SHOULD I BOTHER TO TAKE THE ACT OR SAT?

FIRST CHOICE COLLEGE: "Applications do not require an ACT or SAT exam."

MOM & DAD: "So do we bother with either exam?"

TUTORING RESOURCES: "That depends...

 SHOULD I BOTHER TO TAKE THE ACT OR SAT?

More and more colleges and universities are rescinding a previous requirement to include a college entrance exam score with the admissions application.  This may be a bright spot in your student's path toward moving on to the next step in education.  Some students shouldn't worry about the tests and move instead on filling in other areas of their curriculum vitae, like leadership, grades, and non-academic talents.  Here's how to decide which, if any, exam to prepare for.

 

WILL THIS TEST HELP MY APPLICATION?

EMERGING STUDENT:  If your student had a considerable change in grades since Freshman year, adequate ACT or SAT study could help to bolster a lackluster former performance.  An exam score higher than the GPA, substantiated with an essay describing a viable reason for the positive trend and a preplanned discussion point for admissions interviews, would demonstrate the student's current intellectual commitment and status.

ADVICE: Begin studying for the test with at least 4 months of assessment, practice, original learning, and creating resources to use in college. The goal score for the ACT should be above 24 and for the SAT, above 1250.

 

AVERAGE STUDENT:  If your student happily brings in C's and B's, GPA between 2.0 and 3.0, and is applying to a school that only requires an ACT of 21, it may be more constructive to invest time and resources on an activity in which the student excels.  The goal of every college application is to help the student stand out from the thousands of other hopefuls.  For many of us, academic work is only a fraction of our skills and talents and is frequently not what counts as success in life.

ADVICE:  Consider a cost-benefit analysis to analyze your options, including whether the test results will be productive.  If the entrance exam score would simply fall within the average range of 21 to 24 (ACT) or 1070 to 1210 (SAT)  List your student's extracurricular activities and evaluate how these could contribute to the well-rounded applicant most colleges are looking for.

HIGH ABILITY STUDENT:  If you are the lucky parent of a student who consistently achieves high academic grades without excessive prompting, a merely above-average score on a college entrance exam might survive only the first cut.  High ability students (and their parents) quickly learn there are a lot of good students out there, each one of them representing the competition for admission.  For the high-ability student, especially those with, for example, a 4.3 GPA on a 4.0 system, achieving a "nearly perfect" score can be crucial.

ADVICE:  It is more difficult to raise an ACT score from 31 to 36 than it is to elevate a 21 to a 26.  Same 5 points, but with an entirely different approach.  High ability students study differently and need more focused preparation from a knowledgeable mentor. 

The self-motivated student should be encouraged to find their own errors, correct them, and highlight a plan to avoid similar mistakes in the future.  It is well worthwhile to engage a private tutor to guide the student through material that is new or presented in unique ways, someone who knows the test and can predict the concepts covered in the test and the ways in which understanding of the concept are tested, who has experience with retired tests and training in tailoring information to the student's learning style. For this academic approach, the homework goals should be stringent, with a maximum target of no more than 2 errors in any section of either test.

 

OVERARCHING CONSIDERATIONS

1.  Check out the guidance provided by your considered schools.

    a.  If no test is required, seriously examine whether the time, effort, and cost of studying for and taking the ACT or SAT is worthwhile for your student and family.

    b.  Some schools with not even LOOK AT test scores, so don't bother to send one.

    c.  If a "good" score will enhance your student's application, weigh the benefit of the school's tuition reductions and scholarships based on test score.

2.  Assess your student's academic history and commitment to set, strive toward, and achieve a realistic goal.

3.  Start now to work smarter, not just harder or longer.  For high ability and emerging students, studying with an experienced tutor can expedite progress to achieve a realistic goal score.

Dr. Sandi Ferguson is owner and lead tutor at TUTORING RESOURCES in Barrington, IL.  TR has been guiding students through the college entrance exam experience since 1989.www.tutoring-resources.com

 

WHY SKIP THE "TRIAL ACT"

Don't let the first ACT obscure your true potential to succeed in college.

Taking a "trial" ACT just to see "how I might do on the real test" is putting the cart before the horse.  The ACT and SAT are supposed to predict readiness for college, and although you might be intellectually prepared for everything a university curriculum might challenge you with, a "pop quiz" effort is not likely to present a realistic portrait of your talents.
  
Taking any test without knowing how to respond to the
unique parameters (content, format, structure, allotted time) is like  trying to take a typing test on a manual typewriter without ever having seen a QWERTY keyboard.  You will be slow.  You won't know how much pressure is needed to make those keys hit the paper. Your fingers will accidentally hit wrong keys.  Mistakes
generated by lack of practice will obscure your true ability to type.  Don't let your first ACT obscure your true potential for success in college.

According to the publishers of the ACT, the practice of retaking the exam has gained popularity over the years.  In 2009, 41% of the tested students took more than one administration; by 2015, the number had increased to 45%.  Although 57% of the multiple-testers improved the score, 27% went down!  Of the retesters, an average increase of only 2.9 points was earned and only by sitting up to 10 times!!  Based on statistical analysis, ACT predicts that simply taking the test a second time will earn an average of only 1.1 composite points. 

To achieve a noticeable elevation in score requires identifying
     -- a clear baseline of existing knowledge,
     -- gaps in comprehension AND application, and
     -- suggested alternative strategies.

The first ACT experience should be untimed and given over a period of days so that each section receives "fresh eyes."

Analysis of the results should differentiate between concepts the student already knows and can be exploited, as well as principles that require a revised approach or additional study.

The test, taken in a stress-free environment, should pinpoint the student's natural pace in order to predict the need for timing mitigations to be instituted after sufficient mastery of concepts has been proven.

And the results should be presented as input for the sole purpose of designing an efficient, effective study program, not an intimidating appraisal of the student's intelligence.

Sitting for the ACT or SAT (in either a national administration or a "mock" setting) without sufficient preparation doesn't give a fair reading of the student's true potential on the exam.  So skip those options and find a program that focuses on a workable analysis that will inform your personal study plan.

Work smarter, not just longer or harder.

TRANSLATING GPA TO COMPARIBLE ACT/SAT SCORES

The following chart suggests ACT and SAT goal scores to support and verify GPA on a college application.

GPA                             COMPATIBLE SCORES
                                         ACT                        SAT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+4.0                               36                          1570-1600
4.0                                 35                          1530-1560
3.9                                 34                          1490-1520
3.8                                 33                          1450-1480
3.7                                 32                          1420-1440 
3.6                                 31                          1390-1410
3.5                                 30                          1360-1380
3.4                                 29                          1330-1350
3.2-3.3                           28                          1300-1320
3.0-3.1                           27                          1260-1290
2.8-2.9                           26                          1230-1250
2.6-2.7                           25                          1200-1220
2.4-2.5                           24                           1160-1190
2.2-2.3                           23                           1130-1150
2.0-2.1                           22                           1100-1120
1.8-1.9                           21                           1060-1090
1.6-1.7                           20                           1030-1050
1.5                                 19                             990-1020
1.4                                 18                             960-980
1.3                                 17                             920-950
1.2                                 16                             880-910
1.1                                 15                             830-870
1.0                                 14                             780-820
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While every college will have its own desired GPA and entrance exam standards, these guidelines are based on a compilation of schools across the nation.  If the student's GPA is significantly higher than the ACT or SAT would suggest, he or she should be prepared to introduce the disparity and provide a reasonable explanation on college application essays and interviews.  For example, "I've always worked harder than the classroom teacher requires and taken advanced classes where I had to study longer and smarter than some other students.  My grades are an indication of my commitment to challenging myself to achieve academic excellence."

If the entrance exam score is noticeably higher than the GPA, an explanation might include reference to an illness that was overcome or a "slow start Freshman year" that can be shown to have risen impressively over the next 2 years.

The best outcome is the highest possible GPA supported fully by the ACT or SAT result.  But if the situation requires, a college essay about a hurdle that was overcome can counter anomalies.

ACT SCORES CAN LOWER COLLEGE TUITION COSTS

Over the years, my students have reported impressive scholarship awards based on higher classroom grades and ACT scores.  To motivate students to aim high and work hard, I mention that a scholarship or tuition reduction is a gift to give to the parents.  For parents, an investment of a few hundred dollars in test preparation can significantly lower the cost of tuition.

Here are some examples of Freshman awards given to former students and renewable annually. Each of these were "automatic," based solely on exam score and GPA.
 
School                                 Past Awards             ACT            GPA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope College (Michigan)              $3000                  25            3.6
Hope College (Michigan)              $6000                  28            3.75
Illinois Wesleyen                       $10,500                   28           Top 25%
Roosevelt                                     $1500                   24           3.2
Roosevelt                                      $6000                  28           3.5
Indiana University                         $8000                  30           3.8
Indiana University                         $5000                  29           3.8
Carroll University                        $15,000                 27           3.75
Carroll University                         Full Ride               34           3.9
U of Colorado-Boulder                  $6250                  29           3.85
University of Iowa                         $7000                   26          3.6         

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From a strictly business standpoint, preparation for the ACT has visible return-on-investment benefits.  Even a small improvement could have tremendous financial advantages across the 4 year college experience.  To get the quest for scholarship money underway, follow a few easy steps.

1.  Have the student take a verifiably accurate test to determine the current level of competence.  That means taking a test by the actual publisher, either a retired version from a previous student or from a study manual by ACT (ACT exam) or College Board (SAT exam).  Do not rely on a manual published by any other source since the questions may be mere facsimiles and not truly representative of the type or format of the real exams.  (Using authentic, published retired exams, Tutoring Resources-Barrington, IL offers a nationwide ACT/SAT Readiness Evaluation to help students analyze current strengths, knowledge gaps, and potential strategies for success.  This narrative report can be used by any qualified tutor to design a personal study program for the individual student.)

2.  Identify weaknesses for the student to mitigate through either independent study or tutorial assistance.  See "Getting Ready to Study for a College Entrance Exam" in Thenormalgenius@blogspot.com, Tuesday, June 5, 2018 -- or read suggestions for finding study help at tutoring-resources.com/test preparation/when, what, how to study.

3.  Establish a goal score that supports the student's GPA** and aims toward a result that will earn the highest potential scholarship or tuition reduction amount based on guidance from the student's college choices.

4.  Set interim benchmarks and don't forget to CELEBRATE incremental steps toward improvement. 

**Check out the next blog for suggested ACT goals based on GPA.

TAKING THE SAT?

The next SAT test is March 12. Are you preparing for it? It’s time to get started if you haven’t already.

Purchase a study manual: one that contains REAL SATs from the publishers themselves. Do NOT rely on another publisher to create an SAT-like test. Use the real McCoy so observations that you make during study will have direct application to the actual test.

1. Take a test and score it so you know where the points come from.
2. Observe the format (which is parallel to the PSAT that Juniors took in October, but is very different from the ACT that Juniors will take in April).
3. Check your pacing.
4. Determine your strategy for omissions.

Here’s an SAT tip for the Reading section. Notice where in the text you find answers to each question. Notice anything? If not, underline the statements within the text that support the correct answer. Number this highlighting with the question number. Notice it now?

As a general rule, the questions are asked in the order the answers appear in the passage. Read the first question, then read the text until you come to the answer. In most cases, you can go on to the next question and continue reading until you come to that answer. If you get to the answer for a subsequent question, you know you’ve missed the important clues. Line references help here, but in some cases you may need to know what the next question is also.

With this strategy, you are reading the entire passage while collecting points. No wasted time and a direct link to where discrete answers can be found.

Be prepared for the essays to be bone dry. Just resolve to find correct answers and don’t worry about the lack of interesting topics.

Remember to “study smarter, not just harder.”