Silverturtle's Guide to SAT and Admissions Success

nikki93 · July 31, 2010, 4:47pm

I don’t live in the US, and I don’t go to an American-system school, so I didn’t have the option of taking an AP course. Earlier this year, I self-studied for AP Physics C Mechanics and E&M, AP Calculus BC, and AP Chemistry, and got 5, 5, 5, and 4 in them respectively. Are these AP exam scores without the course useful for admissions (I know they are for credit, but I’m asking about admissions - ie. chances of admission)?

jollybjolly · July 31, 2010, 5:07pm

Silverturtle,
Do colleges know how many AP’s are offered at your school? My school offers less than 10 AP’s… some of which I do not even qualify for. Would top tier universities look down on my application when they see that I have only taken 3-4 AP classes?

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 7:04pm

Yes, it shows initiative and ability.

Your high school profile should tell colleges the AP offerings.

nothingto · July 31, 2010, 8:23pm

Silver turtle, will using that question of the day search engine be copyright infringement? Since we are using past question without there permission?

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 8:28pm

Using a search engine is never copyright infringement. Posting the questions could be, but I doubt it.

jollybjolly · July 31, 2010, 8:43pm

Silver:
On CR, there are always a few questions that take me a little longer to answer. I know I can get the answer to them if I slow myself down and think, but I always struggle with finishing on time. I also have trouble deciding whether to skip the question that is taking most of my time and saving it for the end because I fear that I will not get a chance to go back to it. What is the maximum amount of time I should spend on a question?

Also, many people mention that they are able to finish each CR section in less than 15 minutes. How is this possible??? How can one possibly read an entire passage, comprehend the entire passage, and answer its questions confidently in such a short amount of time?

belly · July 31, 2010, 9:45pm

question: a house and some money is/ are enough for me

Food and money is/ are what I like
plural or singular?

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 9:52pm

I’m sure that this isn’t a very helpful answer, but there isn’t a general rule for this stuff. You need to experiment with various paces and approaches until you get a solid sense of when it is most efficient to take the time to figure a question out and when it is most efficient to skip it and go back if you have time. Obviously, though, you shouldn’t spend so much time that you will have to finish the remaining questions at a pace much greater than that which you have been using for the initial questions.

They learn to skip some parts of the passage (the parts that are not referenced by the questions and don’t seem relevant to the main idea); they are very focused and interested when they read, so they can read very quickly while not sacrificing comprehension; they are nervous enough that they feel a bit rushed, but not so nervous that their mind starts to go blank; and they have a well-honed sense of what constitutes a sufficiently supported answer.

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 9:59pm

That is actually a tough one. I would have to say that you should use “is” (“a house and some money” would then be treated as a singular compound noun). Each of those things individually is not sufficient; it takes both of them. To me, using “and” incorrectly conveys that idea and seems to apply the adjective “enough” to each part of the subject.

antonioray · July 31, 2010, 10:06pm

What about “a 7 and 2 large number 5’s are enough to satisfy my hunger”
would that be incorrect?
I think you’re looking at the meaning of the sentence and not its syntax. If the adjective were something else instead of “enough,” would you still say the same thing?

“A house and food are all I need”

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 10:08pm

Well, I would say:

Eating a 7 and two large number 5’s is enough to satisfy my hunger.

For the same reasons, I would say “is” here too.

antonioray · July 31, 2010, 10:11pm

Well that creates a singular noun.

As I initially proposed it, is “a 7…” incorrect?

What about “A house and food are necessary to survival?”
or “A house and food are good to have?”

“A house and food are good things to have”

“A house and food is a good thing to have” doesn’t sound quite right.

belly · July 31, 2010, 10:19pm

you guys and your grammar debate…
Hey silver, do we have two free guesses on each section of the PSAT like the SAT?

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 10:20pm

Quite conveniently. :)

It is incorrect because it is the eating that satisfies your hunger, not the things themselves.

For the same reasons cited in post #752, I would use the singular verb.

It depends on the intended meaning. If having either would be good, then I would use “are.” But if it takes both, I would use “is.”

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 10:22pm

I’m actually interested to see where this one goes. I’m not entirely sure.

The scoring works the same on the PSAT (with the rounding in your favor). The only difference is that the curve is steeper.

antonioray · July 31, 2010, 10:26pm

Hmmm what about “Eating a large number 7 and sleeping afterwards keep/keeps my body fit”

I’m pretty sure one would say “A house and food are necessary components of survival” instead of “A house and food is an necessary component.” Why is “…are necessary to survival different” ?

Edit: or “housing” to replace every instance of “a house” if the latter sounds awkward.

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 10:32pm

If it takes the combined effect, I would use the singular verb. If each contributes to fitness independently of the other, I would use the plural verb.

If having both were necessary to survival, I would not say “A house and food are necessary components of survival”; I would say “A house and food is a necessary component of survival.”

silverturtle · July 31, 2010, 10:33pm

Yes, that might be preferable.

belly · July 31, 2010, 10:41pm

Okay here are two grammar questions I missed on the 2009 practice PSAT:

Overfishing and water pollution “has rendered” natural pearls even more rare than they were before
A) has rendered
b) have rendered

2) revising sentence:
“If they do not know a shy person, many people will jump to conclusions as to why that person is acting in this manner”

a) As it is
e) many people misinterpret the behavior of shy people when they do not know them

antonioray · July 31, 2010, 10:42pm

The only thing I found in my copies of Webster’s and The Elements of Style is that a compound subject should be treated as a unit only if the two discrete components refer to the same thing, idea, state, etc.

For example, “Ham and cheese is my favorite kind of sandwich,” or (pb and j is…, if you prefer that)

However, in “Ham and cheese make a great sandwich” two different parts combine to form one entity.

In The Elements of Style, E.B. White writes most compounds that take singular verbs are cliches, like the aforementioned “ham and cheese,” or “the long and short of it IS.”

It can hardly be argued that housing and food are traditionally considered as a unit. They sound more like 2 discrete entities coming together to me.

Belly: it should be have rendered because both are responsible, although the verdict hinges on the correctness of silverturtle’s assertion that if one alone could not have caused the rarefication, then it should be has.

for the 2nd one, it’s correct as it stands because e. unnecessarily repeats “shy people” (which is also inconsistent with “a shy person” in the correct portion), and is missing either “will” or “would” to complete the conditional statement created by “if”

Silverturtle's Guide to SAT and Admissions Success

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