Though it is easy to get oneself into a tizzy and wallow in frustration at a question of this sort, it is important to remember that nothing is a matter of opinion on the SAT. Every answer is objectively true and supported by the text.  The trick is examining what the passage is accomplishing.         

The first task when you are approaching a question like this is to look at the story or article and describe, in one or two sentences, what it is about.  We all do this with content much more complicated than short passages.  When someone asks you what a movie, let say, The Lion King, is about, you would probably say something like, “It’s a coming of age story about lion cub who finds his place in the world.” This is similar to what we do with passages, but in making our description of a passage, we want to state what a passage does as well as what content it engages.

A passage could deal with dinosaurs, for example, but it is too reductive to state the passage is about dinosaurs.  What is the author doing? The author could be:

• Convincing you of a viewpoint (are there arguments and examples to support an argument?)
• Comparing two different viewpoints (different arguments are presented, but the author doesn’t pick a side)
• Describing or explaining a phenomenon (is it mostly descriptive or explanatory?)
• Telling a story (is there a clear narrative?)

These are the kinds of questions that we must ask in determining purpose.  Usually if we only look at the first few words of the answer choices for these key indicator words (describing, arguing, comparing, etc.), we can eliminate the majority of the possibilities because the answers describe something that is not accomplished by the text.  If our imaginary article is comparing existing theories about the extinction of the dinosaurs without making a judgment on which argument is stronger, then any answer choice that states that the author is arguing, or convincing, and not comparing or explaining is WRONG.  What if an answer choice states that the author is making an argument on a possible cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs? That’s sort of what the author is doing, right? Nope! It’s wrong, wrong, wrong. “Sort of” true answers are not correct. All parts of an answer choice MUST be correct and supported by the passage in order for the answer to be true.  It is often easier to figure out what the author is NOT doing and eliminate all choices that describe an untruth.

As long as we follow these simple steps, we should be able to approach this kind of question with ease:

• Describe what passage accomplishes (is the author explaining, arguing, comparing, etc.)
• Examine the answer choices to see which actions the author is and isn’t accomplishing
• Eliminate choices that don’t describe what the author is doing
• Examine all parts of remaining answer choices and make sure they are supported in the text (ALL ANSWERS ARE STATED IN OR SUPPORTED BY THE TEXT)

Don’t fear these types of questions.  There are many difficult searches for purpose that you may engage with in your life, the purpose of an SAT article is easy to find: it’s all in the text.

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy.

We have sailed through the easy math problems, eliminating impossible answers and plugging in numbers or answer choices to save time until we come upon the dreaded HARD MATH PROBLEM. Our bodies tense and we begin to sweat.  We have never seen a problem like this, we aren’t even sure if there is a way to answer this question.  All of our work, and our dreams of attending PrinceHarvCamb-ford University are dashed.

Before we allow our nervous energy to waste too much time, we pause, we breathe, and we remember the words of Lao-Tsu, “A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step”. We do not know the destination but we begin to work anyway. Use the example in these four steps.

1. Start Working: Even when you are unsure of the exact method of solving the problem, you can illuminate information that may not be readily apparent simply by beginning to work.

2. Write What You Know: Perhaps the problem tells you that there is a rectangular pasture that has twelve equally spaced poles on its northern border, and sixteen equally spaced poles on its eastern border.  We label the distance between poles as X and we notice that we now have two sides of a triangle, one 12x and one 16x.

3. Remember the Rules: We remember the rules of Pythagorean triples and deduce that the diagonal of this triangle would have to be 20x.  We then look for what the problem is asking us to find.  We have to find the perimeter of the pasture, but all that is given is the length of a pathway from the eastern corner of the pasture to the center of the pasture.  AHA! We now have the length of HALF of the distance of the diagonal of the rectangular pasture!  We also know that the FULL diagonal is 20x.

4. Set up the Equation: We set up a simple equation to solve for X, remembering to double the length given from the center to the corner of the field.  We then use our answer for X to find the length and width of the pasture and add everything together, remembering to multiply the length and width by two, to find the perimeter.

Now some of you might say, “This problem was much easier than hard SAT problems!” ITS NOT!  Even problems that seem hard have a simple, though often multi-step, solution. If you start to work and look for what the clues in the problem tell you, the path to finding the answer is often illuminated.  By taking it one step at a time, we can complete our journey and arrive at an end we did not think ourselves capable of finding.

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy.

My name is Dani and I like to dance and sing and play, my mommy and daddy are both really nice, I have two little brothers too and they are sometimes annoying but I love them anyway and I love my whole family.

After you handed this story into your teacher she may have remarked, “Great Job, but where are the periods?”. A sentence is a run-on if it is composed of two full sentences that are separated by a comma. Let’s look at this example sentence:

My friend Mary loves to shop in designer stores, she is very stylish.

On either side of the comma is a full sentence. Each one has its own subject and verb. Because each part can stand on its own, the sentence is a run-on and grammatically incorrect. There are four ways to correct a run-on sentence. Only three appear commonly on the SAT, but it is good to know all four for general writing.

1. Replace the comma with a period: This is probably the simplest way to correct a run-on. Since the SAT only tests one sentence per question, this will rarely, if ever, be a correct answer on the SAT exam.
2. Replace the comma with a semi-colon:A semi-colon acts like a weak period and often separates two closely related ideas. To correct a run-on sentence, you can simply replace the comma with a semi-colon. However, before choosing an answer choice with a semi-colon, you must make sure that the clauses before and after the semi-colon are full sentences. If not, then the semi-colon is grammatically incorrect and the answer choice wrong.Incorrect: Because my friend Mary loves to shop in designer stores; she is very stylish.
   Correct: My friend Mary loves to shop in designer stores; she is very stylish.
   
3. Replace the comma with a colon:A colon will most often appear before introducing a list or main thought. For example, in the third paragraph of this blog I use a colon to introduce the example sentence. A colon is also used to introduce a list. As you can see in this example, the clauses before and after a colon do not have to be full sentences.
   Example: These are some things I like to do: dance, sing, and act.

4. Add a conjunction to the comma: A good way to remember common conjunctions is by the acronym FANBOYS. This stands for seven common conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. When one of these is added to a run-on sentence, it causes one part of the sentence to become dependent on the other.Therefore, the sentence is no longer comprised of two independent clauses separated by a common. For example, I can fix my pervious run on sentence by adding the conjunction “so”. Now the sentence reads:

   My friend Mary loves to shop in designer stores so, she is very stylish.

   Keep in mind that conjunctions are not interchangeable and must be used in specific contexts. In this sentence, “so” can be used because the second part of the sentence reinforces the first part. The conjunction “but” would not make sense because it would indicate a contrast that is not present in the sentence.

   Incorrect: My friend Mary loves to shop in designer stores but, she is very stylish.

Now that you know what a run-on sentence is, you can always check for it in the SAT writing section. If you see two clauses and a comma, make sure that they are not full sentences. If they are, you know four great ways to fix the sentence. Don’t let those run-on sentences keep running! For tips on Parallelism, check out this article.

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

Danielle Kipnis is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in Miami. She is a native New Yorker who then majored in England and Dance at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, she founded the dance company Steam Heat. She now continues to dance, choreograph, and satiate her love for teaching through SAT prep. 

The best decision I made in the process of college admissions was to visit each of these three schools and hope that one of them took my breath away. Once I set foot on Vanderbilt’s campus, I just knew it was the right place for me.

The campus itself is a National Arboretum. The beautiful brick buildings and the grassy lawns that connect them stunned me. It seemed more like a tourist destination than a school campus. I looked around at the hundreds of smiling students strolling down the stone pathways and imagined myself walking alongside them. Vanderbilt offered the rare combination of endless possibilities, accessible and brilliant professors, and a nurturing environment.

In Fall 2011, I moved into my dorm. Everybody around me was nervous, but very few would readily admit it. I was sure that I was the most nervous of all the twelve hundred freshmen. Was I ready to be challenged beyond what I thought possible? Would I be able to successfully attend a top twenty university?

I soon learned that there was no exaggeration in the claims about accessible professors and nurturing faculty. By the end of my first year, I made the friends I never thought I would, and I had built personal relationships with most of my professors. Surprising as it is, everybody cares about everybody else, and no student is ever left behind.

A year later, I am deeply involved in campus life, student organizations, and my academics. All of my professors work very hard to make their subjects fascinating and to form personal connections with their students. The administration made starting two student organizations a smooth and easy process, creating a comfortable environment for growth and learning. I chose Vanderbilt for its beauty and its promise, and it has given me so much more than that. I have never been happier!

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

Rochelle Glazman found a passion in education at an early age. She began tutoring in middle school, and in high school she also became a teaching assistant to two department chairs. She was Vice President of the Student Body, an AP Scholar, and a 4.0 student. Currently, Rochelle is studying Economics and Managerial Studies at Vanderbilt. 

Let’s talk a little more in depth about one concept – parallelism.  You may already associate this word with math and parallel lines. What, then, is parallelism in a grammatical sense? Parallel lines are two lines that never intersect because they have the same slope or structure. Just like parallel lines, sentences need to be parallel. Each part of a sentence must be structured in a uniform way. There are three ways in which parallelism can go awry:

1. Lists: If a sentence consists of a list of items, each part of this list must match. For example, why is the following sentence not parallel?I love running, swimming, and to ski.

   The first and second items in this list, “running” and “swimming”, have the “-ing” ending. So far, this sentence is correct. The third item in the list, however, presents a problem. “To ski” does not match the previous two verbs. Therefore, this sentence is incorrect. To fix this sentence we must change “to ski” to “skiing”. The correct sentence reads:I love running, swimming, and skiing.

2. One vs. You: When writing in the second person, it is correct to use “you” or “one”. Regardless of which word you use, one must stay consistent throughout the sentence. Otherwise, the sentence will violate parallel structure. Fixing this error can be a nice give-away question on the SAT. Whenever you spot the word “one” or “you”, you must simply scan the rest of the sentence to make sure the same word is used later. If it’s not, you have just found the answer. Can you find a sentence in this very paragraph where I did not follow this rule? (Hint: Look for the italicized words.)
   Examples:Incorrect: If you like to swim, one must love to go to the pool.

   Correct: If you like to swim, you must love to go to the pool.

   Correct: If one likes to swim, one must love to go to the pool.

3. Comparison: This is the last thing to look for when evaluating parallelism in a sentence. Let’s start with an example:Jenny’s cupcakes are more delicious than Kate.

   Something about this sentence is not quite right. What does Kate taste like? I don’t want to find out! As written, this sentence states that the cupcakes are more delicious than Kate. What the sentence means to say is that the cupcakes are more delicious than Kate’s cupcakes. In a comparison, you must make sure that the two things the sentence compares are the same. In this case, we have to compare cupcakes to cupcakes and not cupcakes to people. Comparison words such as “like” and “as” should raise a red flag to look out for this error. Whenever you see these words, take a quick look to make sure the comparison is parallel. Otherwise, there might be some cannibalism happening somewhere.

Make parallelism part of your checklist for every SAT writing multiple-choice question. With practice, you will soon see your score improve!

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

Danielle Kipnis is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in Miami. She is a native New Yorker who then majored in England and Dance at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, she founded the dance company Steam Heat. She now continues to dance, choreograph, and satiate her love for teaching through SAT prep. 

Here’s a nice math brain-teaser to start out the week.  It seems that our friends in China have come up with a mind-bending animation that seemingly shows you can create extra area in a figure by deconstructing the figure and putting it back together in another configuration. 

We know that mathematically and physically, that can’t happen!  So click to watch the animation below and try to figure out where the “trick” in the animation is.  You know how on the SAT, figures are often “Not Drawn to Scale?”  First five people to come up with the correct answer and comment on this post will receive a Veritas Prep T-shirt or a copy of SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps!

Click on the image below to get started!

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

#1 Soybeans

Soybeans are rich in phytoestrogens (estrogen-like compounds derived from plants) such as isoflavones. Isoflavones have been linked to improved function of the frontal lobe, which is responsible for short-term memory, attention, and motivation. If you’re always on the go, a bag of soy nuts is the perfect, portable, protein-packed snack. And contrary to popular belief, a 2010 analysis of fifteen randomized controlled studies found that phytoestrogens do not reduce testosterone or sperm levels. So snack away men!

#2 Hummus

Hummus, a delicious spread made from mashed chickpeas, contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body can’t produce on its own. And tryptophan is needed to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter that is famous for its anti-depressive effects. But serotonin is also important in memory and learning. So be sure to smear some hummus over crackers the next time you have a particularly rough day or even a difficult problem to solve.

#3 Bananas

Eating a banana everyday is a terrific way to keep the body’s potassium levels replete. Not only does a potassium-rich diet reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but potassium is also essential to keep your brain well-oxygenated. To keep brain function optimal, keep this popular fruit handy.

#4 Walnuts

Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids. Unlike saturated or trans fats, polyunsaturated fats are so-called “good fats” that actually improve cardiovascular health. Two essential polyunsaturated fats that we must consume in our diet are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. A 2012 study at UCLA found that low levels of omega-3 fatty acids are linked to reduced brain size and cognitive function. Walnuts are the perfect way to get a quick dose of your daily essential fats!

#5 Carrots

Carrots are rich in the plant flavonoid luteolin. Luteolin has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In the brain, luteolin reduces the inflammation from microglial cells. This protects neurons from damage and results in improved memory and cognition. Who would’ve thought a bag of baby carrots could be protecting your brain from degenerating?

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

Shaan Patel achieved a perfect SAT score in high school. An enthusiastic vegetarian since a child, he is now the author of SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps, Director of SAT Programs at Veritas Prep, and active vegetarian advocate. 

It’s commonplace in business, sports, and entertainment for organizations to highlight the potential and accomplishments of up-and-comers with “40 under 40″ articles and lists. Young teachers deserve the same recognition. Thousands of great, young teachers exist at the bottom of the seniority scale but often at the top of the energy scale. They’re in constant danger of pink slips or benefit cuts but they come to class each day with new ideas, new technologies, and newfound commitments to change students’ lives. They’re active in the school community, coaching teams and mentoring clubs and organizing activities. And they’re changing the world – just not necessarily in a way that Fortune or Forbes can individually honor them on a cover.

So let’s honor these teacher as best we can. Throughout the month of April, Veritas Prep is accepting nominations for the 40 Most Influential Teachers Under 40, and by the end of the school year we’ll announce our list and properly honor these vanguards who take it upon themselves to innovate, motivate, and elevate students to heights they didn’t know they had in them.

Do you have a teacher who opened your mind to new opportunities? Who helped you take an interest in a subject you previously hated? Who showed you the true meaning of doing your best and wouldn’t let you settle for anything less than that? Nominate your life-changing teacher and let’s take time out to recognize our most influential teachers.

Look, I get it, talking about money is boring with a capital BORING, but it’s just one of those under analyzed aspects of the college preparation and college decision process. For many people, the cost of college gets put off by spreading that lump sum into student loans meaning the full cost of college will not be defrayed until well into a career.  So what does college cost?  And what do you get for it?  And what should you do about it?  We will cover all of that! Just take a breath, and lets start with cost.

The average cost of a public four year college is around $88,000 whereas the cost of a private college is somewhere the neighborhood of $160,000 with the top being around $250,000.  That is a lot of candy corn, but it has also been calculated that the earning potential for a college degree, as compared to a high school diploma, can be in the millions.  Sometimes. Maybe. The problem with all these numbers is they are too vague.  Will a person studying philosophy who becomes an adjunct philosophy professor after 14 years of school earn more in a lifetime than a person who goes to a state school and studies internet security? Who gets a better return on their educational investment?  The short answer is I just don’t know.  There are too many moving pieces in both scenarios.  College is an important experience, but it is also, for most energetic and ambitious young people, the first step in the educational track that could include grad school, internships, and any number of lower level positions that hopefully lead to financial security. When considering the school that is right for you, you should consider three things:

• What you want
• What the school can give you
• The cost of the institution

So does this mean only apply to cheap schools or don’t go to college?? Not at all! What it means, is that you and your family need to take a look at what you are hoping to pursue and make the right choices for you!  If you are considering business or law school and Harvard is within your reach, the money you spend there will likely be a great investment in your future. You should also look at the full cost of a place after things like scholarships and financial aid are considered.  Many top schools have large endowments that will cover some or all of great applicants tuition costs (Harvard doesn’t do merit scholarships, but they do have a lot of financial aid).  This means that if you are a competitive applicant, you can go to a great school and graduate without such a crushing burden of debt.

The take home message is the easiest way to ensure that you are getting the best return on your investment and giving yourself the most options of schools while avoiding a lifetime of student debt is to buckle down and work right now!  Both the work of considering the school that fits your needs and the work of being a competitive applicant will help free you to pursue what you desire without worrying about the financial implications.  High school grades and SAT scores are two of the biggest components that are considered when looking at merit based scholarships.  Sometimes 300 points on your SAT can means tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships.  High school can be demanding, but by taking advantage of the services that are available to you now, you are setting the groundwork for a future with a lot more choices.  Work ethic is also one of the most valuable skills that you can cultivate.  If you can learn NOW to work for what seems like an idea of a career and stability, then later when you are working for more concrete goals you will have the tools to do so.  So consider well college bound student! Talk with your family and counselors and STUDY! Your SAT score could help you pay for college. See how Shaan Patel’s score and his research helped him with scholarships.

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy.

Dear 12th Graders:

The last 11 years have all boiled down to this one year full of fun, excitement, friends and…college applications! While senior year of high school can often leave you with some of the best memories of your life, it’s important to not let it distract you too much from your ultimate goal: college admission. Here are some tips on how to keep everything together during your last year of grade school.

(1) Start Writing College Application Essays

It’s never too early during your senior year to start writing college application essays. In fact, I advise many students to start writing their essays the summer before senior year even starts. A college application essay is more important than just about any other composition you have written so far in your life. So it’s essential that you dedicate the time necessary to create an essay that is compelling, interesting, and most importantly: you! You may want to have your parents, English teachers, and others that you trust proofread your essays in order to get different opinions on how you could improve it.

(2) Research Scholarships

In addition to writing college application essays, you should also be writing plenty of scholarship application essays during your senior year of high school. Over 99% of scholarships offered to high school students are actually only offered to high school seniors. So now is the time to cash in on all of the hard work you’ve put in for the past three years of high school. In order to do so, start writing down a list of scholarships that are relevant to you as well as noting when their deadlines are. In addition, look for local scholarships offered to students in your community. Local scholarships have a smaller applicant pool, which means you have a better chance of winning them. For some secrets on getting scholarships, check out my other article.

(3) Collect Letters of Recommendation Early

Because most college applications are due in December/January, teachers are typically flooded with requests for letters of recommendations during this time. This usually results in teachers not spending as much time on each letter, and often using a cookie-cutter template for every student who requests a letter of recommendation. Instead, you should beat the rush by asking the teachers who you would like to write a recommendation for you early, such as in September or October. This will give teachers more time to write you a thoughtful and unique letter of recommendation. Plus, some scholarships require letters of recommendation from teachers; so asking early could actually be necessary.

(4) Relax

After the Fall semester when you’ve turned in your college applications, it’s time to kick back and relax. If possible, take a lighter course load in the Spring; you deserve it! Don’t worry, doing so won’t affect your college admissions chances. Go to dances, attend sports games, and enjoy your last semester of high school. You’ve worked hard for the past four years, and there’s nothing better than taking some time to relax as you await exciting news in April!

Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter!

Shaan Patel, who scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT, is the Director of SAT programs at Veritas Prep and author of McGraw-Hill’s bestselling book SAT 2400 in Just 7 Steps.