Testing 101

Testing 101

February 12, 2016

The official e-newsletter of The Equestrian College Advisor.

Testing 101

SAT. ACT. PLAN. AP tests. Subject tests. It seems as though there is a test for every facet of high school these days and no clear answers for students and parents regarding what test should be taken, when testing should occur, and when college applicants might prefer to select test optional schools.Briefly, college counseling professionals recommend the following: 

  • All prospective college applicants should test. No matter whether you choose the ACT or SAT, make sure you take at least one of them. (Prospective NCAA athletes, you are required to do so in order to become officially recruited.) Due to recent changes with the SAT, some in higher education recommend the known entity of the ACT until new SAT data is in, but the bottom line is, you must test – even for test optional schools, many of whom use test scores for scholarship awarding.

  • All prospective college applicants should test twice. Regardless of which test students select or whether or not the schools on their list allow for test optional admissions, all students should take either the ACT or SAT twice as juniors to give themselves the best chance of scoring at the top of their capability level. You do not have to send the scores to colleges at this time (though keep in mind that if you send the scores later, a fee will be incurred).

  • Prepare for the test. There are a host of both free and fee-based test preparation methods on the market and it’s up to you as to which route you prefer but you should make your selection based on your individual needs. If you suffer text anxiety, working one on one with a tutor might be helpful. If you desire familiarity with the testing format, an online program can work. Unless you’re qualified as a Mensa genius, however, you shouldn’t go into a test cold and expect to do as well as you might with some preparation.

  • Don’t dwell on the results. The test represents a few hours of your academic life, not the whole thing. As a result, the results are a mere snapshot of your capabilities – they don’t tell the whole story. If you get a lower score than you thought you would, don’t take it to heart and don’t allow it to derail your future plans.

Even though the tests themselves are designed to evaluate students en masse, the decisions regarding when and how to test are highly individualized. Make the decision that feels most right to you and follow through, then move on with the rest of your college plans. The test is just one small component of your application.

Vet

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Prospective Student

"A friend of mine from Lexington says she felt like a rebel when she embraced her high school sophomore’s decision not to take AP biology, despite getting recommended for the course. Although her daughter was already enrolled in AP world history, they both faced pressure from peers to stay in AP bio out of worry that the teenager would diminish chances of getting into an elite college. The mother and daughter stood their ground."

From the blog:

One of the catch phrases that often gets batted around higher education circles is “college-going culture.” Typically associated with the idea of helping under-represented and first-generation high school students take their education beyond high school level, the words came to mind last week when the USEF and NCEA announced the creation of the NCEA Junior Hunt Seat Medal, a new 3’3″ equitation class that can be offered at USEF licensed events in the U.S. and Canada, Designed to help junior equitation riders experience bracket-style competition for the first time and increase their visibility to NCEA coaches, it was also announced that future bracket-style competition in the western and reining disciplines is in talks. Read More