College Planning Blog

I would like to share a note I received from someone who wrote in disagreement to a statement I made in last week’s blog, “The Magic Numbers.� You may recall that I suggested the young woman’s test results (ACT: 34; SAT: 680/760/730) would put her on the competitive “playing field� at any school in the country. The writer disagreed and, pointing to the average SAT scores posted by the Ivies in the mid-700’s, predicted “she would be knocked out with her 680 Critical Reading.�

On the surface, this response makes good sense. After all, logic would suggest, “if your numbers don’t match or exceed those reported by the college, you’re not likely to get in.� This is where it is important, however, to understand what the numbers mean.

The student’s scores are actually projections of her ability to do the work in the first year
of college. The higher the number, the greater the probability she can do well in more challenging academic environments. That’s why I suggested that this young lady has scores that would put her on the competitive playing field at any school in the country. Please note, however, that this should not be construed as a guarantee of admission. Without compelling credentials in other aspects of her application she remains a long shot for admission at elite institutions.

Now let’s take a look at how scores are often regarded by colleges. Admission officers know from experience that students within a certain range of scores can do the work in their respective environments. While some students might be projected as successful at the Phi Beta Kappa (high honors) level, others might be able to “just get by.� Regardless, students with scores at either end of the spectrum, as well as everyone in between, are on the competitive “playing fields� at those schools. In reality, most students who apply to most colleges fall somewhere within that range.

Therefore the numbers reported by a given college reflect the average score performance for the students admitted to that college. They are not minimal or threshold requirements as, frankly, those numbers (i.e., the lowest possible SAT for an admitted student) are rarely publicized. Therefore, the average scores cited by my reader for the Ivies are actually the mid-points of scores of accepted students, half of which were above the average and half were below.

That said, it is important to remember that the Ivies, and many other highly selective institutions around the country, routinely turn down students with scores above their averages just as they accept kids with scores below their averages. My point in my previous blog posting was that they could take the candidate in question if they wanted to without any worry about her ability to do the work as they certainly take other applicants with scores below their averages. I didn’t say her credentials would guarantee her admission anywhere in the country—only that they would put her on the competitive playing field at any school in the country. She is a viable candidate.

And really, that’s all she or anyone else can ask for—a chance to compete. The trick is to find places that look beyond your scores to see what you have to offer the communities they are building through the admission process. The places that value you for what you do well will be those at which you have the greatest chance of gaining admission.

It’s that time of year when rising high school seniors (and soon-to-be college applicants) should begin to take stock of their application preparations. I recently received a note from the parent of one such student that raised questions about strategies for reporting test scores. It’s a question I receive fairly often so I thought I would share my response. This parent writes:

“My daughter scored a 34 on her ACT and a 2170 on her SAT (760 math, 730 writing and 680 critical reading.) Her ACT converts to a higher SAT score (2260) so would you be inclined to send only the ACT scores for those schools who will accept either, or would you be inclined to go ahead and send both to show that she did pretty well on both “types” of tests? She has also taken 4 subject tests: 700 in literature and 730 in math this June, and 680 in chemistry and 680 in history as a sophomore.â€�

In responding, I must first point out that every college in the country now accepts the ACT or the SAT and acknowledge that the young woman in question has produced superb test results on both tests. While it would be wrong to make assumptions about whether she will be admitted, her results will put her on the competitive “playing field� at any school in the country. Interestingly, these scores are not likely to be the credential that tips the scale in her favor at highly selective places even though they speak well to the likelihood she will find success if admitted.

Generally speaking, submitting both the ACT and the SAT can work to this student’s advantage. The same can be said for students who possess closely matched but lower scores. Why? While it might be nice to show that the student is capable of scoring well on all the tests, the presence of two respectable scores for a given college affords its admission committee options with regard to the score it uses to justify an offer of admission. (More on that in a minute).

That said I would like to make several observations. First, be careful about being too literal with regard to how an SAT might convert to an ACT and vice versa. While both test makers provide concordance tables to give you an idea as to how their scores compare, the tests themselves are quite different in terms of what they measure. As a result, you can’t make exact comparisons with regard to the diagnostic benefit of the respective tests.

Second, the need to demonstrate proficiency on both types of tests may be a bit over-rated. At the most highly selective colleges, such proficiency is both expected and rather routine.

And, third, I would like to reflect on the notion of giving admission officers options. Schools that receive a preponderance of one test type over the other are regarded as dominant with regard to that test. For example, a school where most of the applicants submit the SAT is considered “SAT dominant.� While ACT results are considered in its admission process and reported on institutional profiles of entering classes, the ACT scores themselves disappear when test results are reported to ranking guides as the latter only factor in results from the dominant test at a given college or university.

So, what does this mean for you, the applicant? If you find yourself competing for admission at a college where your overall credentials are compelling but your test results are relatively modest, the fact that you submit test results from both testing services allows the admission committee to rationalize an offer of admission based on the scores from the non-dominant test. Without the scores from the non-dominant test, the committee might be wary of offering you admission for fear that your scores from the dominant test will adversely affect its testing profile.

The bottom line: think of your test results, whether they are from the SAT or the ACT—or both—as competitive credentials—numbers that reflect your ability to function on a given test. And know that colleges like big numbers. If you have the opportunity early in the process to sample one of each (perhaps the PSAT for the SAT and the PLAN for the ACT), do so to determine the testing format and methodology to which you respond best. If one test emerges as a favorite, then focus on preparing to do well on subsequent administrations of that test. Trying to master both will only distract you from other more important pursuits in your life.

Editor’s note: Periodically, I invite folks to share valuable insight into an element of the college planning process. In this installment, I am happy to introduce Karl Schellscheidt. Karl has developed a fascinating and educationally sound approach to test prep that I am happy to endorse — he actually teaches you so you can understand the tested subject matter better! Check out his video-based SAT preparation at www.ePrep.com.

How You Can Prepare for the SAT on a $25 Budget!
No, the title of this blog is not a cruel joke! You really can prepare for the SAT on a $25 budget. All you really need to do is (1) get motivated and (2) follow the advice below:

First, you need to understand the preparation methodology employed by teaching experts. It goes something like this:

1) Practice under simulated conditions;
2) Grade your practice test; and
3) Review the problems you:

• answered incorrectly;
• skipped;
• answered correctly, but with a guess; and
• answered correctly, but only after a long struggle.

Second, repeat this “practice-grade-review” cycle as many times as possible before test day. It’s that simple. The following offers a closer look at the detail and some of the logic behind this methodology.

Step 1: Practice Under Simulated Conditions
Before you begin practicing, take the time to acquire the highest quality practice SAT tests available. They can be found in The Official SAT Study Guide. Yes, The Official SAT Study Guide is the College Board’s book…you know, the big fat one with the light blue cover. It will cost somewhere around $20.

Once you have the book, you’ll be ready to take your first practice section under simulated conditions. So what exactly is meant by simulated conditions? First, if the header of the practice test says “20 questions in 25 minutes,” you should set your timer and limit yourself to 25 minutes. Don’t give yourself 40 minutes. If you do, you will not be simulating the time pressure that will exist on test day. Second, if you’re taking the practice test at home, don’t sit on a couch or in a comfortable chair while taking the test. Instead, sit at your kitchen table in a wooden chair or at a desk in a classroom after school. Doing so will help simulate test-day conditions. Finally, do not practice in perfect silence. You will not experience perfect silence on test day. Train yourself to ignore a moderate amount of background noise and commotion.

Step 2: Grade Your Test
This step is simple. Immediately after completing the practice section, grade your test using the answer key provided.

Step 3: Review
Right after grading your test–while everything is still fresh in your mind–launch into a review of the problems you:

• answered incorrectly;
• skipped;
• answered correctly, but with a guess; and
• answered correctly, but only after a long struggle.

So how do you review your problem areas listed above? Ideally, you will have formed a study group prior to completing the first practice section. Study groups should be composed of somewhere between 2 and 5 diversely talented individuals. (It may sound kind of geeky to invite someone into a SAT prep study group; but trust me, you’re going to have a really good time and you’re going to learn a whole lot!)

After your SAT study group is established, schedule a time to take a practice section in a classroom after school. When time has expired, each member should quickly grade his/her test. Note: There will almost always be someone in your group who answered a given problem correctly (without a guess or long struggle). Such person will be responsible for explaining his/her solution to those who fell short.

If no one from the study group can provide a good explanation for a particular problem, tap into the knowledge of other college-bound teenagers through an online forum. That’s right, simply go to a test prep forum and post something like, “Hey, I’ve been preparing for the SAT and I can’t seem to find a good solution to this problem. Please help.” Depending on the popularity of the forum, you should have multiple solutions within an hour.

At this point you might be thinking, “The College Board Book only costs around $20… so how do I spend the remainder of my budget?” The answer: Buy yourself a snack for the test (it’s a long one) or treat yourself to ice cream afterward. You deserve it.

Good luck!

Karl Schellscheidt is a master teacher and Princeton University graduate who co-founded www.eprep.com in 2005. ePrep currently offers the world’s only online, video-based SAT preparation courses.

Young lives are about to change–again! Why? The results from the October administration of the PSAT are now available. Like it or not, the outcome of one Saturday morning test–a set of number-two pencil marks in a seemingly endless column of bubbles–will become for many the defining element with regard to college admission, eligibility for scholarships, and direction in life in general.

Let’s not underestimate the impact the scores can have on self-esteem. Long before an admission committee is able to view them as part of an application for admission, the test results will have profoundly changed the way students are regarded by others–not to mention the way they feel about themselves. And if this happens to you, it will seem as though the score has figuratively leaped off the page and onto your forehead where it is become permanently imprinted like a big tattoo!

If the number that smiles up at you as you open the envelope bearing the results is “big,” you may suddenly see yourself as having options at a range of highly selective colleges. On the other hand, I have witnessed the devastation felt by students whose results fall out of the competitive range for the schools that had been in their sights. When this happens, the immediate reaction can be one of frustration and hopelessness. Regardless, I would like to offer advice that will help you survive and move past this life-changing event.

First, whatever your result, a healthy dose of perspective is warranted. If you are fortunate to be staring at a “big” score, remember that the score itself is not the ticket to fame and fortune. Big scores without big grades can be a problem especially if you want to compete for exclusive scholarships and/or admission to highly selective colleges. Even with the combination of big scores and big grades, you must compete with thousands of others just like you for limited places at the most selective colleges. And if your scores don’t match your expectations, remember that the PSAT is just a test–in fact, a practice test. Your life isn’t over and you can still go to college. The results may have many meanings, real and imagined but they are not a reflection of your character and achievements.

This leads me to the second bit of advice. Don’t obsess on the test or the results. Don’t let them diminish in any way the good things you are doing or dictate the value you attach to yourself. The odds are you didn’t become a different person the moment you opened the envelope, so don’t let reading the contents change you! And for heaven’s sake, don’t let the determination to improve your scores by 20 points or 200 points affect the way you live your life! The fact is your scores are likely to improve incrementally over time as the lessons of the classroom and life in general broaden your knowledge base and make you a more critical thinker.

If you want to help yourself, concentrate on continuing to do well in the classroom-and read. Lots. The more you read, the more you are exposed contextually to complex ideas and advanced vocabulary. The good news is that subscribing to solutions such as these will cost you very little!

Inevitably, though, your attention is also going to turn in the direction of what might appear to be a quick fix–test prep. While it is true you can be coached to improve your results on future tests, be measured in your approach. Take advantage of test prep instruction that is consistent with the way you learn best. Ideally, such a program will 1) give you exposure to actual SAT questions that have been “retired,” 2) include a thorough orientation to the test and test-taking strategies, and 3) conclude within ten days of the next SAT you plan to take.

The next tip is to use your PSAT results to begin calibrating your college search. Like them or not, they can help you find schools where you are likely to be a competitive applicant. As you learn about colleges, see where your results fall in the distribution of test results for the students they enrolled in previous years. The best fits for you will be those places where your scores fall in the top 50% of those reported for entering freshmen. (The further below the mid-point of the score range your results fall, the longer the odds against your chances of admission.) Will such scores assure your admission to these schools? No. They will, however, position you so that your other strengths and attributes can give you the competitive edge–so you can be valued for what you do well. Even though your testing profile may improve over time, it is better to allow yourself to think broadly about options at the outset.

Finally, remember that you have options. Look into the ACT if you haven’t done so already. It is regarded by many as a student-friendly test in that the content reflects material you have covered in the classroom and the style of the test is much like that you have experienced in other year-end achievement testing in school. Besides, every school in the country will now accept either the SAT or the ACT. Your other option is to explore the 760 colleges and universities that make test submission optional.

The downside to spending too much time talking and thinking about testing is that we have already conceded more to the testing process than it deserves. Yes, you need to take tests to get into college. Yes, there are things you can do to help yourself and improve your scores. And, yes, it is possible to obsess on this part of the admission process to the point of excluding other important considerations. Among them is your need to have a life!

On December 19, the Straight Talk About College Admission teleseminar series will examine “The Role of Testing and the Value of Test Prep” (8PM ET) with guest expert, Rusty Haynes. Currently the College Advisor at The Colorado Springs School, Rusty’s experience with testing dates to the early days of test preparation and he will share some of the secrets to getting the most out of the testing experience. For more information and to register for the seminar, go to: http://www.theadmissiongame.com/teleseminar_registration.php

It’s that time of the year when college entrance testing tends to dominate the thought process of many would be college applicants. This is too bad as students should be concerning themselves with far more substantive matters than whether they have test scores that will get them the prized admission offer they so desperately seek.

As I have noted before in this space, testing does not have to be the bane of a young person’s existence. Most colleges would confirm (ask to see their validity studies) that the testing is not terribly useful as a diagnostic (the purpose for which it was developed) and its usefulness has been reduced to, more than anything, that of a competitive credential. That said, I continue to be encouraged by the number of colleges that are making the submission of tests optional for some or all of their applicants. In effect, they are acknowledging, “We can make good decisions about whom to admit with test results.” According to Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director for FairTest.org, the number now stands at 757 colleges and universities. His website lists each of these schools in alphabetical order.

When I made reference to the test optional opportunity that exists at a growing number of schools during a presentation earlier this week, a parent asked, somewhat incredulously, “Won’t colleges assume that it you don’t submit scores that you are trying to hide low results?”

Good question. In fact, I have heard the assertion that the test optional schools are simply using the option as a marketing ploy to attract applicants and raise their institutional testing profiles (because, presumably, low test scores are no longer reported). While those might be secondary outcomes for such schools, it is my experience that the rationale for going test optional runs much deeper. Many schools with test requirements feel obligated to admit students according to their respective institutional testing profiles. In the process, they rather arbitrarily dismiss candidates who are otherwise very compelling, but whose scores would “hurt the profile.”

The removal of the testing requirement frees admission officers to focus their deliberations on the personal strengths and attributes of the student without concern for how a score might affect their institutional academic profiles. The day that my school went test optional in the admission process was like a day of liberation for my colleagues and me. Free from the “tyranny of numbers,” we were able to admit the students who were most compelling to us.

Interestingly, when we studied the records of all the admitted (and enrolled) students after the fact, we found that the testing profiles of the non-submitters was almost identical to that of the submitters–and it included a number of kids who elected not to submit perfect scores presumably because they wanted to be valued for the other things they did well! Did we admit kids who benefited by not having to submit substandard scores? Sure–and they did very well in college and in life after school. Similarly, we admitted more than a few students over the years who submitted high test scores but relatively modest high school records who did not find the same success.

The bottom line is this: if testing is not your thing or you are philosophically opposed to its place in the admission process, you should feel more than comfortable exploring the 757 colleges and universities that have made the submission of tests optional. They have defined a different paradigm for decision-making that, quite frankly, is student-centered. And that’s a good thing!

Stay tuned for more discussion about the topic as the December 19 Straight Talk About College Admission “Getting Started” Teleseminar (8 PM ET) will focus on “The Role of Testing and the Value of Test Prep.”

I had an interesting conversation earlier this week with a colleague regarding college entrance tests and, in particular, which of the tests might be used to the greatest advantage by students. After reflecting on the pluses and minuses of the SAT and the ACT, we came to the conclusion that the ACT was a bit of a best kept secret.

Think about how testing is used at most colleges. No longer a meaningful diagnostic-the purpose for which college entrance testing was intended, the standardized test has become a competitive credential in applications for admission. For better or worse, college entrance testing–in particular the SAT–is the most commonly recognized metric associated with quality at colleges and universities. Whenever institutions are compared, whether at the water cooler or in college ranking guides, their respective testing profiles are central to the assumptions of quality, as big numbers seem to reflect the presence of smart kids.

This brings us to the ACT. A product of the Midwest, it is a test that has just begun to show up on the radar screens of students on the coasts where the SAT has long been the coin of the realm. (The subject-based ACT is now accepted by every college and university in the country, including SAT-dominant schools–schools for which the SAT is the test result submitted by the majority of the applicants.) It is also worth noting that the test used in the majority of the admission decisions at an institution is also the test result that factors into the ranking of that college by U.S. News and World Report. And it is in the competition for admission at these schools where the ACT can be a strategic option for students.

Consider, for example, the student whose academic and personal credentials say to an SAT-dominant college, “take me,” but whose SAT results would not “look good” on that college’s Freshman Profile. Such a student is well-advised to give that college options with regard to his/her testing by providing an ACT result in addition to the SAT. With a solid ACT score as a point of reference, an institution that might be inclined to admit a candidate (except for modest SAT results) can, instead, rationalize the offer to admit on the ACT result. Moreover, if the school in question is SAT-dominant, it is only obligated to report that student’s SAT to USN&WR if it was the score that factored into the offer of admission.

So, think strategically about your testing profile. If test results are required of you and you have struggled to achieve a competitive SAT result, do what you can to eliminate the specter of a relatively weak credential. Give the ACT a try. While there are are no guarantees, the presence of the ACT result in your application gives many colleges the opportunity to look beyond the SAT in making their decisions. When that happens, you will have removed a barrier to admission.

To learn more about your options with regard to testing, plan to join the December 19 Straight Talk About College Admission teleseminar entitled, “The Role of Testing and the Value of Test Prep.”

With the fall calendar of college entrance testing fast approaching, I am hearing a lot of conversations about the need to do something to prep for “the test.” While I am not a fan of standardized testing, it still looms prominently on the horizon for most students as they assemble college application credentials. Even though 741 colleges and universities have made the submission of test results optional (topic for another day!), testing is still something you will have to deal with at most colleges.

So, what about test prep? Can it make a difference? If so, how/when do you get involved?

There is an emerging consensus among college access professionals that supports the long-held contention of the folks in the test prep world that tests are coach-able. In other words, students can usually improve their scores through exposure to a range of exercises including tutoring, practice tests, instructor-led programs and on-line courses. The key word here is exposure. If the first time a student experiences the SAT or the ACT is on a Saturday morning with the clock ticking and the results counting toward college admission, the outcome may not be a good indicator of that student’s true ability to handle the content of the test.

Good test prep will provide exposure in three critical areas. The first is an orientation to the dynamic of the testing situation. It is important to establish a comfort level with the format and pacing of the test as well as the rules of the test environment and the style of the questions that will be asked. Second, students should be exposed to question content that is similar to that which they will encounter on the actual test. Some test prep programs use “retired” tests for this purpose while others create close replicas intended to serve the same purpose.

Finally, good test prep programs teach students how to take the test. On the surface, this may not seem like a big deal. However, the ability to apply strategies that reduce the degree of uncertainty in some testing situations can make a substantial difference in the outcomes. The SAT, for example, is scored on the basis of correct answers and it can be argued that making “educated guesses” is better than leaving questions unanswered.

The trick is to find a right test prep solution that provides exposure in each of these areas and that provides a style of instruction that is best suited to how the student learns most comfortably as well as her/his degree of self-motivation. On-line courses work very well for some students and tend to be less expensive whereas other students benefit from the presence of a “live” instructor or even a one-on-one approach.

Important Tips for Considering Test Prep:

1.) Engage in instruction during the period that immediately precedes the actual test.

2.) Be discriminating about the claims of test prep companies to improve scores. Make sure the score improvement they reference is from one actual test to another, not from an actual test to the results of a practice test taken at the end of the course.

3.) Maintain perspective as there is a point of diminishing returns for involvement in test prep. Repeating test prep over and over won’t continue to bring incremental improvements.

4.) Prep the old-fashion way—read and write as much as you can and make sure you are well rested the night before the test.

Last month, Christopher Newport University announced that it was making college entrance testing optional for students with strong grade point averages. More than 740 institutions across the country, including some of the most selective, have now moved away from an emphasis on testing in considering students for admission. It begs the question: “Why don’t the others follow suit?”

Well, in point of fact, the number of “test optional” colleges and universities has grown rapidly over the last ten years as more places are publicly acknowledging what their own validity studies have been demonstrating for years: testing has a limited—at best—impact as a diagnostic in the admission process. Ironically, that is the purpose of the test—to predict who can do the work academically in the first year of college. The reality is that most students (80-90%) applying to most colleges have chosen places where, given the chance, they could do the work, a fact that is borne out in the academic credentials they submit.

So, why do many institutions still require test results? One reason is the need for efficiency. At many schools that deal with overwhelming numbers of applicants, it is certainly more efficient to screen candidates based on an index that includes grade point average and test results (not to be mistaken for a determination of who can do the work!). Test scores provide a convenient solution in that an institution’s ability to report higher scores supports the common misperception that test results are reflective of intelligence. The higher the scores, the better are your chances in such environments. Rather than a meaningful diagnostic—the rationale behind the SAT/ACT—test results have become competitive credentials.

If you would rather not get caught up in the emotional frenzy that often consumes students (and their parents) with regard to testing, be comforted in the knowledge that you have options. The 740+ institutions with a reduced emphasis on testing are all listed on the following website:

www.fairtest.org

The way I see it, the colleges and universities that appear on the FairTest.org list are places that will value you as a candidate for what you have done well in high school as well as the promise you exhibit with regard to future success. I saw this personally when my institution went test optional nearly 20 years ago. That decision was a point of liberation for my colleagues and me. Free from the tyranny of numbers, we could focus on the breadth of credentials in making decisions about young people whom we valued most. Isn’t this the sort of solution that makes sense as you look for a college home that is a good fit for you?

We’ll talk more about testing in this space throughout the year. It will also be the featured conversation in the December 19 installment of the “Straight Talk About College Admission” teleseminar series.