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Dartmouth High School senior Christopher Leaver is among those who already has the SAT under his belt. Looking to study architecture at Roger Williams University, UMass Amherst or the University of Hartford, Christopher said he found the test "a lot more difficult than the MCAS," the comprehensive series of exams Massa... |
"The SAT required thinking," he said. "With the MCAS, I already knew the answers." |
Christopher, who took the SAT earlier this month, said the exam was tough, despite the fact that he had taken the preparation courses offered at his school. He wasn't alone in hoping to do better. |
"A lot of my friends who thought they did well and didn't do well, screwed up on the English," he said. |
Although his scores were good enough for the schools he is applying to, Christopher said that if he had the money and had to take the test again, he'd strongly consider signing on with one of the specialty preparation companies. |
That kind of help doesn't come cheaply. The big names like Sylvan and Kaplan charge anywhere from several hundred dollars to more than $1,000 for their services, depending on whether clients select private tutoring or small classroom sessions. |
In exchange, students get individual assessments of their strengths and weaknesses. They are also counseled on whether they may perform better on the ACT (American College Test.) The latter, which has gotten less attention than the SAT, has been around since 1959 and is now accepted as an alternative to the SAT almost ... |
Kaplan's director of SAT/ACT programs Kristen Campbell said, "Some students score better on the ACT and some score better on the SAT. There are content differences. There is more math on the SAT than the ACT." However, the ACT includes science, which the SAT does not. |
"The SAT got its origins as an IQ test, while the ACT is based more on curriculum," Ms. Campbell said. Through Kaplan, students can practice both tests. |
Grace Mitchell, director of the Sylvan Learning Center in North Dartmouth, said the SAT is a "reasoning test" and that training in how to analyze its questions is at least as important as reviewing potential content. |
"Schools teach to the MCAS but not to the SAT. If you are in a classroom atmosphere, you know how to take notes and what to study for," she said, describing the SAT as something of a "culture shock." |
Debbie Ozug of Great Place to Learn in Wareham promises those students who can afford their private services that the personalized assessments, guidance and test-taking strategies provided can avoid the "mass hysteria" that tends to precede the SAT exams. |
"These tests can be very daunting when you come into them cold. A panic sets in. But, if you break it down sequentially, it's very doable," she said. |
According to the College Board, nearly 1.5 million students take the SAT annually, most often as high school juniors in May or as high school seniors in the fall, though it is also offered at other times throughout the year. Nationally, the average 2007 scores were 502, verbal, and 515 math, down one and three points r... |
The test may be taken multiple times, though it costs about $42 a shot, unless a student qualifies for a low-income fee waiver. |
Colleges use it — along with grade point averages and recommendations — as one predictor of how well a student will fare during his or her freshman year. |
The SAT, overseen by the Princeton, N.J.-based College Board, was created in 1941 to level the playing field for students from different educational backgrounds and allow institutions of higher education to compare apples to apples when it considered applicants. |
Ironically, the exam has come under increasing fire for being biased against minorities, who, while taking the exam in growing numbers, continue to score lower than their white peers, according to the College Board's own findings. |
That concern is coupled with the fact that some college officials are raising questions as to how much a standardized test score actually reveals about a student's true chances of success. |
"Whether they get 1300 or 1250 doesn't really tell you anything about them as a person or a student," Ken Himmelman, director of admissions at Bennington College in Vermont, told USA Today last year. He said fixating on the numbers "becomes so crazy it's almost a distraction." |
The USA Today report went on to say that more and more campuses have made the SAT and ACT optional. In fact, a quarter of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the 2006 U.S. News & World Report have done just that. Included among them are Bennington, Drew University in New Jersey, and, closer to home, The College of the... |
And for those already predisposed to disliking the SAT, fuel for the fire came in April 2006, when the College Board acknowledged thousands of scores were misreported after the test sheets were inaccurately tallied. |
College Board officials subsequently blamed the glitches on the fact that answer sheets were too humid to be read properly by the scoring machine. |
Whether a college requires them or not, there are certain givens when it comes to the SAT. |
"The more familiar you are with how the test is set up and the way its questions are asked, your performance increases on the exam," said New Bedford High School's lead guidance counselor Kristine Ainsley. |
Like many public schools, New Bedford offers SAT preparation courses — which Ms. Ainsley said are always full to capacity — to help students succeed in their applications to colleges. "The lower your grade point average, the higher your SAT scores need to be," she explained. "Some schools use it as 'the guide,' no matt... |
Though New Bedford runs its free preparation classes year round, there is not enough space for all of the 600 seniors who may take the SAT. New Bedford has seats for up to 30 students each in three sections of critical reasoning and three sections of math. Between 70 and 80 percent of NBHS students take the classes, Ms... |
In Fairhaven, guidance counselor Dawn Rego said all students have the opportunity to take SAT preparation classes at the high school, but must pay an $85 fee; that buys them four hours a week of specialized study in math and verbal skills over a six-week period and includes an SAT study guide. |
Freetown-Lakeville's Apponequet High School does not offer SAT preparation. That's because to truly prepare students for the test, "you really have to be specialized. There are other places that offer services," said director of guidance Robert McKay. |
Wareham High School reinstituted its SAT preparation courses last year because parents said they wouldn't or couldn't pay the high fees for private prep classes, said SAT coordinator Pam Franklin. |
"In our research, students who took the preparation courses felt more prepared, more confident, and their scores did improve significantly," Mrs. Franklin said. |
Barbara Helfrich, chair of the guidance department at Dartmouth High School, also believes that practice makes perfect — or at least for better scores. |
In Dartmouth, anyone with a library card can access the Dartmouth Public Library's Web site to take a free online SAT preparation course, Mrs. Helfrich said. Plus, all high school students can take classroom SAT courses, which have helped the student body as a whole make Dartmouth one of the few public schools in the s... |
In addition, she encourages juniors to take the PSAT (Practice SAT) because it "shows them where their weaknesses are and gives them a sense of what the test might be like." |
In her opinion, "devotion to practicing" gets the same results as the often-pricey course preparation. |
As with any other keyboard to come from Tt eSPORTS with the Poseidon name attached to it, we again find no reason to fault the design, usability, the component choices, or the vast range of things that the software brings forth. The Poseidon Z RGB has lived up to the hype that surrounds it. Seeing every product in the ... |
While we typically gravitate towards blue or green switches for day to day use, we will admit the lack of noise that the Kailh brown switches offers were pleasing. 6-key rollover on all the time will keep most users happy, and always on anti-ghosting is a big help for gamers, when holding keys in combat in lesser board... |
Consider us impressed. The Thermaltake Poseidon Z RGB not only brings out the ultimate in LED control thus far, but Tt eSPORTS is also able to take an original concept, and add in optional controls across the keyboard, without having to take the design to gaudy levels adding inside keys or making the keyboard have to b... |
The Bottom Line: Tt eSPORTS has delivered the most impressive Poseidon Z to be tested. This RGB version is a solid keyboard on its own, but with everything else it offers, and the price where it is, you would be silly to pass this one by. |
United States: The Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Z RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard retails for $80 at Amazon. |
United Kingdom: The Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Z RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard retails for £109 at Amazon UK. |
Canada: The Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Z RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard retails for $180 CAD at Amazon Canada. |
Suspended Louisville football assistant coach Chris Klenakis was back in court Thursday and plans to report for his four-day jail sentence on Sunday. |
Suspended Louisville football assistant Chris Klenakis went back to court Thursday morning for sentencing after he reached a plea agreement following his August arrest for driving under the influence. |
The agreement requires him to serve four days in jail and pay over $700 in fines and fees. |
His court appearance Thursday in Shelby County was quiet and quick as the judge and his lawyer conferred about his case. They arranged for Klenakis to report for his jail sentence at 6 p.m. Sunday. |
Klenakis was granted work release while he's in jail, which means he can be released for several hours each day in order to work, according to court records and Assistant County Attorney Stuart Ulferts. |
However, Klenakis was suspended from his job as Louisville’s tight end coach after he was arrested in August. Louisville athletics spokesman Kenny Klein confirmed Thursday that he is still on suspension and is not doing any work for U of L. |
It is unclear if Klenakis is working for another employer, and his lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. |
An arrest report said Klenakis was swerving as he drove down Interstate 64 in Shelbyville in the middle of the night on Aug. 18 and almost hit a construction wall while workers were present. |
After he was stopped by law enforcement, he walked out into traffic and nearly got hit by a truck. His blood-alcohol level was measured at .165 during a breath test. |
Klenakis was put on administrative leave the following Monday and in late September, Louisville football head coach Bobby Petrino said he would not coach for the Cardinals again this season. Days later, Klenakis reached a plea agreement in Shelby County court, pleading guilty to charges of driving under the influence a... |
Beyond the planned jail time and the fines and fees, which Klenakis’ lawyer said his client planned to pay Thursday, the coach’s driver's license is being suspended for 30 days. |
Klenakis also is expected to submit to future drug screens, among other requirements. His lawyer said Thursday that he is already in treatment. |
If Klenakis does not comply with the terms of his plea agreement, he would face additional jail time. |
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a synthetic replacement for cartilage. |
Dubbed “Kevlartilage,” the new material combines Kevlar nanofibers and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to recreate the “magic” of cartilage. |
The rubber-like padding covers and protects the ends of long bones and joints, particularly in the rib cage, ears, bronchial tubes, and intervertebral discs. Mash up the tip of your nose. Feel that rigid-yet-flexible piece at the end? That’s cartilage. |
Articular cartilage, found in load-bearing joints like the knees and hips, is composed of a dense extracellular matrix (ECM)—principally water, collagen, and proteoglycans, with a sprinkling of specialized cells called chondrocytes. |
Like a para-aramid synthetic fiber and a water-soluble synthetic polymer. |
Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, Kevlar (the registered trademark for the high-strength material) is best known for making bulletproof vests. |
Mix its aramid nanofibers with PVA, though, and you get an artificial cartilage that Kotov hopes will someday replace the real thing in folks with joint injuries. |
“I will talk to doctors about where the acute need is and where this intersection of the properties will allow us to make best headway and biggest impact,” the professor said. |
Ever wonder what happens to your poor patellas during a run? Each step pounds the cartilage between the bones, forcing water out, and making the tissue more pliable. Once you stop for a rest, though, the cartilage recovers by absorbing more water, and the cycle begins again. |
U-M’s synthetic cartilage works the same way, releasing H2O under stress, and later sponging it back up, trapped by the PVA. |
While others have tried to create synthetic cartilage (some varieties are even undergoing clinical trials), none, according to U-M, can achieve the same effects as Kevlartilage. |
THE curtain came down last night on "the best Commonwealth Games ever", and global Games supremo Louise Martin declared Queensland had proved it could now shoot for the Olympics. |
A dazzling closing ceremony starring Guy Sebastian, Dami Im, The Veronicas, Amy Shark and Yothu Yindi brought the 12-day Gold Coast Commonwealth Games to the finish line, a decade since they were envisioned. |
It followed a dramatic last day of competition in which retiring para-sports legend Kurt Fearnley won his last wheelchair marathon, England pipped Australia for netball gold and organisers had to defend long delays in getting help for Scottish marathoner Callum Hawkins after his collapse near the finish line. |
A rampaging Australian team reclaimed its position at the top of the medal tally from England, collecting 80 gold - our equal fourth greatest haul. |
"It has exceeded my expectations," Aussie chef de mission Steve Moneghetti said. |
Young performers fittingly took centre stage in the closing spectacular at Carrara Stadium. They included 12-year-old Gold Coast schoolboy Max Deffenti, who opened the show, teenage slam poet Solli Raphael and young dancers the Brat Pack Tappers. |
Large areas of the stadium were virtually empty, but organisers insisted the Games had been a success, with 1.2 million tickets sold. |
Queensland will use the Games as a springboard to lure even bigger events, including the 2025 world athletic championships and possibly the 2032 Olympics. |
After his emotional retirement from international competition, a proud Fearnley had the honour of leading the Australian team into the stadium for the closing ceremony. |
Pop veterans Kate Ceberano and Deborah Conway joined The Veronicas, Dami Im, Samantha Jade, Thandi Phoenix, Kira Puru and Emma Donovan in a 45-minute segment dubbed "Sisters". |
Ceremonies musical director Katie Noonan, accused by critics of pushing herself on to centre stage in the opening ceremony, had a part in the celebration of female Aussie music icons from Olivia Newton-John to the Divinyls' Chrissie Amphlett. |
The 15,500 Games volunteers, known as "Games shapers", were also honoured. |
Games' 2022 host Birmingham also had a starring role in the ceremony, as Brit rapper Lady Sanity crossed to Birmingham for a live performance by the Birmingham Royal Ballet and People's Orchestra. |
Ms Martin, the Commonwealth Games Federation president, said the stunning success of the Coast Games showed an Olympics was "definitely doable" for Queensland. |
Marathon collapse sparks outrage: Calls for a rule change after athlete left to suffer after collapse. |
The world's biggest particle accelerator is back in action after a two-year shutdown and upgrade, embarking on a new mission that scientists hope could give them a look into the unseen dark universe. |
Scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, on Sunday shot two particle beams through the Large Hadron Collider's 16.8-mile tunnel, beneath the Swiss-French border near Geneva. |
The collider was instrumental in the discovery of the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle that had long been theorized but never confirmed until 2013. |
Scientists are promising nearly twice the energy and more violent particle crashes this time around. They hope to see all sorts of new physics, including a first-ever glimpse of dark matter, during the collider's second three-year run. |
CERN said the restart went smoothly and faster than expected. Still, it will be a while before the accelerator is working at full speed and particle crashes start. |
"It will take us about six weeks to two months to establish the first stable collisions for the experiments, because we have to commission all the instruments, all the systems one by one," said Joerg Wenninger, the accelerator's coordinator of operations. |
Dark matter — and its cousin, dark energy — make up most of the universe, but scientists haven't been able to see them yet, so researchers are looking for them in high-energy crashes, in a special experiment on the orbiting international space station, and in a deep underground mine. |
CERN spent about $150 million on the upgrade, opening the massive machine about every 65 feet, checking magnets and improving connections. |
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s victory over President Obama and most of his Senate colleagues Sunday was messy and almost certain to be brief. But by forcing key U.S. intelligence programs to go dark, he scored a clear win for civil libertarians and those backing his White House campaign. |
Yet, at the end of Sunday’s rare Senate session, Paul was able to claim victory: “I came here to defend the Bill of Rights, not to be popular,” he tweeted. The freshman single-handedly shut down intelligence agencies’ legal authority to continue collecting domestic phone records for a searchable database of who is phon... |
Reluctantly, the Senate agreed to take up a House-passed bill by a 77-11 vote, and will add tweaks to it that the House will consider when it returns this week. The House bill winds down the bulk government collection of the phone records but requires phone companies to retain similar information, where it can be acces... |
One Paul rival for the White House nomination, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, voted with him in opposing a Senate debate over the House version. Rubio did not speak on his vote. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas voted for the House version, which would shift the collection of Americans’ phone data to phone companies and away from t... |
But Paul’s conduct again renewed concerns about how he would serve as President, and the scene was certain to raise questions among national security conservatives who have a big voice in the party. “People here in town think I’m making a huge mistake. Some of them, I think, secretly want there to be an attack on the U... |
Set for a midnight expiration, the surveillance program included in the post-Sept. 11 anti-terrorism bill allowed the National Security Agency to collect information that appears on most phone bills: dates and times that calls were placed, how long they lasted and which numbers answered them. In a recent ruling, a fede... |
With the law’s expiration, the NSA and FBI will have to return to pre-Sept. 11 ways to collect this information until a replacement Patriot Act is passed by the Congress and signed by President Obama. In most cases where the targets are in the United States, that means going to a judge and asking for a search warrant t... |
That remained unacceptable for Paul, who vowed to continue his fight against it. “We should be upset. We should be marching in the streets,” Paul thundered in a speech that seemed more directed at a campaign commercial than the civil and somber Senate chamber. “We cannot allow this,” Paul roared. |
He even cut off a fellow Kentuckian, McConnell, who has endorsed Paul’s campaign and is the most powerful lawmaker in the chamber. McConnell seemed positively flummoxed by Paul’s one-man roadblock that prevented even a two-week extension of the current program. “That’s a totally unacceptable outcome,” McConnell said. |
At that point, Paul interrupted Coats—a break in Senate decorum. Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who was his party’s Presidential nominee in 2008, rose to Coats’ defense. “The Senator from Kentucky should learn the rules of the Senate,” McCain said dryly. The hawkish military veteran is Chairman of the Senate ... |
“Obviously people don’t know the rules of the Senate. Maybe they should learn them,” McCain continued. |
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