To show our appreciation for our military’s service and sacrifice, the Vocab Videos team is offering military families 25% off a Vocab Videos subscription through Military.com. If applicable, create a Military.com account to get the details of this special offer (listed under the “Education” category).
Vocab Videos’ parent company, A-List Education, is also offering military families a 25% discount on its college essay service, College Essay Organizer (CEO), which can find all of your college essay requirements in an instant. CEO’s Essay QuickFinder results will give a comprehensive list of the exact essay questions for each of your colleges, including all long and short essay questions, as well as all department-specific, program-specific, and optional questions. The CEO Essay RoadMap then instantly simplifies your entire list of essay requirements so students write only what they need to write. The RoadMap will show you how to write perhaps only two or three original essays that satisfy all of your essay needs, giving you different essay topic options for each original essay. The result is less work and more creative, compelling essays. You can also take advantage of this special offer through Military.com.
Tags: CEO, College Essay Tips, military discount, Vocab Videos
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Often when we think of college entrance exams, the first thing that comes to mind is the SAT, but in actuality, all four-year colleges and universities also accept the ACT. So students have a degree of choice when it comes to which standardized test they choose to take—even if it means taking both (though you will more than likely have to focus your attention on one). The Vocab Videos team would encourage you to take practice tests for both the SAT and ACT when you begin your test preparation. If it’s your first time taking the test don’t worry so much about your score as getting a feel for format, content, and question types to see which test feels like a better fit.
Be sure to take practice tests to decide between the SAT and ACT
Below are a few things you may or may not already know about the ACT as well as how the test differs from the SAT in certain aspects:
- The ACT consists of 4 “tests”: English, Math, Reading, Science Reasoning, Writing (optional)
- You will get a score from 1 to 36 on each of the four main tests.
- If you choose to take the Writing test, your score will be combined with your English score.
- Score Choice: Unlike the SAT, you may choose which ACT scores you want to send to colleges. The College Board always sends all your SAT scores together. Even if a college says they’ll just look at the highest score you got, they see every score you have—you can’t hide a score. For the ACT, however, you must specify which scores you want to send to a college.
- No Guess Penalty: The ACT does not take off points for wrong answers. You should always fill in an answer for every question. If you are about to run out of time and there are questions you haven’t gotten to yet, guess something. NEVER LEAVE ANY BLANKS FOR ANY REASON! You’ll pick up a couple of points for any correct guesses.
- Essay is Optional: If you’re terrible at essays, you don’t have to do one (most likely). But be aware that some schools may in fact require the ACT essay. Make sure to check with each of the colleges to which you’re applying.
- Timing: This is the biggest problem kids have with the ACT. Unlike the SAT, where each subject is broken up into three sections, on the ACT each subject has just one long section. This can be exhausting. The actual time per question you have is roughly similar to (and actually a bit higher than) that of the SAT, but it’s more of a drain on your attention span and endurance. Furthermore, since the SAT sections are split up, you can totally bomb one math section and still do well on the others to salvage your math score. On the ACT, one hard question can mess up your timing for the whole math test. So timed practice is very important.
- English: 75 questions, 45 minutes
- Math: 60 questions, 60 minutes
- Reading: 40 questions, 35 minutes
- Science: 40 questions, 35 minutes
- Writing: 1 essay, 30 minutes
- More math content: The ACT will contain some higher level concepts that aren’t on the SAT, most noticeably some basic trigonometry. Also, all those formulas the SAT gives you at the beginning of the section? On the ACT, you’ve got to know them by heart.
- Fewer line references in passages On the SAT, virtually every Reading question gives you a specific line reference. Most ACT questions do not give you line references. The ACT questions themselves are often very straightforward, but you’ll have to spend more time searching for the answer than you would on the SAT.
- Science: Obviously, the inclusion of the science section is the one of the biggest content differences between the SAT and the ACT. The science section generally doesn’t require actual science knowledge so much as an ability to interpret scientific data and graphs. If you’re bad at interpreting scientific data, you won’t enjoy this.
Tags: ACT, SAT, score choice
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Knewton: Online Prep for the SAT, GMAT, & LSAT
This blog post was brought to you by Josh Anish, Senior Editor at Knewton, where he grades essays as part of the company’s SAT course.
1) Don’t write too little. Many scorers grade on perceived effort, which they often judge—for better or worse—on the number of words written. Use most if not all of the space allotted. Write at least 4 paragraphs (5 is even better), with at least 3 sentences per paragraph.
2) Don’t be controversial. Not even a little. You may think that the United States’ invasion of Iraq was super whacky, or that the Tea Party Movement is brilliant—but keep those kinds of topics far, far away from the SAT essay. Write about things like heroism, generosity, and kindness. In other words, play it safe. You’ll have plenty of time to share provocative thoughts in college.
3) Don’t use first-person pronouns (“I” or “me”) in the first paragraph. The graders of the test know who wrote the essay. You don’t need to say “I think peanut butter is the best thing since sliced bread.” Just go ahead and assert, “Peanut Butter is the best thing since sliced bread.” It’s a stronger statement anyway.
4) Don’t be vague. We get it; these essay topics are super broad and boring (almost by design). But that doesn’t mean you should respond in a super broad and boring way. Home in on specifics. Don’t use words like “society” or phrases like “in this day and age.” Besides, it’s easier to be specific. Draw on concrete examples. For example, if you’re asked to write 400 words about “honesty,” drill down the topic to talk about honesty in business, or the honor code at your school.
5) Pick a thesis and stick to it. Don’t make too many concessions to the other side. If the essay prompt asks whether a penny saved is a penny earned, and you think the answer is an emphatic “Yes,” don’t waste any time making the case for spending a lot of money. Think of yourself as a lawyer advocating for a perspective, not a historian summarizing the full spectrum of events.
Tags: essay, Knewton, SAT
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Well this sucks...time to consider my other options.
“To allow other people’s assessment of you to determine your own self-assessment is a very big mistake.”
–Columbia University President, Lee Bollinger
After seeing a headline in the newspaper reading THE ANSWER IS NO: The Zen of Dealing with Rejection, we at Vocab Videos were reminded of just how rough students applying to college these days have it. You never want to open a letter from one of your colleges that begins “It is with regret that I must inform you…” but in the increasingly competitive world of college admissions, the unfortunate reality is that not all of you will gain admission to your top choice college. In fact, at most top schools, the acceptance rate is below 10 percent. Rejection is never easy, but it is a test of our resilience.
If you receive a rejection letter from your top-choice college, it’s completely normal and natural for you to go through a period of mourning. Yes, you’ll be disappointed, and it will more than likely be difficult to decide on an alternative course of action when you already had your ideal college plan mapped out in your mind. But as hard as it is, this crucial period is not the time to wallow in feelings of rejection and sadness. Katie Malachuk, author of “You’re Accepted: Lose the Stress, Discover Yourself, Get in to the College That’s Right for You,” advises students in this tough spot to “turn a negative into a positive by taking charge of your life.” And we have to say she’s giving some pretty spot-on advice. Take this time to self-reflect and really evaluate what you want out of your college experience. Look to the schools in which you were offered admission and weigh in on what they have to offer you academically and socially. Often times, we get our mind so fixed on our one dream school that we fail to see some of the meaningful things other colleges have to offer. As Ms. Malachuk would say, be open to the notion that “sometimes ‘not your first choice’ is your best choice.” Re-evaluating your college options and ultimately your future may very well lead you to making the choice that is right for you.
And no matter what happens, remember to stay positive. It’s not easy to take the negativity out of rejection, but do your best to keep an open mind. In the end, if you do choose to attend your second or third choice school, give it a real shot. You’re not locked into anything; if it’s not working out or if it doesn’t feel like the right fit, you always have the option to transfer or take some time off to reconsider your alternatives. But it’s never in your best interest to waste a valuable learning experience, and not giving a college a chance will only hurt you in the end.
*Click here to meet a few well known “rejects” who found extraordinary success after being rejected from their first choice colleges.
*The stress associated with college admissions is one of the reasons the Vocab Videos team is doing its small part to make the task of taking the SAT and applying to colleges a little bit easier. Sure we can’t make taking the SAT itself any more amusing, but we can make preparing for it more fun with our hilarious SAT vocabulary videos. Learning your SAT vocabulary can raise your SAT score up to 200 points, so be sure to give Vocab Videos a try!
Tags: college admissions, rejection
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Let Me In!!!
The New York Times’ The Choice college admissions blog recently published statistical admissions data to some of the nation’s most selective colleges. The Vocab Videos team encourages you to check out this 2010 admissions tally that will be regularly updated.
The article gives us some insight into just how difficult it is for students to get into top colleges these days. The Choice shares that undergraduate applications to Harvard rose nearly 5% to 30,489 with only 6.9% (or 2,110 students) admitted—that’s down from 7.5% in 2009. This trend, however, doesn’t stop at the Ivy Leagues. With more and more students trying to gain admittance to college, it’s growing more difficult for students to get accepted into all colleges in this increasingly competitive college admissions atmosphere.
But there are things you can do to make yourself a more “desirable” candidate. Consider the important admissions criteria below:
- SAT/ACT Scores: Whether we like it or not, standardized tests continue to play a significant role in students gaining admittance to college. Be sure to fully prepare for whichever college entrance exam you’re planning to take. Whether you have a tutor, are enrolled in a course, or are preparing on your own—do some test prep as often as possible. Whether it’s a few questions a day or a practice test a week, practice more than anything else, is going to help you master and feel comfortable with the exams. To get an early start on SAT and ACT prep, start up on your vocabulary; it’s something that can be easily incorporated into your daily test prep routine.
- Get Involved: If you’ve ever seen a college application, you’ll know that somewhere it’s going to ask you for your principal extracurricular, community, volunteer and family activities and hobbies.” Here, it’s your chance to show that you’re about more than grades and SAT scores. Because you know they’re going to be asking you for it, you should be aware of the importance of getting involved—in some way. You don’t have to join every club and sports team in addition to spending your weekends volunteering, but showing commitment to a few activities is imperative. (And if you’ve never volunteered, give it a shot, we’re sure that you’re going to find it quite rewarding).
- College Essay: The college essay is also crucial, and it’s something you can get an early start on. You’re generally given some degree of choice when it comes to essay topic (take a look at the Common App’s essay options below), so this is an opportunity for you to share something about yourself that you’d like colleges to know. The essay helps to distinguish you as an individual and proves that you’re more than a test score. Be sure to write about something you’re passionate about and take your time with the essay writing process. A thoughtful, well-written essay can make a big difference in distinguishing you as a candidate.
- Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
- Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
- Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
- A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you
- Topic of your choice.
Getting a head start on these items is going to make the college admissions process far less stressful for you, and doing each of them well is going to improve your chance of gaining admission to your top-choice colleges.
Tags: acceptance rate, ACT, college admissions, College Essay Tips, SAT
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- 8/30/10: Hedonistic (adj.)= valuing pleasure over all else. Dave lived a hedonistic life and spent all of his time eating chocolate sauce straight from the bottle.
*Word Alert: A hedonist is one who only values pleasure.
- 8/19/10: Reclusive (adj.)= seeking or preferring isolation. The reclusive author always refuses to give interviews about his work.
*Word Alert: A recluse is someone who is reclusive.
- 7/22/10: Divergent (adj.)= drawing apart from a common point; differing from another. The twins’ lives followed divergent paths, with one becoming a doctor and the other becoming a drunken fool.
- 7/9/10: Belie (v.)=to represent falsely. John’s laughter belies the true pain he feels inside.
- 7/2/10: Mercenary (adj.)=motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain. I don’t care if I seem mercenary; I refuse to help unless I get paid.
*Word Alert: “Mercenary” can also be a noun meaning one who works or serves for mercenary reasons.
- 6/30/10: Efficacious (adj.)=effective. The efficacious treatment effectively cured my headache.
- 6/17/10: Haughty (adj.)=snobbish; overly proud. Harry is so haughty; he thinks he’s the man.
*Related “Cocky” SAT vocab: bombastic, grandiose, pompous
- 6/14/10: Juxtapose (v.)=to place side by side. Las Vegas is a place of contrasts: a bustling city of lights juxtaposed with an empty, desolate desert.
- 6/8/10: Garrulous (adj.)= talkative. Gary is so garrulous that it seems like he’s always got his phone to his ear.
*SAT vocab synonyms: verbose, voluble
- 6/1/10: Placid (adj.)= calm, quiet. Sitting by this placid lake helps me meditate.
*SAT vocab synonyms: tranquil, serene
- 5/26/10: Pernicious (adj.)= deadly or destructive. The disease has a pernicious effect; it single-handedly killed an entire species.
- 5/19/10: Nebulous (adj.)=hazy, vague; lacking defined form. I’m not sure of exactly what he wants because he only gave these nebulous orders.
*Related SAT vocab: ambiguous (adj.), amorphous (adj.)
- 5/17/10: Sanguine (adj.)=cheerful. A few glasses of sangria always makes me feel sanguine.
*Additional “Happy Camper” SAT vocab: elated (adj.), buoyant (adj.), felicity (n.)
- 5/13/10: Negligible (adj.)=insignificant, really small. A 10 point change in your SAT score is negligible and will not affect your college admission.
*SAT Vocab Synonyms: trivial, inconsequential, frivolous
- 5/10/10: Amenable (adj.)=open to advice or suggestion. She is in need of assistance and is amenable to any suggestions that you might have.
- 5/4/10: Mercurial (adj.)=changeable, erratic. Amy is a mercurial woman; she loves you one moment then hates you the next.
*SAT vocab synonyms: erratic, volatile
- 4/29/10: Conjecture (n.)= guesswork. Until we get the test results back, discussing whether John is on steroids is just conjecture.
- 4/28/10: Voluminous (adj.)= big; having large volume. Her voluminous vocabulary is what allows her to be so voluble.
*SAT vocab synonyms: copious, prodigious
- 4/26/10: Expedite (v.)=to speed the progress of. Maybe if we hire more employees we can expedite the project.
4/21/10: Transitory (adj.)=existing only briefly. True happiness can be achieved, but it is transitory, passing us by after the briefest of moments.
Other Gone in 60 Seconds themed vocab: transient, ephemeral, evanescent- 4/15/10: Equanimity (n.)= the quality of being calm and even tempered. Scott is known for displaying equanimity in times of stress.
*Related SAT vocab: tranquil, composed, serene
- 4/14/10: Obtrusive (adj.)= sticking out, noticeable; brash meddling. Doug was embarrassed by the obtrusive pimple on the tip of his nose.
*Word Alert: to obtrude is to be obtrusive.
- 4/12/10: Bombastic (adj.)=using arrogant or pretentious speech. My bombastic English teacher uses big words to show off how smart he is, but he never actually says anything meaningful.
*Word Alert: Bombastic is close in meaning to the SAT vocabulary word, verbose.
- 4/7/10: Perspicacity (n.)=a high level of perception or understanding. Because of the amazing perspicacity he has shown, we made him the executive vice president of the company.
- 4/6/10: Ebullient (adj.)=enthusiastic, lively. The bubbly girl was so ebullient that I felt invigorated by talking to her.
*Extra tidbit: Related SAT vocab- exuberant, vivacious
- 4/5/10: Innocuous (adj.)=harmless. It was an innocuous comment; it wasn’t meant to hurt anybody’s feelings.
*Extra tidbit: from Latin “innocuus” or ”harmless,” in- “not” + nocuus “hurtful”
- 4/2/10: Conciliate (v.)=to bring peace, quiet, or calm to; to relieve. The president had to conciliate the angry nation before war broke out.
*Extra tidbit: Related SAT vocab- appease, mollify
- 4/1/10: Impetuous (adj.)=energetically impulsive, unthinking. The impetuous child always acts on his first desire without considering the consequences.
*Extra tidbit: SAT vocabulary synonym “capricious“
- 3/31/10: Adroit (adj.)=very skilled. The adroit acrobat twirled and whirled through the air.
*Extra etymological tidbit: The prefix, mal- means “bad,” and so “maladroit” fittingly = lacking in adroitness or unskillful.
- 3/30/10: Dubious (adj.)=doubtful, questionable. I am skeptical of your dubious claim that you can eat 50 hot dogs in five minutes.
- 3/29/10: Denounce (v.)= to condemn openly. The candidate denounced the current mayor, blaming him for the increasing crime and excessive tax rates.
Tags: SAT vocabulary
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Be Sure to Make College Visits a Priority!
With Spring Break time here, it’s crucial that you make it a point to visit the colleges you’re considering attending. This is going to be the place you spend the next four years of your life, your home away from home. So it’s important that you love the place, and that you’re comfortable there.
Nothing truly gives you a feel for a college like visiting the campus, so be certain to call up admissions offices to arrange your visit and inquire about campus tours. And be sure to take full advantage of them! Explore the campus and ask your tour guide questions; after all, he or she is most likely a student attending the school who was in your shoes a few years back. We would even suggest that you bring a notebook to jot things down and to keep track of what you liked or didn’t like about a particular college. How is the campus and the surrounding community? What is the typical class size? Are there study abroad programs available? Most of all, could you see yourself going here? Finding the answers to all of your questions will ultimately help you decide on the college that’s your best fit.
Choosing your college is a monumental decision, and taking these extra steps will help to ensure that you select the school that’s right for you.
Tags: college admissions, college visit
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We at Vocab Videos encourage you to begin thinking about SAT subject tests (AKA SAT IIs). SAT II subjects include Literature, Math (Levels 1 & 2), US and World History, the Sciences, and an assortment of Foreign Languages. Many colleges will require or recommend that students take at least one or two SAT IIs, and some might even ask that you take a particular subject, so be certain to check out the admissions requirements for EACH college to which you’re applying.
Test dates are typically the same as those for the SAT, and at one-hour per test (no matter what subject), students can take up to three SAT IIs on any given date. Subject tests are being offered alongside the SAT on May 1st and June 5th, so if you haven’t already be sure to:
- Begin your research on which of your colleges require SAT subject tests.
- Start thinking about what subject tests you feel comfortable taking on.
- Devise your SAT II battle-plan!
For some guidance on your colleges’ SAT II reqs, use the College Board’s “Find a College” feature. Search colleges by name, click on the “Admissions” tab, and check out what is said about SAT IIs under “Admission Policies and Factors.”
And because vocabulary will ALWAYS help you, don’t forget to get started with Vocab Videos–SAT and SAT II vocabulary the fun & effective way!
Tags: SAT, SAT II
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Tuesday, March 2, was the birthday of one of the country’s most beloved children’s authors—Theodor Seuss Geisel , better known to many by his pen name, Dr. Seuss. Mr. Geisel is credited with publishing over sixty children’s books whose imaginative characters have helped to bring smiles to countless faces and to make reading an enjoyable experience for young readers.
Since vocabulary is what the Vocab Videos team knows best, we thought our Vocab Videos fans would be excited to learn the interesting history of one of Dr. Seuss’ most cherished works, The Cat in the Hat. Mr. Geisel wrote the story about the mischievous cat in response to a 1954 Life magazine article written by John Hersey which discussed a prominent national problem in education at the time—children’s struggle with reading.
Hersey criticized the reading materials commonly available to students in school with their “insipid illustrations depicting the slicked-up lives of other children.” Why, he asked, “should [school primers] not have pictures that widen rather than narrow the associative richness the children give to the words they illustrate — drawings like those of the wonderfully imaginative geniuses among children’s illustrators?” One of the talented illustrators Hersey pointed to after posing this question was Theodor Geisel.
Hersey spoke and Mr. Geisel listened. Geisel’s answer? The Cat in the Hat. Mr. Geisel’s publisher supplied the author and cartoonist with a list of words that he believed young school children would be learning. Within the The Cat in the Hat’s pages, Geisel included 223 vocabulary words that would serve to help improve the literacy young children who picked up his work.
So happy birthday, Dr. Seuss, and thank you for your lasting contribution to children’s literature and vocabulary!
Tags: Dr. Seuss, Vocab Videos, vocabulary
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Senioritis? SNAP OUT OF IT!
A lot of high school seniors get under the impression that the importance of senior year starts to dwindle upon receiving admission into college. But, seniors, we warn you: avoid coming down with a case of senioritis! Sure, we see how it could happen. You’ve nearly finished the college admissions game and you’re exhausted. You’ve likely been working your tail off throughout your high school career to keep up your GPA and get into the college of your dreams; you’ve spent time preparing for your college entrance exams and taken your SATs and ACTs; you’ve written all your college essays and likely submitted countless applications. Now, you’re ready to cruise through your remaining time in high school, to really enjoy it. We get it.
But, to stop caring about your grades won’t serve to benefit you in any way. When you have more than likely worked hard for good grades throughout high school, why would you start goofing off now? Not only do you risk tarnishing your academic record, you could potentially compromise your college acceptance. Now, we’re not saying a minor dip in your grades will have your college calling to rescind your acceptance, but a significant enough decline in the grades on your final transcript could certainly be a red flag for your future college.
The truth is, colleges do reserve the right to revoke admissions offers to applicants who fail to maintain their academic performance. Sure, it’s not a typical scenario, but you could see how in today’s extremely competitive college admissions landscape a serious case of senioritis could put you at a greater risk of losing your spot. With more students applying to college than ever and record-setting applicant pools, admissions officers may view you as slightly more disposable. After all, most colleges have a long waitlist of well-qualified applicants who would be more than willing to accept the admissions offer someone else has lost.
So, while we’re not trying to scare you, we are telling you a serious case of senioritis is just not worth it! Stay focused throughout your senior year and committed to doing well. And, not to worry–we have a feeling that when you get to college, you’ll realize they’ll be plenty of time for school and fun!
Tags: college admissions, senioritis
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