POIGNANT (adj.) deeply affecting, moving (I actually cried after watching "A Walk To Remember" after the poignant announcement that Mandy Moore had cancer.)

MNEMONIC TRICK: Think pregnant! When your child is born you are deeply affected and touched.

Some colleges are reporting double-digit drops in the average SAT scores of applicants this year, even as other credentials, such as class rank and college-prep coursework, remained similar to or grew stronger than last year's.