14B - The Mich~t Daily - Fall Outlook - Thu~ay, October 24, 1996 Back to School Test-prep courses boost scores, admission prospects *The Michigan Daily - Fall Ol f ....r0 Going to Work Resumes show i By Jamni Cummings For the Daily It's 8:30 in the morning on a Saturday and the test still has three and a half hours to go. No, it's not the SAT in high school. This is an acceptance test for graduate school. Whether it's the Graduate Record Examination, Graduate Management Admissions Test, Law School Admissions Test, Medical College Admissions Test or one of numerous others, anyone planning to get a profes- sional degree is required to take some standardized pro- ficiency test. But don't worry - at least three businesses on campus specialize in helping students "score more" on such tests. The courses can cost about $800 and take six to nine weeks to complete - but their statistics say it's worth it for many people. The average score increase on the LSAT after taking a test prep course is seven points, according to Kaplan and Princeton Review. That may not sound like much, but when you consider that only five points separate those who go to fairly unknown law schools from those who go to one of the top 25 law schools, seven points is a lot. Stephanie Fong, executive director of The Princeton Review on South University Ave. and a past instructor for the company, said, "If you're serious about entering a graduate program, you put yourself at a serious disad- vantage by not taking a test prep course." Michael Gibson, manager of student services for the Great Lakes region of Kaplan, agreed. "The classes are designed for anybody who is interested in having the most choices available to them for graduate school rather than having a college choose them" The Princeton Review, Kaplan and Excel all offer in- class instruction and practice tests taken under actual test conditions with answer analyses. The programs identify strengths and weaknesses on the test so a personalized study plan can be formulated, and customers can get individual help sessions. Although students can purchase test-prep books outside of these services, the companies provide most materi- als. "The class gives students more of a feeling of 'us against the test' rather than 'the test against me.' It's more of a community feeling that is extremely beneficial," Fong said. LSA senior Drew Nitschke disagreed. When asked if the LSAT prep course he took was beneficial, he said, "Absolutely not. It's just a scam for those companies to take your money." Prep-COurse Payoffs Local test-prep companies such as Kaplan and Princeton Review boast the. following average increases in test scores as a result of taing their courses: GR E 220 points GMA T 75 point s LSAT 7.1 points MCAT 6.5 points By Stephanie Powell Daily Staff Reporter Have you ever asked yourself how to make the resume that will get the per- fect job? If so, there are many resources at the University for you. "The Career Planning & Placement office has all types of resources from information on the FBI to Abercrombie and Fitch," said LSA junior Kim Santiago, who is a resume adviser. CP&P has a walk-in service run by student advisers, that guides other stu- dents in making an excellent resume. All resumes should list education, work experience, honors, activities and interests, advisers say. It is not necessary to list courses, on resumes, but activities such as clubs, fraternities or sororities, and volunteer work are important to the resur because these activities show diversit The English Composition Board al advises students on personal statemer and cover letters. ECB Director Geor Cooper said the personal statement an important part of students' applic tions. "It should show your ability as writer and as a thinker, and someo who can pay attention to their ov experience and identify and commui cate," Cooper said. "It's significant." Santiago encourages resume-write to mention computer skills and knov edge of another language. She also said that that it is not nece sary to list a grade-point average, b recommended if it is more than a 3.0 "I look at other people's resumes as PAID ADV[Rh 7 Tips for Improving Your Scores on Graduate Admissions Exams 1REALIZE THAT ADMISSIONS EXAMS, like the GRE, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT, DAT, etc., are not school tests; they have a different purpose and their. own agenda for accomplishing it. Usually they are less factual and much more conceptual; stressing key, underlying skills more than specific coursework. Thus, it is necessary to approach the exam from its standpoint. 2 FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH the exact test format and timing; actual previous exams are available from the test-maker. Judge your .performance only with these actual tests; most other study books are simplistic versions of exams or are tough in inappropriate ways; software programs are usually less helpful. NEVER TAKE AN ACTUAL TEST just for "practice". Even if you don't send your score to any schools, all of your recorded scores on that exam will be sent whenever you want to send a later score. Once it's on your record, you cannot erase a low score. Thus, practice with a "real" test (see point #2) without it counting on your record. Call us if you have questions about obtaining actual released exams. 4UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS of the highly leveraged scoring of all standardized exams. Small improvements in performance translateinto majorincreases in percentile scores. E.g., on the LSAT, only 10 more right answers (out of 101 questions) moves your score from the 70th percentile to the 90th. 5ONLY TAKE AN ADMISSIONS EXAM when you are ready; plan to take the test just once. Determine when you must have scores for a program, then decide the best time to take the test so that you can achieve your maximum potential score. 6 DON'T CONFUSE ADMISSIONS EXAMS with some kind of measures of innate intelligence. Like any other learned ability, test-taking skills and exam performance can be improved. EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS as to how to best / prepare for your exam. Sound preparation paves the way to superior scores. Rather than just claiming to give you high scores, we provide experienced, professional instruction, together with well-organized, comprehensive materials at an affordable price. Please take advantage of our FREE Trial Lesson outlined below and good luck on your exam, however you choose to prepare. 996-1500 Test Preparation 1100 South University pj'g RECORDS & USDW CDS SELECTION, QUALITY & PRICE ARE ALWAYS OUR TOP PRIORITY!! 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A poll sponsored by the Graduate Management Admission Council revealed the vast difference of expecta- tion levels between men and women. The poll noted that many female col- lege seniors believe there is a "glass ceiling" that prevents women's progress past a certain level in business, science, law and medicine. Julie Dolan, vice president of GMAC, said she believes the poll to be accurate and representative of a prob- lem that exists in today's society. "I believe that there is a glass ceiling in some of the more money-oriented professions that do hold women back;' Dolan said. "This does not mean that they cannot compete with men. It means that women must overcome adversity yjT tWtq $e. a LOCATED NOW ON NORTH CAMPUS ...t MODERATELY PRICED WOMEN'S CLOTH ING Open Mon.- Sat. 10-6 plus holiday hours 665-2999 1729 Plymouth Rd. Courtyard Shops and not let someone dictate them in how far they choose to pursue their careers." Almost 1,000 college seniors partici- pated in thesurvey, conducted by Gallup. The institute polled seniors from 88 public and private colleges and universities. The GMAC council of 121 graduate business school representa- tives conducted the survey. Prof. Abbey Stewart, director of the University's women's studies program, said she agrees with the finding. "It is important that we become aware of this problem. There may be a glass ceiling that is an obstacle for woman but it is an obstacle that can and will be overcome," Stewart said. "It should not prevent a women from pur- suing her career." Fredrick Dunn, an LSA senior who plans to attend medical school, said some women exaggerate the problem. "I don't think this survey is entirely accurate. The problem of discrimination in the work force has improved vastly over the last 50 years," Dunn said. MARGARET MYERS/Daily CP&P resume adviser Adrienne Holt critiques a resume for LSA senior Amanda Kothe last week. 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