Pursuing Science

For High School Students Entering College

Created By: Sam Goldstein Accelerated Premedical/Medical Student The Pennsylvania State University

July 11th, 2011

Prepared for High School Students Interested in Pursuing Science

Table of Contents:
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About this Guide a. Contents of this Guide b. Audience of this Guide c. Assumptions of this Guide d. Organization of this Guide e. Tips for Using this Guide College Preparation Resources a. Penn State Eberly College of Science b. Collegeboard Inspiring Minds c. Kaplan Test Prep d. Cramster A Chegg Company College Science Major Resources a. Wiley Online Library Journal of Computational Chemistry b. Catalogue of US Government Publications c. Scirus For Scientific Information Only d. The 2011 Statistical Abstract U.S. Census Bureau Website Citations (Chronologically Ordered) a. Penn State Eberly College of Science b. Collegeboard Inspiring Minds c. Kaplan Test Prep d. Cramster A Chegg Company e. Wiley Online Library Journal of Computational Chemistry f. Catalogue of US Government Publications g. Scirus For Scientific Information Only h. The 2011 Statistical Abstract U.S. Census Bureau Image Citations (Chronologically Ordered) a. Penn State Logo b. Collegeboard Logo c. Kaplan Logo d. Cramster Logo e. Wiley Online Library Logo f. GPO Access Logo g. Scirus Logo h. Statistical Abstract of the United States Logo i. Penn State Watermarked Logo

About this Guide:

Contents of this Guide:

This guide contains the appropriate materials for high school students who wish to gain acceptance into Penn States Accelerated Premedical/Medical (PMM) (B.S./M.D.) program. Highlighted in this guide is information about this specific program, such as the application requirements, the coursework, and the cost. Following this are resources that can be used during high school to prepare for the college application process and to produce a suitable application for acceptance. The last section includes websites that can be used during college by science students when conducting research or when studying for required tests.

Audience of this Guide:

This guide is for high school students who are starting to think about the college process; specifically students who wish to study science in Penn States Accelerated Premedical/Medical program. These students will be able to use this guide throughout their science career using each of the sections at different times. This guide can get high school students started on the correct college path, and then continue to help them fulfill college class requirements with the given research and homework help tools. Students already in college may find some of the information in this guide useful; the research tools presented are applicable to all science students. Readers of this guide should be motivated and interested in learning.

Assumptions of this Guide:

This guide assumes that the student wants to pursue a future in science starting with Penn States Accelerated Premedical/Medical program. This guide will not convince a student to take on this task; rather it assists students who have this as a goal. It is assumed that the reader understands what the Internet is and its various uses. Considering this guide is written in English, the reader should have a thorough understanding of the language or should have the resources to get it translated.

Organization of this Guide:

This guide is presented in a chronological order of what resources the high school student targeted will need at a given phase in the process of completing the program. The table of contents clearly connects different sections of the guide to certain pages by providing page numbers. First, the student is informed about the program, then ways to get high standardized test scores are presented, followed by different tools for use during college. The table of contents is very specific using secondary level headings for clarity.

Tips for Using this Guide:

Use the table of contents to be routed to the section desired. Make sure to read the tips section at the end of each page describing a website. These tips make using each website much easier than if a first time user enters one of the websites. When a suggestion is made, it is trustworthy. As someone who has gone through the process that is going to be described, you can believe me when I advise something. If there is a section that you do not agree with completely, do not deem the rest of the guide useless. This information is very useful if used as presented.

College Preparation Resources:

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Location: http://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medical Reasons to visit this website: This specific website is the homepage for the Penn States Premedical/Medical Program (B.S./M.D.) Information regarding necessary high school classes to take, admissions requirements, coursework while in the program, and the cost and history of the program, can all be found by clicking this one location. A link to the academic advisors information is on the website. Dr. Ronald A. Markle can field any questions regarding the program.

Description: This website is a page on Penn States Eberly College of Science website that describes Penn States Premedical/Medical Program. It is not interactive in nature, but contains every detail of what the student is required to do to be accepted into the program. The website starts by explaining what grades the student needs to obtain in high school course work, and what SAT/ACT scores are needed in order to produce a valid application. The website then explains what the cost of the program is, and then breaks each college year down into semesters. Each semester shows the specific course work required by the student to complete all of the required classes on time. To get accepted into the program, all requirements need to be obtained. To have the highest chance of being accepted, the student must try to excel in every area described by the website.

Tips: Do not get discouraged by the bulk of material shown on the website. It is there to inform the reader, not to instill fear. Rather than seeing the website as a list of burdensome tasks, use the information to make yourself a better applicant. Contact the academic advisor listed, Ronald A. Markle. He is a great resource, and can give you the contact information of students currently enrolled in the program. Speaking with them can give you a better sense of what the program is about.

Collegeboard Inspiring Minds

Location: http://www.collegeboard.org/ Reasons to visit this website: Collegeboard is a comprehensive website that contains useful information about the college application process. Vital materials needed to study for the SAT (scholastic aptitude test) are laid out in an orderly fashion. Information about colleges and college programs are discussed in detail. Collegeboard satisfies the needs of students, parents, and teachers when it comes to high school and college questions.

Description: The collegeboard website is an extensive single source of information that covers material specifically for high school students, and their families, looking to attend college. Information about high school AP classes, SAT courses, the SAT itself, SAT dates, how to choose the correct college, how to plan for college, and how to pay for college can all be found at this one website. The SAT is actually given by Collegeboard, and the scores are sent to the students by Collegeboard. Collegeboard is the main authority for high school students and is an incredibly simple, concise resource for finding information about the high school and college processes. Collegeboard has practice SAT questions on the website that should be completed in order to earn the SAT score needed to be accepted into a high-level college program.

Tips: Since the website is vast, it is important to choose the category that you fall under on the homepage to be routed to relevant information e.g. click where it says STUDENTS in purple in the middle of the homepage if you are a student. It is very helpful to register to get a username and password so that any activity on the website is logged. This is also where SAT scores are saved and can be accessed from any computer. Keep your username and password written somewhere for easy access. If you are a parent of a student and need information, click the STUDENTS tab on the homepage, then click the PARENTS tab at the top left of the screen to be rerouted. Any other questions can be answered by clicking the HELP tab at the top right of the page, after clicking STUDENTS on the homepage.

Kaplan Test Prep

Location: http://www.kaptest.com/ Reasons to visit this website: Kaplan offers SAT and ACT preparation courses that are available all over the country that aid in obtaining the highest possible test scores. Kaplan also offers MCAT tutoring which is a test that all students have to take in order to apply to medical school. Studying correctly is integral in obtaining high standardized test scores; a service such as Kaplan provides the information and techniques needed to conquer each standardized test that a student will have to take.

Description: Kaplan is a service that offers test preparation help via online tutoring, class sessions led by a group tutor, and books that are designed to help students get higher test scores. Kaplan is known for tutoring for the SAT, ACT, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE and many other tests. Considering this, the homepage of the website is an important tool. If you are interested in SAT tutoring, under college admissions on the homepage, click SAT. A page appears giving the options of private or group tutoring. After signing up with Kaplan, a username and password are made and each lesson taught is accessible from any computer via the internet. If interested in applying for Penn States accelerated medical school program, an SAT score above 2100 is required to submit an application. Kaplan is an unbelievable resource for all present and future standardized testing needs.

Tips: Be sure not to get lost in the website. On the homepage, click the link to the test you are interested in which is most likely the SAT or ACT. From this page, information is given about both group and private tutoring. After signing up, take Kaplan classes very seriously. Each test taken is a large part of the application process. A great test score can make a student better than the rest of the applicants. Being overzealous with the amount of study aids used is always the way to go! There is no reason to skimp on resources if trying to get into Penn States Accelerated Premedical/Medical Program.

Cramster A Chegg Company

Location: http://www.cramster.com/my_cramster Reasons to visit this website: Cramster offers homework help for various math, science, engineering, and finance questions. While working on homework, whether high school or college level, Cramster has the resources not only to display the correct answers to questions, but also to show detailed explanations. Cramster is a network of students and tutors who help each other learn and understand various subjects.

Description: Cramster is a website that offers homework help by having students post questions, which are answered by either knowledgeable students or tutors. Students can post questions under the topics of pre-calculus, calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, finance, economics, and a countless number of other subjects. This service is incredibly helpful for any student due to the convenience of being able to access the website from any computer, and the clarity of explanations received for each question. Students often are found studying and doing homework late into the night while teachers and tutors are sleeping. Cramster not only links students and tutors together, but it also keeps every question ever asked saved on the website for convenient access. Often, if a student needs help on a question, the question has already been asked and answered on Cramster. This facilitates the learning process and helps students in a timely manner.

Tips: In order to ask questions, the student either has to either pay for a membership or answer other peoples questions to earn points. All previously asked questions can be viewed for free. Most questions can be found by using the search bar on the top right side of the homepage. Use the explanations to help learn material; using Cramster merely to find homework answers does not help retain information.

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College Science Major Resources:

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Wiley Online Library Journal of Computational Chemistry

Location: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987X Reasons to visit this website: While completing the required college chemistry classes and labs, the Journal of Computational Chemistry is often a useful source of information that can support findings in the laboratory. This journal makes searching through complicated science material a less burdensome task than other online journals.

Description: The Wiley Online Library contains over 4 million reputable articles from over 1500 journals. The specific Journal of Computational Chemistry has articles that focus on areas of chemistry such as organic, inorganic, biological, physical and many others. Considering this wide range of contents, this professional journal is usable over a wide range of different courses and can be trusted as a reputable source. Original experiments are talked about and explained in articles that differ from other journals. This type of information can distinguish a students lab reports from all of the other students. The journal is broken down systematically by volumes and issues, which correspond to months and years. If the exact date of the article being looked for is not known, the student can use the search bar on the right side of the website to quickly find a desired article. Each article presented in the journal has a personal abstract. This brief summary of key points is useful because a reader can decide whether or not to read the entire journal article expediently.

Tips: When searching for a specific topic in the search bar, be as specific as possible. This journal is very comprehensive so for each search, multiple results will most likely show. Citations for each article are premade. Rather than producing your own citation, make sure to save the given citation. Since this is a science journal, the date of the article may or may not make the stated information outdated. Make sure that the information in the article is either current, or date independent if you are going to use it.

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Catalogue of US Government Publications

Location: http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223 Reasons to visit this website: This is a reliable tool for finding government publications for past and present information. The data and statistics presented by the publications are undoubtedly reliable. Certain lab reports for biological sciences and chemistry require federal information that can be found in this catalogue of publications.

Description: The Catalogue of US Government Publications contains over 500,000 pieces dating from 1976; certain records date back to the late 1800s. This website can link the user to an abundance of federal documents by means of a very comprehensive search system. The advanced search option lets the user search for information on a very specific level; one can search by keyword, title, ISBN number, publication date, stock number, contract number and various other ways. As a science major, one chemistry lab requires the student to identify real world uses of a method of identifying the makeup of a material called chromatography. After searching for chromatography on this catalogue, a publication about identifying the contents of cocaine was found. Incorporating information from a federal publication into a lab report instills ethos and can justify previous claims. Bibliographic data of the chromatography report: Title - Analysis of cocaine, its metabolites, pyrolysis products, and ethanol adducts in postmortem fluids and tissues using Zymark automated solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry [electronic resource]. Publisher - Washington, DC : U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aerospace Medicine, [2003].

Tips: Use the advance search option on the homepage. The amount of publications is very large and specificity is key in finding relevant information. Using government publications can make information seem very reputable increasing the effectiveness of the paper. It can be hard to paraphrase information found on government publications. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE INFORMATION. Plagiarism will ruin any students college career. 13

Scirus For Scientific Information Only

Location: http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/ Reasons to visit this website: This scientific index links the user to specifically science related items. Being a purely science oriented search tool, unwanted information is bypassed facilitating and hastening the research process.

Description: Scirus is a simple, efficient index of all desirable science information. Scirus indexes over 410 million different science pieces that can be accessed through a simple search bar. The homepage of the index is google-esqu; there is a plain search bar with the option of performing an advanced search. After searching for a keyword or other piece of content, the results are filtered by file type or source. Also, keywords that can be used to refine the search are listed. This index is necessary for every science student because it instantly presents only science information. No time is wasted sifting through irrelevant pieces when conducting research. When a student is required to put together large amounts of information quickly, time wasted filtering out undesired information is costly.

Tips: Use the advanced search option when searching for a keyword and be very specific. Do not get lost in the bulk of information presented. Refine searches so that time is not wasted. Read the short summary under each title presented in order to decide whether the article is relevant to your research.

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The 2011 Statistical Abstract U.S. Census Bureau

Location: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ Reasons to visit this website: If needed, this website can provide government statistics over a wide range of topics. Using a government statistic adds authority to a statement, making any normal statement much stronger.

Description: The Statistical Abstract of the United States documents all information about the economy, politics, and society dating back to 1878. This resource is useful when asked to find any statistical information about the United States. As an example, say a teacher asks for information about funding research and development for science. To find figures about this topic, access the Statistical Abstract by clicking the above hyperlink or by typing the link location into the search bar on a web browser. On the left side of the homepage are various sections where data is contained. Under the Science and Technology tab, there is a subcategory called Expenditures, Research and Development. When clicked, different PDF files are listed which all contain statistical information. After clicking the link titled Research and Development (R&D) Expenditures by Source and Objective, a table filled with numbers shows up. This reputable data can be used to answer the teachers prompt. This is how one performs research; find a reputable source, then use the source to find information that can be presented in document form.

Tips: Since there are many categories of statistics, if the category you are looking for is not initially seen, try using the search box on the right side of the page to locate what you are looking for. Read the tables of data slowly considering how much information they contain. Information that can be helpful may present itself and provide more supportive evidence to what you were initially looking for.

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Website Citations: Chronologically Ordered

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Penn State Eberly College of Science "Penn State's Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (B.S./M.D.) Eberly College of Science." Penn State Science News Eberly College of Science. Penn State. Web. 06 July 2011. <http://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medical>. Collegeboard Inspiring Minds College Admissions - SAT - University & College Search Tool. Web. 06 July 2011. <http://www.collegeboard.org/>. Kaplan Test Prep Welcome to Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. Web. 06 July 2011. <http://kaptest.com>. Cramster A Chegg Company Homework Help from Cramster | Math, Algebra, Physics, Chemistry, Science, History, Accounting, English. Web. 06 July 2011. <http://www.cramster.com>. Wiley Online Library Journal of Computational Chemistry "Journal of Computational Chemistry." Wiley Online Library. Web. 07 July 2011. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987X>. Catalogue of US Government Publications "Entire CGP Catalog." Catalogue of U.S. Government Publications. Web. 07 July 2011. <http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223>. Scirus For Scientific Information Only Scirus - for Scientific Information. Web. 07 July 2011. <http://scirus.com>. The 2011 Statistical Abstract U.S. Census Bureau "The 2011 Statistical Abstract." Census Bureau Home Page. Web. 07 July 2011. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>.

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Image Citations: Chronologically Ordered

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Penn State Logo Penn State logo. Digital image. Eberly College of Science. Penn State. Web. 6 July 2011. <http://www.science.psu.edu/premed/premedmed/accelerated-premed-medical>. Collegeboard Logo Collegeboard logo. Digital image. Collegeboard. Web. 6 July 2011. <http://www.collegeboard.org/>. Kaplan Logo Kaplan logo. Digital image. Kaplan Test Prep. Web. 6 July 2011. <http://www.kaptest.com/>. Cramster Logo Cramster logo. Digital image. Cramster.com - A Chegg Company. Web. 6 July 2011. <http://www.cramster.com/my_cramster>. Wiley Online Library Logo Wiley Online Library logo. Digital image. Wiley Online Library. Web. 7 July 2011. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1096-987X>. GPO Access Logo GPO Access Logo. Digital image. Catalogue of U.S. Government Publications. Web. 7 July 2011. <http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=999363223>. Scirus Logo Scirus logo. Digital image. Scirus. Web. 7 July 2011. <http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/>. Statistical Abstract of the United States Logo Statistical Abstract logo. Digital image. The 2011 Statistical Abstract. Web. 7 July 2011. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>. Penn State Watermarked Logo Penn State School Watermark. Digital image. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/qBq20eJnjyQ/Ted-9lN7mgI/AAAAAAAAAew/_yaO8_3b9Ys/s1600/Penn_State.jpg>.

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