Silverturtle's Guide to SAT and Admissions Success

[silverturtle]

<p>

Silverturtle, do you know that your name appears in the 2011 Edition of Direct Hits?

</p>

<p>In what context?

</p>

<p>The guide is referenced in the description of “crystallized.”</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

You said to PM you for the self chancing excel spread.

</p>

<p>It can be downloaded [url=<a href=“File sharing and storage made simple”>Copy of October 2009(1)]here[/url</a>]. </p>

<p>

I am a junior, and I scored a 2270 on my first try on the October SAT (750-CR,770-M,750-W w/ 71 MC 11 Essay). I am also an ORM (East Indian) and am wondering if my scores are in the appropriate range for an unhooked applicant.

</p>

<p>Your well-rounded 2270 is a strong score and will be of no significant detriment, even compared to having a near-2400 score. So yes, you are in the appropriate range.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

Silverturtle, you don’t seem to mention anything about the Physics Olympiad here.</p>

<p>But I was wondering, what the best way would be to go about studying for it?

</p>

<p>I have merely a superficial awareness of the Physics Olympiad and cannot make any meaningful recommendations.</p>

[raider1999]

<p>I recently downloaded your chance tool…it seems awesome! But I think the formulas for GPA, SAT II avg, and chance of acceptance are stuck on mine (it just says =#VALUE!)- any chance you can post/pm me those parts on here?</p>

<p>also which schools are these for?</p>

[dasheeky]

<p>Silverturtle how long does (or did) it take for you to bubble a standard section of 20 questions, and what is your method?</p>

<p>How long is too long?</p>

[Linger]

<p>^I don’t really understand why this is even a concern; bubbling does not take very long. Just bubble as you go.</p>

[jonmrcool]

<p>How are my extra-cirriculars? </p>

<p>Theater Club gr. 6-11
Science Olympiad gr. 6-7, 11
Computer Science Club gr. 10-11
Church Band that plays every week gr. 9-11
Eagle Scout earned in 11th grade, active since 5th grade</p>

<p>A junior right now obviously ^.^</p>

[mchief101]

<p>I cant find the solution explanations for the blue book! Please help someone. I had it at one point from the link silverturtle provided and now it does not work! I really need this for my practice ! Please respond! Ty</p>

[kyhekm]

<p>Hey silverturtle…
I need your advice!
I currently have ACT score 28 (eng 22, math 36, reading 23, science 31, essay 9) (And yes I am an international)
Now, I am using princeton practice tests and saving 2 practice tests from official ACT book so I can do it right before the exam.
I really want to boost my score up to 32…
Now, I only have 23 days… I know it is short.
But, what would be you advice to boost up my eng and reading scores?</p>

<p>In english section, I tend to get many wrongs from rhetorical questions. In reading section, I have a trouble with finding specific answers…If I specifically look for details for detailed question, time goes so fast so I can’t even finish whole passages in time. So I just fully read about 4 mins and answers 10 questions in 4 mins based on what I remember. But I don’t get good score from this way :(</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

I recently downloaded your chance tool…it seems awesome! But I think the formulas for GPA, SAT II avg, and chance of acceptance are stuck on mine (it just says =#VALUE!)- any chance you can post/pm me those parts on here?</p>

<p>also which schools are these for?

</p>

<p>Field C2: =IF(B2=4,600,IF(AND(B2<4,B2>=3.9),560,IF(AND(B2<3.9,B2>=3.8),520,IF(AND(B2>=3.7,B2<3.8),375,IF(AND(B2>=3.6,B2<3.7),175,IF(AND(B2>=3.5,B2<3.6),50,IF(AND(B2>=3.4,B2<3.5),-75,IF(AND(B2>=3.3,B2<3.4),-150,IF(AND(B2>=3.2,B2<3.3),-300,IF(AND(B2<3.2,B2>=3.1),-400,IF(AND(B2>=3,B2<3.1),-500,-600)))))))))))</p>

<p>Field B9: =IF(B7>0,B8/B7,0)</p>

<p>Field C9: =IF(B9=800,300,IF(AND(B9>=780,B9<800),275,IF(AND(B9<780,B9>=750),250,IF(AND(B9<750,B9>=730),225,IF(AND(B9>=700,B9<730),150,IF(AND(B9<700,B9>=660),-50,IF(AND(B9>=600,B9<660),-150,IF(AND(B9<600,B9>=550),-250,IF(AND(B9<550,B9>=500),-350,-400)))))))))</p>

<p>Field B28: =IF(C26>=3000,“>95%”,IF(AND(C26<3000,C26>=2900),“95%”,IF(AND(C26<2900,C26>=2800),“90%”,IF(AND(C26>=2700,C26<2800),“85%”,IF(AND(C26<2700,C26>=2600),“80%”,IF(AND(C26>=2500,C26<2600),“75%”,IF(AND(C26>=2400,C26<2500),“65%”,IF(AND(C26<2400,C26>2300),“55%”,IF(C26=2300,“50%”,IF(AND(C26<2300,C26>=2250),“40%”,IF(AND(C26<2250,C26>=2200),“30%”,IF(AND(C26<2200,C26>=2150),“20%”,IF(AND(C26>=2100,C26<2150),“15%”,IF(AND(C26<2100,C26>=2050),“10%”,IF(AND(C26<2050,C26>=2000),“6%”,IF(AND(C26<2000,C26>=1950),“4%”,IF(AND(C26>=1900,C26<1950),“3%”,IF(AND(C26<1900,C26>=1800),“1%”,“<1%”))))))))))))))))))</p>

<p>It is a generic chancer for the most competitive schools.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

Silverturtle how long does (or did) it take for you to bubble a standard section of 20 questions, and what is your method?</p>

<p>How long is too long?

</p>

<p>I don’t know how long it takes me. I just bubble each question as soon as I figure out the answer.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

How are my extra-cirriculars?</p>

<p>Theater Club gr. 6-11
Science Olympiad gr. 6-7, 11
Computer Science Club gr. 10-11
Church Band that plays every week gr. 9-11
Eagle Scout earned in 11th grade, active since 5th grade</p>

<p>A junior right now obviously ^.^

</p>

<p>What are your time commitments for those activities? Do you have any leadership experience?</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

Hey silverturtle…
I need your advice!
I currently have ACT score 28 (eng 22, math 36, reading 23, science 31, essay 9) (And yes I am an international)
Now, I am using princeton practice tests and saving 2 practice tests from official ACT book so I can do it right before the exam.
I really want to boost my score up to 32…
Now, I only have 23 days… I know it is short.
But, what would be you advice to boost up my eng and reading scores?</p>

<p>In english section, I tend to get many wrongs from rhetorical questions. In reading section, I have a trouble with finding specific answers…If I specifically look for details for detailed question, time goes so fast so I can’t even finish whole passages in time. So I just fully read about 4 mins and answers 10 questions in 4 mins based on what I remember. But I don’t get good score from this way

</p>

<p>My Writing advice (especially the specific grammatical content coverage) and Critical Reading advice should apply similarly to the ACT. Have you read those?</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>Oh, and in case anyone is interested…</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1035112-silverturtle-now-reading-essays.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1035112-silverturtle-now-reading-essays.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[jonmrcool]

<p>Theater is about six hours a week, CS is two a week with four All day saturday competitions, same with Science Olympiad. Church is 4 a week for sure, scouts has always been one and a half hr. a week, and weekends. I have tons of leadership experience. So I will be posting time I spend with each EC on apps?</p>

[kyhekm]

<p>one quick question:
In the writing section, you said…
“In general, when a modifier restricts what it is modifying, we use commas; if not, we don’t. This is usually true for appositives. For example, if we write My friend, Bob, the modification is non-restrictive, meaning that Bob is your only friend. Similarly, if we write My mother Sue, the modification is restrictive; this implies that you have more than one mother.”</p>

<p>Shouldn’t “My friend, Bob,” be restrictive? Because you said above that we use commas for a restrictive modifiers.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

Theater is about six hours a week, CS is two a week with four All day saturday competitions, same with Science Olympiad. Church is 4 a week for sure, scouts has always been one and a half hr. a week, and weekends. I have tons of leadership experience. So I will be posting time I spend with each EC on apps?

</p>

<p>That seems like a good EC portfolio. Yes, you will be indicating your time commitments (hours/week and weeks/year) on the Common Application.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>

one quick question:
In the writing section, you said…
“In general, when a modifier restricts what it is modifying, we use commas; if not, we don’t. This is usually true for appositives. For example, if we write My friend, Bob, the modification is non-restrictive, meaning that Bob is your only friend. Similarly, if we write My mother Sue, the modification is restrictive; this implies that you have more than one mother.”</p>

<p>Shouldn’t “My friend, Bob,” be restrictive? Because you said above that we use commas for a restrictive modifiers.

</p>

<p>Good catch. The first sentence should read:</p>

<p>In general, when a modifier restricts what it is modifying, we do not use commas; if not, we do.</p>

<p>The other sentences in that explanation, including the examples, are correct. Thank you for pointing this out. </p>

<p>(As I indicated originally, however, distinguishing between those two types of modification is unnecessary on the SAT; I intended to point it out merely to satisfy any curiosity, though I muddled it up.)</p>

[yalefanboy]

<p>

In general, when a modifier restricts what it is modifying, we do not use commas; if not, we do.

</p>

<p>What? I think this is the opposite that you are trying to convey. Wouldn’t having commas mean that a modifier is restricting what it is modifying? That makes logical sense. Why would we not use commas? </p>

<p>For example:
“My friend, Bob, …” is restrictive because it’s talking about Bob only. Therefore, you use commas.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>^ You have a misunderstanding of the way that the term “restrictive” is being used. A modifier is restrictive when it narrows—that is, restricts—the noun that is being modified. In “My friend, Bob” “Bob” does not serve to narrow “friend,” because (as is indicated by the comma) the person has only one friend. If, however, one were to have multiple friends, in “My friend Bob” “Bob” serves to narrow from the pool of all the friends down to the specific friend: Bob. Thus, the modification there is restrictive, and no comma is used.</p>

<p>It may help to know that “restrictive” modification is sometimes called “essential” modification and that “nonrestrictive” modification can be called “nonessential” modification.</p>