Choosing the Right Test

The ACT and the SAT are both meant to test your knowledge of the fundamentals of a high school education. Yet, the writers of the two tests are guided by very different philosophies, and the two exams have different formats and test different subject matter. These differences are significant enough that you might feel much more comfortable taking one test rather than the other. Here are some differences:

• The ACT strives to assess the knowledge you’ve acquired, meaning that the test focuses on subjects and skills taught in high school.
• The SAT tries to assess “innate ability.” It does so using tricky and confusing phrasing to determine your test-taking skills. Such as your performance under pressure and your ability to identify what’s being asked.

You should consider your strengths in comparison with the subjects tested by both tests. Good luck!

ACT vs SAT Score Reporting

Which company has a better score reporting system, ACT or College Board?

• The ACT allows you to submit test results from one-sitting to a college or a university. Consequently, a college would have no idea if you took the test 7 times.
  
• College Board sends a score report with all of your test scores - including your SAT Subject Tests scores. Consequently, if you took the SAT 7 times, your obsession with taking the SAT would be available to the school.
  

If you speak to friends, parents, and college counselors, there's a good chance they'll condemn College Board for its collective reporting score reporting. However, I prefer College Board's reporting system for the fact that when submitting scores, it shows that the student has put effort into achieving a higher score in hopes of getting accepted into a more prestigous college.

For those students aiming for the stars, College Board's reporting system could offer a slight advantage. What do you think?

SAT & ACT - Too Stressfull?

In 2008, 1.5 million students in the U.S. took the SAT. Students begin preparing for these tests months ahead of time. They take prep classes, carry a two-inch thick prep book with them everywhere and even buy electronic SAT prep questions for their iPods. However, come test day, some still feel like they could have done more. The pressure to do well is overwhelming. 100 points could be the difference between getting into a "dream" school or a "safety" school. The stress can put a toll on anyone. Usually, during SAT or ACT week, students stoll around campus stressed and with a dull expression on their faces clearly showing their lack of sleep. The ammount of stress a student can obtain in this time can't be healthy. This, is one of the most severe problems with the SAT & ACT tests.

ACT VS. SAT

Since the beginning of high school, I've been taking the PSAT's and practice ACT's. I've always wondered why there's two tests and what's the difference between them. Considering the ACT, from personal experience, has more advanced Mathematics sections, while the SAT is more advanced towards the English and Writing sections.

The ACT also has a Science section, which adds more variety, rather than the SAT with its common English, Mathematics, and Writing. The ACT also has less sections with a longer time limit to complete them, while the SAT has 10 sections that are anywhere from 25-35 minutes.

What's quite interesting about it, is that the SAT is the dominant college admissions test along the East and West Coasts and the ACT's mainly taken in the Mid-west and South.

The scoring on the tests are also very differnet. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800 with 2400 being the highest possible combined score, or 1600 without the count of the writing section. The ACT, on the other hand, scores each section on a scale of 1-36. Then the overall score is an average also from 1-36.

Both tests are quite difficult, but, most students find the ACT to be the easier test. The good thing about the two, is they're both accepted by colleges. There's no preference. Although, a lot of college's don't even take a gander at the test scores, but, the majority of major universities and Ivy-league schools require it to be mandatory. I hope this has answered any questions. Good luck!

SAT Changes Policy

Recently, College Board created a new policy that's called "Score Choice". Hoping it will reduce student stress around the SAT and college admissions. This new policy was made so high school juniors taking the SAT can have the option of choosing which scores to send to colleges, while, hiding the scores they don't want admissions officials to see. Unfortunately, some highly-selective colleges have said that they will not go along with Score Choice, and it's stirring a heated debate among high school counselors and college admissions officials. 

Some argue that it's really just a marketing tool that's intended to encourage students to take the test more often. Others say that the policy will aggravate the testing frenzy and add yet another layer of stress and complexity to applying to college. Some critics of the new policy note that the SAT’s main rival, the ACT, has long had a Score Choice policy. Some argue that even the ACT's policy is wrong and are blaming ACT for supposedly "causing" College Board to change this policy. College Board surveyed more than 3,000 high school students from a range of income groups and ethnicities and 700 counselors from a diverse group of high schools across the country, and 70 percent favored Score Choice.

I believe this is not a very good idea. It can prevent students from showing their progression and effort to achieve a better score, which could possibly cause admissions officials to accept them. I don't understand how it can lower a students stress successfully. It's meant to be a test in which you should stress out for, because you can either make-or-break. This might cause kids to take it less seriously and result in lower test scores.

Debate on Ending SAT Gains Ground

After reading this article on the New York Times about a debate on ending the SAT, I decided to create a blog post to share and possibly get some views from others. A while ago, Charles Murray proposed in an article to abolish the SAT. Although, arguing that a simple IQ test would only be necessary. Since so many college officials and parents are unsatisfied with the SAT, even those who don't believe in Mr. Murray’s theories could easily find themselves agreeing with him. Most critics of the SAT believe that the test is flawed, or it's favored towards to wealthier students who can afford classes and private tutors. Though, unlike most critics of the SAT, Mr. Murray doesn't agree with this. Instead, he recognizes that most people do not agree with him and believe the test is rigged to favor the rich. “It is a corrosive symbol of privilege,” he said. Mr. Murray believes that college admissions offices should reject the SAT and substitute other standardized tests - subject or "achievement tests" that gauge knowledge in specific classes or courses, such as: History, Chemistry, and Physics. His doubts about the exam first began after he read a 2001 study and follow-up done at the University of California, finding that the combination of high school grades and standardized subject test scores predicted success in college just as well as the SAT. 

I don't necessarily agree with what Mr. Murray is arguing. It seems to me that his argument's backed-up really well. I agree with the IQ test and the subject/achievement testing. The SAT shouldn't only focus of English and Mathematics, although those are the two core courses throughout high school and college, it should also focus on some History and possibly even Science, as the ACT does. What do you think about this? Do you agree with Mr. Murray's argument?

A Study Finds Little Benefit in the Revamped SAT

After reading this article on the New York Times, I was quite amazed. College Board has been trying to create a new style of testing and revamp their tests to a "higher standard" when apparently a study has shown that nothing really has changed. Critics of the new test say, "if that is the best it can do, the extra time, expense and stress on students are not worth it." You would think that people wouldn't necessarily question or criticize it, but, they clearly are. For example from the article, Robert Schaeffer, who's the public education director at FairTest states, “It underpredicts college success for females and those whose best language is not English, and over all, it does not predict college success as well as high school grades, so why do we need the SAT, old or new?”

The author of this article also discusses how College Board states that the students SAT scores "predict" their college success better than their grades in High School. As states by Robert Schaeffer, "Since the new SAT was introduced, 41 colleges and universities have dropped their requirements that applicants submit standardized test scores to be admitted. The College Board reports found that for black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indian students — and for girls — SAT scores are slightly more predictive of college success than are high school grades. They also found that scores on the new writing section predict students’ college grades slightly better than scores on the other sections, reading and math."

The revised writing section includes a 25-minute essay, which is a quarter of the writing grade. The other portion of the writing section is multiple choice and makes up the other portion of the grade. Until 2005, when College Board offered a separate writing subject test that was only required by about 75 colleges. Although, when the new test was introduced, many colleges said they wouldn't use the new writing section in making their admission decisions until validity studies showed it helped them make better admission decisions. But, College Board officials said that they hoped the new studies would encourage almost every university to use it. So... 

Why do you think we need the SAT, old or new?