Get Into Engineering Schools Like MIT, Caltech, CMU, or RPI With the SAT

Get Into Engineering Schools Like MIT, Caltech, CMU, or RPI With the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Engineering schools don't look for the same things on a college application that the average school does. I would know because I have an engineering background and spent substantial time studying the process of getting into Caltech and MIT, and then I did it. Here, I reveal how they're different. Strong in SAT Math You have to, have to, be strong in math to get into engineering schools. That means that on your SAT, your SAT math section matters the most by far. 800 is ideal, but try to get at least 700 to have a decent shot at admission to top engineering schools. Consider the following: Tim has an 800 in Math and a 550 in Reading. John has a 700 in Math and a 700 in Writing. At a top liberal arts college like Brown, John is the better scorer by far: he has a higher total score, and his score is more well-rounded. But at MIT, it is reversed: Tim has the better shot by far. The difference between a 700 and 800 is quite substantial in the Math section. MIT literally admits the top 0.1% or better of engineering students. Math is the fundamental building block of all engineering. A 700 only puts you in the top 8% of students not impressive at all by comparison. In summary, on the SAT I, you should be getting close to an 800 in the Math section. If you are close to an 800, and feel that you are mainly missing test strategy, then you have a great shot, and ought to prep for math so you can get closer to an 800. If you feel like you are missing fundamental math skills and are far from an 800, then you should look at different engineering schools that are closer to your score range. Show Off Even More Math To be honest, while an 800 in Math on the SAT I is great, for a school like MIT, it's not an automatic shoo-in (some things are; I'll talk about them below). That's because the SAT has a ceiling in math difficulty (usually below Calculus). Thus, if you know everything pre-Calculus by heart, you can get an 800. Students who are good at math want to show off even more skill. This is where the SAT Math IIC comes in the content is more advanced, and you want to do well here too. Finally, take AP math courses whenever possible, and the most difficult ones, to showcase your skills. Did I Mention Math? At this point you might think I'm getting ridiculous, but I'm not. The point to drive home is that they really care about math. In particular, there are a few things you can do that will almost guarantee* you admissions to places even as hallowed as MIT and Caltech: - Score well on a specific math competition. Scoring high on the AIME often guarantees admission. - Score really, really well on any science/math competition. If you're the world winner of the International Biology Olympiad, your chances oif admission are very good. The analogues of this competition in Informatics, Chemistry, Math, and Physics are all great ways to endure your admission. - Go to a prestigious science/math camp like RSI. Note carefully the names I put in above, like "AIME" and "RSI"; they are important. They are especially well-known by top colleges and you should try for those specific programs. Close relatives of the above brands are not the same. (I am not invested in any of the above competitions, for full disclosure.) What Doesn't Matter? Most other items that you associate with standard liberal arts colleges don't matter as much. Orchestra? Debate? Top writer? For engineering schools, these are like flowers outside a restaurant: nice in an ideal candidate, but not what they came for. * All these great schools have admissions rates of around 10% or less. Anything north of 50% is a guarantee in my book with respect to college admissions. As long as you aren'ta total slacker or psycho and don't drop the ball, you'll get in. 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Counting and Accounting

Counting and Accounting Counting and Accounting Counting and Accounting By Mark Nichol This post lists and describes words deriving from the Latin verb computare, meaning â€Å"sum up,† that, unlike computer and the like, do not closely follow the original spelling. Count derives its diversion from the spelling of computare from its journey to English through Old French, which spelled the verb conter. To count is to add up (â€Å"Count the money†), consider (â€Å"Count yourself lucky you didn’t get hurt†), or record (â€Å"Count me in†). It also means â€Å"depend on,† â€Å"deserve to be considered,† or â€Å"have significance.† A count is a sum, while someone who adds numbers, or a coinlike object used to keep track of numbers, is a counter. (â€Å"Bean counter,† from the notion of using beans for this purpose, is a slightly derogatory term for someone who monitors finances.) That word also described a table at which a moneylender did business and, by extension, came to refer to any similar raised structure in a place of business and, later, in any building, including a house. (Countertop refers to the surface of the counter itself.) Counting is the act of adding up numbers or of marking a sequence of numerals from smaller to larger; however, as a verb, the word pertains to relying on someone or something, as in â€Å"I was counting on you to be there.† The largely obsolete term countinghouse refers to a place used for doing and keeping track of business. â€Å"Counting frame† and â€Å"counting rail† are synonyms for abacus, describing a device using beads strung on wires as an analog calculator. A counting glass, meanwhile, is a magnifying glass used to count threads per inch in fabrics. Count also, in a legal sense, came to pertain to the charges in an indictment for crimes, and in athletics, it describes the ten-second period a fallen boxer is given to resume standing (hence the expression â€Å"down for the count†) and the number of strikes and balls a baseball batter is allowed. (A full count is when the batter has used up the allotted two strikes and three balls, after which the player must hit the ball, or walks to first base on the fourth ball thrown, or is struck out.) The terms of nobility count and countess (and viscount and viscountess) are not related; they derive from the Latin term comitem, meaning â€Å"companion.† Nor is country, which stems from the Latin adjective contra, meaning â€Å"against.† This is also the source of the prefix counter-, seen in words such as counteract, counterfeit, and counterpart. Similarly, countenance is not related; it comes from the Latin verb continere, meaning â€Å"hold together.† Something that can be counted is countable, and the antonym is uncountable. These terms, in reference to words, describe plural nouns that, respectively, do or do not refer to groups of things that can be added up. (For example, cars is a countable noun; but traffic is not.) Countless means â€Å"too numerous to be counted†; unlike its synonym infinite, it has no direct antonym. A countdown is a calling out of numbers, usually from ten to zero or from three to â€Å"go,† to mark the time before something occurs, such as a spacecraft launch or the beginning of a race. A discount is a reduction in price, and to discount is to reduce in price, though the verb also refers to diminishing the significance of a statement. A miscount is an erroneous calculation, and a recount is a calculation that is repeated to confirm that the original calculation is correct; recount also means â€Å"describe an occurrence.† To account is to add up, and an account is an adding up or a description of an incident. Formally, the word describes a record or a statement, or an arrangement with an advertising, banking, or credit business (or an organization that provides internet or email access) or the client or customer with whom a company has such an arrangement. Account also refers to value or esteem, as in â€Å"That’s not of any account to me† (also seen in the informal term â€Å"no-account,† referring to a worthless person), to advantage, as in â€Å"She used her skills to good account,† and to consideration, as in â€Å"I’ll have to take that into account†; it also applies to keeping track of something. The verb account means â€Å"analyze† or â€Å"consider† or refers to justifying, being a significant factor, or causing something. Accounting is the practice or profession of monitoring finances, and one who does so as a career is an accountant; accountability has the more general definition of â€Å"the quality of being able to answer for one’s responsibilities†; the adjective is accountable. The antonym of that word, unaccountable, has two senses- not only â€Å"unresponsible† but also â€Å"inexplicable† or â€Å"strange.† A perhaps unexpected member of the computare family is raconteur, adopted from the same French word and meaning â€Å"teller of anecdotes.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should Avoid"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?Plurals of Proper Names