2015 PNC SAT Prep Programs at Portage High School

purdue-north-centralThe Purdue University North Central Office of Graduate and Extended Learning, in partnership with Portage High School, the PNC Mathematics/Statistics/Physics Department and the PNC Department of English and Modern Languages, will offer SAT preparation programs at Portage High School.

The math program will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Feb. 17 through March 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The instructor, Jerry DeGroot, has been a PNC continuing lecturer of Mathematics for 12 years and has more than 20 years of experience teaching mathematics at the middle and high school levels. The math program cost is $149 and includes a textbook and materials. The registration deadline for the math program is Jan. 30 by 4 p.m. CT.

The math program will review the most common math topics on the SAT, including operations, algebra, functions, geometry and measurement, data analysis, statistics and probability. They will also learn test-taking skills such as how to read and interpret math questions on the exam, how to avoid the most common careless mistakes, how and when to make educated guesses, how to use the reference information provided on the exam and how to use a calculator effectively while taking the SAT.

Students will learn all through lecture as well as extensive use of practice problems and practice examinations. Practice exams will look and feel similar to the actual SAT, which allows students to familiarize themselves with test and question formatting, the pace at which they will need to answer questions and the techniques that they will need to use in order to earn a high score on the math portion of the exam.

The English program will meet on Saturdays from Feb. 21 through March 7 from 9 a.m. to noon. The instructor, Tamara O’Hearn, has taught college English for 20 years and taught college preparatory school English for nine years. O’Hearn has worked for Pearson Education, where she evaluated test takers’ essay responses on the SAT. The English program fee is $139 and includes a textbook and other materials. The registration deadline for the English section is Feb. 4 by 4 p.m. CT.

Students will learn about and practice critical reading, sentence completion, proper grammar and word usage. Students’ vocabularies, grammar skills, reading comprehension and writing abilities will be challenged and expanded through in-class and take-home activities, timed recall tests and graded essays.

Participants will become familiar with the format of the exam, the types of questions on the English portion of the exam and the amount of time allotted for each. They will be coached on successful test-taking strategies and taught effective techniques for writing high-scoring essays while under pressure. Much time will be devoted to practice problems similar to those on the SAT. This program will prepare students for both the reading and writing portions of the exam.

For more information, to register for the workshop, or to receive information on other programs and courses, call the Office of Graduate and Extended Learning at (219) 785-5343, or toll free at (800) 872-5343 (inside Indiana), or visit their website at http://www.pnc.edu/gel.

Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Cassandra Boehlke, coordinator of Graduate and Extended Learning, at (219) 785-5748.