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Teaching test preparation is a fun and rewarding experience. As a Victory Step instructor, you will have the opportunity to help bright, high-achieving students achieve their dreams of entering first-choice universities and programs.

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Riding recessions with a college degree

The safest way to ensure economic stability is to earn a college degree. That's what we have been hearing since a very young age. Data released by the Department of Labor solidifies this point. I also came across a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal detailing the trends and data.

It's not only that the college educated earn more over their lives, a staggering $1 million more on average, as compared with folks who do not hold college degrees, but that they are far more likely to keep their jobs.

The gap widens even further in times of recession. Not only in terms of amount of income, but also in the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate for workers 25-and-older with a bachelor's degree or higher was 4.6% in August 2010, for example, compared with 10.3% for those with just a high-school diploma. That's a huge 5.7-percentage-point gap. This is more than twice the gap that was seen during pre-recession times in 2007.

Laid-off college graduates are also finding work faster. Their median duration of unemployment was 18.4 weeks as of August, compared with 27.5 weeks for high-school grads. Three years ago, that figure was roughly the same for both groups—9.5 weeks and 9.6, respectively. And among the worst-off 25-and-older workers, the 5.2 million who have been out of work six months or more, only 19% are those who graduated from college, even though that group makes up a third of the work force.

All these statistics drive home the fact that ultimately, the safest way to survive and sail through a recessionary era is to invest time, money and heart towards a solid college education. It not only will ensure a stable job, but also help in case you end up having the misfortune of losing one.

Early Action vs Decision

Deciding Early

When applying to college, there are several options in regards to turning in the application. First of all, the majority of applications are now turned in online. Come on people, this is the 21st century. Secondly, and more importantly, students often wonder when is the best time to turn in an application.

Well, I've said it before, and I’ll say it again, the early bird really does get the worm. Most colleges now have options for Early Decision or Early Action. These methods allow the applicant to turn in the application in November and receive the decision earlier than the regular notices that arrive in late spring. Yes, it is true that applying early can give the prospective student a better chance of getting into the school, but the student must be sure of his or her decision before choosing one of these options.

Applying Early Action has absolutely no harm to it whatsoever. The student applies in November, hears back from the school earlier, has a better chance of getting in, and is not bound to attend the university in case he or she changes his or her mind. Sounds perfect, right? Well it sort of is. If possible to get the application completed early, there is no reason not to turn it in Early Action. However, not all and not many schools have this option available. Rather, they either accept regular applications or applications for Early Decision.

Early Decision. Sounds scary. How scary? Well, it depends on how much the student wants to attend the university. Okay, I’m kidding, it’s not scary, but very decisive. Applying Early Decision is for those students who have had a dream to attend a particular university ever since they can remember. Or those students who think their only chance of getting in is through Early Decision. Both of these options aren't intimidating, but the important thing is that this method is binding. This means that the student and the parents must be sure that they can afford the tuition before applying as there is no turning back. If an applicant is uncertain about attending the university, doesn't know if the family will be able to afford it, or has other options in mind, DO NOT APPLY EARLY DECISION.

Of course it isn't easy to get in applications early enough to qualify for one of the above methods as the student must take the SAT and/or ACT earlier, complete essays in a shorter time and get more work done, in less time. But no fear, regular admission is here!

Victory Step is an educational test prep company based in Dallas-Ft. Worth. We are here to help you with the college process; SAT prep, ACT Prep, PSAT Prep, College Consulting, etc. Give us a call today at 214 417 9406 or visit us online at http://www.victorysteponline.com

Why is college so important?

As young children never wanting to let go of our parents’ fingers, we all dreamed big. Our parents’ love and encouragement made us believe that we could be the President. The Movie Star. The richest person on earth. As we grow older, these dreams are often shattered by the reality of probability and the awareness of opportunities. No matter what our future goals, we are told one thing. “You must go to college to be successful”.

This seems like the most difficult statement to understand as we are comfortable teenagers protected by the doors of our homes and the walls of the familiar high schools. Why do I have to leave? Why do I have to start over? Going to school with the same friends for years, and having parents or guardians to guide us seems like too good of a deal to leave behind. We all think that we have excellent maturity and can handle anything that life throws our way. However, it is sometimes important to wonder, have we really experienced everything that life has to offer?

That’s where college comes in and offers us something vitally important-experience. Experience makes us wiser. Experience makes us stronger, and more willing to persevere. Taking the sometimes impossibly difficult classes, meeting people from all over the world, and travelling to the most remote places, each day of the 4 years of college brings something new, something we have never experienced before. The long exam week, the diverse student body, the community activities done through various clubs, team work established between peers, knowledge gained through experiments, relationships and networks created - all of this and more changes us into strong, skilled citizens. We are then truly equipped to handle all of the world’s problems.

President Obama attended Occidental College, got is BA from Columbia University, and studied Law at Harvard. Julia Roberts attended Georgia State University. Finally, Bill Gates attended Harvard. Suddenly, the dreams of being the future president, a movie start, and the richest man in the world don’t seem so impossible. While it is true that we grow the most in the first few months after we are born, college is the time for one to grow the most as a person. Without this growth, the remote dreams of our childhoods seem to remain distant.

As high school seniors it is difficult to understand why we must work so hard to get into a college of our dreams. The grades aren’t enough to get us in. We must have extracurricular activities, do well on the SATs or the ACTs, fill out numerous applications, etc. However, the simple word ‘college’ does not justify the prestigious and significant portion of our lives that the word brings with it. College is important. College is crucial. Why? Well, there is no better way to seek an answer to that question than to live through it.

Victory Step

SAT/ACT Test Prep

Ph: 214-417-7406

Website: http://www.victorysteponline.com

Email: solutions@victorysteponline.com

Back to School!

The time has come to buy the new notebooks and arrange the new backpacks. Everything is new and exciting and it’s one of the easiest times for a student to completely erase college examinations from his or her mind: Back to School!

While school itself usually comes with an enormous course load, and is accompanied by extracurricular activities, sports, etc., it is not advisable to let the SAT or the ACT completely slip from thought. Students often work rigorously during the summer to bring up their score on the SAT or the ACT. When school starts however, all this work can go to waste. It may seem hard, and it is, but it is crucial to set aside some time to do practice problems, work on some vocab, or even just read up on some strategies. Use online resources, rent books from the library, and take practice tests. But, all of this could require some self motivation. Victory Step could help you through the process, with the help of our highly intelligent, fun and charismatic instructors. Victory Step currently offers SAT and ACT Classroom instruction and SAT & ACT private tutoring in Dallas, TX.

Seniors: It is difficult to know exactly how busy senior year can be until you are actually experiencing it. It seems that time truly does fly by during senior year. This is because there is so much going on with college applications, interviews, not to forget the school work. If you are one of the many seniors still trying to bring up that SAT score or that ACT score, make sure you have registered for the first available test date and are spending every free moment preparing. Do everything you can to make that time slow down and use it to ensure admission into an incredible college.

SAT Test Date Registration Deadline

October 9, 2010	September 10, 2010
November 6, 2010	October 8, 2010
December 4, 2010	November 5, 2010

ACT Test Date Registration Deadline

September 11, 2010	August 6, 2010
October 23, 2010	September 17, 2010
December 11, 2010	November 5, 2010

Test dates in 2010 alone are fast approaching. It is easy to get involved with school and forget registration deadlines and test dates. For that reason, go to victorysteponline.com to ensure such things don’t happen. Schoolwork is definitely very important but by spending a little time each day on college preparation will do not harm, but only put that schoolwork to good use at an excellent college.

Victory Step

SAT/ACT Test Prep

Ph: 214-417-7406

Website: http://www.victorysteponline.com

Email: solutions@victorysteponline.com

SAT vs ACT?

The Battle of the Tests

Choices are great, right? We get to choose which test we want to take. That ought to be a fantastic deal! However, when it comes down to choosing between the SAT and the ACT, the decision may not be so easy. Which test is better? Which test will I do well on? Which test do colleges like?

Well, we live in a world of options. From the Ivy Leagues to the community colleges, it seems that almost all universities today accept both the SAT and the ACT. So it isn’t a matter of impressing a college, but it simply comes down to personal choice. There are many stereotypes concerning the two tests. Some say that boys tend to do better on the SAT and others say that those with a shorter attention span should favor the ACT. Well, how to separate the myth from the fact? It comes down to analyzing yourself with a few simple questions.

1) Do I prefer knowledge based tests or strategy based tests? The SAT tends to prefer using different strategies in order to trick the test taker on even easy questions. The ACT however, is very straightforward with the questions but requires knowledge of more material.

2) Am I good at science? While the science section on the ACT isn’t entirely based on knowledge alone, it does have a science section that requires problem solving and analytical abilities. Hate science? The SAT does not include a science section!

3) Vocabulary or Grammar? Both tests pay strong attention to English. However, the SAT focuses more on vocabulary and strategy based reading comprehension while the ACT tends to pay more attention to grammar, syntax, etc. Don’t like vocabulary or grammar? Well then you’re out of luck.

4) Do I prefer skipping or simply guessing? Well, while neither test is scored more leniently than the other, they both have different methods of scoring. The SAT is based off of 2400 points (which I hope everyone knows by now). The test awards you 1 point for every correct answer, deducts 1/4 of a point for every wrong answer, and gives no points for a blank answer. Yes, this means that skipping is allowed. The ACT on the other hand, grades each section out of 36 and does not deduct any points for wrong answers. Therefore, guess away!

5) How much do I love writing? The SAT starts the test off with a bang, or an essay to be more precise. The 25 minute section is required and is scored out of 12 points. The essay is read by two readers, each of whom grade out of 6 points. Technically, the ACT essay section is optional. It comes at the end of the exam and is 30 minutes long. However, most colleges do like to see the essay section in order to accept the ACT score.

It is all easier said then done. In order to really find out which test is the right one, the best decision is to take both the tests. While it may seem like unnecessary work, it is important to find out which test works better for you personally, rather than what Mom or Grandma or the neighbor thinks. No one can know which test you will do better on until you take both exams.

Call one of Victory Step's consultants today. We will be more than happy to guide you to your right path!