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24 Apr 2014, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Don't Judge a GMAT Sentence by the Way it Sounds |
 When answering sentence correction problems on the GMAT, it’s very common to use your ear as a barometer of how the answer choice sounds. Particularly for native English speakers, this is often the number one way they approach any given sentence. The problem with this strategy is that sentence correction is often much more about the meaning than about the grammar. By extension, the test makers of the GMAT know they can fool many students by simply making the correct answer choice unappealing to the students’ ears (Won’t get fooled again!). Anything that makes a sentence sound more awkward than it should is fair game to try and get test takers to pick the wrong answers. Some strategies come back more often than others, and today I want to discuss these types of errors as it pertains to the timeline of a sentence. Students often have preconceived notions hammered in during high school that a sentence must always be in the same tense, no matter what. While this is a nifty rule of thumb, it doesn’t have to be the case in every sentence. As an example, consider a student studying for the GMAT. The student could say “I have studied for the GMAT” or “I will study for the GMAT”. Both of these options make sense. What about “I will be ready for my GMAT next week because I have been studying for months”? This sentence is also fine, even though one verb tense is in the future and the other is in the present perfect continuous. As long as the phrase makes logical sense and what is being described in the past took place in the past, the sentence is valid. The trick on the GMAT that gets students confused is that you have to pick one sentence out of the five answer choices. However, none of them might be exactly what you’re expecting. In other words, if given “carte blanche”, I could rewrite this sentence in a much clearer way than any of these five middling choices. That’s half the difficulty, though, because you have to pick the sentence from among the choices that contains no grammatical mistake, even though you don’t necessarily like everything in the answer choice. Let me highlight this with a sentence correction question that regularly gives students fits: A 1999 tax bill changed what many wealthy taxpayers and large corporations are allowed to deduct on their tax returns. (A) changed what many what many wealthy taxpayers and large corporations are allowed to deduct on their tax returns (B) changed wealthy taxpayers’ and large corporations’ amounts that they have been allowed to deduct on their tax returns (C) is changing wealthy taxpayers’ and large corporations’ amounts that they have been allowed to deduct on their tax returns (D) changed what many wealthy taxpayers and large corporations had been allowed to deduct on their tax returns (E) changes what many wealthy taxpayers and large corporations have been allowed to deduct on their tax returns Going through the answer choices, it seems fairly clear that 1999 is in the past. Whether it’s 2014 or 2015 or whenever, you would not reference 1999 in the future (unless you’re Prince). As such, we can eliminate answer choices C and E because both use the present tense and make it sound like this bill is happening right now and not 15+ years ago. Similarly, answer choice B changes the meaning of the sentence. The sentence is saying the bill will change what people are allowed to deduct, whereas answer choice B modifies the meaning to just the amount they are allowed to remove. There is a significant difference between deducting 500$ for school expenses or 700$ for school expenses versus deducting school expenses or capital gains expenses. There is a niche corner case where the two may have exactly the same meaning, but the original sentence has a much broader definition and thus can’t be pigeonholed into answer choice B. This leaves the two most common answer choices: A and D. If you’re going by sound, you likely think that answer choice D is the correct answer. However, even though answer choice D sounds like what you’d expect to hear, it creates an illogical timeline. Let’s look at a sample timeline and determine when the changes were made: _____________________________X______________________________________________X 1999 tax bill present Answer choice D uses the past perfect continuous (had been allowed) which can only be used if the event described happened before another event in the past. Example: By the time I took the GMAT in 2007, I had been studying for over two months. You cannot have a tax code change in 1999 that affects the years prior to 1999. Otherwise everyone would have to resubmit their taxes for the past 6 years to reflect the change. Any tax code change can only come change future tax years. Answer choice D meaning, with the period having been changed in red. _____________________________X______________________________________________X 1999 tax bill present Answer choice A meaning, with the period having been changed in red. _____________________________X______________________________________________X 1999 tax bill present Answer choice A, even though it uses the present tense (are) can be considered grammatically correct here as long as the law wasn’t repealed. Since there is no indication of the law having been changed, answer choice A is a valid (although awkward sounding) way of rewriting this sentence. I would like to further illustrate this point using the Stampy example of the seminal Simpsons episode where Bart gets an elephant. In the episode (titled Bart gets an elephant), Homer realizes that he can make money off the elephant, and decides to charge people 1$ to see the elephant and 2 $ to ride the elephant. Upon realizing that he’s still losing money, he updates his prices to 100$ and 500$ respectively. Since this drives away all of his business, Homer visits the homes of his friends and tells them: Homer: “Millhouse saw the elephant twice and rode him once, correct? Millhouse’s dad: “Yes, but we already paid you the 4$” Homer: “That was under our old price structure. Under our new price structure, you owe me 700$” Millhouse’s dad: “Get out of my house” Hopefully this little skit helped drive home the point I’m trying to make. You cannot retroactively change what people can deduct. You can only change things going forward. Answer choice A may not be the preferred way to rewrite this sentence (Example: “changed what people would be allowed to deduct” would have been clearer), but there is no grammatical error contained within it. When it comes to sentence correction, make sure you understand the logic of the sentence and don’t depend on your ear as your only line of defense. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Ron Awad is a GMAT instructor for Veritas Prep based in Montreal, bringing you weekly advice for success on your exam. After graduating from McGill and receiving his MBA from Concordia, Ron started teaching GMAT prep and his Veritas Prep students have given him rave reviews ever since. |
25 Apr 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: 6 Things You Need to Know about the New SAT |
 As coincidence would have it, within a couple weeks after the College Board announced major changes to the SAT (coming in 2016), I was already planning on taking the SAT at Lower Merion High School (which, as Kobe Bryant likes to point out, is the high school he and I went to…). Sure, I am 44-years old, but I take the SAT often to stay up on trends and changes to the test and to show students and parents that their tutor is capable of a 99th%-ile score in any of the three sections. The “redesign” announcement has inspired fear in the hearts of students, parents, counselors and some tutors (not me, of course). With that angst lurking, it was more important than ever that I take last month’s test. Sure, 2016 is 2 years away, but that didn’t stop the College Board from somewhat jumping the gun on the changes. Last month’s SAT featured major changes consistent with the College Board’s announced plans. Before I inadvertently cause more fear, let me be very clear: the changes appeared in the SAT’s “Experimental” section (which never counts towards a student’s score). However, the College Board (administrator and writer of the test) never publicizes which of the 10 sections is the unscored experimental section. Usually, it blends in very well with the rest of the scored sections and therefore provides the College Board with useful data about how students perform on that section under high-stakes conditions. However, for a professional like myself, the “new SAT” experimental section stood out like a sore thumb. For example, one reading passage had only one single question (I’ve never seen a test in the last several years with fewer than two questions). Another reading passage had a whopping 16 questions (the most questions to follow a reading passage has been capped at 13 questions over the last several years). In the 16-question reading passage, there were two instances of questions that asked for specific evidence regarding one’s answer to the previous question. This was consistent with what the College Board announced regarding the reading sections (I’ll provide a list of changes later in this post). Others reported changes in the math and writing sections. What does this mean for your child’s upcoming appointment with the SAT? It won’t likely mean much if your child is in the 10th grade or higher. But if your child is in 9th grade, he or she will be in the first class to take the Next-Generation SAT. How should you prepare? Quite frankly, there isn’t too much you should do differently. The questions will still largely be similar, and most of the techniques in the Veritas Prep curriculum will not change substantially. There will be some math sections where calculator use is prohibited, so I advise you to cutback your child’s calculator dependency. And there will certainly be changes and updates to specific sections of any good SAT course to narrowly tailor to the redesigned test. But the same study habits, thought processes, and content emphases over the next few years of your child’s high school career will continue to pay off. Some of the announced changes include: – The vocabulary section will be made more relevant to modern language (i.e., words that have a chance of making it into a conversation this decade. See you later “capricious!”) – The reading questions will emphasize the use of evidence from the passage just read (as discussed above, this change was on full display in my experimental section). – The essay will no longer affect one’s overall score. – Students should answer every question, as there will be no longer be a penalty for wrong answers. This should come as welcome news to almost everyone, as the “incorrect guess” penalty has long been a source of stress for students and teachers. – The new exam will narrow its mathematical focus to a few areas, including algebra, deemed most needed for college and life afterward. A calculator will be allowed only on certain math questions, instead of on the entire math portion at current (again – as a parent you may want to wean your child off of calculator reliance over the next few years) – The overall score will be reverted back to its original level of 1600, instead of the current 2400. The reading and writing sections will be collapsed into one section worth 800. We’ll continue to post updates as these changes are previewed publicly or appear on experimental questions. In the meantime, those taking the “current” SAT should avoid any undue stress about changes that will not affect their own tests or scores, and those who will take the redesigned test should continue to excel in high school (and junior high) and build sound math, reading, and English skills while they wait for redesigned SAT curriculum to help harness it toward that 1600 score! Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Steve Odabashian received his BA in Economics from the University of Virginia and then went on to receive his JD at Villanova. He has worked in Tokyo as a foreign attorney, done pro bono work for the Committee of Seventy in several Philadelphia elections, and he is a well known pianist and comic entertainer in Philadelphia. Steve has been teaching for Veritas Prep since 2004. |
25 Apr 2014, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: Your 3 Step Pacing Plan |
 What makes the GMAT difficult? For most examinees, the time pressure is arguably the biggest factor; given unlimited time, most 700-level aspirants could get most problems right, but with that clock ticking and time of the essence we’re all vulnerable to silly mistakes, mental blocks, and the need to give up on hard questions. So how can you overcome the pressures of pacing? Try this three-step method: 1) Take Your Time This may seem a bit counter-intuitive if you’re pressed for time, but the GMAT scoring algorithm so heavily punishes you for missing “easy” questions that you can’t afford to fall victim to silly or careless mistakes. Most test-takers could finish between 32-34 quant questions and 36-38 verbal questions in the 75 allotted minutes, but it’s that 37 quant / 41 verbal question allocation that forces examinees to budget time. If, for example, on quant you’d be great if you could average 2:20 per question instead of the allotted 2:05, that extra 15 seconds you’d like per question may well be your Achilles’ heel if, in your haste to get down closer to 2 minutes per question, you fall victim to: -Silly calculation mistakes -Setting up an equation incorrectly -Leaving a problem one step short and picking the trap answer -Answering “the wrong question” (e.g. they asked for y, you solved for x) These mistakes, as you’ve likely seen in your practice tests and homework sets, are quite common, so make sure that you’re aware of them and know to slow down to avoid them. Double check your work, which can largely go wrong in the first 20-30 seconds of a problem (setting up a problem incorrectly) or the last 20-30 seconds (answering the wrong question, skipping a calculation step because it looks like you’ll get right to one answer choice). Know your common mistakes and spend that extra 10-15 seconds double-checking for them. Too many examinees, knowing that they’d need 10% more time than they have, do a “90% job on 100% of questions” (a lot of wrong answers) instead of a “100% job on 90% of questions” (making sure that when they can get a question right, they do. As we say often on the GMAT, your floor is more important than your ceiling – missing easy questions hurts you much more significantly than correctly answering hard question helps you. So step 1 on pacing – make sure that you take the time you need to successfully finish problems on which you’ve done most of the work right. 2) Plan to Guess Here’s where you get the time back. If you still know that the above strategy – take the time that you need – will leave you 5-6 minutes short of where you’d need to be to finish the section, then save that time by knowing that up to 3-4 times per section you’ll just guess early on a problem to bank that time for when you really need it. Why does this work? If you’re doing well on a section by successfully answering most of those questions within your ability level, you’re going to see some extremely difficult questions as your “reward” based on the adaptive algorithm. You WILL get questions wrong, and the key is to not invest too much time in questions that you were probably going to get wrong anyway. The problem with guessing is much more psychological than real – when you get stuck on a problem and “have to” guess, you get that panic feeling in your mind and it shakes your confidence for future questions. Plus you’ve probably spent up to your average pace-per-question (if not more) by that point, so you’re doubly worried…time is ticking away *and* you just had to blow a guess. The remedy? Give yourself up to 4 “free passes,” questions on which you’ll just guess in the first 20-25 seconds if you realize that it’s probably beyond you and/or it will probably sap a lot of time. (For example, plenty of 750+ scorers have admitted that “hard to start” geometry problems fall into this category for them…geometry with detailed figures can be very time-consuming, so if they don’t see the path early on they know to just save that time for something more concrete) By consciously using a “free pass” instead of nervously venturing a guess, you own the guess as a strategy and not a cop-out, and you’ll save that time for when you need it and can best use it for correct answers. 3) Have a Pacing Plan How do you know when you need to guess? Segment each section into approximate quarters and have benchmarks for where you’ll want to be. Since the clock ticks down from 75 minutes, have those benchmarks in mind the way you’ll see them: Quant After 10 questions —- 53 minutes remaining* After 20 questions —- 33 minutes remaining After 30 questions —- 14 minutes remaining (which leaves about 2 minutes per question) Verbal After 10 questions —- 55 minutes remaining* After 20 questions —- 36 minutes remaining After 30 questions —- 18 minutes remaining (which leaves about 1:40 per question) (*You can adjust these benchmarks to your liking; here we’re using a little more time in the initial 10 questions, not because “they’re more important” as the myth goes, but more because you can’t use any additional time at the end of the section, so if you’re going to err on pacing it’s better to get the early questions right and hustle a little later than it is to make silly mistakes early, banking time that won’t help you later.) Whenever you’re more than a minute or so behind your desired pace, that’s when you’ll want to look at using a “free pass” within the next 4-5 questions to get back on track. By having a plan to check every 10 questions, you’ll avoid that pressure (and wasted time) that comes from calculating your pace-per-question frequently throughout the test (seriously, people do this – they’re so worried about not having enough time that they waste valuable time doing extra, irrelevant math problems!!) and you’ll have a contingency plan in place so that you’re not panicked if you are a little behind. If you’re behind, you have a “free pass” in your back pocket to help get back to where you want to be. Pacing on the GMAT is tricky for everyone – that’s a major factor of what makes it “the GMAT.” But if you follow this process, you can make the best out of that limited time and maximize your chance of success. Remember, 75 minutes per section is hard for just about everyone, so even if you’re not comfortable with the pacing but you have a better plan for how to use that scarce resource, pacing can be your competitive advantage. Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
28 Apr 2014, 15:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: 9 Things to Consider When Choosing Between the ACT and the SAT |
 In most high schools in the United States, juniors and seniors naturally tend towards either the ACT or the SAT, depending on the region. In the Bay Area, for instance, far more college-bound students take the SAT than the ACT, for no apparent reason besides the fact that most of their peers are taking the SAT. In Southern states, the ACT is more dominant. Region, however, should not be the determining factor in choosing between these two tests; their subject matter, style, and requirements differ in important ways that many students don’t consider. I’ve taken both. Only my SAT score, however, was sent along with my college applications. (My ACT score was released long after my college acceptance). I originally took the SAT instead of the ACT just because everyone I knew was taking the SAT, and because the SAT was offered on a more convenient day in my schedule. Looking back, I realize this was a poor decision on my part. If I had done my research, I would have quickly realized that I as a student was far better suited to the ACT than to the SAT, and would have saved myself quite a lot of worry. Here are the things I should have considered: 1. The ACT has a science section. This is arguably the most famous difference between the tests. In high school, I liked reading much more than I liked science, so I originally dismissed the ACT entirely. My mistake: I didn’t realize that the ACT doesn’t actually require test-takers to know any complicated science concepts. In fact, it’s more like a reading test than a science test. As long as test-takers are able to read simple graphs and tables, they need only know some basic scientific vocabulary and concepts. Even those are often defined and explained within ACT passages themselves. 2. The SAT tests complicated vocabulary and focuses more on reading comprehension. Students who lack confidence in their reading comprehension skills or who do not want to deal with complicated vocabulary should strongly consider taking the ACT instead. 3. The ACT tests more complicated math. Conversely, students who are not comfortable with trigonometry should consider opting for the SAT. 4. The ACT lets you skip the essay. The SAT essay is mandatory, while the ACT essay is optional. I recommend writing the essay if you take the ACT, but in the interest of making informed choices, you should be aware that the section is not required. 5. The SAT is longer. If you have trouble sitting still for more than three hours, the ACT might be a better option for you. 6. The ACT was designed as an achievement test, while the SAT was designed as a reasoning test. In other words, material on the ACT will more closely resemble the work that most high school students do in daily classes, while the SAT will challenge them to approach familiar subjects in less conventional ways. 7. US colleges accept both the SAT and the ACT, and treat the tests equally. Choosing one over the other will not necessarily make your application more or less impressive to an admissions office. Take whichever test you believe suits you better. 8. Practice tests and questions are available for both the SAT and the ACT. These are available on the official SAT and ACT websites and in test prep books and courses. Instead of guessing which you might perform better on, you can sample each and compare your scores. 9. If you still have trouble deciding, you have the option of taking both tests. This will likely involve more study and more test fees, but will allow you the freedom to try both options and submit whichever test score is higher. The choice between the ACT and the SAT offers students a valuable chance to play to their strengths, and to play down their weaker subject areas. Taking advantage of that opportunity can save time, effort, stress, and test prep money. Trust me; your future self will thank you for it. Be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Courtney Tran is a student at UC Berkeley, studying Political Economy and Rhetoric. In high school, she was named a National Merit Finalist and National AP Scholar, and she represented her district two years in a row in Public Forum Debate at the National Forensics League National Tournament. |
29 Apr 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: School Profile: Make Your Impact on the World at Johns Hopkins University |
 Benefactor Johns Hopkins willed $7 million to start up the University that now bears his name. It was founded in 1876 on the premise that research and discovery were of equal importance to teaching and learning. Johns Hopkins University’s other ideal is not to limit education to its students, but rather to lift the collective education of society at the same time. With these principles in mind, Johns Hopkins has become a preeminent model for other research universities across the globe, and is #26 on the Veritas Prep Elite Colleges Rankings. Johns Hopkins reputation for excellence and leadership is built primarily on its health and sciences focus, which includes JHU School of Medicine, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and JHU School of Nursing graduate programs associated with the renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital. The University is also widely recognized as a leader in international studies, and its proximity to Washington, D.C. offers students coveted internships and jobs in the nation’s capital. The graduate program in the School of Advanced International Studies has three campuses – Washington, D.C., Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, The People’s Republic of China. The first graduating class of fifteen at JHU School of Medicine was in 1897. One of its first major research contributions came in the 1920s when researchers at the University developed the process of chlorination to purify drinking water, which is universally used by municipalities and industries today. Johns Hopkins boasts twenty-two Nobel laureates affiliated with the University. Countless government officials and public servants including President Woodrow Wilson, Vice President Spiro Agnew, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and others have passed through the University. Over sixty notable academicians, mathematicians, and scientists have made their marks on the world like NASA’s Michael Griffin, physicist Frank Oppenheimer, and John Dewey, education reformer. The list goes on and on for business, literature, art, and media. Johns Hopkins vision has played out in the world through the work of its faculty and graduates in ways he probably couldn’t have imagined. If you are looking for a place to grow and make your impact on the world, Johns Hopkins University could be the school for you. Johns Hopkins University is an urban school whose primary Homewood campus lies on a former 140-acre private estate in northern Baltimore, Maryland. It is home to 5,800 undergrads, the Krieger School of Arts & Science and the Whiting School of Engineering grad programs. The Federalist architecture, marked by red brick buildings, is organized into quads with plenty of open green spaces. Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus, with freshmen living in the older Alumni Memorial Residences (ARMS) on the freshmen quad, or student-athletes living in Wolman located just off campus on the other side of St. Paul Street, which runs parallel to campus. The student housing is the hub of social living and offers regularly scheduled social events. Many sophomores live in McCoy, a dorm similar to Wolman in age and architecture. Charles Commons is the newest of the dorms, putting its suite-style living with various amenities and the Nolan dining hall, in high demand. Bradford and Homewood offer apartment-style student housing with studios, one, two, three, and four bedroom units. They are less social by design and offer more privacy for upperclassmen. Fraternities also offer housing for their members, and regularly host parties. Greek life for both male and female students is evident on campus, but doesn’t dominate the social scene by any means. The consensus among students is that Johns Hopkins is not the best college choice for a thriving social scene. Many students complain about the lack of social opportunities on campus and the strain of seriousness that permeates the atmosphere. There are opportunities to socialize through over 100 student clubs and organizations, and resourceful students are able to find plenty of options in the city of Baltimore for fun activities. Some residents of Bradford and Homewood throw house parties, if you happen to make the right relationships. This university has a seriously competitive academic atmosphere that doesn’t leave a lot of room for typical college socializing, so if partying is essential to your college experience, this might not be the school for you. The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays are an NCAA Division III program in the Centennial Conference. Their water polo team is consistently one of the top D3 teams in the nation, often competing against D1 schools. The men’s and women’s basketball and soccer programs, along with men’s baseball, are also competitive. The pride of JHU sports, however, are the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, which play Division I and have amassed 44 national titles – nine of them Division I. Their primary rival is Duke lacrosse, and home games on Homewood Field draw large crowds of cheering students who sit in The Nest (student section), wearing black or blue. Traditions at JHU include the men’s lacrosse season home-opener, which generates a lot of enthusiasm, homecoming weekend, fall festival, the lighting of the quads for the holidays, and the popular and heavily attended spring fair. A newer tradition is High Table, where freshmen share a formal dinner with deans and faculty. If you’re looking to make your mark in medicine, research, science, or on the political world stage, JHU is an excellent choice to develop your platform. We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Also, take a look at our profiles for The University of Chicago, Pomona College, and Amherst College, and more to see if those schools are a good fit for you. By Colleen Hill |
30 Apr 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: How to Solve Difficult Probability Questions |
 When students, even those who consider themselves strong in math, get to the final two problems of the SAT, many begin to sweat like they are about to embark on some epic journey from which they may never return. The hard probability problem makes students very uncomfortable, but in reality most harder math problems simply require one or two more steps than less difficult problems. Probability questions are actually some of the simplest to solve. The “Hard” Probability Question All probability questions are the same. The definition of probability is the number of desired outcomes divided by the total number of outcomes (sometimes this is multiplied by 100 to come up with a percent probability). Every problem requires finding the total number of possibilities, the desired possibilities, or both. Here is an example: “Four paintings, A, B, C, and D are being hung in four adjacent display cases. What is the probability that paintings A and D will be either first or last?” At first glance this may seem intimidating, but it is just like any other probability question. The first step is to figure out the total number of possible outcomes. This is solved by thinking about this like a counting problem. If there are four “slots” that these painting could occupy let’s imagine that each slot has a number of possible paintings that could occupy it. For the first slot, the number of possible paintings that could occupy it is four since there are four paintings. For slot two, the number of possible paintings is three because one painting is already in slot one. This may seem difficult to understand at first, but remember that these are the number of possibilities to choose from in each slot, so there will be one less painting to choose from in slot two because one possibility is gone. For slot three, it is one fewer painting still, and there will be just one painting left by the time the fourth is selected. In order to find the total number of possible outcomes, the possibilities in each slot must simply be multiplied together: 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 24. This process is the same for any problem where possibilities are calculated based non repeating possibilities on discreet “slots”. Half the problem is done (total number of possibilities); now, all that is left is to find the number of desired possibilities. For this part of the problem we can calculate desired possibilities in a very similar way as we did above. The only tricky part is this calculation will require two steps. Imagine painting A is selected to go in slot one (one possibility for the desired outcomes). If A is in slot one, then in order for A and D to be either first or last, D will have to go in the last slot. This leaves just 2 paintings to choose from in slot two and only one in slot three. The number of possibilities when A is 1st then is 1 x 2 x 1 x 1 = 2. The other possibility is for D to be first which leads to similar constraints. Painting A must be last, two possibilities are left for slot two, and just one is left for slot three. The total number of possibilities when D is first is also 1 x 2 x 1 x 1 = 2. The total desired outcome is all the possibilities when A is first (2) added to all the possibilities when D is first (also 2), which leaves a total desired outcomes of four. With the total desired outcomes and the total possible outcomes found, the final step is to create a fraction with desired outcomes on the top and total outcomes on the bottom or 4/24 which reduces to 1/8. Hard probability problems and counting problems, like most hard problems on the SAT, are not really “hard”. The main thing to keep in mind is the technique that is discussed above for calculating possibilities in different contexts. If students can master this technique and remember the definition of probability (desired outcomes over total outcomes) the hard probability problem becomes a piece of cake. Happy Studying! Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. |
01 May 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: How the GMAT Can Help You in Your Everyday Life |
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Many students feel that the GMAT is only necessary to get into business school, and otherwise serves no real purpose in their everyday lives. I, as a GMAT enthusiast (and overall math nerd), see a lot of real world applications in the concepts being tested on this exam. It’s actually somewhat surprising how often splitting the cheque at a restaurant or calculating investment returns requires me to delve into my GMAT knowledge. Such an instance just happened the other weekend, and it’s the kind of story I’d like to use to illustrate how pervasive GMAT knowledge is in daily life. After celebrating Easter lunch, the family enjoyed dessert and spirited conversation (yelling) for a few hours. When it was time to leave, like many Mediterranean families, everyone felt the need to kiss everyone else goodbye (this is a great way to spread disease, by the way). While people were busy lining up to wish each other farewell, my GMAT brain took over. I asked myself: if there were 14 people gathered there, and everyone had to say goodbye to everyone else, how many embraces would that encompass in total? The first idea that came to mind was 14! I quickly dismissed this idea, as this is an astronomical number. I know 10! Is about 3.5 million, so 14! Is well into the billions (87 billion and change, according to the calculator). If this were the case, we’d still be saying goodbye until 2015. However my brain instinctively went that direction for a reason. I thought about a little more. Every person had to say goodbye to the 13 other people there. This means that I would have to say goodbye to the 13 other people. Similarly, every other person there would have to say goodbye to the 13 others as well. This leads to 14 x 13, and explains why I initially thought of factorials. However there is no need to keep multiplying by 12 and 11 and so on. 14 x 13 is essentially the answer, as every person there would get to say goodbye to everyone else. You can solve this little equation fairly quickly, especially if you know that 14 x 14 is 196 and then you drop 14 to 182. However, 182 would not be the correct answer, because I am double counting all the goodbyes. For instance, I have counted saying goodbye to my mother, and I have also counted her saying goodbye to me. This is clearly the same event, so I should only count it once. This will be true of all the salutations, which means I must take my overall total of 182 and divide it by two. The actual answer should thus be 91. I was confident that I had the correct answer, but surely there was a better way of solving this than going though the logic person-by-person (there is a better way, and don’t call me Shirley). In essence, this is a problem about combinatorics. I’m taking 14 individuals and making groups of 2s where the order doesn’t matter. This is a combination of 14 choose 2. Remembering that the formula for this kind of problem is n!/k!(n-k)! Replacing the n by 14 and the k by 2, I’d get all the unordered pairings of people at my family gathering. 14!/2!(14-2)! Which becomes 14!/2!(12!)! Simplifying the 12! That’s common to both the numerator and denominator: 14*13/2! Which ultimately yields 182/2 or just: 91 Now that we’ve solved my Easter farewell dilemma, let’s see if we can apply this same logic to actual GMAT problems: If 10 people meet at a reunion and each person shakes hands exactly once with each of the other participants, what is the total number of handshakes? (A) 10! (B) 10 * 10 (C) 10 * 9 (D) 45 (E) 36 Given that this is the same principle as the issue above, we can even see where the trap answers come into play. Answer choice A is the tempting factorial option, but it’s important to note the order of magnitude of this choice. Answer choice B essentially lets you make everyone shake hands with everyone, including the nonsensical option of shaking hands with yourself (Hello Ron, nice to meet you Ron). Answer choice C removes the self-adulation, but still does not provide the correct answer because it double counts the handshakes. Using logic, we can validate that answer choice D is correct because everyone shakes hands with the 9 others but the handshakes are double counted. Using the mathematical formula yields n!/k!(n-k)! Where n is 10 and k is 2: 10!/2!(10-2)! Which then becomes 10!/2!(8)! And then simplifies to 10*9/2! Or just 45 We can also see that answer choice E would be correct if we decided that n should be 9 instead of 10 (possibly because we’re on a wicked bender). As is often the case, the GMAT test makers do not pick four arbitrary values for their other four answers, but rather choices you could realistically get to on this problem. Be wary not to fall into the traps laid out for you by combining your knowledge of the formula with your use of logic. One takeaway I really like from this question is that this is the type of problem you can solve in 30 seconds or less (like a really fast pizza). If you understand what is going on here, it’s really just a question of taking n, multiplying it by n-1 and dividing by 2. This applies to any round-robin style tournament, which is the colloquial term for a tournament where everyone meets every other team. As such, if you have a round-robin tournament of 16 teams, then you’ll just have 120 games to watch over (16 x 15 / 2). This might help to explain why the March Madness tournament is done as an elimination tournament, because otherwise the 64 teams would be playing well into the summer. Having certain question types that you understand ahead of time will help you succeed on the GMAT, and hopefully at your next gathering you’ll have good news to share with everyone before saying your goodbyes. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Ron Awad is a GMAT instructor for Veritas Prep based in Montreal, bringing you weekly advice for success on your exam. After graduating from McGill and receiving his MBA from Concordia, Ron started teaching GMAT prep and his Veritas Prep students have given him rave reviews ever since. |
02 May 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: The Data Sufficiency Reward System |
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If you’ve studied for the GMAT for a while, you likely have a decent understanding of the answer choices: (A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked; (B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked; (C) BOTH statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient; (D) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked; (E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data are needed And you probably have a device to help you both remember these answer choices and use process of elimination. Some like “AD/BCE” (make your decision on statement 1 and cross out one side), others like “1-2-TEN” (1 alone, 2 alone, together, either, neither). But, ultimately, remembering the answer choices (which are always attached to the question on test day anyway) and understanding how to use process of elimination is just the “price of entry” for actually solving these problems correctly. For true Data Sufficiency mastery and a competitive advantage, you should think of the answer choices this way: ___D___ A_____B ___C___ ___E___ Why? As an added bonus it’s helpful for process of elimination (like the other tools) but as a strategic thought process it can be instrumental in using your time wisely and avoiding trap answers. Because what these answers really mean is: ___D___ — Each statement alone is sufficient A_____B — One statement alone is sufficient; the other is not ___C___ — Both together are sufficient, but neither alone is sufficient ___E___ — The statements are not sufficient, even together And since most Data Sufficiency questions are created with one of these constructs: *One answer seems fairly obvious but it’s a trap *One statement is clearly sufficient; the other is a little tricky *One statement is clearly insufficient, but gives you a clue as to something you need to consider on the other The above chart tells you how to better assess the answer given the answer that looks most promising. Consider a question like: Set J consists of terms {2, 7, 12, 17, a}. Is a > 7? (1) a is the median of set J (2) Set J does not have a mode For most, statement 1 looks very sufficient, as if a is the “middle number” then it would go between 7 and 12 on the list {2, 7, a, 12, 17}. That would mean that on this chart, you’re at A, as statement 2 is pretty worthless on its own: ___D___ A_____B ___C___ ___E___ You can very confidently eliminate B and probably E, too, but if you’re sitting on a “probable A,” you’ll want to consider one level above and one level below your answer on the chart. Why? Because if the answer is, indeed, trickier than your first-30-seconds-assessment, the options are that either: *The statement you thought was sufficient was close, but there’s a little hiccup (you thought A, but it’s C) *The statement you thought was not sufficient was actually really cleverly sufficient had you just worked a little harder to reveal it (you thought A, but it’s D) This is what Veritas Prep’s Data Sufficiency book calls “The Reward System” – many questions are created to reward those examinees who dig deeper on an “obvious” answer via critical thinking, and to “punish” those who leap to judgement and fall for the sucker choice. If A is the sucker choice, the answer is almost always D or C, so you know what you have to do…check to make sure that statement 2 is not sufficient, and then check (often using statement 2) to make sure that you haven’t overlooked a unique situation that would show that statement 1 is actually not sufficient. And here, further review shows this: If a = 7, a is still the median of the set, but 7 is NOT greater than 7, so that answer would be “no” – there’s a way that a is not greater than 7, so we actually need statement 2. If there is no mode, then a can’t be 7 (that would be a duplicate number, making 7 the mode). So the answer is C, and the Reward System thinking can help make sure you streamline your thought process to help you identify that. If you picked A you’re not alone – many do. But if you picked A and then considered the chart: ___D___ A_____B ___C___ ___E___ You should have spent that extra 30 seconds making sure that the answer wasn’t C or D, and that may have given you the opportunity to reap the rewards of thinking critically via the Data Sufficiency question structure. So remember – merely knowing what the answer choices are is an elementary step in Data Sufficiency mastery; learning to use those to your advantage via the Reward System will help you avoid trap answers and stake your place among those being rewarded. Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
05 May 2014, 09:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: A Take on GMAT Takeaways |
 Once you have covered your fundamentals, we suggest you to practice advanced questions and jot down your takeaways from them. Sometimes students wonder how to find that all important “takeaway”. Today, let’s discuss how to elicit a takeaway from a question which seems to have none. What is a takeaway? It is a small note to yourself which you would do well to remember while going for the exam. Even if you don’t remember the exact property you jotted down, knowing that such a property exists is enough. You can always try it on a couple of numbers in the test to recall the exact content. The question we will discuss today serves another purpose – it discusses properties of squares of odd and even integers so in a sense is a continuation of our advanced number properties discussion. Question: Given x and y are positive integers such that y is odd, is x divisible by 4? Statement 1: When (x^2 + y^2) is divided by 8, the remainder is 5. Statement 2: x – y = 3 Solution: As of now, we don’t know any specific properties of squares of odd and even integers. However, we do have a good (presumably!) understanding of divisibility. To recap quickly, divisibility is nothing but grouping. To take an example, if we divide 10 by 2, out of 10 marbles, we make groups of 2 marbles each. We can make 5 such groups and nothing will be left over. So quotient is 5 and remainder is 0. Similarly if you divide 11 by 2, you make 5 groups of 2 marbles each and 1 marble is left over. So 5 is the quotient and 1 is the remainder. For more on these concepts, check out our previous posts on divisibility. Coming back to our question, First thing that comes to mind is that if y is odd, y = (2k + 1). We have no information on x so let’s proceed to the two statements. Statement 1: When (x^2 + y^2) is divided by 8, the remainder is 5. The statement tell us something about y^2 so let’s get that. If y = (2k + 1) y^2 = (2k + 1)^2 = 4k^2 + 4k + 1 = 4k(k + 1) + 1 Since one of k and (k+1) will definitely be even (out of any two consecutive integers, one is always even, the other is always odd), k(k+1) will be even. So 4k(k+1) will be divisible by 4*2 i.e. by 8. So when y^2 is divided by 8, it will leave a remainder 1. When y^2 is divided by 8, remainder is 1. To get a remainder of 5 when x^2 + y^2 is divided by 8, we should get a remainder of 4 when x^2 is divided by 8. So x must be even. If x were odd, the remainder when x^2 were divided by 8 would have been 1. So we know that x is divisible by 2 but we don’t know whether it is divisible by 4 yet. x^2 = 8a + 4 (when x^2 is divided by 8, it leaves remainder 4) x^2 = 4(2a + 1) So x = 2*√Odd Number Square root of an odd number will be an odd number so we can see that x is even but not divisible by 4. This statement alone is sufficient to say that x is NOT divisible by 4. Statement 2: x – y = 3 Since y is odd, we can say that x will be even (Since Even – Odd = Odd). But whether x is divisible by 2 only or by 4 as well, we cannot say. This statement alone is not sufficient. Answer (A) So could you point out the takeaway from this question? Note that when we were analyzing y, we used no information other than that it is odd. We found out that the square of any odd number when divided by 8 will always yield a remainder of 1. Now what can you say about the square of an even number? Say you have an even number x. x = 2a x^2 = 4a^2 This tells us that x^2 will be divisible by 4 i.e. we can make groups of 4 with nothing leftover. What happens when we try to make groups of 8? We join two groups of 4 each to make groups of 8. If the number of groups of 4 is even, we will have no remainder leftover. If the number of groups of 4 is odd, we will have 1 group leftover i.e. 4 leftover. So when the square of an even number is divided by 8, the remainder is either 0 or 4. Looking at it in another way, we can say that if a is odd, x^2 will be divisible by 4 and will leave a remainder of 4 when divided by 8. If a is even, x^2 will be divisible by 16 and will leave a remainder of 0 when divided by 8. Takeaways - The square of any odd number when divided by 8 will always yield a remainder of 1. - The square of any even number will be either divisible by 4 but not by 8 or it will be divisible by 16 (obvious from the fact that squares have even powers of prime factors so 2 will have a power of 2 or 4 or 6 etc). In the first case, the remainder when it is divided by 8 will be 4; in the second case the remainder will be 0. Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! |
06 May 2014, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: School Profile: Academics, Athletics, and Activities at Rice University |
 Rice University is ranked #30 on the Veritas Prep Elite College Rankings. This is a small research university located right in the heart of Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in the United States. Student will find themselves immersed in a campus devoted to diversity and elite educational opportunities. Rice University is passionate about teaching and developing leadership ideals in each of their students. Their high values, comprehensive and well recognized residential college system, and devotion to giving each student the tools to rise to their own greatness is what makes them an elite University. They take pride in turning their already outstanding students into exceptional leaders in any field they choose. This is a University for students who want to impact the world in a grand way. There are six areas of study offered at Rice: architecture, humanities, music, natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences. Each school offers a strict curriculum, created to make each student more than capable to become leaders in their desired fields. With more than fifty majors to choose from across the six schools coupled with complimentary minors, unique interdisciplinary, and professional programs to choose from, they provide the ultimate opportunities in higher education. Rice not only offers an excellent curriculum, but also superb research and collaboration opportunities to further each student’s skills. Extensive curriculum options are just the beginning of student success at Rice; the advising program that was put in place to correctly guide each student in the right direction also plays a key role. In the first two years students will focus on their general education, using the second portion of sophomore year as the time to decide a major. Trained faculty and student guides help students declaring a major; students’ major guides stick with them throughout the remaining years making sure they are on track with their major. They also assist students in locking down research opportunities, internships, and other professional programs to reach their education goals. Campus life at Rice University is unique; before starting day one on campus each student is randomly assigned to one of the eleven residential colleges. These are subdivisions within the University, with equal parts diversity in each one. The process is designed to give students the chance to enhance peer interaction among students, faculty, and staff. This system promotes the development of strong relationships and strengthens intellectual achievements. Within these residential colleges are student run governments, each with their own responsibilities within the college. To enjoy free time on campus and connect with fellow students, everyone is encouraged to join one of the more than 200 different clubs on campus. Along with excellent social clubs there is a wide variety of events featured on campus from theater arts to politics. Students can enjoy a multitude of lectures offered on a wide range of subjects throughout the year. The amenities are abundant on the Rice campus, the cinema, art gallery, and media center are just a few of the exceptional places to spend and few hours after classes. Athletics and physical education are top notch at Rice University, with over 70% of students participating in one way or another. Along with sixteen Division I teams, there are intercollegiate club sports, college sports, and intramural sports offered at Rice. Every student gets free tickets to all home varsity sporting events, making it easy to show your school spirit and cheer on the infamous Owls. The Barbara and David Gibbs Recreational and Wellness Center is an exceptional part of Rice University. A forty-one million dollar facility that has an assortment of indoor and outdoor courts from basketball to racquetball as well as a dance studio, pools, weight-lifting areas, and more. Not only does this University boast state-of-the-art equipment, an array of athletic teams to participate in, but it also offers a multitude of outdoor activities, where you can sign up to go camping or kayaking among many others. Rice University might be known for their awesome academics, but it’s clear that they take just as much pride in their students’ health as well. To attend Rice University is to belong to a school that takes pride in their traditions. Be ready to wear the blue and gray, and stand behind “Sammy” the Owl while singing the Rice Fight Song. Each semester offers a new tradition to take part in; during the fall students will be enthralled with the tradition of Welcome Back Week, as well as a wide range of events from homecoming to the activities fair. Nothing compares to the spring tradition of Willy Week, where you’ll enjoy festivities such as Beer Debates and International Beer Night. Rice University is about as well-rounded as they come paying equal attention to academics, athletics, community, and of course fun! We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Also, take a look at our profiles for The University of Chicago, Pomona College, and Amherst College, and more to see if those schools are a good fit for you. By Colleen Hill |
07 May 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: An Easy Way to Solve Theoretical Math Problems on the SAT |
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One of the biggest tricks the SAT uses is to confuse students is putting a question in theoretical terms instead of in practical terms. This simply means the questions on the SAT will sometimes reference a general term, for example an even integer, rather than giving a concrete number that fits that description, such as two or four. The good news is that it is easy to correct this by simply plugging in concrete numbers when the question gives general terms. Here is an easy example: An even and an odd integer are multiplied together. Which of the following could not be the square of their product? (A) 36 (B) 100 (C) 144 (D) 225 (E) 400 One way to approach this problem is to start with an even and an odd integer and plug them in to the parameters set by the problem. If we begin with two and three, we see that the product is six and the square of the product is thirty six. (2)(3) = 6 6² = 36 Similarly we can see that two and five, three and four, and four and five all give us possible answer choices. (2)(5) = 10 10² = 100 (4)(3) = 12 12² = 144 (4)(5) = 20 20² = 400 Answer choice (C) is also a perfect square, but if we take the square root of it, we see that the result is fifteen, which is not divisible by an even and an odd number. Thus the only answer that could not be the squared product of an even and odd integer is answer choice (C). Here is a slightly more difficult question. A right triangular fence is y inches on its smallest side and z inches on its largest side. If y and z are positive integers, what represents the formula for the area of the fenced in region in square feet? (A) √(z² – y² ) (y) (B) 24 (z² – y² ) (C) √(z² – y² ) (y/12) (D) √(z² – y² ) (y/24) (E) (½) √(z² – y³)/ 12 At first glance, this problem may seem complex, but we can simply plug in real numbers into this problem and solve by seeing which answer choice gives the same response as the answer we derive. This is a right triangle, so if z is five and y is 3, then the third side, which is also the height, would be four. The total area in inches would then be one half base times height. To convert inches to feet we would have to divide the area by twelve. y = 3 z = 5 H = 4 1/2 (3)(4) = 6 in² 6/12 = 1/2 ft² Only answer choice (D) gives the correct answer of one half when the numbers we chose are plugged into the equation. We can also see that, if multiplied by 12 to account for the change to feet, answer choice (D) is essentially the formula for the area of a triangle with √(z² – y² ) as the height. It is easy to get frustrated when given a theoretical problem, but when real numbers are inserted for the theoretical ones, the problem becomes surprisingly simple. So throw some real numbers into the mix and see what happens. The only thing to be wary of is that in certain contexts, it may be necessary to plug in different combinations of numbers that fit the given parameters to make sure that the general equation works with different sets of specific numbers. Even with this caveat, with a little practice, this technique can make even very confusing problems seems quite simple. Happy studying! Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. |
09 May 2014, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: Mother Knows Best on Sentence Correction |
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So it’s Mother’s Day weekend, and all of us should be thanking our moms this weekend. For all kinds of things, of course, but for one that you may not have realized all these years growing up: Your mom taught you one of the greatest Sentence Correction lessons you’ll ever learn. How? She told you to clean your room. Now, remember – when your mom told you to clean your room you were rarely doing it with disinfectant or using a deep-cleaner on the carpet. Your job wasn’t so much to deep clean your room chemically, but more to just “declutter” it, putting things away and tidying up for a cleaner, more livable space. She taught you the virtue of “everything in its place and a place for everything,” and in doing so gave you the tools you need to make Sentence Correction significantly easier. Let’s demonstrate with a problem: Visitors to the zoo have often looked up in to the leafy aviary and saw macaws resting on the branches, whose tails trail like brightly colored splatters of paint on a green canvas. (A) saw macaws resting on the branches, whose tails trail (B) saw macaws resting on the branches, whose tails were trailing (C) saw macaws resting on the branches, with tails trailing (D) seen macaws resting on the branches, with tails trailing (E) seen macaws resting on the branches, whose tails have trailed Much of this sentence is simply clutter. So many of the phrases add extra description, but are the kinds of things your mother would tell you to put away and “declutter” – namely, the prepositional phrases. So let’s get rid of the clutter with “to the zoo”; “often”; “in to the leafy aviary”; “on the branches”; and “whose tails trail like brightly colored splatters of paint on a green canvas”. On the GMAT, description often serves as clutter, so if you can envision the sentence without the descriptive clutter (similar to how your mom wanted to envision your bedroom), you’d be left with; Visitors have looked up and saw macaws resting. Without all of the clutter, your ear should tell you that this is just wrong – the expression should be parallel in timeline: “Visitors have looked up and seen macaws.” And that only leaves D and E. Now, to make this next decision you’ll need to bring back some of the description, as you can see that the only remaining decision is between “with tails trailing” and “whose tails have trailed”. And here, yet again, is where your mother’s life lessons can help you. What did you often do to make sure your room passed your mom’s test? You took anything that *might* be considered clutter, buried it in a closet or under a bed, and then dug back in to pull out the things that you really wanted. And that’s the case on GMAT Sentence Correction – when you “eliminate” clutter you don’t get rid of it forever, you just ignore it temporarily. Here if you bring back the description in question, you have: (D) seen macaws resting on the branches, with tails trailing (E) seen macaws resting on the branches, whose tails have trailed Here the description/modifiers are important, and astute test-takers should see that branches don’t have tails, but birds do (your mom probably took you to the zoo, too – one more lesson to thank her for). So E cannot be right, and the answer is D. Most importantly here, remember what your mother taught you – a clean room is a happy room, and a clean, clutter-free sentence makes for much happier and more effective Sentence Correction. This weekend you have millions of reasons to thank your mom, but as you study for the GMAT you know that she’d be thrilled with even 700… Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
12 May 2014, 09:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: A Remainders Shortcut for the GMAT |
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We firmly believe that teaching someone is a most productive learning for oneself and every now and then, something happens that strengthens this belief of ours. It’s the questions people ask – knowingly or unknowingly – that connect strings in our mind such that we feel we have gained more from the discussion than even our students! The other day, we came across this common GMAT question on remainders and many people had solved it the way we would expect them to solve. One person, perhaps erroneously, used a shortcut which upon reflection made perfect sense. Let me give you that question and the shortcut and the problem with the shortcut. We would like you to reflect on why the shortcut actually does make sense and is worth noting down in your log book. Question: Positive integer n leaves a remainder of 4 after division by 6 and a remainder of 3 after division by 5. If n is greater than 30, what is the remainder that n leaves after division by 30? (A) 3 (B) 12 (C) 18 (D) 22 (E) 28 Solution: We are assuming you know how people do the question usually: The logic it uses is discussed here and the solution is given below as Method I. Method I: Positive integer n leaves a remainder of 4 after division by 6. So n = 6a + 4 n can take various values depending on the values of a (which can be any non negative integer). Some values n can take are: 4, 10, 16, 22, 28, … Positive integer n leaves a remainder of 3 after division by 5. So n = 5b + 3 n can take various values depending on the values of a (which can be any non negative integer). Some values n can take are: 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, … The first common value is 28. So n = 30k + 28 Hence remainder when positive integer n is divided by 30 is 28. Answer: E. Perfect! But one fine gentleman came up with the following solution wondering whether he had made a mistake since it seemed to be “super simple Math”. Method II: Given in question: “n leaves a remainder of 4 after division by 6 and a remainder of 3 after division by 5.” Divide the options by 6 and 5. The one that gives a remainder of 4 and 3 respectively will be correct. (A) 3 / 6 gives Remainder = 3 -> INCORRECT (B) 12 / 6 gives Remainder = 0 -> INCORRECT (C) 18 / 6 gives Remainder = 0 -> INCORRECT (D) 22 / 6 gives Remainder = 4 but 22 / 5 gives Remainder = 2 -> INCORRECT (E) 28 / 6 gives Remainder = 4 and 28 / 5 gives Remainder = 3 -> CORRECT Now let us point out that the options are not the values of n; they are the values of remainder that is leftover after you divide n by 30. The question says that n must give a remainder of 4 upon division by 6 and a remainder of 3 upon division by 5. This solution divided the options (which are not the values of n) by 6 and 5 and got the remainder as 4 and 3 respectively. So the premise that when you divide the correct option by 6 and 5, you should get a remainder of 4 and 3 respectively is faulty, right? This is where we want you to take a moment and think: Is this premise actually faulty? The fun part is that method II is perfectly correct too. Method I seems a little complicated when compared with Method II, doesn’t it? Let us give you the logic of why method II is correct: Recall that division is nothing but grouping. When you divide n by 30, you make complete groups of 30 each. The number of groups you get is called the quotient (not relevant here) and the leftover is called the remainder. If this is not clear, check this post first. When n is divided by 30, groups of 30 are made. Whatever is leftover is given in the options. 30 is completely divisible by 6 and by 5 hence the groups of 30 can be evenly divided into groups of 6 as well as groups of 5. Now, whatever is leftover (given in the options) after division by 30, we need to split that into further groups of 6 and 5. When we split it into groups of 6 (i.e. divide the option by 6), we must have remainder 4 since n leaves remainder 4. When we split it into groups of 5 (i.e. divide the option by 5), we must have remainder 3 since n leaves remainder 3. And, that is the reason we can divide the options by 6 and 5, check their remainders and get the answer! Now, isn’t that neat! Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! |
13 May 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: Should You Retake the Test? |
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A lot of students, after they have gotten their first score, feel unsure whether or not they should take the SAT again. There are a number of factors to consider when deciding whether or not to endeavor to conquer the four hour test after it has already been battled, but here are a few things to consider when deciding what to do. 1. Know the Scores You Want As top level students, many of you will not wish to settle for anything less than the highest possible score on the SAT. As a tutor, I believe that any student, with some time and discipline, can improve their score on the SAT (if I didn’t think that, I would be remiss in pursuing this career), but this is only one aspect of the college admissions process. If a student’s score falls squarely within the score range of his or her desired school, it may not be the best use of time to work for many more hours to raise that score to the upper limit of the admission range. If a student is already a competitive candidate for his or her school of choice, it may be that a higher SAT score will only marginally affect the chances of admission. Perhaps that time would be better used focusing on other aspects of school or on the application itself (don’t forget to take some time to relax as well!). If on the other hand, a student’s scores are on the low side for a school, it may be wise to give the SAT another shot. The big mistake to avoid in taking the SAT again is to assume that simply taking the test again will increase your score. 2. Understand Where You Are in Your Preparation The SAT is a skills test; because of this, more preparation and an understanding of the skills necessary for success on the SAT translate DIRECTLY into a higher score. With that said, a high score on the SAT can sometimes mean a lower increase in score in relation to the time put in. Many students can improve scores dramatically if they have not put much time into studying for the SAT their first go around, but there often comes a point where students plateau in their scoring. This does not mean the students cannot improve, but it does mean the students will have to work that much harder for an incremental increase in their scores. For this reason, it is an especially good idea to take the SAT again if the student put little preparation into the test the first time around. 3. If Taking the Test Again, Work that Much Harder It may seem a bit reductive to simply state “work harder” as a method of improving scores, but schools are looking to see improvements in SAT scores when the test is taken multiple times so simply taking the SAT again with the hope of improvement is not the most prudent move. Figure out EXACTLY what was hard the first time and focus on that. Were main idea problems difficult in the reading section? Were pronouns tough in the writing section? Was it difficult to find the hidden concepts in the later math problems? Figure out what the problem areas are and focus on them. Make sure to test your progress as you go to see if you are making improvements. The biggest mistake to be made in taking the test again is to assume that simply retaking the test will improve scores. The decision of whether or not to take the SAT can be difficult, but the right road can be made clearer by examining where you are coming from, and where you plan to go. If your score is what you need for entrance into the school of your choice, perhaps it is not worth the time and energy of retaking the test. If, however, you feel like you need a higher score, make sure to specifically work toward improving in areas that were difficult so that you show progress in your SAT scoring. Good luck test takers! Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. |
14 May 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: School Profile: Will Cornell University be Your New Home? |
 Cornell University is located in beautiful Ithaca, New York. Ranked #29 on the Veritas Prep Elite College Rankings, it is among the top universities in the nation, boasting excellent facilities, faculty, and resources among other things. This is the perfect place to find a home away from home while working on your higher education and career goals. Amazing amenities, programs, and activities are among its many enduring qualities. This is a place where you can take a canoe ride on Bebee Lake after a final exam to release some tension, walk through the botanical gardens after a study session, or hit the town with a few classmates to enjoy one of the many local eateries after class. You can find almost anything your heart’s desires on campus, from the Cornell Cinema to The Big Red Barn, a social hub for students to mingle and relax. If you’re looking for a top of the line education, strong community, and a place to call home for at least four years, Cornell is the university for you. Cornell University wants to prepare their students for life’s journey, and their comprehensive academic plan allows them to do just that. By combining liberal arts with scientific examination students gain an education that focuses them on the global outlook, and provides them with the capability of overcoming challenges using critical thinking. There are seven undergraduate schools within Cornell offering a wide range of study and opportunity. Cornell offers more than 4,000 courses, over 60 undergraduate majors and roughly 90 graduate fields, allowing students an exceptional amount of freedom over their academic careers. Aside from undergraduate degrees, there are many opportunities for advanced degrees, outreach programs, and continuing education. Cornell University enriches higher learning with their wide range of Institutes, Laboratories, Centers, and Programs. It is one of the larger campuses, so much so that it has its own zip code, but don’t let that intimidate you; the well thought out design gives it a homey feel. Cornell has an amazing arboretum where you can enjoy nice walks, energizing bike rides, and luxurious botanical gardens. It’s a tranquil place to relax while working on your studies. There are several different types of housing opportunities that allow students to feel a sense of community, from high rise dormitories to themed living communities. Cornell offers a wide range of eateries both on and off campus. Along with a plethora of student services, they also boast an extensive health and wellness sector where students can receive top-of-the-line healthcare from primary care to counseling services. Athletics and physical education are held in the highest regard at Cornell, whether you’re part of one of the 36 Division I teams or just enjoying some fitness classes at one of their state-of-the-art facilities. The 36 varsity teams compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference, and are also part of the Ivy League. Cornell has earned many Division I championships over the years as well as won the Ivy League championship in football three times. Along with having successful varsity teams, they also open their athletic facilities for all students use. They boast excellent intramural programs, top tier physical education programs, and fun outdoor activities like the climbing wall. Cornell University is about achievement; making your mind, body, and spirit the best it can be. Their amazing facilities and programs manifest that philosophy. This university has embraced tradition since its opening day on October 7, 1868, beginning with its chimes concerts. The chimes play three times a day making it one of the most frequently played chimes in the world. While new traditions have popped up frequently over the years, one of the oldest is the Dragon Day tradition. This is where first year architecture and art students create an enormous dragon and parade it throughout the campus leading it to be absorbed in the flames of a bonfire while being heckled by rival engineering students. Cornell has a strong history, where students make lasting memories by participating in the various traditions such as homecoming, Slope Day, and many more. We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Also, take a look at our profiles for The University of Chicago, Pomona College, and Amherst College, and more to see if those schools are a good fit for you. By Colleen Hill |
15 May 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: How to Keep a Proactive Approach when Solving Critical Reasoning Questions on the GMAT |
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Critical reasoning on the GMAT requires you to evaluate the author’s conclusion and select the answer choice that best answers the given question. While there are four broad categories of questions, the two most common types of questions are the ones that ask the student to either strengthen or weaken the conclusion provided. In actuality, strengthen and weaken questions are two sides of the same coin (possibly Two Face’s trick coin) and together account for roughly ¾ of the critical reasoning questions on the exam. With stats like these, it’s important to be comfortable with these questions! First, we must identify the author’s conclusion. This usually is done by trying to understand the author’s main point. Likely, the main idea being pushed will be the conclusion. You can usually recognize a conclusion if it contains a call for action or begins with conclusion language. This conclusion language is usually a telltale word like “Thus” or “Therefore” (or my favorite: “In conclusion”). The conclusion is likely based on the premises or evidence in the passage, so continuously asking yourself “why?” will usually help identify the conclusion. If there is an answer to the question “why” in the text, you might have the conclusion in your sights. Once you have identified the conclusion of the passage, the next important element to look for is the supporting evidence in the passage, particularly in terms of gaps that can be exploited. Very frequently the gap between the evidence and the conclusion will yield the crux of the question. If you think the Miami Heat will win the NBA championship because Miss Cleo told you, there might be a gap to exploit… If you’ve properly identified the conclusion and the evidence, the inevitable gap in logic between the two will form the basis of your prediction of the answer. Predicting the answer is a key step in correctly solving strengthen/weaken questions, as the erroneous answer choices are specifically chosen to tempt you into considering them as potentially worthy candidates. If you go in with an open mind, you might end up picking something that sounds reasonable but is irrelevant to the situation at hand (think of late night TV shopping: Yes I do need a knife that cuts through a shoe). Once you feel comfortable in this approach, let’s try and apply it to a real GMAT question: The retail price of decaffeinated coffee is considerably higher than that of regular coffee. However, the process by which coffee beans are decaffeinated is fairly simple and not very costly. Therefore, the price difference cannot be accounted for by the greater cost of providing decaffeinated coffee to the consumer. The argument relies on assuming which one of the following? (A) Processing regular coffee costs more than processing decaffeinated coffee (B) Price differences between products can generally be accounted for by such factors as supply and demand, not by differences in production costs (C) There is little competition among companies that process decaffeinated coffee. (D) Retail coffee-sellers do not expect that consumers are content to pay more for decaffeinated coffee than for regular coffee. (E) The beans used for producing decaffeinated coffee do not cost much more before processing than the beans used for producing regular coffee. If we apply the strategy above, the conclusion is clearly the last sentence of the passage (Therefore kind of gave it away). The conclusion states that the price difference cannot come from the cost of providing decaffeinated coffee. What is the evidence provided? Only that the process of decaffeination is simple and cheap. What could be an alternative explanation for the price difference? Anything else! For example, if the material provided cost more money or the process can only be performed by Tibetan monks on the third Saturday of the month. Any given reason could be valid to increase the price (sort of like cartels). Let’s look through the answers to see which of these could cause legitimate increases in cost: A) Processing regular coffee costs more than processing decaffeinated coffee. This choice is actually out of scope. The answer choice purports that regular coffee is more expensive than decaf. If we negate it, it tells you that processing regular coffee costs LESS than processing decaf. But we already know processing decaf is inexpensive, so this answer choice doesn’t help anything. Whether it’s true or false, it doesn’t give any more insight into producing decaf coffee. B) Price differences between products can generally be accounted for by such factors as supply and demand, not by differences in production costs. This is a very tempting answer because many people know it to be true. However, it is incorrect because it is tangential to the point we’re trying to prove. Were this not true, would it change anything to the cost of processing coffee beans? Not at all. This answer choice is true in the vast majority of situations; however it is irrelevant to the author’s conclusion and therefore cannot be the correct answer. C) There is little competition among companies that process decaffeinated coffee. Similar to the choice above, but much less tempting. What does this have to do with anything? There’s competition. If anything, that should drive the costs down, not up. This answer choice is also irrelevant to the conclusion, and if it were relevant, it would be pointing in the wrong direction. D) Retail coffee-sellers do not expect that consumers are content to pay more for decaffeinated coffee than for regular coffee. This is a 180°. The answer choice suggests that people do not want to pay more for decaf, so why would the decaf coffee be so much more expensive? If anything, it should be cheaper. This answer choice is also incorrect. E) The beans used for producing decaffeinated coffee do not cost much more before processing than the beans used for producing regular coffee. This is the correct answer. My prediction was to ensure nothing else was driving up the price of coffee. If the beans were much more expensive, then the cost of providing decaffeinated coffee could be very high even though the process is inexpensive. In economic terms, the labor was cheap but the capital was expensive. This answer choice would strengthen the argument tremendously, and without it, the argument has a sizeable flaw that could be exploited. On strengthen and weaken questions, it’s very easy to get confused as to what the question is actually asking you, especially after 3 hours of brain taxing concentration. Actively predicting what the answer choice should look like will help you avoid tempting trap answer choices. When fatigue starts to creep in during the verbal section, keeping a proactive approach to critical reasoning questions will help you select the correct answer and keep your concentration level high. This is especially important if the only coffee beans you’ll get on the GMAT will be in critical reasoning questions. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Ron Awad is a GMAT instructor for Veritas Prep based in Montreal, bringing you weekly advice for success on your exam. After graduating from McGill and receiving his MBA from Concordia, Ron started teaching GMAT prep and his Veritas Prep students have given him rave reviews ever since. |
16 May 2014, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: Maximizing Your Efficiency on Min-Max Problems |
 On nearly every GMAT, you’ll see at least one of the “Min/Max” variety of word problems, a category that’s difficult for even the brightest quant minds largely for one major reason: these aren’t your typical word problems, and they don’t lend themselves very well to algebra. They tend to be every bit as “situational” as “mathematical” and in fact are labeled “scenario-driven Min/Max problems” in the Veritas Prep Word Problems lesson. Why? Because they’re almost entirely driven by the situation, including: The figures almost always have to be integers. The problems use situations like “the number of people” or “the number of trees,” a subtle clue that algebra won’t quite work because you’re not using all real numbers, but instead nonnegative integers. But be careful (as you’ll see below). The questions ask for a very specific value in a very specific way. You’ll often see them ask “did at least three” (3 or more means “yes”) or “was the number sold greater than 50″ (50 itself means “no” – to get “yes” it has to be 51 or more, provided you’re dealing with integers). The rules of the game often dictate whether repeat numbers are allowed. Quite often you’ll find a stipulation that “no two could be the same” (but make sure you see that stipulation before you act on it!). Some of the information in a Data Sufficiency version of a Min/Max is much more sufficient than it usually appears. This is largely because of the scenario, numbers, and question stem they’ve carefully crafted to sneak sufficiency past you. Let’s consider an example so that you can see how one of these works: Five friends recently visited a famous chocolatier, and collectively purchased a total of 16 pounds of fudge. Did any one friend purchase more than 5 pounds of fudge? (1) No two friends purchased the same amount of fudge. (2) The minimum increment in which the chocolatier sells fudge is one pound. Look at the familiar symptoms of a min/max problem: *The question stem asks a yes/no question about a very specific value (5 pounds) *Statement 1 provides the caveat “no two can be the same” *While the problem itself doesn’t dictate “integers” via the scenario – “pounds of fudge” can certainly come in fractions – Statement 2 comes in to limit the values to integers Now, if you’re looking at the information from the question stem and statement 1, you could try to set up some algebra: The given information: a + b + c + d + e = 16 Statement 1: a > b > c > d > e The question, then: Is a > 5? You should immediately see that this isn’t sufficient; with nonintegers in play, a could be 15.9 and the other four could add up to 0.1 (“yes”) or they could each be right around the average of 3.2, just a hair off to satisfy the inequality (“no”). But you should also see what makes problems like this tricky with algebra – there are a lot of variables and there’s a lot of inequality. Min/Max problems tend to require a lot more trial and error, and live up to their name because the technique that works best on them is to minimize and maximize particular values to figure out the possible range of the value in question. Eschewing algebra, let’s look at statement 2: Given Information: 16 total pounds were purchased. Statement 2: The purchases had to be in integer increments. The question: Was one of those integers 5 or higher? Here, to find the maximum value you can minimize the other values. What if four friends didn’t buy anything (0, 0, 0, 0) and the fifth bought all 16 pounds? That’s a resounding “yes”. But they could have split things much more easily – you’d do this by maximizing the smallest value(s). 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 would give you 15, allowing that one final pound to go to the highest making the highest value 4. So there’s your “no” and statement 2 is not sufficient. When you take the statements together, however, you should see what really makes these problems tick. With algebra it’s still awful: a + b + c + d + e = 16 a > b > c > d > e a, b, c, d, and e are integers Is a > 5? But with an intent to minimize the highest value (by maximizing the others, sucking as much value away as possible) and maximize the highest value (by minimizing the others to drive all value toward the highest), you have a blueprint for trial and error. Maximize the highest value / Minimize the others. To make sure you can get a “yes”, minimize the smallest values to see how high the highest can go. That means 0, 1, 2, and 3 – a total of 6 pounds leaving 10 for the highest. It’s easy to get a “yes”. Minimize the highest value / Maximize the others. Since highest = 5 gives you “no”, see if you can then minimize that highest (5) and maximize the others (4, 3, 2, and 1). But notice that that only gives you a total of 15, and you need to account for 16. And here you cannot give that extra pound to any of the lower values without matching a higher one (add it to 1 and you match 2; add it to 2 and you match 3; etc.). So this guarantees that the highest value is 6 or more, and the answer is sufficient, C. More importantly, look at the technique – many great mathematical minds hate these problems because the “pure math” algebra is so ugly…but the GMAT loves these because they force you to think logically through a few situations. Since so many of these are Yes/No Data Sufficiency problems, keep in mind that your goals are to “prove insufficiency” looking for both a Yes and a No answer, by: Minimizing the highest value by maximizing the others Maximizing the highest value by minimizing the others Minimizing the lowest value by maximizing the others Maximizing the lowest value by minimizing the others Essentially to ______ize one value, do the opposite to the others, and doing so will help you test the possible range. As you do so, make sure you consider: -Can the values be nonintegers, negative numbers, or 0? (often the scenario dictates that the answer to a few of these is “no”) -Can values repeat? Min/Max Scenario problems can be a pain, as they maximize the amount of time you have to spend on them while minimizing your score. But if you know the game, you have an advantage – these problems are all about trial-and-error of Min/Max situations and about taking acute inventory of what is allowable for the values you do try. Play the game correctly, and you’ll be set up for maximal success with minimal (comparative) effort. |
19 May 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Medians, Altitudes and Angle Bisectors in Special Triangles on the GMAT |
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We are assuming you know the terms median, angle bisector and altitude but still, just to be sure, we will start our discussion today by defining them: Median – A line segment joining a vertex of a triangle with the mid-point of the opposite side. Angle Bisector – A line segment joining a vertex of a triangle with the opposite side such that the angle at the vertex is split into two equal parts. Altitude – A line segment joining a vertex of a triangle with the opposite side such that the segment is perpendicular to the opposite side. Usually, medians, angle bisectors and altitudes drawn from the same vertex of a triangle are different line segments. But in special triangles such as isosceles and equilateral, they can overlap. We will now give you some properties which can be very useful. I. In an isosceles triangle (where base is the side which is not equal to any other side): - the altitude drawn to the base is the median and the angle bisector; - the median drawn to the base is the altitude and the angle bisector; - the bisector of the angle opposite to the base is the altitude and the median. II. The reverse is also true. Consider a triangle ABC: - If angle bisector of vertex A is also the median, the triangle is isosceles such that AB = AC and BC is the base. Hence this angle bisector is also the altitude. - If altitude drawn from vertex A is also the median, the triangle is isosceles such that AB = AC and BC is the base. Hence this altitude is also the angle bisector. - If median drawn from vertex A is also the angle bisector, the triangle is isosceles such that AB = AC and BC is the base. Hence this median is also the altitude. and so on… III. In an equilateral triangle, each altitude, median and angle bisector drawn from the same vertex, overlap. Try to prove all these properties on your own. That way, you will not forget them. A few things this implies: - Should an angle bisector in a triangle which is also a median be perpendicular to the opposite side? Yes. - Can we have an angle bisector which is also a median which is not perpendicular? No. Angle bisector which is also a median implies isosceles triangle which implies it is also the altitude. - Can we have a median from vertex A which is perpendicular to BC but does not bisect the angle A? No. A median which is an altitude implies the triangle is isosceles which implies it is also the angle bisector. and so on… Let’s take a quick question on these concepts: Question: What is ∠A in triangle ABC? Statement 1: The bisector of ∠A is a median in triangle ABC. Statement 2: The altitude of B to AC is a median in triangle ABC. Solution: We are given a triangle ABC but we don’t know what kind of a triangle it is. Jump on to the statements directly. Statement 1: The bisector of ∠A is a median in triangle ABC. The angle bisector is also a median. This means triangle ABC must be an isosceles triangle such that AB = AC. But we have no idea about the measure of angle A. This statement alone is not sufficient. Statement 2: The altitude of ∠B to AC is a median in triangle ABC. The altitude is also a median. This means triangle ABC must be an isosceles triangle such that AB = BC (Note that the altitude is drawn from vertex B here). But we have no idea about the measure of angle A. This statement alone is not sufficient. Using both statements together, we see that AB = AC = BC. So the triangle is equilateral! So angle A must be 60 degrees. Sufficient! Answer (C) Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! |
20 May 2014, 12:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Harvard Business School Admissions Essays & Deadlines for 2014-2015 |
 And just like that, the new MBA admissions season is starting to happen. Harvard Business School has announced its application essay prompt and Round 1 deadline for 2014-2015. Last year we made much of the Great Essay Slimdown, in which many business schools cut their number of required essays or reduced word counts. Harvard went down to just one essay last year (and made it optional!) meaning that there wasn’t much more slimming down the school could do, short of eliminating the essay altogether. Not only has HBS kept one essay this year, but it has also kept the exact same essay prompt. When a school carries over an essay from one year to the next, that means admissions officers like what they’re seeing in the essays they receive. Based on what we’ve learned from our clients over the past year (many of whom were admitted!), we feel very good about the advice we’ve been giving on this essay, so our advice mostly remians the same. Harvard Business School Application Deadlines Before we dive into the essay, one note on Harvard Business School’s admissions deadlines: The school hasn’t yet released its full calendar of deadlines for 2014-2015, but they did announce their Round 1 deadline — September 9, 2014. That’s one week earlier than last year, which was already the earliest the school had ever made its Round 1 deadline. To give you an idea of how much this deadline has crept up over the years, back in 2008 HBS’s Round 1 deadline came on October 15! This means that you had really plan on having a great GMAT score under your belt by no later than early August. Why? Because very few applicants are successful when they’re writing their essays, managing their recommendation writers, and tracking down transcripts all while also trying to break 700 on the GMAT. And pulling together your applications (and doing it well) will take you at least a few weeks from start to finish. Now, here’s that optional essay, followed by our comments in italics: Harvard Business School Application Essays
By Scott Shrum |
21 May 2014, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: Can You Answer These 3 Comma Questions? |
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Considering how ubiquitous a piece of punctuation the comma is, it is surprisingly misunderstood. The comma has a number of uses that are described quite thoroughly here, but the most common comma errors on the SAT are comma splices, omission of commas when used with a conjunction to combine two independent clauses, and misuse of commas with the word ‘which’. Let us take a quick look at each to make sure that we understand how each is used. Firstly, let me define an ‘independent clause’. This is simply a clause with a subject and a verb that could stand alone as a sentence. I’ll use this term interchangeably with ‘complete sentence’. Let’s look at our first example: “A comma splice is used to combine two complete sentences without the aid of a conjunction, using a comma in this way is improper.” In the example sentence above, we see that two complete sentences (independent clauses) are joined by only a comma. This is called a comma splice and is a very common error on the SAT. There are a number of ways to fix this problem, but the three most common methods are adding a conjunction, changing the comma to a semi-colon, or combining the two sentences into one. Here are some example answer choices: A) A comma splice is used to combine two complete sentences without the aid of a conjunction, using a comma in this way is considered improper. B) A comma splice is used to combine two complete sentences without the aid of a conjunction, and so using a comma in this way is considered improper. C) A comma splice is used to combine two complete sentences without the aid of a conjunction; and using a comma in this way is considered improper. D) A comma splice is used to combine two complete sentences without the aid of a conjunction, but using a comma in this way is considered improper. E) A comma splice is used to combine two complete sentences without the aid of a conjunction, the use of which is improper. Only answer choice (D) fixes the comma splice and does not create a new error, either by adding too many conjunctions, as in (B) and (C), or by creating an improper second clause, as in (E). Let’s take a look at another example: “As with a comma splice, omission of a comma can also incorrectly join two sentences but they may appear correctly joined at first glance.” In our example sentence we have an omission error. This can similarly be fixed by adding a comma, combining the sentences, or replacing the conjunction with a semi-colon. A) As with a comma splice, omission of a comma can also incorrectly join two sentences but they may appear correctly joined at first glance. B) As with a comma splice, omission of a comma can also incorrectly join two sentences, they may appear correctly joined at first glance. C) With the omission of a comma, as with a comma splice, two sentences can be incorrectly joined while appearing to be combined correctly. D) As with a comma splice, omission of a comma can also incorrectly join two sentences, however, they may appear correctly joined at first glance. E) As to a comma splice, omission of a comma can also incorrectly join two sentences, but it may appear correctly joined at first glance. In choices (A), (B), and (D) either a comma is absent, or a conjunction capable of combining two independent clauses is absent (‘however, is not a strong enough conjunction to join two independent clauses). Answer choice (E) has an idiomatic error with “As to a comma splice” and a number error in “but it may appear”. Answer choice (C) combines the two clauses into one sentence and also makes the sentence sound a little more parallel by using the construction “With…as with…”. Our final example is a comma error with the word ‘which.’ “When the word ‘which’ is used to describe something different than the subject of the sentence, the sentence needs a comma which marks the change of subject.” In the example above, the comma necessary to show a change of subject between the independent and subordinate clauses has been omitted. We need a comma there in order for the sentence to function. A) When the word ‘which’ is used to describe something different than the subject of the sentence, the sentence needs a comma which marks the change of subject. B) When the word ‘which’ is used to describe something different than the subject of the sentence, the sentence needs a comma, which marks the change of subject. C) When the word ‘which’ is used to describe something different than the subject of the sentence, the sentence needs a comma, and it marks the change of subject D) When the word ‘which’ is used to describe something different than the subject of the sentence, the sentence needs a comma because of marking the change of subject E) When the word ‘which’ is used to describe something different than the subject of the sentence, the sentence needs a comma, being that is marks the change of subject In these example answers, only answer choice (B) adds a comma, maintains the original construction with the word “which”, and does not add some awkward phrasing to the sentence, so (B) is the correct answer. Though commas can be tricky to understand fully, these are the main comma errors to be found on the SAT. If students can get a handle on what an independent clause is and when two such clauses are being combined, the comma problem should be simple as syrup. Happy studying! Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. |
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