Registration deadlines for the upcoming fall ACT and SAT tests are rapidly approaching so I wanted to give you all a quick review of some of the basic information that I thought might help you. There are two main college admissions tests – the SAT and the ACT – that enable colleges to compare students from different schools and backgrounds. Most colleges will accept scores from either test, but it is important to double check with the college admissions office to be sure they will accept the test you plan to take. One test is not better than another - take the test that is best for both you and the school to which you are applying. And yes, you may take both tests.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test I (SAT I) When people are talking about the “SAT” they are generally speaking about the SAT I test or the SAT Reasoning Test. No matter what you choose to call it, this is a 3 hour and 45 minute long test. There is a critical reading, math, and writing component to the test. Scores for each section range on a scale of 200 – 800.
SAT Subject TestsThe SAT Subject Tests are sometimes also referred to as the SAT II Achievement Tests. They are one-hour tests in specific subjects such as English, history, mathematics, or foreign languages. Some of the more competitive schools require two or three tests for first-year placement. Be sure to check to see if these tests are required (and if so, in what areas) before you sign up to take them!
The ACT TestsThe ACT tests assess specific academic abilities in English, math, reading, and science reasoning, and writing. Scores range from 1 (low) to 36 (high) for each of the four tests and for the composite. The composite is the average of the four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.
Submitting Your Test ScoresWhen you register to take your test they will ask you which schools you would like to have notified of your scores. You automatically have 4 “free” choices of colleges to be notified of your scores. It is to your benefit to take advantage of this because the colleges will consider your highest score (and disregard your lower scores) and it will cost money to send the scores to the schools after you receive your results. Nearly all schools want the ACT/ SAT directly from the testing provider rather than from WKHS.
When should I take the test?Students usually take it in the spring of their junior year, early in their senior year or both.
When is the next test offered?The next testing date for the
SAT is October 1st. The registration deadline is September 9th.
The next testing date for the
ACT is September 10th. The registration deadline is August 12th (which is next Friday!). There is another ACT scheduled for
October 22nd. The registration deadline is September 16th.
Do I need to take the writing test?Yes. For the SAT it is a standard portion of the test. With the ACT you will need to pick if you will be taking the test with or without the writing portion. At least one of the test score reports to your college should include the writing test.
How do I register, figure out costs, and find more information?Visit the
SAT and
ACT websites. (I also have a link to the websites on the right side of the page.)
And, last but certainly not least, do I *HAVE* to take the test again when I did OK the first time I took it?Unfortunately this isn’t an easy answer. No, you don’t *have* to do anything. If you are confident in your score then relax and be done with the testing. If you are confident in your score, but know that you could do better… well, then I’d say relax (there is no testing pressure because you are confident in your score) and take the test again. Some of you are sitting there wishing you hadn’t read that last line… but the reality is that if you take the test and improve your score it can only help you. You can benefit in the eyes of the college if you ended up on the bubble for their admissions decision and you can benefit financially if you are applying for any scholarships that consider your test scores. If you are not confident in your scores or if you know that you can do better – then the answer is simply, yes, take it again and see if you can improve your score.
Wow, that was a lot of information – hopefully you are not too overloaded… after all, it is still summer.
I found out today that they have changed all of our phone numbers at school. As a result, there are LOTS of new phone numbers to learn. The good news is that the old numbers will still transfer automatically to us for a year so hopefully that will help minimize the confusion.
Ready for another long list of articles and resources of interest? Today my topic of focus is everything related to college costs and finding ways to help pay for school. With the costs of college continuing to increase, being able to determine what you can afford and what to expect from a college that you are considering is extremely important. Please, remember that it is important to avoid scholarship scams - you should never pay for a scholarship!
Now that it is August, many of you are probably a lot like me in that your thoughts are starting to focus on the fact that it is almost time for us to return to school. As you consider all of the things you were hoping to accomplish this summer and throwing yourself into any summer assignments that are still remaining, I would like to remind you that this is a great time to being working on your college application essay drafts. While submitting your applications may still feel a long way off, it will be here before you realize and having a rough draft or two before classes begin and your schedule gets even busier will definitely help you in the long run!
My last few updates have been regarding the ACT and SAT tests and I want to continue the theme for one more post. I know that the college admissions tests can be stressful to students (and parents), but it is important to know that not every college requires strong test scores... in fact, there are many colleges that do not require test scores when evaluating applicants for admission.
Last night I posted general information about the ACT and SAT. There is a lot of information available about the tests and preparing for them. Below are some articles/ blog posts related to testing that might interest you.
Registration deadlines for the upcoming fall ACT and SAT tests are rapidly approaching so I wanted to give you all a quick review of some of the basic information that I thought might help you. There are two main college admissions tests – the SAT and the ACT – that enable colleges to compare students from different schools and backgrounds. Most colleges will accept scores from either test, but it is important to double check with the college admissions office to be sure they will accept the test you plan to take. One test is not better than another - take the test that is best for both you and the school to which you are applying. And yes, you may take both tests.
The Common Application is a centralized application that students can complete for over 450 different colleges and as of yesterday (August 1st) it is now updated and released for the Class of 2012 to begin working on their applications. The colleges that participate in this application method commit to treating applications received through the Common App with the same consideration as if students had applied through the institutions idividual application. This will generally mean that you have to spend less time filling out all of the basic information about yourself and can mean that you have fewer essays to write (but maybe not).
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