Always Choose a College Consultant who is affiliated with the highest ethical organizations

Today’s college admission scandal is a reminder of why it is important that families choose an IEC who is a professional member of either IECA, HECA, NACAC, TACAC and AICEP. I hold professional memberships in all of these organizations.

 • Why Choose a Member of the IECA? https://link.iecaonline.com/Choose-IECA

• 10 Important Ways IECA Members Are Unlike Other IECs: https://link.iecaonline.com/IECA-Members

• Principles of Good Practice: https://link.iecaonline.com/POGP

College Entrance Exams

Q & A on College Entrance Exams

TYPES:

Þ     PSAT – 10th and 11th Grade Preliminary SAT and National Merit Competition for 11th Grade Students; use to prep for SAT

Þ     SAT and / or ACT – both are accepted at all universities (see comparison chart - http://www.actstudent.org/faq/actsat.html)

Þ     AP Exams – given at the end of each AP Course; Colleges vary in the scores they accept for college credit. Students take these exams in May.

Þ     SAT Subject Tests – optional or required by some universities (21 exams) that test your knowledge in specific subject areas. They are content-based and allow you to choose the subject(s) in which you excel and best demonstrate subject mastery. All of the Subject Tests are multiple choice and are one hour long. These exams are sometimes used for placement out of foundational college coursework.

WHEN SHOULD A STUDENT START TAKING THE SAT and / or ACT:

Most students start taking these exams in the spring of their junior year. However, for students who have completed Algebra II in the 10th grade, they may be more prepared to take these exams in the fall of their junior year. Taking the PSAT in 10th and 11th Grade will certainly help guide the student in how best to prep for and take the SAT. All students should take a practice SAT and ACT to determine which exam is a better fit for the student, and to determine the best time to begin taking these exams. For students applying Early Decision, Restrictive Early Action, Early Action and Rolling Admission, you should have your testing completed by November of your senior year. Always check with the admission webpage of each college to be sure to plan for APPLICATION DEADLINES.

HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD A STUDENT TAKE THE SAT and / or ACT:

Every student is different and should consider a customized approach for taking these exams. For those students that receive a high score the very first time, they may not need to test again. However, most students will take these exams anywhere from 2 to 5 or more times. Some students enjoy the challenge of trying to increase their scores; others may want to keep testing as long as they are seeing significant improvement. Because many merit scholarships and honors programs look at test scores as one of the determining factors in awarding scholarships, students who enjoy testing will take these exams as many times as possible. HOWEVER, many students do not see a marked improvement after several times and determine to stop testing. Regardless, if possible, every student should prep for these exams by taking practice exams, using Khan Academy or the many other test prep companies. A good test prep company should offer practice with real exams and prepare you for both the SAT and ACT. IMPORTANT – Colleges vary in how they evaluate the scores of these exams. Some colleges SUPER SCORE (taking the best sub-scores from two or three score reports; other colleges accept all score reports, but officially only look at one date).

WHAT IS A GOOD SCORE ON THE SAT and ACT:

For the Texas Success Initiative ‘College Ready’ Benchmarks for theACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on the English test, and/or 19 on the mathematics test (B) SAT: a combined critical reading (formerly "verbal") and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the critical reading test, and/or 500 on the mathematics.

For College Admissions, scores vary from college to college: See ranges at https://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/average_test_scores.cfm

*ALWAYS CHECK WITH EACH COLLEGE’S ADMISSIONS WEBSITE TO DETERMINE THEIR COLLEGE’S ENTRANCE EXAM PROFILE &  SCORE REPORT REQUIREMENTS / PRACTICES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        *TEST OPTIONAL Colleges (schools that do not require the SAT and / or ACT)  - http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional