SAT/ACT Admissions Testing Info Night

We had about 25 people attend the SAT/ACT Admissions Testing Info Night last night - many thanks to Maureen and Tara from Revolution Prep for their thorough and well organized presentation! For those that missed it, Princeton Review has a nice breakdown of the differences between the ACT and the SAT here. I recommend their book SAT or ACT? for families that want a really extended look at understanding the two exams and how they differ.

As a summary, here is what we discussed last night:

- All colleges will take either the SAT or the ACT, it is best for students to explore both options, then focus on raising whatever test they naturally do better on (or if they have a similar performance on both, whichever they like better).

- SAT Subject tests are only required at a small percentage of schools, but they tend to be the most selective schools. If a student knows they are highly skilled in a subject, and that they would be excited to do additional studying in that subject for a subject test, they should take the SAT Subject test at the conclusion of the course, when the information is freshest in their mind.

• If a student is in 10th or 11th grade and was not satisfied with their PSAT score, it is more important to raise the main test score first, before worrying about subject tests. In other words, those highly selective schools (that take, say, 10% of applicants) expect BOTH a high main SAT score AND strong performance on the SAT Subject Tests.
• The average SAT score for the current senior class is currently hovering right below an 1800 on the 2400 scale. This would indicate that most students are safe focusing on bringing that score up and not losing sleep over subject tests.

• For the few schools that require subject tests, most ask for only two or three (ie - if World History isn't your thing, go ahead and wait because you may be better at US History)
• Some schools will accept the ACT with writing in place of both the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests. This is a great alternative for students that may have missed the chance to take Subject Tests but still wants to add some reach schools to their college list. 

-  Revolution Prep offers courses at ElRo and registration for a course will also provide you with a bonus online booster class which include prep for tests like the APs and the Subject Tests.

I've been waiting for a chance to use this 20x200 print for a blog post. I know the text is pretty small, but click the link for the full version. It applies to much of this process we call college admissions.

Whole New Look for the College Board

I was shocked today to find that the College Board has undergone a makeover and changed their website. The first major change is they are now going with a .org address instead of a .com address. I guess someone in PR liked what they saw at the ACT - their site has always been .org ;)

They have also dramatically reorganized things. Maybe I'm just resistant to change, but I'm not a huge fan. You now have to scroll down to find the links to the AP, Professionals page, etc. And, from what I can see, there is now no longer a dedicated 'Parents' tab on the homepage.

You should notice though that they do have an SAT page link right on the top left, since most visitors are probably looking for that. As an alternative, students may want to bookmark http://sat.collegeboard.com/home.

I'm sure I'll get used to this, but it is a little on the busy side if you ask me. My advice: take TIME to explore the site and don't panic when you aren't seeing what you need. Read the information fully before you get frustrated, I've found that they normally do address the issue that you are looking for, you just have to read carefully.

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In Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.

   

MLK STATUE Originally uploaded by ewilly011

 Martin Luther King Jr. was a graduate of Morehouse College, Class of 1948.

Mid-Year Grades

As the second Marking Period winds down, I want to remind everyone the procedure for sending out mid-year senior grades. Every college is different in their application processing. Some require grades from the first semester of senior year to be sent. Others do not (you can find this out by checking the college Admissions website, if it lists mid year grades as a requirement, you know they need them. If they don't mention it, you can assume that they don't). Some students want their senior performance to be included in their application because it is stronger than their previous years. Others still are deferred from Early Action or Early Decision, and need their mid-year grades for evaluation in the regular round. No matter the reason, here is how the process works at ElRo:

Students must let me know, either directly on the original Transcript Request Form or via email, that they want their senior grades sent. For students in the Regular Decision round, the grades will be sent as soon as the MP2 report cards are released. That report card falls in the middle of the year, hence the "mid" in mid-year grades.

Some students may only be proud of one Marking Period and not the other. Unfortunately, if a school is asking for mid-year grades they typically are expecting to see both Marking Periods. This is why I've said from the start of the year that Senior classes count.

Right now, I have 516 individual report cards that need to be sent. If you are unsure if I have you on the list, please feel free to email or drop by my office. If you know for a fact that you already emailed me, no need to do it again, I promise you are on there.

Why not automatically send semester grades everywhere for all applicants? First reason: there are over 1200 applications currently filed by this senior class. I'm only one person. Sending non-required items that don't add something new to an application isn't an effective use of time and resources. Second reason: I've already discussed the world of the college application processing/mail room. The chance of mid-year grades actually reaching a student file is definitely not 100%. Schools get better at sorting loose documents every year, but in the triage of finding missing items, Senior grades are normally at the bottom of the list. If the school doesn't require them, many senior report cards end up in a pile of papers that never even make it into the reader's hands so it is better to focus our efforts on the places that really need the items.

Sometimes colleges will also specifically reach out to me if they feel they need to see Senior grades, in that case, the first semester grades will be sent. If students requested senior grades for an Early Action round, the report card was sent after the first Marking Period since those decisions came out last month.

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Thanks Posse!

Wednesday night I had the pleasure of attending the Posse Scholar Awards Ceremony in support of ElRo senior Johnny Qiu, who was selected as a Posse Scholar to Lawrence University. We are so lucky to have had a student picked this year - there were over 3,100 students nominated and each school only accepts between 10 and 12 students, so it is a real accomplishment of which our school should be proud. Above are pictures of two Posse groups - the first are current freshman at Vanderbilt including ElRo's own Ryan Hess '10 (front right); the second are current sophomores at Dickinson including Derik Cardona, the first student I worked with that was selected for Posse (front center).

Congratulations to all of the Posse Scholars - I hope it is just the beginning of our good fortune for the class of 2011!

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Mock SAT This Saturday

As promised, below is the information from the phone call that just went out to 10th and 11th grade parents. The Mock SAT will be from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm:

"I’m calling to remind you that this Saturday, January 8^th, we are offering a $5 Mock SAT at ElRo for 10^th and 11^th grade students. This exam  is not required, but is being offered as a way for students to gain more exposure to the SAT, particularly after getting their PSAT scores back last month. To register, go to www.revolutionprep.com. The fastest way to sign up from there is to enter our zip code, 10021, then click the tab labeled ‘Practice Exams’ . Then click ‘Enroll Now’ and follow the instructions to pay online. The $5 fee acts as a fundraiser for ElRo. Students that take this practice exam are not required to register for a full Revolution Prep class and scores on the practice test do not count toward anything. If this weekend is not convenient, or students are not yet ready to start preparing for standardized tests, that is no problem. Virtually every test prep company offers free or low cost diagnostic exams and families are free to choose the prep option that is best for them. Again the site for registration is www.revolutionprep.com. Students must pre- register by no later than Thursday in order for enough exams to ordered. This message will also be posted on the ElRo College Counseling Blog. Thank you."

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Happy Holidays!

buddy xmas Originally uploaded by chotda  

I'll be taking a mini-blogging break this next week. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2011!

PSAT - What Next?

All the PSAT scores have been returned, but I know there are probably some students and parents with lingering questions. In case the students are having trouble remembering how to interpret the scores from my session, here is a summary of what to know:

-Make like a snowflake and chill. The PSAT is just a benchmark to see how students do on the College Board brand of test. Some students do significantly better on the ACT. Others benefit from applying to testing optional schools. No two students are alike (another thing in common with snowflakes), so resist the urge to make comparisons.

- To convert a PSAT score to an equivalent SAT score: add a zero to the end of each section. The PSAT sections are out of 80, the real SAT sections are out of 800.

- PSAT scores are distributed on a normal curve, meaning a small percentage of people score very low and very high, but the majority of students score in the middle. For the PSAT, this means most students in the nation score around a 50 on each section. Learn more about SAT score by clicking here.

- It is useful to look at not just the raw score, but also the percentile. For students that are testing in a top percentile (say 85th percentile or higher) this may indicate a natural ability on standardized tests and it may mean that the student should explore taking SAT Subject tests in the end of their 10th or 11th grade year if they are considering applying to highly selective colleges where these exams are required. Most colleges do NOT require SAT Subject Tests, but for those that do the best candidates are the students that are naturally strong test takers. If a student is in a lower percentile, they are probably better served bringing up their main SAT score before devoting time and energy to an SAT Subject Test. Some schools also allow the ACT with writing to count in place of the SAT and Subject Tests, so if students are not ready for Subject Tests as underclassmen it does not necessarily mean that they lose the opportunity to apply to these selective schools.

- Utilize My College Quickstart. Students can register for free online test prep from the College Board that is personalized to their strengths and weaknesses based on the PSAT. Don't miss this opportunity to get individual feedback on how to improve. A little bit of practice over a long period of time is a great way to improve your scores. Please note, the College Board username and password will be the same for the rest of high school. Do NOT make duplicate accounts or make an account in a parent's name. This should be completed by the student.

- Maximize your reading time in Advisory to really push your reading level. The best way to improve your SAT Critical Reading and Writing score is to read high level books. It is no accident that ElRo asks students to read books outside of those that are assigned for class. Opt for high level books (and even consider reading with a dictionary on hand) to learn vocabulary and expand your literary horizons.

Still confused about testing? Please attend the testing info night on Tuesday, January 25 at 5:00 pm in the Auditorium. 

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Dogs as Stress Relief for Finals

Yes, I'm biased. But seriously LOVE this idea.

Early Action/Decision Outcomes: The Glee Edition

What better way to deal with the anxiety around December decisions than with the joy of song. There are three possible outcomes in Early: Denied Admission, Deferred to Regular Decision, or Admitted. I think the cast of Glee can express reactions to these outcomes best.  
(**Full disclosure: I was in show choir in high school.  My sister was too.)

Denied Admission: Even if you are sad and angry, a catchy tune and dancing is a win/win. Playing on repeat is encouraged. 



Deferred to Regular Decision : Deferred truly does not mean denied, absolutely explore other options and be open minded to alternate routes, but don't give up hope.



Admitted:  You declared your love, the feeling was mutual.