test prep


Got ACT Soon? 5 Tips for Cramming

If you’re taking the ACT next weekend and haven’t been able to prepare as thoroughly as you’d like—hey, we understand, end of school, start of summer, yada yada yada—do not despair. You don’t need to spend nearly as much time prepping as you do for the SAT. The ACT is, in fact, a much more “beatable” test than the SAT, especially when time is short. There are two bodies of material you need to know: math (key topics in Arithmetic, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and ~15% of Precalc) and 10 key grammar rules. Send us a text @ 413-329-7540 […]


Taking the ACT Next Weekend? 5 Tips for Cramming

If you’re taking the ACT next weekend, 6/9 or 6/10, and haven’t been able to prepare as thoroughly as you’d like—hey, we understand, final papers, final exams, sports commitments, nice weather, yada yada yada—do not despair. Because there’s no vocabulary on the exam, you don’t need to spend nearly as much time studying as you might think. Except for slow test-takers, who may prefer the SAT because there’s significantly more time per question, the ACT is, in fact, a much more “beatable” exam than the SAT, especially when there’s only a week or two before game day. There are two […]


Taking the ACT this weekend? 5 Tips for Cramming

If you’re taking the ACT next weekend and haven’t been able to prepare as thoroughly as you’d like—hey, we understand, midterms, midyears, new semester starting, sports commitments, yada yada yada—do not despair. Because there’s no vocabulary on the exam, you don’t need to spend nearly as much time studying as you might think. The ACT is, in fact, a much more “beatable” test than the SAT, especially when time is short, and doubly especially compared to the redesigned SAT rolling out next month. There are two bodies of material you need to know: math (key topics in Algebra 1, Geometry, […]


Root & Synonym Clusters 10: Short-lived, Temporary

Nothing lasts forever, and the College Board knows it. Many fancy SAT words have the flavor, if not exact meaning of “short-lived” or “temporary,” and here they are: Follow Dr. Yo on Pinterest   temporary – adjective – lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent: a temporary job. transient – adjective – lasting only for a short time; impermanent: a transient cold spell. noun – a person who is staying or working in a place for only a short time transitory – adjective – not permanent: transitory periods of medieval greatness. ephemeral – adjective – lasting for a very short time: fashions are ephemeral. evanescent – adjective – soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading ordisappearing: a shimmering evanescent bubble. fleeting – adjectivelasting for a very short time: hoping to get a fleeting glimpse of […]


Got ACT on 9/21? 5 Tips for Cramming

If you’re taking the ACT next weekend and haven’t been able to prepare as thoroughly as you’d like—hey, we understand, end of summer, start of school, yada yada yada—do not despair. Because there’s no vocabulary on the exam, you don’t need to spend nearly as much time studying as you do for the SAT. The ACT is, in fact, a much more “beatable” test than the SAT, especially when time is short. There are two bodies of material you need to know: math (key topics in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and a wee bit of Trig) and 10 key […]


Root & Synonym Clusters 8: ARROGANT

Don’t you hate it when you have to deal with people who think they’re better than you? People who make you feel like you’re not smart enough, classy enough, or just plain good enough to deserve their time and attention? Hey, EVERYONE is ignorant, just on a different set of subjects. But anyway, there are words that pop up frequently on the SAT for people who think they’re better than everyone else, and here they are: pompous – affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important: a pompous ass who pretends he knows everything. disdainful – showing contempt or lack of respect: with a last disdainful look, she turned toward the door. supercilious – behaving […]


Root & Synonym Clusters 9: STUBBORN

Here are a bunch of words all clustered around STUBBORN. Try using them on your hard-nosed friends–not to make them angry, but to learn the words!   adamant – refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind: he is adamant thathe is not going to resign. dogged – having or showing tenacity and grim persistence: success required dogged determination. obstinate – stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so. obdurate – stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action. pertinacious – holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action: he worked with a pertinacious resistance to interruptions. unyielding – or structure) not giving way to pressure; hard or solid: the […]


Root & Synonym Clusters 7: To look Down On, aka “D” words

In our Root & Synonym Clusters 5: Laud Roots and to Praise Synonyms, we encountered words we use when we look up to people. In this new installment we consider their antonyms, words we use to “look down on.” For some crazy reason, many of them begin with the letter “D,” which you can use to your advantage as a mnemonic. Do you know that word, mnemonic?   decry – publicly denounce: they decried human rights abuses. denigrate – to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame: to denigrate someone’s character defame – to attack the good name or reputation of, as by uttering or publishing maliciously or falsely anything injurious; calumniate: The newspaper editorial defamed the politician. deprecate – express disapproval of: he sniffed in a deprecating way. disparage – regard or represent as being of little worth: he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors. disdain […]


5-Point Checklist to Prep for the ACT in a Week…or Less!

If you’re taking the ACTs this weekend and haven’t been able to prepare as thoroughly as you’d like—understandable given the SATs and/or January midterms many of you faced—do not despair. Because there’s no vocabulary on the exam, you don’t need to spend nearly as much time studying as you do for the SAT. The ACT is, in fact,   a much more “beatable” test than the SAT, especially when time is short. Whereas the SAT requires a huge chunk of STUDY time to master all the abstruse vocabulary (see what I did there?), ACT prep places a premium on taking […]


Why the ACT is just as important as the SAT

By Kate Cryan “There are several compelling reasons why students SHOULD TAKE BOTH tests.”  So said Dr. Yo in this 2008 post. You could say he was a good five years ahead of the curve: last year, the number of students taking the ACT was, for the first time, slightly higher than the number taking SAT, and 50% higher than the number taking ACT ten years ago. Why the sudden preference for ACT? It’s not sudden, and it’s not a preference, because SAT popularity hasn’t waned. The number of ACT takers has steadily increased each year until it finally surpassed […]


Got ACT on 9/21? 5 Tips for Cramming

If you’re taking the ACT next weekend and haven’t been able to prepare as thoroughly as you’d like—hey, we understand, end of summer, start of school, yada yada yada—do not despair. Because there’s no vocabulary on the exam, you don’t need to spend nearly as much time studying as you do for the SAT. The ACT is, in fact, a much more “beatable” test than the SAT, especially when time is short. There are two bodies of material you need to know: math (key topics in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and a wee bit of Trig) and 10 key […]


PARENTS: Get Your Kids’ Subject Test and AP Prep Books EARLY IN THE SCHOOL YEAR

The best prep for both Subject Tests (the one-hour, subject specific tests required by many top schools) and the more rigorous AP Exams (given in May, near the conclusion of each AP course) is a well-designed class and a good teacher. Sometimes students get lucky and need little extra prep because their class was so solid; MOST students, however, need to prepare for each Subject Test and AP Exam in much the same way they do for the SATs and ACTs, that is, by purchasing a book (or two or three) and learning material and taking practice tests. In the […]


The PSAT: Why It Matters and Why You Should Prep for It

The PSAT is an exam intended for college-bound students to take in the fall of their junior year. It’s just over half the length of the SAT (2 hr. 10 min., vs. 3 hr. 45 min.) and comprises the same three sections—Critical Reading (sentence completions and reading comprehension), Math, and Writing (I always chuckle at a test called Writing, but on which there is NO actual writing to do, only multiple choice grammar questions to answer). Unlike the SAT, there’s no essay on the PSAT, nor is there an experimental section. It is NOT required by any college, nor can […]


Taking the ACT This Weekend? Here’s Your 5-Point Checklist for Cramming

If you’re taking the ACTs this weekend and haven’t been able to prepare as thoroughly as you’d like—understandable given the end of the year crunch—do not despair. Because there’s no vocabulary on the exam, you don’t need to spend nearly as much time studying as you do for the SAT. The ACT is, in fact,   a much more “beatable” test than the SAT, especially when time is short. There are two bodies of material you need to know: math (key topics in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and a wee bit of Trig) and 10 key grammar rules. More […]