WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE PRESENTATION Standardized Testing

WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE PRESENTATION Standardized Testing February 1, 2018

What tests are we talking about? College Board Tests: • SAT Reasoning Test (with Essay) ACT (American College Testing) Tests: • ACT (with Writing)

What are they used for? Colleges consider them when evaluating applicants, along with the student’s transcript, essay and letters of recommendation.

Fun facts to get us started! • Fact # 1: The SAT was first used by the military in 1926 as an IQ test to • • • assess recruits for WW 1. Fact #2: The ACT was originally intended to be a placement test as well as an admissions test Fact #3: The SAT was originally used as a scholarship test for all IVY league schools Fact #4: Harvey Mudd was the last college to start accepting the ACT Fact #5: The ACT is now more popular than the SAT Fact #6: Colorado and Illinois were the first states to require all juniors to take the ACT Fact #7: Studies have shown that a child's grade point average in high school is a greater predictor of college success than a student's ACT or SAT score.

Do all colleges require them? No. While the majority of schools do, there are now more than 1, 000 colleges and universities at all levels of selectivity that are “score optional”. They do not require any test scores with your application. http: //www. fairtest. org/

So why should I take them? Because you might end up being very interested in one of the many schools that do require them. And keep in mind that just because you take the test doesn’t mean that you have to report the scores. If you test very poorly and you feel that your score is not representative of your ability, then don’t report your scores and focus on test-optional schools.

Which one should I take? We recommend that you take both an SAT and an ACT prior to the end of your junior year. After taking them both, decide which one you feel more comfortable with and score higher on (hopefully the same one), and then focus your preparation on that test. Plan to take it again in the late spring of junior year, the summer before senior year or early in the fall of your senior year.

The SAT vs. ACT • The SAT and ACT generally test the same types of content. Both ACT and SAT scores are used for college admissions and meritbased scholarships. The biggest differences between the tests are that the ACT has a Science Test, and there’s one SAT Math Section for which you cannot use a calculator. Most colleges don't prefer one test over the other.

A Quick Look at Both https: //blog. prepscholar. com/act-vssat

When should I take these tests? We recommend that you take an ACT and an SAT in the spring of your junior year and then focus on one or the other for the next administration. If you wish to take the test twice, then taking it late in the spring of junior year and then again early in the fall of senior year is a good timetable. If you wish to take the test three times, taking it early in the spring of junior year, late in the spring of junior year and then again in the summer before senior year or early in the fall of your senior year is best.

Testing Calendar • Upcoming SAT / Subject Test Dates • https: //collegereadiness. collegeboard. org/sat/register/date s-deadlines • Upcoming ACT Test Dates • https: //www. act. org/content/dam/act/unsecured/document s/Test-Date-Schedule-National-2017 -2018. pdf

Does everyone take the test more than once? Not everyone, but taking the test twice is HIGHLY recommended. Most students do better the second time they take the test because they know exactly what to expect. Utilizing test prep based upon your initial results can also really help you improve your score in your second attempt.

What does it cost to take these tests? For the SAT with Essay: $57. 00 For the ACT with Writing: $58. 50 These fees reflect on-time registration. If you miss the initial deadline, there is an additional fee for late registration. But more importantly: WPHS is a test site for both ACT and SAT – and we are very popular. If you don’t register early for a given test date there is a good chance that we will already be full and you will have to test at another location.

Now, take a deep breath. Standardized test scores are just a part of the bigger picture when a college evaluates a candidate. The most important part of the application is the transcript. These tests can be very stressful for students – and their families. Keep them in perspective and do your best. Practice and prepare. But don’t neglect your studies or the other things that are important to you in order to make them a singular focus. Higher test scores at the expense of lower grades and/or a less well-rounded student are not a bargain.

How should I prepare for these tests? If you took the PSAT in October (sophomores and juniors) or the Pre. ACT (freshmen) you’ve already begun to prepare. The College Board is now collaborating with Khan Academy to provide high quality online test preparation at no charge. Your access code to that online help is included with your score report. ACT offers its own test prep, accessible via their website. MANY companies (Kaplan, Applerouth, Princeton Review, etc. ) offer test prep at a variety of price points. Least expensive is online group test prep with a live instructor, then group test prep in a classroom setting, and then, at the greatest cost, is private test prep. The cost can be hundreds or dollars - or thousands, depending upon what you choose.

How important is test prep? Very! But don’t feel that if you can’t afford test prep offered by a company or individual who will charge for it that you cannot be adequately prepared on your own – because that’s not true AND you won’t be on your own. The free options are now so abundant and so powerful that if you exercise discipline and follow one or more of the online programs offered by Khan, ACT and others, you will be well prepared for the exams. They offer individualized test prep of the highest order.

Should I prepare for both or just one? It is recommended that you take both tests, decide which one is likely to yield a better result for you and then focus your exam prep on just that test – EITHER the SAT OR the ACT. Why isn’t it a good idea to prep for both? Because: • It is time-consuming • If you are paying for test prep, it is expensive • It can be confusing • There are far better ways to spend you time, like writing a magnificent college essay or doing higher-quality work in your classes. Either of these would likely have more of a positive impact on your college applications than double exam prep.

You said I don’t have to report my scores if I don’t want to. Can I report just some of them? Yes – maybe. This is called “Score Choice”, and it is available from both the College Board and ACT. This means that you can choose to send scores from one test date and not another. Here’s why it’s a maybe: many colleges will ask you NOT to use “Score Choice”. They want you to send all your scores. These colleges will usually utilize a form of “superscoring”.

What is “superscoring”? Superscoring occurs when a college cherry-picks your top score from each section of the test, regardless of the date it was taken. A variation occurs when the college considers your scores from only the test date on which you received your overall highest score. Every college rep tells us that this is their practice, and we have no reason to doubt them. Do not withhold scores if a college asks you not to use “Score Choice”. Trust that they will superscore.

Helpful websites • https: //www. compassprep. com/superscore-and-score- choice/ • https: //www. applerouth. com/blog/2014/01/22/taking- advantage-of-score-choice-and-super-scoring/ • https: //www. princetonreview. com/college-advice/sat-act- superscore

How do my scores get to my colleges? You must arrange to have your scores sent directly from SAT and/or ACT. The high school does not report your test scores to colleges because scores that do not come directly from the testing company are not official scores.

Is there a cost to send my scores? For the SAT: You can select up to four colleges to report your scores to when you register for the test, or up to nine days following the test, at no charge. These four free reports must all go out the same way: either all scores or scores from a selected date(s). You must comply with each college’s policy, so for the free reports, if any school requires all report then all four schools must receive all reports. The scores you send can be from all previous testing as well as from this current test administration. Additional reports ordered ten or more days following the test are $12. 00 for each school. This report could include all scores, or your choice of a single date if using Score Choice.

Fees for sending scores (con’t. ) For the ACT: The fee is $12. 00 per test date per report. This means that if you took the ACT test on three separate dates and you send all scores, you will be charged $36. 00 per school to which you send them. Like the SAT, you are entitled to send four reports at no charge if you designate the schools to which you would like them to go at the time of registration. Those free reports will only include the scores for that specific exam administration. Because of this fee structure, be sure to check with a college before deciding that you must send all ACT scores if you have taken the test multiple times.

This is getting really expensive. What if I can’t afford this? Both ACT and SAT offer fee waivers for qualified students. Students who receive free or reduced lunch at school are eligible for these fee waivers and should see their counselors for more information. Fee waivers are available both for testing and score reporting, and the College Board offers them for college applications as well.

New SAT Fee Waiver Changes • Starting when SAT registration for the 2018 - 2019 school year opens in April, students who take the SAT or the SAT Subject Tests with a fee waiver will be able to send their official score reports to as many institutions as they want—for free (currently, students eligible for an SAT Fee Waiver can send up to four score reports for free, in addition to the four free score sends they receive with registration—for eight total) • https: //www. collegeboard. org/membership/all-access/admissions/college- board-announces-unlimited-sat-score-sends-low-income

I get extended time or other accommodations on tests in school. Do I automatically get them on SATs and ACTs as well? No! This is a common and unfortunate misconception. You must apply separately for College Board and/or ACT testing accommodations, directly to those testing organizations. While many students do receive accommodations from ACT and SAT, not all do, and the ones who do don’t necessarily end up with exactly the same accommodations that they have in school. For example, they might qualify for extended time for SAT math sections, but not for reading. Or we may let them use a computer at school and that will be denied by SAT or ACT.

When should I apply for accommodations? For the College Board, you can apply any time. Once you are approved, it lasts throughout HS. You should apply in your freshman year to give yourself time to provide additional documentation if you are initially denied. For the ACT, you must apply when you have a test date in mind. You cannot apply in a prior year because an admission ticket is usually a required part of the application. You can, however, apply early in the fall for a test date late in the school year – and that is what you should do. This will allow you time to provide additional documentation if you are initially denied.

How do I apply for accommodations? For accommodations with the College Board, you can download a form from the guidance website, http: //www. whiteplainspublicschools. org/Page/10141 fill it out with all required information and signatures and give it to your counselor. We will take care of the rest of the process. For the ACT, please see your counselor to be sure that you are using the correct form. There are three separate forms available, and if you use the wrong one it is problematic.

How long does it take to process an application? Both the College Board and the ACT require a minimum of seven weeks to process a request for accommodations. Before we can submit your application, we must gather information and supporting documents, and sometimes collect teacher reports as well. For both ACT and College Board, please be sure to submit your application for accommodations to us at school a minimum of ten weeks prior to your selected test date. Failure to do this may result in our inability to complete and submit your application to the ACT or College Board by their deadline.

New College Board Process for SSD The College Board has now implemented a simplified process for students with disabilities to apply for accommodations. Rather than asking us for full testing data, they are now asking simply for verification that: • The student has an existing 504 Plan or IEP • The accommodations being requested from the College Board are reflected on that IEP or 504 Plan • Those accommodations are being used by the student in school (some students who are entitled to extended time NEVER use it in school)

But wait, there’s more. . . maybe. . . In addition to either the ACT or the SAT, some colleges require SAT Subject Tests. https: //www. compassprep. com/subject-test-requirements-andrecommendations/ Most colleges do not require them, and the ones that do vary in the number that they require. For colleges that do require them, most commonly they required two. Most commonly is not helpful if the specific college you fall in love with requires something different. CHECK INTO EACH OF YOUR SCHOOLS NOW TO FIND OUT!!

What do we mean by “now”? Literally, now. Even if you are a freshman, think ahead to the schools you might be interested in applying to and see what they will require. Subject tests are required mainly by selective and highly selective schools. If you aren’t interested in and/or you are not a realistic candidate for schools in those categories, you need not take subject tests. In order to know, you need to do some homework now – with the help of your counselor – to decide whether or not they are necessary.

Remember – most students will not need to take any SAT Subject Tests. But if you are one of the ones who does. . . The time to find out about it is not in the fall of your senior year when you belatedly get around to thinking about which college you should apply to. At that point, the decision will have been made for you. If a given college requires them, that college will have to come off your list. In conclusion, please give this some thought – NOW. https: //collegereadiness. collegeboard. org/sat-subjecttests/subjects

SAT Subject Test White Plains High School Course that Best Correlates with SAT Subject Test Mathematics I Honors Algebra 2/Trig Mathematics II Honors Precalculus Biology E/M Biology Living Environment Honors or AP Living Environment Chemistry Honors/AP Chemistry Physics Honors (AP Physics is a senior course – too late for SAT Subject Test Prep) World History AP U. S. History AP Literature AP English Language and Composition (student should be a very fluent, avid reader) French Language (Reading Only) Level 4 French Honors or AP French Language Spanish Language (Reading Only) Level 4 Spanish Honors or AP Spanish Language Italian Language (Reading Only) Level 4 Italian Honors or AP Italian Language Chinese Language with Listening Level 4 Mandarin or AP Chinese Language French Language with Listening Level 4 French Honors or AP French Language Spanish Language with Listening Level 4 Spanish Honors or AP Spanish Language

Fees for SAT Subject Tests (fee waivers available as per prior guidelines) $26. 00 basic registration fee plus: • $20 for each Subject Test not requiring listening • $26 for each Subject Test that does require listening

If you take a Subject Test, plan to take it in June of the year that you complete the course associated with that test. You can take up to three Subject Tests on the same day, but you cannot combine Subject Tests with the Reasoning Test. Please note that some colleges will accept the ACT in lieu of SAT Subject Tests. You must check each individual school in which you are interested to see if this applies. https: //www. compassprep. com/subject-test-requirementsand-recommendations/

How do I report Subject Test Scores? You send scores through your College Board Account. Before you send scores, carefully review score send policies for any college you choose. You should check college websites to make sure you have the latest information. You’re responsible for knowing current score send policies. https: //www. collegeboard. org With Score Choice, you can put your best foot forward by choosing which scores you send to colleges. Choose by test date for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests—but keep in mind that some colleges and scholarship programs require you to send all your scores.

Helpful websites: Test-optional schools: http: //www. fairtest. org/ Schools that require SAT Subject Tests: http: //www. compassprep. com/subject-test-requirementsand-recommendations/ To register for the SAT: https: //sat. collegeboard. org/register/ To register for the ACT: http: //www. actstudent. org/regist/ All things College Board (redesigned test, test prep, etc. ) : https: //collegereadiness. collegeboard. org/sat? navid=ghnsat ACT test prep: http: //www. actstudent. org/testprep/

Test Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: http: //www. whiteplainspublicschools. org/Page/10141 SAT fee waivers: https: //sat. collegeboard. org/register/satfee-waivers ACT fee waivers: http: //www. actstudent. org/faq/feewaiver. html SAT Score Reporting: https: //sat. collegeboard. org/scores/send-sat-scores ACT Score Reporting: http: //www. actstudent. org/scores/send/ SAT Subject Tests: https: //sat. collegeboard. org/abouttests/sat-subject-tests

What questions do you have?