Silverturtle's Guide to SAT and Admissions Success

Hello! I hope you find this guide to be helpful for whatever purpose you exploit it.
Contents
The SAT
o Introduction to and Assessment of the Reasoning Test (Posts 2, 3, 4)
o General trategies (5)
o The Blue Book and !rep "ourses (6)
o Critical Reading
entence "ompletion #uestions$ %ocabulary (7, 8)
!assage #uestions$ Reading &ffectively (9, 10)
o Mathematics
'earning How to olve the #uestions$ Accuracy (11)
olving Them (ast and )ithout &rror$ !recision (11)
o Writing (Grammar guie! 12, 13, 14, 15)
Improving entences$ yntax and "larity (16)
Identifying &rrors$ Grammar and *iction (16)
Improving !aragraphs$ Terse+ 'ogical "ommunication (16)
The &ssay (16)
o coring (17)
"alculating the Raw core
(rom Raw core to caled core$ The "urve
o The AT,s Role in Admissions ("ee #$ollege %missio&s#)
o The PSAT (17)
*ifferences from the AT
-ational .erit
o AT Subject Tests (17)
electing the Tests
!reparing
o AP Tests (17)
o An Alternative$ The A"T (17)
College Admissions
o There Are -o Guarantees/0ut It,s -ot Totally Random (18)
o The "lich1 That *oesn,t 'ie$ Top "olleges and Holistic Review (18)
o Test Scores (18)
ending cores$ uperscoring and core "hoice
)hat core *o I -eed2/Higher Is Better
hould I Reta3e2/)hen 40etter4 5ust Isn,t )orth It
o 6our Transcript$ The Heart of an Application (18)
o tanding 7ut$ The Subjectives (19)
&xtracurriculars$ Getting Involved and 0eing a 'eader
Awards$ Aptitude 0eyond the cores
Hoo3s$ They )or3
&ssays and Recommendations .atter
o 8sing 6our Resources$ "ollege "onfidential and *ecisions Threads (19)
o The "ommon Application (19)
o Graduate and !rofessional chool Admissions$ ome 0asic Information (19)
College Selection (19)
o Apply to a ot o! Schools
o "onsider pecific *epartmental trengths
o Ran3ings and !restige .atter
o Personal "it and #uality of 'ife .atter &ven .ore
o %isit the chools
o (inancial Aid
o Ac3nowledgements
o About the Author
o #ood uc$%
The SAT
Introduction to and Assessment o! the Reasoning Test
The Basics
&dging out the newer A"T+ the SAT Reasoning Test is the most widely ta3en standardi9ed
college:admissions test. It functions primarily as a factor in admission to American colleges
and universities+ though it is offered internationally as well. 7ne;s score on the test can also
affect his or her eligibility for merit:based scholarships <institutional or otherwise=. The test
is >ointly developed and administered by professionals employed by two non:profit groups$
the "ollege 0oard and the &ducational Testing ervice <&T=.
Here is an overview of what is on the AT Reasoning Test <adapted in part from here=$
The Critical Reading <often abbreviated as "R= section of the AT totals ?@ minutes in
length and comprises A? Buestions+ of which CD are passage:based <they test your ability to
read effectively= and EF are sentence:completion Buestions <these test your applied
vocabulary and ability to recogni9e words; relationships within a sentence=. The "R section
brea3s these Buestions into three sections$ one of G@ minutes and two of GH minutes.
The Math section of the AT is also ?@ minutes long and spread out over three sectionsI
li3ewise+ two of these are GH:minutes sections+ and one is G@ minutes long. There are HC
Buestions$ CC multiple:choice Buestions and E@ free:response <i.e.+ grid:in= Buestions.
The AT Writing section+ added in G@@H+ is a slightly shorter A@ minutes+ which is bro3en
into three sections <one GH:minute essay section to commence the test+ a GH:minute
section+ and a refreshingly brief E@:minute section to round out the AT=. There are GH
Improving entences Buestions+ ED Identifying &rrors Buestions+ A Improving !aragraphs
Buestions+ and the essay.
Also including an unscored experimental section of any sub>ect+ the AT totals three hours
and CH minutes in length <plus a couple brea3s=I part of the test,s difficulty comes from the
endurance reBuired to maintain focus for this long.
Assessing the SAT
's the "%T (iase agai&st )ertai& grou*s (e+g+, *arti)ular ge&er, ra)es, so)ioe)o&omi)
le,els)-
The "ollege 0oard and &T ta3e considerable steps to attempt to ensure that the Buestions
serve as accurate assessments of students, abilityI see here for details on the thorough
review process that each Buestion undergoes before it appears on an actual test. There are+
however+ significant disparities in student performance among certain groups.
"onsider+ for example+ the shoc3ingly strong correlation between AT score and income
level. 0ro3en out by JG@+@@@ intervals+ there is an average score increase of EG points <out
of D@@= for each section as we move up an income level. This is most pronounced on the
AT )riting section+ on which the average score for those with an annual household income
under JG@+@@@ is CK@ and the average score for those with an annual household income
over JG@@+@@@ is HA@+ the GFth and ?Gnd percentiles+ respectively. ee here for graphical
summaries of the "ollege 0oard,s findings on the AT:income correlation.
-ow+ we cannot infer bias from this correlation alone. After all+ there is no inherent reason
that students from economically disadvantaged bac3grounds should not be able to show
their s3ills on the test. However+ there are some insurmountable factors that
disproportionately disadvantage low:income students with respect to what is tested on the
AT$ they are li3ely less exposed to the upper:level vocabulary tested on the AT+ and they
are more li3ely than high:income students to attend underperforming schools. Another
commonly cited explanation for the gap in performance among income levels is that high:
income students attend preparatory classes in disproportionately high numbers+ thereby
giving them an unfair advantage. Indeed+ I have no doubt that this is a factorI but+ for the
most part+ it does not need to be. The 7fficial AT tudy Guide is students, most valuable
preparatory resource+ and it can be purchased for the accessible price of about JEK. <.ore
on utili9ing that boo3 later.=
Though not nearly as dramatic as the aforementioned income:level score disparity+ there are
slight differences in performance by gender on the AT. .ales, average score <out of GC@@=
on the AT is EHGCI that of females is ECFA. However+ this disparity may merely be the
product of the seemingly more self:selecting nature of the male test:ta3ing pool <EHL more
females ta3e the test=. This+ though+ does not explain the gap that persists <and even
exaggerates= at the top end of the scores. In fact+ by the time we reach GC@@+ the gap is
Buite pronounced$ the percentage of male test:ta3ers who receive this perfect composite
score is D? percent greater than the percentage of female test:ta3ers who achieve this feat.
<-ote that here+ as well as in the rest of this guide+ I distinguish between percentage points
and percent. (or example+ I would say that EHL is H@L more than E@L but only five
percentage points greater.=
This gender:performance gap had been even more pronounced before the introduction of
the AT )riting sectionI some even cite this as one of the reasons for the section,s inclusion
on the test. )ith regard to specific section disparities+ here are the facts. 7n "ritical
Reading+ males average H@K+ and females average CFDI on .ath+ males average HKC+
whereas females average CFFI on )riting+ males average CDA+ and females average CFF.
*espite these performance disparities+ there is little direct evidence that Buestions are
unfairly biased against a particular gender.
8nfortunately+ AT performance is mar3ed by significant racial performance gaps. Here is a
summary of various racialMethnic groups, average AT scores <adapted fromhere=$
The average AT scores of those self:identifying as African American or 0lac3$
"ritical Reading+ CGFI .ath+ CGAI )riting+ CGE. These sum to EG?A <approximately
the GCth percentile=.
The average AT scores of those self:identifying as American Indian or Alas3an
-ative$ "ritical Reading+ CDAI .ath+ CFKI )riting+ CAF. These sum to ECCD
<approximately the CCth percentile=.
The average AT scores of those self:identifying as Asian or !acific Islander$ "ritical
Reading+ HEAI .ath+ HD?I )riting+ HG@. These sum to EAGK <approximately the ACth
percentile=.
The average AT scores of those self:identifying as .exican American$ "ritical
Reading+ CHKI .ath+ CAKI )riting+ CCA. These sum to EKAG <approximately the KKrd
percentile=.
The average AT scores of those self:identifying as !uerto Rican$ "ritical Reading+
CHGI .ath+ CH@I )riting+ CCK. These sum to EKCH <approximately the KEst
percentile=.
The average AT scores of those self:identifying as another form of HispanicM'atino$
"ritical Reading+ CHHI .ath+ CAEI )riting+ CCD. These sum to EKAC <approximately
the KKrd percentile=.
The average AT scores of those self:identifying as )hite$ "ritical Reading+ HGDI
.ath+ HKAI )riting+ HE?. These sum to EHDE <approximately the HFth percentile=.
'uc3ily+ however+ these gaps may be lessening with time.
.hat oes the "%T test- /oes it test 0hat ' ha,e lear&e i& s)hool, or ho0 smart ' am-
ome of both.
In contrast to the A"T,s achievement focus+ the AT is foremost an aptitude test. Although
there is certainly some overlap+ the A"T functions primarily to indicate what has been
learned+ whereas the AT serves as an indicator of the test:ta3er,s capacity to learn.
-onetheless+ there are some aspects of the AT that are indisputably dependent on a
student,s previous exposure to material+ such as the entence "ompletion Buestions <which
usually reBuire that one be familiar with the words being tested= and a few of the .ath
Buestions. &ven these exceptions+ however+ are not purely 3nowledge:based$ one,s ability to
learn and apply vocabulary is influenced by his or her intelligence+ and almost every .ath
Buestion on the AT can be solved logically or by smartly applying the given eBuations. In
general+ very little previous 3nowledge is actually reBuired for success on the AT. <Nnowing
grammar rules for the )riting section is decidedly helpful+ thoughI I discuss and exploit this
for your benefit later.=
Indeed+ write "ase )estern Reverse 8niversity professors .eredith (rey and *ouglas
*etterman+ the authors of a G@@C study on the relationship between AT scores and I#
scores$
#uote$
Overall, the results of these studies support two major findings. First, the SAT is an adequate
measure of general intelligence, and second, it is a useful tool in predicting cognitive functioning
when other estimates of intelligence are unavailable, too time-consuming, or too costl.
Their study indicated that the correlation between AT scores and I# scores may be as high
as O.DG. Neep in mind+ however+ that this study was conducted prior to the inclusion of the
)riting sectionI nonetheless+ the relationship between the two scores was li3ely not
significantly affected+ as the correlation among the sections is very strong. The full study
can be read here.
This might not be fully relevant to this discussion+ but I must Bualify the above by sharing a
post by ""er 8TDCKGE that I read recently$
#uote$
! have come to thin" of the SAT ! as analogous to speciali#ed drills that a concert pianist might
use. The SAT ! tests ver speciali#ed s"ills that can be mastered through a combination of talent
and effort. The are merel indicators$correlates for the ultimate performance someone is capable
of achieving.
So ou master the drills b rote repetition and focused practice, with great attention to developing
good technique. Some people are able to master the drills on their own, et others hire teachers to
push, correct, and direct them. Some master the drills after %& practice sessions, others might ta"e
do#ens. 'hen people sa (! don)t test well( the are saing the haven)t figured out their path to
mastering the drills.
Someone could master the drills and never reall be a creative and e*pressive performer. +ut the
majorit of the top qualit performers are capable of the discipline that both allows and comes
from mastering the drills. ,opefull the drills have been designed so that the techniques the
demand are foundational to creative performance.
And schools base their admission evaluations on applicants) master of these drills because the
believe--rightl or wrongl--that it is part of the data that helps them identif students with the
potential to perform.
The are drills, and nothing more. The are neither our identit nor our future. And the are
certainl not a measure of our self worth.
/oes the "%T a))uratel1 *rei)t )ollege graes-
!redictably+ AT scores positively correlate with college:freshmen;s grades. The correlation
is not as strong as one might expect+ however. According a recent "ollege 0oard study+
students; high:school G!As correlate slightly better with freshman grades than do any of the
AT;s individual sections. )hen the sections are summed for a composite out of GC@@+ the
correlation between AT scores and freshman grades approximately eBuals that between
high:school G!As and freshman grades. And+ as the "ollege 0oard li3es to freBuently point
out+ the best predictor of freshman grades is a combination of high:school G!As and AT
scores <though the correlation is still only a modest O.AG=.
o the AT is not a great predictor of college grades+ but we haven,t found anything
significantly better.
2o0 mu)h o s)ores )ha&ge 0he& stue&ts retake the "%T-
-ot nearly as much as one might thin3.
I often hear people who assume that their scores will >ump about GH@:K@@ points after
ta3ing a preparatory course. This is not a safe prediction to rely on. According to a -ational
Association for "ollege Admission "ounseling report+ the average increases in .ath and
"ritical Reading scores after preparatory courses are E@:G@ points and H:E@ points+
respectively. Also$
#uote$
-athleen Steinberg, a spo"eswoman for the .ollege +oard, sas that on average, students who
ta"e the SAT test twice onl /increase their scores b about 0& points.1
.oreover+ the "ollege 0oard reports that the reliability coefficient for each section of the AT
is around .F@ or higher. (or reference <from here=$
#uote$
2unnall and +ernstein 3%4456 provided guidance in the interpretation of the reliabilit
coefficient b stating that a value of .7& is sufficient for earl stages of research, but that basic
research should require test scores to have a reliabilit coefficient of .8& or higher.
0ut this does not mean that one cannot prepare effectively for the exam <these general
statistics are influenced heavily by the many students whose preparatory methods are
inefficient=+ which brings us to the next topic.
#eneral Strategies
<(or the most part+ these suggestions apply similarly to ub>ect Tests.=
Approaching the SAT with an Effective Mentality
't3s 4ust 1ou a& the test+ Try to 9one out everything around you+ reali9ing that for the four
hours that you ta3e the AT+ the test boo3let in front of you is the only thing that matters.
'g&ore the )o&se5ue&)es+ If you;re preoccupied with what might happen if you miss a
Buestion+ it drastically reduces your ability to focus and successfully answer the Buestion.
!ut all future conseBuences out of your mind and try to treat each problem as a fun
challenge.
The a&s0ers ha,e alrea1 (ee& etermi&e+ .aybe this is a mere idiosyncrasy+ but reali9ing
that the answers are sitting somewhere at the "ollege 0oard has always helped me. It;s
your >ob to find them.
6isuali7atio& %isuali9ing your ta3ing the test beforehand is Buite helpful in facilitating focus
and eBuanimity.
8i& the a**ro*riate (ala&)e (et0ee& )alm&ess a& arousal+ 7f course+ you do not want to
be panic3ed during the AT. 0ut this should not be ta3en too far$ a moderate level of
arousal is necessary to 3eep your concentration and pace. There is no general rule hereI
experiment with various levels of arousal and techniBues to achieve and maintain that+ and
go with what wor3s for you. <ee this for more on the delicate arousal:performance
relationship.=
/o&9t har(or &egati,e :eeli&gs to0ar the test+ uch an attitude ma3es you do badly.
Logistics
)ith regard to sleep the night before the test and what one should eat the morning of the
test+ there is li3ewise no meaningful+ generally applicable rule. Instead+ each test:ta3er
should go with what feels right for him or her. However+ there are a few helpful guiding
principles$ you,ll probably want to eat what you normally eat <except perhaps if you do not
ordinarily eat brea3fast=I get some sleep+ but do not oversleep <it may be better to receive
a slightly less:than:ideal amount of sleep than to have overslept=. Also+ you;ll probably wa3e
up at least F@ minutes prior to the administration of the test so that you can become more
alert.
Here are the items that you will want to have with you when you ta3e the test <adapted in
part from here=$
6our admission tic3et+ which you should have printed.
-o. G non:mechanical pencils with erasers. The "ollege 0oard recommends bringing
two+ but that seems li3e too few to me. I would go with at least fourI better safe
than sorry.
A photo I*. This one is often overloo3ed by students. If you don;t have a photo I*
with you+ you will not be allowed to ta3e the test.
An acceptable calculator. Almost every common calculator is acceptable on the AT
<except those with #)&RT6 3eyboards=. 8nli3e the A"T+ the AT does allow test:
ta3ers to use the TI:DF. If you are comfortable with graphing calculators+ bring one+
as they are occasionally helpful in solving difficult Buestions in unconventional ways.
If+ though+ graphing calculators are mostly foreign to you+ do not use the night
before the test to familiari9e yourself with a new calculator. And don,t bother saving
vocabulary lists to your calculator,s memory$ calculators are+ of course+ allowed on
only the .ath section.
(amiliari9e yourself with a silent watch with a timer prior to test day. 6ou do not want
to have to rely on the testing center,s cloc3.
mitting !uestions
Be)ause ' lose *oi&ts :or i&)orre)tl1 a&s0eri&g 5uestio&s as o**ose to omitti&g them,
0he& shoul ' guess o& 5uestio&s that '9m &ot sure a(out-
The oft:cited advice is that+ as long as you can eliminate one or more possible answer
choices+ guessing is your best bet. Indeed+ given the deduction of .GH points for each
incorrect answer <minus E.GH with respect to opportunity cost=+ one should theoretically
come ahead if he or she guesses after eliminating one choice <a GHL chance=. There are
some exceptions to this rule+ though.
There are some times when you should guess more liberally than that principle suggests.
%ery rarely do students truly have no idea about which of the choices is correct. 0y
analy9ing patterns in the answers+ for example+ one could probably get about GHL of .ath
Buestions right even without 3nowing the Buestions. However+ this is most applicable on the
AT only if you are not aiming for a high score or on A! testsP <on which the threshold for a
perfect score is relatively low=I it is fine if one misses Buite a few Buestions in those
situations.
7n the other extreme+ there are some special considerations that should also result in
especially liberal guessing. If you are doggedly aiming for a perfect score on .ath+ answer
every Buestion <missing one almost never results in D@@=+ even if you have to blindly guess.
imilarly+ if you are loo3ing for a perfect score on "ritical Reading+ answer every BuestionI
there are no exceptions to this rule. )hy2 7n almost every testing administration+ :G raw
points was the cutoff for D@@ on "R. 0ecause it ta3es three incorrect guesses to result in an
actual loss of a raw point <the "ollege 0oard rounds .H in your favor and only wor3s in
integers=+ there is no difference between two incorrect responses and two omissions.
There are+ in contrast+ some situations in which you should be very conservative with your
guesses. These appear mostly on the ub>ect Tests+ most notably .ath 'evel G <which
generally has a predictable curve of either CKMH@ or CCMH@+ in raw scores+ for D@@=. )hen
ta3ing the test+ you should proceed under the assumption that CC will be the cutoff. (or
example+ if+ when you finish your initial run through the test+ you are uncertain about two
Buestions that you answered and have thus far left four blan3+ you should strategically
choose to not answer those four Buestions <even if you are somewhat confident in your
answers=. &ven if you missed both of those Buestions about which you were uncertain+ you
will still get D@@ <with CCMH@=. However+ if you choose to answer one of the otherwise
omitted Buestions and miss it+ your raw score will drop to CKMH@+ thereby >eopardi9ing the
D@@.
Also note that you do not lose points for incorrectly answering the free:response Buestions
in the .ath section+ so there is never a reason to omit these. This exception is
understandable+ as the deduction is meant to be a correction for random guessing.
!acing is one of the most important aspects in achieving AT success. It is impossible to
effectively verbali9e the characteristics of a successful pace <as it varies person:to:person=+
so you will need to experiment with practice tests.
P I have recently learned that the "ollege 0oard may be eliminating the guessing penalty
for A! tests. If this turns out to be true+ omitting on those tests would+ of course+ be
unwise.
!acing is one of the most important aspects in achieving AT success. 8nfortunately+ it is
impossible to effectively verbali9e the characteristics of a successful pace <as it varies
person:to:person=+ so you will need to experiment with practice tests.
The Blue Boo" and Prep Courses
The Best #oute
The "ollege 0oard publishes its own preparatory boo3 for the AT+ The ;::i)ial "%T "tu1
Guie <often referred to as The Blue Book=. The (irst &dition of this boo3 came out in G@@C+
in preparation for the first administration of the new AT in G@@H. Released in 5uly G@@F+
the econd &dition comprises ten testsI most of these were in the original boo3+ though.
If you are preparing for the AT+ you need this boo3 <either edition is acceptable with
respect to the actual practice tests+ but the econd &dition is highly preferable because it
has corresponding official solutions online=. It will surely prove to be your most valuable
preparatory resource$ it is the only guide whose tests were written by the same people who
will be writing the actual AT that you ta3e <in fact+ the first three tests in The Blue
Book were previously administered=. 0ecause much of preparing for the AT <especially with
respect to the "ritical Reading section= is getting a sense of how the "ollege 0oard and &T
write their Buestions and what the proper thought processes are in order to arrive at their
answers+ no other company,s practice tests will hold nearly as much value/they may even
throw you off by presenting Buestions that are not the same in type+ content+ or difficulty as
those on the actual AT.
There are+ however+ some successful AT:ta3ers who have claimed that other companies,
tests were valuable when they ran out of Blue Book testsI in particular+ the other companies;
.ath sections are 3nown to be fairly reliable <"ritical Reading is difficult to reproduce=. I
recommend turning to other tests only when you have exhausted the "ollege 0oard,s official
resources and you feel that you still have room for improvement. 5ust ma3e sure that you
do not use those tests as meaningful indicators of what you will score on the actual AT+ as
unofficial tests vary wildly in difficulty <most tend to be harder+ though=. The !rinceton
Review,s practice testsseem to be the most well:received of the unofficial tests and may be
the most accurate in indicating how you will score on the actual AT. -evertheless+ I must
reiterate$ The 0lue 0oo3 is (1 :ar the most ,alua(le sour)e :or *ra)ti)e tests+ In fact+ aside
from /ire)t 2its <which I will touch on soon= and this guide <which I truly hope is
helpful=+ The Blue Book may be the only resource that you need to reali9e your potential on
the AT.
There is another potentially helpful source of official tests$ The 7fficial AT 7nline "ourse. I
have not personally tried this out+ but most people have positive things to say about it as an
alternative when The Blue Book has been fully exploited. Additionally+ I have been told that
some high schools freely offer this course to interested studentsI consult your guidance
counselors. igning up for the "ollege 0oard;s free AT #uestion of the *ay is not a bad
idea either. 6ou can find an archive of some of those #uestions of the *ay here.
Also+ the "ollege 0oard releases a practice test each year. Here are the recently released
tests$ G@@D+ G@@F+ and G@E@. The lin3s include the answers.
(or some test dates you can order a #uestion:Answer ervice pac3et. This is mailed a
couple months after you ta3e the test and includes the test that you too3 plus the answer
and difficulty level for each Buestion.
2o0 )a& ' get the most out o: The 0lue 0oo3-
The actual strategies in The Blue Book are not very helpful <which is why I have created this
guide=+ so it is perfectly fine to >ump straight into the practice tests. However+ do not feel
compelled to time yourself right awayI instead+ go through the sections carefully and spend
as much time as &ou need to in order to feel confident that you have answered the
Buestions as well as you can. 6ou need to first get your Buestion:answering s3ills down
before you move on to wor3ing Buic3ly.
7nce you finish a section and chec3 your answers+ go bac3 to the section and attempt to
figure out on your own why you missed the Buestions that you did. After you have done this
as well as you can <sometimes you might not be able to rationali9e an answer+ and that is
7N=+ go here and chec3 the official solutions provided by the "ollege 0oard for every
Buestion that you missed or were even somewhat unsure about. The biggest mista3e that
people ma3e when going through practice tests is that they feel too rushed to get a test
done and move onI they erroneously eBuate the number of Buestions that they have
answered to how well they have prepared. 6ou can get a lot out of even one test if you ta$e
the time to understand 'h& &ou missed each (uestion and ho' to approach it
correctl&. 7n .ath Buestions+ for example+ do not >ust glance at the solutions and tell
yourself ;h, ' )a& sol,e those &o0. Instead+ ta3e the time to understand how you would
solve similar Buestions and then retry the problems another day when the explicit memory
of the solutions has faded/hopefully+ the implicit memory of the s3ills that you acBuired to
solve the problems is retained.
7nce you are comfortable to move on to timed sessions+ do soI ideally+ this is no more than
three or four practice tests into The Blue Book. &ven at this point+ though+ do not >ust forget
about the Buestions that you could not get in time. 7nce time is up+ ma3e note of how you
would have scored but continue wor3ing as long as you need to in order to ensure that each
Buestion is answered to the best of your abilities. Hopefully+ the period reBuired for this
eventually reaches the time that you are allotted. In this way+ the time limit will not be a
ma>or stressor when ta3ing the AT+ as you have eased into it while still being aware of it.
ome successful test:ta3ers even li3e to reduce the time that they give themselves to below
what is ordinarily given+ so that they have a cushion when they are ta3ing the real thing.
<(or others+ that practice of reducing the time is unhelpful+ however+ as it can lead to habits
of careless rushingI see what wor3s for you.= This wor3ed very well for me$ I was finishing
sections in less than half the given time near the end of my preparationI and I was thus
able to ta3e my time and be very meticulous during the actual AT+ thereby almost
completely precluding the possibility of a 4silly mista3e.4 <And it wor3ed+ as I got every
Buestion correct.=
Though rather clich1d+ another point is worth mentioning$ do not give up. *o not be
discouraged if your scores do not steadily and consistently rise with each practice test+
though for many of you they might <and that is great=. As long as you are preparing
effectively <i.e.+ consistent with the above advice=+ you will get better.
A $orse #oute
The 4you4 of the preceding paragraphs was presumed to be an at:least:moderately:
intelligent student with motivation to succeed on the test. (or such a person+ independently
wor3ing through practice tests is li3ely to produce the best results in the least amount of
time. However+ for students who are not as independently driven and who are perhaps not
aiming for a very high score+ preparatory courses may be a preferable means of preparing
for the AT. 0ut I too often find that students are freBuently merely 4tal3ed at4 during these
coursesI they are commonly presented with gimmic3y strategies <e.g.+ 5oe 0loggs= of
limited utility for the already:high:scorer+ and there is+ in general+ little engagement. If you
can find a s3illed tutor who is truly interested in wor3ing with students in a small:group
fashion+ some of these problems may be significantly mitigated+ however.
Critical Reading
The "ritical Reading section of the AT ma3es up one:third of your total composite score
<D@@ out of GC@@=. In G@@H+ it replaced the %erbal section of the old AT. Here is the run:
down that I gave in the introductory section$
#uote$
The Critical Reading 3often abbreviated as .96 section of the SAT totals 7& minutes in length
and comprises :7 questions, of which 58 are passage-based 3the test our abilit to read
effectivel6 and %4 are sentence-completion questions 3these test our applied vocabular6. The
.9 section brea"s these questions into three sections; one of <& minutes and two of <= minutes.
There are three main types of passage:based Buestions$ short passage Buestions <off of
which there are typically >ust a couple Buestions=+ long:passage Buestions+ and dual:
passage Buestions <which reBuire more comparative reading and synthesi9ing of information
on your part=.
Sentence Completion !uestions
These Buestions test applied vocabulary. I say 4applied4 because the Buestions do not
merely as3 the definitions of wordsI they reBuire that you+ using your 3nowledge of the
words, definitions+ select the most appropriate word in the context of the sentence.
0asically+ if you 3now the definitions of the words that are on the test and you have an
understanding of syntax+ you will get all the Buestions on this section correct.
(irst+ let,s tac3le the syntax element. s1&ta< generally refers to the relationship of the
various phrases and clauses of a sentence. In order to understand what meaning is most
appropriate in the blan3+ you must understand how the sentence is put together/this will
allow you to 3now which words the word that you are loo3ing for should semantically <i.e.+
with respect to meaning= differ from or agree with. "onsider the following sentence$
'&stea o: )autiousl1 0alki&g through the a**le=tree :orest, George )arelessl1 ra& through it
The trigger word here is 4Instead+4 which signals to us that the second part of the sentence
will convey a message that differs from that communicated in the first part of the sentence.
Therefore+ we 3now that whatever words were chosen to modify 4wal3ing4 or 4ran+4 they
have to mean roughly opposite things. Indeed+ if either blue word were omitted+ you could
probably arrive at a near synonym to that in the above sentence. This is what you will have
to do on the AT+ but usually with more:esoteric words. Here is one more example$
Bo(, 0ho 0el)ome all his :ello0 mi)e i& :or i&&er almost e,er1 &ight, 0as *raise as o&e
o: the most hos*ita(le i& his )ommu&it1+
)e cannot rely so readily on grammatical symmetries for this sentence <e.g.+
adverb )autiousl1 vs. adverb )arelessl1=. -onetheless+ all the contextual information that we
need is contained within the sentence. If we were as3ed to fill in the blan3 where
4hospitable4 now sits+ in order to describe 0ob+ we would have to use the only information
that the sentence gives us about him$ he is welcoming. Thus+ whatever we put in the blan3
needs to mean something to that effect.
7n the test+ there will also be some Buestions with two blan3s. These should be approached
in the same way+ as they are fundamentally no different from single:blan3 Buestions. In
fact+ they may even be easier$ if you can eliminate either of the choices for an answer+ you
3now that it is incorrect.
PRACTIC) *+
Try out these BuestionsI I have provided lin3s to all of the words, definitions in case you do
not 3now any of them. I recommend that you answer all the Buestions in a section before
reading the answers and my explanations+ which appear after each section.
+, *eer overbrowsing has dramatically reduced plant :::::: in many eastern 8nited tates
forestsI the few surviving plant species are those that regrow Buic3ly or that deer find
::::::.
<A= dominance .. edible
<0= longevity .. nutritious
<"= diversity .. unpalatable
<*= mortality .. inaccessible
<&= disease .. toxic
-, The teacher unabashedly used ::::::+ flattering his students in an attempt to coax them
to ::::: research pro>ects for extra credit.
<A= subterfuge .. suppress
<0= coercion .. accept
<"= innuendo .. synthesi9e
<*= ca>olery .. underta3e
<&= chicanery .. glorify
., -o :::::: the case exists$ in reaching a decision+ the court is bound to brea3 new ground.
<A= interest in
<0= demand for
<"= precedent for
<*= authentication of
<&= record of
/, Her actions did nothing but good+ but since she performed them out of self:interest+ they
could not be called ::::::.
<A= altruistic
<0= placatory
<"= benign
<*= fortuitous
<&= punctilious
0, .ax Roach is regarded as a :::::: of modern >a99 drumming because he was one of the
first artists to :::::: the melodic+ rather than merely rhythmic+ possibilities of his instrument.
<A= pioneer .. mimic
<0= progenitor .. exploit
<"= devotee .. >ettison
<*= chronicler .. explore
<&= forebear .. repudiate
PRACTIC) *+ A1SW)RS
I have indicated what the "ollege 0oard deems to be the difficulty level of each Buestion <E:
H+ where H is most difficult=.
+, " <K=
Initially+ loo3 at the first word in each pair to see whether it fits. 0ecause there are 4few
surviving plant species+4 we 3now that whatever was reduced has to do directly with the
plants, existence <as opposed to their death=. 7nly choices <A=+ <0=+ and <"= fit this
reBuirement+ so we can disregard choices <*= and <&=. )e 3now that the plants that
survived were not eaten by the deer+ so whatever we choose for the second blan3 must
indicate why they were not eaten. 4edible4 and 4nutritious4 do not wor3+ because they would
ma3e the food more li3ely to be eaten. Thus+ <"= must be the answerI even if you did not
3now the definition of u&*alata(le+ you could have figured out the answer by process of
elimination.
-, * <K=
)hatever goes in the first blan3 must be something similar to 4coaxing with flattery.4
4ca>olery4 wor3s the best for that meaning+ so chec3 the other word in that pair+
4underta3e.4 That fits as well. <*= must+ therefore+ be the answer.
., " <K=
The only meaningful information that we are given is that no similar case has yet occurred.
0ecause the word in the blan3 is being negated+ we 3now that whatever the answer is must
have to do with there being a previous analogous occurrence. 4precedent for4 fits perfectly.
/, A <C=
!ay careful attention to how the sentence is constructed. The first clause <i.e.+ 4Her actions
did nothing but good4= is lin3ed to the second part of the sentence <which includes a
dependent clause and an independent clause= by the coordinating con>unction 4but.4
Therefore+ 4they could not be called ::::::4 must semantically contrast with 4Her actions did
nothing but good.4 The latter clause has a positive meaningI the clause that we are to
complete must thus have a negative meaning. However+ because the word that we are to
choose is negated within that clause+ it will be a positive word+ thereby rendering the clause
negative in effect. .ore specifically+ it will be a word that agrees with the idea that she is
good and that she does things selflessly. 4altruistic4 fits.
That explanation may be somewhat intimidating+ but I was merely attempting to parse the
thought processes that would go into analy9ing that Buestion. (or many of you+ these would
go through your mind Buite Buic3ly.
0, 0 <H=
This Buestion gets a difficulty rating of H not for its syntactic complexity but for its relatively
challenging vocabulary. The sentence ma3es it clear that .ax Roach laid the foundation for
modern >a99 by being the first to do something. 4pioneer+4 4progenitor+4 and 4forebear4 all
communicate something to that effect. -either 4mimic4 nor 4repudiate4 logically fits in the
second blan3 <one is not li3ely to mimic or repudiate possibilities=+ so <0= must be the
answer.
7ne additional tip$ I recommend carefully but swiftly reading through each sentence with
the words that you selected as the answers a:ter you have gone through all entence
"ompletion Buestions for that section. Reading them through later helps because you may
no longer be as influenced by a minor detail that you had been focusing on and will then see
the big picture of the sentence.
PRACTIC) *-
Here are some more practice Buestions. I am attempting to avoid pulling from any of
the Blue Book material so that you can use that on your own. Answers are again belowI but
I will omit explanations this time+ as entence "ompletion Buestions are generally
straightforward with respect to understanding them once one 3nows the words, definitions
<which I again lin3 to=.
+, ince codfish are :::::: part of the marine ecosystem+ their ::::: would adversely affect
the animals who depend on them as a source of food.
<A= a negligible .. migration
<0= a vital .. existence
<"= a compatible .. proximity
<*= an integral .. extinction
<&= an inexplicable .. eradication
-, The gifted child:poet .inou *rouet+ hailed in the EFH@s as an artistic ::::::+ now lives in
relative ::::::+ en>oying a privacy unavailable to her as a child.
<A= paragon .. opulence
<0= dilettante .. oblivion
<"= prodigy .. anonymity
<*= guru .. passivity
<&= charlatan .. seclusion
., The legislator is 3nown on the "apitol Hill for his oratorical spontaneity+ his ability to
deliver :::::: speech.
<A= an enigmatic
<0= an abrasive
<"= an impromptu
<*= a meticulous
<&= a lac3luster
/, he was ::::::+ remaining assured and self:controlled even in the most volatile of
situations.
<A= ungainly
<0= autocratic
<"= unflappable
<*= egotistical
<&= demonstrative
0, The delegates, behavior at the convention was utterly disgraceful and fully deserving of
the :::::: it provo3ed.
<A= rancor
<0= lethargy
<"= commiseration
<*= forbearance
<&= compunction
2, Gwen,s ambitious desert hi3e was impeded by the heat that sapped her strength and
resolve+ leaving her :::::: and ::::::.
<A= disoriented .. unerring
<0= dexterous .. circumspect
<"= dehydrated .. dissolute
<*= feverish .. resilient
<&= debilitated .. disheartened
3, 0ecause of their spare+ white appearance+ ancient Gree3 statues in modern museums are
often considered ::::::I yet newly unearthed antiBuities showing traces of bright pigment
are not so ::::::.
<A= plain .. ornate
<0= elaborate .. spartan
<"= ostentatious .. vivid
<*= austere .. unadorned
<&= commonplace .. unattainable
4, (ormer news anchor *an Rather had :::::: for colorful ::::::$ for example+ he once
described a political race as 4pandex tight.4
<A= a distaste .. aphorisms
<0= a 3nac3 .. epistles
<"= a penchant .. locutions
<*= a yen .. paradigms
<&= an antipathy .. euphemisms
PRACTIC) *- A1SW)RS
+, * <K=
-, " <K=
., " <K=
/, " <K=
0, A <C=
2, & <C=
3, * <H=
4, " <H=
%oca&ulary
(or most students+ the factor most limiting of their capacity to do well on the entence
"ompletion Buestions is vocabulary. As you could probably discern from the previous
Buestions+ some of the vocabulary tested on the AT is not commonplace among most
teenagers, conversations. 7ne way to build a robust vocabulary is to read a lot and loo3 up
any new words that you encounter. This is a great lifelong habit and will li3ely yield the most
organic lexicon.
However+ the most effective way to build a vocabulary that will help you on the AT is to
memori9e words from boo3s made especially for the test. 0ecause the &nglish language
comprises so many words <hundreds of thousands=+ there is+ of course+ no way to ensure
that you will 3now every word that will appear on your administration of the AT.
-onetheless+ rest assured$ words on the AT are not randomly selected from the ;<:or
>&glish /i)tio&ar1I the selections are actually somewhat predictable. !reparatory companies
exploit this by compiling word lists that are actually manageable in their brevity but helpful
in their coverage.
The most efficient source is /ire)t 2its 6olumes 1 a& 2. The boo3s do not include many
words+ but they are very well:chosen and accompanied by interesting blurbs to help
students better remember them. &veryone who ta3es the AT should 3now the words in
these boo3s.
7nce you have completed /ire)t 2its+ additional vocabulary preparation may not be worth
the opportunity cost. 0ut if you are still hungry for more words+ there are several extensive
lists out there+ including this E+@@@:word list and this H+@@@:word list. <Neep in mind that
there will be considerable overlap among these lists.=
7ne of the best ways to approach these lists is to ma3e one run through the boo3s while
writing down all words that are foreign to you and their definitions onto flash cards. (rom
that point+ you can go through >ust the words that you do not 3now+ which helps to save
time.
If you have a solid foundational vocabulary before you tac3le /ire)t 2its+ you will be well:
prepared for the entence "ompletion Buestions after going through the boo3sI expect to
consistently get between ED and EF out of EF on the section. <There are occasionally some
difficult words that appear in the passages and their corresponding Buestions+ so this
vocabulary preparation will help you there too.=
'assage(Based !uestions
These Buestions test your ability to+ indeed+ read critically. 8nli3e the A"T Reading section+
whose Buestions, answers are largely pulled almost word:for:word from the text+ the AT
"ritical Reading section,s passage:based Buestions stri3e+ in my opinion+ a perfect balance
between overly sub>ective and ambiguous Buestions and those of the type that the A"T has.
The reasoning mentality and the strategy with which you approach the Buestions are
perhaps more important with passage:based Buestions than with any others on the AT.
7nly with examples can you get a meaningful sense of how you need to thin3 in order to
consistently answer these Buestions correctly+ yet one rule is paramount$ ever& correct
ans'er 'ill be supported b& the te5t. Neep this in mind at all times when answering
passage:based Buestions on the AT.
Here is a delineation of my process for approaching passages on the AT$
I go immediately to the Buestions and find any line numberings.
%ery Buic3ly+ I mar3 these lines in the corresponding passage. These first two steps
should not ta3e more than E@:EH seconds.
I then begin to read the passage/focus and speed are crucial here. 7bviously+ you
need to move very Buic3ly+ but do not go so fast that you cannot comprehend what
you are reading.
)hen you begin to approach a mar3ed section+ go to the corresponding Buestion and
read it. Then read the mar3ed section and see whether you can answer the Buestion
at that time. If not+ move on.
"ontinue this until the end of the passage. At that time+ go to any unanswered
BuestionsI these are usually general tone or purpose Buestions+ or ones that reBuire
comparing or contrasting aspects of two passages. 0ecause you have read through
the entirety of the passage+ you should 3now exactly where to loo3.
7nce I refined my execution of this method+ I was consistently finishing each section in less
than half the allotted time without sacrificing accuracy. -onetheless+ there are successful
test:ta3ers who use slightly different methods. Give my method a tryI if it doesn;t wor3 out+
don;t feel compelled to stic3 with it.
(inding the optimal pace at which you read the passages is crucial. *oing practice tests will
help you to find this pace+ and it will li3ewise increase the pace at which you can read for
understanding. Another great way to increase your pace without sacrificing your accuracy is
to ma$e &oursel! acutel& interested in the passage. 6our brain will process information
that it deems unimportant relatively slowly. 6ou must therefore ma3e yourself thin3 that
what you are reading is extremely interesting and+ in turn+ important. uch an attitude will
heighten your arousal and+ with practice+ it need not simultaneously ma3e you more
nervous. Hang on to every wordI you will understand and remember more in a shorter
period of time. ome people find visuali9ing what is described by the passage to be helpful.
ome guides suggest ma3ing notes about the text on your exam boo3let+ such as
summaries of what is going on or thoughts on the author,s purpose. Integrating this process
into your thin3ing is fineI actually writing these things down+ though+ is probably too time:
consuming.
A lot of what I mentioned in the 4How can I get the most out of The Blue Book24 section
applies very much to improving on the passage:based Buestions.
PRACTIC) *.
Try these dual short:passage Buestions. Answers and explanations are below. <? indicates
that a line reference would normally appear.=
Passage +
0eing funny has no place in the wor3place and can easily wrea3 havoc on an otherwise
blossoming career. 7f course+ laughter is necessary in life. 0ut if you crac3 >o3es and ma3e
snide remar3s at wor3+ you will eventually not be ta3en seriously by others. 6ou will be seen
as someone who wastes time that could better be spent discussing a pro>ect or an issue.
Additionally+ many corporate:minded individuals do not have the time to analy9e comments
with hidden meanings/they will ta3e what you say as absolute and as an accurate
representation of your professionalism in the wor3place.
Passage -
Are we now compelled+ as a culture+ to be comical+ no matter the setting or the endeavor2
And if so+ what on earth gave rise to this troubling idea2 7ne possible culprit may be
corporate America itself+ where being funny is now seen as a valuable asset. (ortune H@@
companies dole out big fees to comedy consultants who offer humor seminars and improv
wor3shops/all in the name of improved productivity. 0ut how exactly are funnier employees
better for business2 According to Tim )asher+ a former improv performer who is now a
communications executive at I0.+ funniness helps foster team:building and+ of course+
learning how to 4thin3 outside the box.4
+, 'ines P of !assage E <40ut if...wor3place4= serve primarily to
<A= provide a creative solution to an ongoing problem
<0= moc3 a particular way of behaving
<"= outline the conseBuences of particular actions
<*= suggest a more tolerant approach
<&= critici9e a common practice
-, In !assage G+ the author,s attitude toward the value of 4comedy consultants4 <line P= is
best described as
<A= fascination
<0= approval
<"= ambivalence
<*= s3epticism
<&= hostility
., Tim )asher <lines P+ !assage G= would most li3ely respond to the author of !assage E by
<A= arguing that humorous employees can help to create a more productive wor3
environment
<0= suggesting that corporate executives spend more time analy9ing humorous comments
<"= agreeing that humor can harm the careers of ambitious corporate employees
<*= challenging the assertion that laughter is necessary in life
<&= disagreeing that humor occurs regularly in the wor3place
/, 0oth authors would agree with which of the following statements2
<A= )or3place culture has gradually changed over time.
<0= "onsultants can help employees learn how to succeed professionally.
<"= Humorous employees are usually popular.
<*= Humor is not appropriate in all situations.
<&= Humor is not valued by corporate executives.
PRACTIC) *. A1SW)RS
+, "
'et,s loo3 at each of the options.
<A= Although he is opposed to humor in the wor3place+ the author of !assage E does not
indicate that it is an ongoing problem+ nor does he provide a creative solution to it.
<0= )henever you see a strong word in one of the choices+ you must ta3e special care to
ensure that the word,s connotation is supported by the language and tone of the passage.
In this case+ mo)k is that strong word. This choice is not supported by the text+ as the
author is merely ob>ectively explaining what happens to people who employ humor in the
wor3place. -ow+ the author does hint at the possibility that cowor3ers may moc3 employees
who attempt to be humorous <4you will eventually not be ta3en seriously by others4=. The
author himself or herself+ however+ is not moc3ing the behavior.
<"= The author is indeed outlining the conseBuences of being humorous in the wor3place.
<*= The only suggestion that the author is ma3ing is that employees should not be
humorous in the wor3place+ which he supported by outlining the conseBuences of such
behavior.
<&= This is an attractive answer+ but it is not exactly correct. The author does not indicate
that wor3place humor is common. .oreover+ despite the fact that the conseBuences that the
author is outlining in the referenced lines would support a criticism of wor3place humor+ the
author is not explicitly critici9ing it hereI he is saying that bad things will happen to people
who 4crac3 >o3es4 in the wor3place. Recogni9ing these somewhat subtle distinctions is
integral to consistently correctly answering the harder Buestions.
-, *
The opening of the passage is most telling of the author,s attitude$
#uote$
Are we now compelled, as a culture, to be comical, no matter the setting or the endeavor> And if
so, what on earth gave rise to this troubling idea> One possible culprit...
-ote the Buestions and the diction <e.g.+ 4troubling+4 4culprit4=. The author is clearly not
fascinated or approving of wor3place humor <there go choices <A= and <0==. He or she is+
rather+ uncertain of its role but is clearly leaning toward an opposed
position. ske*ti)ism best describes this attitude.
Another strong word appears here$ hostilit1. Though clearly not fully accepting of the
>ustifications of humor,s role in corporate America+ the author exhibits a tone that is not
nearly aggressive enough to provide support for this choice.
., A
This Buestion is pretty straightforward. Tim )asher is supportive of wor3place humor
because it 4fosters team building4 and facilitates 4thin3ing outside the box.4 7nly choice <A=
is inconsistent with this mentality.
/, *
&valuate each statement from each author,s perspective.
<A= The author of !assage G implies with the early use of 4now4 that wor3place culture has
changed. 0ut !assage E,s author ma3es no reference <explicit or implicit= to any change
over time.
<0= !assage E,s author does not mention consultants.
<"= !assage E,s author does not mention popularity.
<*= !assage E,s author is opposed to humor in the wor3place+ so he or she would agree.
!assage G,s author calls the idea that humor may be appropriate 4no matter the setting4
4troubling.4 He or she would also agree.
<&= The author of !assage E would agree+ but the author of !assage G writes+ 4...corporate
America+ where being funny is now seen as a valuable asset.4
PRACTIC) */
@uestio&s 1=2 are (ase o& the :ollo0i&g *assage+
(rom the earliest times+ the complications inherent in deciphering the movements of planets
in the night s3y must have seemed a curse to baffled astronomers. In the long run+ though+
they proved a blessing to the development of cosmology+ the study of the physical universe.
Had the celestial motions been simple+ it might have been possible to explain them solely in
terms of the simple+ poetic tales that had characteri9ed the early cosmologies. Instead+
these motions proved to be so intricate and subtle that astronomers could not predict them
accurately without eventually coming to terms with the physical reality of how and where
the un+ .oon+ and the planets actually move in real+ three:dimensional space.
+, The primary purpose of the passage is to
<A= emphasi9e the importance of myth in ancient civili9ations
<0= explain how an astronomical problem affected the development of a physical science
<"= predict the motions of planets outside of our solar system
<*= challenge the ma>or achievements of some ancient astronomers
<&= compare celestial movements in different time periods
-, The passage indicates that ancient astronomers were 4baffled4 <line P= because
<A= their observations disproved the poetic tales of early cosmologies
<0= they lac3ed the mathematical sophistication needed to calculate astronomical distances
<"= they did not properly distinguish between astronomy and cosmology
<*= their theories of planetary movements were more complicated than the movements
themselves
<&= they could not reliably predict observable celestial phenomena
@uestio&s 3=4 are (ase o& the :ollo0i&g *assage+
.ost advertising researchers who wor3 for and advise businesses assume that consistent+
long:term advertising campaigns are an effective way to pro>ect a solid+ enduring image and
to maintain an ongoing relationship between consumers and the company,s productsI
however+ there is little published research on the effectiveness of such a strategy. This is
partly because most advertising studies+ in an attempt to control for 4bac3ground
3nowledge+4 focus on new ads or fictitious brands. Also+ while the proverbial wisdom may be
to use a consistent+ long:term campaign+ businesses rarely do so. .ore commonplace is the
switching of campaigns to gain consumers, interest.
., The author indicates that the assumption described in lines P <4that...products4= is
<A= unsubstantiated
<0= self:defeating
<"= self:serving
<*= trendy
<&= rec3less
/, The passage implies that advertisers freBuently attempt to 4gain consumers, interest4
<line P= by using
<A= flattery
<0= novelty
<"= persistence
<*= shoc3
<&= humor
PRACTIC) */ A1SW)RS
+, 0
<A= There is no mention of myth.
<0= Indeed+ the passage,s point is that+ in trying to determine the planets, complicated
motions+ we learned many foundational aspects of cosmology.
<"= The passage is not predicting anything.
<*= The passage is not challenging anyone,s achievements.
<&= There is no suggestion that celestial movements have changed over time.
-, &
The astronomers were baffled because the movements were so complicated that they could
not understand+ and in turn predict+ them.
., A
Immediately following the referenced assumption+ we find$
#uote$
...however, there is little published research on the effectiveness of such a strateg.
The author clearly believes that the assumption is not well:supported.
/, 0
"ompanies 4gain consumers, interest4 by changing up their mar3eting
campaigns. &o,elt1 describes such a practice.
Mathematics
The .athematics section of the AT ma3es up one:third of your total composite score <D@@
out of GC@@=. Here is the run:down that I gave in the introductory section$
#uote$
The Math section of the SAT is also 7& minutes long and spread out over three sections?
li"ewise, two of these are <=-minutes sections, and one is <& minutes long. There are =5
questions; 55 multiple-choice questions and %& free-response questions.
0ecause the .ath section is relatively straightforward and causes little trouble for most
""ers+ I will 3eep this section brief.
Learning )ow to Solve the !uestions
The math that is tested on the AT .ath section is not very advanced. 6ou won,t have to do
any calculus on the ATI you won,t even need to 3now trigonometry <though it may help
sometimes=. Indeed+ unli3e the A"T .ath section+ which covers some pre:calculus topics+
the AT .ath section goes little beyond what the average student completing geometry has
learned. This characteristic of the section contributes to its validity as a predictor of a
student,s potential to succeed in future math classes+ as opposed to its being an indicator of
what has been learned.
-ow+ do not ta3e this as meaning that the .ath section is particularly easy/basic+ yesI but
easy+ not necessarily. 6ou will still have to use a rather significant degree of reasoning to
wor3 through the Buestions. The best way to get good at solving AT .ath Buestions is to
solve AT .ath BuestionsI it is that straightforward. As I previously discussed in the section
about The Blue Book+ you need to ta3e the time to understand why you missed a Buestion
and how to solve it correctly. The AT won,t ever as3 two Buestions that are perfectly
analogous <i.e.+ >ust having different numbers plugged in=I but the same types of problem:
solving methods will predictably recur+ and you will be able to recogni9e the most effective
strategy for approaching that problem.
Among these typical strategies are plugging in numbers <an often:cited techniBue for good
reason$ it wor3s well very freBuently=+ drawing diagrams <usually for sorting out data=+
illustrating the Buestion+ or using the graphing feature of your calculator <often helpful as a
shortcut way to solving some of the function Buestions=. )ith respect to that last techniBue$
if you are not comfortable using a graphing calculator+ 3now that graphing will never be
necessary to solving a Buestion.
)ith practice+ many students who do not actually consider themselves to be particularly
strong at math are nonetheless able to score ?@@ or higher on the .ath section.
ee here for a basic and concise overview of nearly all of the 3nowledge that you will want
to have to succeed on the .ath section. Remember+ though+ that your problem:solving s3ills
will be more important than your 3nowledge.
However+ if you feel that you need more concentrated mathematics practice than you get
from ta3ing practice tests+ you may want to chec3 out this+ which many people have found
to be helpful.
Solving Them !uic"ly &ut Correctly
&ven more than either of the other two sections+ the AT .ath section reBuires great
precision. The potential for error and the lac3 of margin for error are daunting$ misreading
the Buestion+ mishandling your units+ plugging in something wrong into your calculator+
ma3ing a mista3e on an easy mental calculation/all could result in throwing away what
would have been+ for example+ a score of D@@.
The most obvious ways of protecting against this <the elimination of all errors cannot be
ensured+ but the chances can be minimi9ed to nearly negligible levels= are through
maintaining unrelenting concentration and establishing an appropriate pace. .any people+
when ta3ing practice tests+ are perhaps a bit too casual$ they dismiss silly mista3es as
something that will not happen when they are ta3ing the test 4for real.4 'i3e pace+
concentration can be improved with effective practice.
An additional strategy is to mar3 the Buestions that you deem to be of highest ris3 for error
and then go bac3 to redo them. )hen I am going through the test+ I put a mar3 on my
answer sheet next to approximately the Buarter of Buestions that I thin3 have the biggest
room for error. Then+ when I have finished the section+ I+ instead of merely chec3ing my
wor3 <which does not actually facilitate the discovery of errors with great reliability=+
completely reread and redo each of those Buestions. I then divide any remaining time
among the unchec3ed Buestions+ which usually yields a superficial but worthwhile review of
each.
Writing
The )riting section of the AT ma3es up one:third of your total composite score <D@@ out of
GC@@=. Here is the run:down that I gave in the introductory section$
#uote$
The SAT Writing section, added in <&&=, is a slightl shorter :& minutes, which is bro"en into
three sections 3one <=-minute essa section to commence the test, a <=-minute section, and a
refreshingl brief %&-minute section to round out the SAT6. There are <= !mproving Sentences
questions, %8 !dentifing @rrors questions, : !mproving Aaragraphs questions, and the essa.
Although the AT does not explicitly test any grammatical terms+ having a firm
understanding of &nglish grammar serves as an invaluable foundation for confidently
answering each of the Improving entences and Identifying &rrors Buestions. Having an
especially good ear for what sounds right may get you a good score a lot of the timeI but it
is unreliable+ especially these days+ when colloBuialisms and grammar errors pervade our
speech. o here we go.
<In writing this guide+ I have attempted to integrate concepts that the AT will test into the
presentation of grammar. ome of the grammar terminology can be intimidatingI but if you
spend the time to truly understand the concepts that I present+ I am confident that
<assuming an essay score of E@ or higher= you should be able to consistently score ?H@ or
higher on the )riting section+ almost regardless of where you started.=
#RAMMAR #6I7)
It seems most appropriate to begin with the parts of speech+ many of which will li3ely be
familiar to you. .any relevant discussions stem from them+ and they are presented here as
well.
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The 1oun$ any entity+ often defined as a person+ place+ thing+ or idea. -ouns come in
various forms+ some of which have overlap$
$ommo& &ou&$ a nonspecific entityI is not capitali9ed+ except when beginning a sentence.
&xamples$ og, )om*uter, *ri&ter, grou&, *erso&, *ai&ter, stu*iit1.
Pro*er &ou&$ a specific entityI must be capitali9ed. &xamples$ Bo(, Ai)roso:t, B&ite
"tates, Te<as.
:::
"i&gular &ou&$ a single entityI may be proper or common. &xamples$ house, Presie&t,
shirt, (eaut1.
Plural &ou&$ multiple entitiesI may be proper or common. &xamples$ houses, Presie&ts,
shirts.
:::
$olle)ti,e &ou&$ a single noun that refers a group of entities. &xamples$ 4ur1, team, :amil1.
*epending on the context and intended meaning+ collective nouns may be either singular or
pluralI I will discuss this more later.
:::
$ou&t &ou&$ noun that can be plurali9ed. &xamples$ 0orl, arm1, (ook, *e&)il.
Co&)ou&t &ou&$ noun that cannot be plurali9edI also called mass &ou&. &xamples$ )lutter,
ri)e, :ur&iture. ome words can be count or noncount nouns+ depending on the sense that
the word is being used in. 7ne example of such a word is 0ill$ in one sense <that relating to
determination=+ the word is a noncount nounI in another sense <that relating to a legal
document=+ the word can be plurali9ed.
:::
$o&)rete &ou&$ a noun referring to an entity that can be perceived with one of the five
senses. &xamples$ *e&, air, (e, 8re, 0all.
%(stra)t &ou&$ a noun referring to an entity that cannot be perceived with one of the five
senses. &xamples$ (eaut1, i&tellige&)e, etermi&atio&, e*ressio&. Abstract nouns are
usually noncount nouns.
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The Pronoun$ any word ta3ing the place of a noun. To guide the discussion of pronouns+ I
will explain *erso&+ )ase+ and a&a*hora. As you wor3 through this section+ you will li3ely
notice the great number of errors that directly relate to pronouns.
'erson
8 (irst:person pronouns refer in whole or part to the spea3er or writerI ', me, m1sel:, mi&e,
m1, 0e, us, oursel,es, ours, and our are the first:person personal pronouns.
8 econd:person pronouns refer in whole or part to the reader or listenerI 1ou, 1oursel:,
1ours, and 1our are the second:person personal pronouns.
8 Third:person pronouns refer to neither the spea3er or writer nor the reader or
listenerI he, him, himsel:, his, she, her, hersel:, hers, her, it, itsel:, its, o&e, o&e9s, the1,
them, themsel,es, theirs, and their are the third:person personal pronouns.
I will discuss pronoun case <and its implications on the AT= in a moment+ but there are
many AT:relevant aspects to pronouns that should be studied now+ all of which can be
categori9ed under the umbrella of errors in person and number.
Shi!ting person and number$ 7n the AT a sentence must not change person+ unli3e the
style that I employed earlier in this guide+ in which I freBuently shifted
fromo&e to 1ou to stue&ts to avoid sounding overly formal. "onsider the following
sentence$
If one wants to avoid losing their leg+ you must not bite yourself excessively.
o&e is in the third person <it refers generically to a single person who is not the spea3er or
listener=+ whereas 1ou is in the second person. This is incorrectI one of these must be
changed to eliminate the discontinuity. <This sentence contains another pronoun error+ which
I will discuss soon.= "onsider another example$
If students want to do well on their tests+ one would be wise to answer the Buestions
correctly.
0oth stue&ts and o&e are in the third personI but the former is plural+ and the latter is
singular. This is incorrect. "onsider another variation on this error$
If students want to do well on their test+ they would be wise to answer the Buestions
correctly.
It is highly unli3ely that multiple students would be ta3ing a single test+ so test must be
plurali9ed to eliminate the number shift. 8pon learning this idea+ however+ students tend to
overgenerali9e by assuming that all plural possessive pronouns must be followed by plural
nouns. This is+ indeed+ generally the case+ but do not forget what we learned >ust recently$
noncount nouns cannot be plurali9ed. The following pair of sentences <using the word 0ill+
which can be either count or noncount= is+ therefore+ correct$
*riven by their great will+ all of the frogs continued until they reached their destination.
-onetheless pragmatic+ though+ the frogs made sure that their wills were in order before
they embar3ed on their Buest.
-oting the additional error that occurred in the first example sentence reveals an important
concept that is freBuently tested on the AT$ that the1, them, and their are always plural.
This contrasts with the typical habits of most people+ and even contradicts the
recommendations of many grammariansI so it is worth stressing. The most common
singular substitutes for the1 and them are he or she and him or her+ respectively. These
alternatives are+ unfortunately+ Buite clun3y+ though. Another solution is to plurali9e the
sub>ect of the sentence. "onsider these variations in the following corrections of the first
example sentence$
If one wants to avoid losing his or her leg+ he or she must not bite himself or herself
excessively.
If people want to avoid losing their legs+ they must not bite themselves excessively.
-ote that+ in the second sentence+ care was ta3en to plurali9e leg in order to comply with
the previously stated rule about avoiding number shifts.
Case
8 A pronoun in the sub>ective case <also called the &omi&ati,e )ase= is the sub>ect of a verb.
These pronouns 4do4 something or 4are4 something. The sub>ective pronouns are ', 1ou, he,
she, it, 0e, the1, and 0ho. <0ho is usually a relative pronoun+ which I will discuss later.=
8 A pronoun in the ob>ective case <also called the a))usati,e )ase= is the ob>ect of a verb or
preposition. These pronouns are me, 1ou, him, her, it, us, them, and0hom. )hen the
pronoun is the ob>ect of a verb+ it is either a direct ob>ect or an indirect ob>ect. I cannot see
distinguishing between these two forms as being useful on the AT+ however+ so I will not
elaborate on that.
8 A pronoun in the possessive case <also called the ge&iti,e )ase= modifies a noun. The
possessive pronouns are mi&e, 1ours, his, hers, its, our, theirs, and 0hose.
-ouns also ta3e all three forms+ but in &nglish there is no distinction in how we write or
spea3 nouns that are in the nominative or ob>ective cases. (or example+ one can say that
0ob ate the city+ or that the city ate 0ob. In the first clause <I will discuss clauses in detail
later= Bo( is in the sub>ective caseI in the second clause Bo( is in the ob>ective case+ as it is
the direct ob>ect of ate.
Case errors in comparisons$ In everyday speech we often use the incorrect case in
comparisons. pecifically+ we tend to use the ob>ective case instead of the sub>ective case.
This error stems from our tendency to omit the verb in the second part of the comparison.
-ow+ this habit itself is not ungrammaticalI but it does lead to the aforementioned case
error+ which is ungrammatical. "onsider the following sentence+ which would not li3ely even
raise an eyebrow if used in normal speech$
6ou are a better runner than me.
Dou is being used in the sub>ective case here <although we cannot tell this by >ust loo3ing at
the word+ as 1ou is one of those pronouns that do not visibly inflect between the sub>ective
and ob>ective cases=I it is the sub>ect of the verb are. me+ which is in the ob>ective case+ is
being compared to the sub>ective 1ou. This discontinuity must be fixed by changing me to '.
This may sound somewhat aw3ward+ but this feeling should go away if you actually say the
otherwise implicit verb+ as in$
6ou are a better runner than I am.
This error appears freBuently on the AT.
#erund errors 'ith the possessive case$ This error is one of the most pervasive and
least commented:on in the &nglish language. 7ne finds mention of it only rarely even in
grammatical handboo3s. 0ecause I have not yet established all of the necessary
grammatical foundation to explain this+ I will address this at the conclusion of the 4!arts of
peech4 section. (or now+ though+ I will leave you with an example of this error$
I loo3ed up and saw a person stealing my burrito!
Case errors 'ith prepositions$ Although this rule is relatively straightforward+ I will save
describing it until I cover prepositions. pea3ing of that adverb...
Case errors 'ith relative pronouns$ I won;t go into detail about how the concept of
restrictive and non:restrictive clauses applies to relative pronounsI all you really need to
3now is what they are. .ho and 0hoe,er are sub>ective relative
pronouns. 0hom and 0home,er are ob>ective relative pronouns. The relative pronouns that,
0hi)h, and 0hi)he,er can be in either the sub>ective or ob>ective case. The rules for
determining which case is being used apply similarly to relative pronouns$ if the pronoun is
the sub>ect of a verb+ it is in the sub>ective caseI otherwise+ it is in the ob>ective case.
0ecause 0ho visibly inflects between the cases+ I will present two sentences using that word
and its variation to example when each case is appropriate$
I caught the tur3ey whom I 3new.
I want to catch the tur3ey who 3nows me.
In the first sentence ' is the sub>ect of the verb k&e0+ and 0hom <which is referring
to turke1= is the ob>ect of that verb. <7rdinarily+ the ob>ect of a verb will appear after it. It is
important to note+ though+ that relative pronouns are usually exceptions to this.= In the
second sentence 0ho <which is also referring to turke1= is the sub>ect of the verb k&o0s+
and me is the ob>ect of that verb.
<It;s also worth noting that the relative pronoun 0hi)h does not wor3 with people and
that 0ho only wor3s with people and personified tur3eys.=
)rrors 'ith ma$ing the possessive case$ In order to ma3e a singular noun possessive+
we generally add an apostrophe and then an s. In order to ma3e a plural noun possessive+
we generally add merely an apostrophe if the word already ended in an s. These basic
guidelines are exampled below$
dog 889 dog,s
pencil 889 pencil,s
George 889 George,s
dogs 889 dogs,
pencil 889 pencils,
the Georges 889 the Georges,
If+ however+ the plural noun does not end in an s <as is the case with+ for example+ 0ome&=+
you must add an apostrophe and an s.
Another issue arises when we are forming the possessive with a compound noun <i.e.+ a
noun phrase=. )hen each of the nouns within the noun phrase is possessing at least one of
whatever the noun that is being modified is+ we use the possessive case for each of the
compound noun,s nouns+ as in$
Ironically+ 0ob,s and (red,s cars bro3e down at the same time.
If the noun that is being modified is possessed >ointly by the nouns in the compound noun+
use the possessive on only the noun closest to the noun that is being modified+ as in$
.y mother and father,s mansion should satisfactorily suit my housing reBuirements.
Case errors 'ith compound subjects and objects$ "ontrary to what many people,s
speech may suggest+ each noun in a compound sub>ect or compound ob>ect must be
inflected to the same case as the other nouns, case in that phrase. "onsider these
ungrammatical sentences$
Him and 0ob went to the store together.
ally+ 5oe+ and her are about to start a new pasta club.
I do desire that you apprise my pet and I of the reasons for your election to depart.
These sentences should be corrected thus$
He and 0ob went to the store together.
ally+ 5oe+ and she are about to start a new pasta club.
I do desire that you apprise my pet and me of the reasons for your election to depart.
In the third sentence *et a& me is the compound ob>ect of the verb a**rise.
Case errors 'ith appositives$ Appositives define or elaborate on the nouns that they are
ad>acent to+ as in <the appositives are underlined=$
.y friend 0ob is a good swimmer because he is a fish.
A loyal tur3ey+ am was eaten without ob>ection.
.y mother+ ue+ is a female.
.y company+ the best accounting firm in the nation+ li3es to ma3e money.
<In case you,re curious about why commas were used in the third sentence but not the first+
it has to do with restrictive versus non:restrictive modification. In general+ when a modifier
restricts what it is modifying+ we use commasI if not+ we don,t. This is usually true for
appositives. (or example+ if we write A1 :rie&, Bo(,+ the modification is non:restrictive+
meaning that 0ob is your only friend. imilarly+ if we write A1 mother "ue+ the modification
is restrictiveI this implies that you have more than one mother.=
Anyhow+ appositives must match the case of the noun that they are modifying. (or
example$
)e revolutionaries are free.
They have left us revolutionaries no option.
The best students in the class+ she and I+ will receive poor grades on the paper.
I will give the two best students in the class+ her and him+ poor grades on the paper to
facilitate this example sentence.
Anaphora
In its most general sense+ a&a*hora refers to any verbal reference. All pronouns are+ thus+
anaphoricI they refer to nouns. A pronoun,s referent is often called itsa&te)ee&tI but I will
herein use the former term <i.e.+ re:ere&t= because a&te)ee&t implies to me that the
referent must appear before the pronoun+ which is untrue. There are three main types of
anaphora+ which I explain in the context of pronouns$
8 &xophora occurs when a pronoun,s referent is found in a different context than that in
which the pronoun is found. )ith respect to the AT,s Identifying &rrors Buestions+ an
exophoric pronoun would refer to something that is not in the given sentence.
8 &ndophora occurs when a pronoun,s referent is+ in the context of the AT,s Identifying
&rrors Buestions+ in the given sentence.
8 "ataphora+ a type of endophora+ occurs when a pronoun,s referent comes after that
pronoun+ as in$
Although she did not 3now what time it was+ ally started >umping on her cloc3.
"all1 is the referent+ and she is the cataphoric pronoun.
)5ophoric pronoun errors$ In the context of the AT+ exophoric pronouns are always
incorrect. That,s right$ the referent for a pronoun+ for the AT,s Identifying &rror Buestions+
must always appear in the sentence. "lear cataphoric references are acceptable+ however.
Ambiguous re!erence errors$ .ore than merely appearing in the sentence+ a pronoun,s
referent must be clear. "onsider the following sentences$
The parents told their children that they would be leaving soon.
The parents told their child that they would be leaving soon.
The first sentence is unacceptable because the1 could grammatically and logically refer to
either *are&ts or )hilre&. However+ the second sentence is acceptable. The
plural the1 cannot refer to the singular )hilI it must+ therefore+ refer to the only plural noun
in the sentence$ *are&ts. <This does get a bit ha9ier+ though+ if the writer of the second
sentence was trying to refer to both *are&ts and )hil. Rest assured+ though$ most
ambiguous reference errors on the AT will be apparent if you are loo3ing for them.=
(or further example of when a pronoun should be considered ambiguous and when it should
be considered acceptable+ consider my previous sentence$
#uote$
The plural they cannot refer to the singular child? it must, therefore, refer to the onl plural noun
in the sentence; parents.
There+ it referred clearly to the1. Grammatically+ however+ the singular it could have referred
to the li3ewise singular )hil+ a fact compounded by the two words, close proximity. 0ut
because the referent of it is the sub>ect of the previous clause+ the reference is clear. If one
had meant to refer to )hil <which was being used in the ob>ective case=+ he or she would
have had to explicate thatP noun as opposed to using the pronoun.
:P That that reminds me that I should briefly mention demonstrative pronouns and
ad>ectives. They are this, these, that, and those. &ach of those can be used as a pronoun
<as in ' 0a&t to eat that= or an ad>ective <as in ' 0a&t that hi**o as a :rie&=. In either case+
the reference must also be clearI even the ad>ectival demonstrative is referring to
something.;
7on<t be !ooled b& dumm& pronouns$ Alright+ I lied a little bit earlier. *ummy pronouns
<more formally called e<*leti,e *ro&ou&s or *leo&asti) *ro&ou&s= are the singular exception
to the rule that all pronouns must have endophoric references on the AT. )hy2 )ell+
dummy pronouns do not actually refer to anything. "onsider the following sentences$
It is important to note that one plus one does not eBual five.
*espite appearances to the contrary+ it was clear to the particularly perspicacious observer
that 0ob,s name was 0ob.
)hat time is it2
-one of these pronouns have a referentP/either endophorically or exophorically. And that,s
fine. 5ust remember this$ if a pronoun is tr1i&g to refer to something <i.e.+ it is not one of
those rare dummy pronouns=+ you need to be able to find that referent in the sentenceI
otherwise+ the pronoun is being used erroneously.
<P *id you notice the mista3e2 In order to maintain continuity in number+ I need to
plurali9e re:ere&t.=
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The Adjective$ a word that modifies a noun or pronoun. &xamples$ gree&, &i)e, mea&,
ama7i&g.
'uc3ily+ there is much less to mention about ad>ectives than about pronouns. There are
some additional things to mention about participles+ but I will save those for the section in
which I cover verbals <which are participles+ gerunds+ and infinitives=.
)rrors 'ith adjectives in comparisons$ There are three terms relevant to this
error$ *ositi,e, )om*arati,e, and su*erlati,e. The positive form of an ad>ective is its base
form <e.g.+ )ol=. In order to form the comparative form+ we usually use the suffix =er or the
adverb more <e.g.+ )oler=. In forming the superlative form+ we generally add the suffix =
est or the adverb most <e.g.+ )olest=.
The comparative form is used when we are comparing two things+ as in$
0etween me and my brother+ he is wea3er.
)hich of your two cars do you li3e better2
The superlative form is used when we are comparing three or more things+ as in$
Among me and my brothers+ I am wea3est.
)hich of your eleven cars do you li3e best2
A speci!ic diction error= fewer versus less$ This error is unli3ely to show up on any
given AT+ but it comes up so freBuently in everyday speech that it is worth mentioning. In
general+ we associate the ad>ective :e0er with count nouns and number+ and the
ad>ective less with noncount nouns and amount. "onsider these examples$
fewer computers
less computing
fewer births
fewer cups of coffee
less coffee
less beauty
fewer beauties
less hair
fewer hairs
less than ten minutes
less than three miles
less than five dollars
The last four examples may seem to depart from the general guideline slightly+ and in a way
they do. 0ut+ while some of those things may seem countable and in reference to numbers
<e.g.+ you can count out your money and see that you have less than five dollars=+ the true
semantic implication is related to amount. (or example+ when we say that there is less than
ten minutes left+ we are referring not to the actual minutes+ but to time. 'i3ewise+ when we
say that we are less than three miles away+ we are referring to distance. And with the
dollars example+ we are not referring to the actual dollar bills <in which case we would be
referring to a number=I we are+ instead+ actually referring to the amou&t of money.
This concept has important implications for sub>ect:verb agreement as well+ which I will
discuss later.
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The Adverb$ a word that modifies an ad>ective+ a verb+ or another adverb.
&xamples$ 5ui)kl1, :ast, ha**il1.
An instance in which an adverb is modifying an ad>ective$
I want to buy a very hungry alligator.
The adverb ,er1 is there modifying the ad>ective hu&gr1+ which is modifying the
noun alligator. An instance in which an adverb is modifying a verb+ and in which another
adverb is modifying that adverb$
I ran through the wall Buite fast.
In that sentence the adverb :ast is modifying the verb ra&. That adverb is+ in turn+ being
modified by the adverb 5uite.
)rrors in placement o! adverbs$ In general adverbs can be placed Buite liberally. )e can
correctly say+ for example+ all of the following$
#uic3ly+ he ran to get his lost lemur.
He ran Buic3ly to get his lost lemur.
He Buic3ly ran to get his lost lemur.
ometimes+ however+ the placement of an adverb can change the meaning of a sentence.
"onsider this example+ in which I italici9e part of the sentence with the intent that you will
emphasi9e that part in your mind when you are reading itI this will ma3e the error even
harder to spot$
)hen I went to .ars last wee3+ I only ate o&e meal the entire time!
If you heard this when you weren,t in AT:)riting mode+ your grammatical ear would li3ely
have no problem with this sentence. The problem with the sentence is that it departs from
the general rule that adverbs must be as close as possible to what they are modifying.
)hen I emphasi9e the nearest candidate for modification+ the result is not so pleasing to the
ear$
)hen I went to .ars last wee3+ I only ate one meal the entire time!
This leaves me wondering$ what did you do to the rest of the meals2 To reduce this
ambiguity+ we need to move the adverb next to o&e meal$
)hen I went to .ars last wee3+ I ate only one meal the entire time!
Incorrectl& deciding bet'een adverbs and adjectives$ The 3ey to correctly identifying
whether an adverb or ad>ective is appropriate is to as3 yourself .hat is the 0or oi&g i&
this se&te&)e- If the word is modifying a noun or pronoun+ use the ad>ective form. If the
word is modifying a verb+ ad>ective+ or another adverb+ use the adverb form. There are
some tric3y situations+ however$
I feel really QbadMbadlyR about your situation+ 0ob.
As3 yourself whether we are modifying :eel or some noun. )e are actually modifying ' here+
so we choose the ad>ective (a. If we chose (al1+ the meaning would be that the manner
in which we feel is bad. "onsider this sentence$
He is hungry.
These two sentences actually have very similar underlying grammatical
structures. :eel and is are serving+ respectively+ as lin3ing verbs to the
ad>ectives (a andhu&gr1. 0ecause (a and hu&gr1 modify the sub>ect of the intervening
verb+ they are called su(4e)t )om*leme&tsI specifically+ they are *rei)ate
a4e)ti,es <*rei)aterefers broadly to the verb and its complements and modifiers=.
This does not have to do with adverbs+ but elaborating on this topic seems worthwhile.
Another type of sub>ect complement is the *rei)ate &omi&ati,e. Recall that the nominative
case <also 3nown as the su(4e)ti,e )ase= means that the noun or pronoun is the sub>ect of a
verb. 0ecause predicate nominatives define or rename the sub>ect of the lin3ing verb+ they
must be in the sub>ective case. )ith nouns+ the result is perfectly agreeable to the ear
<remember that nouns do not visibly inflect between the sub>ective and ob>ective cases=$
0ob is the man.
ma& serves as the complement to the sub>ect+ Bo(+ of the lin3ing verb is. "onsider this
example+ which correctly uses a pronoun in the ob>ective case$
)ho is the best runner2 The best runner is he.
The sub>ect complement and predicate nominative he is defining the lin3ing verb,s
sub>ect+ ru&&er+ so it is inappropriate to use the li3ely better:sounding+ ob>ective:cased him.
Here are a couple more examples$
I gave it to him. That is+ the recipient was he.
The best people are they.
Redundanc&> o!ten committed via adverbs$ )hen a word or set of words can alone
mean what is intended+ it is unnecessary and+ furthermore+ ungrammatical to indicate the
idea again with modifiers. "onsider this Buestion$
That was good+ but can you repeat that song again2
If this will be only the second time that a song is being played+ agai& must be omitted.
"onsider these temporal redundanciesI I indicate the word or words that should be omitted
in parentheses after each sentence$
I,ll meet you there at twelve noon. <t0el,e=
The meeting starts at A !. at night. <at &ight or PA=
The annual meeting is held every year. <a&&ual=
There are also some phrases that are always redundant+ because the words themselves
encompass the meaning of the modifying word or set of words. 7ne example$ 2e 0rote his
o0& auto(iogra*h1. There are also some words that+ except in colloBuial contexts+ should
only rarely be adverbially modified. 7ne+ for example+ should not say that something is
4very uniBue4 or 4somewhat perfect4I the latter word in each of these pairs is an a(solute
a4e)ti,e. )e can+ however+ say that something is 4almost uniBue4 or 4probably perfect.4
)hile we are on the topic of redundancy+ I might as well bring up a phrase that always
frustrates me+ mostly because of its pervasiveness$ the reaso& 0h1 is
(e)ause.reaso& already indicates the 4why+4 so both (e)ause and 0h1 are redundant. The
correct phrase is the reaso& is that.
Comparative and superlative adverb errors$ "are must be ta3en in forming the
comparative and superlative forms of adverbs. Generally+ if the adverbial form of word ends
in =l1+ we must form the comparative and superlative forms with more and most+
respectively. (or example+ instead of as3ing someone to 4wor3 slower+4 we should as3 him
or her to 4wor3 more slowly.4 .a3e sure to avoid redundancy+ though$ if the adverb already
indicates the comparative or superlative+ do not use more or most. (or example+ more
(etter is incorrect.
A speci!ic diction error= due to versus &ecause of$ There are some less conservative
grammar sources that support the interchangeability of ue to and (e)ause o:. -onetheless+
most references maintain the distinction+ and it is possible that this could appear on the
AT. 'uc3ily+ the rule is straightforward$ ue to functions ad>ectively+ and (e)ause
o: functions adverbially. That is+ ue to modifies nounsI (e)ause o: modifies verbs. "onsider
this lot of examplesI in each case the phrase that I choose is the only correct one+ according
to this distinction$
.y failure was due to my lac3 of success.
I failed because of my lac3 of success.
That is due to his pet sna3e.
I said that because of my pet sna3e,s forcing me to do so.
0ecause of the weather+ I am hungry.
.y hunger is due to the weather.
This means that the only time that one can grammatically begin a sentence with /ue to is
when a participial phrase is being employed+ as in$
*ue to the weather+ the storm went home.
If we are following the technical distinction+ we 3now that the storm is due to the weather+
but we do not 3now why the storm went home. If+ however+ the writer is not following the
rule+ the storm could have gone home because of the weather. This latter meaning 4should4
have been communicated thus$
0ecause of the weather+ the storm went home.
I guess we,ll never 3now.
8888 8888 8888 8888 8888 8888 8888
The Preposition$ a word that lin3s words and phrases. &xamples$ o&, i& u&er, arou&,
(et0ee&, u*o&, *ast, u&til, at.
A commonly cited rule with respect to prepositions is that they cannot appear at the end of
a sentence. This is+ however+ not actually true in most cases. -ow+ there are some times
when it is wrong to do so+ as in$
)here is he at2
0ut this is due to the fact that at is unnecessary+ as 0here already indicates locationI it is
not directly due to the preposition,s being at the end of the sentence. In fact+ there are
some times when moving the preposition from the end of the sentence is incorrect$
' ran up the restaurant tab. 8p what did 1ou run2
)hy is that second sentence wrong2 0ecause ru& u* is a *hrasal ,er(I it consists of the
verb ru& and the *arti)le <a cool name for the preposition of a phrasal verb=+ which is u* in
this case. The components of a phrasal verb cannot be separated. ome other phrasal
verbs$ make u*, ru& i&to, and sho0 u*.
<.a3e sure that there is no prepositional redundancy if someone did try to move a
preposition from the end of a sentence+ as in the *erso& to 0hom ' talke to.=
The AT will occasionally test idiomatic phrasal verbs. ome of these can be problematic to
even well:prepared test:ta3ers who are native &nglish spea3ers. (rom various sources I
have compiled a list of verbs and their corresponding prepositionsMparticles <only some of
these are actually phrasal verbs+ and only some of those are idiomatic=I I have tried to
include any relevant notes$
abide by
absent from
accuse of
accustomed to
agree on M agree upon M agree with M agree to
8or e<am*le! .e agree o& the (est )ourse o: a)tio&+ .e agree 0ith ea)h other a& our
ieas+ .e agree to gi,e+ .e agree to the *la&+
afflicted with
afraid of
angry about
annoyed with M annoyed by
apologi9e for
apply for
approve of
argue with M argue about
8or e<am*le! ' argue 0ith 1ou a(out :oo+
arise from
arrive at
associated with
aware of
believe in
belong to
blame for
came into use
capable of
care about M care for
8or e<am*le! ' )are a(out 1our 0ell=(ei&g+ ' )are :or 1ou i& orer to e&sure 1our 0ell=
(ei&g+
cater to
characteristic of
charge of
cite as
committed to
compare to M compare with M compare against
Ge&erall1, the use o: #0ith# stresses the i::ere&)es (et0ee& the o(4e)ts o: )om*ariso&,
0hereas the use o: #to# em*hasi7es the similarities+ %lso, #0ith# must (e use 0he&
#)om*are# is (ei&g use i&tra&siti,el1, a )o&)e*t that ' 0ill )o,er later+
comply with
composed of
comprise
/es*ite (ei&g :re5ue&tl1 use, #)om*rise (1# a& #)om*rise o:# are &ot )orre)t+
#)om*rise# mea&s #i&)lue+#
concerned about
condemn as
conform with M conform to
connected to
conscious of
consider to be
consist of
consistent with
contrast with
contributed to M contributed toward
count on
debate over M debate about
dedicated to
define as
depart for M depart from
8or e<am*le! ' e*arte :or $a&aa+ ' e*art :rom the t1*i)al thi&ki&g+
depend on M depend upon
depict as
desirous of
differ from
discriminate against M discriminate between M discriminate among
8or e<am*le! ' is)rimi&ate agai&st *eo*le :rom 1our s)hool+ ' is)rimi&ate amo&gE(et0ee&
m1 meal )hoi)es+
dispute over M dispute about
distinguish from
divergent from
emphasis on
endeavor to
escape from
excuse for
fascination with
fire from
fond of
guilty of
hide from
hint at
hope for
impose on M impose upon
indebted to
indifferent to
insist on M insist upon
instrumental in
intend to
interested in
involved in M involved with
>ealous of
lead to
limited to
ob>ect to
oblivious to
obsessed with
obtain from
opposed to
opposition of M opposition toward
originate in
parta3e of
participate in
plan to
proclaimed as
pray for
preoccupation with
prepared for
prevent from
prohibit from
proud of
provide for M provide with
8or e<am*le! ' *ro,ie :or 1ou+ ' *ro,ie 1ou 0ith :oo+
Bualify for M Bualify as
react to
reason for
recover from
regard as
related to
rely on M rely upon
resentful of M resentful toward
resort to
respond to
responsible for
result in
satisfied with M satisfied by
search for M in search of
see as
separate from
similar to
stare at
stop from
subscribe to
suffer from
superior to
suspect of
sympathi9e with
tamper with
than3 for
thin3 of
tired of
transition from M transition to
upset with
vote for M vote against
wait for
went about
wor3 with M wor3 for
worry about
Case errors 'ith prepositional phrases$ )henever a noun is the ob>ect of a
prepositional phrase+ it must be in the ob>ective case. "onsider these ungrammatical
sentences+ in which the underlined portion indicates the prepositional phrase that the error
is in$
I went to the well with she and 0ob.
0etween you and I+ I never really li3ed my enemies.
The ob>ective case for each pronoun should be used$
I went to the well with her and 0ob.
0etween you and me+ I never really li3ed my enemies.
8888 8888 8888 8888 8888 8888 8888
The ?erb$ a word that expresses being or action. &xamples$ eat, gi,e, i&)rease, sli*. There
is a lot to tal3 about with verbs.
Su&*ect(%er& Agreement
ub>ect:verb agreement appears consistently on the AT.
Amounts are singular@ numbers are plural, Recall our earlier discussion about deciding
whether to use :e0er or less. If :e0er would be used to modify a noun+ that noun ta3es a
plural verb. If less would be used to modify a noun+ that noun ta3es a singular verb. 8sing
the verb to (e+ here are sub>ect:predicate versions of the list of examples that I gave in
discussing the issue of :e0er versus less$
<fewer= computers are
<less= computing is
<fewer= births are
<fewer= cups of coffee are
<less= coffee is
<less= beauty is
<fewer= beauties are
<less= hair is
<fewer= hairs are
<less than= ten minutes is
<less than= three miles is
<less than= five dollars is
-ote that+ as we discussed earlier+ those final three examples represent amounts <time+
distance+ and money+ respectively=+ not numbers.
The simple subject o! a sentence is never in a prepositional phrase, And only the
simple sub>ect ire)tl1 <this distinction will become important later= affects how a verb
should be con>ugated. "onsider these examples+ in which the intervening prepositional
phrases are in brac3ets$
The number Qof peopleR is ama9ing.
That >ar Qof pencilsR wal3s very nicely.
Those haw3s Qof honorR are honorable.
The house Qwith the three doorsR is under water.
0ob Qas well as three of his friendsR is going to the mall to buy a hotel.
But,,, Although the previous topic heading is technically always correct+ there are times
when we will need to consider the plurality or singularity of the ob>ect of the intervening
prepositional phrase. In order to decide whether to ignore or pay attention to the
prepositional phrase+ as3 yourself .hat is this se&te&)e tr1i&g to sa1-"onsider these
examples.
A lot of cars is available for purchase.
The sub>ect of this sentence is the singular lot/one full of cars. If+ however+ the sentence
said this+ it would clearly have a different meaning$
A lot of cars are available for purchase.
)hile the simple sub>ect of the sentence is still technically a lot+ we must refer to the ob>ect
of the prepositional phrase+ the plural )ars+ because the sentence is trying to say that many
cars are available. "onsider this sentence+ which I wrote earlier$
The number of people is ama9ing.
The sentence is not trying to say that the people themselves are ama9ing+ >ust that how
many there are is ama9ing. uch an intention contrasts with that of this sentence$
A number of people are ama9ing.
Here the people themselves are being directly referred to+ and the agreement reflects this.
imilarly+ with a percent or fraction+ we must refer to the ob>ect of the preposition and have
our verb agree with that$
Three:fourths of all pelicans belong to the minority.
Three:fourths of my pie is gone on leave.
-inety percent of the town is gone.
-inety percent of the town,s inhabitants are gone.
Collective nouns are !le5ible, "ollective nouns can be singular or plural+ depending on
the intended meaning. (or example <note how the pronouns correspond to the singularity or
plurality of the sub>ect=$
The group is wor3ing toward its goal.
The group are fighting among themselves.
The >ury has decided its verdict.
The >ury are fighting among themselves.
)hen we thin3 of the idea represented by the collective noun as a set of distinct entities+ we
treat the noun as plural+ with respect to both pronoun agreement and verb agreement.
Be care!ul 'ith compound subjects, If a& is used to connect the nouns in a compound
sub>ect+ the sub>ect is almost always plural+ as in$
0ob and I are leaving now.
The singular exception <get it2= occurs when the sub>ect is a compound noun that is
representing one idea+ as in$
.acaroni and cheese is good.
If or is used to connect the nouns in a compound sub>ect+ we must consider only the noun
closest to the verb+ as in$
0ob or he is a rabbit.
The members or their leader is a rabbit.
The leader or their members are rabbits.
The rabbit or you are a rabbit.
0ob+ she+ or I am a rabbit.
As these last two sentences indicate+ the verb must be con>ugated not only to the
singularity or plurality of the closest noun+ but to its person. The second:person 1outoo3
what is in this context a singular are+ and the first:person ' too3 am.
7on<t be tripped up b& inverted verb structures, 7ccasionally+ a verb,s sub>ect will
follow it. There are three common types of circumstances under which this inversion occurs.
An inverted verb structure is often indicated by the expletive pronouns there and here.
.a3e sure that the verb agrees with the true sub>ect+ which comes later in the sentence$
There is a dog in the lawn.
There are three dogs building a lawn.
There seems to be a house.
There seem to be houses.
Here is a mon3ey.
Here are the mon3eys that 3new the other mon3ey.
<*on,t forget that there9s is a contraction for there is+ so one cannot grammatically say+ for
example+ 4There,s two owls plotting to arrest me.4=
pecial rules do arise+ however+ with respect to those expletive pronouns when the sub>ect
is compound. (ollow these guidelines for the verbs that follow those expletive pronouns+
which differ slightly from those explained under the previous heading$
8 If or is used to connect the nouns in a compound sub>ect+ the verb should match the
closest noun$
There are wells or a wall.
There is a well or wells.
8 If a& is used to connect the nouns in a compound sub>ect and the noun closest to the
verb is plural+ the verb must be plural$
There are hats+ a muffin+ and an artist in the loc3er.
8 If a& is used to connect the nouns in a compound sub>ect and the noun closest to the
verb is singular+ the verb may be either singular or plural$
There is a muffin+ hats+ and an artist in the loc3er. or
There are a muffin+ hats+ and an artist in the loc3er.
-ote that this final rule is uniBue to inverted verb structures in which expletive pronouns
appear.
Another common situation in which an inversion occurs is when we have an introductory
prepositional phrase. .a3e sure that you chec3 the plurality or singularity of the sub>ect$
8nder the des3 are pencils.
0ehind the soda machine is a dollar.
0ehind the soda machine are sand:dollars.
Inverted structures also commonly appear in Buestions$
)hy are 0ob and ally wor3ing together2 &ot
)hy is 0ob and ally wor3ing together2
earn the rules !or correlative conjunctions, These are the primary correlative
con>unctions as well as the only ones that are relevant to sub>ect:verb agreement$
both QnounR and QnounR
either QnounR or QnounR
neither QnounR nor QnounR
(or the correlative con>unction involving (oth+ the verb is always plural$
0oth the water bottles and 0ob are going to "anada for the winter.
(or the correlative con>unctions involving either and &either+ the verb agrees with the closer
noun <in both number and person=. "onsider these examples of the proper use
of either+++or$
&ither the shoe or arm is fine.
&ither the shoes or arm is fine.
&ither the shoe or arms are fine.
&ither she or I am fine.
&ither I or she is fine.
There are either people or a dog in the cabin.
There is either a dog or people in the cabin.
&either+++&or follows the same rules.
earn the rules !or using inde!inite pronouns,
8 )hen used as indefinite pronouns+ ea)h, either, &either, mu)h, a&1o&e, someo&e,
some(o1, a&1(o1, a&1thi&g, and somethi&g are always singular. Intervening prepositional
phrases are completely irrelevant/there are no exceptions. "onsider these examples <note
how any predicate nominatives must agree in number with the corresponding indefinite
pronouns=$
&ach of the brothers is a male.
&ither of you guys is a salamander.
-either of the options is viable.
.uch of the number of the patrons is attributable to mar3eting.
Anything is fine.
&ach of us is ready.
<-ote that ea)h can be used adverbially as wellI in such cases+ it is irrelevant to sub>ect:
verb agreement+ as in The1 ea)h are eati&g hot ogs. -ote the logically necessary plurality
of the ob>ect ogs. Had ea)h been used as a pronoun+ we would have had to change the
clause to >a)h o: them is eati&g a hot og.=
8 ome indefinite pronouns are always pluralI the intervening prepositional phrases are
again irrelevant. These are :e0, others, ma&1, (oth, and se,eral. (or example$
(ew of us are ready.
7thers are arriving shortly to prop you up.
.any of the errors are acceptable.
8 ome indefinite pronouns, singularity or plurality depends on that of the intervening
prepositional phrase. As I indicated earlier+ the sub>ect is never in such a phrase+ but this is
one of those circumstances under which we nonetheless need to refer to the ob>ect of the
preposition. These pronouns are some, a&1, all, most, and &o&e. (or example$
ome of you are coming tonight.
ome of the pie is nice.
Any of them are able to excavate.
-one of it is enough.
-one of those colors are happy.
:A special discussion of &o&e is warranted. *escribing &o&e as eBuivalent to &ot o&e+ some
grammar:conscious writers insist upon &o&e,s being singular without exception. I+ instead+
recommend stic3ing with the above guideline. "onsider this entry from The Ce0 Dork Times
Aa&ual o: "t1le a& Bsage$
#uote$
none. Bespite a widespread assumption that it stands for not one, the word has been construed as
a plural 3not any6 in most conte*ts for centuries. ,. '. FowlerCs Dictionary of Modern English
Usage 3%4<:6 endorsed the plural use. Da"e none plural e*cept when emphasi#ing the idea
of not one or no one E and then consider using those phrases instead.
'i3ewise+ I often see <in several of my school textboo3s+ for example= a&1 used in the
singular sense even when the ob>ect of its intervening prepositional phrase is plural. This
does not seem to be the prevailing practice+ however. In any case+ in order avoid getting
embroiled in controversy+ the "ollege 0oard is unli3ely to test agreement with either of
those two words.;
Mood
There are three primary grammatical moods$
8 Generally+ the indicative mood is used to pose a Buestion or ma3e a statement. It is the
most common mood. &xamples of the indicative mood$
He is tall.
)hy is he tall2
)e predict an increase in the amount of time that has passed.
8 The imperative mood is used to ma3e commands. The sub>ect of a verb in the
imperative mood is usually 1ou+ which can be and often is omitted. &xamples of the
imperative mood$
"lean the sin3.
'eave me alone.
*ecrease the speed.
'et,s leave now.
8 The subjunctive mood,s uses are difficult to briefly generali9e+ so I Buote this source$
#uote$
The subjunctive mood is used in dependent clauses that do the following; %6 e*press a wish? <6
begin with if and e*press a condition that does not e*ist 3is contrar to fact6? 06 begin with as
if and as though when such clauses describe a speculation or condition contrar to fact? and 56
begin with that and e*press a demand, requirement, request, or suggestion.
"onsider these example sentences+ which I have also borrowed from that source$
he wishes her boyfriend were here.
If 5uan were more aggressive+ he,d be a better hoc3ey player.
)e would have passed if we had studied harder.
He acted as if he were guilty.
I reBuested that he be present at the hearing.
#uestions on which 3nowledge of when the sub>unctive is used is helpful appear Buite
freBuently on the AT.
Tense
0efore I explain each tense,s general uses+ here are the con>ugations of to eat in the first
person for each tense$
imple present$ ' eat
!resent progressive$ ' am eati&g
!resent perfect$ ' ha,e eate&
!resent perfect progressive$ ' ha,e (ee& eati&g
imple past$ ' ate
!ast progressive$ ' 0as eati&g
!ast perfect$ ' ha eate&
!ast perfect progressive$ ' ha (ee& eati&g
imple future$ ' 0ill eat
(uture progressive$ ' 0ill (e eati&g
(uture perfect$ ' 0ill ha,e eate&
(uture perfect progressive$ ' 0ill ha,e (ee& eati&g
Prese&t Te&ses
Simple present$ The simple present tense is used to refer to customary actions <e.g.+ "he
tra,els :or 0ork= or being <e.g.+ A1 *et is a og=+ and it can be used in special future
situations <e.g.+ The test is tomorro0 or The ele)tio& is o& Tuesa1=. <The simple future
tense can also be employed for that last use+ as in The test 0ill (e tomorro0=.
Present progressive$ The present progressive tense can emphasi9e the ongoing nature of
an action <e.g.+ ' am 0alki&g instead of the more general ' 0alk=. 'i3e the simple present
tense+ it can refer to future situations <e.g.+ 2e is mo,i&g &e<t 1ear=.
Present per!ect$ The present perfect tense is used when a past action affects the
present. si&)e is often a trigger for the present perfect tense. The present perfect tense can
indicate that an action occurs in the present as well as in the past <e.g.+ "i&)e (irth, ' ha,e
li,e here=. Also+ it can refer to a completed action if the writer or spea3er wishes to
emphasi9e the past action,s effect on the present <e.g.+ ' ha,e 4ust )om*lete m1 (ook=.
Present per!ect progressive$ The present perfect progressive tense is similar to the
present perfect tense+ except the former cannot refer to a completed action and emphasi9es
the continuous nature of the action.
Past Te&se
Simple past$ The simple past tense refers to an action completed in the past.
Past progressive$ The past progressive emphasi9es the ongoing nature of an action
completed in the past. It can also be used when we are tal3ing about two concurrent actions
in the past <e.g.+ %s m1 og 0as 0at)hi&g me, ' 0as eati&g m1 :oo= or an interrupted
action <e.g.+ ' 0as eati&g 0he& m1 og gra((e m1 (o0l=.
Past per!ect$ The past perfect tense is used to refer a past action that occurred before
another referenced past action. (1 often signals the past perfect tense <e.g.+B1 the time 0e
arri,e, Bo( ha le:t=. )hen a prepositional phrase already indicates that an action came
before another action+ the simple past may be used instead of the past perfect <e.g.+ Be:ore
0e le:t, ' 0e&t to the (athroom= or Be:ore 0e le:t, ' ha go&e to the (athroom=.
Past per!ect progressive$ The past perfect progressive tense functions similarly to the
past perfect tense but emphasi9es the continuous nature of an action.
8uture Te&ses
Simple !uture$ The simple future tense refers to actions to be completed in the future.
"uture progressive$ The future progressive tense is used to refer to actions that will be in
progress at a future time <' 0ill (e eati&g lu&)h at &oo&=.
"uture per!ect$ The future perfect tense is used to indicate that an action will be
completed by a particular time in the future <e.g.+ ' 0ill ha,e :i&ishe m1 home0ork (1 the
time 1ou arri,e=.
"uture per!ect progressive$ The future perfect progressive tense functions similarly to
the future progressive tense but emphasi9es that the action has been occurring prior to the
specified time <e.g.+ ' 0ill ha,e (ee& 0orki&g o& it=.
A speci!ic verb error= to lay and to lie$ 8sing these two verbs correctly can be difficult+
so it is worth going through their basic forms.
8 to la1 is a transitive verbI that is+ it ta3es an ob>ect <e.g.+ ' 0a&t to la1 this o0&=. Its
three basic forms$
0ase form$ la1 <(or example$ ' al0a1s la1 the *a*er o0& :irst+=
imple past$ lai <(or example$ Destera1, ' lai the rug o& the grou&=
!ast participle$ lai <(or example$ ' ha,eEha al0a1s lai the *a*er o0& :irst+=
8 to lie is an intransitive verbI that is+ it does not ta3e an ob>ect <e.g.+ ' 0a&t to lie o0&=.
Its three basic forms$
0ase form$ lie <(or example$ ' al0a1s lie o0&+=
imple past$ la1 <(or example$ Destera1, ' la1 o0& o& the rug=
!ast participle$ lai& <(or example$ ' ha,eEha al0a1s lai& o0& o& the *a*er+=
<The next section discusses the past participle.=
RecogniAing past participle errors$ The past participle is used along with a con>ugated
form of to ha,e in forming the perfect tenses. (or example$
He has eaten the sandwich.
eate& is the past participle there. (or some verbs+ though+ the past participle is the same as
the simple past tense form$
They have arrested the criminal.
I have sei9ed the opportunity.
(orming the past participle of nearly every verb should be simple for fluent &nglish
spea3ers. -onetheless+ it is worthwhile to read through this list+ which offers the base form+
simple past form+ and past participle+ respectively$
AriseI AroseI Arisen
0ecomeI 0ecameI 0ecome
0eginI 0eganI 0egun
0lowI 0lewI 0lown
0rea3I 0ro3eI 0ro3en
"hooseI "hoseI "hosen
"omeI "ameI "ome
*iveI *ivedM*oveI *ived
*oI *idI *one
*rawI *rewI *rawn
*rin3I *ran3I *run3
*riveI *roveI *riven
*rownI *rownedI *rowned
*wellI *weltMdwelledI *weltMdwelled
&atI AteI &aten
(allI (ellI (allen
(ightI (oughtI (ought
(leeI (ledI (led
(lingI (lungI (lung
(lyI (lewI (lown
(orgetI (orgotI (orgotten
(ree9eI (ro9eI (ro9en
GetI GotI Gotten
GiveI GaveI Given
GoI )entI Gone
GrowI GrewI Grown
Hang <a thing=I HungI Hung
Hang <a person=I HangedI Hanged
NnowI NnewI Nnown
'ayI 'aidI 'aid
'eadI 'edI 'ed
'ie <to recline=I 'ayI 'ain
'ie <tell fibs=I 'iedI 'ied
!utI !utI !ut
RideI RodeI Ridden
RingI RangI Rung
RiseI RoseI Risen
RunI RanI Run
eeI awI een
etI etI et
hineI honeI hone
ha3eI hoo3I ha3en
hrin3I hran3I hrun3
hutI hutI hut
ingI angI ung
in3I an3I un3
itI atI at
pea3I po3eI po3en
pringI prangI prung
tingI tungI tung
triveI troveMstrivedI trivenMstrived
wearI woreI wore
wimI wamI wum
wingI wungI wung
Ta3eI Too3I Ta3en
TearI ToreI Torn
ThrowI ThrewI Thrown
)a3eI )o3eI )o3en
)earI )oreI )orn
)riteI )roteI )ritten
everal times in the past+ the AT has tested test:ta3ers, ability to recogni9e the use of an
incorrect past participle.
Avoiding the passive voice$ )hen the grammatical sub>ect of a verb is logically
performing the action of the verb+ the verb is in the active voice+ as in$
0ob went home.
I have tal3ed to 0ob.
If not+ the verb is in the passive voice+ as in$
0ob was tal3ed to by me.
.any gifts have been given out this "hristmas.
In the first sentence Bo( is the sub>ect of the verb+ but 0ob is not the one tal3ing/we find
the true logical sub>ect in the prepositional phrase$ me. 'i3ewise+ in the second
sentence gi:ts is the sub>ect of the verb+ but the logical sub>ect of the verb is nowhere in the
sentence.
-ow+ the passive voice is not ungrammatical+ nor is it always stylistically inappropriate.
There are times when the passive voice is preferred+ such as when we want to emphasi9e
what would have been the ob>ect in the active voice or when we do not 3now the true
sub>ect. (or example+ in that sentence I said+ 4There are times when the passive is
preferred.4 !referred by whom2 )e don,t find the answer in the sentence+ because I
employed the passive and did not identify the true sub>ect in a prepositional phrase. 0ut it
wor3ed fine.
In general+ however+ we want to 3now who or what is performing the actions of verbs+ so
the general practice should be to use the active voice whenever possible. This is reflected on
the AT,s Improving entences Buestions+ on which the passive voice seldom appears in the
correct answer.
<6ou,ll li3ely notice that past participles are used in forming the passive voice.=
Shi!ting tenses$ A sentence need not be in one tense. (or example$
I want to go to the movies+ but I did not used to.
)e shifted from the simple present tense to the imperfect tense+ and that is perfectly
grammatical. There are no complex grammatical guidelines for deciding whether a tense
shift is appropriate. All you need is an understanding of what each tense means <which I
attempted to facilitate with my earlier descriptions= and to logically apply that
understanding. Indeed+ logi) &ees to ri,e 1our etermi&atio& o: 0hether a te&se is
a**ro*riate. (or example+ we cannot logically say$
I will eat a hot dog yesterday.
'i3ewise+ we cannot logically say$
0efore they left the house+ they will pac3 all their belongings.
uch a shift is simply illogical. As long as you are watchful of the tenses present in a
sentence+ spotting illogical shifts should not be problematic.
It is worth reiterating the common trigger words for the perfect tenses. (1 often signals the
past perfect or future perfect+ as in$
0y the time I was ten years old+ I had been tal3ing for almost a year.
0y the time you get here+ I will have left.
si&)e <when used as a preposition as opposed to a subordinating con>unction+ which I will
discuss soon= often signals the past perfect or present perfect+ as in$
ince birth+ I had been a winnerI then you came along.
ince I got here+ I have been eating nothing but food.
%er&als
There are three main types of verbals+ which are technically verbs but function as different
parts of speech$
8 Participles function ad>ectively. !resent participles+ which usually have the suffix =i&g+
indicate present conditions+ as in an eati&g ra((it <the rabbit is currently eating=. !ast
participles describe past states or actions. (or example+ an eate& ra((it was eaten by
something in the past.
)e can use participles in three main ways. (irst+ we can modify a noun ad>acently$
I want a wor3ing fan.
)e can also offset the participle to modify a nounI this often involves the use of a participial
phrase$
Running+ he left the building.
Angry+ the frogs were not li3ely to sign the treaty. or
Having been angered+ the frogs were not li3ely to sign the treaty. or
Angered+ the frogs were not li3ely to sign the treaty.
The last three sentences mean very similar things. In fact+ the last two sentences are
identical in meaning$ you can add 2a,i&g (ee& to a past participle to ma3e a participial
phrase. 6ou can also add Bei&g to a&gr1 with no effect on the meaning.
)e can also use participles in normal verb phrases$
He is running.
He has run.
Mis8modi!ication 'ith phrases$ 'oo3ing for mis:modifiers is crucial on the AT,s
Identifying &rrors and Improving entences Buestions. )hen using participial phrases and
prepositional phrases that have a participle in them+ one must ta3e special care to ensure
that the sub>ect of the clause that the phrase is attached to is what is intended to be
modified. The phrase usually comes before the clause+ but it can intervene or come after.
"onsider these sentences+ all of which are incorrect$
'oo3ing bac3+ he should not have done that.
Having finished that+ it is time for us to move on to the weather.
In completing their pro>ect early+ we have saved much time than3s to the construction
company.
As a veteran patron+ this customer service really disappoints me.
"onsidering the recent increase+ the higher number is not surprising.
Given the recent increase+ the higher number is not surprising.
)hen using this medication+ irritation or dryness may occur.
These sentences could be corrected thus$
'oo3ing bac3+ I see that he should not have done that.
Having finished that+ we move on now to the weather.
In completing their pro>ect early+ the construction company has saved us much time.
I+ as a veteran patron+ am really disappointed by this customer service.
"onsidering the recent increase+ I am not surprised by the higher number.
Given the recent increase+ I am not surprised by the higher number.
)hen using this medication+ you may experience irritation or dryness.
&xampling some other modifying errors is worthwhile.
Ais*la)e limiti&g moi:iers usually occur when the verb of a sentence is adverbially
modified and the intention is to instead modify the verb,s ob>ect.
0ob almost sold candy to every person in the neighborhood!
It is more li3ely that the intended meaning was this$
0ob sold candy to almost every person in the neighborhood!
"5ui&ti&g moi:iers occur when an adverb could be modifying either a word before it or one
after it.
&ating food Buic3ly causes hunger.
*oes Buic3ly eating food cause hunger+ or does eating food Buic3ly cause hunger2 )e need
to clarify$
#uic3ly eating food causes hunger. or
&ating food causes hunger Buic3ly.
%m(iguous *re*ositio&al moi:iers can usually be avoided only be rewor3ing a sentence,s
structure. "onsider this ambiguous sentence$
I stopped the oil flow with my child.
*id you use the child to stop the flow+ or did you and the child stop the flow together2
"onsider this example as well <though it;s not technically a prepositional mis:modifier=$
I want to show my best friend Buidward to everyone in town wearing a salmon suit.
8 In!initives comprise the base form of a word and to. (or example+ the infinitive
of eat is to eat. That is the present infinitiveI there are also perfect infinitives+ such asto
ha,e eate& <e.g.+ ' 0a&t to ha,e eate& a hot og (1 the time ' get home=.
There is not much to 3now about infinitives for the AT. A commonly cited 4error4 is the split
infinitive+ in which an adverb intervenes between to and the base form of the verb+ as in to
ha**il1 eat. This is+ however+ not a real error.
8 #erunds function as nouns and always end in the suffix =i&g.
"ailing to distinguish bet'een participles and gerunds$ &arlier+ I offered this
ungrammatical sentence$
I loo3ed up and saw a person stealing my burrito!
steali&g is a gerund there. Gerunds need to be treated as nouns+ and a noun can be
modified by another noun or pronoun only if that noun or pronoun is in the possessive case.
o the sentence must be revised thus$
I loo3ed up and saw a person,s stealing my burrito!
After all+ it is the stealing that most interests the spea3er+ not the person. If+ however+ the
logical emphasis is on the non:gerund noun+ the modifier is best thought of as a participle+
as in$
I loo3ed up and saw the !resident wal3ing to his car!
"learly+ the spea3er is referring to the fact that he saw the !residentI what the !resident
was doing was incidental. Thus+ we do not use the possessive case. "onsider this sentence$
I loo3ed up and saw the !residentM!resident,s wal3ing toward me!
In this case either form is >ustifiable$ the spea3er could be ama9ed by the action <i.e.+ the
!resident,s wal3ing toward him or her= or the person himself. "onsider these examples+ in
which the possessive case is rendered necessary because of the intent of the sentence$
His not being here is frustrating.
I don,t li3e my dog,s peeing on the rug.
.y son,s running into me caused my in>ury.
The failure of the system was due to its not being well regulated.
(or these sentences the words ending in =i&g are participles$
I don,t want to buy a computer nearing the end of its life.
Around the corner was my long:lost dog sitting on the sidewal3.
However+ we do ma3e practical exceptions to the general rule that gerunds must be
possessively modified. )ith indefinite and reflexive pronouns+ for example+ using the
possessive form is either particularly aw3ward or impossible$
&verybody,s doing his or her own wor3 helped get the pro>ect done.
I don,t li3e myself,s not having high self:esteem.
The first sentence sounds so aw3ward that you may avoid the possessive case for that one+
but using it is not ungrammatical. In the second sentence+ though+ we cannot use the
possessive form because no such word exists.
7n the Improving entences Buestions of the AT+ it will often ungrammatically precede a
gerund <usually (ei&g=. If you can determine that (ei&g is not being used as a participle+
you can rule that answer out. "onsider these sentences$
I am so happy about it being cheap!
uch a sentence is incorrect+ because the spea3er is happy about the cheapness. It must be
rewritten as$
I am so happy about its being cheap!
Incorrectl& using a gerund or in!initive as a complement$ )hen an infinitive or
gerund is the ob>ect of a verb+ we call it that verb,s complement. ome verbs must ta3e
infinitive complementsI others must ta3e gerund complementsI and some can ta3e either.
ome nouns also ta3e infinitive or gerund complements. (ollow these guidelines for deciding
whether to use an infinitive or gerund.
Abstract nouns usually ta3e infinitive complements. ome common abstract nouns
are te&e&)1, moti,atio&, and esire. o+ one would say that someone has ate&e&)1 to+
for example+ exaggerate things.
The ob>ect of a preposition is often a gerund. 7ne says that they need help 0ith
getti&g elected.
<The following lists are adapted from here.=
The following verbs ta3e infinitive complements$
agree
aim
appear
arrange
as3
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend
consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
disli3e
expect
fail
forget
get
happen
have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
li3e
long
love
mean
neglect
offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
remember
say
shoot
start
stop
strive
swear
threaten
try
use
wait
want
wish
The following verbs can ta3e an ob>ect and an infinitive+ as in ' 0ill a,ise him to sto*+
where him is the ob>ect$
advise
allow
as3
beg
bring
build
buy
challenge
choose
command
dare
direct
encourage
expect
forbid
force
have
hire
instruct
invite
lead
leave
let
li3e
love
motivate
order
pay
permit
persuade
prepare
promise
remind
reBuire
send
teach
tell
urge
want
warn
The following verbs ta3e gerund complements$
admit
advise
appreciate
avoid
can,t help
complete
consider
delay
deny
detest
disli3e
en>oy
escape
excuse
finish
forbid
get through
have
imagine
mind
miss
permit
postpone
practice
Buit
recall
report
resent
resist
resume
ris3
spend <time=
suggest
tolerate
waste <time=
The following verbs can ta3e a preposition and a gerund+ as in .e talke a(out sto**i&g$
admit to
approve of
argue about
believe in
care about
complain about
concentrate on
confess to
depend on
disapprove of
discourage from
dream about
feel li3e
forget about
insist on
ob>ect to
plan on
prevent <someone= from
refrain from
succeed in
tal3 about
thin3 about
worry about
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The Conjunction$ "on>unctions li3e hoo3ing up words+ phrases+ and clauses.
8 The coordinating con>unctions are a&, or, &or, (ut, 1et, and so. They have many uses+
including connecting two independent clauses. "lauses comprise a sub>ect and
a *rei)ate <the verb and all its complements and modifiers=. Independent clauses are those
that can stand alone. "onsider this sentence+ in which a coordinating con>unction is used to
connect two independent clauses$
I went to the store+ and I saw the manager.
If we had not repeated the sub>ect '+ there would have only been one independent clause
<but with a compound verb=$
I went to the store and saw the manager
"ommas are always used before coordinating con>unctions that are connecting two
independent clauses unless the two clauses are very short and have the same sub>ect+ as
in$
He ate and then he slept.
8sing a comma there would also be correct+ though. )hen a comma is used to connect two
independent clauses that are not >oined by a coordinating con>unction+ it is called a comma
splice. In American &nglish <and on the AT and A"T=+ comma splices are incorrect.
"onsider these examples of the comma splice$
I am hungry+ I need to eat.
I don,t li3e you+ thus you must leave.
6ou seem nice+ however+ you >ust destroyed the un.
I ate my sandwich+ then I watched the movie.
These sentences could be corrected in a variety of ways$ using a coordinating con>unction+
using a semicolon+ or creating two sentences. 5ust ma3e sure that+ if you do use a
coordinating con>unction+ the con>unction is logical. (or example+ one should not say$
I am hungry+ and I do not eat.
I am hungry+ but I am about to go buy food.
These could be corrected thus$
I am hungry+ but I do not eat.
I am hungry+ so I am about to go buy food.
I often hear people claim that sentences should not be started with coordinating
con>unctions+ but doing so is perfectly grammatical. omething that should be avoided+
though+ is using coordinate con>unctions redundantly+ as in$
I bought a llama+ but I could not afford it+ however.
This could be correct as <among other possibilities=$
I bought a llama+ but I could afford it.
I bought a llama. However+ I could not afford it.
8 ubordinating con>unctions <e.g.+ although, u&less, (e)ause, i:= introduce adverbial
clauses+ which are a special type of dependent clause <i.e.+ a clause that cannot stand
alone=. Adverbial clauses modify entire independent clauses. Introductory dependent
clauses are often adverbial+ as in <underlined words are subordinating con>unctions=$
Although I cannot afford it+ I will buy a llama.
0ecause I need a drin3+ I will ma3e this sandwich.
However+ they need not be introductoryI in fact+ adverbial clauses can be freely moved
around a clause. "onsider these examples$
I will go even though I don,t want to.
The plan will continue as planned unless it does not.
As with coordinating con>unctions+ illogic and redundancy must be avoided. These sentences
are incorrect$
Although the man is nice+ he gave to charity.
&ven though he is ready+ he will nevertheless not go on stage.
&e,ertheless is a con>unctive adverb <as are words li3e ho0e,er and thus= and+ therefore+
has the same semantic effect as e,e& though.
8 "orrelative con>unctions are used in pairs. ome common ones are$
both...and...
either...or...
neither...nor...
not only...but also
whether...or
The only exceptions to these$ also is sometimes omitted in the fourth con>unction pair+
and or may be omitted in the fifth con>unction if the alternative would be a negation <for
example+ ' o&9t k&o0 0hether to go or &ot may be abbreviated as ' o&9t k&o0 0hether to
go=. Here are some examples of these con>unctions$
0oth 0ob and 0ob,s dog are leaving soon.
I want either a moon or a star.
He is neither mean nor nice.
He not only went to the store+ but also tore it down.
)hether you stay here or go build a museum is up to you.
The phrases so+++that+ asFas+ and 4ust asFso too also fit this form and are worth
mentioning$
He is so hungry that he could eat a piece of fruit!
I am as hungry as an eater!
5ust as you are a moose+ so too am I an animal.
"orrelative con>unctions provide a good opportunity to broach *arallelism+ which <roughly
spea3ing= reBuires that words that are used in similar structural ways must be parallel. 'et,s
first explore this with correlative con>unctions in particular$ the words on either side of the
second part of the correlative con>unction must be parallel in form. To better understand
what )orre)t *arallelism implies+ consider these examples of incorrect parallelism
with (oth+++a& <the red areas must be parallel to each other=$
I li3e both dancing and to sing.
That sentence is incorrect because to ha,e+ an infinitive+ is not parallel
with ru&&i&g and eati&g+ which are both gerunds.
0ob both li3es to eat and to wal3.
The infinitive to 0alk is not parallel with the con>ugated verb likes. This could be corrected
by writing likes (oth to eat a& to 0alk or likes to (oth eat a& 0alk.
0ob loo3ed both in the window and the mirror.
7ne phrase has a prepositionI the other does not. This can be corrected by writing (oth i&
the 0i&o0 a& i& the mirror or i& (oth the 0i&o0 a& the mirror.
These rules apply similarly to the other correlative con>unctions. Also+ the rule about
gerunds and infinitives applies even when there is no correlative con>unction+ as in$
0ob li3es eating+ wal3ing+ and to have a great time.
This sentence is incorrect because to ha,e is the only infinitiveI the others are gerunds.
!repositional parallelism must also be observed$
)e went to the theater on the fourth day+ the fifth day+ and on the sixth day of the show.
The sentence can be grammatically rewritten in either of the following two ways$
)e went to the theater on the fourth day+ on the fifth day+ and on the sixth day of the show.
)e went to the theater on the fourth day+ the fifth day+ and the sixth day of the show.
Articles <e.g.+ the and a= must also be parallel$
I read the first+ second+ and the third boo3s.
'i3ewise+ this sentence can be rewritten as$
I read the first+ second+ and third boo3s. or
I read the first+ the second+ and the third boo3s.
(or more examples of how to apply the principle of parallelism+ consider these pairs of
sentences from here <sentences in italics are not parallel=$
!huong Tran has wit+ charm+ and a pleasing personality.
Phuo&g Tra& has 0it, )harm, a& she has a& e<tremel1 *leasa&t *erso&alit1+
In &nglish class+ Tashonda learned to read poems critically and to appreciate good prose.
'& >&glish )lass, Tasho&a lear&e to rea *oems )riti)all1 a& she a**re)iate goo *rose+
He wanted three things out of college$ to learn a s3ill+ to ma3e good friends+ and to learn
about life.
2e 0a&te three thi&gs out o: )ollege! to lear& a skill, to make goo :rie&s, a& lear&i&g
a(out li:e+
"oach &spino9a was a brilliant strategist+ a caring mentor+ and a wise friend.
$oa)h >s*i&o7a 0as a (rillia&t strategist, a )ari&g me&tor, a& :rie&+
)e found the film repulsive+ offensive+ and embarrassing.
.e :ou& the :ilm re*ulsi,e, o::e&si,e, a& 0e thought it 0as em(arrassi&g+
.r. -guyen 3ept his store clean+ neat+ and conveniently arranged.
Ar+ Cgu1e& ke*t his store )lea&, &eat, a& he mae it )o&,e&ie&tl1 arra&ge+
!rofessor Ali rewarded his students for wor3ing hard on the final pro>ect and going beyond
the call of duty.
Pro:essor %li re0are his stue&ts :or their har 0ork o& the :i&al *ro4e)t a& goi&g
(e1o& the )all o: ut1+
"omparisons+ moreover+ must be logically parallel. That is+ the things that are being
compared must be grammatically parallel <as was exampled above= and of the same logical
type. (or example$
.y team,s uniforms are better than your team.
8niforms cannot logically be compared to a team in this context+ so the sentence is
incorrect. "onsider this sentence$
imilar to my computer+ your computer,s monitor has poor resolution.
7nly monitors+ not computers+ can have poor resolution+ so this is illogical. "onsider this
sentence$
The !resident,s agenda+ li3e his predecessor+ focused on appeasing the superficial interests
of his constituency.
An agenda is being compared to a !resident+ which is illogical. 8sing a pronoun+ we could
correct the sentence thus$
The !resident,s agenda+ li3e that of his predecessor+ focused on appeasing the superficial
interests of his constituency.
The following sentences illustrate another comparison error that appears freBuently on the
AT$
.exico is better than any country in -orth America.
He is better than anyone.
)hen the ob>ect of comparison is included in what it is being compared to+ the comparison
is illogical. )e can usually fix this by using other or else$
.exico is better than any other country in -orth America.
He is better than anyone else.
All that;s left to mention+ I believe+ is diction. The AT will occasionally test your ability to
recogni9e an incorrect word+ usually one that is spelled or pronounced very similarly to the
intended word. 0ecause there is no general guiding principle behind appropriate diction+ this
section is somewhat difficult to prepare for. However+ if you would li3e to try to do so+ I
recommend reading through this. If you choose not to+ though+ you won;t be penali9ed
more than one Buestion at the most. <If you do use that )eb site+ you can disregard all
entries on proper nouns and any issues that seem especially esoteric.=
<It loo3s as though+ in the end+ everything ended up fitting under S!arts of peech.T=
I should reiterate that grammatical terms will never be explicitly tested on the AT.
-onetheless+ relying merely on your auditory intuition is woefully unreliable and is generally
unsuccessful at tac3ling the more difficult Buestions. (or that reason+ I wrote this guide.
I hope that you found this grammar guide helpful. If you understand all the concepts that I
presented and you ta3e a couple practice tests to help you apply the material and get a
hang of the section+ it is reasonable to expect to miss very few+ if any+ Buestions on the AT
)riting section.
8888 8888 8888 8888 8888 8888 8888
+mproving Sentences !uestions
These Buestions test your ability to choose the best variation on a given sentence. In
deciding which choice is 4best+4 you should first consider grammar. If an option is
ungrammatical+ it will never be the correct answer. )hen you are going through the choices
initially+ you are on the hunt for any mista3esI this usually narrows your choices significantly
and can occasionally lead you to a single correct answer.
If choices remain after filtering out the ungrammatical ones+ you must next consider the
clarity of the sentence. Are all of the pronouns as unambiguous as they can be2 *oes the
sentence flow logically2 Are the con>unctions consistent with the intended meaning of the
choice2 These Buestions should be running through your mind.
If more than one choice remains after applying these techniBues+ go with the more concise
choice. 7nce ungrammatical choices are eliminated+ the correct choice will be the shortest
one the vast ma>ority of the time. Neep in mind+ however+ that the "ollege 0oard would not
consider a choice better simply because it was shorter than anotherI there is typically an
unnecessarily wordy+ aw3ward spot that contributes to the length.
+dentifying Errors !uestions
These Buestions test your ability to recogni9e usage errors and incorrect grammar. A
sentence with four underlined words or phrases will be presented. If one of these four
underlined portions contains an error+ select it as the answer. If you thin3 that there is more
than one error+ you have made a mista3e. If there is no error+ select <&= as the answer.
These Buestions are relatively straightforward and do not reBuire a deep strategyI if you
3now your grammar <as I hope you do if you have gone through the previous posts=+ you
will do very well. The only strategic thing I do is to mar3 each Buestion that I thin3 has no
error. )hen I have finished+ I return to the mar3ed Buestions to ensure that there is truly no
error. )hile there is no predetermined number of Buestions that will have no error+ it is good
to 3eep in mind that approximately G@L of the Buestions will have no error on any given
test. 0ut don,t let this fact cause you to second:guess answers that you had been confident
about.
+mproving 'aragraphs !uestions
"ompared to the rest of the )riting section+ these Buestions have less to do with grammar
and more to do with well:organi9ed writing. *iction and clarity also come up.
Among other things+ you,ll be as3ed to provide better alternatives for sentences and
phrases+ to fix the syntax of a sentence+ and to rearrange sentences within the paragraphs.
(or the most part+ the Buestions are not as ob>ective or straightforward as the rest of the
)riting section+ so your best preparation will be to wor3 through the Improving !aragraphs
Buestions from The Blue Book. 7nce you get a hang of these+ however+ they can become
Buite easy.
PRACTIC) *0
Try these Buestions. The first eleven are Improving entences Buestions+ the next eighteen
are Identifying &rrors Buestions+ and the final six are Improving !aragraphs Buestions.
<Answers and explanations appear below.=
+, 0y the beginning of E?HH+ events are reaching a stage that made war between 0ritain
and (rance all but inevitable.
<A= -o change
<0= will reach
<"= could reach
<*= having reached
<&= had reached
-, The chair of the school board announced a plan to build two new elementary schools
during an interview with a local news reporter.
<A= -o change
<0= The chair of the school board announced that two new elementary schools were planned
to be built during an interview with a local news reporter.
<"= The chair of the school board+ during an interview with a local news reporter+ announced
a plan building two new elementary schools.
<*= *uring an interview with a local news reporter+ the chair of the school board announcing
a plan to build two new elementary schools.
<&= *uring an interview with a local news reporter+ the chair of the school board announced
a plan to build two new elementary schools.
., The new political science curriculum at some high schools in India+ encouraging teachers
to use cartoon and newspaper clipping to provo3e classroom debate on contemporary
issues.
<A= -o change
<0= India+ which encourages teachers to use cartoons and newspaper clippings+ and
provo3es
<"= India is encouraging teachers to use cartoons and newspaper clipping and then
provo3ing
<*= India encourages teachers to use cartoons and newspaper clippings to provo3e
<&= India so encourages teachers to use cartoons and newspaper clippings as provo3ing
/, The museum experienced a greatly increased number of visitors in one year+ and analysts
cited the museum,s expansion+ free admission+ and new family:oriented education center to
be reasons for their appeal.
<A= -o change
<0= to be a reason for their
<"= as being reasons for their
<*= as reasons for its
<&= as a reason for its
0, "ritics often eBuate the popular appeal of a wor3 of art with inferiority+ forgetting that
ha3espeare wrote his extraordinary plays primarily to please his audience.
<A= -o change
<0= "ritics often eBuate the popular appeal of a wor3 of art with inferiority+ they forget
<"= "ritics+ who often eBuate the popular appeal of a wor3 of art with inferiority+ forgetting
<*= 7ften eBuating the popular appeal of a wor3 of art with inferiority are critics+ they forget
<&= The popular appeal of a wor3 of art often eBuated by critics as being the same as
inferiority+ they forget
2, The beaver is the largest rodent in -orth America+ it has a large+ flat+ nearly hairless tailI
webbed hind feetI and short front legs with hairy claws.
<A= -o change
<0= The beaver being the largest rodent in -orth America+ it
<"= The beaver+ the largest rodent in -orth America+ which
<*= The largest rodent in -orth America+ the beaver
<&= The largest rodents in -orth America+ the beaver
3, To persuade his parents to let him study abroad+ Nenneth described other students,
positive experiences+ explains how foreign study would benefit his future career+ and
assured them that he could get financial aid.
<A= -o change
<0= explained how foreign study would benefit his future career+ and assured
<"= explaining how foreign study is beneficial to his future career+ and assures
<*= he explained how foreign study would benefit his future career+ and assuring
<&= in explaining how foreign study would benefit his future career+ and he assures
4, The art classes at the village museum are more important for their social value than for
their educational contributions.
<A= -o change
<0= than in the contributions they ma3e educationally
<"= rather than for the contributions they ma3e educationally
<*= instead of for their educational contributions
<&= not the educational contributions they ma3e
B, The vice president of the 8nited tates is also the president of the enate+ the vice
president is not a senator and does not vote on enate matters except to brea3 a tie.
<A= -o change
<0= the vice president+ who is not
<"= however+ the vice president+ not being
<*= although the vice president is not
<&= and the vice president+ who is not
+C, Although numbered among the most technically demanding pieces ever created for
piano+ (rederic "hopin wrote compositions that emphasi9e nuance and expressive depth
over mere technical display.
<A= -o change
<0= (rederic "hopin wrote compositions emphasi9ing
<"= when (rederic "hopin wrote compositions+ they emphasi9ed
<*= (rederic "hopin,s compositions that emphasi9ed
<&= (rederic "hopin,s compositions emphasi9e
++, 0y painting them this afternoon+ the walls would be completely dry by tomorrow
evening.
<A= -o change
<0= If they would have been painted
<"= )ere they to be painted
<*= After painting them
<&= They would have been painted
+-, 'earning a foreign language is difficult not only because most languages contain an
enormous number of words and because people need to use a language often to
become comfortable with it. -o error
+., -ellie 'utcher did not achieve success Buic3ly$ she had been giving live
performances for over a decade before she will record her first hit song. -o error
+/, Nen Alice -,doye+ who earned a reputation as a caterer and then opened her own
ba3ery+ but first learned to coo3 by preparing food for her own family. -o error
+0, The introduction of paraffin wax in EDK@ enabled candle ma3ers to produce candles that
burned more clean than those made with tallow or beeswax. -o error
+2, The sculptures of .ichael Napetan function as sundials+ 3ept time by
casting shadows that show the path of the un. -o error
+3, It is now generally agreed that the rings of the planet aturn are composed
of several billion small ice particles. -o error
+4, "uban music was so popular in the "olombian city of "ali thus becoming the
basis for the dance scene that predominated there during the EFC@s. -o error
+B, The U chromosome was named 4U4 because researchers were baffled by its
behavior+ not because of its resemblance to the letter U. -o error
-C, A big vegetable salad is generally more nutritious than a low:fat pasta dish+ but either
meal would be good choices for the health:conscious eater. -o error
-+, eventy:five percent of the apples sold in -ew 6or3 "ity come from the )est "oast or
overseas+ even though -ew 6or3 tate produces more than enough apples to meet the city,s
needs. -o error
--, *espite the heavy rain+ the television reporter+ accompanied by her loyal film
crew+ were willing to wait outside the hotel until the delegates finished their meeting.-o
error
-., The number of travelers which reached the Americas+ by accident or design+ well
before "olumbus is enormous+ if we are to believe every claim. -o error
-/, The people sitting behind me in the movie theater were tal3ing throughout the film and
would not 3eep their voice down even after being as3ed to do so. -o error
-0, 7f the more than H@ entries in the high school science fair+ arah,s
pro>ect was declared more innovative by the panel of six >udges. -o error
-2, !erhaps the most extraordinary feature of the African
elephant is their ama9ingly versatile trun3. -o error
-3, 'angston Hughes may be best 3nown for his poetry+ but included among his many
published wor3s are a si9able a collection of short stories. -o error
-4, In EFDD a oviet icebrea3ing ship helped free three gray whales that had become
trapped in the Arctic ice after they had swam into the coastal waters of Alas3a to feed. -o
error
-B, The 0actrian camel is well adapted to the extreme climate of its native
.ongolia+ having thic3 fur and underwool that 3eeps it warm in winter and also insulate
against summer heat. -o error
Duestions .C8.0 re!er to the !ollo'ing passage,
E+F 7ver H+@@@ years ago+ the early &gyptians used the wind to power their sailing
ships. E-F )indmills were invented in !ersia in the ninth century+ where their first use was
to grind grains. E.F )indmills were later used to pump water and run sawmills. E/F Today+
windmills+ or wind turbines+ are used primarily to generate electricity+ especially in
&urope. E0F Another renewable energy source with many useful applications is solar power.
E2F In recent years+ wind power has demonstrated many advantages over conventional
power source. E3F 0ecause wind power is a renewable resource+ it does not deplete &arth,s
natural resources.
E4F )ind power may seem to offer a perfect solution to the world,s increasing need for safe+
clean energy sources. EBF .any people worry that birds+ particularly birds of prey+ may be
harmed by wind turbines. E+CF ome people are also concerned that large wind farms may
interrupt birds, migratory patterns+ although they counter that conventional electrical power
lines pose much more of a threat to birds. E++F Also+ you have the fields of large wind
turbines that are typically placed on ridgelines in hilly or mountainous regions+ where many
people feel that they spoil the beauty of the natural landscape. E+-F (inally+ because wind is
variable even in the windiest locations+ maintaining a steady supply of wind:generated
electricity poses a significant challenge.
.C, )hich of the following sentences would be best to place at the beginning of the passage
/before sentence E2
<A= !eople stopped building windmills when steam power replaced wind power as an
economical way of generating energy.
<0= ince ancient times+ people have produced flour by using stones to grind grain.
<"= &ven in wor3s of fiction+ such as /o& @ui<ote e la Aa&)ha+ windmills appear.
<*= ailing ships operate on many of the same principles as windmills.
<&= The harnessing of the wind to generate power for human activity has ancient origins.
.+, In context+ which of the following is the best way to deal with sentence H2
<A= "hange 4Another4 to 4An eBually.4
<0= "hange 4with4 to 4that is 3nown to have.4
<"= "hange 4many useful4 to 4widespread practical.4
<*= .ove it to the beginning of the next paragraph.
<&= *elete it from the passage.
.-, In context+ the second paragraph would be most improved by including
<A= a brief list of reasons that some people prefer conventional power sources to wind power
<0= information on how ancient windmills differed from modern ones
<"= additional examples of advantages that wind power has over conventional power
<*= a list of countries that depend on windmills to produce energy
<&= an account of how windmills are constructed
.., In context+ which of the following is the best version of the underlined portion of
sentence E@2
"ome *eo*le are also )o&)er&e that large 0i& :arms ma1 i&terru*t (irs9 migrator1
*atter&s, although the1 )ou&ter that )o&,e&tio&al ele)tri)al *o0er li&es *ose mu)h more o:
a threat to (irs+
<A= they would li3e to argue
<0= their argument for wind power is
<"= the people who were for wind power argued
<*= people in favor of wind power argue
<&= to argue in favor of wind power means
./, In context+ which of the following is the best version of the underlined portion of
sentence EE2
%lso, 1ou ha,e the :iels o: large 0i& tur(i&es that are t1*i)all1 *la)e o& rigeli&es i& hill1
or mou&tai&ous regio&s, 0here ma&1 *eo*le :eel that the1 s*oil the (eaut1 o: the &atural
la&s)a*e+
<A= (ortunately+ there are
<0= Granted+ there are also
<"= In addition+ not everyone welcomes
<*= In this case+ the exception is
<&= Alternatively+ this points to
.0, In context+ where should the following sentence be placed2
't *rese&ts *ro(lems o: its o0&, ho0e,er+
<A= 0efore sentence G
<0= 0efore sentence C
<"= 0efore sentence D
<*= 0efore sentence F
<&= 0efore sentence EG
PRACTIC) *0 A1SW)RS
+, &
To*i)! 6er( Te&se
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
)e see (1+ which is a trigger that lets us 3now that one of the perfect tenses should be
used. "hoice <&= is+ then+ the only possible answer. Additionally+ the other choices, tenses
are incorrect <we are spea3ing about E?HH+ which is in the past=.
-, &
To*i)! %m(iguous moi:i)atio&
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
"hoices <A= and <0= are incorrect because uri&g a& i&ter,ie0 0ith a lo)al &e0s
re*orter could be indicating when the announcement was made or when the schools will be
built. "hoice <"= is incorrect because the plan itself is not building schools. "hoice <*= is
incorrect because there is no con>ugated verb. "hoice <&= is correct because the
modification is unambiguousI we 3now that the announcement was made during the
interview.
., *
To*i)! 6er(s
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
"hoice <A= is incorrect because there is no con>ugated verb. "hoice <0= is incorrect because+
if we disregard the independent clause+ the sentence ungrammatically reads+ 4India...and
provo3es.4 'i3ewise+ choice <"= reads+ 4India is encouraging...and then provo3ing.4 "hoice
<*= is correct. "hoice <&= is incorrect because it does not follow the correct form of so+++as.
/, *
To*i)! Cum(er %greeme&t, $orre)t Pre*ositio&s
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
The correct form is )ite as. This leaves choices <*= and <&=+ only one of which is
appropriately plural.
0, A
To*i)! $omma "*li)es
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
"hoice <0= connects two independent clauses without a coordinating con>unctionI an
ungrammatical comma splice results. "hoice <"= has no independent clause. "hoice <*= also
has a comma splice+ as does choice <&=.
2, *
To*i)! $omma "*li)es, Cum(er %greeme&t, Parti)i*ial Phrases
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
"hoice <A= has a comma splice. "hoice <0= does not use the participial phrase correctlyI it
could have been written as Bei&g the largest roe&t i& Corth %meri)a, the (ea,er+ however.
"hoice <"=+ when we omit the dependent clause+ reads+ 4The beaver...which.4 "hoice <&=
does not employ proper agreement$ roe&ts is plural+ but(ea,er is singular.
3, 0
To*i)! Parallelism, 6er( Te&se
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
The verbs in a list such as this must be parallel in form and consistent in tense. 7nly choice
<0= satisfies this reBuirement.
4, A
To*i)! Parallel $om*ariso&s
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
)hat follows tha& must be parallel with :or their so)ial ,alue.
B, *
To*i)! $omma "*li)es, "u(ori&atio&
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
"hoice <A= creates a comma splice. "hoices <0=+ <"=+ and <*= are nonsensical syntactically.
"hoice <*= correctly subordinates the dependent clause. <This sentence was probably
directed toward arah !alin.=
+C, &
To*i)! Parti)i*ial Phrases
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
Recall that the sub>ect of the clause that a participial phrase is ad>acent to must be what
that phrase is ad>ectively modifying. "hoices <A= and <0= illogically indicate that "hopin is a
musical wor3. "hoice <*= has no independent clause.
++, "
To*i)! Parti)i*ial Phrases, 6er( Te&ses
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
"hoices <A= and <*= create mis:modifying participial phrases$ the walls did not paint
themselves. "hoice <0= has the incorrect tense <the sentence would have had to be
reworded as ': the1 0oul ha,e (ee& *ai&te this a:ter&oo&, the 0alls 0oul ha,e (ee&
)om*letel1 r1 (1 tomorro0 e,e&i&g=. "hoice <&= creates a comma splice.
+-, "
To*i)! $orrelati,e $o&4u&)tio&s
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
"hoice <"= is ungrammatical because the correct form is &ot o&l1+++(ut also.
+., *
To*i)! 6er( Te&se
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
In context+ it is illogical to use the future tense.
+/, "
To*i)! $oori&atio&
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
)hen we omit the dependent clause+ the sentence reads+ 4Nen Alice -,doye...but first
learned.4
+0, "
To*i)! %,er(=%4e)ti,e $o&:usio&
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
more )lea& is modifying (ur&e+ a verb. Thus+ the ad>ective )lea& should be the
adverb )lea&l1.
+2, 0
To*i)! "1&ta<
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- $ommo& se&se su::i)es+
The sentence ma3es no sense with the verb in its current location.
+3, &
To*i)! /umm1 Pro&ou&s
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
There is no error. *on,t forget that some pronouns are not trying to refer to anything
<informally called 4dummy pronouns4=I in this case+ it is one of those pronouns.
+4, 0
To*i)! $orrelati,e $o&4u&)tio&s
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
The correct form is so+++that.
+B, &
To*i)! The %(se&)e o: a To*i)
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
There is no error.
-C, *
To*i)! Cum(er %greeme&t
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
either meal is singular+ but goo )hoi)es is plural. <*= is a good choice.
-+, &
To*i)! The %(se&)e o: a To*i)
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
There is no error.
--, 0
To*i)! "u(4e)t=6er( %greeme&t
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
Recall that intervening phrases do not affect agreement+ so the sentence incorrectly reads+
4the television reporter...were willing.4
-., A
To*i)! Gelati,e Pro&ou&s
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
Recall that the relative pronoun 0hi)h should not be used with people.
-/, "
To*i)! Cum(er %greeme&t
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
.ore than one person will have one more than one voice.
-0, *
To*i)! $om*arati,e="u*erlati,e >rrors
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
)hen we are comparing from among three or more entities+ the superlative+ not the
comparative+ form must be used. The superlative form of i&&o,ati,e is most i&&o,ati,e.
-2, "
To*i)! Cum(er %greeme&t
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
their is plural <in the "ollege 0oard,s eyes+ that is=I ele*ha&t is singular.
-3, *
To*i)! "u(4e)t=6er( %greeme&t
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
*on,t be fooled by the inverted constructionI even though the sub>ect comes after the verb+
they must still agree. )olle)tio& is singularI are is plural.
-4, "
To*i)! Past Parti)i*les
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
Recall that the past participle of s0im is s0um.
-B, "
To*i)! "u(4e)t=6er( %greeme&t
$oul the a&s0er (e etermi&e (1 usi&g the grammar guie- Des+
At first glance+ the dependent clause <i.e.+ that kee*s it+++= could be modifying either :ur a&
u&er0ool or u&er0ool. If that were the case+ kee*s would be correct as either singular or
plural. However+ i&sulate is plural+ so we 3now that the compound sub>ect is being modified.
.C, &
The first paragraph is tal3ing about windmills and begins with a historical perspective.
.+, &
-one of the rest of the passage refers to solar powerI to bring it up is going off topicP.
<P *id you notice the lac3 of parallelism2 )e can,t mix gerunds and infinitives.=
.-, "
A single example does not support the scope of the first sentence,s claim.
.., *
7nly choice <*= is unambiguous and in the correct tense.
./, "
The author is providing an additional ob>ection.
.0, *
The sentence most clearly contrasts with sentence D+ which is consistent with the semantic
implication of the con>unctive adverb ho0e,er.
The Essay
The AT essay tests your ability to write in a superficially good way. That,s right$ the
thoughtfulness and clarity of conception that ordinarily characteri9e effective writing apply
much less on the AT. The graders will spend about two minutes <at most= on each essay+
and the result is a rather shallow and formulaic analysis of your writing. They do+ after all+
have to get through hundreds of thousands of essays within a couple wee3s.
6ou will be presented with a prompt/one that has two >ustifiable sides. 6our >ob is to select
a side and support it with examples. *o not veer off topic <you will receive a score of @= or
attempt to find a middle groundI pic3 a side and stic3 with it. !ic3 whichever side you can
more easily and cogently support.
There is no prescribed format for the essay. 6ou don,t need five paragraphs+ your thesis
need not be at the end of your first paragraph <though this is generally a good idea=+ and
you don,t need an elaborate introduction and conclusion. Try to shoot for around a three:
sentence introduction and a two:to:three:sentence conclusion. It is commonly cited that
three examples are necessary for a great scoreI this is false. A single+ well:supported
example is always preferable to three+ scarcely:supported examples. .ost people find that
going with two examples wor3s best for them.
0ecause of the time constraints+ the essay graders will begin to notice correlations and use
them to more efficiently assess the essays. 7ne of these is length$ longer essays+ on
average+ tend to be better. As a result+ graders will automatically associate length with
Buality. Again+ there is no reBuired length+ but I highly recommend that you aim to fill up
both pages.
!racticing the typical good writing habits is important. %ary your sentence types+ employ
descriptive and a**ro*riate vocabulary when you feel comfortable doing so+ and try to
establish good fluidity <by smartly using con>unctive adverbs+ for example=. Avoiding salient
grammatical errors is important+ but the technical and rigorous approach to grammar that
characteri9ed my coverage of the rest of the )riting section is not relevant to the essayI
minor mista3es will not affect your score and may even go unnoticed.
As for what examples are acceptable+ >ust about anything will fly. However+ historical and
literary examples+ as opposed to personal examples+ tend to result in higher scores more
oftenI but+ again+ any type of example can be successful if done well. And the point of the
essay is to assess your writing s3ills+ not your 3nowledge of literature or history+ so carefully
and plausibly fabricating some historical details or boo3s is not a bad idea. <tay away from
citing very specific statistics+ thoughI they are almost never believable.=
It is impossible to ensure that you will receive a EG on the essay <each grader,s score
between @:A is summed=. Indeed+ because of the great inherent sub>ectivity and graders,
hesitancy to hand out A,s+ EG,s are Buite rare <each grader would have to give a A=.
Indicative of the randomness of the grading are the facts that EE,s are about three times as
common as EG,s <meaning that the graders gave different scores= and that about CL of
essays are sent to a third+ supervisory grader <meaning that the graders, scores varied by
two or more on a six:point scale=. .oreover+ F,s are nearly twice as common as E@,s. These
statistics do not reflect favorably on the "ollege 0oard. However+ it is possible to
consistently score E@ or higherI a great essay will almost always receive at least H from
each grader.
'uc3ily+ you won,t need a EG to score well on the )riting section of the AT. In fact+ on
every administration <so far+ at least= you can receive D@@ with a E@ as long as you do not
miss any multiple choice Buestions. If you do manage to get EG on the essay+ you can
usually miss up to two Buestions on the multiple choice and still pull off a 4perfect4 score
overall.
Scoring
To calculate your raw score on one of the three sections+ assign one point to correct answers
and deduct a Buarter of a point for each incorrect answer to a multiple choice Buestion <that
is+ this deduction does not apply to free:response .ath Buestions=. 7mitted Buestions do
not directly affect your raw score+ though the opportunity cost is still one point. The
deduction for incorrect+ as opposed to omitted+ Buestions is designed to compensate for
random guessing.
7nce you have completed that tallying+ round your score to the nearest integer valueI .H
rounds up <which is in your favor=. o incorrectly answering two Buestions is essentially the
same as omitting two Buestions+ but a third missed Buestion can cause a significant drop. I
explained some of the implications of this in my earlier discussion of when deciding whether
to guess or omit.
The raw score can then be converted to the scaled score <out of D@@=. It is in this conversion
that the curve of the test comes into play. This curve is not+ as some people believe+ an
artificial ad>ustment of the average that is applied occasionally if students, performance on
the test was below average. Instead+ the curve is inherent in the conversionI there is no
predetermined+ 4normal4 scaled score to which a given raw score converts. The "ollege
0oard employs a multifaceted approach to determining the appropriate curve+ including
consideration of a sample group,s performance on the test prior to the regular
administration and the test:ta3ing group,s performance on the unscored+ experimental
sections. Rest assured$ variations in difficulty among the tests are compensated for. This
means that it does not really matter which month you ta3e the test as long as you are well:
prepared.
ee here for selected historical curves. -ote+ though+ that the curves as of late have in
general been slightly less forgiving than they used to be+ most notably on the .ath section.
The reason for this is not clear.
The 'SAT
The !reliminary AT <!AT= is offered each 7ctober. The test is most commonly ta3en by
>uniors+ but some high schools encourage sophomores and freshmen to ta3e it as well.
8nli3e the AT+ which is scored out of GC@@+ the !AT is scored out of GC@I each section is
still worth one:third of the total composite score+ however. 0eyond the !AT,s being shorter
<>ust over two hours= and its not having an essay component+ the test is very similar to the
AT in content and style of Buestioning.
ome people have reported that they found the !AT to be easier. However+ I did not find
this to be case. Also+ the !AT .ath section supposedly covers even more basic concepts
than the AT .ath section does+ but again I noticed no difference. In any case the tests are
very similar. (or this reason preparing for either test will benefit you on the other. o
preparing for the !AT as you would the AT <a process that I explained earlier= is probably
your best bet. 5ust ma3e sure to try at least one !AT practice test so that you are familiar
with the format.
The determination of raw scores and scaled scores wor3s on the !AT as it does on the AT.
The only difference is that the !AT+ as a result of its having fewer Buestions+ tends to have
even less:forgiving curves.
'uc3ily+ however+ having an ultra:high !AT score is not important. The primary reason that
students ta3e the !AT <aside from being occasionally forced to by their schools= is to
Bualify for some sort of honor from the -ational .erit cholarship "orporation. 7nly
students, >unior:year scores can Bualify them for these honors+ which I explain below$
Around April of a student,s >unior year+ he or she may be notified of having a !AT
score that puts him or her among the top H@+@@@ high:school >uniors who too3 the
!AT. This is approximately the FA.Hth percentile.
In early senior year+ those H@+@@@ students are notified about whether they are
emifinalists <the top EA+@@@= or "ommended <the next KC+@@@=. tudents, scores
determine which they Bualify for+ and neither emifinalist nor "ommended status
confers a monetary value in itself. <ome schools do+ however+ give scholarships that
are dependent on these honors.=
emifinalists are as3ed to produce additional application materials+ such as an AT
score+ a high:school transcript+ and an essay. The AT score must be high enough to
affirm+ in the eyes of -ational .erit+ a student,s !AT score. The minimum
acceptable AT score is rumored to be around EF@@:G@@@. As long as a student
sends in these materials and meets the AT:score threshold+ he or she will be
become a (inalist. About EH+@@@ students become (inalists.
0ased on an assessment of the additional materials sent in <the !AT score is now
irrelevant=+ D+@@@ -ational .erit cholars are chosen. These students each receive
JG+H@@ <significantly more if the colleges that they attend give scholarships for this
honor=.
The "ommended score cutoff is a national thresholdI it applies similarly to all students. It
typically hovers between G@E and G@H. The emifinalist score cutoffs+ on the other hand+
vary from state to state. Here are the most recent cutoffs$
Alabama G@D
Alas3a GEE
Ari9ona GE@
Ar3ansas G@K
"alifornia GED
"olorado GEH
"onnecticut GED
*elaware GEF
*istrict of "olumbia GGE
(lorida GEE
Georgia GEC
Hawaii GEC
Idaho G@F
Illinois GEC
Indiana GEE
Iowa G@F
Nansas GEE
Nentuc3y G@F
'ouisiana G@?
.aine GEK
.aryland GGE
.assachusetts GGE
.ichigan G@F
.innesota GEH
.ississippi G@K
.issouri GEE
.ontana G@C
-ebras3a G@?
-evada G@G
-ew Hampshire GEK
-ew 5ersey GGE
-ew .exico G@D
-ew 6or3 GED
-orth "arolina GEC
-orth *a3ota G@G
7hio GEE
73lahoma G@?
7regon GEK
!ennsylvania GEC
Rhode Island GE?
outh "arolina GEE
outh *a3ota G@H
Tennessee GEK
Texas GEA
8tah G@A
%ermont GEK
%irginia GED
)ashington GE?
)est %irginia G@K
)isconsin G@?
)yoming G@E
-ew &nglandM.id Atlantic 0oarding chools GGE
If your parents wor3 for a participating company+ you could receive significant scholarship
money at lower thresholds. Additionally+ there are other distinction programs that -ational
.erit runs. -ational Hispanic Recognition !rogram recogni9es H+@@@ Hispanic students year.
pecifically <from here=$
#uote$
To qualif for this program, ou must be at least one-quarter ,ispanic$Fatino. ,ispanic$Fatino is
an ethnic categor, not a racial categor, and ou ma be of an race. For purposes of the 2,9A,
ou must be from a famil whose ancestors came from at least one of these countries; Argentina,
+olivia, +ra#il, .hile, .olombia, .osta 9ica, .uba, Bominican 9epublic, @cuador, @l Salvador,
Guatemala, ,onduras, De*ico, 2icaragua, Aanama, Aaragua, Aeru, Auerto 9ico, Spain,
Hrugua, or Iene#uela.
Here are the most recent Bualifying scores$
Region E : -ew &ngland : EDC
Region G : .id Atlantic : EDC
Region K : outh : EFK
Region C : outhwest : EDG
Region H : .idwest : EFK
Region A : )est : EDC
A K.H G!A <on a C:point scale= is also reBuiredI this can be weighted or unweighted. There
is no directly associated monetary award+ but+ again+ some colleges will award scholarships
to Bualifiers.
-ational .erit offers a program for African:American students as well+ called the -ational
Achievement cholarship !rogram. Approximately ?@@ students are chosen to receive
JG+H@@ scholarships.
)hen -ational .erit emifinalists are chosen+ they are given an opportunity to select two
4first:choice4 schools+ which will be notified of this selection. In doing so+ it is best to pic3
schools that award scholarships based on the honor or that consider demonstrated interest
in ma3ing admissions decisions <the latter fact can be found by searching a school,s
"ommon *ata et=. *on,t >ust select a top school because you thin3 that it will ma3e you
stand outI a significant number of top schools, applicants are emifinalists.
SAT Su&*ect Tests
AT ub>ect Tests <formerly called the AT II= test your 3nowledge and s3ills in specific
sub>ects. There are twenty different ub>ect Tests that are offered. Here is some
commentary about each of them.
Hiterature$ !oses interpretation Buestions based on passages and poetry from various eras.
In some ways+ it is a more difficult version of the "ritical Reading section of the AT. ome
basic 3nowledge of literature terms is reBuired. Getting a score of D@@ is very difficult.
0ecause of the number of practice tests that it contains+ this boo3 is a good preparatory
resource. (800 is the 99th *er)e&tileI 790 is the 99th *er)e&tile+ %rou& 59E61 (ra0 s)ore)
is re5uire :or 800+)
B&ite "tates 2istor1$ upposed to be slightly more detail:oriented than the A! 8 History
exam. The curve is rather generous+ however. Though designed for the A! test+ this boo3 is
an excellent resource for the ub>ect Test and has sufficient but well:presented detail. (800
is the 98th *er)e&tileI 790 is the 97th *er)e&tile+ %rou& 79E90 (ra0 s)ore) is re5uire :or
800+)
.orl 2istor1$ The test,s difficulty is largely mitigated by its very generous curve. (800 is
the 97th *er)e&tileI 790 is the 96th *er)e&tile+ %rou& 78E95 (ra0 s)ore) is re5uire :or
800+)
Aath He,el 1$ Although this test does not go in:depth as .ath 'evel G does+ the Buestions
reBuire slightly more problem:solving s3ills. .oreover+ the curve is very unforgiving. I
recommend against ta3ing this test unless you have not ta3en pre:calculus yet. -ote as well
that some schools do not accept this test <such as the 8niversity of "alifornia system=. (800
is the 99th *er)e&tileI 790 is the 99th *er)e&tile+ %rou& 49E50 (ra0 s)ore) is re5uire :or
800+)
Aath He,el 2$ The test covers some pre:calculus topics+ but the Buestions are fairly
straightforward. If you are loo3ing for very rigorous practice tests+ chec3 out0arron,s. (or
more realistic and efficient preparation+ !rinceton Review has accurate tests. par3notes
also has some decent practice testsI plus+ they,re free <they have some for a few other
sub>ects as well=. (800 is the 89th *er)e&tileI 790 is the 86th *er)e&tile+ %rou& 43=44E50
(ra0 s)ore) is re5uire :or 800+)
Biolog1$ There are two versions of this test$ &cological and .olecular. All 0iology test:ta3ers
will ta3e the same first sixty Buestions+ but the next twenty will focus on one of those two
areas. The test is 3nown to be somewhat difficult and has a relatively unforgiving
curve. !rinceton Review is generally considered to be a solid boo3 for this test. (800 is
arou& 98th *er)e&tileI 790 is arou& 96th *er)e&tile+ %rou& 77E80 (ra0 s)ore) is re5uire
:or 800+)
$hemistr1$ This test goes beyond the material of the typical introductory chemistry class
but does not get as in:depth as A! "hemistry does. !rinceton Review and0arron,s have
pretty good review sections+ although 0arron,s may cover more than you need for the
test. (800 is the 93r *er)e&tileI 790 is the 91st *er)e&tile+ %rou& 82E85 (ra0 s)ore) is
re5uire :or 800+)
Ph1si)s$ 'i3e the "hemistry test+ the !hysics ub>ect Test is not as in:depth as its A!
counterpart <i.e.+ A! !hysics 0=. There are a few topics that appear on the ub>ect Test+
however+ that are not in the !hysics 0 or " curricula. Therefore+ students enrolled in either
of those classes should consider flipping through a review boo3 to familiari9e themselves
with those topics+ especially if they are in !hysics " without having ta3en 0. !rinceton
Review is often cited as the best preparatory boo3. -o calculus appears on the exam+ and
the curve is generous. (800 is arou& 90th *er)e&tileI 790 is arou& 88th *er)e&tile+
%rou& 59E75 (ra0 s)ore) is re5uire :or 800+)
The remaining ub>ect Tests are language exams. They tend to have harsh curves+ and the
percentiles are less meaningful because of the significant self:selection that characteri9es
their test:ta3ing populations. The offered languages are$
"hinese <'istening=
(rench <'istening or Reading=
German <'istening or Reading=
5apanese <'istening=
Norean <'istening=
panish <'istening or Reading=
.odern Hebrew <Reading=
'atin <Reading=
Italian <Reading=
The "ollege 0oard publishes its own boo3 for all the ub>ect TestsI there is one practice test
for each. The "ollege 0oard also offers a boo3 for their math ub>ect Tests. That boo3 says
that there are four tests/two for each level/but only two of these are different from the
test in their general guide. The story is the same for theirguide for the history ub>ect Tests.
Although it is worth it to pic3 up any relevant official materials for the practice tests+ you will
li3ely have to turn to other preparatory sources <such as those that I mentioned above= for
more practice+ as well as review of the material. 'uc3ily+ though+ using official practice tests
is not as important with the ub>ect Tests as it is with the AT Reasoning Test.
In order to supplement my rather superficial coverage of the ub>ect Tests thus far+ I have
as3ed ""er christiansoldier to offer his thoughts on the tests. Here is the product of his
gracious agreement$
#uote$
Math I; Dath ! is often neglected b top students, and with good
reason. Dath ! presumes onl that ou have successfull completed
Algebra !!. !t will test basic trigonometric functions, but ou will
probabl remember seeing these in our geometr class. Some people ta"e
Dath ! because it requires virtuall no preparation. !f ou have done
well in our high school math classes and are a solid test-ta"er, ou
should have no trouble getting a high score in Dath !. The trouble is
that getting an 8&& requires precision? ou are often permitted to miss
onl one question 3or no questions6. The curve remains steep, and
missing onl a few questions will be detrimental to our score.
Furthermore, most top colleges prefer Dath !!, which has a much more
forgiving curve and is therefore widel considered the /easier1 test.
!n general, ta"ing Dath ! is not recommended.
Math II; 'hereas Dath ! is often neglected, the majorit of top students
ta"e Dath !!. Hnli"e Dath !, Dath !! has a ver generous curve. !f it
were a test in school, getting an A would usuall be enough to get an
8&&. Students who have done well in high school math through
pre-calculus and are strong test-ta"ers will find this a manageable
test. !t is especiall appealing because it requires relativel little
preparation. Jou might have to review some of the finer points
such as matrices, but there is usuall ver little - if an - material
that ou havenCt seen before. Of course, ou should practice, but ou
probabl will not need a lot of review.
Chemistry; .hemistr is a ver popular test among the hordes of
math$science-inclined top students. Hnli"e Dath !!, it is not a
particularl eas test to score well on. The curve is less forgiving
than, sa, phsics. This testCs popularit can best be attributed to
ambitious sophomores fresh out of AA .hemistr. The material covered in
SAT !! .hemistr is similar to the material covered in AA .hemistr, but
! recommend ou review some even if ou are fresh off the AA test. A
lot of the material ou crammed in April$Da has probabl left ou.
Scoring ver high will require not onl a solid grasp of the concepts,
but also "nowledge of the details. The true false questions, which are
unique to chemistr, are especiall unforgiving, since all of our usual
multiple choice reasoning does not appl. Also note that if ou have
prepped for .hemistr Olmpiad, this test should be a bree#e.
Biology; +iolog comes in two flavors, @cological and Dolecular. The
difference between +io-@ and +io-D is the last <& questions. The first
:& are the same for both tests. Duch of what can be said of SAT !!
.hemistr can also be said of SAT !! +iolog; the material is similar to
the AA test, but ou should still review because SAT !! allows for finer
differentiation of high scores than the AA tests do. ! will therefore
focus m discussion on whether ou should ta"e @ or D. +io-@ tends to
have a slightl easier curve, but the difference is so small that ou
should simpl choose which subject ou li"e better. Dore people tend to
choose +io D, simpl because most people with a strong enough interest
in +io to even ta"e the test are pre-med tpes and D is more relevant to
their interests. ,owever, ecolog comes late in the +io curriculum and
accordingl might be fresher.
Physics; Ahsics is fundamentall different from +iolog and .hemistr
because the curve is so much more forgiving. 'hile students strong in
.hem or +io are occasionall screwed b esoteric or poorl worded
questions, students who are strong in Ahsics succeed consistentl. The
generous curve allows ou to miss a few /off1 questions, so scoring an
8&& is easier. !f ou did well on the AA Ahsics + multiple choice, ou
shouldnCt have much of a problem with SAT !! phsics. ,owever, if ou
just completed AA Ahsics ., ou should probabl review prett
thoroughl. Jou would be surprised how much simple algebra ou can
forget during our calculus-based odsse in Ahsics ..
Literature; Fiterature, besides a non-native foreign language, is
appropriatel considered the most difficult SAT !!. The curve is
harsh. The questions can be weird. And it can be frustrating for the
literar-minded to conform their thin"ing to the demands of a multiple
choice test. This isnCt SAT ! .ritical 9eading. The passages are far
more difficult, and the depth of analsis called for is much greater.
Hnli"e the other tests, the corresponding AA, AA Fiterature, is often
ta"en senior ear - too late to help ou unless ou are cra# enough to
ta"e if after college admissions season. Dan choose to ta"e Fiterature
without preparing at all? the loo" at it as more of an !K test than
anthing else, and therefore find it appealing. !ndeed, if ou have an
analtical mind well suited to the purpose of divining the .ollege
+oardCs wa of thin"ing, ou can do well on this test without an
additional preparation. !f not, ou can e*pect this to be a hard test.
Fluenc in pre-<&th centur @nglish is a huge asset.
World History; The histor tests present an interesting conundrum.
'hile the tend to have more generous curves than the science tests,
the are longer and it is virtuall impossible for an review boo" to
contain ever possible fact that .ollege +oard might decide to test.
Sometimes the questions can be downright random. ! remember distinctl
that m HS ,istor test as"ed /'hich AresidentCs cabinet was popularl
referred to as .amelot>1 -ing Arthur was not a choice. Anhow, for
those of ou who get queas at the sight of numbers not followed b
/A.B.,1 the histor test might be our best bet. 'hile AA 'orld ,istor
tests our "nowledge of broad trends and change, SAT !! 'orld ,istor
focuses much more on discrete facts. Areparation is a must. +ac"ground
"nowledge acquired outside of the classroom is also helpful. A lot of
the time, ou will find ourself loo"ing at a multiple choice question
and saing /'ell who 'OHFB do that.1 The general characteristics of
civili#ations and time periods ou learned in AA will be invaluable in
our multiple choice reasoning.
U.S. History; 2ot much can be said of H.S. ,istor that ! have not
alread said of 'orld. AA HS ,istor tends to focus more on facts than
AA 'orld does, so that is helpful. ,owever, SAT !! HS ,istor questions
can be more esoteric, so itCs reall a wash.
Languages; .ollege +oard faces a dilemma with its language tests. On
the one hand, it wants to ma"e a test that serves as a meaningful
indicator of language development for those students who spea" a foreign
language at home. Bo the onl "now how to shoot the bull with famil
and friends, or are the genuinel proficient in the language> Against
that interest, .ollege +oard does not want to ma"e the test impossibl
difficult for those who pic"ed up the language in school. .ollege +oard
has managed to fail on all counts. The majorit of native-spea"ers get
8&&s, while those who learned the language in school usuall find the
test e*ceedingl difficult. 'ith preparation, ou can probabl manage
the verb tenses and be able to get most of the passages enough to answer
the questions. Hnfortunatel, unless ou have an e*ceptional high school
program or have lived abroad for a while, ou will run into a fair chun"
of idioms and vocabular that ou just donCt "now. ,owever, a good
score on a language test is probabl the most impressive and meaningful
as far as colleges are concerned. !f our ear is well trained to our
language 3especiall if ou have lived abroad6, it would be to our
advantage to ta"e the listening test to score some eas points. !f our
school program is not so good and ou are responsible for most of our
own preparation, ou would probabl do better to ta"e the 9eading test.
A' Tests
0y doing well on A! tests+ students may be eligible for credit in the corresponding
introductory classes at the college level. (or his thoughts on preparatory materials and on
many of the tests themselves+ I again defer to christiansoldier$
#uote$
Which review book should I get?
As a person who literall owns a closet full of review boo"s, ! can tell ou that most review
boo"s are not ver good. +arrons and 9@A tend to be loaded with e*traneous details and riddled
with incorrect answers to practice questions. Arinceton 9eview focuses too much on the mumbo
jumbo of studing the test rather than the material that is tested 3Studing the material !S
studing the testL6. -aplan and DcGraw ,ill are often too simplified and eas, and the
independentl-published boo"s can be unreliable and few and far in between. Jou want the secret
to review boo"s> Get a lot of them, and read them. !n ver few cases is there one review boo"
ou can stud from and guarantee ou will be read for the test 3unless ou had a good class6, but
there are even fewer cases where ou can stud from multiple boo"s and fail to do well. One
boo")s strength will cover another)s wea"nesses, and ou will come out on top for it.
Doving along,
AA;
World History; ! will discuss the generalities of all histor AAs 3'orld, @uro, and HS6 here and
then discuss the particulars of each one in its given section. The histor AAs are, b and large, a
test of memor. !f ou "eep up on our reading and retain it in at least the mid-term, ou will
recogni#e the majorit of the material on an given histor AA. !f ou have a lot of bac"ground
"nowledge from outside reading, ou will be able to figure out most of the ones ou donCt "now
for sure. The essas do not require incisive analsis? ou will usuall be able to arrive at a correct
response without formulating an ideas of our own. The B+K, if ou have practiced, should be
free points. 'orld ,istor in particular tends to focus on trends and general characteristics of
civili#ations and time periods. Some are intimidated b the testCs breadth, but ou shouldnCt be,
because ou arenCt e*pected to "now more than the most important points of each civili#ation.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
European History; 'hile 'orld ,istor focuses on the generalities, @uropean ,istor focuses
on the particulars. The most important trends - the disintegration of the Diddle Ages world order
and the emergence of the nation-state and the li"e - are in there, but ou are e*pected to
understand them in greater detail. The B+K is just li"e an other histor B+K, but @uropean
,istor allows ou a greater choice in which essa ou write. Jou will be given two sets of three
prompts, and ou must choose one prompt from each set. This is good because, unli"e in 'orld
,istor, ou can pic" a prompt ou "now a lot about. ,owever, the prompts are ver specific,
and ou will either need a large reserve of bac"ground "nowledge or e*cellent historical analsis
s"ills to give a thorough answer.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
United States History; HS ,istor stri"es a balance between @uro and 'orld, and is accordingl
probabl the easiest histor AA. The questions are not so detail-oriented as @uroCs, but the subject
matter is not so broad as 'orldCs. The B+K is just li"e the other testsC. Jou are given three essa
prompts, and must choose two of them. This gives ou more freedom of movement than 'orld
with less specific prompts than @uroCs. A lot of people find this test the easiest simpl because
the are the most familiar with American histor and are therefore able to retain new facts more
readil.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
rt History; Fi"e the other histor tests, Art ,istor is memor-based. There, the similarities
end. !Cve heard people recommend Art ,istor for self-stud. Hnless ou have a phenomenal
memor, ! would advise against self-studing this test. There is a vast ban" of artwor"s that ou
simpl must memori#e. 2ot onl do ou have to be able to correctl identif them in multiple
choice, but ou will also have to be prepared to discuss them on free-response. There are a whole
bunch of the free response questions too. !ronicall, the long essas where ou get to choose
whatever artwor"s ou want to discuss are much easier. !f ou have a ton of time 3li"e ouCre a
freshman6, self-studing is possible. Otherwise, this will be a huge time-investment. The bright
side is that it requires virtuall no artistic inclination. The students ! "now who were in it for the
histor did much better than the students who were in it for the art.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; 2O
Human !eography; ,uman Geograph is a weird one. On the one hand, the material covered is
prett straight-forward. There are ver few things ou will need to read twice. On the other hand,
unless ou have a penchant for memori#ing long lists of statistics, there are going to be oddball
questions that ou just donCt "now. As in the histories, ou can often reason out the answer if ou
have a solid base of geograph "nowledge. The free response questions are li"e the Government
F9Ks, or the +iolog$.hemistr F9Ks for that matter. Simple regurgitation of "nowledge in a
point-b-point fashion, sometimes followed b e*amples.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
U.S. !o"ernment; H.S. Government is e*actl what it sounds li"e. Jou must be familiar with
both the institutions of American government and American political histor. +ac"ground
"nowledge is helpful, but the histor-tpe questions are ver predictable, so ou can probabl
pic" them up from our te*tboo" or a review boo". F9Ks are li"e ,uman GeoCs; ou simpl
e*plain concepts and give e*amples.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
Comparati"e !o"ernment; !t has /Government1 in the name, and it is appropriatel similar to
the American Government test. ,owever, most find .omparative Government a somewhat more
difficult test. First of all, most are less familiar with the political institutions of a countr li"e
2igeria than the are with their American counterparts. Furthermore, unli"e H.S. Gov, where ou
onl have to remember if something is true, ou must remember if a statement is true for a given
countr. For H.S. Gov, ou onl need to remember that we have a bicameral legislature. For
.omp Gov, ou must remember that De*ico has a bicameral legislature while .hina does not.
Fuc"il, the bul" of .omp Gov assumes that students loo" at American government as /normal,1
and focus on the effects of American-stle institutions 3or the lac" thereof6. Jou essentiall see
how American institutions in other countries lead to different outcomes, or how the lac" of
American-stle institutions are tailored to each countrCs unique characteristics. .omparative
Government includes a Short Befinition section, which unsurprisingl as"s ou to define given
"e terms. Simple stuff.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
Macroeconomics#Macroeconomics; ! will discuss both Dicro- and Dacroeconomics together
because, unli"e an other two tests 3with the e*ception of the two Ahsics .s6 there is no
effective difference between the two e*cept the obvious one. Dacroeconomics tests the econom
as a whole? Dicroeconomics tests the firm. +oth tests test theor primaril, with some simple
applications that will require a little arithmetic and a few relativel well-"nown historical
e*amples. ,owever, these are not memor tests li"e AA HS ,istor. @conomics wants ou to not
onl be able to regurgitate the theor, but also appl it to new 3relativel basic6 situations. The
F9Ks, which wor" a lot li"e the HS Government ones, are ver similar from ear to ear, so ou
should be sure to chec" them out on the .+ website.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
Psychology; Ascholog is, li"e the histor AAs, a memor test. Hnli"e the histor tests, ou can
stud from our te*tboo" and the review boo"s and e*pect to "now just about everthing on the
test. This is arguabl the easiest AA. !f ou were to self-stud one AA, ! would sa go with either
this or @nvironmental Science. The F9Ks are straightforward, much li"e ,uman GeoCs.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
English Language; The @nglish Fanguage free response is quite simpl a writing test. Jou have
two plain-and-simple essas and one B+K-li"e essa. The multiple choice is basicall SAT .9
on crac". For those with good analtical minds who are naturall gifted at e*positor writing,
this test is a cinch. Jou can probabl = it with absolutel no preparation outside of reading the
rubric for the B+K-li"e essa. For those of ou who are not naturall gifted writers, JOH DHST
TA-@ T,!S .FASS. 2ow ! donCt mean ou must ta"e this class to pass the AA test. ! mean ou
must ta"e this class, period. !t develops our e*positor writing s"ills, which are essential. A well
taught AA @nglish Fang M .omp class is an enormous asset for those who need to wor" on their
writing.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; B@A@2BS
English Literature; Finall, those literature analsis s"ills ou have been wor"ing on for ears
come into AA pla. AA @nglish FitCs multiple choice is almost e*actl li"e SAT !! Fiterature. !t
can be frustrating tring to figure out not what the passages mean to ou, but what the mean to
the test writers. Fuc"il for ou @nglish-minded people who despise literature interpretation
multiple choice, the AA Fit essas give ou a chance to shine. Jou will be given wor"s to anal#e
for two of the essas and will get to use wor"s of our choice for the final essa. 'ell, not reall
wor"s of our choice. 'or"s of literar merit. !n some cases, the line of literar merit is clear.
The Great Gatsb and ,amlet are wor"s of literar merit. ,arr Aotter and .ujo are not. There is
a gra area in between, but itCs safest to read off the suggested wor"s list in past AA prompts so
ou have a ban" of wor"s that are assuredl of literar merit. This one ! advise self-studing
against, unless ou are an especiall gifted anal#er of fiction. Jou reall do need to practice for
these essas.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; 2O
Chemistry; Hnli"e +io or an of the social sciences, .hemistr is a concept-based test in the
spirit of Ahsics, .alc, and @nglish. Jes, ! reali#e it is weird to sa .hem has more in common
with @nglish or .alc than its fellow sciences +io and @nviroSci, but it reall does. There actuall
isnCt a lot of information to AA .hemistr. ! could probabl condense .hem into a glossar of ten
pages. ! wonCt, but ! could. ,owever, ou have to not onl memori#e what those concepts are,
but also understand how to appl them. Jou learn what properties ma"e a substance have a lower
boiling point and the properties of elements separatel. Jou ma well never hear in our class
that methane has a lower boiling point than water, but ou will learn everthing ou need to
"now in order to deduce that. .hem is a manageable test, but ! would not recommend self-
studing it. ! mean, !Cm sure ou could, but ! wouldnCt recommend it. !t tends to be easier for
people to pic" up facts on their own than it is to thoroughl understand concepts.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; 2O
Biology; As far as AA is concerned, biolog is the science of facts. Fots and lots of facts. Dore
than an test with the possible e*ception of Art ,istor, biolog demands an e*cellent memor
3or a ver good wor" ethic and patience for memori#ation6. +esides Aunnet Squares, which are
laughabl eas, ou will not have to do anthing e*cept regurgitate information ou learned in
our te*tboo". For some, this is eas. Jou donCt even have to thin". For others, this sounds li"e a
nightmare. Jou have to do the opposite of thin"? ou have to stud. +ut since there are no
especiall difficult concepts, this one should be a relativel simple 3if laborious6 self-stud if
thatCs what ou want to do.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
En"ironmental Science; Along with AA Asch, AA @nviroSci is considered one of the easiest AA
tests. !n terms of the tpes and emphases of questions, it is more li"e ,uman Geograph and
Ascholog than it is li"e an other science. Jou must understand a health mi* of facts and
concepts, but if the facts were the si#e of a pool of water and the concepts were the depth,
@nviroSci would be both small and shallow. Jou can easil pic" up everthing ou need to "now
for the test from reading a couple review boo"s. !n fact, ! would go so far as to sa that ou not
onl donCt need a class, but that unless the class is well-taught b a dnamic teacher, a class is a
waste of time.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
Physics B; Ahsics +, li"e .hem, is a concept test. 'ith more math. Ahsics + wonCt require
anthing above algebra and a little basic trigonometr, so most questions wonCt be too bad.
Hnfortunatel, the test 3especiall the Free 9esponse6 loves to occasionall string these simple
operations together so that it is eas to slip. There are two approaches to Ahsics +. Jou can
either thoroughl understand the concepts and therefore see how an given problem fits together,
or ou can practice the hell out of the test until there are ver few things ou havenCt seen before.
A health mi* of both would, of course, be best. Since it is hard to teach ourself the concepts so
thoroughl 3the review boo"s are not sufficient for that purpose6 and also demanding to practice
li"e cra#, ! would recommend against self-studing against this one.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; 2O
Physics C; Ahsics . is a lot li"e Ahsics +, onl it has calculus. Ier insightful of me, huh>
'ell, most of the questions will be simple plug-and-chug or concept-based. Then thereCs those
rough ones that want ou to put twelve ideas together to get an answer. Total pain. Dath, thrill-
see"ing tpes 3conventionall /lame1 thrill-see"ing, at that6 absolutel love this test, even more
than the love .alc +.. !t is applied calculusL ,ow fun is that> From e*perience, ! can tell ou to
not self-stud this one. The review boo"s available to ou are either too simple 3A9 and DcGraw
,ill, that means ou6 or frustratingl comple* but off-topic 3+arrons6.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; 2O
Calculus B; .alculus A+ is just math. There reall isnCt anthing about it to distinguish it from
the rest of the classes in our math sequence, e*cept there are fewer adults who have ta"en it to
tell ou horror stories about it. The .alc in A+ is prett straightforward. !f ou understand the
concepts and have practiced some, ou will find ver few curveballs in the AA test. Accordingl,
if ou must self-stud, this isnCt so bad a choice. .hances are ou wonCt be able to pic" up
everthing just b reading it, but with a little practice, it shouldnCt be e*traordinaril difficult.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
Calculus BC; .alculus A+ and .alculus +. share both /.alculus1 and the +. ThereCs a lot more
in that than ou might thin". A fair share of the .alculus +. curriculum is reall the second half
of .alc A+? ou even get an A+ subscore to see how ou did on the A+-based portion. The .
stands for curve-ball, because the +. test throws ou some weird ones that A+ doesnCt.
Aarametrics arenCt too bad, but polar coordinates require ou to adopt a new wa of loo"ing at
the coordinate plane, which can be tough 3especiall if ou are tring to teach ourself6. The .
part of the curriculum is decidedl harder than the A part ou leave behind, but ouCre also older,
smarter and more practiced in math. ,ence the ultra-high = rate. !f ou have ta"en A+, self-
studing +. should be manageable.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; B@A@2BS
Statistics; Statistics is math, supposedl. The idea that Stats is the /third math test1 is misleading.
! would give that title to Ahsics ., and call AA Stats /AA 9eading .arefull, -nowing 9ules,
Hsing Jour .alculator, and @*plaining Jourself.1 There is nothing hard about what ou learn in
AA Stats. Jou can use calculus, but ou donCt need anthing past Algebra !!. 2onetheless, Stats
can be a tremendous pain. Jou get our T!-84 for the entire test, which is nice 3imagine the
possibilitiesN6, but ou also have to read ever question carefull and write. A ton. ! had to write
so much for m Stats class, m Stats folder was just as thic" as m Fiterature folder. !f ou are
not good at math, ou still might be able to do well on this test since it is reall about rule-
following more than anthing else.
S@FF STHBJ F9!@2BFJ; J@S
ee here for discussion of which boo3s are best.
An Alternative, The ACT
&veryone should try both the AT and A"T/whether you,re from Indiana or -ew 5ersey.
)ell+ almost everyone$ if you are completely satisfied with your performance on one of
these metrics+ there is usually no point in ta3ing the other test. <In my situation+ for
example+ I have KA and GC@@ only because ta3ing the A"T was state:mandated.=
ome people <perhaps most= believe that the A"T is easier than the AT. They+ additionally+
consider the A"T to be a better+ more straightforward measure of the 3inds of s3ills that are
needed in collegeI in essence+ they hold that the AT seems to be trying to tric3 them <I
find this claim unfounded+ however=+ whereas the A"T is more li3e the tests that they see in
school. This perception is attributable to the natures of the exams$ the AT is foremost an
aptitude test+ whereas the A"T is primarily an achievement test. )hat this means in theory
is that the AT tries to test your potential to learn and that the A"T tries to test what you
have learned. 8nderstandably+ however+ these things are significantly positively
intercorrelated.
In any case+ despite the fact that AT scores and A"T scores tend to correlate strongly with
each other+ some people do better on one test than the other. This is why trying both is a
very good idea. *o a couple practice tests with each and see where you areI then focus on
the test on which you feel that you have the greatest potential.
Here are the AT:A"T score conversions+ as estimated by the ma3ers of the A"T$
KA : GKF@
KH : GKK@
KC : GGH@
KK : GED@
KG : GEG@
KE : G@A@
K@ : G@@@
GF : EFC@
GD : EDD@
G? : EDG@
GA : E??@
GH : E?E@
GC : EAH@
GK : EHF@
GG : EHK@
GE : EC?@
G@ : ECE@
EF : EKH@
ED : EGF@
E? : EGK@
EA : EE?@
EH : EE@@
EC : E@G@
EK : FH@
EG : D?@
EE : ?D@
As you li3ely inferred from the fact that KA does not Buite correspond to GC@@+ KA,s are
more common than GC@@,s <by a bit more than a factor of two=. This is most li3ely a product
of the way in which the scores are calculated$ the A"T determines the composite score by
averaging the four sections, scores+ whereas the AT additively arrives at GC@@+ thereby
reducing the margin for error.
Here are the four sections of the A"T and some brief thoughts that I had right after I too3
the A"T <I add a couple clarifying notes now in brac3ets=$
#uote$
English; The A.T was far more punctuation-focused than ! had e*pected, and the had more
subjective questions about the passage as a whole than ! had anticipated.
Math; ! felt much more crunched for time on the A.T, which was mostl a product of m lac" of
preparation. The questions were certainl different in stle from those of the SAT; the were
indeed more straightforward application of concepts than the SAT)s more reasoning-dependent
questions. O!t is worth noting that the Dath section of the A.T covers more advanced concepts
than the SAT Dath section does, so in that wa it is more similar to the Dath Fevel < Subject
Test.P
Reading; The names of these sections Othat is, 9eading versus .ritical 9eadingP are more
appropriate than ! reali#ed. The SAT trul does require test-ta"ers to snthesi#e and interpret
much more than does the A.T. To m surprise, there were quite a few questions that were mere
paraphrases of the original te*t. ! thin" that the SAT does a better job of wal"ing the fine line
between straight-from-the-te*t answers and overl subjective and unsupportable answers. The
vocabular section from the SAT wasn)t missed much, though.
Science; !)m not quite sure et how ! feel about whether this section should be on the test.
Although ! am sure ! could improve m efficienc with preparation, seven passages felt li"e too
much for the time allotted.
I suppose that I am still undecided about the cience section. It does tend to polari9e
people Buite a bitI try it out and see how you do on it.
0ecause I did not prepare for the A"T+ I cannot comment specifically about any preparatory
methods or resources. However+ I have heard very positive things about!rinceton Review for
the A"T <supposedly+ official resources are less important for the A"T=. 6ou,ll want probably
the official boo3+ though. I imagine that many of the tips that I offered earlier in this guide
<especially the content in the grammar guide= would prove helpful on the A"T as well.
College Admissions
At some public universities+ there are formulas that prospective applicants can+ by inputting
their G!As and test scores+ use to calculate whether they will be admitted. The transparency
and ob>ectivity of such systems lead to a straightforward route to acceptance at those
colleges$ i: ' ear& goo graes a& o e)e&tl1 o& that a&&o1i&g sta&ari7e test, ' 0ill
get i&. This is not the case at many colleges+ however/especially at the most selective
private colleges+ on whose admissions practices I will focus.
.any people believe that intelligent students >ust end up at top schools+ that the best math
student in a given high school will inevitably be accepted to .IT+ for example. This is false.
Also common is the idea that students who score very well on standardi9ed tests are
ensured acceptance at top schools. ' mea&, 0hat to* )ollege 0oul e&1 someo&e 0ho has
a *er:e)t "%T s)ore2 The answer$ any of them. ome people <including many on "ollege
"onfidential= support this reality by claiming that there are >ust too many people who are
perfect on paper these days <SIf Harvard wanted only people with perfect numbers+ they
could still fill their class several times overT=. This+ too+ is falseI Harvard could accept all the
perfect scorers and have plenty of spots left over. 'ess than .@E percent of those in each
graduating high:school class have perfect scores on the AT+ and even fewer have perfect
G!As and ub>ect Tests as well. -onetheless+ the implication of those posters; claim is valid$
great scores <even perfect scores= do not ensure acceptance to any top college.
I could go through each of the other factors that are involved in admissions and delineate
how none of them alone or collectively will ensure admission+ and that would be true. 0ut
the most effective way of tersely summari9ing the basic nature of competitive college
admissions is to explain what colleges mean when they label their admissions with the true
but clich1d term holisti)$ every aspect of the application is considered and weighed
sub>ectively to arrive at a decision about whether the applicant should be admitted. That is+
aside from not fulfilling the application reBuirements+ no single thing will e:i&itel1 result in
someone,s being re>ected+ nor will any factor alone result in certain acceptance. That,s
right$ there is no minimum G!A or test score that you &eeI every applicant will be
considered.
This reality comforts some and frustrates others. The former group li3es the idea that
applicants are more than >ust numbers to the admissions officers+ whereas the latter group
is unnerved by the unpredictability inherent in this method. Indeed+ because the factors that
affect admissions officers, decisions are not uniformly Buantifiable or even ob>ective+ some
decisions ma3e little sense at our end. If you are doggedly set on attending a top school
<the Ivy:'eague:or:bust mentality=+ you may be having the fear that you could do
everything 4right4 and still be re>ected from all of your top choices. And+ I concede+ that is
always a possibility.
6et there is an understandable order to admissions. *ecisions are not completely
predictable+ but they are not random. Applicants can exploit this non:randomness. -ow+ I
use e<*loit in the most benign of ways hereI improving your chances to such an extent that
being re>ected from all of the highly selective schools to which you apply is a near:
impossibility is very &aturall1 achievable. 6ou need not resort to painful+ artificial ways of
impressing colleges <by+ for example+ >oining every club+ even those in which you have only
feigned interest=. In fact+ while that may be an effective means to an end for some
applicants+ in most cases colleges will recogni9e these ploys as such.
'et,s examine each factor that affects admissions decisions.
Test Scores
There are three main types of tests that may affect an admissions decision <in order of
decreasing importance=$ the AT Reasoning Test or A"T+ AT ub>ect Tests+ and A! tests.
8 /o to* )olleges :a,or the "%T o,er the %$T-
ome top colleges used to reBuire or strongly prefer the AT over the A"T. (or this reason
many people still thin3 that top colleges <especially the Ivy 'eague schools= still hold the
AT as the superior measure of ability. This+ however+ is not the official position of any top
colleges$ they uniformly claim that the AT and A"T are considered eBually <see the earlier
A"T section of this guide for the conversion chart=. The data that do suggest that the AT is
preferred are not sufficient for me to confidently consider those claims to be false. And no
one denies the reality that many students are accepted to top schools even if they send only
A"T scores.
(or this reason+ as I indicated earlier I recommend that all students try both practicing with
both tests to see which they do better on. ome people find one of them to be easier for
them.
8 ' ha,e take& (oth the "%T a& the %$T a& am &ot sure 0hi)h to se&+
8sing the conversion chart that I provided earlier+ see which score is better. If one score is
significantly better+ send >ust that score. If the scores are similar+ though+ you should send
bothI colleges will apply their own conversions and consider the scores from the test that
you did better on in their eyes.
8 ': ' ha,e take& the "%T or %$T more tha& o&)e, o ' ha,e to se& all o: m1 s)ores-
It depends on which school you are applying to. ome schools want applicants to send all
scores <that includes all ub>ect Test scores=. ee here for a list of various colleges,
preferences with respect to the AT. I+ nonetheless+ advice that you contact the schools to
confirm <and to see whether this applies similarly to the A"T=.
If a school does not care whether you send all scores+ you can+ for the AT+ use core
"hoice. )ith respect to the AT Reasoning Test+ this option allows you to send only test
scores from certain test dates of your choosing. 6ou cannot+ however+ select specific
sections to send. (or example+ if you scored EH@@ on one administration and EDC@ on
another+ you can send >ust the EDC@ if you wish+ but you cannot send >ust one or two
sections from a test date. 0ut for AT ub>ect Tests you can. If+ for example+ you too3 .ath
'evel G and "hemistry+ you can choose to hide one of these scores+ even if they were ta3en
on the same test date.
0ecause of the flexibility that core "hoice affords+ it is generally a bad idea to ta3e
advantage of the option to freely send your scores to colleges before finding out your
scores. 6ou can,t ta3e bac3 scores that have already been sent.
8 .he& a s)hool sa1s that it 0a&ts all s)ores to (e se&t, is that merel1 a *re:ere&)e, or is it
a re5uireme&t- Basi)all1, o ' reall1 ha,e to se& all s)ores i& su)h )ases-
In most cases when a school as3s that all scores be sent+ they are communicating a
reBuirement. They cannot enforce this reBuest+ however$ colleges do not 3now whether
core "hoice has been used. <&xcept in situations in which they find out through other
means+ such as when some high schools indicate test scores on their students, transcripts.
6ou can have these removed if you wish+ though.=
8 's there e,er a *oi&t i& se&i&g more tha& m1 highest s)ore-
6es+ there is. .any schools superscore the AT. A few schools also score the A"T+ but not as
many. "olleges that superscore consider only the highest score from each section+ even if
these scores must come from different test dates. (or example+ if a student scores ?K@ on
"ritical Reading+ D@@ on .ath+ and D@@ on )riting on one test day and then scores D@@ on
"ritical Reading+ H@@ on .ath+ and AG@ on )riting+ he or she would have a superscored
GC@@. The lin3 that I gave earlier also indicates whether a school superscores.
8 .hat s)ore o ' &ee to get i&to a to* )ollege-
As I indicated earlier+ no top school reBuires a specific score+ meaning that there is no score
that would automatically result in re>ection. However+ this should not be interpreted as an
indication that test scores are unimportant+ or that low scores will not hurt you. If+ for
example+ all I 3now about an applicant is that his or her AT score is EH@@ out of GC@@+ I
would say that the applicant,s chance of admittance at the most selective schools <i.e.+
Harvard+ 6ale+ !rinceton+ tanford+ and .IT= is very close to @L. &ven if you have good
grades to accompany that test score+ your ability to handle the wor3 <as well as the
meaning of your grades= is called into Buestion. Top colleges will not accept students who
they believe are not academically Bualified.
8 's it true that there is&9t mu)h o: a i::ere&)e o&)e ' rea)h a )ertai& s)ore-
There are two schools of thought on this issue. There are some who hold that there is a
threshold score <GE@@ and GGH@ are often thrown around as that number= beyond which
score increases do not affect admissions decisions. The other school <to which I belong=
believes that higher scores causally correlate with higher chances across the entire score
range. 6et consider this "ollege "onfidential post from .IT admissions officer "hris
!eterson$
#uote$
There is no difference, for our process, between someone with a 7=& and an 8&& on the Dath SAT
!!. Fiterall no difference. Once our standardi#ed scores are sufficient to predict success at D!T
- to show that ou are academicall qualified for D!T - the have reached the limit of usefulness,
and we move on to other things.
Is this true+ though2 I don,t thin3 so+ at least with respect to every top college except .IT.
)hy2 Two reasons$ one+ because+ logically+ AT scores positively correlate with ability
across the entire score rangeI and two+ because all the data support the idea that scores
causally correlate with admissions chances across the entire score range. Here is a sampling
of some of that data <all of these can be found the schools, )eb sites$
At tanford+ applicants with D@@ on the "ritical Reading section of the AT
are 2/G more li3ely to be admitted than applicants with ?@@:?F@.
At tanford+ applicants with D@@ on the )riting section are 04G more li3ely to be
admitted than those with ?@@:?F@.
At !rinceton+ applicants with GK@@:GC@@ on the AT are +.CG more li3ely to be
admitted than applicants with GE@@:GGF@.
At *artmouth+ applicants with D@@ on the "ritical Reading section of the AT
are +--G more li3ely to be admitted than applicants with ?@@:?F@.
At *artmouth+ applicants with D@@ on the .ath section of the AT are 24G more
li3ely to be admitted than applicants with ?@@:?F@.
At *artmouth+ applicants with D@@ on the )riting section of the AT are ++4G more
li3ely to be admitted than applicants with ?@@:?F@.
At 0rown+ applicants with D@@ on the "ritical Reading section of the AT
are .BG more li3ely to be admitted than applicants with ?H@:?F@.
At 0rown+ applicants with D@@ on the .ath section of the AT are -4G more li3ely to
be admitted than applicants with ?H@:?F@.
At 0rown+ applicants with D@@ on the )riting section of the AT are /2G more li3ely
to be admitted than applicants with ?H@:?F@.
At 0rown+ applicants with KA on the A"T are ++BG more li3ely to be admitted than
applicants with KK:KH and -3.G more li3ely to be admitted than applicants with GF:
KG.
There is no merely correlational explanation for these dataI it is illogical that higher scorers;
applications tend to be so much stronger otherwise that the correlation is fully explained
away by these confounding variables. "onsider+ moreover+ the results of an analysis that I
conducted >ust over a year ago of the 6ale "&A G@EK results thread on ""$
Total sample si9e$ ECD
Asian sample si9e$ HD
Average AT score for an Asian acceptee <E? were accepted=$ GKC?
)hite sample si9e$ HG
Average AT score for a )hite acceptee <EA were accepted=$ GKHK
The acceptance rate over various ranges for )hites and Asians$
GKE@:GC@@$ C?L <GFMAG=
GGE@:GK@@$ E@L <KMK@=
A@@:GG@@$ @L <@MEA=
It is+ however+ important to note that I have no way of confirming the claims of those in the
original results thread+ nor should we immediately dismiss the issues of self:selection
among the posters and the less:than:ideal sample si9e. -onetheless+ the results are
compellingI there is no reason to believe that low:scoring acceptees would be more
reluctant to post than low:scoring re>ectees.
In totality+ these data strongly suggest that the difference threshold facilitated by the metric
<i.e.+ E@ points= dictates the difference threshold for discrimination among scores at the
admissions end. At the very least+ if there is a threshold for consideration+ it is very high.
8 "o are higher s)ores al0a1s (etter tha& lo0er s)ores- ' mea&, 2400 )a&9t (e ,ie0e as
mu)h (etter tha&, sa1, 2380, )a& it-
The difference with respect to admissions between GC@@ and GKD@ is so small that I can
confidently call it negligible. )hat that means is that if you have GKD@ on the AT and get
re>ected+ it was almost certainly not because you didn,t score higher. There are other
situations in which having a lower score would have little or no effect. (or example+ whether
an applicant who performs well at the International .athematical 7lympiad scores ?H@ or
D@@ on the .ath section of the AT is of no conseBuence. That is+ if there are other
ob>ective measures that demonstrate your s3ill in a sub>ect+ the AT becomes less
important.
(or most applicants+ however+ standardi9ed tests offer the only ob>ective indication of
students, aptitudes.
8 ' get that there is &o mi&imum s)ore re5uireme&t+ But 0hat9s a goo s)ore-
It,s difficult to answer this Buantitatively. 0ut I would say that unhoo3ed <I will elaborate on
this term later= applicants with under GE@@ or so on the AT have an extremely low chance
of being accepted unless the rest of their applications are ,er1 strong <outstandingly so=. As
your score falls much below that number+ your chance very Buic3ly+ though asymptotically+
approaches 9ero. .ost unhoo3ed acceptees, scores are probably around GK@@ or higher. (or
AT ub>ect tests+ ?H@ or higher is a good score <with perhaps the exception of .ath 'evel
G=I this varies a bit from test to test+ though <see here for percentiles=. 0elow ?@@ is subpar
for top schools.
<(or less competitive schools+ loo3ing at the schools, AT ranges for accepted students can
be a good indication of how your scores stac3 up. (or top schools+ these ranges should be
ignored.=
8 's it true that the .riti&g se)tio& o: the "%T oes&9t reall1 matter-
In general+ no. There are some schools+ however+ that do not consider the )riting section at
the moment <e.g.+ .IT and "ornell+ I believe=I you,ll want to confirm this with each school+
if you are interested+ that is. (or other schools+ there is no reason to believe that the )riting
section is given less weight.
8 "houl ' retake-
This Buestion is+ li3ewise+ difficult to answerI many factors come into play. ure+ higher
scores are <almost always= better+ but does that mean that we should ta3e the AT as much
as we can until we reach colleges, deadline for scores2 8sually not. ome considerations
must be made$
2o0 o m1 o::i)ial s)ores )om*are to m1 s)ores o& *ra)ti)e tests- If you are consistently
scoring higher on practice tests than you did on the official administration+ you should
strongly consider reta3ing.
/o ma&1 o: m1 to* )hoi)es &ot 0a&t their a**li)a&ts to use ")ore $hoi)e If so+ you should
ta3e into consideration the negative impact that repeatedly reta3ing the AT and or ub>ect
Tests may have. Three is often cited as the point beyond which admissions officers may
begin to wonder whether you are score:obsessed.
B1 ho0 mu)h o ' :eel that ' )a& im*ro,e- &ven if you have+ for example+ ta3en the AT
three times+ you should definitely reta3e if you thin3 that you stand a good shot <based on
practice tests= of increasing by EH@:G@@O points.
%m ' 0illi&g to *re*are- ome people are >ust so tired of standardi9ed testing that they no
longer have the determination to prepare or try on the actual test. This is not a winning
mentality+ so it probably isn,t worth it to try again.
.hat is the o**ortu&it1 )ost o: m1 *re*aratio&- If you could be doing something more
meaningful <whether respect to admissions or not= instead of preparing for the AT+ you
should do so.
8 2o0 ma&1 "u(4e)t Tests shoul ' take-
.ost top schools reBuire two ub>ect Tests. A few of what I would consider highly selective
schools do not re5uire ub>ect Tests+ but they recommend ta3ing them <e.g.+ tanford=.
Georgetown is the only school that reBuires three ub>ect Tests <Harvard
recently lowered its reBuirement=.
(or most schools+ if you send additional ub>ect Test scores+ they can be beneficial+ as long
as the additional scores are good. (or example+ .IT says that additional scores will be
considered but will not be weighed as heavily as the reBuired two. Harvard encourages
students to send additional scores.
8 /oes it matter 0hi)h "u(4e)t Tests ' take-
In general+ you should ta3e the ub>ect Tests on which you will do best.
However+ some schools and programs reBuire that certain tests be ta3en. "altech+ for
example+ reBuires that applicants submit a .ath 'evel G score as well as a science score.
.IT reBuires a score from .ath 'evel E or 'evel G and a science score. 'i3ewise+ some
schools, engineering programs reBuire .ath 'evel G and science scores.
.any schools have indicated that sending scores from .ath 'evel E and .ath 'evel G will
not satisfy the two:test reBuirement. They have also discouraged students from using the
ub>ect Test that is in their non:&nglish native language to fulfill the reBuirement.
8 2o0 oes m1 P"%T s)ore a::e)t amissio&s-
The score itself does not directly affect admissions. "olleges will not even find out your
score. If you score well <see the numbers from the earlier !AT section=+ however+ you can
become a -ational .erit emifinalist by the time that applications are due. This has but a
minor effect on admissions+ though$ a very large number of the top schools, applicants
achieve this+ and it is based solely on test scores+ which they will already be considering in
the application process.
8 2o0 o %P test s)ores a::e)t amissio&s-
!artly because A! tests are not designed to be admissions tools+ they are not as influential
as AT and ub>ect Test scores in admissions. A! scores are so correlated with the strength
of one,s high school <to a much greater extent than are AT scores= that giving great weight
to them would disproportionately disadvantage students from wea3er high schools.
.oreover+ the scale is not nearly as fine as it is with the other tests$ students receive only a
score from E:H.
0ut they are helpful in providing context to students, grades. (or example+ if a student has
all A,s in A! classes but a mix of K,s and C,s on the corresponding A! tests+ the meaning of
those A,s will be called into Buestion. imilarly+ not ta3ing the A! tests for your A! classes
will li3ely force admissions officers to speculate in ways that are not in your favor.
elf:studying for A! tests whose corresponding classes you are not enrolled in is a good way
to demonstrate the ability to independently grasp material and the drive to do so. This may
have less weight+ though+ if you independently study for tests that are 3nown to be
relatively easy <e.g.+ !sychology+ Human Geography+ &nvironmental cience=+ as it may
appear to be a move done not for the interest in the content but for boosting your
admissions chances. ee here for additional discussion on self:studying.
A final factor that may limit the value of A! scores is that they are self:reportedI colleges do
not reBuest official score reports as they do for ub>ect Tests and the ATMA"T.
The Transcript
8 $om*are to the rest o: the a**li)atio&, ho0 im*orta&t is m1 high=s)hool tra&s)ri*t (i+e+,
)ourses a& graes)-
The transcript is the most important part of the application.
8 %re there a,a&tages i& taki&g a rigorous )ourseloa-
6ou need to ta3e a demanding+ but reasonable+ courseload. If your school offers A! and
honors classes+ ta3e them. -ot doing so is one of the surest ways to essentially 3ill your
viability for top schools. 6ou cannot demonstrate that you are academically Bualified for a
top school if you do not succeed in difficult classes. If you do not demonstrate your
academic Bualification+ you will not be accepted.
8 .hi)h is more im*orta&t, m1 u&0eighte GP% or m1 0eighte GP%-
If we assume that you are ta3ing a rigorous courseload+ unweighted G!A is more telling.
)eighting systems vary significantly from school to school. Neep in mind+ though+ that
admissions officers will be more interested in your specific grades and in what courses than
your grade point average.
8 .hat graes o ' &ee :or to* s)hools-
As with test scores+ no specific G!A is reBuired. However+ most unhoo3ed acceptees at top
schools will have all A,s with perhaps a couple 0,s.
8 %re m1 graes )o&siere i& the )o&te<t o: m1 s)hool-
Absolutely. At some high schools+ H to E@L of the class has a C.@ unweighted G!A+ whereas
at other schools no one in the class achieves that. "olleges will use your class ran3+ your
school,s average test scores+ your test scores+ your grades+ and the grades of other
applicants from your school to better understand what your grades mean in the context of
your school.
o if you attend a rigorous preparatory high school where+ even among a talented group of
students+ no one gets all A,s+ rest assured$ if you manage to stay at the top of your class
<i.e.+ top E:GL=+ having several 0,s will be a non:issue.
8 A1 s)hool oes&9t ra&k+ /oes this mea& that )olleges 0o&9t u&ersta& ho0 0ell ' ha,e
o&e )om*are to m1 *eers-
Although class ran3 is helpful <especially when the national context of your school is
3nown=+ admissions officers will do their best to understand your grades in the absence of
that information.
8 A1 s)hool (ases ra&k o& u&0eighte GP%+ .ill ' (e isa,a&tage i: ' take i::i)ult
)lasses-
6our guidance counselor will indicate how the class ran3 is calculated. "olleges are aware
that some ran3s are determined in this way and will+ therefore+ pay less attention to your
ran3.
8 's it true that ha,i&g a& u*0ar tre& i& 1our GP% is hel*:ul-
6es. In fact+ the best/and perhaps only/way to save a relatively wea3 G!A <you can,t save
a very wea3 G!A= is to have an upward trend. The closer a semester is to the time of
applying+ the more important that semester,s grades are.
(or example+ if you have three 0,s freshman year and recover with all A,s for the rest of
your high school years+ those 0,s will matter very little. <ome schools <e.g.+ !rinceton= do
not even explicitly consider freshman grades+ but those grades will still affect your ran3.=
0ut if you have all A,s for your freshman and sophomore years and then get several 0,s
during >unior year+ you have thereby hurt your chances significantly.
8 Dou ha,e&9t e,e& me&tio&e graes (elo0 B+ ': ' get a $, are m1 )ha&)es (asi)all1 go&e-
&very year+ there are people who get into top schools who have one or more ",s+ but there
aren,t very many who do so. If your " was in >unior year+ your chance will be especially
impacted.
8 %ll this talk o: s)ori&g 2300J a& &eei&g (asi)all1 all %9s is s)ari&g me+ ' o&9t :eel like '
sta)k u* to all these a**li)a&ts 0ith ama7i&g &um(ers+ 's it e,e& 0orth it to a**l1-
In most cases+ yes. I am attempting to stri3e the appropriate balance between conveying
that e,er1o&e has a chance if he or she applies and communicating the reality of the
difficulty that applicants to top schools face. o if you are at least somewhat competitive
numbers:wise for top schools+ it is worth applying if you want to attend. 0ut if you have an
AT score that is around+ say+ EF@@+ you,re around only the top G@:GHL of your class or
worse+ and your application is not otherwise outstandingly compelling+ your application
money and essay:writing time might be better spent on more realistic options.
8 ' got a& %= i& mile s)hool+ %m ' relegate to )ommu&it1 )ollege-
-o. .iddle school grades do not affect your chances <unless+ for some odd reason+ your
school considers middle school grades in determining class ran3=.
Subjective "actors and Hther Issues
8pon hearing that numbers don,t guarantee anything+ you might expect that there are some
important sub>ective elements at play/you would be right.
8 /o ' &ee e<tra)urri)ular a)ti,ities to get i&to a to* )ollege-
&ssentially+ yes.
8 2o0 ma&1 o ' &ee-
There is no specific numberI Buality is decidedly more important than Buantity.
8 .hat )ou&ts as a& e<tra)urri)ular a)ti,it1-
Anything you do that is not part of your curriculum. Truly+ though$ &"s need not be clubs or
anything of that sort. Indeed+ anything you spend time on outside of your classes <besides
homewor3= is an &". "olleges want students who are involved in thingsI this indicates the
capacity to contribute to their campuses in a not:necessarily:academic way. )hat those
things are is not especially important.
8 /oes it matter ho0 lo&g '9,e o&e a& a)ti,it1 or ho0 mu)h time ' s*e& o& it-
6es. *emonstrating dedication to a few select activities is enormously preferable to having a
long list of things in which you dabbled. Also+ >oining a bunch of activities during your >unior
year is not a good indication that you are truly interested in those thingsI it+ instead+ comes
across as a ploy to get into college. Admissions officers don,t li3e that.
8 /o ' &ee leaershi* *ositio&s-
They aren,t necessary+ but they serve two helpful functions$ demonstrating+ of course+ your
ability to lead <or at least+ they seem toI many schools, club leadership positions these days
are little more than a title=+ and indicating your greater involvement in that &".
8 's it true that ' ha,e to (e *assio&ate a(out somethi&g- .hat i: ' 4ust am &ot at this
*oi&t-
*assio& is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot on "". In part+ admissions
officers are to blameI they repeatedly say that they love applicants who are passionate
about something. 0ut+ in reality+ there aren,t many high:school students who are genuinely
passionate about something+ nor can I imagine that admissions officers are very accurate in
their ability to gauge passion. omewhat diverging from his peers at other top schools+ a
tanford admissions officer expressed a similar sentiment.
o I guess that I would sum up the extracurricular side to things by saying that you should
have a few activities in which you are interested and have invested great time as well as
couple leadership positions. Are your &"s especially interesting and uniBue2 &ven better. *o
your &"s demonstrate a clear focus while still indicating the breadth of your interests2 &ven
better.
8 ' assume that ,olu&teeri&g is goo to o as 0ell, right-
"orrect.
8 .hat shoul ' o uri&g the summer-
Anything that shows that your summer was meaningful. There are many ways of doing this
<e.g.+ volunteering+ other &"s+ summer classes+ summer camps=.
8 .hat a(out 0ork e<*erie&)e! is it hel*:ul-
6eah+ though it,s certainly not necessary.
8 ' ha,e a regular :amil1 )ommitme&t that *re)lues m1 (ei&g a(le to a)ti,el1 *arti)i*ate i&
e<tra)urri)ular a)ti,ities or ,olu&teeri&g+ /oes this rui& m1 )ha&)es-
!art of the holistically reviewing mentality of top schools is their empathetic consideration of
applicants, circumstances. That is+ the commitment would compensate to some extent for
your relatively wea3 &"s. However+ it is does not appear that colleges fully compensate/
they can,t merely assume that everyone with extenuating circumstances would have
outstanding &"s if given the opportunity. 0ut don,t forget$ even that family commitment
could count as an &".
8 ' o&9t ha,e a&1 a0ars+ /oes that hurt m1 )ha&)e-
I,m going to pull 4an admissions officer4 and say &o but that having awards will help.
'ac3ing awards is not a glaring absence or detriment to your application. -onetheless+
succeeding in well:3nown competitions can be highly beneficial. Here are some of the most
prominent ones <for some reason they tend to be math: and science:related=$
8 '&ter&atio&al Aathemati)al ;l1m*ia$ All interested students may ta3e the open A."
<American .athematics "ompetitions= test. There are a few versions of it$ A." D+ A." E@+
and A." EG <these numbers are intended to correspond to a student,s grade+ but you can
ta3e a higher test if you wish=. High:scorers on A." E@ and A." EG can ta3e the AI.&
<American Invitational .athematics &xamination=. H@@ of these people will be invited to
participate in either 8A.7 <8A .athematical 7lympiad= or the 8A5.7 <8A 5unior
.athematical 7lympiad=I see here for details on selection and on what the tests are li3e
<i.e.+ difficult=. High:scorers on 8A.7 will be invited to attend a summer study camp. The
six students who best succeed there will be invited to participate in I.7 <International
.athematical 7lympiad=.
#ualifying for 8A.7 is a great achievement+ and admissions officers recogni9e this. As
such+ doing so will provide a si9able boost to your chances+ especially at a science: and
math:minded school li3e "altech. #ualifying for the summer study camp affords an even
greater boostI historically+ an extremely high percentage of these students end up attending
top schools. If you ma3e it to I.7 and score well+ you come about as close as you can to
having ensured acceptances at top schools+ as long as the rest of your application is
somewhat strong.
The %rt o: Pro(lem "ol,i&g series is widely considered a good resource for these
competitions.
8 '&ter&atio&al Biolog1 ;l1m*ia$ All students may ta3e the open 8A07 <8A 0iology
7lympiad= exam. Those who well <top ten percent= on that exam become emifinalists and
may ta3e a second exam. The twenty highest:scorers on the emifinalist exam are deemed
8A07 (inalists and are invited to a summer study camp. The most successful students
from there participate in I07 <International 0iology 7lympiad=.
#ualifying as a emifinalist is a good accomplishment+ though it is not as influential in
admissions as Bualifying for 8A.7. (inalists+ however+ en>oy a great boost in their
chances. As is the case with I.7+ those receiving medals at I07 generally have their pic3
among the top colleges. <It is worth noting+ though+ that students who do well in these
difficult competitions do so not out of wanting to improve their applications+ but by
leveraging their natural talent via determination.=
8nderstanding everything in this textboo3 is your best preparation method. 0ut once you
see the boo3+ you,ll reali9e that this is no easy tas3.
8 '&ter&atio&al $hemistr1 ;l1m*ia$ All students may participate in their local sections,
open exams. The F@@ highest:scorers on that exam <usually top F:E@L= are invited to ta3e
the -ational &xam and are deemed 8-"7 <8 -ational "hemistry 7lympiad= (inalists. The
twenty highest:scorers on the -ational &xam are invited to the summer study camp.
tudents may then progress to I"h7 <International "hemistry 7lympiad=.
-ational (inalists are afforded a small boost in admissions. (or those who earn Honors <top
EH@= or High Honors <top H@= on the -ational &xam+ the boost is more significant.
*oing well on your local exam is usually manageable if you have a solid understanding of
the A! "hemistry material. The -ational &xam+ however+ is substantially more
difficult. This textboo3 is often recommended for doing well on that exam. Those who
succeed at the study camp and+ eventually+ I"h7 have generally completed organic
chemistry and physical chemistry at local universities.
8 .hat o 1ou mea& 0he& 1ou sa1 #u&hooke#-
)hereas some people use the term to refer to the strongest+ most compelling part of an
application+ hook+ to me+ refers to something inherent about an applicant or his or her
status. Here are the common hoo3s+ as I conceptuali9e the term$
8 8irst=ge&eratio& a**li)a&t$ This refers to students whose parents did not attend college.
The admissions boost that results is modest at best.
8 Hega)1 a**li)a&t$ This refers to students whose parent or parents attended+ as
undergraduates+ the school that you are applying to. ome colleges give a greater boost to
legacy applicants than do others+ but in general the boost is li3ewise modest+ unless the
parents are big donors. ome non:parental relationships with alumni+ such as having a
sibling attend+ may result in a hoo3:li3e boost at some schools.
8 /e,elo*me&tal a**li)a&ts$ This refers to students whose parents are very rich and have
donated large amounts of money <usually in the millions= to the college that they are
applying to. In such cases+ the admissions boost is enormousI colleges need money.
8 Ge)ruite athletes$ 0eing a good athlete is a solid &" to have+ but being officially recruited
by a college for sports is especially helpful. If the coach ma3es a strong pitch for you to the
admissions officers and you are academically Bualified in their minds+ it,s tough for them to
say no <especially if the school is sports:oriented=.
8 Bei&g :amous$ elf:explanatory.
8 Bei&g a& u&er=re*rese&te mi&orit1$ As it applies to college admissions+ Affirmative
Action aims to diversify college campuses <with respect to race and ethnicity=. This practice
is decidedly controversial+ but I won,t get into the issue here. ee this thread for what
turned into a heated and interesting debate about the merits and drawbac3s of Affirmative
Action. <0ut don,t bump it please!=
The commonly referenced under:represented minority <8R.= groups are Hispanic <with the
usual exception of pain=+ African American+ and -ative American+ though the last group is
actually significantly over:represented for the most part <I don,t thin3 colleges reali9e this+
for whatever reason=. African Americans are generally regarded as receiving a slightly larger
boost via Affirmative Action than Hispanics. *espite Affirmative Action+ 8R.s need to be
strong applicantsI li3e all other applicants+ they must demonstrate convincingly that they
are academically Bualified for the school. .ore than ever+ colleges are faced with far too
many Bualified 8R. applicants to be forced to compromise for the sa3e of diversity.
-onetheless+ Affirmative Action remains a strong force in admissions today.
8 '9m %sia&+ /o ' sta& a )ha&)e-
6es. Asians may face a road that is slightly more difficult than that for )hites <though I
don,t see significant evidence of this=+ but plenty still manage to get accepted <and in
disproportionately high numbers=. "onsider these data. At Harvard+ Asian applicants are
over:represented by about K@@LI )hite applicants have about A@L of what their
proportional representation would be. At .IT+ Asian applicants are over:represented by
about HH@LI )hite applicants have about CDL of what their proportional representation
would be. "learly+ it is Buite possible to get accepted+ no matter your race.
8 's a )ertai& ge&er at a& a,a&tage i& amissio&s-
In general+ no. Girls tend to have higher G!AsI guys tend to have higher test scores. It
balances out for the most part. At engineering: and science:oriented schools li3e .IT+
though+ female applicants may be at a small advantage$ female applicants there have
historically had a chance that is EA@L greater than that for male applicants. .IT claims that
this is merely the result of greater self:selection among the female applicants. However+ I
Buestion whether that can fully compensate for the significant gap. At liberal arts colleges+
males may be at a slight advantage.
8 .ill sele)ti&g a less=)ommo& ma4or hel* m1 )ha&)es-
(or top schools+ your choice of ma>or is largely irrelevant. The sole exception to this may
occur for applicants who select an uncommon ma>or and have shown great interest in that
field throughout high school <e.g.+ a prospective classics ma>or who has regularly done well
in 'atin competitions=.
8 ' got )aught :or )heati&g at s)hool a& 0as is)i*li&e+ .ill this hurt m1 )ha&)es-
6es. Top schools receive too many great applicants to accept those about which they have
integrity concerns.
8 ' am a& i&ter&atio&al a**li)a&t+ 2o0 oes this a::e)t m1 )ha&)es-
-egatively+ for the most part. International applicants hailing from well:represented
countries <e.g.+ "hina+ India+ and &ngland= face especially difficult paths. .any such
applicants who are admitted have international recognitions.
8 /oes 0here ' li,e i& the B&ite "tates make a i::ere&)e i: ' am a B" )iti7e&-
It can. tudents from over:represented states <e.g.+ -ew 5ersey+ .assachusetts+ and
"onnecticut= may have a harder time+ whereas students from under:represented states
<e.g.+ many southern states and those with very small populations= will be given an extra
loo3 by admissions officers. It won,t ma3e a huge difference+ though.
8 's it true that a )ollege 0o&9t a))e*t more tha& o&e stue&t :rom a si&gle high s)hool-
ome top high schools send do9ens of students to top colleges each yearI most high schools
send none. "olleges have no Buotas+ but the best indication of how many a college will
accept from your high school is historical data. That is+ if a top college hasn,t accepted a
student from your high school in ten years+ you and your three friends don,t stand a great
chance at all being accepted.
8 ' got a (ro)hure :rom a to* )ollege+ /oes that mea& that ' 0oul *ro(a(l1 (e a))e*te '
a**l1-
-o. .ar3eting materials from colleges mean+ most li3ely+ that the college got your name
from a "ollege 0oard list based on !AT scores. It is not an indication of your chance.
8 ' got a #likel1 letter# :rom a s)hool that ' a**lie to+ /oes that mea& that ' 0ill (e
a))e*te 0he& e)isio&s )ome out-
'i3ely letters are usually given to recruited athletes a couple months before official decisions
come out. ome colleges also give them out to students for academic reasons in rare cases.
If you receive a li3ely letter+ you will be accepted unless you mess up big before decisions
are released.
8 ' use to ha,e all straight %9s u&til ' got t0o B9s m1 se)o& semester o: se&ior 1ear+ .ill '
(e res)i&e-
-o. %ery few applicants get rescinded. It,s going to ta3e some *,s and (,s to get rescinded+
and even then you might be able to explain your way out of it. -onetheless+ don,t ta3e the
ris3I try to not let your grades fall too much at the end of senior year. <The 8niversity of
"alifornia system is an exception in that its reBuirements for 3eeping one;s acceptance are
relatively unforgiving.=
8 ' thi&k ' (om(e m1 %P tests+ .ill ' get res)i&e-
-o.
8 2o0 mu)h 0ill a (a essa1 hurt me-
ignificantly. Admissions officers care a lot about students, essays+ and they tend to feel
very confident about their ability to accurately assess applicants, personalities based on
those essays.
8 2o0 mu)h o t1*os i& the essa1 hurt me-
It depends on the nature of the error. A small typographical mista3e may go unnoticed and
will li3ely be unimportant if it is isolated. 0ut if you accidentally write the wrong school,s
name+ it >ust shows carelessness. imilarly+ a mista3e:littered essay will reflect very poorly
on you. It is worthwhile to proofread your essays <and your entire application= several
times.
8 .hat shoul ' 0rite a(out i& m1 essa1-
6our goal should be to write a compelling and interesting essay that reveals something
about you that would ma3e a school want you as a student. Also+ admissions officers have
read a lot of essaysI avoiding clich1s is important. -onetheless+ any topic can wor3 as long
as it is done well.
8 2o0 im*orta&t are re)omme&atio&s-
They can be very important+ but they usually aren,t. )hat I mean is that the vast ma>ority
of applicants, recommendations are good+ but not great. -ow+ if your recommendations are
bad/in that the teachers don,t have an overall positive view of you/your chances fall
without a reasonable chance of recovery. If your recommendations truly stand out as being
overwhelmingly positive <i.e.+ a veteran teacher claiming plausibly that you are the best
student that he or she has ever had=+ you can be helped a lot.
8 2o0 im*orta&t are i&ter,ie0s-
The story is similar for interviews. (or the most part they are not very important+ as most
interviewers will give modestly positive evaluations. If the interviewer spea3s very strongly
on your behalf+ you will receive a substantial boostI but+ again+ this is Buite rare. If the
interview goes very badly+ your chances will ta3e a substantial hit. 'i3ewise+ voluntarily not
agreeing to an interview will hurt you.
8 's there a& a,a&tage i& a**l1i&g earl1-
There are three types of early application programs <all of which usually reBuire that
applications be in by around -ovember EI notification is typically by *ecember EH=$
8 >arl1 %)tio&$ Applicants may apply to as many early action <&A= schools as they wish+ as
long as they only apply to &A schools. There is usually no advantage in applying &A. In fact+
it is usually more difficult to get accepted earlyI colleges will accept only the slam:dun3
applicants and defer most others. The relatively high acceptance rates for &A are largely the
result of self:selection among early applicants.
8 "i&gle=$hoi)e >arl1 %)tio&$ ingle:"hoice &arly Action <"&A= is sometimes referred to as
Restrictive &arly Action <R&A=. )ith a few exceptions+ applicants who apply "&A may not
apply early to any other schools. However+ students may apply early to in:state public
universities and can apply to rolling decisions schools <consult each school,s )eb sites for
details on exceptions=. At the moment+ tanford and 6ale are the only schools that currently
offer "&A. There li3ewise seems to be no admissions boost in applying "&A.
8 >arl1 /e)isio&$ &arly *ecision <&*= reBuires that students attend the college if they are
accepted <if you are deferred+ the binding agreement is waived=. The only way that you can
be relieved from this is if the college accepts a petition that your financial aid is not
sufficient to allow your attendance. -onetheless+ you should not apply &* to a school if you
need financial aid+ nor should you apply &* if the school is not your first choice. &* does
generally afford an admissions advantage+ though.
ee here for a list of schools with early and rolling programs.
8 .hat are m1 )ha&)es i: ' am 0aitliste to a )ollege-
-ot very good. chools usually ta3e a very small percentage of their waitlistees.
7ccasionally+ they will ta3e no one off the waitlist. 0ut if you want to increase your chance+
indicate your continued interest and send an update or two if you have any extracurricular
developments.
8 .hat is Tu:ts "1&rome-
Tufts yndrome is the practice of waitlisting extremely Bualified applicants in order to
protect yield because those applicants are li3ely to attend a different school. There is no
conclusive evidence for Tufts yndrome+ but there is significant anecdotal evidence for it.
ome say that Tufts yndrome is merely an attempt to turn down people who the colleges
thin3 are not good fits+ but this doesn;t sound very plausible to me. In order to avoid being
a victim of Tufts yndrome+ show great interest in the school <e.g.+ by visiting or applying
&* if possible=. Tufts and )ash8 are two schools considered to occasionally employ Tufts
yndrome.
8 "houl ' se& a& arts su**leme&t-
If you have unusually significant talent+ yes. (or musicians+ it is generally recommended
that only students with conservative:li3e s3ill send in supplementsI you don,t want to waste
colleges, music departments, time.
College Confidential as a #esource
"" can be intimidating. ome posters confidently disseminate incorrect or s3ewed
information. 7ther posters ta3e every opportunity to belittle 8R. acceptees by accusing
them of being mere products of Affirmative Action. And yes+ those threads with people
as3ing whether they should+ for example+ reta3e GKA@ can be frustrating.
0ut it can also be a great resource and a helpful community of people who are going
through the same process as you are and have similar goals. I hope that this guide has
helped to dissuade some of that initial intimidation. Also+ 3eep in mind that "" reflects a
relatively small slice of the population.
7ne of "",s most helpful aspects with respect to admissions is the decisions threads. 6ou
can find these stic3ied on many schools, forums.
$hat Are My Chances-
Hopefully+ this guide has helped in giving a rough idea of your chance. 0ut a more accurate
chancing is probably not very importantI it shouldn,t change whether you apply.
"" chance threads tend not to be particularly helpful. .ost posters who respond to the
threads are not well:informed and are merely see3ing chance:bac3s. They also tend to give
unhelpful responses <e.g.+ 4The Ivies are reaches for everyone4=.
5ust under a year ago I made a self:chancing &xcel tool that was designed to ta3e into
account various ob>ective and sub>ective data to calculate a rough percentage chance for a
given top school. It,s certainly far from perfect+ but most of the feedbac3 that I have
received has been positive. (or most people+ I suspect that what it produces will be within
E@:EH percentage points of the reality. 7f course+ however+ the tool cannot account for your
essays or recommendations. If you want to give it a try+ !. me a reBuest along with your
email address.
The Common Application
The "ommon Application is widely used by holistically:reviewing schools. ee here for a list
of participating colleges.
6ou write one main "ommon Application essay <on a topic of your choice= and send this to
every school to which you apply via the "ommon Application. "olleges also have a
supplemental part+ in which they will as3 some additional information and sometimes
reBuest a school:specific essay or two. ee here for a preview of next year,s "ommon
Application. 6ou can sign up and begin filling out the application on August Est.
-ote+ however+ that very few schools reBuire that you use the "ommon ApplicationI most
will have their own applications to fill out if you want to.
Graduate and 'rofessional School Admissions. Briefly
8 Grauate ")hool %missio&s$ 0ecause I am not especially 3nowledgeable about this <and
certainly don,t have any first:hand experience=+ I defer <full thread availablehere=$
#uote$
ro! !olliebat!it "#io!edical Sciences$
$here are lots o% di%%erent &inds o% graduate programs.
+ecause each graduate program at a universit admits students independentl, we can)t help ou
if ou don)t specif our field 3histor, !9, @nglish, clinical psch, mechanical engineering,
molecular biolog6 and the degree for which ou want to appl 3master)s, AhB, DA,6. And if
ou can)t specif our field and the degree ou want, ou reall have no business thin"ing about
going to graduate school. Grad school isn)t something ou have to do, and ou should be ver
comfortable with studing in a prett specific area for several ears. 3Also note; if ou are
interested in medical school, business school, or law school, this is not the forum for ou. Those
are professional schools, and this is the grad school board.6
!raduate schools are loo&ing %or %uture scholars in your %ield' not ()ell*rounded( students.
Ier broadl spea"ing, graduate schools care a lot about our letters of recommendation and
our statement of purpose -- the essa ou write about wh ou want to attend graduate school in
a particular field, and what our qualifications are. !n some fields, admissions committees care
about things li"e undergraduate research, writing samples, our wor" or internship histor, or an
in-person interview. Graduate schools generall do not care about e*tracurricular activities
whatsoever unless the)re directl related to the field ou want to stud -- often there)s not even a
place to write about e*tracurriculars on the application.
!raduate school admissions are not usually as num+ers*+ased as undergraduate
admissions.
'e can)t tell ou the magic GAA or G9@ score that will help ou get into the program of our
dreams. And actuall, that data)s not even generall available on the web -- ver few programs
publish their average GAAs or average G9@ scores. That)s because those numbers aren)t usuall
used as major determinants of our status? a bad GAA$G9@ score will probabl hurt ou, but a
good one definitel won)t secure ou a spot. Jou should tr to do our best in college and get a
good GAA and good G9@ scores, but there)s probabl no number that)s going to absolutel "eep
ou out of ever program.
,eep in touch )ith pro%essors at your school )hom you trust and respect.
Since graduate school admissions is so field-specific, ou)ll get the best advice from professors in
our field. 3And ou need to cultivate relationships with them anwa to get good letters of
recommendation, right>6 +efore ou appl to a set of programs, run our list b a trusted
professor friend. Boes he$she thin" ou)re aiming too high or too low> 'ould he$she suggest an
(hidden gems( that might fit our research interests> Jour professors will have a better idea of
our chances than anone on the internet, and as a bonus, the often have connections with
professors at other schools in our field.
-ou don.t need to ha"e all the ans)ers early.
@njo college. Jou should be thin"ing about whether or not ou)d want to attend graduate school
in our junior ear. The summer after our junior ear is a good time to line up recommenders,
pic" programs, and stud for and ta"e the G9@ 3although ou can ta"e the G9@ in the fall of
our senior ear if it)s easier6. Jou can even ta"e time off after college and do something else for
a few ears before going bac" to graduate school -- it won)t hurt our chances as an applicant,
and ma even help in some cases. Jou don)t need to start thin"ing about graduate school in our
freshman ear of college.
ro! U%&'ri "East 'sian Studies$
!et out and do.
Spend more time in undergrad (doing( than (worring.( !f ou go out and do a bunch of
interesting stuff, get involved with a professor on a project, and mabe demonstrate some
leadership abilities, ou will be a much more interesting candidate than the 5.&-GAA-but-no-
social-s"ills-tpes. Arofessors have to live with ou for 5-*-ears, and the usuall don)t want
someone who doesn)t do anthing but stud and regurgitate.
Graduate school is, at least at the AhB level, about original research and producing something
(new. @ven most DA programs are going to loo" for research potential. Seriousl, a 0.7 with tons
of e*tra stuff on the side is much better than a 5.& with nothing else.
Consider the payo%%.
2ot all graduate degrees are made equal. An DA in !9 financed completel with loans ma not
actuall offer ou an sort of financial benefit in the long run. Alwas consider the paoff. !f ou
plan on wor"ing in non-profit after ou graduate, where do ou thin" the mone to pa off that
Q:&-%&&- in loans is going to come from>
-ou don.t need to ha"e all the ans)ers late' either.
!f ou don)t "now what ou want to do, don)t go to grad school. That)s a catastrophicall bad
idea. A couple of ears in the wor"force will not onl ma"e ou a better candidate, it will tell ou
',J ou want that DA, AhB, or whatever. 'aiting is usuall a good idea.
ro! Willia!% "%lassics$
Study the )e+sites o% the programs you.re interested in.
Iirtuall everthing ou need to "now will be there or at the universit)s grad school pages. !f
ou still have questions just call them up. And because ever school is a little different, ou want
to do that for ever program ou appl to.
Re*align your ideas a+out (prestige(.
For most fields, there are few, if an, reliable ran"ings and the big name undergraduate
institutions will not necessaril have the best AhB programs in our field. ,ere again, our
professors will be the best source of information for ou. 9emember, most of us are students too
- we don)t et have the perspective and e*perience of even a brand new assistant professor.
ro! 'pple&inguist "&inguistics$
Ma&e /real0 contact )ith indi"iduals in the departments you apply to.
These are the people that will be part of the admission decision ma"ing process. .ommunicate
our interests clearl and tr to arrange a campus visit. Deet face to face with the professors that
ou would li"e to wor" with. Da"e sure to loo" at the department website thoroughl because in
m e*perience, profs will just refer ou to the website if it)s a FAK.
!rades are not e"erything )hen it comes to grad school.
!f ou are particularl worried about it, it ma behoove ou to do things that would complement
our .I and help to draw attention awa from our grades. For e*ample, ou might consider
getting some wor" e*perience after ou graduate. That wa, though our grades ma not be the
best in the bunch, it could still benefit ou to have that e*perience. Admissions people li"e wor"
e*perience, especiall relevant '@.
ro! (rofessor) "Director of *raduate Studies in an anony!ous historyish field$
Money matters.
At the AhB level, there are assistantships and fellowships. Assistantships are awarded b the
department in which a student will be studing ,and are usuall either (research assistantships,(
(teaching assistantships,( or (graduate assistantships.( 9As usuall carr full tuition remission as
well as a stipend, and require, in return, serving as a research assistant to a professor in one)s
department. TAs also usuall carr full tuition remission and a stipend, and require, in return,
serving as a teaching assistant in one)s department.
GAs also usuall carr full tuition remission and a stipend, and can require man different sorts
of (service,( generall with an infle*ible e*pectation of a certain number of hours a wee" 3often
<&6. @*amples of graduate assistantships are; tutoring in the 'riting .enter, serving as a resident
assistant in undergraduate campus housing, serving as a trainer in the 9ec .enter, wor"ing in the
librar in some specified capacit, etc. Students who do not receive departmental assistantships
can 3and do6 often appl for GAs of various sorts, so the do not have to fund their own studies.
Fellowships are a cut above assistantships. Hnli"e assistantships, the are not awarded b the
department, but b the universit. Bepartments must nominate their strongest candidates.
Fellowships alwas carr full tuition remission, and often require absolutel no service. Some
require onl one ear of service out of the three to five ears for which the are awarded. This
service is usuall performed as a teaching or research assistant. +ecause fellowships are
universit-wide awards, competition is stiffer. G9@s are often a central factor in the fellowship
committee)s decision ma"ing, because there are few trul interdisciplinar measures b which to
ran" candidates.
ro! DespSeek(hD "+istory$
It.s all a+out your ad"isor.
Fit is important. Jour advisor is going to be the one to get ou those jobs after dissertation b
writing recs and helping ou networ". The best scholarl wor" on our topic ma be coming
from a person at an institution ran"ed well below the top %& or <&. ,owever, academics
understand this, and the will respect ou coming from that advisor, as opposed to a program that
doesn)t fit our interests as well. The will wonder, ('h did he go there>(
There are so man distinctions when it comes to our AhB wor" - ta"e a histor AhB, for
e*ample. !s it @uropean> African> Southern> !f it)s Asian, is it @ast Asia> Southeast Asia> Sa it)s
east Asia. .hina> -orea> Rapan> 'hat about time period - ancient> medieval> earl modern>
modern> 'hat tpe of histor - social> religious> political> Dabe it)s a comparative field -
povert> race relations> economic development> 'hat about histor of science>
The permutations are rather endless. An advisor that)s doing wor" close to what ou want to do
can advise ou better, ma"ing our dissertation better, and giving ou better recs for job hunting.
Jes, fit matters - a lot.
8 Busi&ess ")hool %missio&s$ The business school admissions exam is the Graduate
.anagement Admissions Test <G.AT=. High scores on that test and a very high college G!A
are necessary for getting into a top .0A program. At least a couple years of wor3
experience is generally considered to effectively be a reBuirement as well.
In general+ you,ll want to attend the highest:ran3ed business school that you can attend.
ee here for B+"+ Ce0s a& .orl Ge*ort9s ran3ings.
8 Aei)al ")hool %missio&s$ The medical school admissions exam is the .edical "ollege
Admissions Test <."AT=. A very high G!A <probably at least K.?+ preferably higher= and a
high ."AT score <around KK:KH or higher out of CH is competitive= are needed for the most
competitive medical schools. In fact+ good numbers are needed to get into almost any
medical school. Interviews and relevant extracurriculars are also important.
8 Ha0 ")hool %missio&s$ #uantifiable factors drive law school admissions+ though 6ale 'aw
chool is often cited as a minor exception to this <they are more holistic=. A high 'AT score
and a high G!A are both a must for top law schools. If unhoo3ed+ applicants with E?HO on
the 'AT and a K.DO G!A will have a great chance at top schoolsI being below E?@ andMor
K.? will ma3e admissions to one of the top law schools <Harvard+ 6ale+ tanford= very
unli3ely unless you have a hoo3+ and even then you aren,t in great shape.
As with business schools+ attending a top:ran3ed law school is significantly preferable.
College Selection
8 %**l1 to a lot o: s)hools+ ome people+ upon gaining perspective on the difficulty and
unpredictability of top:college admissions+ adopt the mentality that it,s not worth it to apply
to more than one 4reach4 school. In some rare cases+ this is an acceptable approach. 0ut if
you are aiming for top schools in general <though not indiscriminately=+ the unpredictability
of admissions should drive you to set a wide net. &very year there are many applicants to
get accepted to only one of the top schools that they apply to. Indeed+ there are few
applicants who get accepted to a great number of top schools. 6ou don,t have to go
overboard and hit every school on the B" Ce0s a& .orl Ge*ort top:twenty list+ though.
The general rule of applying to no more than three reach schools+ however+ is misguided.
7h+ and ma3e sure you have at least two true safety schools <i.e.+ schools to which you are
essentially sure that you will be accepted=+ unless you can get in one early via a rolling
admissions program.
8 $o&sier s*e)i:i) e*artme&tal stre&gths+ Although this is most applicable to graduate
school selection+ it can come into play at the undergraduate level. If you are deeply
interested in a specific field that is not very common+ seeing where schools, departments
stac3 up is very appropriate. 0ut the common sub>ects will have strong departments at
most ma>or universities. 6our interests+ moreover+ are always sub>ect to changeI undecided
applicants especially should consider schools that are well:rounded. An applicant who is+ for
example+ merely leaning toward math or science should not choose a narrowly focused
school li3e "altech.
8 Ga&ki&gs a& *restige matter+ ometimes+ that is. (or many careers+ students hailing
from well:regarded schools will often receive a more significant consideration. Top:ran3ed
schools also generally afford an advantage in graduate school admissions in that applicants
tend to have more opportunities for meaningful research and can receive recommendations
from prominent scholars. At law schools as well+ students from top colleges are enormously
disproportionately over:represented. ome of that is li3ely merely correlational <i.e.+ better
students+ on average+ attend top colleges=I some of it+ however+ is li3ely causal+ given the
extent of the over:representation.
8 Perso&al :it a& 5ualit1 o: li:e matter more+ %isit the schoolI tal3 to current and past
students/do whatever wor3s for you to get a sense of the overall feel of a college and how
well you will fit into that environment. If+ for example+ one of your choices is ran3ed VK and
another is VA+ ma3ing the decision based on those sub>ective feelings of fit is infinitely wiser
than putting a meaningful weight on that difference in ran3ing. 6ou can be successful
coming from any college.
8 Aake :i&a&)ial )o&sieratio&s+ *on,t attend a top college over a well:regarded but lower:
ran3ed public university if the financial burden is substantial. However+ for most students a
top college will be cheaper than their local state university+ despite those intimidating stic3er
prices. "onsider+ for example+ Harvard,s exciting financial aid program <6ale,s+ tanford,s+
and !rinceton,s programs are comparable=$ families with annual incomes under JA@+@@@ are
not expected to contribute to the cost of education+ and even families who ma3e up to
JED@+@@@ a year <or higher if you have another student attending college or another
extenuating circumstance= are as3ed to contribute E@L or less of their income. .oreover+
Harvard and some of its peers <such as .IT+ !rinceton+ and 6ale= are fully need:blind for
both international and domestic applicantsI that is+ the ability to pay does not affect
admissions.
Ac"nowledgements
A significant number of people gave me their feedbac3 on early drafts of this guide+ so I
can+ unfortunately+ offer complimentary blurbs on but a couple of them. I am especially
grateful for these reviewers, thoughts+ whose comments were indispensable and whom I
sought out because I already had great respect for them <for purposes of respecting
anonymity+ I will refer to them by using their "" usernames=$
"hristiansoldier$ .any than3s to christiansoldier for his helpful comments on my guide. His
thoughts on the AT ub>ect Tests and A! tests were li3ewise Buite informative. He is
certainly Bualified to offer them. His standardi9ed testing record is ama9ing/even within the
context of top:college admissions$ twenty H;s on his A! tests+ seven D@@;s on AT ub>ect
Tests+ and GC@@ on the AT. In the fall+ he will be a freshman at !rinceton+ where he intends
to ma>or in public policy.
.ifune$ I called this a blurb+ so I;ll be terse$ mifune is one of the most insightful and
promising people whom I have ever met <though I use met in the most electronic sense=.
Having recently graduated high school in three years+ he will soon be attending Harvard
with the hopes of eventually becoming a medical scientist.
I also than3 ""ers TurBuoiseHexagon <who+ by the way+ has scored GC@@ on the AT three
times=+ 5erseyEK+ and cra9ybandit for reviewing the guide.
A&out the Author. Briefly
At the time of writing this+ I am a rising high:school senior. 6ou can !. me for any
<almost any+ that is= reason if you wish to. I will do my best to respond+ though my inbox
has a tendency to fill up rather often.
Good Luc"/
I suppose that my final+ general pieces of advice would be to remain ever:thoughtful and to
3eep everything in perspective <this includes grades+ test scores+ college admissions+ and a
lot of things that I have yet to encounter=. Anyhow+ than3s for reading and good luc3.