Recommended Reading for High School Students

Outside Reading Helps Students Expand Vocabulary, Explore Interests One the most important college admissions prep goals for 2014 that students can easily achieve is to expand their outside readings. Not only does reading help foster creativity, it expands students’ vocabularies (which is important for the SAT and ACT!) and helps them learn more about topics that interest them. Colleges are looking to build well-rounded classes made up of specialists, so becoming well-versed in a few areas of interest is important for applicants. Outside reading is one way to become an expert in a field of interest, or just a way to explore a new topic or activity to see if it is a good-fit for a particular student. Whether it’s to explore a new interest, learn more about a current one, or just for pleasure and relaxation, reading is a great activity for all students that will draw many long-term benefits. Here’s what to read if you’re interested in: English and Literature A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway The book describes Hemingway's apprenticeship as a young writer in Europe (especially in Paris) during the 1920s with his first wife, Hadley. The memoir consists of Hemingway's personal accounts, observations, and stories of his experience in 1920s Paris. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells From the twentieth century's first great practitioner of the novel of ideas comes a consummate masterpiece of science fiction about a man trapped in the terror of his own creation. Art and Art History History of Art by Anthony F. Janson and H.W. Janson With more than four million copies in print in 14 languages, History of Art has long been considered the indispensable art reference. Great Artistis: The Lives of 50 Painters Explored Through Their Work by Robert Cumming A benchmark for intelligent, engaging nonfiction, this superbly designed book is written and illustrated with a lushness that takes the breath away. Fifty double-page spreads cover artists from da Vinci and Rubens to Monet, Picasso, and Pollock. Engineering Engineering Ethics Blog Comments on current events with an engineering ethics angle. Progressive Engineer Magazine Progressive Engineer is an online magazine and information source covering all disciplines of engineering. They show the fun in engineering and the cool jobs engineers have. Business The Teen's Guide to Personal Finance by Joshua Holmberg and David Bruzzese From opening a bank account to investing in mutual funds, The Teen’s Guide to Personal Finance provides a sound foundation of financial knowledge upon which young adults can build realistic strategies to achieve financial independence. It illustrates basic but critical financial concepts, and is a must-read primer for all teens as they become more independent and more responsible for the financial choices they make. Becoming Financially Literate: The Basics You Never Learned in High School by Eric J. Weiss In this book you will learn the financial "nuts and bolts" necessary to achieving financial wellness. The book was written to fill the personal finance learning gap and includes topics such as: budgeting, insurance, taxes, using financial services, investing, understanding financial media, retirement planning and understanding how financial products are sold. Technology The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen In The Innovator’s Dilemma, author Clayton Christensen discusses how and why outstanding companies that do everything right can still lose their market leadership and fail. The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution by T.R. Reid This story chronicles how the electronics revolution began. The story shows the race to create the first integrated circuit, commonly known as a chip, which became the brains of everything electronic. These books and publications are a great place to start if you are looking to expand your library. For more suggested reading, check out our 2013 Summer Reading List, and continue to research other books and publications that match your interests! What’s on your outside reading list? Tell us in the comments below!

Why Are Some Schools No Longer Requiring Students to Complete the Optional SAT and ACT Essays

Today’s high school student has the choice of either writing or skipping the essay on both the ACT and the SAT. Though many colleges don’t require students to submit an essay score, there are some that still do. This leaves many students wondering whether they should write the optional essay for the ACT and/or the SAT. It’s a good idea for students to find out if a college they are interested in requires an essay score for either of these two tests. This brings up the question: Why do some colleges require SAT and/or ACT essay scores while others don’t? Take a look at the reasons why many colleges consider the SAT and ACT essays optional for all of their applicants: Focusing on Other Scores Some school officials feel that the scores on other sections of the ACT and SAT serve to adequately represent a student’s suitability for college. For instance, a college may focus on a student’s scores in the Reading and Writing and Language sections of the SAT the Writing and Language section tests skills such as command of evidence, the proper use of words in context, and expression of ideas. Though a student isn’t actually writing in these sections, their answers can indicate an understanding of these skills. Furthermore, college admissions officials can look at the subscores for these sections to get an idea of a student’s specific skills. Other college officials get a clear picture of a student’s skills by looking at their scores on the Reading and English sections of the ACT. With all of these other scores at their fingertips, many college officials don’t see the need for an essay score on standardized tests. The Admissions Essay Many colleges consider the SAT and ACT essays optional because they prefer to focus on a student’s admissions essay. There are some colleges that prefer to set the topic for the essay instead of leaving it to the discretion of the SAT or ACT. They like to have control over what their applicants are writing about as well as the number of words they use. Furthermore, they want to give their applicants as much time as they need to craft their essays before turning them in with their applications. Consequently, students don’t have the added stress of finishing an essay within an allotted amount of time. School officials feel they can get a good indication of a student’s knowledge of vocabulary, sentence structure, creativity, and ability to express ideas by evaluating the person’s admissions essay. They don’t see the need to factor a second essay into their decision. High School Literature and English Classes Other school officials believe that looking at a high school student’s grades in English and Literature gives them enough information to determine whether the applicant would be a good fit at the college. They can see whether a student has taken on the challenge of increasingly difficult courses over their high school career. In addition, if a student has taken honors English classes throughout high school, that is a definite sign of someone with excellent reading and writing abilities. These colleges feel that they get a better indication of a student’s skills by looking at their coursework over a long period of time. Awards, Honors, and Recognition for Writing Often, colleges that don’t require students to do the essay on the ACT or the SAT look at whether a student earned any writing awards or honors during high school. For instance, one student’s application may note that they were recognized by a literary magazine for a poem they wrote. Another student may have received recognition from their school for an editorial they wrote for the local newspaper. Prizes and honors for writing endeavors can help convince college officials of a student’s writing abilities. At Veritas Prep, our professional instructors show students how to sharpen their essay-writing skills as well as prep for every other portion of the SAT and the ACT. We hire instructors who scored in the 99th percentile on both tests because we want our students to learn from the very best teachers! Our students have access to test-taking strategies that can simplify every question on both the ACT and the SAT. Contact Veritas Prep today and tell us how we can help you get into the college of your dreams. Do you still need help with your  college applications? We can help! Visit our  College Admissions  website and fill out our  FREE Profile Evaluation for personalized feedback on your unique background!  And as always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and  Twitter!