Writing Lecture One
This course will improve your writing skills and your ability to do well on the SAT I verbal exams. Let's start by looking at the importance of writing and also explain what these exams are.
Writing is important in nearly every job that you might do as an adult. Almost everyone has to write summaries of their work or memos to other workers in their company. Most college courses have writing assignments that must be completed. In many areas of study, it is a requirement to write a "thesis" in order to graduate and earn a college degree.
Writing is essential to Christianity. Each week there are readings from the Bible that help enlighten everyone and strengthen our faith. Someone wrote the books in the Bible to make this possible. Preachers often write out their sermons, or outlines of it, in order to make them more effective.
Writing can have a very calming and beneficial effect on the person doing the writing. Reading a book is good, but one learns even more by writing a book. The activity of writing sharpens the mind and helps improve understanding. If you are upset about something, try writing about it. You'll find it makes you feel better afterward. 150 years ago, Americans would spend much of their free time writing letters or diaries. Writing is a form of mental exercise that has a very positive effect on the person doing the writing.
Writing can also have change the world for the better. "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a famous insight. Thomas Paine's pamphlet entitled "Common Sense" helped win independence for the American colonies from Great Britain; Harriet Beach Stowe's book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" helped end slavery. Many of the most influential people in history were writers, starting with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the authors of the four Gospels.
Learning to write, and write well, will open more opportunities for you than any other skill. It is better even than learning how to swim, or ride a bicycle, or fly a plane, or become a good debater, or speak many languages. Once you develop the talent of good writing, there is almost no limit to what you can achieve, and most jobs and activities become much easier. While your college classmates or co-workers are struggling with a writing assignment, you'll be finishing it with skill and ease.
SAT I
The two verbal SAT I exams are called "critical reading" and "writing". They are what colleges look at most in determining admissions and scholarships. This class will help you master the skills that these exams teach.
The exams are offered by the "College Board," and cost only $45. The exams are offered at local high schools in early March, early May and early June. Registration deadlines are a month before the test dates, and all the information and process for registration are available online.[1]
Scholarships
College admissions, and scholarships, are based on the SAT I scores. Here are some minimum scores for scholarships at certain schools (not including minority scholarships):
- Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ: 2010 SAT (full tuition scholarships)
- Alfred State College, Alfred, NY: 1200 SAT (full tuition plus room and board)
- Arcadia University, Glenside, PA: 1030 SAT (between $3k and full tuition)
Centenary College Hacketstown, NJ
Presidential Scholarship Qualifications: 3.8 GPA, 1210 SAT I or 27 ACT, up to $10,000 annually, renewable with a 2.0 GPA Merit Scholarship: Qualifications: 3.3 GPA, 1030 SAT I or 22 ACT, up to $8,000 annually, renewable with a 2.0 GPA Achievement Scholarship: Qualifications: 3.0 GPA, 910 SAT I or 19 ACT, up to $6,500 annually, renewable with a 2.0 GPA Cyclone Award: Qualifications: 2.5 GPA, 800 SAT I or 16 ACT, up to $5,000 annually, renewable with a 2.0 GPA
Moravian College Bethlehem, PA Comenius Medallion Scholarship: Students who achieve top 5% class rank and 2150 combined SAT score $22,000 to full tuition Comenius Scholarship: Students who achieve top 10% class rank and 1850 combined SAT score $12,000 to $19,000. Trustee Scholarship Students who achieve top 20% class rank or 1750 combined SAT score $8,000 to $12,000. Founders Scholarship: Students who achieve top 30% class rank or 1700 combined SAT score $4,000 to $8,000.
Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ $17,000 - $20,000: 3.50 gpa, 1250 sat, 28 act,
Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ SATâs of 1950 or higher $21,400 per year
Liberty University Lynchburg, VA $3,750 yearly GPA of 3.5 or higher, 1270 SAT/29 ACT
Oklahoma State University Up to $12,500 per year 30+ ACT/1330+ SAT
Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO $9,000 annual award 1150 SAT or 25 ACT
University of Connecticut Half to full tuition 1100 SAT or ACT 24
Kean University New Jersey Full in-state tuition and fees scholarships: minimum 3.90 GPA & a minimum 1400 SAT.
Messiah College Pennsylvania Full tuition: 1300 SAT or 29 ACT
William Patterson University New Jersey $3000 to $7000: SAT 1050 or higher
Gordon College New York $12,000 a year: 3.5 GPA SAT's of 2100 or ACT of 31
Marymount of Manhattan New York $6,000 per year SAT 1150 or higher
Towson University Maryland 3.60 GPA, 1800+ SAT varying amounts
NJIT New Jersey SAT 1500 or higher
College score policy
The SAT now allows students the option of âscore choice.â By choosing this, students have the ability to pick which scores for each test that they want sent to their college. The majority of colleges participate in this program.[2]
Abilene Christian University allows you to submit your best scores from all three sections of the SAT.[3]
Patrick Henry College: Patrick Henry does not specify on their website whether or not they allow this method to be used.
Cornell, Yale, and Stanford require that you send your test scores from every sat test that you take. They evaluate your scores based on all the tests scores that you send in.
Wheaton College: Wheaton takes the highest of the three scores from all of the SAT's that the prospective student submits. http://www.wheaton.edu/admissions/UndGrad/applying/admissFAQ.htm#q14
Houghton College in New York is also very homeschool friendly. They have just recently started taking the highest critical reading and math scores for the SAT.
James Madison Univeristy is another home school friendly school. They request that you send test scores from every SAT that the prospective student takes. However, they do take the highest scores from the reading and math sections. http://www.jmu.edu/admissions/process/freshman.shtml
Liberty University: Liberty does not specify on their website if the allow students to send multiple test scores in.