SAT/ACT Preparation

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<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><B>SAT OVERVIEW</B><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>    The SAT has been part of the college admissions process for much of this century, and after World War II its image as a reliable measure of college-level "aptitude" grew monumentally. In recent years, much controversy has surrounded the SAT, and many challenges have been leveled from various quarters, including  psychologists, sociologists, professors, minorities, artists, and others.<BR><BR>    In the wake of many critics' attacks and in light of new evidence that leads to revised theories as to how students learn and are tested, the College Board has had to rethink and retest much of its evaluation procedures to insure that what they do is valid, viable and of service to colleges and universities today.<BR><BR><B>What the SAT is not...</B><BR><BR>    The "A" in SAT used to stand for "aptitude" (Scholastic Aptitude Test), but in order to control the definition of what they believe they do best, the College Board changed the name of the test to the Scholastic Assessment Test. The word aptitude is too hot to handle.<BR><BR>    For instance, statistically, SAT scores are found to have no direct bearing on whether a student will do well once he gets to college. Nor are the scores a reliable indicator as to whether a student will finish college or do well in a career after college. Furthermore, the test is not helpful as a way of predicting a student's ability to think creatively or to perform aesthetic functions like drawing, playing music, creating sculpture, etc. <BR>    <BR>    Although many parents are in the habit of thinking that the SAT is an infallible divining of a student's comprehensive intellectual ability, it is not.<BR></FONT><B><BR><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>So what is it?</FONT></B><BR><BR><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>    What the SAT does, it does well. The SAT assesses a narrow but crucial corridor in the student's present ability to solve mostly abstract mathematical and verbal problems in logic. This is, of course, no mean feat.<BR><BR>    Moreover, the skills that the SAT assesses are fundamental blocks of thinking that have been the cornerstones of intellectual dialogue in Western civilization. This is why the test is often referred to as a thinly veiled test of Greek and Latin! After all, most of the math on an SAT is derived from the discoveries of great Greek mathematicians, such as Pythagoras and Euclid. <BR><BR>    In the verbal format, about 98% of the root, prefix and suffix knowledge necessary to achieve a high score on the verbal side of the test is derived from Greek and Latin. Studies have shown time and again that students with a strong background in the so-called "dead" languages of Greek and Latin usually perform far above students who are untrained in those subjects. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>   The most important consideration here is that these math and verbal abilities are, in the view of the prospective college, crucial skills for students to have. After all, our university system is the repository of the intellectual history of the West. So the colleges have every right to know whether a student will be proficient in the skills of abstract calculation and linguistic expression. These are precisely the talents that he will need to thrive and move ahead in his own culture.<BR><BR>   The sad fact is that it is not so much the SAT that is flawed and that is responsible for so much student agony. Rather, we are heading into a period in history where the level of sophisticated literacy, especially among the young, is falling precipitously. Youngsters are doing themselves the most harm by developing lifestyles and attitudes that disregard and in many instances disrespect the power of the literate, logical mind. <BR><BR>    There is no substitute for the ability to think well. Although the SAT does not test all the facets of talent that may constitute the total ability of any given youngster, the test is a good snapshot of whether a student has had a strong background in college-preparatory math and language study. Of course, this experience is only a potential asset. The student must work hard to reap the benefits of a sound mind.<BR><BR></P></FONT>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><B>REGIMEN FOR SUCCESS</B><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<P><BR><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>1.    The student should double or triple his present reading load. Reading for pleasure can be as helpful as texts assigned by a teacher. However, the material should be challenging to the student. A reliable measure of the value of any given reading material is to ask whether the material has significantly challenged the student's present level of vocabulary. There is no way to emphasize this enough. This is the core of preparatory work. The dictionary should always be at the student's side.<BR><BR>2.    The student should focus on and successfully complete all reading assignments directed by his teachers, regardless of the subject area.<BR><BR>3.    The student should maintain and greatly expand the vocabulary charting system learned in the One-On-One Program. The student should continue to use Merriam/Webster's Collegiate Dictionary for this purpose.<BR><BR>4.    The student should continue to practice with as many College Board practice tests as possible. Within this format, the student will be able to practice and hone the techniques he has learned in his One-On-One Verbal Intensive. It is critical that the student practice.For information on the availability of these excellent preparation documents, the student should consult Mr. Fili, at CBA.<BR><BR>5.    Extremely motivated students should take seriously the mastery of  Latin and Greek roots and prefixes as presented in this program.<BR><BR>6.    As in weight lifting, powerful verbal muscles are not developed in a day. The student should realize that day-to-day work ultimately yields great improvement. Consistency in applying one's efforts is highly effective.<BR><BR><BR>7.    The student should pay particular attention to in-class lessons regarding expository prose and grammar. The writing portion of the SAT now comprises an additional 800 points of scoring.<BR><BR><BR>8.    After his program has concluded, the student is invited to consult periodically with Mr. Fili or the tutor in Mr. Fili's group with whom he has worked. Any further questions by the student regarding his preparatory work is both welcomed and encouraged.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></P>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><B>CHANGES ON THE TEST</B><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<P><BR><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>    <BR>    Cynics have complained that the changes effected in the verbal SAT are a shift toward relativism and dilution of the difficulty of the test. This is actually a difficult case to prove; however, one can understand this criticism in light of the changes made on the test.     <BR><BR>No antonyms and no analogies...<BR><BR>    The College Board has eliminated the antonym and analogy exercises from the verbal SAT. Analogies are generally considered the most difficult verbal exercises because there is little or no contextual evidence available to help a student solve the problem. The number of sentence completions, exercises with more context-related clues, has been increased.<BR><BR>Reading comprehension...<BR><BR>    The "dreaded" reading comprehension passages have been changed as well. The test writers have seen fit to increase the contextual clues available to the student, and an attempt has been made to liven the content of the passages so that students will find the passages more engaging.<BR><BR>    Another notable change has been the inclusion of an extra reading comprehension exercise wherein the student is asked to analyze two essays. This comparative evaluation is new to the SAT. In fact, because of the addition of this exercise, the test is now slightly longer than the old test.<BR><BR><BR><BR><B>Writing test..</B>.<BR><BR>    Another crucial revision is the inclusion of a writing test. This One-On-Program will present the student with a serious review of the critical essentials of the writing test. However, if the student is particularly deficient in expository prose and grammar, additional work, practice and study is highly recommended. Enrollment in our CBA SAT Writing Prep Class may be extremely beneficial to the student.<BR><BR><B>Conclusion...</B><BR>    <BR>    In reality, very little has changed in terms of the format of the test. Students who excelled in discovering the context clue have always done well on the verbal SAT. If anything, the SAT is now more amenable to many students, and for those students who receive coaching, the strategies for success are clear. The verbal SAT is, in the final analysis, still a Greek and Latin vocabulary test.<BR><BR>    I have been working in the area of SAT Preparation for 30 years. My programs are conducted in Monmouth County, New Jersey. We offer both group classes (math, critical reading, and writing) and individualized tutorial assistance. Should you have a need for such preparatory programs or should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 732-330-7482 or </FONT><A href="http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/compose.mail?compose=1&.ob=9d3148872ac91ca9e103a5b0b35328f4b4938f55&composeto=oldharmony@yahoo.com&composecc=&subject=&body="><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>oldharmony@yahoo.com</FONT></A><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma> <BR><BR></FONT><B><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>Joseph D. Fili, M.A.T.<BR>Prep-SAT Partners, LLC</FONT></B><BR></P>
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