As tenth grade students wind down Sophomore year and begin to think about which college has the best academic reputation, sports opportunities, geographic location, and parties, they might also be thinking about when to take the ACT OR SAT college entrance exam. Now is an optimum time to collect information and create a study plan.
ACADEMICS: Consider the academic load in eleventh grade. List the courses in which the student will be enrolled and estimate the time requirements for homework completion based on the student’s previous subject experiences. Try to be realistic when judging how quickly the student learns, especially when considering honors or AP courses, but lean toward over estimating rather than under estimating time commitments.
OUTSIDE OBLIGATIONS: If the student will have a job or will be participating in extracurricular activities, estimate the calendar of events and the time commitments involved. Starring in the musical, for example, will undoubtedly occupy all available time a week before the performance. Again, it is useful to allot more time than to find out later that the student is over committed.
SOCIAL COMMITMENTS: Look at the school calendar and the family’s vacation plans to identify blocks of time unavailable for study. Include birthdays and other social events that may disrupt a study plan.
KNOW THE LIMITS: Research a few possible schools to determine the academic and entrance exam expectations. Visiting schools in person or on internet can provide all needed information and also the motivation for the student to implement a study schedule.
KNOW THE LIMITATIONS: Use results from the PLAN (a standardized test given in Sophomore year) or have the student take a practice ACT (OR SAT) to evaluate the level of existing knowledge. Every test has a basic structure and list of concepts to be included. The ACT, for example, incorporates fundamental Trigonometry, but the SAT goes only to Algebra II. Consider consulting an experienced testing coach who can match the student’s current skill set to the testing company’s expectations and recommend the level of study required to achieve a desired score.
CREATE A STRUCTURE FOR THE STUDY PLAN: Use a 9-month or longer calendar to mark out large blocks of time that are already committed. For example, if the student is a football player or cross country runner, block out the Fall when focus will be on the sport and keeping up with school work. Don’t forget semester finals which may consume as much as 2 weeks for intense study.
Based on previous experience, estimate the length of time the student will need for entrance exam preparation. For an average student, incremental improvements in any of the 4 ACT sections might require a week for each 2 point elevation in score. For example, if the entry score for English is 24 and the target score is 30, figure 3 weeks of concentrated study to accomplish the goal. This estimate should be adjusted according to the student’s academic history and current level of achievement. It will take longer to go from a score of 34 to a 35 than from 14 to 15. In the first case, the student will need to search for unknown concepts to study, while the latter might be accomplished by studying just one of many possible rules.
Determine when the student will be taking the ACT. For public school students in Illinois, the SAT is given in mid April of the Junior year, is required for high school graduation, and may become part of the student’s permanent high school record. While the SAT score need not be the highest the student will ever achieve, a respectable score is necessary since every potential college may see it. Don’t rush into a national administration of the test, however. December of Junior year is a recommended ACT testing date only for students who have completed a course in Trigonometry and have adequate time in the Fall to prepare. February’s test results do not include actual answers to test questions and cannot be used for effective study. ACT offers an early April test, but many Juniors wait until June, or the new July date added in 2018. An incoming Senior can take the test in September or October and usually have results in time for early admission to the college of their choice. College Board runs a similar schedule for the SAT.
STUDY SMARTER: The best results on any test come from a smart plan of action. Realistic evaluation of the knowledge expectations of the specific test, the student’s existing skill set, school and family obligations, and desire to excel are vital components for designing an effective program of study.
ACADEMICS: Consider the academic load in eleventh grade. List the courses in which the student will be enrolled and estimate the time requirements for homework completion based on the student’s previous subject experiences. Try to be realistic when judging how quickly the student learns, especially when considering honors or AP courses, but lean toward over estimating rather than under estimating time commitments.
OUTSIDE OBLIGATIONS: If the student will have a job or will be participating in extracurricular activities, estimate the calendar of events and the time commitments involved. Starring in the musical, for example, will undoubtedly occupy all available time a week before the performance. Again, it is useful to allot more time than to find out later that the student is over committed.
SOCIAL COMMITMENTS: Look at the school calendar and the family’s vacation plans to identify blocks of time unavailable for study. Include birthdays and other social events that may disrupt a study plan.
KNOW THE LIMITS: Research a few possible schools to determine the academic and entrance exam expectations. Visiting schools in person or on internet can provide all needed information and also the motivation for the student to implement a study schedule.
KNOW THE LIMITATIONS: Use results from the PLAN (a standardized test given in Sophomore year) or have the student take a practice ACT (OR SAT) to evaluate the level of existing knowledge. Every test has a basic structure and list of concepts to be included. The ACT, for example, incorporates fundamental Trigonometry, but the SAT goes only to Algebra II. Consider consulting an experienced testing coach who can match the student’s current skill set to the testing company’s expectations and recommend the level of study required to achieve a desired score.
CREATE A STRUCTURE FOR THE STUDY PLAN: Use a 9-month or longer calendar to mark out large blocks of time that are already committed. For example, if the student is a football player or cross country runner, block out the Fall when focus will be on the sport and keeping up with school work. Don’t forget semester finals which may consume as much as 2 weeks for intense study.
Based on previous experience, estimate the length of time the student will need for entrance exam preparation. For an average student, incremental improvements in any of the 4 ACT sections might require a week for each 2 point elevation in score. For example, if the entry score for English is 24 and the target score is 30, figure 3 weeks of concentrated study to accomplish the goal. This estimate should be adjusted according to the student’s academic history and current level of achievement. It will take longer to go from a score of 34 to a 35 than from 14 to 15. In the first case, the student will need to search for unknown concepts to study, while the latter might be accomplished by studying just one of many possible rules.
Determine when the student will be taking the ACT. For public school students in Illinois, the SAT is given in mid April of the Junior year, is required for high school graduation, and may become part of the student’s permanent high school record. While the SAT score need not be the highest the student will ever achieve, a respectable score is necessary since every potential college may see it. Don’t rush into a national administration of the test, however. December of Junior year is a recommended ACT testing date only for students who have completed a course in Trigonometry and have adequate time in the Fall to prepare. February’s test results do not include actual answers to test questions and cannot be used for effective study. ACT offers an early April test, but many Juniors wait until June, or the new July date added in 2018. An incoming Senior can take the test in September or October and usually have results in time for early admission to the college of their choice. College Board runs a similar schedule for the SAT.
STUDY SMARTER: The best results on any test come from a smart plan of action. Realistic evaluation of the knowledge expectations of the specific test, the student’s existing skill set, school and family obligations, and desire to excel are vital components for designing an effective program of study.
