Taylor Swift Calls Out Princeton Review For Misquoting Lyrics

So basically, Taylor Swift called out the Princeton Review after one of the students studying for the SAT noticed that the song lyric used in their "Pronoun Errors" grammar section misquoted one of her lyrics.

The lyric reads in the book: "Somebody tells you they love you, you got to believe 'em"

however, the actual lyric is: "Somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them".

Taylor then ended up commenting on the student's tumbler page saying, "Not the right lyrics at all pssssh You had one job, test people. One job."

Tried & True Tutoring would never make that mistake. Instead, we have our own Taylor Swift question, that doesn't misquote anything - it's just way
better, in every way possible.

Our Taylor Swift Problem Is Way Better, Don't You Think?

Now this problem is much more difficult, and it actually teaches students how to succeed on difficult math problems on the SAT. This is a section in our curriculum where we teach students how to simplify seemingly complex math problems with variables in the answers into easy problems which can be solved in just a few steps. If you want to know how to do this problem, contact us, and we'll tell you. We at least owe that to the community. Princeton Review, step your game up!

7 Things Changing on the New SAT in 2016

Last spring College Board President David Coleman announced there would be a major overhaul on the upcoming 2016 SAT. The company acknowledged the criticism they have faced in the past about the disconnect between what high school students are taught and what is on the SAT exam.  Coleman stated, "No longer will the SAT stand apart from the work of teachers in their classrooms."  Whether this declaration will be accurate is yet to be seen.  My assumption is the SAT is trying to be more like the ACT in hopes to stay competitive, since the ACT has recently surpassed the SAT as the most widely taken college entrance exam.

College Board has recently released examples of the redesigned questions; from this we can gain some insight into the redesigned exam. Also, the College Board will supposedly release new, full-length practice tests on June 30th, 2015. This will allow high school sophomores to begin their preparation for the next SAT, since they will be the first to see the new changes. There are 7 major known changes on the new SAT exam:

1. Common Core

The redesigned SAT will be more aligned with Common Core curriculum standards.  Common Core standards have been adopted in 43 states and the District of Columbia.  These standards provide a consistent framework for educators across the country to allow all students to have the same education. The Common Core standards were developed to help students succeed in college, career, and life no matter where they live.  The new SAT will draw on the principle learning practices of the Common Core Standard in hopes that the exam will be more adept at measuring what students actually learn in the classroom.  

2. The Essay

The SAT essay, which now counts for 30% of a student's SAT writing score, will become optional with the new SAT.   Some colleges and school districts will require the essay to be completed, but overall it is not mandatory.  The formatting of the essay will also be different.  Students will now have to analyze a passage and explain how the author builds an argument to persuade the audience.  This is different from the current SAT essay that requires the student to make their on argument about a topic. 

3. Vocabulary

SAT has long been known for its use of obscure vocabulary words, which required students to spend countless hours studying flashcards of vocabulary words.  The new SAT will focus on more relevant words.  Students will not have to memorize vocabulary, but will instead need to interpret words based on context in a passage.  For example, the word "intense" could be used to describe a person's emotions, but it could also be used to describe something that is concentrated; students will have to use context clues from the passage given to decide which definition is suited in that context. 

4. Evidence

The current SAT has students select from multiple choice answer keys to demonstrate their understanding of the reading texts.  With the new SAT, students will also be asked to support their answers by citing specific examples in the reading passages. 

5. Math

The new math sections will focus on fewer topics that students will need to know more in-depth.  There will be fewer geometry and trigonometry questions and more Algebra and Advanced Math problems.  There will also be more Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems; students will need to use math to solve problems in Science, Social Sciences, and Career contexts. There will also be Math sections of the new SAT that will not allow calculators. 

6. No Wrong Answer Penalties

The current SAT deducts 1/4 of a point for every wrong answer.  This has encouraged students to skip harder questions on the SAT in order to not be penalized.  The new SAT will no longer deduct points from wrong answers.  This change will encourage students to give their best attempt on every problem. 

7. Smaller Scores

The current SAT has scores out of 2400, 800 for each of the three sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing.  The new SAT will have scores out of 1600, based on 800-point Math and Reading/Writing sections with the essay being optional.  

We will have all of the new information available to you as it becomes available to us. As always, we are here to help you get to your ideal college, and we will provide you with all of the best support to help you maximize your SAT and ACT scores, complete college applications, financial aid applications, and the like,  to ensure that you achieve your academic goals.

5 Things All College-Bound Juniors Need To Do Right Now

I remember being a junior in high school. I know I needed to keep my grades up if I wanted to be able to hang out with my friends, just because those were the rules of my parent's house.

Things other than academics tend to be more important in the mind of a 16-year-old. Things that seemed to matter was, “who is dating who”, video games, and sub-woofers so loud i’m fortunate that I didn’t lose my hearing.

I wish I had some guidance when I was that age - my parents would tell me to get good grades - which I did and graduated at the top of my class. They didn’t know about college applications, and neither did I - so, I filled out the common app for UC schools, was admitted into all of them and chose UCLA, due to proximity. I wish I had explored other options, other states, or even other countries. My lack of knowledge, and lack of motivation to acquire that knowledge pigeon-holed me to end up at UCLA, albeit a great school, but right in my own backyard. I never had the proper guidance to see what else was out there.

Now that I’m old and wise, I can be one of those people who try to steer students in the right direction moving forward. Let me give high school juniors 5 tips that will increase your likelihood of a successful, happy life.

1. Take a rigorous course load

If you feel that your regular chemistry class is easy, and you have an A, ask to be moved to honors or AP chemistry. Same with Calculus, Physics, History, English, and any other classes available that are AP or Honors. Rigor of schedule is the number one factor universities look at when determining to admit you into their schools. Don’t take the easy way out - if it’s too easy, why are you there? The harder, the better. You will learn more and excel past your peers - this is what “success” is anyway, right?

2. Maintain a High GPA

Now your schedule is rigorous - great! Colleges want to see what you can perform well in those classes against the smartest students in the school. If you can show them A’s in the hardest classes at the schools, you’re going to be at a huge advantage when applying to your schools of choice.

3. Create a College Choice List

Choosing the college that is your best fit can be overwhelming - there are so many great schools, but it’ s important to identify one that meets your academic, financial and social needs. When deciding what school you want to apply to think of a few things:

1. Do you want to be close to your family? (In-State School)

2. What kind of weather do you like?

3. How much money is set aside for your 4-years of college tuition?

4. What type of career are you interested in pursuing post-college?

5. Do you like big, medium, or small classes?

6. Do you want to be on a diverse campus or surrounded by people with similar cultural backgrounds?

7. Do you have any special need or are accommodations needed?

8. What is your GPA, SAT Score, or ACT Score?

These are just a few questions you want to ask yourself before making a college list of schools to apply to. When you come up with answers for this, contact us to set up a free consultation with a college admissions consultant, and figure out a list of 5-10 schools that are perfect for you to apply to. A few reach schools and a safety school will be in there as well.

4. Do community service related to your career goals

When you go to college - it’s a community. The college wants the entire student body to enjoy their experience, so they want people there who positively contribute to that society as a whole. 

Today’s students are perceived as selfish by admissions personnel - students are absorbed in their iPhones, twitter, instagram, and constantly doing other narcissistic activities. Many students have forgotten about the society around them which is an unattractive quality to university admissions personnel. Colleges want to admit students who are aware of the world around them and want to contribute to society in a positive way.

One way to gain an advantage when trying to get admitted into the university of your choice is to do unpaid community service related to the career goal that you have. This will show universities that you have a passion for something, are pursuing it now for free because of your love for it, and it is giving back to the community in a way where you are positively contributing to the culture of your community. 

5. Begin preparation for your SAT and ACT

First off, you should know that universities throughout the country will accept either the SAT or ACT, so you don’t need to do both (unless you are applying for the ivy league schools). You will want to determine which test is right for you by taking a full-length practice test for each, comparing the results, and deciding which test to focus on from there. Also, these practice tests will help identify your weaknesses and strengths so you know specifically what to study during your preparation for the test.

Most juniors take the test for the first time in February (ACT) or March (SAT). Proactive students will take it for the first time in December (SAT or ACT). In order to access our free, full-length diagnostic tests, click SAT or ACT. Once you complete the test, you will get a full-length score report with detailed analysis within 1-business day.

Once you’ve made an informed decision on what test you will prepare for, you will want to purchase or rent some study materials. You can study on your own, have a 1-on-1 SAT tutor work with you, or you can attend an SAT or ACT class (full-length or weekend boot camp). We have options for classes all over the country, and for the most part, I teach them personally. If you want more information on upcoming classes click here. 

So juniors, follow my advice and you will have success now and give yourself an opportunity to continue to succeed after you complete college work. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at marc@triedandtruetutoring.com. Thanks for reading!

Major Changes Coming to the SAT in 2016 - Will Affect Current Freshmen Students

Is your son or daughter currently a high school freshman?  Have you heard the headline news about changes to the SAT?  Changes to the SAT will directly impact the way your son or daughter gets into college.

Yesterday, March 5th 2014, the College Board announced some radical changes to the SAT that will take place starting in the Spring of 2016.  Sorry current high school Juniors and Sophomores, these changes won’t affect you.  You will have to take the test before the arrival of this new SAT format.

So what is changing?

1.  Students will not be penalized for incorrect answers. 

Currently, students lose 1/4 of a point for every multiple choice answer that they mark incorrectly.  As a result of this point deduction, we teach students to eliminate answers before making guesses.  We also teach students to assess the difficulty level of a question before attempting a guess. Although effective on the current SAT format, on the new SAT, students will want to attempt a guess on every question. Interestingly, this is exactly the way scoring works on the SAT’s main rival, the ACT.

2.  The essay will become optional. 

Currently, the essay is mandatory.  It accounts for 30% of the Writing score.  

There are three sections on the current SAT format:

1. Critical Reading
2. Math
3. Writing

The Current Writing section includes two elements:

• The essay - 30% of the score
• Multiple choice grammar questions, which make up the other 70% of the score

This essay will no longer be required for students to complete. It might be "recommended" to be completed by many universities (especially top-tier schools), but this remains to be seen. It seems as though it will be a similar format to what the ACT does, and even though the essay is "optional", many schools "recommend" a student completes it.

The redesigned SAT will have two sections:

1. Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing 
2. Math

As well as an optional essay which will provide a separate score. Traditionally the SAT had always had a maximum score of 1600.  Since 2005, when the Writing section was added, it has had a maximum score of 2400.  Now that the test is returning to a two section format, it will once-again have a maximum score of 1600.

The essay itself will also change dramatically.  On the current SAT, students have 25-minutes to write a paper based on their studies, experiences, and observations.  As a results students are encouraged to create false examples to prove their points.

The new essay will be 50-minutes long. Students will be required to “analyze evidence and explain how an author builds an argument to persuade an audience.”  Students will be graded on the quality of their writing and analysis.  In this manner the SAT essay will be more like the Document Based Questions from an AP exam.  AP exams, by the way, are also designed and administered by the College Board.

Interestingly, this optional essay format is also a hallmark of the ACT.

3. The vocabulary will become less esoteric, meaning students won’t be tested on words like esoteric. 

What does esoteric mean?  Not widely known.  For years students have spent countless hours learning rarely used vocabulary.  On the new SAT, vocabulary questions “will focus on words that students will use consistently in college and beyond.” Once again, there are some similarities with the ACT.  Success on the ACT English and Reading sections does require vocabulary knowledge, but the ACT does’t really directly test vocabulary knowledge.  

4. The test will be offered in a digital format.

The new SAT will be offered both on paper and in a digital format.  For years grad school admissions tests like the GRE have been offered digitally, but the SAT and ACT have not.

Yet again, the ACT had announced last year that starting in 2016 it would offer a digital format for its test.

Over the last few years the ACT, for decades the less popular test, has overtaken the SAT as the most widely taken college admissions test.  High Schools and Colleges like it because they feel it more closely reflects high school curriculum than the SAT.  These changes to the SAT are most likely a reaction to that. 

This, however, is where the SAT/ACT similarity stops.  These next several changes are entirely unique to the SAT.

5. Math sections will cover fewer topics.

The new math sections will focus on three areas: 

1. Problem solving and analysis
2. The heart of algebra; 
3. Passport to advanced math.”  

Loosely translated this means it will focus on reading charts and graphs, linear equations, and functions.  In many ways these are the hardest elements on the current SAT math sections, so the math might get harder.

This is also very different from the ACT, which currently tests far more math topics than the SAT does.  As of 2016, the SAT will be testing even fewer of these topics.

6. Students will be required to use evidence in their answers.

Some of the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing questions will require students “to cite a specific part of the passage to support their answer choice.”

The SAT is changing, but it remans a test, and like any test, you can prepare for it and succeed.  At Tried & True Tutoring we will be closely following every College Board announcement so that we can continue to create curriculum and develop programs that will help you beat the SAT, no matter what the format.  

Truth: The SAT & ACT Will Soon Become Obsolete

The SAT exam and the ACT exam are the primary tests that universities look to in order to determine which students are "college ready" and therefore are qualified for admittance. I understand, as a business owner, institutions need ways to swiftly sift through hundreds of applications to narrow the choices to the select few, or the "qualified" ones. The proprietors of the SAT and ACT claim that they have an exam that provides a direct correlation: The higher the score, the higher probability for success at the college level.

However, many researchers have contested that very assertion. One researcher, Joyce Walsh-Portillo from FIU in Miami, conducted a study in 2011 titled, "The Role of Emotional Intelligence in College Student's Success" found that overall higher Emotional Intelligence play a more significant role in College Success than Logical Intelligence.

SAT and ACT exams test mostly reading, writing, and math, topics that most students "learn" in high-school. What these test-makers and universities fail to realize, is more is learned in high school than what is ever "taught" by teachers in the classroom. What about social skills, problem-solving, initiative, and self-management? These are all skills which are components of Emotional Intelligence, and these skills have a significant impact on the success of a college student.

When someone finally creates an assessment that tests student's Emotional Intelligence along with their Logical (academic) Intelligence, and markets it correctly to the universities, the SAT and ACT will become obsolete. Also, the creator the new exam will become a millionaire one-hundred times over. I can't say it is something I haven't thought about. However, I am not an expert test-writer...yet.

For now, we have the SAT and ACT, so this is what we have to prepare for. Tried & True Tutoring has become well-known for having the best SAT prep program, and best ACT prep program available. Individualized, customized, and free assessments available through our website. In order to access our free resources, e-mail or call us.

If you are preparing for the SAT or ACT (in March, April, May, or June), make sure to have the proper guidance. At least take advantage of our free diagnostic exams - you will thank me later!

When Should I Start Preparing for the SAT?

As college admissions continue to be more and more competitive, the importance of SAT scores seems to be ever increasing.  

Some recent articles like this one from USA Today suggest that SAT scores are not that important.  The article includes quotes from directors of admissions at Harvard, Cal Tech, and Duke that suggest that SAT scores are only a small piece of the admissions puzzle.

It is true that the scores are just one of many things that these competitive schools consider, but in reality these schools only seem to accept students with very high scores. 

Almost all students who get into Harvard have an SAT score above 2100.

Cal Tech students appear to have even higher SAT scores.

These admissions directors might say that the scores aren't that important, but students who don't have strong SAT scores rarely get into their schools. 

The better your score, the better chance you have of getting into the school of your dreams.


With that in mind, students and parents continually ask me when to start SAT preparation.  The answer varies a little from student to student, but in general here are some tips that will serve almost all students well. 

When should I start preparing for the SAT?

-Many students take the SAT 2 to 3 times

Years ago students would take the SAT once an be done with it.  Because so many students are striving for the best score they can get, many take it more than once.  Many colleges and universities will look at the best scores.  Some will take the top score from each section.

-Students should plan on taking it for the first time in the Spring of their Junior year.

The SAT is offered January, March, May, and June.  Often times the January test coincides with 1st semester finals, so I recommend taking the test for the first time in March.  If you take it in March you will have another opportunity to take it again in May or June.  

AP students should definitely consider taking it in March.  They will be preparing for their AP tests in April and May, so it is difficult to take the SAT at the same time.  

Keep in mind that if you plan on taking SAT Subject Tests, you will want to take them in June.  The Subject Tests assess your mastery of a specific subject, like Chemistry.  Take them in June, near the end of your Chemistry class, so you will be well prepared for them.  If you take a Subject Test in June, you can't take the SAT in June.

Because you will be applying to colleges and universities in the Fall, the last time to take the SAT before applying is in October.  You can still take it in November or December of your Senior year, and send your results after your applications, but this is a last minute solution, and I do not recommend it.

-Students should start preparing 3-months before they take their first SAT.

Over the course of 10 to 12 sessions with a Professional SAT Instructor, like the instructors we train at Tried & True Tutoring, most students can improve their score by about 300-points.  This is a very significant improvement.  An extra 300-points on your SAT score will open up many new school possibilities for you.

Students usually do sessions weekly, so you want to budget about 3-months for preparation.  If you are planning on taking the March test, you might want to think about starting in December or January.

How do I know if I really need 3-months to prepare?

-Find out what type of score you need to get into the college you want to go to.

Find out the score you need.  Go here, to find out the average scores of students accepted into your dream school.

-Take a practice test.

Take a practice test to see how you are currently performing on the SAT.  You can take a free, complete practice test by visiting www.triedandtruetutoring.com, scrolling over STUDENTS, and clicking FREE SAT.

After you take that test, you will get a detailed score report that shows you exactly what you need to do to increase your score!

Arne Duncan Digs Himself Deeper with Racist "Common Core" Comments

Education Secretary Arne Duncan commented on the Common Core Academic Standards which are starting to implemented all over the U.S, stating that the opposition to these standards are coming from "white suburban moms" who upon seeing their students struggle with the change realize that "their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were."

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so that teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. You can find more information about the common core here.

Why Do People Protest The Common Core?

The most common complaint from students, parents, and teachers is the overemphasis on and poor quality of standardized tests that scores are made to impose. These tests include the CAHSEE, STAR, FCAT, SSAT, SAT, and ACT exams. All of these tests are to determine the "knowledge", "critical thinking", and "college readiness" of the students, but in fact, they are not a great indicators at all.

Students who get Private Tutoring for SAT Preparation tend to score 300 points higher than their peers who don't receive private tutoring. 300 points can be the difference between going to UCLA and going to Cal State Northridge. Is it fair to assume that the student who scored 300 points higher on the SAT is that much "smarter" or "college ready" than the other student? Or is it a factor that they just learned the tips, tricks, and techniques used to maximize the score on the exam?

The emphasis on Standardized Testing is causing a large issue with parents, students, and teachers because we all know that standardized testing can not gauge true intelligence. Truthfully, humans have over 9 intelligences (musical, visual, verbal, logical, bodily, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential), so how is one test going to determine all of that?

Having said that, more and more students and parents are turning to companies like Tried & True Tutoring to prepare for the SAT and ACT exams, in order to score higher than their peers, and get into the university of their dreams.

Standardized testing is not the best way to measure college readiness, however, it is the best way we have available now, and the way that colleges determine who gets admitted into their schools. Therefore, until someone comes up with something better, we have to do what we have to do.

It's clearly a sensitive situation, so teachers, students, and parents are in an uproar about Arne Duncan's comments. Arne needs to consider things before he speaks, since everything he says will be dissected and discussed. His educational reform policies are not only opposed by "white suburban moms", but people of all ages and races.