A media executive resigned to bad grammar

Today Rebekah Brooks resigned as chief executive of News International.
I'm surprised she headed a media corporation. She would not do well on the writing section of the SAT.

"At News International we [lacks antecdent. The same error occurs throughout the letter] pride ourselves on setting the news agenda for the right reasons. Today we are leading the news for the wrong ones.

"The reputation of the company we love so much, as well as the press freedoms we value so highly, are ["is", not "are." Only "and" forms a compound subject. Or even better, switch "as well as" to "and" and keep "are"] all at risk.

"As chief executive of the company, I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the people we have hurt [,] and I want to reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place.

"I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However [,] my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate.

"This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavors to fix the problems of the past ["of the past" is superfluous.]

"Therefore [,] I have given Rupert and James Murdoch my resignation. While it has been a subject of discussion, this time [Misplaced modifier. "This time" has not been a subject of discussion. Correct: While it has been a subject of discussion, my resignation has been accepted this time.] my resignation has been accepted.

"Rupert's wisdom, kindness and incisive advice has ["have", not "has." This is a compound subject] guided me throughout my career, and James is an inspirational leader who has shown me great loyalty and friendship.

"I would like to thank them both for their support.

"I have worked here for 22 years [,] and I know it to be part of the finest media company in the world.

"News International is full of talented, professional and honorable people. I am proud to have been part of the team and lucky to know so many brilliant journalists and media executives.

"I leave with the happiest of memories and an abundance of friends.

"As you can imagine[,] recent times have been tough. I now need to concentrate on correcting the distortions and rebutting the allegations about my record as a journalist, an editor and executive.

"My resignation makes it possible for me to have the freedom and the time to give my full cooperation to all the current and future inquiries, the police investigations and the CMS (Culture, Media and Sport Committee) appearance.

"I am so grateful for all the messages of support. I have nothing but overwhelming respect for you and our millions of readers.

"I wish every one of you all the best.

"Rebekah

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The SAT or ACT -- in 7th grade...

Independent Day School Students Selected for Duke University Talent Identification Program - Carrollwood, FL Patch:

"Duke TIP identifies academically talented seventh graders based on standardized test scores achieved while attending elementary or middle school. Candidates are then invited to take the ACT or the SAT as seventh graders, which allows them greater insight into their academic abilities. In addition, they gain valuable benefits and resources for gifted students."

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The Push for A's at Private Schools...

Push for A’s at Private Schools Is Keeping Costly Tutors BusyBy JENNY ANDERSON
Siddharth Iyer spent eight Mays cramming for finals, first at Stuyvesant High School and then at Columbia University.

Nine years later, it is still crunch time for Mr. Iyer, a top tutor at Ivy Consulting Group, as his clients face a deluge of end-of-year exams. “He’s been prepping my son all week,” said the mother of one, a senior at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, speaking on the condition that she not be named because Riverdale discourages both tutoring and talking to reporters.

“Prepping” — in this case for an oral exam in Riverdale’s notorious Integrated Liberal Studies, an interdisciplinary class laden with primary sources instead of standard textbooks — did not start the week before the exams, the mother pointed out. She said she had paid Mr. Iyer’s company $750 to $1,500 each week this school year for 100-minute sessions on Liberal Studies, a total of about $35,000 — just shy of Riverdale’s $38,800 tuition.

Read more...

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One tip for preparing for the SAT the week before...

Get Enough Sleep
I can't emphasize enough how important it can be to get enough sleep.
Check out this story about the sleep deficit of teen-agers....

The Other Big Deficit: Many Teens Fall Short On Sleep : NPR

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When your SAT score isn't the problem

Make sure your school follows through sending out documents to colleges.
Otherwise, you could be in for a surprise...

Cherry Abdou says that from the moment she walked into Western High School four years ago, she has been crafting her college application.
...
However, after applying to 12 colleges, Abdou was perplexed to receive nine rejections and one waiting-list notification in April.
...
Alisha Trusty, principal at Western High School, revealed Friday on the school's website that the school system was investigating cases involving at least a dozen students whose college acceptances may have been compromised as a result of school staff failing to send pertinent documents to colleges.

Read more
Western High student worries about college after school's application missteps - baltimoresun.com

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Can I use Canadian / British spellings on the SAT essay?

That's a good question posed by a perspicacious student. OK, all of my students are keen and come up with good questions, but I thought this was an especially good question that deserved a blog entry.
I called up College Board and posed the question today. The first representative told me that spellings must be in "English." I said that Canadian English is English. "Do spellings have to be American English?" I asked.
She said spellings do have to be in American English.
I always call customer-service lines twice. If I get two answers, I know the reps don't know what they're talking about.
Well, they don't know what they're talking about. Or, I should say, at least one of the representatives doesn't know what she's talking about; the second representative initially said that she thought only grammar mattered. Well, we know that's wrong information.
Then she looked on the website to find the answer. The answer to my question isn't there. Then she spoke to a supervisor and said British spellings are acceptable. Well, at least a supervisor -- supposedly -- gave that answer.
Here's the bottom line: When possible, stick to US spellings. Leave out the "u" in "colour," and leave out the "e" in judgment.
But remember that your essay is a first draft. You can still get a perfect score even if you have some misspellings. So don't go crazy or let your concern about spellings slow you down so much that you don't make it to your conclusion.
Nevertheless, if you'll attend a U.S. school, you should be familiar with U.S. spellings anyway.
Here's a site that covers the differences between British English and American English. Vancouver SAT Tutoring Your Score Booster http://www.yourscorebooster.com

How to Write an SAT Essay

If you want to write a great SAT essay, read the New York Times Opinion pages.
Especially check out the pieces called "Room for Debate."
Several people give their sides on an issue of debate.
By following the various sides, you can see how to develop an argument in a short essay.
The Times now requires a subscription. But you can read 20 articles a month for free.
Check out these "Room for Debate" essays.

Ai Weiwei and the Artist's Role in China

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