What would you do for $5,000? Would you record a music video extolling the sheer awesomeness of the ACT complete with a full set of lyrics, several instruments and multiple costume changes? I don’t know what ACT, Inc. was thinking, but this is some kind of hilarious. Here they are: the winners of ACT’s “Why you should take the ACT” music video contest.

I take the test along with my students to stay current and for various reasons, I often end up taking the test as a standby test-taker. Last time, it took eight weeks to get my scores back. Do not be me!!

Students, you have until November 11th to register for the December 10th ACT. Don’t forget! After that, the ACT folks tack on a $21 late fee (November 12-18th) or a $42 standby fee after that.

Good luck to you all!

Programming your calculator might sound overwhelming or really, really geeky (or both), but having some good programs on your calculator can really help on the math section. We teach you how to program a bunch of helpful and sneaky programs on your TI 83/84 that can save you time and brainpower on test day. Check out our Android market link here. For more programs and real ACT examples, you can also check out Boost Your Score: Underground Calculator Programs for the ACT Test.

The September ACT scores will be released starting September 26, 2011. That really means midnight, September 25th so if you’re up anyway — check then!

The ACT folks release several waves of scores, so if you don’t receive your scores right away, check back on Wednesdays and Fridays — that’s when they typically update the online accounts. Scores will be released through November 4, 2011.

Good luck!!

Why is this new version so exciting? Here’s my take on the new third edition of The Real ACT Prep Guide. I should note first that we have always used The Real ACT Prep Guide, put out by ACT, Inc. for our students. The ACT folks have very specific algorithms and very particular topics they test repeatedly, test after test, year after year. Because the ACT is so predictable, the best way to crack it is by taking and analyzing real ACT tests and this book is the only easy-to-find source of official tests. Yes, students can take the fake Kaplan and Princeton Review tests, but they really are not the same. Scores on those tests also don’t boost student confidence (or highlight opportunities for growth) like those on the real ACTs.

The previous editions of The Real ACT Prep Guide included three real ACTs. Along with those three ACTs, we had students take the free ACT on the ACT website (found here: http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/preparing.pdf) for a total of four real ACTs. We felt that was still wimpy, especially for the many students who benefit from taking a bunch of timed sections (instead of only full-length tests) to practice pacing on particular sections. We therefore had to buy additional tests from the ACT company for our local students so we could guarantee they had enough practice with the real stuff.

Now, this new Real ACT Prep Guide has five official ACTs! (FYI: The first three tests match the ones in the previous versions; the last two are new). When you combine five official ACTs (with great answers and explanations for each test) along with the free test on the ACT website, you get 6 full-length official tests to work with. I don’t think that’s wimpy anymore. Students can really improve their ACT scores if they take – and analyze – six real ACTs. In fact, in our experience, something marvelous really ‘clicks’ when students transition between ACT #4 and ACT #5. It’s like they finally have gone through the entire ‘question bank’ of every type of question the ACT folks will ever ask and they truly know exactly what to expect. Again, the ACT is probably the most predictable test students will ever take. Take the test enough times and the questions all start to look very, very familiar.

(Shameless self-promotion alert:) Take those six ACTs and use them along with our Boost Your Score software to target and boost weak skills, and you’ll be set on test day!

Hahaha!!! Maybe I’m just a punctuation geek, but I think this is AWESOME. Credit goes to the good folks at Zazzle. Off to order this poster for our classroom, but first an ACT comma tip:

Remember that on ACT English, it is much more common to remove commas (or refrain from putting them in) than it is to ever insert a comma. I tell students that on the ACT, an underlined selection needs to SCREAM for a comma. The ACT folks know that students tend to overuse commas, so they repeatedly try to get students to either insert unneeded commas or keep unnecessary commas in an underlined selection by erroneously choosing ‘no change.’ We always tell students, “When in doubt, take the comma out!”

On the ACT, when do you need a comma? By far, these two situations are most common:
1) A shift/pause/change of flow (as in the grandma example)
2) A ‘comma sandwich’. This is when you need to put a comma on either side of a nonessential piece of information. Some examples:

That day, which happens to be my birthday, is the day of the American Idol finale.
(No one really cares that it’s your birthday besides for you. In this example, ‘which happens to be my birthday’ is sandwiched between two commas since it is not essential at all to the meaning of the sentence. If you took out the sandwiched phrase, the sentence would still have the same exact meaning.)

A few more examples of a comma sandwich:

Sarah usually parks in her favorite illegal parking spot without repercussions. In this case, however, she got slammed with a sizeable parking ticket.

The atmosphere in this restaurant is peaceful and elegant. The food, on the other hand, is absolutely terrible.

Parallelism is big on the English section of the ACT. Look for similar structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. Here’s a great example:

What would faulty parallelism look like? Well, for example, you can’t say that Chris Brown likes to tear down dressing rooms, throwing temper tantrums, and apologizing for them later. Make sure your verb forms match!

If you’re off gallivanting in Ecuador, make sure you’re near an internet cafe at the end of the month. The June ACT scores will be released starting Monday, June 27, 2011.

The ACT folks release several waves of scores, so if you don’t receive your scores right away, check back on Wednesdays and Fridays — that’s when they typically update the online accounts. Scores will be released through August 5th.

No, rain on your wedding day isn’t ironic. It’s just a bummer.