Educational Awareness: College Admission and Transition
  • Home
  • EA Test Prep
    • SAT Prep Program
    • ACT Prep Program
    • College Essay
    • Academic Essentials
  • EA Power Coaching
    • College Essay
    • College Coaching
    • College Application
    • Networking
  • Contact
  • Our Approach
    • Our Results
    • FAQs
  • Calendar
  • Our Team
    • Our Students' Colleges
    • Testimonials
  • Registration
  • Blog

College Admission and Transition​

Blog

Get ready for the big test next weekend

3/6/2022

0 Comments

 
Well the March 12th SAT will be arriving at high schools shortly, proctors have been hired, and all plans are set. The real question is “Are YOU ready?” Hopefully, the answer in your home is a resounding “Yes!”
Last week, the EA Team posted some helpful tips to prepare for the exam. Here they are again in case you missed them. (The rationale behind each one can be found on our blog at our website www.educationallyaware.com.)
There is still time to purchase any needed items on the list.
1. Verify that your registration slip is correct and that photo identification can be easily accessed. Decide where you will place it.
2. Sharpen at least four pencils (or as many as you feel comfortable taking to the exam , make sure you have erasers, and replace the batteries in your calculator.
3. Decide what high protein breakfast you will have that morning. A meal that is filled with sugar and/or carbohydrates will interfere with your performance on the test.
4. Purchase a high-protein snack (protein bar or nuts) and water to consume during your SAT break.
5. Plan your transportation to the SAT. Who will drive and determine how long it will take to get there on time or early?
Well, those are the five that get you ready physically for the challenge, but everyone needs some tips to calm their nerves. With each tip below, we have provided the reason why we suggest the action because when a student understands how or why a strategy works, he or she will be more likely to actually do it.
1. REVIEW the EA Test Prep Strategies for each section of the SAT each time you feel anxious as a reminder that you possess new, proven test-taking skills for each type of question on this exam. If you did not take a course with us, remind yourself of whatever strategies you have learned.
Why? Reminding yourself that you have acquired these strategies helps reduce anxiety and allows you to remember the successes you have experienced using them. Additionally, it provides another opportunity to make sure that you fully understand those strategies.
2. DO NOT PRACTICE any SAT questions on the day before the exam.
Why? If you get one answer incorrect, it will cause you to worry that you will not do well on the exam. As one student said, “I got one wrong, and I felt I wasn’t going to get the score I wanted.”
3. Sometimes, it is difficult to fall asleep the night before an event that you feel is important. The SAT can fall into that category, but DON’T WORRY about getting a good night’s rest.
Why? You will have enough adrenaline to keep you focused during the SAT whether you have had a restful night’s sleep or not. (No doubt, you will be exhausted after the exam.)
4. REPEAT your EA anxiety-reducing term(s) and remind yourself to use the word(s) until the exam is complete if you should feel nervous during the exam. Remember that deep breathing will help control tension. At EA w recommend that you close your eyes and breathe in for the count of four, hold it for a count a four, and breathe out for the count of four. Then open your eyes and resume your focus with new clarity. These few seconds of relief from answering questions will save you from answering questions incorrectly.
Why? These word(s) help control your anxiety, which reduces the cortisol that is released in your body. Once your body releases the cortisol, it interferes with your ability to concentrate.
5. VISIT www.fairtest.org and review the colleges that are “test optional.” Identify one school that is not interested in your SAT score that you would like to attend. Imagine yourself entering as a member of that college’s freshman class.
Why? Reminding yourself that some schools are not interested in your SAT score reduces your anxiety about the test. A lower level of tension increases your performance
Remember, the largest “item” you will take into the exam are the strategies you have learned. If you have our proven EA Test Strategies, you are well on your way to achieving a high score on the exam.
Remember, the next SAT exams will be given on May 7 and June 4. Our small classes (maximum of 6 students) for those exams are already filling, and these classes will still be held on Zoom. The next class begin Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30. If you want to become part of the EA family, contact us by email (educationallyaware@gmail.com) or phone (845.582.0017).
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!

0 Comments

THE EA TEAM’S TOP TIPS

2/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture


 1.   Verify that your registration slip is correct and that photo identification can be easily accessed. Decide where you will place
Why? If you discover an error on the morning of the test, it might be too late to rectify it and at the very least, it will add to the anxiety of the day. 
2. Sharpen at least four pencils (or as many as you feel comfortable taking to the exam ;-), make sure you have erasers, and replace the batteries in your calculator.
Why? If you find that the pencils, the erasers, or batteries are NOT in good working condition on the morning of the test, you will not have a place to purchase replacements. And this will add unneeded stress to the morning. 
3. Decide what high protein breakfast you will have that morning. A meal that is filled with sugar and/or carbohydrates will interfere with your performance on the test.
Why? Your energy will peak and drop. You need to sustain energy for the length of a test just like a marathon runner.
4.   Purchase a high protein snack (protein bar or nuts) and water to consume during your SAT break.
Why? A high protein snack and water will help provide the calories and hydration needed to maintain the energy needed to complete the exam.

5. Plan your transportation to the SAT. Who will drive and determine how long it will take to get there on time or early?
Why? You do not want to be rushing to the test.

This week, the EA Team has provided tips that might involve a purchase. Next week, we will offer our calming suggestions for the night before.
 

0 Comments

THE EA TEAM’S  SUGGESTIONS FOR CHOOSING THE ACT OR THE SAT.   FIND THE BEST TEST FOR YOU!

2/20/2022

0 Comments

 

Basic Guideline 1: If you have not received at least a grade of 87 in all your high school science classes, we suggest that you carefully consider the difficulty of the Science Section before choosing the ACT. 
Basic Guideline 2: If you have difficulty reading, look at a copy of each test. Note that the ACT is word dense, which means that even the answers in the English, Reading, and Science sections contain more words than their equivalent on the SAT.
 Basic Guideline 3: Both the SAT and the ACT have a reading comprehension portion of the test. The SAT has five passages to be completed in 65 minutes, which allows approximately 13 minutes to read the passage and answer 10 questions for each passage. On the other hand, the ACT has four passages to be completed in 35 minutes which permits a student to spend approximately 8 ½ minutes to read the passage and also answer 10 questions.  RECAP: the SAT gives you a longer amount of time to complete each set of 10 questions. The limited amount of time offered by the ACT (8 ½ minutes) is exacerbated by the fact that the questions are NOT PRESENTED in sequential order.
If after you have finished reading these guidelines and want to discuss them, email (eatestprep@gmail.com) or phone (845.582.0017). We will be happy to help you make the best choice.
0 Comments

Time is not your enemy

2/13/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​When you think about taking the SAT or ACT, do  you always feel like you will run out of time on the test?  Many students feel the pressure of a time limit when they are taking any test. They can be totally prepared, but just draw a blank during the test, or they rush through the exam thinking that they will run out of time.
Determining the amount of time it takes to complete a question on the SAT or the ACT can be established prior to the test because there are very specific types of test questions on these exams. Once you know how long it takes to answer a certain kind of question, you will feel less worried about the time limit for each section. The EA Team has worked with many students who improved their performance just by knowing this information. With that little bit of knowledge, students can more easily complete a section since they already know how long it generally takes YOU to answer a specific type of question.
 
Here is a step-by-step guide to determine the time it takes to answer a question.
1. Ask a friend/parent to time you with a stopwatch, which is easily found on your phone.
2. Read one question and answer it.
3. Write down the amount of time you believe it took you to complete the question.
4.Compare your belief to the reality by asking the timekeeper how long it actually took to answer the question. You can push yourself to answer the questions a little faster. Perhaps a second or two each time you practice.
Do this multiple times until you feel the result is reliable. When you are taking the test, remind yourself of the reality of time, so you can eliminate the tension caused by a time limit this type of test anxiety. You can repeat this procedure for an entire section or any passage within it. 
If you are not able to complete a specific portion of the test during the time limit, then you have two alternatives.
1.    You can push yourself to answer the questions a little faster. Perhaps a second or two each time you practice.
2.    You can decide that you will still be able to obtain a high enough score for the college of your choice if you don’t answer all the questions in that section. For example, in the reading section, you might not read a specific passage that and just fill in “B” for all the unanswered questions. Remember that it is better to focus on a specific passage and get the majority of questions correct than to race through all of the passages and only get a few correct for each one.
It is most important to set up a plan of how you will take the test before you are sitting in an exam room. Base your strategies on how long it will take to answer questions and what you will do if you encounter a passage that is extremely challenging. If you want some assistance setting up a plan, contact the EA Team to learn about the types of questions and how to speed up your response time. You can reach us by email (eatestprep@gmail.com) or phone (845.582.0017). 

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Author

    Learn about the process of getting into college and then what to do you have completed your four years.

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Both Judy Marano and Ava Drutman, life coaches and college educators, contribute to this blog with their years of experience working with young adults.

    RSS Feed

Who We Are

We are college professors, life coaches for young adults, and teachers with more than thirty years experience who provide high quality test preparation, college application and essay support, and college transition guidance.

What We Do

We have created two divisions to motivate students to grow personally and academically. We offer assistance in making the transition to and from college.  
Copyright 2015 - 2021

Contact Us

230 Doansburg Road
Brewster, NY 10509
845.582.0017
educationallyaware@gmail.com
Picture