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
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+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
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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 - LAST MINUTE TIPS

With only a couple of days left before the next ACT administration, what can be done to boost that score?

If a previous score is already... 

IN THE 30s...

   1) avoid silly mistakes.  Read questions carefully and highlight specific information to guide your decisions.
   2) watch your timing.  Don't let a single challenging question slow you down.  Skip it and come back for a second look if time permits at the end of the section.

...25 TO 29...

   1) review previous preparation homework.  You're probably falling for "typical" ACT red herrings.  Identify your personal, common errors and evaluate ways to avoid them.

   2) conquer impending fatigue.  Especially if you start out strong and peter out as the test moves on, try wiggling in your seat, stretch, take deep breaths, adjust your posture, have an appropriate snack during breaks, and stay hydrated with water or sports drinks - no soda pop or coffee, please.  When weariness threatens, use a couple of the available seconds to refresh and dig back in with renewed energy. 

...20 to 24...

   1) focus on accuracy.  You don't need to answer every question in order to climb to the high 20s; you just need a few more CORRECT answers.  There's no penalty for leaving an answer blank, so insure that any work you do is precise.  Default questions that resist solution and mark them for reconsideration if time permits later in the section.

   2) stay focused on answering questions.  Avoid cluttering your mind with unimportant information. Use your pencil to circle or underline vital data, but don't try to remember details from an article or statistics from a math or science problem.  Take each question one step at a time and move on to the next challenge.

...IN THE TEENS...

   1) relax.  You're probably undermining your best effort with worry or lack of self confidence.  You can always take the test on a later date, so concentrate on doing what you can right now, at the moment, this time.

   2) keep moving.  Adopt a "point collection" attitude.  If a question is daunting, skip it, mark it ON THE TEST BOOKLET (not the answer sheet) and move on.  If there's time remaining after you've addressed the last question, return to the skipped ones and either reconsider an answer or default it.

...FOR EVERYONE...

     Experts will tell you to get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, have your photo id and entrance ticket laid out the night before, be on time, have several pencils (and a WHITE eraser), and fresh batteries in your calculator.  Some of my friends recommend yoga or other relaxation exercises and 'envisioning success.'  

     Personally, I favor a 'get in the groove' approach.  Before the English section, I think about the routine grammar rules I expect to see, like its-it's, subject-verb agreement, punctuation between sentences.  In Math, I anticipate operations on fractions, mean-median-mode, properties of quadrilaterals and similar basics in the first half of the section.  For Reading, I'm prepared to identify relationships in the Fiction essay and will look for nouns to research in the Non-fiction articles.  When Science Reasoning is the upcoming section, I plan to focus on the axes in graphs and the headings in charts.

     Whatever your preferred strategy, keep in mind that this is just one test out of the hundreds you'll take in your lifetime.  This one is not the most important, nor is this your 'last chance.'  Prepare beforehand and CELEBRATE WHEN IT'S OVER.  Good Luck!

THE NEW PSAT AND NATIONAL MERIT QUALIFICATION

The decennial revisions to the PSAT and SAT standardized tests necessitate a revision in the conjectures about and preparation for achieving success.  The 2012 blog post about the PSAT needs updating to reflect the new format of the test.  Here’s what to expect for the upcoming Fall administration of the PSAT/NMSQT.

The new test has a few more questions and allots about 30 minutes more of testing time.  The difficulty of questions is equivalent to previous administrations, but the format is significantly different.  The vocabulary subsection has disappeared, and grammar questions are now presented in the context of a full article.  Reading passages may contain graphics and visual aides similar to sidebars in magazines and newspapers.  But the biggest change is in the scoring process; there is no longer a penalty for incorrect answers.  The score is a reflection of only the number of questions answered correctly.


WHY THINK ABOUT THE PSAT?

There is no greater honor for a high school senior than to be nominated, selected, chosen, recognized as a National Merit Scholar.  The only way to win the honor which represents the very pinnacle of student achievement is to get an outstanding score on the PSAT in October of Junior year of high school.  The path to that accolade begins long before the actual distinction.

WHEN SHOULD STUDY FOR PSAT AND NATIONAL MERIT BEGIN IN EARNEST?

The PSAT test serves as a qualifier for National Merit recognition only when taken in October of junior year.  Some students begin preparation in Middle School, others after completing Algebra 2, and a few as they enter eleventh grade.  All 2018 grads should be thinking about this opportunity right now.  Many high schools offer a “practice” PSAT to sophomores.  Those who demonstrate the potential to excel should double down on preparation immediately.


HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT IS WORTHWHILE TO STUDY FOR THE PSAT?

Recent changes to the PSAT and SAT tests have created a significant parallel to the ACT.  For this reason, results from the first 3 ACT sections are a good predictor of PSAT prospects.  The best source of practice samples, of course, would be the College Board, but the newness of the exams limits the availability of previous tests.  A few examples of questions and a sample test can be found at www.collegeboard.org.  Other prototypes offered by a variety of publishers may or may not be reflective of the real standardized test.

At Tutoring Resources, we suggest that students take one of the REAL ACT tests out of the study manual of the same name.  Individual section scores over 30 on the English, Math, and Reading portions are good indicators of the necessary foundational knowledge.

WHAT STUDY GOALS SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED?

Students identified at Tutoring Resources as potential National Merit scholars are invited to study for the PSAT beginning in the Spring of sophomore year.  Each state has a unique cutoff for NM recognition, but in Illinois, we generally expect that a student cannot miss more than one question in each section in order to achieve a sufficient score for National Merit.

WHAT IF I DON’T GET PICKED TO CONTINUE THE NATIONAL MERIT QUALIFICATION PROCESS?

As a certifiable academic, I will never be convinced that learning is not worthwhile.  With that prejudice in mind, I would argue that recognizing a high scholastic aptitude is a reward in itself.  Striving toward the coveted academic award has its own compensation in terms of personal satisfaction and ultimate success on national college entrance exams.  Winning a National Merit Scholarship is the icing on the cake but only a small part of the whole experience.

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.”