ACT's News You Can Use Issue 57, November 2008

------------------------------------------------
ACT's News You Can Use
Issue 57, November 2008
------------------------------------------------
In this issue:
1. Key dates
2. Improving study skills
3. College planning tips for high school students
4. Writing your college essay
5. Establishing homework strategies
6. Test date reminder

------------------------------------------------
KEY DATES

November
* If any schools on your target list offer Early Action/Early
Decision, consider the option and complete any paperwork
they require.

December
* Some early admission decisions will be available, so check with
any schools to which you submitted an application.
* The ACT® is administered on December 13.
* Complete and mail college applications with January 1 deadlines.
* Prepare for the FAFSA, because it will be available January 1.
Visit http://fafsa.ed.gov to get a head start on the process.

January 2009
* The FAFSA becomes available January 1. File the FAFSA as soon
after January 2 as possible.
* Registration deadline for the February ACT test date is
January 6. (No test centers are scheduled in New York for the
February test date.)

February 2009
* The ACT is administered on February 7. (No test centers are
scheduled in New York for the February test date.)

------------------------------------------------
IMPROVING STUDY SKILLS

You can always improve your study skills. Developing good skills
and habits in high school will help you make learning the material
more effective and ease the transition to college classes. In
college, learning is a much more individual effort so going the
extra mile in high school will pay off later on.

Some good study skills to develop:

* Questioning.
If a concept doesn't make sense to you, ask someone to explain it.
Talk with a teacher or even a classmate who gets it. Ask questions
until you feel like you have a grasp on the topic.

* Make studying a regular habit.
And don't just focus on getting homework done. Really put effort
into learning, understanding and applying the concepts learned in
class to your daily activities.

* Take notes every day in class.
Then review those notes. Highlight key points. Write down
questions you want to ask and points to study further.

* Go beyond the assignment.
Writing helps many people retain information, so take advantage
of that and write down key points from reading assignments, make
flash cards or create your own practice tests.

* Schedule it.
Don't let studying become just another item on the to-do list
that remains undone. Schedule a regular time and place. Keep
distractions to a minimum.

Studying is really about developing a set of habits and skills
that work best for you. Like any habit, it can be difficult to
get into a routine, but stick with it and you'll find it gets
easier.

------------------------------------------------
COLLEGE PLANNING TIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Planning for college and a career doesn't happen overnight. It's a
process, filled with research and exploration. ACT encourages
high school students to do some of the work each year. You can
find a college planning checklist at
http://www.actstudent.org/college/checklist.html.

Many high school freshmen and sophomores do not know what career
they want, let alone where they want to go to college or what they
want to study. Use the scores from your EXPLORE and PLAN tests to
guide your planning. Talk with your counselor about what those
scores mean and visit the World-of-Work Map at
http://www.act.org/wwm to match your interests with potential
fields. You can find out more about careers and their
requirements at http://www.actstudent.org/wwm.

Juniors can do more career exploration by talking to someone in
the field. See if you can spend a day with a professional to see
what the job really entails. Also, you should be looking at dates
to register for the ACT in the spring. The ACT tests you on what
you learn in school, so spring of junior year is the appropriate
time to take it. Free practice tests are available at
http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html. You can use your
scores to see areas in which you might need to improve.

Seniors who haven't settled on a particular career have probably
narrowed to an area of focus. As you complete college
applications, be sure the schools meet your needs. And remember
that you won't be able to slack off after your last application
has been submitted. College admissions officers are increasingly
putting more weight on a student's performance during the last
semester to evaluate your ability to perform consistently.

ACT's student bloggers are in the college application process now.
Read what they have to say about applications and their senior
years at http://www.actstudent.org/blog.

------------------------------------------------
WRITING YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY

Like your ACT score, the essay is just one component of your
college application. An essay can say a lot—or a little—about who
you are. The point of the essay is to paint a picture of you to a
total stranger. Admissions officers want get to know you and why
you belong at their school.

Tips for writing sound essays can be found online from many
sources. Just type "writing a college essay" into a search
engine. Here are some quick pointers to help craft a
stand-out essay.

1. Plan.
Review application deadlines and plan ahead. Outline, then draft,
then proof, rewrite, have someone else proof it and then revise
accordingly. Give it one last look before submitting. Remember,
spell check doesn't catch everything!

2. Stand out.
Admissions officials review hundreds of applications and the ones
that pique their interest are unique. While the essay should
single you out from the crowd, be careful not to focus so narrowly
on something others cannot relate to or understand.

3. Be real.
This one can be interpreted a couple different ways. First, don't
use a story or essay found online or written by a friend.
Admissions officers can spot a "borrowed" essay from long
distance. Secondly, don't write to what you think others want to
hear. Show personality and individuality.

4. Stay on topic.
Review each application's essay question, develop a few ideas and
settle on one. Follow that theme throughout the essay.

------------------------------------------------
ESTABLISHING HOMEWORK STRATEGIES

Homework is a valuable part of learning. Though you probably think
it's a pain, homework does help to cement lessons taught in class.

* Assume that you will have homework every night.
Even if you completed your assignments, take time to review them.
It's easier to see any errors the second time around. Don't forget
to look ahead to long-term assignments like research papers or
science projects. And if you're fortunate enough to have time
during the school day to finish all homework assignments, use
your scheduled homework time to develop solid studying habits.

* Don't be intimidated by homework.
It's like a sporting event, but for your mind. Homework is part
of your learning process. If you're having problems with an
assignment, check with your teacher or look for free homework
help that might be available in your area. Many public libraries
offer either a live or online homework service. Tutors are
another option.

* Make it a routine.
Find a place and set a consistent time for doing homework. The
adage states that it takes three weeks to develop a habit.
Practice your homework routine and it should become second nature
before long.

Homework is one aspect of your study skills. While homework
focuses on a specific assignment, studying goes beyond that to
enhance understanding of the concepts and topics taught in class.
You can find ideas for enhancing your studying skills elsewhere in
this newsletter.

Homework tips for parents
Parents can help students establish good homework skills. The
National Education Association has valuable homework tips for
parents at http://www.nea.org/parents/homework.html. And homework
motivation ideas for parents are at
http://www.act.org/path/parent/motivate/homework.html.

------------------------------------------------
TEST DATE REMINDER

The next national ACT test date is December 13, 2008. The
registration deadline is November 7. Late registration,
with an additional fee of $20, is available through November 20.
Register online today at http://www.actstudent.org.

Other test dates during the 2008-09 school year are
February 7, 2009; April 4, 2009; and June 13, 2009. Registration
deadlines for these dates are normally about five weeks before
the test date.

An optional Writing Test is available in addition to the multiple-
choice achievement test. Go to http://www.actstudent.org/writing
to learn more about the Writing Test, including the colleges that
require it.

Test-day tips, a list of what to bring and approved calculators
for use on the Math Test are listed on the site, too. For all your
questions about the ACT test, visit http://www.actstudent.org.