Mar 12, 2015
In this episode, we continue our series on getting ready to apply
to college by talking about standardized college admissions tests.
We spoke in an earlier episode about colleges that did not require
college admissions test scores and about colleges that looked at
those scores perhaps for placement in college courses, but did not
use them as an admissions hurdle. However, there are still a lot of
colleges—both selective colleges and not-so-selective colleges—that
do require college admissions test scores. For that reason, your
child is better off taking one or both college admissions tests,
even if you believe that he or she will not do particularly well on
those tests. As you undoubtedly know by now, there are two college
admissions tests: the SAT, offered by The College Board, and the
ACT, which came out of work originally done at the University of
Iowa. The histories of these two tests—of how they came to be and
of how they were designed to fulfill their missions—is not really
relevant to what parents and high schoolers need to know today, so
let’s look at what is relevant. Both of these tests have elaborate
websites that can tell you—in simple, straightforward language—all
about themselves. Those websites do it far better than I can in
this episode. They can tell you what subtests they have (that’s
English, mathematics, reading, science, and an optional writing
test for the ACT vs. critical reading, mathematics, and writing for
the SAT), when they are given, how they are scored, what the
questions are like, whether to guess when you don’t know the
answer, and a lot more. So you should absolutely study the two
websites for all of those details. There are also quite a few
independent websites that do a good job of comparing the two tests
on many different aspects. What we would like to talk to you about
in this episode are some larger issues about taking the tests. 1.
Which Test To Take? It used to be that the SAT was the test more
commonly asked for by Eastern colleges and the ACT was the test
more commonly asked for by Midwestern and Western colleges. Now it
seems that many, many colleges will take either one. Unless your
child knows for sure which test is likely to be easier for him or
her, it probably makes sense for your child to take both—at least
once. It is possible that your child will do much better on one
than on the other. You might be able to tell this from practice
tests your child takes, but it is my experience that practice tests
do not necessarily predict perfectly how a student will do on the
actual test. Now it is true that some high school students can
barely be persuaded to take even one test. And some students are
frozen with test anxiety. For such students, forcing them to take
both the SAT and the ACT could be counterproductive. If your child
is fighting hard not to take each test one time, then look at the
colleges he or she is interested in and make a reasonable choice
between the two tests. Ideally, have your child try practice
versions for each test to see whether one seems easier to him or
her than the other. 2. When To Take the Test? Each test is given
six or seven times a year, including three times in the fall months
and two times in the late spring months. Many students take the
test of their choice for the first time as juniors in the late
spring. If your child is a good student, has taken an upper-level
math course, had solid English classes as a junior, and is
interested in colleges that require test scores, then taking one or
both tests before school closes in the junior year makes sense.
Scores at this point will give you an idea of how competitive your
child is as a college candidate for a selective college and could
affect any college visits you might be planning in the summer
and/or your choice of a college for an Early Decision application.
However, we have often advised students to wait and take one or
both tests for the first time as a senior at the first fall testing
date (either September or October). This gives your child just that
much longer to mature and/or to prepare for the test. Taking
practice tests over the summer and/or taking a test preparation
course (live or online) during the summer are excellent reasons to
put off test-taking till the early fall of the senior year. Both
the SAT and the ACT are also given in December, which is the last
reasonable time to take the test before college applications are
due for the regular admissions cycle, since most applications are
due January 1 or later. However, that is too late if your child has
applied on an Early Decision or Early Action timeline. So a little
advanced planning is required as you and your child start the
testing game. 3. How Many Times To Take the Test? How many times a
student should take the test depends a bit on how the student does.
It is likely that most students will take a test twice. If a
student takes both the ACT and the SAT, the student will probably
take whichever one he or she did better on a second time. Some
students who are not happy with test scores on either of their
first two attempts might take one of the tests a third time. That
is a sensible decision—but only if such a student actually does
anything more to prepare for the test the third time around. If a
student is not going to study or take practice tests or attend a
prep program or get a tutor or work with a friend before the next
test-taking, then it does not make any sense to take the test
again. There is very little chance that a student’s score will
improve between, say, October and November or even October and
December, if the student does not do something directly aimed at
improving that test score. Because most—though not all
colleges—allow the student to choose to send only the best scores
they posted, most colleges will probably not see how many times the
test was taken. So, in a sense, there is no harm in trying multiple
times. There is, however, an expense in trying multiple times
(unless you have a waiver, which is based on your family’s income)
and some stress for everyone as well. 4. How To Prepare for the
Test? In the old days, no one really prepared for the SAT or the
ACT. Now, anyone who can afford it does. So, if you can afford a
test preparation program for your child, you should pay for one and
put your child in it. There are many versions of test preparation
programs. The high-priced version is a test preparation company
with a track record of success, like the well-known Princeton
Review. I am not an expert on all of the test preparation
companies, and I do not keep track of their claims. I do know that
they offer a range of products—from online self-guided study to
small classes with an experienced leader to individual one-on-one
tutoring sessions. As you might guess, there is a considerable
difference in price in these options. There are many cheaper
options from other providers, too. You can buy a book of practice
tests from the test publishers. You can buy a book of practice
tests at a local bookstore. You can take advantage of any
after-school programs your child’s high school or a local public
college might offer. You can hope that your child’s high school
English and math teachers discuss test questions in class. You can
talk to your child’s principal about making test preparation
available at school. But the bottom line is this: If your child
does no preparation at all, he or she will be at a severe
disadvantage because many, many other students are preparing for
these tests. Listen to the podcast to find out about… Whether test
preparation courses are worth it How to take a practice test at
home and how not to Whether to take both the SAT and the ACT Check
out our show notes at http://nycollegechat.org/23 to find links to
the schools and programs we mention in this episode Connect with us
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materials we have available at Policy Studies in Education
Inquiring about our consulting services if you need individualized
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