Testing Tips (Part 3 of 8)
STRATEGIES TO MAKE YOUR APPLICATION COUNT Series
As the college application process picks up steam, no credential sparks more consternation among applicants than standardized testing. I wrote about the role of testing in the admission process earlier this summer (check out my July 24 and August 1 blogs). Now, I would like to use this space to offer a few tips as you get ready to apply for admission.
1. You have options! Review your testing experience to determine which scores (SAT, ACT or both) you want to send to each school. Colleges will receive both the SAT and the ACT, so submit the set of results that puts you in the most competitive light.
2. Decide which tests you will take this fall. If you have already taken the SAT two times and are disappointed by the results, you may be facing a point of diminishing returns. You might be better off turning your attention to the ACT. Achieving a respectable score on the ACT means that admission officers have options with regard to the test results they might use to rationalize offering you a place in their respective classes.
3. Colleges strongly prefer to receive test results (SAT, ACT) directly from the testing services. Make arrangements with the appropriate testing service to have your results sent directly to the colleges to which you are applying.
4. If you are taking tests this fall, you may want to wait until you have seen the results before deciding to have official score reports sent to colleges.
5. Remember that admission officers will look at the best combination of scores. If you have taken the SAT 2-3 times, your best Critical Reading score might have come on your third test while your best math might have come on your second test. In order for colleges to pull results from different test administrations, you will need to submit scores from each.
6. Don’t hold off on submitting your applications for admission until you have all of your results from tests taken this fall or to be taken this winter. You shouldn’t have to report actual scores on your applications. As long as you register with the testing service to have your scores sent to the colleges in question, the results will be forwarded automatically within 3-4 weeks.
7. Consider the “test optional” opportunities that might exist among the colleges to which you are applying. Compare your results with the range of scores reported for each test optional college. If your scores fall in the bottom 50% of the score ranges, logic would suggest that you elect not to submit your scores, as they will do nothing to enhance your application. A complete list of test optional colleges can be found at http://www.FairTest.org.
8. Make sure you are choosing colleges at which your testing profile is a good fit. Remember, colleges are fond of reporting high scores for their entering classes. The further your scores fall below the mid-point of the reported range of scores at a college, the less likely you will be admitted at that college.
I have written chapters for both students and parents in my book, Winning the College Admission Game, that provide insight into how/where testing fits in the admission process. In addition, my Straight Talk About College Admission conversation, “The Role of Testing and the Value of Test Prep,” with testing expert, Rusty Haynes, adds excellent perspective into what tests measure and how they should be factored into the application process. The book and my conversation with Rusty (mp3 download) are available at the TAG Bookstore.
The following is the testing schedule through December 2008. For more information about test registration and score submission, go to www.collegeboard.com and www.ACT.org.
Test Test Date Registration Date
SAT 10/4/08 9/19/08* (late deadline has been extended)
SAT Subject Tests 10/4/08 9/19/08* (late deadline has been extended)
ACT 10/25/08 9/19/08
SAT 11/1/08 9/26/08
SAT Subject Tests 11/1/08 9/26/08
SAT 12/6/08 11/5/08
SAT Subject Tests 12/6/08 11/5/08
ACT 12/13/08 11/7/08
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