By junior year, most high school students have been told that they need to ace their standardized tests in order to get into college. But what does acing it really mean? We have the answer. Your child can use this step-by-step guide in order to create a personalized ACT or SAT goal score. This way, they will know precisely when they have hit the mark. Make a list of prospective schools Every university has their own requirements. Make a spreadsheet of every school your student plans to apply to attend. Be sure to include safety schools, dream schools and reach schools. Nothing is off limits–think broadly here! Find the average ACT/SAT scores of admitted students You can use the College Board database to figure out average test scores for current students. While not all universities report these statistics, a great many do so on College Board. Search for a school’s name, and under the “Applying” heading you will find a tab labeled “SAT and ACT Scores.” Look for the score range that contains the largest percentage of students, and input the low and high thresholds of that range into your spreadsheet. Calculate your goal score This is it: the moment you have awaited! Find your child’s goal ACT or SAT score by calculating the average of all the low-threshold scores, and the average for the high-threshold scores. For example, if Harvard College’s SAT threshold is 1460-1590 and Yale’s is 1420-1590, then you will average the low end of the range ((1460 + 1420)/2 = 1440), and the high end of the range ((1590 + 1590)/2 = 1590), separately. Do this for all schools on the master list. In the end, you will have a score range that takes into account the expectations from your student’s college application list, instead of just an arbitrary number. In the example given, the goal SAT score range to apply to Harvard and Yale is 1440-1590. Calculating a personalized goal score helps provide a metric during test prep time. By keeping in mind the requirements needed to be a competitive college candidate, your child is more likely to meet their goals. Once they earn the score and get admitted, you all can celebrate the victory!
Many parents and high school students were in an uproar this summer after the SAT results arrived. It seems that the composite scores for the June exam date were markedly low compared to previous dates, nationwide. College Board released a statement explaining that the scoring reflecting the fact that the June version of the exam was easier than others. SCORING THE SAT The SAT is scored on a 1600 scale, comprised of a Math Section and a Reading and Writing Section worth 200-800 points each. Students do not receive a raw score calculated based on percentage of correctly answered questions. Instead, College Board uses an equating system to allot scores that account for varying degrees of test difficulty. This is because some SAT tests might contain questions of higher or lower difficulty than others. The sum of difficulty across all questions in a given version of the SAT equals the test version overall difficulty. So the equating process ensures that students who take an easier version of the SAT do not have an advantage over students who take an overall harder version. Students who test on the same date are arranged by difficulty percentile. Then their scores are categorized onto a scoring scale containing SAT versions from all dates and difficulty levels. The result are scores that factor in not only your child’s individual performance, but also the difficulty level of the specific test version they take, as well as the performance of their cohort against the data mine of College Board. WHY THE OUTRAGE? Some felt that this grading technique caused vast amounts of variability on the June SAT scoring. Whereas missing one math question might have equated to a 790 in January of 2017, the result was a 750 in June. Parents claimed that such points deficits can have detrimental effects on their child’s college applications, and the inconsistency proved troubling to many. Another argument suggests that the College Board is competing against the ACT in the marketplace, and used this scoring technique in order to thin out the amount of students who score highly. This makes a high SAT score more rare and thus more valuable. Compare this to the alleged high amounts of students who score well on the ACT, thereby diluting the value of the score. VERDICT: SCORING WAS FAIR The College Board released a statement addressing the outrage in July. “While we plan for consistency across administrations, on occasion there are some tests that can be easier or more difficult than usual. That is why we use a statistical process called equating. The equating process ensures fairness for all students.” It seems, then, that the outrage is unfounded.
Standardized tests are a cornerstone of the college application process. Parents devote ample time and energy to preparing the prospective college freshmen in their homes for success with Kaplan courses and Princeton Review guidebooks. But in the last two years, both the American College Test (ACT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) have been redesigned. So how do they compare to their older versions? Also, which test best suits your child’s needs and abilities? Let’s first break down how the test have evolved in recent years. In September of 2015, the ACT was redesigned to incorporate new sub-scoring categories for each of the four core sections: English, Math, Reading and Science. The rationale behind the change meant to provide greater insight into a student’s personal strengths and weaknesses. Thus in addition to the composite score graded on a 1-36 scale, students also receive scores in four new subcategories: S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), English Language, Career Readiness and Text Complexity. Each of these areas theoretically contribute to a more detailed snapshot of the student’s aptitudes. Along with new scoring mechanisms, the ACT made alterations to the optional writing section by extending the time from thirty minutes to forty minutes. The essay requires analysis of multiple perspectives as opposed to general prompt response of older formats. While these changes do not impact the difficulty of the questions themselves, being aware of how best to prepare could be the difference between earning a 28 and a 30 on the exam. Collegeboard first administered the new SAT in March 2016, which decreased total exam time from three hours and forty-five minutes to just three hours (excluding an optional fifty minute essay section). The old Critical Reading and Writing sections, once famous for their vocabulary sections, have been combined into a single Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section that poses questions related to textual excerpts. The new format also eliminated the point penalty for incorrect responses, and extended the time allotted for writing from twenty-five minutes to fifty. Most importantly, perhaps, the score range shifted from 600-2400 to a scale of 400-1600. So a 1600 back in 2012 meant a very mediocre score, whereas now a 1600 denotes perfection. But how to choose between the two exams? First and foremost, not all colleges accept scores from both exams, Not to worry though, because most do. If you want to verify, search through the comprehensive Collegeboard.org database of application requirements. If you can choose either or both, then let the content inform your decision. Note that the main content difference between the ACT and SAT centers around the ACT having a Science section, while the SAT does not. In terms of test formatting, the SAT requires a No-Calculator Math section, while the ACT permits calculators for the entire Math section. With respect to aids, the SAT provides common algebra and geometry formulas, while the ACT does not. Our suggestion? Review these content and formatting differences with your child in order to gauge their preferences. Still stuck? Have them complete sample SAT and ACT questions and then compare the scores. At the end of the day, rest assured that many colleges permit students to submit the highest scores per section for either test, without reviewing all scores from each exam attempt. When choosing between the ACT and SAT, be sure to prioritize your child’s preferences along with the application requirements of the colleges they hope to attend. In any case, happy testing and good luck!
The fall semester of senior year comes with a particular significance–college application time. Usually at this point in the high school experience, students have completed their last rounds of standardized testing and are polishing off the remaining personal statements. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, applying to college can often seem like an insurmountable obstacle. How can parents keep the household running, manage work and other children, and craft the perfect admissions application? Is there any part of the process that is within my control? Indeed, there are two. Glad you asked… RECOMMENDATION LETTERS Let’s face it. Teachers sometimes struggle to complete college recommendations in a timely manner. This is not necessarily out of negligence. In fact, it is probably a safe bet to say that many teachers wish they could recommend many more students that they ultimately do each year. But the reality is that writing college recommendation letters can be time-consuming and tend to become into another box that needs checking off the ol’ to-do list. But it does not have to be this way. Ask in advance. Approach your potential recommender a month or more before the deadline. Make it as easy as possible for recommenders to perform this favor for you and your child. Things like providing the writing prompt for the recommendation, including the URL link where they should submit, and communicating the exact deadline work wonders for streamlining the process. Then, let them know that you understand their workload, and will follow-up at weekly or biweekly intervals to relieve the pressure of them having to remember the deadline. If you are feeling extra-cautionary, fudge the deadline by telling the recommender it is a week or two earlier than in actuality. This way, you have a buffer for procrastination and can sleep cozily at night knowing the recommendation will not be late or rushed. Over-ask for recommendation letters. If your child’s dream school requires two letters of recommendation, secure four people willing to write on their behalf. Why? Some will be stronger testaments to your child’s character than others. Some will be more timely and eloquent than others. Most importantly, though, your “Plan B” is already enacted. Better safe, than sorry, right? Think outside the box. While it’s true that college admissions offices love to see recommendations from recent core-class teachers, there are many people in your child’s life who could offer an illuminating recommendation. Consider athletic coaches and trainers, church and community leaders, and even employers. The goal of a recommendation letter is to hear an adult who is involved in your child’s life elaborate on the strength of his or her character. So feel free to cast a wider net in your effort to find a stellar recommender. PERSONAL STATEMENTS These are the Holy Grail of college admissions. Why? Because the personal statements is the only guaranteed opportunity an applicant has to speak directly to an admissions officer. Think about it. What are the other components of an application? Transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters, college resumes, etc. Not one of these elements allows your child to speak to why they are a suitable candidate for admission. Make the most of a personal statement by having your student write about themselves. Each and every sentence is an opportunity to shed a bit of insight into their personality, dreams, goals and psyche. The picture the personal essay paints needs not be a summation of who they are (the other components sum everything up already), but rather an extremely vivid one. One good test is to change the name at the top of the essay and then reread. Is it so general in content that it could apply to literally any high school senior in America? Sentences like, “I am passionate about learning, and dedicated to achieving my goals” are major red flags. They beg the question of who isn’t passionate and dedicated these days? Instead of generalities and platitudes, go for the juicy details. Concrete, specific and illustrative. If your child writes about a family vacation, for instance, ideally it is written such that the admissions officer gets a clear sense of what kind of vacation, family, and experience your child had. Most critically, the essay should communicate how your student feels about each and every one of these topics. The personal statement should be imbued with your child’s point of view and opinion because this reveals glimpses of who they are. Why do so in a vivid way? Because admissions officers, after all, are people too. And people remember things that resonate most with them. So as the Early-Decision, Early-Admission, and Common Application deadlines quickly approach, wrap up the last bits of your child’s application confidently of knowing that you put the best foot forward. The rest is up to the universities.
The New SAT made its debut in March 2016 and impacts the students in the class of 2017 or younger. In 2005, the SAT changed and a score of 2400 or higher became the magic number to get. Before that the magic number was 1600. This year the SAT test is changing again and the magic number is reverting back to 1600. You may be asking yourself what is the new SAT test and why has it changed? Let’s dig a little deeper and learn more about the history of the SAT. The SAT was founded in 1926 and was an adaptation of the Army Alpha, an IQ test which had been used to check the intelligence of recruits to the US Army. This eventually developed into the SAT as we know it. In 2005, an update was done to the test where analogies was eliminated from the test. It was determined that they did not really reflect today’s high school curriculum. They als0 felt that the analogies encouraged memorization of vocabulary rather than reasoning skills. The math section was expanded to embrace concepts covered by most high school “Algebra II” courses. Again, the change represents an attempt to keep the SAT in step with the modern high school curriculum. They also wanted to emphasize the skills that are most desired by top colleges and universities. The newest changes to the SAT test in 2016 have students pretty excited. Lets look at some of these changes. 1. No Obscure Vocabulary. The new version of the SAT will be easier because there will no longer be obscure vocabulary to trip you up. So you may be more familiar with some of the vocabulary that is tested, but you will need to know multiple definitions of those words. The College Board made the decision to focus on vocabulary words that you will encounter on a regular basis in college and in future jobs. 2. Fewer Answer Choices. The new format will have only 4 choices to each question instead of 5. This will help save you time when taking the test because you will have 1 less answer choice to read through. This will also give you a 25% chance of getting the answer correct instead of only a 20% chance. 3. More Time. One of the biggest complaints that students had with the SAT test is that they didn’t have enough time to take the test. The good news is that there will be more time per section on the new version, and you will even have double the amount of time to write your essay. Another cool thing about it is the new 1600 version of the test will have 16 fewer questions than the old version. 4. No Penalty for Guessing. On the previous version of the SAT, students were penalized for guessing the wrong answer by losing a point on their score. The new system doesn’t penalize you for choosing the wrong answer. 5. Optional Essay. The essay, which the SAT added in 2005, will now be optional. SAT essays have faced criticism over the years from educators who said they focused too much on what test takers wrote, not whether their statements were true, or their arguments reasonable. Essays will be scored separately from the rest of the test, and the prompt will remain basically the same in every test. It will ask you to consider a passage and write an essay that analyzes how the author made an argument, used evidence and styled ideas. The redesigned test will take about three hours, with an additional 50 minutes for the essay, and will be administered by print and computer; the current test is available on paper only. These are so many needed changes to the SAT. The new SAT will have no bearing on students scheduled to graduate in 2016. However, for students planning to graduate in 2017 or any year after, the new SAT exam will be the exam they have to take (assuming they would prefer to take the exam no sooner than spring of 2016).
If you’re among the more than 1.6 million students who are planning on taking the ACT exams this year, you probably have mixed feelings about the process. On one hand, you know that this is your chance to show colleges how well you can perform on standardized tests and how dedicated you are to academic endeavors. On the other hand, you know that will mean lots of studying and preparation. Not to fret, getting a great ACT score is possible, even if you dread the idea of taking the test. If you’re looking for some inspiration and helpful tips to make the process better, look no further: Get familiar with the format. First and foremast, take some time to learn about the ACT exam and what it involves. Do you know how it’s different than the SATs? Do you know what the sections of the exam are and what the format is like? Don’t register before you learn the basics about the exam and know what will be expected of you so that you can study all topics accordingly. Give yourself a lot of time. Yes, it’s a fact that studying material over a longer period of time versus last minute cramming is the way to go. If you’ve got the option of spending an hour per day over a month versus three all-day study sessions, always opt for the longer term plan. 3) Think about the ACT exam differently. The ACT exam isn’t just another test, like that one you have next week in your social studies class. It is incredibly important and can play a big role in you getting accepted into your dream college, so give it the time and energy it deserves by preparing thoroughly. This may mean working with a tutor to establish an effective and productive study routine that ensures you’ll be prepared when test day arrives. 4) Use official ACT resources. The official ACT website offers a number of resources that every student should take advantage of, including practice test questions, tips, a question of the day, and more. Visit the page here to review the available material, and take note that some materials are available free of charge while others must be purchased. 5) Take practice exams. Before you start officially studying for the ACT exam you may want to take a practice exam to determine your base-line score. This will give you a starting point so that you can track your improvement and get an idea of how prepared you may or may not be already. By taking the exam a few times, you’ll also feel more comfortable with the format and know just what to expect on test day. With the right preparation, there is no reason you can’t excel at taking the ACT exam. Through preparation and planning, you can cut down on stress and ensure that you’ll get a score you can be proud of. Don’t feel you need to do it alone–get help from others and push yourself to be in your best mental shape! Dusty Fox is a full-time world traveler and freelance writer who contributes to the Ivy Trainers network. Visit the Ivy Trainers website to learn more about the services they offer. when it’s time to take the test!
The SAT college exam will change to an all-new format in Spring 2016. Current 9th grade students will be the first cohort to take the redesigned SAT. David Coleman, president of the College Board, states that the new SAT would be more closely tied to high school and college curriculum. He also added that the old SAT is “too stressful for students, too filled with mystery and tricks.” The new redesigned SAT will consist of a math portion, evidence-based reading and writing portion, and an optional essay portion. One prominent change is that the SAT is returning to a 1600 scale from the previous 2400 scale. Other changes include removal of the horrendous vocab-in-context, replaced by more common words consistently seen in college and beyond. Above all, students will no longer be penalized for incorrect answers, so no need to leave unfamiliar questions blank! The math section will consist of fewer topics and be more closely related to what students will experience in college with focus on problem solving and data analysis, algebra, and passport to advanced math. In many ways, the redesigned SAT has many similarities with the ACT. For more information contact Elite Home Tutoring! (408) 791-1255
Jason Goetz Owner and Operator of Goetz Educational Services (www.goetzeducation.org), and Author of Essays on the Classics!, The Decline of the Epic?, and The Bubble Boys Students: How Will You Conquer the New SAT? The recent changes to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), given by The College Board several times per year to high school students who wish to attend four-year universities, carry heavy implications for the students who intend to take it. These changes are scheduled to take effect in 2016, when the current crop of high school freshmen are juniors. The test is not their older siblings’ SAT, and is even farther removed from their parents’ SAT. Students and their parents should look at these changes carefully so that they know what test they are taking and are able to prepare themselves adequately. The changes include the following: 1) The writing portion of the test is to become optional; 2) When students choose to take it, the essay they write will be one analyzing a written passage, rather than (as at present) one in which students respond to a prompt using their own experiences; 3) The reading portions will require students include ‘evidence-based’ multiple choice questions; 4) The passages students will be looking at in presumably both the reading and writing portions of the exam will be texts of special relevance to American history or science, rather than the haphazard passage selection of the present exam; 5) The vocabulary portion of the reading section will use common ones rather than ‘obscure’ ones; 6) The math section will be restricted in scope, covering algebra, data analysis, and ‘passport to advanced math’; 7) Points will no longer be subtracted for incorrect multiple-choice answers; 8) The scoring will revert to a ceiling of 1600, rather than 2400; 9) The exam will be offered in both print and digital formats. I will start with the last point, and then go back to the beginning. The availability of a digital format for the SAT is a huge step forward and an opportunity for students to take strong advantage of. When I took the SAT in 2005, the first year of the version currently in place, my writing score was determined to a much larger degree by my poor handwriting (which can be very difficult to read, especially if I am forced to wake up very early in the morning) than by my actual writing ability. During my junior year of high school I was able to write a paper on the aesthetic theory presented in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man that my high school teacher claimed would keep a squad of graduate school professors arguing. Yet my SAT Writing score came out as a 630 both times I took the exam, so that I looked like a very average writer. This was a reflection of both the mechanics portion, which I will discuss a few paragraphs from now, and the written essay portion, on both of which my scores were average. I was then, and am now (as can be seen from reviews of my books on Amazon), among the most gifted writers in the nation, yet the SAT as it was then constructed was unable to recognize that. The SAT looked at my writing ability in much the same light as Shakespeare critics often look at his: they claim that because his handwriting is poor he must not have been capable of writing his own plays. This fooled plenty of college admissions offices, and even several high AP Exam scores (which were taken in the afternoon or late morning) could not overcome the short-sightedness of the planners of the SAT. By the time I took the GRE, in 2012 and in digital format, a pair of essays that I felt were less than perfect got me in the 97th percentile. Thus the digital format alone proved highly beneficial to me, as it will to hundreds if not thousands of students whose handwriting leaves something to be desired. Allowing students the choice of whether to take the writing portion is likewise highly beneficial. On one hand it allows students the opportunity to take the initiative. Students who choose to take the section should be given extra consideration by college admissions office not only because they are challenging themselves to do extra—in and of itself a skill that admissions offices often proclaim they are looking for in candidates—but also because compared to those who choose not to take it they will be forced to spend the extra hour or so on the exam itself. This means a greater challenge to their stamina, both intellectual and physical, and reflects deeper ability. One can only see whether this has the effect I am suggesting, though, after a year or two of students taking the test and applying for college admission. Moreover the change in structure of the written essay should be cheered, though it presents significant challenges for students, especially in my home state of California. The ‘personal feelings’ approach to essays is problematic because the writer never knows who will be reading his paper, and thus who will be judging its contents. Some readers may not share the same values as the writers of the paper, and though they are instructed in how to be impartial they are never likely to get to the point where they are in fact unbiased. No matter how many times a reader is told to judge an essay on its mechanics, strength of its thesis, and organization, he is unlikely to make his decision entirely on those criteria. And while this is equally true of essays written to analyze a passage, but whereas a subjective essay will bear subjective criticism, an objective essay will tend to be judged more objectively. One either addresses a written passage effectively, or he doesn’t, and it is much easier to differentiate between the two cases and the degree towards which an essay approaches the one or
