It’s that time of year again: love is in the air, stores are decked with pink and red hearts, and the SAT is just a few weeks away. Inspired by the season, we’ve put together some Valentine’s Day themed SAT reading practice for you. Enjoy!
On To the Questions!
1. Which of the following best describes the purpose of the second paragraph (lines 9-13) within the context of the passage as a whole?
A. To identify the origins of modern Valentine’s Day traditions
B. To transition to a discussion of Valentine’s Day’s history
C. To offer a counterargument to the ideas presented in the previous paragraph.
D. To illustrate the connections between the origins of Valentine’s Day and today’s celebrations.
2. As it is used in line 10, “redeem” most nearly means
A. reclaim
B. absolve
C. compensate
D. extricate
3. The author most likely uses the words “saccharine” (line 11) and “sweeter” (line 37) in order to
A. establish a humorous tone through use of puns and irony.
B. subtly mock modern Valentine’s Day traditions.
C. allude to the common association of Valentine’s Day with candy or chocolate.
D. interject a more lighthearted tone in an otherwise solemn essay.
4. The passage suggests that Geoffrey Chaucer
A. was influential in starting social fads among the upper classes.
B. wished to honor St. Valentine’s martyrdom.
C. inspired Shakespeare’s interest in Valentine’s Day.
D. often wrote about natural phenomena.
5. Which of the following is NOT cited as a contributing factor to the romantic traditions of modern Valentine’s Day celebrations?
A. Lupercalia
B. Roman Emperor Claudius II
C. Geoffrey Chaucer
D. The industrial revolution
6. According to the passage, the commercialization of Valentine’s Day began when
A. Ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia.
B. Shakespeare romanticized Valentine’s Day in Hamlet.
C. Hallmark Cards began mass producing valentines.
D. European nobility began sending love notes.
7. Which of the following sets of lines best supports your answer to the previous question?
A. Lines 21-24 (“Interestingly…15.”)
B. Lines 42-44 (“Soon…season.”)
C. Lines 44-47 (“In…Day.”)
D. Lines 52-56 (“…and in…Day.”)
8. The author most likely describes Pope Gelasius I’s decision to combine Lupercalia and St. Valentine’s Day as “misguided” (line 32) because
A. the influence of the pagan celebration remained long after the attempt to eliminate it.
B. people continued to prefer to celebrate Lupercalia instead of Valentine’s Day.
C. the pagans who celebrated Lupercalia never converted to Catholicism.
D. Valentine celebrated Lupercalia in the 3rd century.
9. Which of the following best supports your answer to the previous question?
A. Lines 14-16 (In the…years.”)
B. Lines 17-20 (“The…romance.”)
C. Lines 25-31 (“ The…jar.”)
D. Lines 35-36 (“…but…love.”)
10. Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward Valentine’s Day?
A. Largely dismissive
B. Vehemently opposed
C. Impartial and indifferent
D. Cheerful and celebratory
Answers and explanations
Question 1: B
The first paragraph introduces a modern perspective on Valentine’s Day. The third paragraph relates the earliest history of Valentine’s Day. The second paragraph transitions from the modern to the historical by establishing the contrast between current celebrations and the origins of the holiday.
Question 2: B
The sentence containing the word “redeem” refers back to the criticisms of Valentine’s Day in the first paragraph. The sentence says that the history of Valentine’s Day doesn’t put the holiday in any better light because the origins are “dark and bloody.” We need a word that means something similar to “put in a better light,” and choice B is the best reflection of this meaning. To absolve is to free of blame, guilt, or shame. This suits the context of the sentence: The dark and bloody origins won’t free Valentine’s Day of the shame placed upon it by its detractors.
Question 3: C
The passage as a whole does not feature a humorous tone, so the words are not establishing this tone; we can eliminate choice A. The author is generally positive regarding Valentine’s Day, so there is no sense of mocking traditions; we can eliminate choice B. The overall tone of the essay is relatively informative but not particularly solemn, so the author is not trying to lighten the mood; we can eliminate choice D. Choice C is the best answer; the terms provide subtle allusions to the common Valentine’s Day tradition of giving sweets.
Question 4: A
Lines 39-44 support this answer. After Chaucer decreed Valentine’s Day to be the mating of the birds, European nobility began sending love notes during bird-mating season, indicating that Chaucer’s writings launched a social practice among the nobility.
Question 5: B
The fourth paragraph identifies Lupercalia as a possible source of the “love connection” of Valentine’s Day, The sixth paragraph defines Chaucer’s contribution to the romantic associations of Valentine’s Day. The seventh paragraph tells us that the industrial revolution allowed Hallmark to mass produce valentines. The third paragraph tells us that Claudius II’s role was in beheading two men named Valentine, who were later celebrated as saints by the Catholic church; this contribution to the history of Valentine’s Day has no romantic association.
Question 6: C
Lines 52 to 56 define Hallmark’s mass-produced valentines as the first of the common commercial Valentine’s Day products, followed by chocolates, and eventually jewelry, Valentine’s Day dinners at restaurants, and romantic movies.
Question 7: D
See the answer to the previous question.
Question 8: A
The sentence in lines 21-24 suggests that the celebration of Lupercalia may be the origin of the romantic aspects of modern Valentine’s Day, which implies that the vestiges of Lupercalia remained long after the festival had been overshadowed by Valentine’s Day. This is further supported by lines 35-36, which tell us that Pope Gelasius I’s move to eradicate Lupercalia didn’t eliminate the pagan holiday’s influence.
Question 9: D
See the answer to the previous question.
Question 10: D
Although the first paragraph starts the essay on a negative footing, it is communicating the criticisms of “Valentine’s Day humbugs” rather than the opinions of the author. The author’s opinion is not stated until the final paragraph, in which the author writes that Valentine’s Day is “a wholesome holiday at heart” and is “worth celebrating” regardless of anyone’s criticisms. This best supports answer choice D.
Need SAT reading help?
So how did you do? Hopefully, you got every question right and are feeling confident in doing the same on your upcoming SAT. If not, don’t worry – maybe you just need a little support to make sure you’re ready to score big on test day. If you’re interested in some personalized support, 宝博体育 SAT prep is a great option!
A Quick Guide to the SAT Essay Section
TEST PREPEffective June 2021, the SAT essay section is no longer offered.
Should You Take the SAT Essay?
Unless there simply isn’t sufficient time to prepare for the essay, most students will benefit from taking the SAT with essay.
Although few colleges still require the SAT essay, many well-regarded schools recommend that students submit SAT essay scores. Any such recommendation ought to be treated as a requirement by potential applicants – if a school recommends something, its admissions officers would prefer to see it.
Students who score well on the essay will have an additional positive data point to weigh in their favor during the admissions process. Particularly at highly selective schools, where the applicant pool often includes many applicants with similarly impressive academic backgrounds, every positive data point helps.
How the SAT Essay Is Scored
Contrary to popular belief, the SAT essay is not in fact scored by a computer. Instead, your essay is scanned into a computer and sent to two human essay graders. Each essay grader awards a score from 1 to 4 in three areas:
Reading
Graders look for evidence that you fully understood the passage, including the nuances and complexities of the issue presented and the author’s purpose in writing. Essays should not simply summarize the passage but should reference the passage thoroughly enough to indicate an in-depth understanding of the author’s argument.
Analysis
The primary essay task is to analyze the passage author’s use of persuasive elements. Essay graders will look for evidence of critical and analytical thought. Essays must go beyond simply identifying persuasive elements in order to explain how these elements affect the reader and why the author chose to incorporate these elements into the passage.
Writing
One of the purposes of the SAT essay is to evaluate how well you write, so essay graders will look for evidence of strong writing ability, including a good grasp of standard English conventions, facility with a variety of sentence structures, application of a variety of transitional elements, a logical progression of ideas, and an appropriately informative style and tone.
Colleges that Require the SAT Essay
There are few colleges that require the SAT essay for admission:
Keep in mind, however, that there are many more schools that recommend the SAT essay for admission – and schools, in most cases, wouldn’t recommend a piece of information that they didn’t deem useful. Schools that recommend the SAT essay include some top schools, such as Georgia Tech, Occidental, Rutgers, and Stanford. Check the essay policies at colleges where you intend to apply at the College Board’s website.
An Introduction to the ACT
TEST PREPWhat Is the ACT?
The ACT and the SAT are the two standardized admissions tests accepted by four-year colleges in the U.S. (Learn about the SAT here.) All four-year colleges that require admissions tests as part of the application process will accept either the ACT or the SAT.
The ACT is designed to evaluate college readiness by testing students’ knowledge in four key subject areas: English, reading, science, and math. The ACT focuses on evaluating academic achievement rather than aptitude. ACT has conducted numerous validity studies that have found that ACT scores evaluated in conjunction with high school GPA accurately predict college performance.
When to Take the ACT
We recommend that most students first take the ACT by spring of junior year. This ensures that students will have addressed most of the test material in their courses and that they still have plenty of time for additional test prep and future test dates before they need to finalize their ACT scores for college applications. Look here for information about which tests to take on the road to college.
ACT Test Breakdown
55 minutes
ACT Test Sections
ACT Math
The ACT Math section requires that students answer 60 questions in just 60 minutes. ACT Math questions fall into two broad categories:
Unlike on the SAT, students can use a calculator on all math questions and there are no grid-in questions.
ACT Reading
On the ACT Reading section, students have 35 minutes to read four passages and answer 40 multiple-choice questions. Each of the four passages is roughly 750 words long, and one will include two shorter paired passages
ACT English
The ACT English section requires students to read five passages and answer 75 multiple choice questions in 40 minutes. More than any other section on the test, this section rewards speed.
Passages cover a variety of topics and are chosen primarily for their usefulness in assessing writing skills. Each passage is roughly four to five paragraphs long and is accompanied by 15 multiple-choice questions. Questions fall into these categories:
Logical organization, transitions, relevance, cohesion
Precise word choice, wordiness, style, tone
Sentence structure, usage, punctuation
Most questions refer to underlined portions of the passage and offer alternatives the underlined portion. Some questions ask about a section of the passage or about the passage as a whole.
ACT Science
The ACT Science section gives students 35 minutes to answer 40 multiple-choice questions based on 7 passages. Passages follow three different formats:
Each passage is accompanied by four to seven questions. The questions fall into several categories:
Recognize trends in data, translate data into graphs, interpolate and extrapolate, reason mathematically
Identify variables and controls, predict results of additional experiments, identify appropriate experimental design
Evaluate validity of scientific information, draw conclusions and make predictions based on scientific information
The majority of questions on the ACT Science section require minimal scientific knowledge. A small handful of questions require some basic background in biology, chemistry, or earth science. Read this post for a breakdown of the ACT Science section.
ACT Writing
The SAT essay is optional, but we strongly advise students to take it anyway. Many colleges, particularly selective colleges, still recommend the essay, and any such recommendation ought to be treated as a requirement. Moreover, if a student can score well on the essay, the additional positive data point can only elevate a college application.
The SAT essay section allows 50 minutes to read a passage and write an essay analyzing the persuasive elements in the passage. The 700 to 750 word passage is a persuasive piece on the arts or sciences or on civic, cultural, or political life.
The essay is graded in three areas:
Learn more about how the SAT essay is graded here.
How Is the ACT Scored?
An ACT score report will include these scores:
To score an ACT, we first start by calculating the raw score for each sectionEach correct answer gets one point, and each blank or incorrect answer gets zero points – there is no penalty for an incorrect answer.
For example, if the student got 68 out of 75 English questions correct, the raw English score would be 68.
Next, we refer to the conversion table for the test – this is where ACT scoring gets tricky. In order to account for varying difficulty levels from test to test, ACT uses a process called “equating.” ACT test-makers expect more students to get more answers correct on an easier version of the test, which means they anticipate a higher average raw score. To ensure fairness to students who take the test on different dates, the test-makers adjust scaled scores. Let’s look at an example:
In our example, a student who got the exact same number of questions right on English across three different test dates would earn different scaled scores each time. To earn the same scaled score on the easier test, the student would have had to answer a few more questions correctly because the ACT test-makers assume that the average student will answer more questions right when the test is easier.
Here is an example of an ACT Raw Score Conversion Table. We look for the student’s raw score in the column for a particular section to find the scaled score for that section. So, for example, our student with the raw English score of 68 would earn a 32 on this particular ACT. We determine the scaled score for each of the four multiple-choice sections. To arrive at the overall Composite Score, we average the four scaled scores.
How the ACT Writing Section Is Scored
Contrary to popular belief, the ACT essay is not in fact scored by a computer. Instead, your essay is scanned into a computer and sent to two human essay graders. Each essay grader awards a score from 1 to 6 in four domains:
The scores from each grader are added together to arrive at four domain scores from 2 to 12. These four domain scores are averaged to arrive at the overall Writing score.
Prepping for the ACT
The ACT score (or SAT score) is one of the most important factors for college admissions officers, so prepping for the best score possible is a must. We have some ACT study tips to help get you started, but for personalized ACT prep that will help you score big on test day, go see your local 宝博体育 for a free consultation.
The April ACT: Who Should Take It
TEST PREPShould you take the April ACT?
Although anyone who hasn’t yet finalized their ACT scores can take the ACT this April, there are a few groups of students who should seriously consider this test date.
First Time Test-Takers
The April ACT offers a good opportunity for first-time ACT test-takers to dip their toes in the ACT waters. There are several benefits to taking your first ACT in April:
Students Hoping to Finalize Scores Before Summer
If you’ve got a busy summer planned, you might want to try to finalize your ACT scores before summer break—especially if you’re a junior who will need those final scores to apply to college in the fall. Once you’ve finalized your ACT scores, you’ll be free to focus on drafting your college application essays, enjoying a campus-based summer program, studying abroad, or otherwise putting your summer break to good use.
Test Prep Tips for the April ACT
If you’ve decided to take the April ACT, here are some tips to get ready!
Want to Learn More?
Are Online AP Courses Right for You?
TEST PREPWe’ve written before about the pros and cons of AP classes and the factors to take into consideration when choosing classes for a new semester or school year—but what about AP classes outside of your regular school day? There are plenty of options for students who are interested in taking online AP courses, but these online classes aren’t right for everyone. Read on to learn about the pros and cons of online AP classes.
The Benefits
The Drawbacks
Who benefits most from online AP classes?
What’s the difference between online AP classes and self-studying for AP exams?
You are not required to take an AP class—whether online or in person—in order to take an AP exam. The AP exam score is what determines whether a student receives college credit. So plenty of students opt to simply self-study for AP exams.
Students who don’t have a strong base of knowledge in the AP subject will often find self-studying to be incredibly difficult. The sheer volume of information in a typical AP exam can be overwhelming, especially if it’s all brand-new information. An online AP class offers instruction, support, and a framework for study so that students are more likely to succeed on the AP exam.
Online AP courses also provide students with a formal transcript with a letter grade, and depending on school policies, they may confer high school credit. Self-studying for the AP exam might produce a high enough AP exam score to earn college credit but will never confer high school credit.
What to Consider When Choosing A Provider
Not all online AP classes are built equally! Be sure to read reviews for online AP course providers before enrolling. Pay particular attention to these factors:
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SAT Reading Practice: Valentine’s Day Edition
TEST PREPIt’s that time of year again: love is in the air, stores are decked with pink and red hearts, and the SAT is just a few weeks away. Inspired by the season, we’ve put together some Valentine’s Day themed SAT reading practice for you. Enjoy!
On To the Questions!
1. Which of the following best describes the purpose of the second paragraph (lines 9-13) within the context of the passage as a whole?
A. To identify the origins of modern Valentine’s Day traditions
B. To transition to a discussion of Valentine’s Day’s history
C. To offer a counterargument to the ideas presented in the previous paragraph.
D. To illustrate the connections between the origins of Valentine’s Day and today’s celebrations.
2. As it is used in line 10, “redeem” most nearly means
A. reclaim
B. absolve
C. compensate
D. extricate
3. The author most likely uses the words “saccharine” (line 11) and “sweeter” (line 37) in order to
A. establish a humorous tone through use of puns and irony.
B. subtly mock modern Valentine’s Day traditions.
C. allude to the common association of Valentine’s Day with candy or chocolate.
D. interject a more lighthearted tone in an otherwise solemn essay.
4. The passage suggests that Geoffrey Chaucer
A. was influential in starting social fads among the upper classes.
B. wished to honor St. Valentine’s martyrdom.
C. inspired Shakespeare’s interest in Valentine’s Day.
D. often wrote about natural phenomena.
5. Which of the following is NOT cited as a contributing factor to the romantic traditions of modern Valentine’s Day celebrations?
A. Lupercalia
B. Roman Emperor Claudius II
C. Geoffrey Chaucer
D. The industrial revolution
6. According to the passage, the commercialization of Valentine’s Day began when
A. Ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia.
B. Shakespeare romanticized Valentine’s Day in Hamlet.
C. Hallmark Cards began mass producing valentines.
D. European nobility began sending love notes.
7. Which of the following sets of lines best supports your answer to the previous question?
A. Lines 21-24 (“Interestingly…15.”)
B. Lines 42-44 (“Soon…season.”)
C. Lines 44-47 (“In…Day.”)
D. Lines 52-56 (“…and in…Day.”)
8. The author most likely describes Pope Gelasius I’s decision to combine Lupercalia and St. Valentine’s Day as “misguided” (line 32) because
A. the influence of the pagan celebration remained long after the attempt to eliminate it.
B. people continued to prefer to celebrate Lupercalia instead of Valentine’s Day.
C. the pagans who celebrated Lupercalia never converted to Catholicism.
D. Valentine celebrated Lupercalia in the 3rd century.
9. Which of the following best supports your answer to the previous question?
A. Lines 14-16 (In the…years.”)
B. Lines 17-20 (“The…romance.”)
C. Lines 25-31 (“ The…jar.”)
D. Lines 35-36 (“…but…love.”)
10. Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward Valentine’s Day?
A. Largely dismissive
B. Vehemently opposed
C. Impartial and indifferent
D. Cheerful and celebratory
Answers and explanations
Question 1: B
The first paragraph introduces a modern perspective on Valentine’s Day. The third paragraph relates the earliest history of Valentine’s Day. The second paragraph transitions from the modern to the historical by establishing the contrast between current celebrations and the origins of the holiday.
Question 2: B
The sentence containing the word “redeem” refers back to the criticisms of Valentine’s Day in the first paragraph. The sentence says that the history of Valentine’s Day doesn’t put the holiday in any better light because the origins are “dark and bloody.” We need a word that means something similar to “put in a better light,” and choice B is the best reflection of this meaning. To absolve is to free of blame, guilt, or shame. This suits the context of the sentence: The dark and bloody origins won’t free Valentine’s Day of the shame placed upon it by its detractors.
Question 3: C
The passage as a whole does not feature a humorous tone, so the words are not establishing this tone; we can eliminate choice A. The author is generally positive regarding Valentine’s Day, so there is no sense of mocking traditions; we can eliminate choice B. The overall tone of the essay is relatively informative but not particularly solemn, so the author is not trying to lighten the mood; we can eliminate choice D. Choice C is the best answer; the terms provide subtle allusions to the common Valentine’s Day tradition of giving sweets.
Question 4: A
Lines 39-44 support this answer. After Chaucer decreed Valentine’s Day to be the mating of the birds, European nobility began sending love notes during bird-mating season, indicating that Chaucer’s writings launched a social practice among the nobility.
Question 5: B
The fourth paragraph identifies Lupercalia as a possible source of the “love connection” of Valentine’s Day, The sixth paragraph defines Chaucer’s contribution to the romantic associations of Valentine’s Day. The seventh paragraph tells us that the industrial revolution allowed Hallmark to mass produce valentines. The third paragraph tells us that Claudius II’s role was in beheading two men named Valentine, who were later celebrated as saints by the Catholic church; this contribution to the history of Valentine’s Day has no romantic association.
Question 6: C
Lines 52 to 56 define Hallmark’s mass-produced valentines as the first of the common commercial Valentine’s Day products, followed by chocolates, and eventually jewelry, Valentine’s Day dinners at restaurants, and romantic movies.
Question 7: D
See the answer to the previous question.
Question 8: A
The sentence in lines 21-24 suggests that the celebration of Lupercalia may be the origin of the romantic aspects of modern Valentine’s Day, which implies that the vestiges of Lupercalia remained long after the festival had been overshadowed by Valentine’s Day. This is further supported by lines 35-36, which tell us that Pope Gelasius I’s move to eradicate Lupercalia didn’t eliminate the pagan holiday’s influence.
Question 9: D
See the answer to the previous question.
Question 10: D
Although the first paragraph starts the essay on a negative footing, it is communicating the criticisms of “Valentine’s Day humbugs” rather than the opinions of the author. The author’s opinion is not stated until the final paragraph, in which the author writes that Valentine’s Day is “a wholesome holiday at heart” and is “worth celebrating” regardless of anyone’s criticisms. This best supports answer choice D.
Need SAT reading help?
So how did you do? Hopefully, you got every question right and are feeling confident in doing the same on your upcoming SAT. If not, don’t worry – maybe you just need a little support to make sure you’re ready to score big on test day. If you’re interested in some personalized support, 宝博体育 SAT prep is a great option!
Top 5 Reasons to Enroll in a Summer Program
HIGH SCHOOLAlthough spring has not yet officially sprung, it’s already time to start making summer plans. Keep reading to learn how summer programs help students succeed:
Reason #1: Avoiding Summer Brain Drain
Studies show that students lose an average of one month of grade equivalency during each summer break, forcing teachers to waste an average of 4-6 weeks needlessly reviewing concepts students have forgotten. It doesn’t have to be this way! Good summer programs with individualized instruction, parental involvement, and small class sizes prevent summer learning loss.
Reason #2: Getting Ahead of the Pack
Summer offers a perfect opportunity for students to get ahead of their peers by starting the school year strong. Students can not only keep their skills sharp but also preview material from the upcoming school year, giving them a head start on the new semester.
Reason #3: Maintaining a Regular Routine
One of the toughest parts of the start of a new school year is transitioning back into a structured routine. Summer programs help students maintain structure throughout the long break so that the transition to the school year goes more smoothly.
Reason #4: Distraction-Free Test Prep
Summer is the perfect time for SAT or ACT prep because students are free to focus on boosting test scores without the additional responsibilities of school and extracurriculars. Intensive summer test prep keeps students’ minds sharp, boosts their test scores, and reduces school year stress.
Reason #5: Summer SAT and ACT Test Dates
The July ACT and the August SAT offer yet another reason to enroll in a summer program that features test prep. With hard work and a little luck, students can finalize their SAT or ACT test scores over the summer so that they can focus on getting good grades and (for seniors) completing college applications in the fall.
宝博体育 Education offers a line of excellent summer programs, each with individualized instruction and small group sizes. High school students can benefit from our SAT or ACT Boot Camps, which provide intensive test prep with specialized curriculum and full-length testing designed to maximize scores. For students in grades 4 through 8, we offer a Book Boot Camp to help students build their reading comprehension and writing skills.
We hope to see you this summer!
5 AP Exam Tips for a 5: AP Exam Prep Done Right
TEST PREPIf you’re in an AP class, you’re likely painfully aware of looming AP exams. These rigorous 3-hour exams determine whether colleges will provide credit for all of your hard AP coursework—no matter how great your grades in the class might be, your chance at college credit all rides on that one test.
No pressure.
AP exam prep is a marathon, not a sprint. There exams are long and intense, and many students take two of these tests in a single day or several tests in a single week. Unless you’re a lean, mean testing machine, that’s a whole lot of really tough tests to take in a pretty short amount of time.
If you’ve been studying all along, you’ve done well in your classes, and you already started taking practice tests, you’ve got a great foundation for AP exam prep. If you’re getting by in class and you haven’t taken a single practice test, it’s time to start building an AP exam prep foundation. Whichever end of the spectrum you fall on, we’ve got some AP exam tips to help you succeed in May:
AP Exam Prep Tip #1: Start months in advance.
You wouldn’t start training for a marathon just a couple weeks before the big race, and you shouldn’t start studying for your AP exams with days to spare either. You can prep for AP exams all year long by taking practice tests, completing practice questions, and working on your free response skills. We recommend developing an AP exam study plan two or three months before the exams start so that you have plenty of time to review and revisit a whole year’s worth of information.
So if you haven’t already started your AP exam prep, there’s no time like the present. Go get your highlighters and note cards. We’ll wait.
AP Exam Prep Tip #2: Gather your materials.
Most AP exams cover an entire year’s worth of information. Condensing all of that information into something you can reasonably study is a big first step in AP exam prep.
First, gather your notes from class. Hopefully you took really thorough notes (or perhaps a really generous friend took very thorough notes he is will to share). One great AP exam prep tip is to condense your class notes into a homemade study guide—basically, take notes from your notes. The act of rearranging and summarizing information you’ve already written down once will help to reinforce the concepts in your head AND provide you a good study guide to use for future review.
Next, find a prep book that works for you. There are tons of AP exam prep guides available, and all of them take slightly different approaches to the information; some include a lot of explanation and information while others place a stronger emphasis on practice problems. Depending on your comfort level with the subject, decide whether you need more help with reviewing information or with practicing for the test.
Finally, gather official practice tests and questions. The College Board publishes several years’ worth of practice material, including both full-length tests and free response questions. Your AP teachers probably have practice tests available as well.
AP Exam Prep Tip #3: Take practice tests.
One of the hardest parts of AP testing is simply getting through the test. For most AP exams, you’ll do about 3 hours’ worth of reading and writing with little pause. Taking plenty of timed practice tests will help get you ready for the marathon ahead by building your test-taking endurance.
Practice tests also offer a great way to review information. The more often you recall a piece of information, the easier recall becomes in the future. Moreover, practice tests can help alleviate testing anxiety by eliminating surprises on test day.
AP Exam Prep Tip #4: Focus on weak spots but don’t overlook strengths.
It’s natural to focus your AP exam prep efforts on your weakest areas, but it’s just as important to maintain your strengths.
Let’s say you’re getting ready for the AP US History exam. You feel really good about the post-World War II material that you just finished covering in class, but you can barely remember anything about pre-Revolutionary War history. If you focus exclusively on pre-Revolutionary War material, there’s a really good chance that you’re going to forget a lot of that post-World War II stuff in the process.
When it comes to knowledge, use it or lose it. If you rarely review or test yourself on the stuff you know well, you might not remember it on test day.
AP Exam Prep Tip #5: Build a support system.
You’re not in this alone. Your fellow AP students, your AP teachers, your parents, and your local 宝博体育 Education center are all pulling for you. Take advantage of your support system as you prep for the exam. Put together study groups with classmates to pool knowledge, test one another, and combine class notes. Ask your AP teachers for after school review sessions or testing pointers. Have your parents quiz you with flashcards at the dinner table. And consider visiting your local 宝博体育 Education center for expert AP exam prep sessions.
On the Bright Side: I Didn’t Get into the College I Want
ON THE BRIGHT SIDEIf you’re among those who didn’t get in at their dream colleges, take heart: you’ve just joined an elite club that includes Tina Fey (rejected from Princeton), Steven Spielberg (rejected from USC School of Cinema Arts twice), former Secretary of State John Kerry (rejected from Harvard), former President Barack Obama (rejected from Swarthmore), author Isaac Asimov (rejected from Columbia), former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (rejected from Princeton), and billionaire Warren Buffet (rejected from Harvard).
The key is to process the rejection and move on with grit and determination. Keep reading to find out how you can turn disappointment into success.
Recognize that you are not defined by the college you attend.
If your future plans hinged on attending one particular school, it can feel like your world came crashing down when you found out that you didn’t get in. But here’s a secret: If you’re smart and driven, your alma mater won’t define your success—and there’s research to prove it. As former Google data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz wrote in his 2017 book Everybody Lies, multiple studies have shown that the link between career success and attending an elite college is one of correlation rather than causation. In other words, people who succeed do so because they possess traits like intelligence and work ethic, traits that elite schools seek, not because they attended elite schools.
Rejection from an elite college isn’t a mark against you.
The nation’s top-ranked schools turn away tens of thousands of incredibly talented applicants each year: Harvard could fill its freshman class twice over with valedictorians. If you’re among the 95% of applicants who didn’t get accepted at a super selective college, it’s not about you. It’s about the fact that these colleges are trying to hand-pick a relatively tiny number of specific students out of a massive pool of impressive applicants. It doesn’t mean you’re not good enough—it means the school wasn’t able to pick you.
Take a second look at the schools that DID admit you.
If you followed our advice and included some target and safety schools in your applications, then you should have some college acceptance offers to consider. These schools might not be The Dream School, but they likely have some really great points in their favor (including, for example, the fact that you’ve already been admitted). Don’t compare these schools to The Dream School—that school is off the table. Instead, look at these schools with a fresh eye. If possible, revisit the campuses. The campuses will likely look different if you know a spot at the school is yours for the taking.
It’s not too late to submit some more applications.
If none of the schools you were admitted to appeal—or worse, if you didn’t include safety schools in your applications and now you’re facing a marked lack of college acceptances—never fear: there are still great schools that you can apply to.
These schools are all ranked in the top 100 national universities and practice rolling admissions (so the deadline is flexible):
Other colleges have late application deadlines. Here’s a partial list:
Each May, the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) publishes a list of colleges with open applications, so if it’s super late in the game and you need some more colleges to apply to, check out their website.