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Creating a Test Taking Plan
Most college admissions officers
will tell you that from spring of junior year through the fall of senior year
students should be focusing all their attention on college. This means that
students should start thinking about where they would like to apply and start
making the all-important college visits. One important component of an overall
solid college admissions plan is having a solid test plan. Two key questions
will need to be answered in order to develop the plan: Which tests should I
take and when do I take them?
Most colleges require either the SAT or the ACT (although there is a growing
number of colleges that no longer require standardized tests, see our resources
page for a link to a list of these colleges). Then, depending on the colleges
where a student is applying, it may be necessary to also take the SAT II. Two
or three SAT II's (it varies depending on the school) are required at most
competitive colleges, such as Ivy League schools, Trinity, Connecticut College,
Wesleyan, Tufts, MIT, and a number of other competitive institutions. Parents
may know the SAT II as the old Achievement tests. The SAT II's test your
knowledge in a specific subject. Each test is 60-minutes, and you can take up
to three tests in one sitting. You can take the SAT II in a variety of subject
areas, such as Math I or II, English Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Biology,
Foreign Languages, U.S. History, or World History. Since they test your
knowledge in a specific subject it is best to take these tests at the end of
the year when the student is actually enrolled in that subject, as all the
knowledge will be fresh in the student's mind. For most students this means
that they should take the SAT II in June. However, if a student is enrolled in
AP courses and has to take the AP exams, then she may consider taking the SAT
II's in May. That will be the same week as the AP exams, but all the
information will be fresh in her head and the SAT II's are actually easier than
the AP exams.
Many students do not feel that the SAT score is indicative of their true
academic ability. There are still several options for these students. One
option that has been growing in popularity is taking the ACT. All colleges in
the country with the exception of one will accept the ACT in place of the SAT.
In addition, many of the competitive schools that require the SAT plus two or
three SAT II's will accept the ACT in place of all of those exams. There are
several key differences between the SAT and the ACT. First, the ACT is more of
a knowledge based test rather than a reasoning or aptitude test. On the ACT you
do not get any points off for getting a question wrong, so it is to the
student's benefit to answer all of the questions. There is a science reasoning
section on the ACT. The essay on the ACT is the last section and it is
optional. Warning, however, most colleges want you to write the essay, even
though they won't be reading it. They don't want you to use the ACT to get out
of writing the SAT essay. Many students, especially female students, will perform
better on the ACT than on the SAT. We recommend students to take a practice
test and score the test. Then, convert it back to an SAT score, since most
colleges on the east coast will convert the ACT back to an SAT score and treat
it like an SAT.
PSAT test:
- Often
taken inspring of
sophomore year,and/or
in the fall of junior year.
- PSAT
scores do NOT go to colleges, but are used in determining whether or not a
student is eligible for a National Merit Scholarship.
SAT test:
- Taken
in the student'sjunior
and senior years.
- We
recommend the student take it at least once (twice is even better) in the
winter/spring of their junior year (tests are in January, March, May and
June), and can take it again in the fall of senior year (Oct and Nov).
- We
recommend a student take it twice in the spring if he is prepared because
the fall gets hectic with college applications.
- You
should take the SAT no more than three times. All scores will be sent to
the schools where a student applies.
SAT II tests:
- Also
known as subject tests, these are required for many of the more
competitive schools.
- You
can find out if a school requires the subject tests by checking the
admissions requirement on their website or calling the school. Usually a
more competitive school will require 2 or 3 subject tests.
- Students
should take these inJune
of their junior year, or while the student is enrolled in the subject
of the test he plans to take (ie. Biology, Chemistry, French, etc.).
ACT test:
- Generally
the ACT follows a similar schedule to the SAT in that students will take
theACT in their junior
year.
- Often
students will take the ACT and SAT in the same season but different months
to see which they score better on, but some students will take the ACT
after they have received a score on the SAT they were unhappy with.
- ACT
scores don't automatically go to schools so there is no harm in trying the
ACT. It is usually not worth it for students to take the ACT more than
twice.
Things to Consider When
Deciding Which Tests To Take
- Does
your school require SAT IIs?
- Does
your school require the SAT, or is it optional?
- Would
your school take the ACT in lieu of both the SAT I and SAT IIs?
- Are
you applying early to any schools?
- Have
you taken the SAT and are unhappy with your score?
- Have you studied for the SAT
and your scores won't improve?
James Maroney, the author of this article, is the founder of First Choice
College Placement, an educational consulting firm located in Milford, Connecticut.
He has been working with students and families for over 10 years helping them
find, apply to, and finance the college of their dreams. He is also the
publisher of www.collegetreasure.com,
a website that helps students locate college-based scholarships, www.admissionhook.com,
a website that focuses on the college admission essay or personal statement.
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