-New Student Orientation
-My class with Professor Tobias Wolff
-Fountain Hopping
-Dorm President Elections
-The LSJUMB (Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band)
-The Stanford Debate team
-My world-class athlete roomate (who may be going to the Olympics in 2012)
-Scavenger Hunt through San Francisco

Lots more to come! Keep on Reading!

Reid

Introducing mindfish Pro!

Bill Huston — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:44:00 GMT

We’re excited to announce the launch of mindfish Pro, our premium SAT study service! We’ve been hard at work building a comprehensive test prep resource to help students from all backgrounds achieve their standardized testing and college admissions goals. It’s here! For $30 a month, each mindfish Pro user gets:

-a custom SAT preparation course designed by our adaptive learning engine

-access to all of our Video Vocab clips...check it out:

-24/7 access to all of our online test prep resources

-video lessons on every SAT topic

-SAT Quest – the quiz game that will help you beat the test

-college goal setter and progress tracker

-2 hours of live instruction each week; all instructors are current or former Harvard and Stanford students

Curious? Check out this video to see how it works:

For less than a dollar a day, we feel that we’ve created the best value in the test prep world. Students can identify their strengths and weakness with our online tools, master important concepts with deep learning resources, and get live guidance from test prep masters…all from the comfort of their homes and at times that work within their already crazy schedules.

Give it a try! Let us know what you think! We’re committed to making mindfish the world’s best test prep resource and would love to hear your feedback.

Many thanks and happy studying!

Free Test Prep Advice!

Bill Huston — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 23:20:00 GMT

Got questions about standardized testing and college admissions?!?

This Friday (10/01/10) at 1:00 PM we'll be doing a free test prep and college admissions seminar for high school parents. If you have a student engaged in the standardized testing and college admissions processes, come join us and get your questions answered. Bill Huston and Ryan Krug, test prep veterans and the founders of mindfish, will be on hand to offer guidance and suggestions to help you through this often bewildering stage of your child's educational career.

Please let us know if you plan to attend by leaving a comment in the form below. Also, please let us know in your comment if you've got specific you'd like answered or topics you want us to address on Friday. Then, on Friday at 1:00, please click this link to be taken to our virtual classroom.

"Demonstrated interest" is becoming more important in college admissions

Ryan Krug — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:51:00 GMT

While students can’t go back and change their grades or test scores there is a very powerful element of the college admissions process called “demonstrated interest” that they can leverage. Demonstrated interest can be achieved by attending an information session on campus or sending a thank you letter after an admissions interview. While the importance of demonstrated interested varies between schools, recent trends show that it is becoming an increasingly important part of the college application process.

A report put out by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that the percentage of colleges rating demonstrated interest as a “considerably important factor” increased from 7 percent to 21 percent from 2003 to 2006. It’s held steady at about 20 percent since that time. In 2008, the last year data were available, that 20 percent made demonstrated interest more important than class rank and the interview.

Schools want students who show a genuine interest in them. Admissions officials know that students apply to several schools and they like to admit students that want to attend their respective schools. For many of these schools demonstrated interest can separate the pretenders from the contenders.

Unfortunately, many of the most selective schools in the country have extraordinary high yields (the percentage of admitted students that attend the college) and as a result don’t value demonstrated interest as much. However, I have witnessed demonstrated interest working at one of the most selective schools in the country. The student was interested in chemistry and so he contacted a professor who taught an interesting chemistry course. The student was able to meet the professor and after the meeting the professor offered the student a summer internship as well as a potential letter of recommendation. Needless to say, the student was accepted into this elite institution and was able to have an amazing summer experience working in a college level chemistry lab.

Get creative and reach out to professors at the schools you want to attend. It can only help you in your quest to find the right college and might even give you a leg up on admissions.

Video Vocab Contest!

Bill Huston — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:16:00 GMT

Welcome to the mindfish Video Vocabulary contest!

We want to give you cash prizes and free test prep courses for making quirky vocabulary videos.

To celebrate the release of our mindfish Pro SAT prep service we’re throwing a contest to challenge you to make the most memorable, hilarious, crazy and instructive video vocabulary clips possible.

We’ve been gathering video vocab clips for some time now.

Here’s one to check out:

And another:

Think you can make something just as cool…or cooler?

What is the Contest all about?

Unlike most of our videos which use movie and TV content, we want you and your friends to be the stars of the show. Look at the attached list of words and think of clever ways to explain the words through people, scenes, and events in your life. You are also welcome to use non-copyrighted material from around the web, but please don’t use copyrighted material from movies and television shows.

What can you win?

The creator of the top video will receive $100 plus a free mindfish Pro one month membership worth $29.99.

The creators of the top five videos will receive a free mindfish Pro one month membership worth $29.99.

Anyone who submits at least 5 high quality videos will also receive a one month free membership to mindfish Pro worth $29.99.

All prizes will be based on the opinion of our experts and the total number of “likes” a video receives on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/videovocab.

Once you have submitted a video, check it out on www.facebook.com/videovocab and invite your friends to “like” your video.

Good luck filming!

Contest details:

Grab our Vocab list here and start making videos with these words: (Please visit the site to view this media)

email your short and awesome vocab clips to info@mindfish.com

We’ll check them out and then pop them up on Facebook and mindfish.com for the world to enjoy and learn from. We’ll be taking submissions until October 31 and will alert the winners by email at that time.

Boulder Fiber and You!

Bill Huston — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:07:00 GMT

The Stark Correlation of SAT Scores and Family Income

Bill Huston — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:47:00 GMT

Here's a graph that I put together by plotting some data from the College Board's Annual report on SAT scores from 2009. SAT scores are plotted on the y-axis, maximum family income on the x-axis. A pretty strong correlation, no?

In its press release attached to this report, the College Board states that those students who "had familiarized themselves with the test" scored better than those who had not. While the College Board goes on to say that "one way to practice is to take the PSAT," it's clear that test preparation continues to help those students who can afford to pay for it.

Isn't it time for test prep to be available to everyone?