A perfect score
It’s a real honor to be able to start this blog with news that an Excel alum has earned a perfect score on the SAT. Andrew Kau, of Monte Vista High School, took the exam last October and received news of his 1600 score in November. Needless to say, we at Excel are thrilled for Andrew. And Andrew seemed pretty thrilled to receive a $1,000 scholarship check from Excel for his effort. (Yes, current students, earn a 1600 and you’ll earn $1,000, too!) Look for more posts here in the coming weeks about Excel alumni… Continue Reading
Study help ‘at hand’
Here’s something to do with your smartphone that will make you smarter. There are a number of apps that make excellent study aids. I’ve downloaded and tested several and found a few that are great for memorizing vocabulary and more. For iPhone or iPod Touch users, Flashcard Touch is a study game-changer. This simple application allows you to create your own flashcards or, even better, download sets of flashcards from Quizlet, the online flashcard-sharing community. Imagine being able to carry Excel’s list of SAT vocabulary words everywhere you go! Now you can.* It costs $4.99… Continue Reading
Read this and re-wire your brain!
Nicholas Carr’s most recent book, The Shallows, What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, is based on an article he wrote in 2008 that catapulted him to fame in the writing world. That article, Is Google Making us Stupid?, is a must-read for anyone who has spent time wondering if surfing the web is affecting our ability to immerse ourselves in a book or lengthy article. Carr’s answer: It most certainly is. Surfing the Internet, he says, has profound implications on our critical reading capacity. This includes our Critical Reading skills- “Reading … is… Continue Reading
In a Cal State of mind
Is your mind set on attending one of Cal State’s 23 campuses? You may not need the SAT — but you might want to take it anyway. The university says on its CSUMentor site that students who are residents of California and who have a high school GPA of 3.00 or higher are guaranteed admission. But they don’t specify which campus. If you have a particular school in mind, you’re encouraged to take either the SAT or ACT. Even then, CSU will only look at your scores on the Critical Reading and Math sections. That… Continue Reading
Your brain is a muscle. Exercise it.
One of the things the SAT tests you on is your ability to focus for long periods of time. If you haven’t built up your mental stamina before sitting for the test, all the tips and tricks in the world aren’t going to help very much (But your three-hour Excel classes will!). Here’s an aggregated list of the best advice I’ve found by googling keywords like “mental stamina,” “improve concentration” and “brain muscle”. Eat right. A diet that consists of good fats, antioxidants, and the right nutrients will keep your gray matter golden. To learn… Continue Reading