Quell my fears, help me study.

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>So, here's the deal: I am a to-be senior at a competitive public high school in Texas who dreams of taking an ROTC scholarship and going to one of the best schools around, yet my ACT score isn't what it needs to be and I need your help to get it there. </p>

<p>GPA: 102ish, weird (and ridiculously unfair) weighting system. Probably ranked about 15/340. Rank will rise senior year. Lots of APs (just like everyone else..)</p>

<p>I plan on applying to Hogwarts (MAJOR REACH), Stanford (dream, applying EA), UT Austin, ND, BC, Columbia, Princeton, USC, Duke, ect. </p>

<p>ECs: Football varsity 2 years, currently varsity captain. NHS, SNHS, Stu-co, Senior President, lots of church group work, employee at local Boys & Girls Club, Powerlifting varsity letter sophomore year, ect. (I know these are common)</p>

<p>State First Place winner of a TSA (Technology Student of America, don't laugh) woodturning competition (wooden pen with inlay), went on to run a part time business and run my own mini pen company out of garage, selling online and on custom orders. </p>

<p>No, I haven't cured any diseases or published any novels like half the Stanford hopefuls I read on CC (slight exaggeration). </p>

<p>ANYWAYS, on to the topic at hand, the ACT. </p>

<p>Current score:
C: 33
E: 36
M: 32
R: 33
S: 30
W: 8</p>

<p>I know that with my mostly average looking stats I need to kill the ACT (not a fan of the SAT and its trickery) to have a chance at the schools listed above. The scores above were my second time taking it, up from a 31 on a horrible day (alarm clock didn't go off..) with no prior knowledge of the test (kind of a "why not" thing). I studied by taking one practice test and got the scores above. Everything improved except science, which bothers me. I thought I did horrible the first time and great the second, turns out I was right about the first test, and wrong about the second. I need that 30 to be around a 33 if I want to get to the 34-36 zone. </p>

<p>What do you guys recommend I do to prep for the retake? Any tips more creative than advising practice tests? I will take the other two I have in the red book. Other good prep books? How about the PR one? What has worked for YOU to get into the very top scores when you're already at a score that requires very little error to achieve. What about that pitiful essay score? </p>

<p>I am about to buckle down and get going, pushing myself to study while trying to work in my upcoming classes and my last year of Texas high school football. Oh yeah, I should probably get around to those subject tests too..</p>

<p>Looking for some creative tips, inspiration, techniques, or just anything else you have to offer that might help me. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance CC community, you never disappoint.</p>

2

<p>What is “Hogwarts”?</p>

<p>A 33 is a perfectly decent ACT score. If you don’t like it, I suggest you try the SAT. Some score significantly higher on one test over the other.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

3

<p>What’s your position in football?</p>

4

<p>Hogwarts if a school of witchcraft and wizardry found in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, poor attempt at a joke.</p>

<p>Last season I played linebacker and a small amount of a modified nosegaurd position along with special teams. This year I will play linebacker and possibly some fullback and special teams, and will probably end up helping out on the D line. So basically, linebacker.</p>

5

<p>LOOL Hogwarts
C’mon pbr get with the game
I’m kinda on the same boat as you Jobrenn, except Science is actually my highest (34)and Writing and Reading are my lowest (33)
So I guess I can kindly briefly say what worked for me for science</p>

<p>Time: Have a plan on exactly how much time you’re going to spend on each passage. Mine was like 7 minutes for the 5 so I had 5 minutes leftover…something like that
Tackling the Problems: I just read through the passages as fast as I could to get the general gist of the experiment. Then it’s a matter of looking at the question and picking out the answer in the passage/experiment.
I noticed ACT rarely tests you on outside info (1 or 2) or anything that requires you to read between the lines. Basically alot of the Science seems to be straightforward; the ACT science tests you on how fast you can pick out the data information for the question for instance</p>

<p>If I were you, retake in September with some prep this summer (bet you’re busy). If you keep (i know you said not to say it) trying the science section with practice test and a prep book like Princeton Review (gave me the “straightforward” mentality) you should be able to push that to a 34, maybe a 35. Same with math</p>

<p>GOod luck man and hopefully we both increase in September!</p>

6

<p>I am also a Hogwarts class of 2015 hopeful. I know their middle 50% for the ACT is 28-33 though, so I think you should be fine. Don’t worry about it.</p>