With the big day arriving soon, students are also going to anticipate their standardized test score report to arrive when they finish. And lucky for them, instead of waiting for the hard paper copy of the score report to arrive, scores are available online. 

SAT Superscore

Now, let’s assume that on the SAT, you received a 560 in Critical Reading, a 740 in Mathematics, and a 630 in Writing. Your overall score would be an 1930 (out of 2400). Students might compare their score to the scores of admitted college applicants. This measure is somewhat helpful in determining what their scores mean, but what students really want to look at are their percentile ranks.

While our imaginary scores would place you above 78 percent of the students in the country for your reading score, above 96 percent of students for math, and above 82 percent of students in writing. Note that although you have a separate score reported for your essay (on a scale of 1-12), that score is already part of the complex calculation used to arrive at the 600. You will also see a writing subscore for the multiple choice questions (on a scale of 20-80). The score between 200 and 800 is what matters.

Keep in mind that your scores are estimates. And the many versions of the SAT all have the same level of difficulty among all the various questions; the SAT writers are only human. 

This is part of the reason that some colleges superscore the SAT. Many students take the SAT multiple times. We recommend that students take the SAT no more than two times. There are variations in the test content, thus the second time a student takes the SAT, he might do worse in reading but much better in math. And it would not be fair if your higher reading score from the first test was disregarded. So, some schools will look at all of the test scores you submit and use the highest score you achieved in each section. For example, they may take your reading score from your first test and your math and writing scores from your second test and then combine them to give you your highest score possible out of 2400. 

The College Board publishes data that tells us whether the schools we are interested in superscore or only look at the scores from the last time you took the test. If you have ever wondered how applicants at Ivy League schools seem to have near perfect SAT scores, this is how. Few applicants attending the elite institutions scored a perfect 2400 in a single attempt.

ACT Superscore

If students took the ACT, the percentile-based interpretation of their scores makes more sense than does the numbers-based interpretation. In terms of percentiles, if scores are 82% in English, 75% in Math, 85% in Reading, and 90% in Science. Again, that’s the percentage of students across the country that you performed better than. The composite score is the average of those four subscores. If you took the optional essay, a separate English score is also reported (on a scale of 1 – 36) that combines the multiple-choice writing with the essay score, but the composite score uses only the multiple choice subscore.

Similar to the SAT, there is some variation across the ACT tests (with some being noticeably harder than others). Again, this is why the percentiles matter more than the raw score. 

The difference between the tests, though, is that superscoring is not widely practiced with the ACT. ACT recommends that colleges use a single highest composite score for their admissions criteria and many schools abide by this recommendation. The ACT content is presented in a more straightforward way, which allows students to easily assess their errors, practice, and improve their scores, thus taking the ACT after studying is beneficial.

SAT and ACT Tutoring

If you are considering hiring an expert SAT tutor or ACT tutor to help your child prepare for the SAT or ACT, Lee Academia can help. Please call us at 646.266.6084, so we can begin to develop a personalized SAT tutoring and/or ACT tutoring program for your child.

1. IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is an English language proficiency test designed to test communicative English abilities of non-native speakers.

2. The IELTS is a paper-and-pencil test with 4 sections : Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The Speaking test includes live, face-to-face interview with a trained ESL professional.

3. A variety of question types are used in IELTS to test a wide range of skills. For example, there are matching, classification, multiple choice, sentence completion, short answers, diagram label completions and more.

4. There are two versions - Academic and General Training. The Academic version is used for higher education and professional certification, while the General Training is used for work or migration purposes.

5. IELTS is accepted by more than 8,000 organizations worldwide, including over 3,000 U.S. institutions.

If you would like to know more about the IELTS, contact us for more information.

Whether you've been studying for months, or just realized that your March SAT is only two weeks away, speak to us about our 2 week study calendar to help you study smarter.

Here are the three steps to ensure you get your dream SAT score on March 8th:

1. If you haven't already done so, sign up for our sample cram session. If you enjoy learning with Lee Academia then purchase our program!
2. Use the calendar below and work through the recommended modules, video concepts, and practice quizzes.
3. Wake up calm and relaxed on March 8th, and rock the SAT!

Since Lee Academia's Online SAT Program is completely online, you can prep for the SAT whenever you want, wherever you want. In fact after your test, continue to use Lee Academia to prepare for your next SAT. Good luck!

So now, ace the SAT!

As some students are taking their ACT exam this weekend, here are some tips and tricks to remember.

1. Keep calm and carry on.
On test day, relaxation is the key...but this is easier said than done, right? Take it easy and plan to give yourself plenty of time to wake up and get to the test center. Remember, breathe! Eat breakfast.

2. Stay positive.
Tests are boring, but think positively. Try smiling while you're taking your ACT test. Belief affects behavior, so it'll work if you stay positive.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice.
If you want to be good at something, you have to practice.

4. Come prepared.
Bring your admission ticket, cells phones are NOT allowed, bring a watch to keep track of time, your photo ID, calculator, and No.2 pencils.

5. No blanks.
You will not be penalized for guessing, but before you go crazy with that No.2 pencil, try to narrow down at least one or two answers that are definitely wrong.

For last minute ACT review, schedule a CRAM session (1-hour) now with an ACT expert today! Contact us for more information.

Creating an #SAT or #ACT study schedule that allows you to pace yourself will help you avoid burnouts.

For many students entering their junior year of high school, one of the most stressful parts of preparing to apply to college is taking the SAT or ACT. When students are inundated with so many different test-taking tips, strategies and services, it can be quite challenging to sift through them all.

One of the most important things for students to do in preparation for the SAT or ACT is to map out exactly when they will take the test and how they will study for it. The following are three tips for designing such a timeline. 

1. Sign up for a test date far in advance: The SAT is offered seven times per year nationally; the ACT is offered six. Once you determine which test you will be taking, the first thing you need to do is look at the upcoming test schedule and decide on a date to take it. Make sure that you avoid all possible conflicts in the time immediately preceding it. Don't let things that you can control interfere with your preparation during that time. 

2. Take the test early: While it would be great if you could reach your target score the very first time you take the test, you will most likely have to take it once or twice more in order to attain the score you want.  Improvement comes naturally through repetition. No matter how many practice tests you take, it is difficult to simulate test day conditions before actually experiencing what it's like to be sitting in that test-taking room.  It will be impossible to take the SAT or ACT multiple times prior to applying to colleges if the first time you take it is late in the fall of your senior year.  With plenty of time left in your junior year, you leave yourself ample time to take the exam once or twice more.

3. Simulate testing conditions: Reserve the last two weeks in your studying schedule for taking a full sample exam, and make sure to simulate test day conditions as much as possible. 

The closer you can get to feeling exactly what it is like to take the test, the less stressful the real experience will be.

For more tips on how to set up a study plan timeline for yourself, get in touch with our experts.

As you prepare to start the new term, you will need new college semester success tips whether you are coming back or are new to college. Getting ready to start the semester, you are filled with optimism and you are maybe a bit nervous. If you are starting out you feel that you were well prepared and made the right choice and are ready.

You want to start with a clean slate. New notebooks for each class or new folders in your computer—ideally both. You will need to save the syllabus for each course. Review the syllabus carefully and use it to do the following things:

• Order or access books and reading material needed for assignments so you have all you need when you need it.
  
• They will ask questions that assume you have done the reading, and if class participation is required, then you will be in trouble if you are called on and don’t have a clue about what is being discussed.  The midterm or final exam will likely include references to the lecture or seminar discussion and to the readings.
  

Fill your calendar or planner. Time management is one of the toughest things that students face and it is a key life skill. You use the planner for planning. Planning is not simply recording when you have a dinner date or a paper due.  It involves looking ahead and also back. 

You look ahead to see, for example, when your paper is due, then look back to see where you have blocks of time to work on the paper.  You not only impress your teacher, but keep yourself from procrastinating.  Other assignments, such as reading a novel for your literature class, may be done in small time chunks.  

Find out when and where you can find your professor. You want to get to know them so they can be helpful to you. Use office hours. The students who do the best also have the best relationships with their professors. Faculty enjoy the interaction with interested students and helping those who may be struggling to get better. Getting ready to start the semester begin by making a friend of your professor.

Find out how the grades are structured. Sometimes there may be quizzes, papers, exams, projects or class participation.

See where you are going to have to apply the most effort to get the grades you want. If you know you will need help plan to schedule time at the tutoring or writing centers. Sometimes they are first come first serve and so making an appointment while you are getting ready to start the semester is smart.

Doing all these things at the beginning of the semester will assure a good outcome at the end.

Stephenie Lee is the founder of Lee Academia Educational Consulting, consultant and the author of "Writing a Compelling College Application Essay: Workbook" and other College series workbooks. She is also an expert on test taking strategies, study skills and college admissions strategies. Find out more about Stephenie at website.

Students can say farewell to vocabulary flashcards with arcane words like “membranous,” “pugnacious,” and “jettison.” In the new SAT, to be unveiled in 2015, David Coleman, president of the College Board wants to get rid of obscure words and replace them with more common words like “synthesis,” “distill” and “transform,” used in context as they will be in college and in life.

And the math? “There are a few things that matter disproportionately, like proportional reasoning, linear equations and linear functions,” Mr. Coleman said. “Those are the kinds of things we’re going to concentrate on.” He also mentioned that it shouldn't be about picking the right answer, but about being able to explain and see the applications of math.

Big changes are coming to the nation’s two competing admissions tests.

Mr. Coleman is intent on rethinking the SAT to make it an instrument that meshes with what students are learning in their classrooms. Meanwhile, the ACT, which has always been more curriculum-based, is the first of the two to move into the digital age. In adapting its test for the computer, ACT Inc. is moving toward more creative, hands-on questions.

Both organizations are striving to produce something beyond a college admissions test. ACT plans to start yearly testing as early as third grade to help guide students to college readiness. One of Mr. Coleman’s goals is for the College Board to help low-income students see broader college possibilities.

Since he arrived at the College Board in October, Mr. Coleman has been working on a fundamental redesign of the SAT, which he announced in February. The test, he said, should focus on “things that matter more so that the endless hours students put into practicing for the SAT will be work that’s worth doing.”

As the architect of the Common Core standards — guidelines for what students should learn in each grade — that are being put into place in most states, it is no surprise that he has clear views on what the SAT should test, although he declines to offer specifics because College Board members need to be consulted on every element of the redesign.

In 2005, spurred by the threat that the University of California system might no longer consider its test for admission, the College Board introduced with fanfare the “New SAT,” dropping quantitative comparisons and the “warm is to cool as top is to ___” analogies and adding more advanced math, in the process making the test more like the ACT.

Competition between the two tests has not let up: for the first time last year, the ACT surpassed the SAT in market share. With the new redesign, the SAT seems likely to inch even closer in content to the ACT, which focuses more on grammar, usage and mechanics than on vocabulary.

“Kids need to have a level of ambition,” he said, “because what we find is that absent the intensity of a peer group committed to getting into college, kids just fall away, even a lot of the ones who do very well on the test, and could go to top colleges.”

Recent research on how few high-achieving low-income students apply to top colleges, and that the College Board must help ensure that these students get information about colleges they could aspire to and financial aid that would pay for it were considered.

“We will consider students who take the assessment as within our care, and that means that sending out a score report isn’t the end of it,” he said.

Starting in 2015, the ACT will be available on a computer as well as, for the time being, on paper. Those who take the test on a computer will see a new breed of questions — free-response questions in which students manipulate on-screen images to form their conclusions. In one sample question, students move a plunger on a cylindrical gas tank to change gas pressure and temperature. They then write a few sentences describing the relationship between distance and pressure and between temperature and pressure, and graph those relationships.

Many details of digitization remain to be resolved. Which questions will be graded by computer, and which by humans? And because the two versions need to be comparable, just how many beyond-the-bubble questions will be added to the mix?

One decision that has been made: content will be unchanged.

Indeed, ACT wants to reach ever younger — into elementary school. Next year, it will start rolling out a series of computer-based tests that track student learning over time as well as progress in the current school year, and measure how far above or below grade level a student is in core subjects. Alabama, for one, has signed on to use the tests as its end-of-year assessment for Grades 3 to 8. In the program, parents and teachers will get increasingly detailed reports outlining the skills needed to be ready for college.

Why engage the services of a private college consultant?

Independent college consultants are

• Available. Consultants aren’t tied to a school, a school district, or a school calendar. They work with students in the immediate neighborhood or across the world thanks to readily available technology. Not surprisingly, consultants do much of their most important work over the summer months getting seniors ready for the admissions process, and many work long weekend and evening hours. Lee Academia's experts worked 24-7 for the past 10 years, and have never complained about their hours, as their dedication to work with students always comes first.
  

• Responsive. It’s part of the business model. Consultants have to respond promptly to emails, phone calls and other forms of inquiry or they’re quickly out of business. Deadlines are everything in the world of college admissions and no one is more aware of time constraints and the need for immediacy than independent educational consultants.

• Knowledgeable. Consultants spend significant time visiting college campuses and attending professional workshops or conferences. It’s no secret that colleges have different personalities and management practices. But it’s virtually impossible to get a feel for these personalities or keep up with changes in programs and facilities without visiting on a regular basis. Lee Academia's experts visit over 80 schools each year to update their knowledge about campuses firsthand, despite the availability o
  

• Credentialed. Reputable independent educational consultants maintain memberships in organizations such as the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) or local NACAC affiliates—each of which sets individual membership requirements demanding years of specialized experience, education and training, and a firm commitment to continuing education.

• Ethical. As members of the above-mentioned organizations, consultants subscribe to specific Principles of Good Practice governing the actions of consultants in their relationships with students and families, schools and colleges, and with colleagues.

• Parent-recommended. Anyone in the consulting business will tell you no amount of marketing will ever bring in as many clients as simple word-of-mouth. Informal surveys of educational consultants suggest that as many as 90 percent of families seeking college consulting services are referred by other families. The best consultants are well-known in the community and are respected for the service they provide. It’s as simple as that. So ask to speak with our satisfied clients and former students or check out the Testimonials.
  

International students can prepare for the TOEFL in 3 ways.

Students should make an effort to speak English every day and prepare for the TOEFL well in advance of your test date.

1. Don't try to cram. It's not easy memorizing a language in one night. The TOEFL test involves all aspects of the language - speaking, reading, writing and listening - definitely too much to cover in a few hours.

2. Turn study into something more pleasant. Crouching over a stack of books is no fun. Learn by speaking English every day. Write a story in English or a daily journal. Meet new English-speaking friends and speak to them in English.

When it comes to reading, the Internet is your best friend. Browse websites you usually do not spend time on and read about things you normally would not pay attention to. Time magazines or New York Times are excellent starting points.

To practice listening, watch movies and TV shows without subtitles, or download and listen to podcasts.

Ask your English teacher to correct your essay – he or she will most likely be more than happy to help.

3. Get familiar with the exam: Uncertainty about the format of the test could make you anxious on test day. There are lots of online practice tests that will give you a taste of what to expect on the test day, at no cost.

The Internet-based test (iBT) begins with a reading section that lasts about 60-80 minutes, and then jumps straight into a listening section that lasts 60-90 minutes.

After that, you get a 10-minute breather and have a chance to go to the bathroom or grab a snack.

Next comes the speaking section, which takes 20 minutes, followed by 50 minutes set aside for writing. At that point you'll probably feel rather exhausted, but try to keep it together. It will be worth it.

4. Get some rest: Finally, make sure to stay in and get some rest the night before. It's a long exam and the more stressed you are, the more it will drain you.

So, for the International students, come prepared, stay calm during the exam and get to go home feeling content about your effort. If you do that, you could be one big step further on your path toward studying in the U.S.

Lee Academia's expert consultant, Stephenie, is certified in TESOL/TEFL. She has worked with many International students on English skills and on their TOEFL test prep. For assistance, contact her at [email protected].



*TOEFL is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS).

So with the May 4th, 2013 Tests coming up, are you ready?

If you haven't registered for your SAT or Subject Tests, you still have 2 more days to register for the June 1st Tests.

Get cramming and work with a tutor. Contact Lee Academia if you need some last minute guidance. Good Luck~