High School Freshman retaking ACT

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>Hello! Here are my scores from June.</p>

<p>Composite - 27
English - 32
Math - 28
Reading - 23
Science - 26
Writing - Pending</p>

<p>I have a few questions that all of you ACT geniuses on this board will hopefully be able to answer. I'm retaking the ACT in September, hopefully to get a higher score. I'm a freshman, but I don't want to see comments like "relax and wait till junior year".</p>

<p>On English, I have studied quite a bit. I usually get all but one or two (or all) of the usage/mechanics questions, and I miss 4-5 rhetorical questions. Does anyone know how to improve a 32 to the 34-36 range (pretty much perfect territory)? If anyone has any ideas, please post them here.</p>

<p>Math seriously <em>ed me off this time around. I mean, I have the red book, and I got 33,34,35 in that order on the practice tests. *</em> right? Well, when I saw the score, I wasn't THAT much surprised. I simply didn't manage time very well. So, I guess I'm not really asking for advice in this section, but just commenting on it. I will totally pown this test in September.</p>

<p>After getting ****ed over math, I had a chance to cool down during the break (thank god). When I was starting the reading (which I usually get 23 on), I thought, "I'm going to devour this test". Well, I didn't, quite frankly. I thought I got at least 25, but I guess I didn't really know. Any tips on how to improve on this section would be greatly appreciated! :)</p>

<p>You'll never believe what happened with science. Ok, so it was a week from the test, and I was sitting in my local library reading some Kaplan (for any last minute support) and I was still clueless about the science. I simply could not take the test at all under timed conditions. Then, a miracle happened. This guy walked over to the table I was sitting at and said "Studying for the ACT, eh?"</p>

<p>"Yeah" I said.</p>

<p>"You taking the test this saturday?" he said.</p>

<p>"Yeah" (I was starting to get a little bit annoyed)</p>

<p>"You know, I'm an ACT math and science coach. I could coach you right now if you'd like."</p>

<p>I was pretty confident that my science was hopeless, so I asked him about some math help. I can tell you that I definitely knew more about math than he did, so it didn't help. He asked me if I wanted some science help, and I told him I wasn't great at it. After about 30 minutes with him, he got me to a 26 on science. He said that he could definitely get me into the high 30s at my ability. I'm going to be coached by him for a while, hopefully I will prove him right...</p>

<p>Btw, he recently came to my house, and for about two hours I showed him how to do some of the math problems that he didn't know how to do. I thought I was just repaying him for how he helped me, but he went to his car and let me borrow 8 official tests he had collected in exchange for my help. I'm so glad I bumped into this guy.</p>

<p>Please provide me with good comments about how I can do better on the ACT. Thanks!</p>

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<p>Please answer me people lol</p>

3

<p>relax and wait until junior year</p>

4

<p>That wasn’t funny</p>

5

<p>I would seriously just go over and over those eight official tests. I only had 3 official tests and it helped more that you could ever believe.</p>

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<p>Yeah, they are really good prep.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice!</p>

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<p>Bumpity bumpity bump.</p>

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<p>Look up most of the grammar rules on Sparknotes to get a general idea on what rules that you might have forgotten. You might have to go more in depth to get a 34+ on the English.
Make sure you atleast skim each paragraph then do the questions for that part. Especially the summary ones. It’s best to look at each paragraph instead of the whole as it becomes hard to remember everything unless its a complete summary question. </p>

<p>Reading tests your ability to comprehend all the info you’ve read. Only way to get better is by reading. As you read more, you will be able to retain larger amounts of information and connect all the ideas together. Look at sparknotes for book summaries so you can see what kind of points and the such you should be looking for when reading stuff. Then take the quizzes to see how much you actually can recall.</p>

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<p>I really wouldn’t worry about the ACT during freshman year. The first time I took it was at the end of my sophomore year. I suggest you don’t think about the ACT again until the end of your sophomore year, and then (obviously) during your junior year until you get the score you desire.</p>

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<p>Keep practicing and use the REAL ACT test prep book. Your scores will only improve. Work on the timing part of the entire test - for the ACT that is the key to success and improvement.</p>

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<p>Take Precal, then take the act.</p>

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<p>I’m in percal right now, and will be finished before the next ACT (about a month before)</p>

<p>I think I will save those tests until after I’m done with precal.</p>

<p>“Make sure you atleast skim each paragraph then do the questions for that part.”</p>

<p>Well…Rixs, an avid poster on this board told me to not to skim the paragraphs at all, and he got a 36. I’ll consider your advice though. :)</p>

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</p>

<p>I assume that he’s a genius with photographic memory and doesn’t need to even look at the text twice. Go with what he did if you’re a genius too. If not, do what other non-geniuses do.</p>

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<p>His strategy consists of doing the problems in like 30 minutes, and then reviewing for 15 minutes. I got a 32 and I just make dumb mistakes I could probably catch the second time around. </p>

<p>I don’t think he has photographic memory because he hates the reading section, whereas most people with this ability love this section.</p>

<p>And keep in mind, I havn’t actually tried this strategy on a practice test myself, so it may not work for me. If it doesn’t, I will gladly consider reading the passage. </p>

<p>I really appreciate you posting, thank you :)</p>

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<p>Well, I feel like I only have authority to speak about English (36) and Reading (34), so that’s what I’ll talk about… and luckily for you, English and Reading overlap quite a lot. </p>

<p>To do well in English, you need to know how the English language is actually used. You need to have a good sense of how language/ideas “flow” in a passage, and, of course, the many technicalities of the language. For this section, you should simply read more and study the mechanics of the English language. This website, coupled with PR, has helped me a lot with English: [SparkNotes</a> Free Online Test Prep and Study Guides for College Admissions](<a href=“http://testprep.sparknotes.com/]SparkNotes”>http://testprep.sparknotes.com/). As a side note, though, when I say that “you should just read more”, I’m not talking about Harry Potter, nor am I talking about Shakespeare . Read the modern classics. A Passage to India and The Picture of Dorian Gray are my personal favorites. When taking the actual test, I do not skim the entire passage or paragraph before answering. I answer things as I read unless I do not feel comfortable with a question. Only then will I read ahead before answering.</p>

<p>To do well in Reading, you’ve really got to teach yourself to read a passage quickly yet insightfully. All I can tell you for this is to read more short stories and books. Reading is difficult to study for and, for me, is only easy because I’ve had a lifetime of practice. You’re lucky you’re only a freshman. Good Luck.</p>

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<p>Thanks alot, bike!</p>

<p>You’re the second person to recommend to me sparksnotes (cjgone) and PR (Rixs, who also got a 36 on that section!), so I’ll probably look through those quite thoroughly for English. </p>

<p>And btw, I’ve started reading in my free time. I’ve read from about 10:00 -2:00 each night on anything from science to prose.</p>

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<p>I got an 8 on writing, btw. I’m open for suggestions on that one too.</p>

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<p>Egbert, </p>

<p>Why are you worrying about your ACT score two years before its necessary? Don’t you have any activities or interests to occupy your time? You are 14 years old and you should be enjoying the summer and thinking about your sophomore year instead of plotting out college admissions. </p>

<p>BTW, I have one super-achiever who is a rising senior at Dartmouth and another low-key rising senior in high school. My first son never took the ACT, did too well on SAT to even consider it. The other guy just got a 32 after scoring 2100-ish on SAT. Guess which kid is happier, with more friends and a happy-go-lucky attitude.</p>

<p>Go outside…play tennis, or soccer, or go for a run. Hang with your friends, play x-box, watch junk tv. Anything but reviewing for the ACT/SAT.</p>

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<p>I specifically said in my first post that I did not want anyone posting telling me that I am too young. At least you are trying to be constructive. :)</p>

<p>But really, I have plenty of friends, and I don’t like slacking off. I play Halo 3 online every now and then, but I always get really nervous when playing it. I feel like the clock is ticking and before I know it, I will be a graduating senior, with nothing to show for. You remind me of my mother, who is incredibly unsupportive. I always wished I would have one of those mothers who goes on these boards and brags about me, or the kind that stays up to see my scores. Ah well. I love her just the way she is.</p>

<p>Keep in mind, I do NOT want to change the topic of this thread. Please keep the advice coming. :)</p>

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<p>I am sorry that you feel your mother is not supporting your academic efforts. Perhaps, she is concerned that you are pushing yourself too hard and that you are missing out on the last few years of your childhood. Ironically, my boys would have preferred that their parents were less involved and concerned with their grades and test scores. And yes, I have had many late nights/early mornings waiting to see the scores online.</p>

<p>I know you feel that if you are not working hard now, you will wake up a senior and it will be too late. But, I am here to tell you that it won’t happen that way. My older son and his very smart friends (Harvard, UVA, Yale & Dartmouth) did nothing to prepare for the SAT before junior year. Yes, they worked very hard during the school year, and particpated in many ECs, sportss, lots of leadership…but no test prep before the summer going into junior year. So, I know that your worries are unnecessary, and I also know that you will NEVER get this time back in your life. There are plenty of years ahead filled with stress and hard work. Take these precious months to have fun with your friends.</p>