SAT Prep Resources

STEP 1) First and foremost, do you have any idea what you want to do for a career / where and what you want to study?

KEY POINT:

“Don’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. Ask them what problem they want to solve.” ~ Jaime Casap, Google’s Education Evangelist

(from: http://gihanperera.com/2016/07/problem-will-solve/)

There are limitless resources online if you search for "career interest profiler."

• BLS.gov's O*NET: The one that is directly related to our government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, though, is O*NET. It's what Mrs. Jewett uses with the JMG kids.
• Bigfuture.org's Explore Careers page: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers/careers
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Career exploration Nirvana - more data than even a geek like me can absorb: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
• Also, this New York Times article is golden: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/education/edlife/four-steps-to-choosing-a-career-path.html

STEP 2) Are you on track to follow this career path?

How do your SAT Scores Compare? http://collegeapps.about.com/od/state-sat-scores/

How do you stack up? MyBigFuture on CollegeBoard's site will allow you to see how your qualifications (GPA, courses taken, test scores, class rank) fair at your reach and safety schools.

STEP 3) Are you ready to work hard to improve?

Self-guided improvement resources follow:

1. Look for "Test Prep" > New SAT on Khan Academy
2. Import your PSAT and/or SAT scores into Khan Academy
3. Work on your mechanics, usage, grammar, and style (MUGS) via No Red Ink and other free resources.
4. Get "The Official SAT Question of the Day" app from the iTunes store.
5. Take the tests, look at the data, and then "work your weaknesses."
6. Visit The College Board site and read all you can about what you can do to prepare - including downloading the app they offer (you can use it to scan the answer sheet for immediate scoring - COOLNESS)

So important, it doesn't even become a step; it's the FOUNDATION.

Above all else, READ CHALLENGING MATERIALS - FREQUENTLY.

Is your reading lacking? Here are several magazines that you can read regularly to improve your comprehension skills. Make sure you are able to answer the 5Ws and an H questions at the end of each paragraph.

• The New Yorker
• The Atlantic Monthly
• Scientific American
• National Geographic
• The Week
• The Economist
• BBC World News
• The New York Times
• The Washington Post
• Christian Science Monitor
• Psychology Today

Here is the Stretch Reading Log template to copy for your own use. Please share it with my ahernhuish@rsu73.com account. :)