MTV Supports Helping College Students Acquire Necessary Financial Aid

Representatives of MTV were in Washington, D.C., in January. Their visit had nothing to do with shows like “Real World,” “America’s Best Dance Crew” or even “College Life,” though scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid were on the agenda.

The MTV representatives, along with representatives of the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, were there to speak with educators, business leaders and government officials about how to eliminate roadblocks when it comes to scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid. Their discussions came after a College Board study found that many parents and students aren’t familiar with scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid. Their suggestions included making the federal financial aid system less complicated and more student-oriented.

The study, Cracking the Student Aid Code, was commissioned by the non-profit College Board, which suggests that scholarships and grants can be especially important at times like this, when family incomes haven’t been rising the way that tuition costs have. Even in a slow economy, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, college and university degree-holders tend to be more likely to remain employed. Many families apparently agree: 70 percent of the 1,000 parents and more than 90 percent of the 1,250 students expressing their opinions in the College Board study agreed that, in this economy, a college or university degree is more important than it has ever been. Read the rest of this entry »

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The SAT and the 220,000 Words in the English Language

The SAT is hard!

SAT Vocabulary Learning

When I was teaching high school, I met a lot of parents who asked me what they should do to prepare their children to take the SAT. Most of the questions came at the end of junior year just a few months before the children had to take this daunting test. Although preparing over the summer months can only help, real preparation for the SAT begins much earlier. But this is a point many parents and kids don’t seem to get.

There is a lot of debate about how many words there are in the English language, but everyone agrees that there are a lot! Most scholars agree that there are more than 220,000 words in our language…much more than can be mastered in a single summer of SAT practice. The truth, however, is that most people, even the very well educated, do not know and use every word in our language. The developers of the SAT, the College Board, do not expect teens to know every word, just a decent percentage of them.

I reviewed the SAT College Board website and found a description of the SAT verbal / language portion of the exam. Although there is no longer an analogy section, vocabulary knowledge is key to success on the language portion the test which offers a potential 1600 points.

The SAT now looks like this:

Reading and Sentence Completion – possible 800 points.
‘Reading’ tests comprehension of what is stated in or implied by the passage.
‘Sentence completion’ tests vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure.
Writing – possible 800 points.
‘Improving sentences’ tests the ability to correct faults in usage and sentence structure, recognize effective sentences that follow the conventions of Standard Written English.
‘Identifying sentence errors’ tests the ability to recognize faults in usage, and recognize effective sentences.
‘Improving Paragraphs’ tests the ability to revise sentences in the context of a paragraph or the entire essay, organize and develop paragraphs in a coherent and logical manner.
‘The Essay’- 25 minutes to present and support a point of view on a specific issue. Read the rest of this entry »

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Great Colleges In A Seaside City

If you are thinking about attending college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, you are probably attracted to many aspects of this popular city. You have seven choices of post-secondary institutions to choose from, as well as a vibrant nightlife, a wealth of art and culture, and lovely beaches. Perhaps you’ll soon be calling this fun city your second home.

It never gets too cold in Fort Lauderdale! Located about 23 miles north of Miami, the city boasts a tropical rainforest climate. It has been called the “Venice of America,” due to its intricate canal works. Fort Lauderdale is also a major magnet for yachting enthusiasts, with over 100 marinas!

Fort Lauderdale has long been a popular location for college students on Spring Break, with over 4,000 restaurants and over 120 nightclubs. It is a progressive city with a large, supportive gay community. College students will appreciate the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment district, which includes the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, in addition to the beaches and nightlife which make this a popular destination.

Seven institutions have campuses in Fort Lauderdale: Broward College, City College, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, and University of Phoenix. Your choice will depend on your desired course of study as well as other factors.

Broward College is a state college with its main campus located in Fort Lauderdale and other campuses around Broward County. It offers many options for Associate’s degrees in a variety of subjects, as well as Bachelor of Science, Applied Science, and Nursing programs. City College is a private college that offers 10 Associate of Science degrees in seven majors, as well as Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration. There are also several diploma programs in Phlebotomy, Medical Assisting, and Medical Coding and Billing. This is a small college with intimate class sizes and a great deal of individualized attention. Read the rest of this entry »

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