December SAT – Reminder for Students Taking Test

Dear Students,

The College Board notes the December SAT® is this Saturday – December 6 . This is a reminder to all of you regarding the importance of sitting for the test.

If you missed the deadline for SAT registration you may still be able to take the test on standby. This means going to a test center on test day with a completed registration form and fee payment. For more information about standby testing, click here.

For answers to other SAT questions, visit the SAT Counselor Resource Center. It’s a one-stop source for all the tools and information you need to help students prepare for the SAT and college success.

We hope the following tips will be helpful to each of you on test day! And after the test, remember you still have nine days to take advantage of their four free score sends. Read more hints for test taking day!

A Few Suggestions for Testing Day

Here are some helpful hints for the day your taking your standardized test for college admissions. Eat well and bring a snack for the break. Bring the right supplies – photo ID, number two pencils. Get to the test center site early. Wear comfortable clothes. Know the procedures. Review the whole test section before you start. Answer easy questions first. In the ACT, answer every question since no deductions are taken for incorrect answers. Identify key words. Rephrase difficult questions. Eliminate answers on multiple choice sections. Jot down your thoughts. Write neatly. Use all of the time given.

Juniors and Seniors – Making Your Plans for to Take Standardized Tests? See Dates for the 2014 – 2015 School Year

Though standardized tests are not the only piece of information an admissions office will review in the application process, it will be important to take the tests if the colleges require them for admission. Register for SAT (http://www.collegeboard.com) and ACT with Writing (http://www.act.org) for the fall. To see if a college has a test optional policy check http://wwww.fairtest.org.

Check out the the testing dates for the SAT, ACT, and TOEFL. Click here for dates and deadlines.

Seniors – Get the Inside Scoop on the College Essay and Review the New Common Application Topics for 2014-15

college essay 2This week, guest blogger Janine Robinson, shares some helpful hints on the college essay. 

Want to know the inside scoop on what makes the best college app essays? It’s called a “slice of life” narrative, where the writer picks one interesting moment, incident or event to start the essay, and then goes on to share what she or he learned from it. They are personal, engaging and the opposite of the formal, pedantic essays that English teachers promote.

But how do you find your best story? And then make sure it’s about you? How can you tell it’s a good one for your college app. essay?

Here are some tips from my short guide to writing college app. essays, called Escape Essay Hell!, on how to find your best stories to showcase what makes you unique–using a story-telling approach to make it interesting:

1. When looking for a great story, start with one of your defining qualities. (Examples: curious, self-disciplined, creative, empathetic, bold…) Then look for “times” or examples of when you either demonstrated or developed this quality, or had it challenged. When your mini-story, or anecdote, is linked to a core quality, you make sure your essay will be about you, and not someone or something else. Click here to read more tips!

When Should I Send My A.P. Test Scores to College?

If you are a high school junior and you will be applying early action to the college of your dreams this fall, you may wonder if you should send in your AP (advanced placement ) exam scores.  What if you received scores, a 4 and a 5 on the two exams you took, should you send them in May of your junior year? Are they part of the college  application process?  Will they help in the decision process?

AP or Advanced Placement courses are college level classes with exams given each May for students who complete the AP coursework. The fact that you took rigorous courses will indicate to a college that you are college ready. You’ll improve your writing skills, sharpen your problem-solving abilities, and develop time management skills, discipline, and study habits. These characteristics may be helpful in the in the admissions process. Read more about the AP scores and the college application.

Want an early preview of the new SAT? Take the ACT

Posted by Jed Applerouth on March 5, 2014 in Featured, Jed Said iStock_000019071498Small v6

If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, the ACT must be blushing.

This afternoon, The College Board announced that in 2016, it will strip away the main differences between the SAT and the ACT.

Here’s a quick taste of the impending changes. Like the ACT, the new SAT will have:

– No guessing penalty for incorrect answers
– No advanced vocabulary or sentence completions
– An optional, rather than required, essay that won’t leave room for students to make up their own “facts”
– Science content incorporating tables, charts, and graphs
– Close alignment to the Common Core standards

The test will also return to a 1600-point scale and will last about 3 hours without the essay, which, coincidentally, is the length of the ACT. The College Board also announced a partnership with Khan Academy to provide free online practice questions.

On April 16th, The College Board will reveal the full structure of the new test along with example practice problems on their website www.deliveringopportunity.com.

Stay tuned for updates.