Versed Editors's blog

By: Valerie Erde

 

While it’s true that colleges want to create a well-rounded class that brings together a mix of artists, athletes, and leaders in a range of areas, they also want students who, when they arrive on campus, are able to do the work and who will graduate in four years — not six or eight. 

It may be good for colleges’ wallets to have students attend for more than four years, but it’s not good for their rankings nor their reputation.  This is due in large part to the way the college rankings work. One of the areas measured by the U.S. News and World Report rankings, for example, is the percentage of students who graduate in four years. If you’ve taken a college tour recently, you’ve probably noticed that this information is often featured in the presentation, and it’s also important for the Department of Education College Scorecard.

Beyond rankings, the truth is that colleges really do want students to succeed:  admitting academically strong students — the ones who are ready to succeed from Day One — is the best way both to keep the rankings number up and to ensure their students will succeed academically and thrive intellectually once on campus.

For the majority of colleges and universities, especially the “most selective” ones that accept fewer than 20% of applicants, it’s your academic profile  - not your extracurricular endeavors - that is going to be paramount in their decision on whether or not to accept you.

But there’s a problem: grade inflation.

GRADE INFLATION IS ON THE RISE

Not all “straight A students” are created equal. That would seem obvious, right? Honors English, social studies or science at one high school can be vastly different from the same honors course at another high school. Sometimes, the courses can even vary widely between teachers at the same school! Anyone who’s been through high school knows that some teachers are tough while others are easy.

The same is true for AP courses, though the variation isn’t as severe. That’s because the course material is dictated by the College Board and is therefore relatively standard across the country. And, of course, the culminating AP test is standardized.

Even “objective” subjects such as math include plenty of room for subjectivity in the grading.   The quadratic equation is the quadratic equation, but how much time is spent on it, how it’s taught, and how many homework problems you’re assigned for practice can vary greatly.

Beyond that, some students—particularly affluent and self-advocating ones—get better grades simply because they’re perceived to be “good kids.” I’ve had many conversations about this with fellow tutors, and we’ve all had the experience of working with a student whose PSAT/P-ACT scores revealed serious deficits in math (or English), despite having straight A’s in the subject since middle school. Kids who are extroverted and build good relationships with their teachers can—often with the help of an involved parent—talk their way into extra credit, makeup work, or the dropping of a low test score. 

Research shows that grade inflation is strong and on rise. Before the pandemic, 47% percent of high school students graduated with an A-minus to an A-plus average—an increase of nearly 10 percentage points over a 20-year period. And some of the biggest increases are coming from “resourced” schools, especially independent private schools. This has the effect of creating a growing pool of competitive (on paper) applicants, especially in affluent communities. 

That’s a lot of kids competing for very few spots at elite colleges—many with the same high GPAs.

 

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

As you build a list of colleges to apply to, it’s important to have an accurate view of yourself and where you stand in relation to other applicants. It’s not helpful to have an inflated — or deflated! — sense of yourself. When it comes to applying to highly selective schools, don’t assume that a good GPA alone is going to get you in. It also depends on the rigor of your high school, whether your school is known as a grade inflator, and your standardized test scores, which serve as a crucial “validator” of your grades. If your AP test scores are much lower than your grade in the course, for example, that won’t instill confidence in the rigor of your school’s program. 

 

BE INFORMED: KNOW WHERE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STANDS

How can you know if your A is really an A? 

It helps to understand where your high school ranks compared to others. I find that many of the parents and students with whom I work generally have a decent sense about which schools are rigorous and which ones tend to hand out top grades more easily. But if you’re not certain where your school falls on the continuum, you can find out. Just as there are college ranking lists, there are also high school ranking lists. 

Writer Jay Matthews initially developed the Jay Matthews High School Challenge Index  as a publicity stunt to promote a book he was writing, but it was such a hit that he’s kept it going. He studied many school’s practices in depth to see which ones were really challenging their students to take risks, try harder courses, and earn accurate grades by mastering the material. (He also has some illuminating thoughts about the role of affluence and gatekeeping for AP courses.) The upshot of his rankings is that rigor is not determined by zip code, even though grades can often be tracked along socio-economic lines.

Other groups have sought to rank high schools not by rigor, but by their college admittance outcomes. For example, lists such as Polaris and Ivy League Feeders rank high schools by the percentage of students admitted to the ivy league. So, sure, if you attend certain schools such as Horace Mann, Brunswick, Harvard Westlake, or Exeter, a greater percentage of you will be admitted to ivy league and other selective colleges. But at same time, if your high school is more competitive to get into and/or also is a massive grade inflator, the competition from your peers is also going to be greater. 

 

KNOW WHERE YOU STAND  

Above, I talked about knowing where your high school stands relative to other schools in terms of rigor, but even more important is knowing where you stand within your peer group because as I’ve mentioned before, admissions officers begin by evaluating and comparing students within the context of their own high school (i.e., the school profile provided by the high school’s guidance department), and then expand those comparisons to include additional students from the broader region.

Most of us appropriately focus on our local level. After all, the school science fair, divisional soccer championship, and regional chorus are what we know. But zoom out, and the field gets far more crowded with talent. For example, I remember my child, a clarinetist, thinking that as first chair in her high school band and in her local youth orchestra, she was “all that.”  But when it came time to audition for a pre-college music program, she quickly learned that competing against students from around the region was a much different ballgame!  She didn’t get in everywhere she applied, and the program she did get accepted to was far more challenging than anything she had done up to that point.

It can be difficult to learn how we stack up on a state, national, or even international level. This is largely because most private high schools and a growing number of public ones have dropped class rank as a metric, instead reporting only grades. There are more than 26,000 public high schools in the U.S. and at least another 2,800 private schools, which means that your child will be competing against tens of thousands of applicants. 

“Here, the authors find that the proportion of students with A averages (including A-minus and A-plus) increased from 38.9 percent of the graduating class of 1998 to 47 percent of the graduating class of 2016. Those gains came from the B and C ranges.

Of course, the authors acknowledge in their study, there could be a reason for the grade inflation that would make educators celebrate. What if students are smarter or are being better educated, and so are earning their better grades? The authors reject these possibilities, and cite SAT scores to do so. If students were learning more, their SATs should be going up, or at the very least remaining stable. But during the period studied, SAT averages (math and verbal, 1,600-point scale) fell from 1,026 to 1,002.”

Compare that to the number of students who get a 4 or 5 on the English Literature AP Exam: 

Only 7.4% of students earned a 5 on the AP English Lit. exam — a far cry from the 47% of students who have an A- to A+ average. (Another interesting takeaway is the number of total students earning a 5 on the AP Lit. exam — 30,000+ —  is greater than the number of first-year slots at all of the Ivies combined.)

If you feel overwhelmed by this process, take a deep breath. There are some concrete steps you can take to make sure your application is as strong as it can be in a world of rampant grade inflation.

 

PARENTS: DON’T HELICOPTER, BUT DON’T DISAPPEAR

Your high school student needs you more than they think — and more than you think, even in terms of their high school academics.

A 2018 survey published by Learning Heroes, a parent information group, found a big disconnect, especially among parents of high school students, between how they feel their child is performing and teachers’ reports of student performance.  Interestingly (interestingly to me at least!), there was also a disconnect between how involved parents felt they needed to be in their high school student’s academic performance and the level of parental involvement teachers attributed to student success – especially earlier on in high school (9th and 10th grades). 

 

PLAN YOUR COURSE SELECTIONS BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL

If you’re reading this as a parent of a junior, unfortunately, it’s a bit late, but senior-year courses are still very important and not a time to slack off!  If you think you may want to apply to the most selective schools, please go to the admissions websites and check their high school curriculum requirements.  For the ivies, for example, not taking all three core lab sciences (bio, chem, physics), or not taking four years of a foreign language, is frowned upon and may put you at a competitive disadvantage.

For parents of younger students, remember, certain courses, you won’t be able to get to the honors or AP level in high school if you don’t think about where you’re headed early on. This is true if your high school has minimum grade requirements or if they have a hard-and-fast rule about course sequencing. Math, in particular, can require good choices as early as seventh grade. 

 

DON’T OVERDO IT, BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF

I really like this line from a U.S. News article about high school class rigor: “Find Your Magic Number Of Advanced Classes.”  This number will be different for everyone.

Note for athletes:  A few of my student athletes have reported coaches advising them not to take AP and other challenging courses.  I’m writing a whole separate article on athletics in high school, but remember, while it may be in your coach’s interest for you to take less challenging classes so you have more time to focus on your sport, it is not necessarily (and not usually) in your interest to do so.

 

TAKE MORE “STANDARDIZED” AP & IB COURSES IF YOU CAN

In addition to showing your willingness to take challenging classes, AP and IB courses have a standardized curriculum and assessment, which provides a measure of your learning that allows colleges to accurately compare your achievements with students from around the country. Don’t blow off the exam — it’s the best way to know where you stand.  

 

CHOOSE AP COURSES WISELY

AP Psychology, AP Comparative Government & Politics, and AP Environmental Science (APES) are considered to be among the easiest AP classes. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them if those subjects interest you! It just means that if you are aiming for Stanford or MIT, for example, APES may not be thought of as highly as AP Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. 

STANDARDIZED TESTS(AP, ACT, SAT) “CORROBORATE” YOUR GRADE

I’ve said this over and over again, and just yesterday, as I was doing a last edit on this blog post, MIT announced that for 2022 applicants, it will be joining Georgetown University in reinstating the ACT or SAT requirement.  Here’s a quote from MIT’s announcement about the academic rationale for reinstating the tests.  (There’s also an important equity reason.)

“In short: Our research has shown that, in most cases, we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors. These findings are statistically robust and stable over time, and hold when you control for socioeconomic factors and look across demographic groups. And the math component of the testing turns out to be most important. ”

— STUART SCHMILL, MIT DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

 

About Valerie Erde of Veridian Prep:

VeridianPrep is an academic tutoring and test prep company that combines years of subject expertise and experience with evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.  VeridianPrep’s strengths lie in quickly determining each student’s strengths and gaps to offer a personalized, and results-oriented approach that builds skills and confidence to help teens succeed not only in a single class or test, but also in their next journey -- college.    Currently, VeridianPrep covers all levels of Math, English, Chemistry, and Physics including AP/ACT/SAT/SAT II, meeting one-on-one with students at home, in offices in Greenwich, CT/NYC, or online. https://www.veridianprep.com

 

If you are interested in speaking with Valerie Erde, or other advisors at Versed about helping students discover their interests and pursue meaningful activities, please contact us.

 

For addition insights, read:

6 Steps to Better Grades

How to Guarantee Academic Success

Tips For Motivating Your Teen

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Valerie Erde

GRADE INFLATION AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 

While it’s true that colleges want to create a well-rounded class that brings together a mix of artists, athletes, and leaders in a range of areas, they also want students who, when they arrive on campus, are able to do the work and who will graduate in four years — not six or eight. 

It may be good for colleges’ wallets to have students attend for more than four years, but it’s not good for their rankings nor their reputation.  This is due in large part to the way the college rankings work. One of the areas measured by the U.S. News and World Report rankings, for example, is the percentage of students who graduate in four years. If you’ve taken a college tour recently, you’ve probably noticed that this information is often featured in the presentation, and it’s also important for the Department of Education College Scorecard.

Beyond rankings, the truth is that colleges really do want students to succeed:  admitting academically strong students — the ones who are ready to succeed from Day One — is the best way both to keep the rankings number up and to ensure their students will succeed academically and thrive intellectually once on campus.

For the majority of colleges and universities, especially the “most selective” ones that accept fewer than 20% of applicants, it’s your academic profile  - not your extracurricular endeavors - that is going to be paramount in their decision on whether or not to accept you.

But there’s a problem: grade inflation.

 

GRADE INFLATION IS ON THE RISE

Not all “straight A students” are created equal. That would seem obvious, right? Honors English, social studies or science at one high school can be vastly different from the same honors course at another high school. Sometimes, the courses can even vary widely between teachers at the same school! Anyone who’s been through high school knows that some teachers are tough while others are easy.

The same is true for AP courses, though the variation isn’t as severe. That’s because the course material is dictated by the College Board and is therefore relatively standard across the country. And, of course, the culminating AP test is standardized.

Even “objective” subjects such as math include plenty of room for subjectivity in the grading.   The quadratic equation is the quadratic equation, but how much time is spent on it, how it’s taught, and how many homework problems you’re assigned for practice can vary greatly.

Beyond that, some students—particularly affluent and self-advocating ones—get better grades simply because they’re perceived to be “good kids.” I’ve had many conversations about this with fellow tutors, and we’ve all had the experience of working with a student whose PSAT/P-ACT scores revealed serious deficits in math (or English), despite having straight A’s in the subject since middle school. Kids who are extroverted and build good relationships with their teachers can—often with the help of an involved parent—talk their way into extra credit, makeup work, or the dropping of a low test score. 

Research shows that grade inflation is strong and on rise. Before the pandemic, 47% percent of high school students graduated with an A-minus to an A-plus average—an increase of nearly 10 percentage points over a 20-year period. And some of the biggest increases are coming from “resourced” schools, especially independent private schools. This has the effect of creating a growing pool of competitive (on paper) applicants, especially in affluent communities. 

That’s a lot of kids competing for very few spots at elite colleges—many with the same high GPAs.

 

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

As you build a list of colleges to apply to, it’s important to have an accurate view of yourself and where you stand in relation to other applicants. It’s not helpful to have an inflated — or deflated! — sense of yourself. When it comes to applying to highly selective schools, don’t assume that a good GPA alone is going to get you in. It also depends on the rigor of your high school, whether your school is known as a grade inflator, and your standardized test scores, which serve as a crucial “validator” of your grades. If your AP test scores are much lower than your grade in the course, for example, that won’t instill confidence in the rigor of your school’s program. 

 

BE INFORMED: KNOW WHERE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STANDS

How can you know if your A is really an A? 

It helps to understand where your high school ranks compared to others. I find that many of the parents and students with whom I work generally have a decent sense about which schools are rigorous and which ones tend to hand out top grades more easily. But if you’re not certain where your school falls on the continuum, you can find out. Just as there are college ranking lists, there are also high school ranking lists. 

Writer Jay Matthews initially developed the Jay Matthews High School Challenge Index  as a publicity stunt to promote a book he was writing, but it was such a hit that he’s kept it going. He studied many school’s practices in depth to see which ones were really challenging their students to take risks, try harder courses, and earn accurate grades by mastering the material. (He also has some illuminating thoughts about the role of affluence and gatekeeping for AP courses.) The upshot of his rankings is that rigor is not determined by zip code, even though grades can often be tracked along socio-economic lines.

Other groups have sought to rank high schools not by rigor, but by their college admittance outcomes. For example, lists such as Polaris and Ivy League Feeders rank high schools by the percentage of students admitted to the ivy league. So, sure, if you attend certain schools such as Horace Mann, Brunswick, Harvard Westlake, or Exeter, a greater percentage of you will be admitted to ivy league and other selective colleges. But at same time, if your high school is more competitive to get into and/or also is a massive grade inflator, the competition from your peers is also going to be greater. 

 

KNOW WHERE YOU STAND  

Above, I talked about knowing where your high school stands relative to other schools in terms of rigor, but even more important is knowing where you stand within your peer group because as I’ve mentioned before, admissions officers begin by evaluating and comparing students within the context of their own high school (i.e., the school profile provided by the high school’s guidance department), and then expand those comparisons to include additional students from the broader region.

Most of us appropriately focus on our local level. After all, the school science fair, divisional soccer championship, and regional chorus are what we know. But zoom out, and the field gets far more crowded with talent. For example, I remember my child, a clarinetist, thinking that as first chair in her high school band and in her local youth orchestra, she was “all that.”  But when it came time to audition for a pre-college music program, she quickly learned that competing against students from around the region was a much different ballgame!  She didn’t get in everywhere she applied, and the program she did get accepted to was far more challenging than anything she had done up to that point.

It can be difficult to learn how we stack up on a state, national, or even international level. This is largely because most private high schools and a growing number of public ones have dropped class rank as a metric, instead reporting only grades. There are more than 26,000 public high schools in the U.S. and at least another 2,800 private schools, which means that your child will be competing against tens of thousands of applicants. 

“Here, the authors find that the proportion of students with A averages (including A-minus and A-plus) increased from 38.9 percent of the graduating class of 1998 to 47 percent of the graduating class of 2016. Those gains came from the B and C ranges.

Of course, the authors acknowledge in their study, there could be a reason for the grade inflation that would make educators celebrate. What if students are smarter or are being better educated, and so are earning their better grades? The authors reject these possibilities, and cite SAT scores to do so. If students were learning more, their SATs should be going up, or at the very least remaining stable. But during the period studied, SAT averages (math and verbal, 1,600-point scale) fell from 1,026 to 1,002.”

Compare that to the number of students who get a 4 or 5 on the English Literature AP Exam: 

Only 7.4% of students earned a 5 on the AP English Lit. exam — a far cry from the 47% of students who have an A- to A+ average. (Another interesting takeaway the number of total students earning a 5 on the AP Lit. exam — 30,000+ —  is greater than the number of first-year slots at all of the ivies combined.)

If you feel overwhelmed by this process, take a deep breath. There are some concrete steps you can take to make sure your application is as strong as it can be in a world of rampant grade inflation.

 

PARENTS: DON’T HELICOPTER, BUT DON’T DISAPPEAR

Your high school student needs you more than they think — and more than you think, even in terms of their high school academics.

A 2018 survey published by Learning Heroes, a parent information group, found a big disconnect, especially among parents of high school students, between how they feel their child is performing and teachers’ reports of student performance.  Interestingly (interestingly to me at least!), there was also a disconnect between how involved parents felt they needed to be in their high school student’s academic performance and the level of parental involvement teachers attributed to student success – especially earlier on in high school (9th and 10th grades). 

 

PLAN YOUR COURSE SELECTIONS BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL

If you’re reading this as a parent of a junior, unfortunately, it’s a bit late, but senior-year courses are still very important and not a time to slack off!  If you think you may want to apply to the most selective schools, please go to the admissions websites and check their high school curriculum requirements.  For the ivies, for example, not taking all three core lab sciences (bio, chem, physics), or not taking four years of a foreign language, is frowned upon and may put you at a competitive disadvantage.

For parents of younger students, remember, certain courses, you won’t be able to get to the honors or AP level in high school if you don’t think about where you’re headed early on. This is true if your high school has minimum grade requirements or if they have a hard-and-fast rule about course sequencing. Math, in particular, can require good choices as early as seventh grade. 

 

DON’T OVERDO IT, BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF

I really like this line from a U.S. News article about high school class rigor: “Find Your Magic Number Of Advanced Classes.”  This number will be different for everyone. 

Note for athletes:  A few of my student athletes have reported coaches advising them not to take AP and other challenigng courses.  I’m writing a whole separate article on athletics in high school, but remember, while it may be in your coach’s interest for you to take less challenging classes so you have more time to focus on your sport, it is not necessarily (and not usually) in your interest to do so.

 

TAKE MORE “STANDARDIZED” AP & IB COURSES IF YOU CAN

In addition to showing your willingness to take challenging classes, AP and IB courses have a standardized curriculum and assessment, which provides a measure of your learning that allows colleges to accurately compare your achievements with students from around the country. Don’t blow off the exam — it’s the best way to know where you stand.  

 

CHOOSE AP COURSES WISELY

AP Psychology, AP Comparative Government & Politics, and AP Environmental Science (APES) are considered to be among the easiest AP classes. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them if those subjects interest you! It just means that if you are aiming for Stanford or MIT, for example, APES may not be thought of as highly as AP Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. 

 

STANDARDIZED TESTS(AP, ACT, SAT) “CORROBORATE” YOUR GRADE

I’ve said this over and over again, and just yesterday, as I was doing a last edit on this blog post, MIT announced that for 2022 applicants, it will be joining Georgetown University and in reinstating the ACT or SAT requirement.  Here’s a quote from MIT’s announcement about the academic rationale for reinstating the tests.  (There’s also an important equity reason.)

 

“In short: Our research has shown that, in most cases, we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors. These findings are statistically robust and stable over time, and hold when you control for socioeconomic factors and look across demographic groups. And the math component of the testing turns out to be most important. ”

— STUART SCHMILL, MIT DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

 

Valerie Erde, founder of VeridianPrep, is one of only two ACT/SAT/AP tutors trained by Erica Meltzer, author of the highly-acclaimed Critical Reader ACT/SAT prep books.  Ms. Erde has developed a strong track record of improved ACT and SAT scores (including multiple SAT 800’s and ACT 36’s), along with an impressive list of college acceptances.  But what she’s most proud of is watching her students grow as readers, writers – and thinkers.  Prior to VeridianPrep, Valerie developed digital AP test prep materials for Brainscape, Inc. Through additional experiences as an NYU alumni interviewer, a parent who shepherded her own kids (Yale & Harvard acceptances) through the college process, and member of several college counseling groups, Valerie has developed a much broader perspective about standardized testing generally, and its role in the college admissions process. Visit https://www.veridianprep.com to learn more.

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What distinguishes excellent students from just good students?

In 6 Steps to Better Grades, we provided students with concrete tools to help them improve their grades. One of the critical steps we discussed was paying better attention in class. We know that many students zone out in class, then study on their own before exams by reading textbooks and class handout materials (if any). While studying, if the student is stuck, there isn’t much they can do as the assignment or the exam is due/taking place the next day. Some motivated students may google questions and go on youtube to find answers. Regardless, in order for that student to learn the material, they will have to spend a lot more time than what it would have taken had they actually paid attention in class, and raised their hand to clarify anything they didn’t understand in class. Hence we have established that paying attention in class is far superior to trying to learn on your own. Good students pay attention in class, make sure they understand the material, and spend less time reviewing/studying prior to working on assignments and exams.

Now what if we took this idea one step further. In every class, there will always be one or two students who come to class with supreme confidence and not only answer questions, but engage the teacher in discussions about that days’ learnings, volunteering additional information that no one else has thought of. This student has taken one additional step, which is pre-reading. Prior to class, either the night before or the weekend before, they looked ahead in their textbook, saw what the teacher will cover in this class, and did a quick reading to get a sense for what they will be learning.

One of the reasons why paying attention in class is so challenging (even for diligent students) is that most students in class are too busy trying to follow explanations and taking notes to fully internalize concepts. Imagine trying to understand quadratic equations when it is first introduced in class. If you don’t get it when the teacher first introduces it, then most students are too afraid to raise their hand to clarify, and the rest of the class will just go over their head. Even the students with best intentions will eventually give up and zone out. But if the student came to class having read the chapter on quadratic equations, then the class will now be a review of material that they already know, and the student can confidently use class time to clarify anything that they did not fully understand from reading.

Pre-reading is what separates the excellent student from just good students.

 

The key to mastering concepts and materials is repetition. Pre-reading gives the student one opportunity to learn the material. Attending class, listening to the teacher explain the material, asking questions, and taking notes reinforces and clarifies the material so that now the student has learned the material twice. Doing assignments will be a third reinforcement of the material. By the time the student studies for the exam, in all likelihood, it will just be a review. Compare that to the student who has zoned out in class and is trying to learn the material the night before the exam. There is no comparison. In terms of hours, the student who has taken the extra step of pre-reading will spend LESS time overall on the material than the student cramming the night before exams. But more importantly, The student who took the extra step will enjoy learning in class, will enjoy discussions with teachers, have the confidence to ask questions, think beyond basic concepts, and will even like the subjects that they did not think they will ever like.

 

For additional insights, read:

6 Steps to Better Grades 

Tips For Motivating Your Teen

Versed Guide to Tutoring Services

7 Things Every Middle School Parents Should Know

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

Each May, millions of students around the world sit down to take one or more of the 38 Advanced Placement Exams. Administered by the CollegeBoard, each exam in America costs nearly $100. Notable for their rigor, a good score on these exams actually may result in saving thousands of dollars in college courses (at some schools) and boosting a student’s college application. In this blog post, we will be going over what AP courses are, what they mean for college admissions, and whether they are worth the money. We will also discuss the option of “self-studying,” for students that are not offered AP Courses in their high school curriculum.

 

What are AP courses?

Advanced Placement (AP Courses) offer college-level curriculum to high school students in dozens of subjects. For this reason, these courses are often taken by the more high-achieving students at each high school, and look excellent on the transcript because of their difficulty. At the end of the school year, in May, students take the exams for all of their AP courses in a span of two weeks. Most exams are between 2 - 3 hours long, and the results of these exams are traditionally released in July. Each test is graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score.

 

Do students have to take the AP Exam?

While it is possible for students to take an AP course without taking the exam, many high school teachers actually exempt students from the final for a course if they take the AP exam. Not only that, if your teen excels in the course, a good score on the exam can have many benefits, including college credit. 

 

Benefits of taking the AP Exam

At most public universities, a 3 or above on an AP exam usually offers some type of college credit. More elite private universities tend to require at least a 4 for some type of credit, and may limit the number of AP credits accepted. The credits that a college accepts drastically varies by whether they are private or public and the different majors and courses at the university. The requirements for transferable AP credits are often listed on each college’s website. Taking enough AP Exams and excelling in them could potentially save a semester, or even a year, of college. Different AP Courses have various curves and difficulties, so you can take a look at the AP Score Distribution for 2020 to see which exams have students scoring the highest and lowest.

While college credit is an added benefit, the real value of AP courses is their impact in college admissions. The University of Southern California, for example, lists on their admissions website that "Students should pursue Advanced Placement . . . whenever possible and if offered by high school." Essentially, if an AP course is offered by your teen’s high school, taking the course will improve their chances of being accepted into elite universities. Even if a student only takes AP courses in their career choice of interest, it exemplifies their passion and commitment to the subject.

For example, students that want to go on to pursue engineering or go into medical school often take AP Biology, Chemistry, Physics and/or Calculus. Political science or history majors benefit from taking AP Government, AP European History, or AP US History. These exams may fulfill some of their future major requirements. They will also demonstrate a student’s academic excellence and interest if they do well in the course or exam. AP Exams are offered for 6 different foreign languages including French, Spanish, and Chinese, and scoring at least a 4 or 5 on these exams exhibits fluency and may even fulfill future foreign language requirements in college. For students interested in music, AP Music Theory is an excellent choice. Art students can learn about art history in AP Art History, and can create an art portfolio that will be graded in the AP Drawing and AP Art & Design exams. As a reminder, a full list of available AP Exams is available here.

Students are not required to submit their AP scores on their college application, but some universities allow students to submit AP scores as standardized tests alongside or in replacement of the ACT/SAT. If your teen struggled with their AP course in school but scored well on the exam, a 4 or 5 may also make up for a subpar grade on their transcript for that subject.

AP courses, however, are not for everyone. The curriculum moves quickly, and students often have prerequisite courses they must complete so that they do not fall behind. Homework per night for each AP class usually follows the rule of thumb of 1 - 3 hours per night, and could be difficult to manage, especially for students heavily involved in extracurriculars or sports. 

 

Are AP exams worth taking for students that do not take the course? 

It depends. AP teachers spend an entire year of lecturing, testing and assigning homework to prepare students specifically for a test. Not only that, college admissions officers do not expect students to have taken AP courses that are not offered at their high school. Instead, they simply expect a student to take the most rigorous courses they can. If AP courses are not offered at your teen’s high school, it will not be held against them when they apply to colleges.

However, if your student does not feel challenged by their school curriculum, self-studying for an exam may be impressive. For example, if your student would like to be an economics major, but AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics are not offered at their high school, self-studying can show initiative. If the student scores well on the AP exam anyways, their passion for economics, enough for them to learn it at a high level on their own, may shine through. This also works for students that cannot get into the AP courses at their school due to schedule conflicts or full classes. Taking an AP exam for a subject related to their prospective major helps students who have a clear academic passion build a narrative for college applications. 

 

How do you score well on an AP exam?

The best way to self-study or review for AP exams is by purchasing a review book. Barron’s and Princeton Review tend to be popular brands, but students may look around and find one recommended with excellent reviews. Albert.io is a website often used for AP prep, complete with practice questions and answer key breakdowns. Princeton Review has free practice quizzes and study guides, Khan Academy has free instructional videos, and AP Practice Exams website has a free compilation of official and unofficial practice tests. Timing is one of the biggest issues students face during AP exams, so make sure your teen takes a couple of timed practice tests. Reviewing their wrong answers and those sections to identify their strengths and weaknesses will help them improve their score. There are countless free and paid resources and videos available online to help make the self-study process easier, and if your teen makes proper use of them, they will have no problem scoring well on the exam.

In the end, AP exams are worth it for students that can handle it and have the time and motivation to do the work. They will be competitive in college admissions and be predictive of how well the student will handle coursework in college. AP exams may save entire semesters of college expenses, especially for students planning on attending a public university. For students that cannot afford the cost of AP exams, high schools usually have funds to provide financial aid. Information on federal and state fee reductions can be found here, on the official CollegeBoard Website. 

 

 

For additional insights, check out:

ACT/SAT Scores Still Matter In College Admissions

Best of Online Learning: SAT/ACT Prep

Guide to the Common Application

Are Pre-College Summer Programs Worth It?

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

By: Valerie Erde

In my work as a tutor, many teens have walked through my door reluctantly, to say the least. They weren't interested in studying for the ACT or SAT, and at times weren't even interested in college at all. Sure, they knew that it was important for their future in a general way, but they definitely wanted to do something more fun than ACT/SAT practice tests with their limited free time.

I'm also a parent, so I know just how frustrating it can be to watch your child fritter away time and talent and fail to reach success or mastery of a skill. Of course you want to motivate your child to do well, but here's the thing:

True motivation, just like true learning, must come from within. It can't be forced upon anyone. 

You know what they say about leading a horse to water, and as a parent you've probably provided so many opportunities that you've lost count. But you can't force kids to be passionate about something that doesn't move them any more than you can get that ornery horse to drink the water you've so lovingly provided.

 

The Two Types of Motivation Explained

In educational psychology, researchers identify two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is an impulse to do something that comes from outside of oneself. Most often, extrinsic motivation comes in the form of punishments and rewards that someone else provides.

For example, all those behavior charts and gold stars that you used to get your child to eat vegetables, practice piano, or walk the dog are extrinsic motivators. You set up a reward system to encourage the behavior you wanted to see. And any time you punish your child by taking away video games or the car keys, you've also provided extrinsic motivation to extinguish a less desirable behavior.

Rewards and punishment can be effective, but you've probably noticed that these external motivators worked better when your child was younger. With age comes complexity, and motivation just isn't so simple anymore.

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from within. This can arise when you study a subject because it fascinates you, or when you volunteer for a cause you believe in. When people describe having a calling in life, they're talking about the feeling of intrinsic motivation that leads them to pursue a passion for the sheer joy of it.

 

Intrinsic Motivation Is More Empowering

Parents who want the best for their children understandably set up systems of extrinsic motivation by offering rewards and punishments to get students to complete homework and get good grades. After all, these are the keys to the kingdom when it comes to college admissions and future success. 

Unfortunately, extrinsic motivation just isn't as powerful as intrinsic motivation, which researchers have found leads students to engage more deeply with learning and face challenges with more persistence. When it comes to college admissions and test prep, kids get much more out of the process when they're motivated from within to do well — not because you forced them to come. I've seen this over and over in my career, and the research bears it out.

 

So how can you help your child shift from doing well because you want it and doing well because he/she/they want it? When it comes to schoolwork, there are three main ways to flip the switch on intrinsic motivation:

• Autonomy: Give your child plenty of choice about what to study and how to spend time, making sure to allow for unique interests in addition to academics. 
• Social connection: Make sure your child feels connected and cared for during learning, whether in school or through extra-curriculars. Relationships are everything!
• Competence: When students feel confident and capable, they're more likely to continue exploring a subject. Make sure your child gets time to focus on strengths in addition to shoring up weaknesses

As an adult with a fully functioning frontal lobe, it's easy for you to see the connection between great test scores and college options, but your teen may struggle to connect these dots. You won't get anywhere by forcing your child to do test prep with constant nagging and dire warnings about not getting into a good college — no one learns well under that kind of stress. 

Instead, try shifting the conversation away from test scores and towards the future. What does your child want to study? What does an exciting future look like? What brings the most joy and deep interest? 

From there, you can encourage your child to look at colleges that allow for a deep exploration into these preferred activities, and you can help your child begin to envision the next four years there. If you have real buy-in about a career and a great college to get there, making a plan to get accepted should fall into place more naturally — and your child will be ready to hear how test scores will help make the big dream come true.

 

5 Tips To Foster Intrinsic Motivation Right Now

It takes patience and plenty of time to guide your child to a fulfilling future, and it's not always easy to step back and let your teen take the reins. Here are some ways to help kids discover their real passions and take charge of their learning:

• Build on Strengths: Everyone loves a personality quiz, so have your child take the VIA Character Strengths Survey. This is designed to reveal personality strengths, not assess skills. Encourage your teen to explore activities and subjects that let those strengths shine. This is especially helpful if academics haven't ignited a passion yet — most strengths aren't school-related at all.
• Encourage Mentoring: If your teen has a favorite teacher or other adult, see if you can facilitate extra time together, perhaps working on a shared project. For example, there may be opportunities for an in-school internship with that teacher, or to help a favorite adult with a work project. This is more about building relationships than diving into a career, but remember that connecting with others is hugely motivating.
• Design Independent Learning: Now more than ever, colleges are looking for students who are self-motivated and able to learn independently. In this summer of social distancing, there's never been a better time to let your child run with an independent project, whether it's organizing a protest for social justice or selling homemade face coverings. 
• Follow Curiosity Wherever It Leads: Give your teen time to explore an interest with some deep reading or by loading up a YouTube playlist with informative videos. Then ask all about it, and pay attention to the details. Your conversations can spark further questions and even deeper exploration, ultimately leading to a field of study.
• Foster a Growth Mindset: Nothing kills motivation like the idea that you're just not good at something, so resilience is key. You can shift your home into one that values growth by praising hard work, focusing on learning from mistakes, and moving away from the idea of natural talent in the way to talk about school (and everything else, for that matter). 

 

Once your teen has developed some intrinsic motivation to learn and to do well, that’s when we can get the most out ACT and SAT tutoring and college advising — especially the college essay writing process. Everything  just becomes much easier.  I also work hard to find out what makes your teen tick and personalize my work to make the process more meaningful. Together, we can build on your student's natural interests and inclinations to boost test scores and get into the college that best aligns with his/her/their future goals. 

Intrinsic motivation is just one key to success. For a look at other important traits to encourage in your child, check out Valerie’s post about how to Build a Person, Not a Resume™. 

 

About Valerie Erde of Veridian Prep:

VeridianPrep is an academic tutoring and test prep company that combines years of subject expertise and experience with evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.  VeridianPrep’s strengths lie in quickly determining each student’s strengths and gaps to offer a personalized, and results-oriented approach that builds skills and confidence to help teens succeed not only in a single class or test, but also in their next journey -- college.    Currently, VeridianPrep covers all levels of Math, English, Chemistry, and Physics including AP/ACT/SAT/SAT II, meeting one-on-one with students at home, in offices in Greenwich, CT/NYC, or online. https://www.veridianprep.com

 

If you are interested in speaking with Valerie Erde, or other advisors at Versed about helping students discover their interests and pursue meaningful activities, please contact us.

 

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By: Valerie Erde

Students and parents frequently ask me how much standardized test scores really matter in the college admissions process.  Here’s the upshot….

- The majority of colleges -- especially selective ones -- still require standardized tests; high school programs are difficult to compare as their rigor varies widely.

- Testing policies do not necessarily apply to all groups equally; test optional does not always mean test blind.

- Some colleges use test scores as cutoff points to facilitate wading through thousands of applications and for determining merit award and honors program eligibility.

 

High School Grades Count More Than Test Scores, But….

High school lasts four years, so shouldn’t colleges care more about your class  grades than a number from a single day of testing?  The answer to that is, yes, they do care more about your course selection, rigor, and grades, but colleges still rely on standardize test scores because they….

- allow colleges to compare students from schools across a country in which high schools vary wildly when it comes to academic rigor. 

- provide schools -- especially ultra-selective ones -- that receive more applications than they can manage, a way to create a cutoff point.

Brent Evans of the Stanford University Center for Education Policy Analysis explains it well:  “The exam score therefore functions as a way to compare students on the same scale not only to other current applicants but to past applicants as well. It serves to identify students [who] may be underachievers in high school but have high potential for succeeding in college and students that may have received great grades in high school but not be well prepared for the additional rigors of the college curriculum.”

 

Read The Fine Print:  Test Optional ≠ Test Blind

One admirable goal of changes to testing policies is to try and bring more equity and diversity to the admissions process, and there is evidence that test optional schools are enjoying increases in underrepresented applicants. 

Some highly-ranked colleges have been test-optional for several years, including Bowdoin, Smith, Wake Forest, and Wesleyan, among others.   Other colleges such as Brandeis, Middlebury, and NYU are "test-flexible," meaning they will consider AP scores and subject tests instead of the traditional SAT or ACT.  Parents and students became really excited when one of our country’s most highly selective universities, The University of Chicago, went test optional in 2018. 

But if you take a closer look at the University of Chicago’s admissions website you’ll see the following advice: “We encourage students to take standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, and to share your scores with us if you think that they are reflective of your ability and potential.”   According to test prep thought leader Jed Applerouth, “the overwhelming majority of students will apply to Chicago with a very strong test score. Most likely ninety plus percent of students who receive an offer at Chicago in this current admissions cycle will have submitted a test score. We know this because of the submission rates at other prominent test-optional schools.”

In other words, the policy is test optional, but not test blind.  So at these schools, especially if you come from an affluent and a well-represented background,  “optional” really isn’t; you need to take the test.

Colleges testing requirements change frequently e.g. on 3/24/2020, Tufts went test optional - but not test blind -  so you need to check each school’s admissions website thoroughly.  Think about what other students who may be “benchmarks” for you, based on Naviance or a College’s Common Data Set, are doing. (See more about this below.)

 

Do Colleges Have Test Score Minimums or Cutoffs? 

Yes and No.  

Most colleges and universities publish what is known as the Common Data Set which provides a whole host of information about accepted students for each incoming first-year class, including ACT and SAT test score ranges at the 25th and 75th percentiles. Since test scores are part of a bigger puzzle, colleges typically don’t have a certain SAT or ACT score a student must achieve to gain acceptance.   There’s some wiggle room here as MIT’s policy makes explicit: “We do not have cut off or recommended scores for the ACT, SAT, or SAT Subject Tests as scores are evaluated within an applicant’s context.” 

Sorry to be trite here, but a picture really is worth 1,000 words.  As you can see in the chart below from MIT’s 2018-19 Common Data Set, to be in the 75th percentile of MIT’s 2018-19 accepted first years, you had to have at least a 1570 overall SAT or a 36 ACT score.  You can also see that ALL accepted first years had a minimum math score of 780 SAT or 36 ACT.

MIT Common Data Set

A recently revealed internal document from the Harvard lawsuit tells the same story:  to be a “serious contender” at Harvard students need a “mid-to-high 700s, out of a possible 800 on each part of the SAT. Or at least 33 out of a maximum 36 on the ACT.”

Since your student will typically be compared to other students in their school, you can also glean a lot of important information about the role of test scores in admissions for your high school by looking at the scattergrams in Naviance or Overgrad, or whatever your high school equivalent is.  

Take a look at these scattergrams of accepted and rejected students from an affluent, suburban high school to the UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Pennsylvania respectively.   Notice there are two green check marks that show lower GPAs/test scores than the for the big cluster. These lower scores, generally for recruited athletes and development candidates, bring down a college’s reported 50% range.  That means that unless you are a star on your football team (or other highly recruited sport) the average GPA and test scores required for students like you could be even higher.

 

 

Standardized Tests Still Ranked A Top Criterion

As a former Yale admissions officer put it to me recently, “picture standardized test scores like the balance on a scale:  great test scores can lift up weaker parts of a college application and poor test scores can weigh them down.” 

The 2017 report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling reports that test scores are one of the top factors in admissions decisions for freshmen, both domestically and internationally. Only two things are considered more important, according to surveys of these counselors: grades in college prep courses which 77% rate as considerably important and grades in all courses which similarly rate at 77%  and 54% of college admissions counselors said SAT/ACT scores are considerably important, with only 4% saying they don’t matter at all.

(As a comparison student personal essays are rated as considerably important only 19% of the time and recommendation letters just 14.6% of the time.)

Over the past ten years, how much SAT/ACT scores matter has decreased a bit from a high of 60%, whereas overall GPA has become more important. Most other factors have shrunk in influence. Things like class rank, which used to matter a lot, have dropped significantly, as has the personal interview and demonstrated interest in a school. These are general trends, though, and may not hold up for highly selective schools.  All the Ivies, Stanford, Duke, and many more of the top-tier universities still require test scores. 

The bottom line? Fair or not, scores matter.

 

Good News:  Raising ACT/SAT Scores Can = Merit Awards & Honors Programs

In addition to the fact that with some practice and effort, you can almost always improve your test score, doing so may make you eligible for merit-based scholarships and/or selective honors programs within larger universities.  So even if your student has good enough scores and grades to get into a given college, it can be worthwhile to push a little harder.  For example, you would be in the 75th percentile for regular acceptance to University of Pittsburgh with roughly a 1330 SAT or a 28 ACT.  But to be eligible for the well-regarded University of Pittsburgh’s Honors Program, you’d need a 1450-1500 SAT or a 32-33 ACT (in addition to a higher average GPA).

 

 

 

About Valerie Erde of Veridian Prep:

VeridianPrep is an academic tutoring and test prep company that combines years of subject expertise and experience with evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.  VeridianPrep’s strengths lie in quickly determining each student’s strengths and gaps to offer a personalized, and results-oriented approach that builds skills and confidence to help teens succeed not only in a single class or test, but also in their next journey -- college.    Currently, VeridianPrep covers all levels of Math, English, Chemistry, and Physics including AP/ACT/SAT/SAT II, meeting one-on-one with students at home, in offices in Greenwich, CT/NYC, or online. https://www.veridianprep.com

 

If you are interested in speaking with us about test prep options, please contact us.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog:

How to Prep for the SAT/ACT

What is the Best Time to Take the SAT/ACTs and What is the Best Way to Prepare for Them?

Does My Child Need a Tutor? 6 Signs It May Be Time for Academic Help

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

Meaningful summer activities that enhance college application

 

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Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

Whether it’s a four day weekend or a month-long break, free time is a crucial resource for students, particularly juniors and seniors. High school students rarely have large chunks of uninterrupted time that they can dedicate to something outside of school work. For students applying to colleges, these breaks are excellent opportunities to tackle certain parts of the process that can’t fit into their regular schedule. Be sure your child is taking full advantage of their holidays by keeping these to-do items and activities in mind: 

 

1) Prepare for Tests and Exams

Students can either start or continue to prepare for the SATs, ACTs, SAT IIs, AP exams, or any other tests they have coming up. Encourage them to see studying over break as a way to build momentum. Their efforts should be adding to the even minor revision they were already doing. This is also a chance for them to study without constantly stopping to switch to another activity. They can spend mornings at the library without having to dash off to class or afternoons with a study group without being interrupted by sports practice. 

If they’ve been seriously revising already, a break spent without cracking a single book or flipping through their notes can prove to be enough to empty a student’s mind completely. Don’t erase all the hard preparation a student has already done by taking too much of a break. They don’t have to commit their SAT practice test book to memory, but they shouldn’t ignore it entirely either.

 

2) Essays

Every stage of essay writing takes time. Over breaks, students can be outlining, drafting, editing, or spell-checking their essays without the distraction of other academic responsibilities. The hour a night that your student is currently dedicating to writing might not be what they need to move their work into a final stage. Encourage your student to stay ahead of the task at hand and have their essays done sooner rather than later. Leave time for writer’s block, frustration, spelling mistakes, and all the other inevitabilities and frustrations of the writing process.  

Particularly for students that aren’t as strong writers or find themselves intimidated by the task, breaks are a great opportunity for them to sit down at their laptop and work at a more relaxed pace. Getting ahead of writing in this way will also save them the drama of leaving essay writing until the last minute and trying to finish their personal statement in between homework assignments and extracurriculars. 

 

3) Work on Professional Skills 

First things first, have your student write their resume. Most high schoolers, even seniors, don’t have a whole lot to be included, but writing the bare bones of a resume will teach them the structure. Students should understand what kind of information is relevant and learn how to speak to their different experiences. This exercise will also force them to meditate on their involvements and figure out how to explain them to a third party, a skill that can be useful in the college process. For example, a student on the robotics team will need to communicate the club’s purpose beyond “builds robots.” 

If your student already has an up-to-date resume, have them practice their other professional skills and polish all the materials that a job/internship application may need. Draft a thoughtful cover letter. Practice writing a business email. Sit down with a parent and have a mock interview. Work on phone manners. Set-up a LinkedIn profile or a business appropriate email account. These are all important and necessary skills that will come in handy later in life. Mastering them now will elevate the rush of having to learn them later. 

 

4) Apply for Future Opportunities

Students should use these chunks of free time to research and apply for internships, jobs, and other opportunities in their future. While they can spend a few hours on a Saturday doing this, breaks will give them more time to really dedicate themselves to finding a position that will both suit and benefit them. Otherwise, students may find themselves stuck searching for something last minute and having to take a position wherever one is open and not one they’re truly passionate about. 

For summer internships, in particular, high schoolers typically need to turn in their materials in the winter. Most organizations have deadlines that require everything to be completed months in advance. The benefit of this is that students will know their summer plans before the school year is over, freeing them up to focus on other things. 

 

5) Visit Colleges (Virtually during COVID)

For most high schoolers, prospective colleges are entire states and thousands of miles away. Even a student studying in-state usually has to go at least a couple of miles to get to campus. The logistics and sheer distance make overnights, tours, and on-campus interviews hard to fit into a regular two day weekend. Use long weekends as well as winter and spring break to travel to the schools your student is most interested in. Make the most of these road trips. Tie visits into travel plans the family already has or try to see more than one school in a region at a time.

Once there, give your student enough time to walk, not run around the grounds and get a feel of the school’s environment. They should have enough time to sit in on classes, talk to current students, or grab a meal at the cafeteria. It’s important to not breeze through these visits. Without these seemingly mundane details, a visit isn’t very different from a brochure. Make sure to do the things you can only do in-person and really take advantage of your presence on campus. 

 

Of course, students don’t need to be busy every minute of every day but make sure they utilize the time to tackle the things they don’t usually have energy or space for. Allow them to also take a well-deserved break. Catch up on emails and favorite television shows. The goal is for students to return to school with a few less items on their plate and a weight or two off their minds. 

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about utilizing breaks, visiting colleges, or preparing for tests, you can schedule a free consultation here.

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

 

Does My Child Need a Tutor? 6 Signs It May Be Time for Academic Help

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

Meaningful summer activities that enhance college application

 

 

 

 

 

High schoolers may view the SAT/ACT as an insurmountable hurdle. There is a lot at stake— college admissions, scholarships. However, with adequate preparation, most students will find themselves more than ready to sit down on test day. 

The key to achieving a desirable score on either test is simply preparation. Before stressing out or rushing off to purchase an expensive guide book, use the following steps to help your student get ready for the assessment ahead:

 

Understand how the test is structured

One of the key elements of SAT/ACT preparation is knowing what to expect when the test booklet is opened. Both tests are very predictable. Their structure and the information covered is widely accessible. In the same way that a teacher will tell students what’s on the midterm, ACT Inc and College Board publishes this information. Make sure that your student is preparing for exactly what’s coming and not what they think or assume will be on each test. 

 

Play to strengths, not weaknesses

There are a lot of similarities between the SAT and ACT, but there are also many differences that students can exploit to their advantage. Colleges increasingly accept both tests in applications. Students should apply with the score that best highlights their abilities. Consider what your child’s strengths are as a student and how each test can best serve them as an applicant. 

 

Decipher the score reports

Most students and parents have some bearing on what an A+ or C- means, but the grading system is different for standardized tests. Both tests are scored in a unique way. What is a 1600? A 56? What’s a ‘good’ score? How is each section graded? How do students lose points apart from obvious wrong answers? In addition to knowing what’s on the test, be sure to have a firm grip on how the information is valued. 

 

Take assessments, Apply their results

Students are expected to practice, practice, practice for standardized tests. They should review the material they know they’ll encounter and take mock tests. Practice exams are readily available. They’re easily downloaded or bought. They will not only help your child prepare for reality but also help them study better and know how to improve their revision techniques. Use assessments to reveal where they need to focus their efforts and where their review is working. 

 

Make a plan

Studying with a result in mind. Have your child outline how they plan to study in order to achieve that result. There is a lot of material to cover for the test, so be sure to include it all. Even subjects your student is presumably strong in. Don’t let them get caught on test day struggling to remember a formula that they assumed they already knew. Have your student set daily, weekly, cumulative goals that they can monitor and achieve with revision. Students can sit for the SAT/ACT more than once, but value even the early scores. Be sure each retake is done with purpose. 

 

Study smart

Flashcards and study groups are all helpful, but students forget that healthy habits, like sleeping and eating, are equally as valuable when it comes to performing on test day. In addition to revising for the reading or math section, be sure your student is taking care of their body and mind as well. Take breaks and know to wrap up studying for the night. Use our standardized test cheat sheet to keep ahead of revision and ensure your student is ready for test day. 

 

Enlist help

Not every high school learns best going through flashcards alone. The assistance of a tutor or experience of a classroom may be the extra boost your student needs to improve their scores. 

 

In-Person - At a Location

For the most classroom-like experience, SAT/ACT tutorials are available in a group format. They’re usually located at designated learning centers and registered for ahead of time. Kaplan and Princeton Review are two popular options. Here are some other reputable services:

Huntington, $$

Unlike most centers, Huntington has more flexible hours and greater availability. Students are able to structure their prep to their own schedules and better focus on their individual needs. 

Ivy Bound, $$

For students that need help in specific areas, Ivy Bound offers an in-person class on SAT Math & Verbal, a supplemental ACT class, and accelerated "speedy" SAT and PSAT courses.

Applerouth, $$$

With signature small group classes (capped at 8) and group classes (capped at 18), Applerouth is best for students that would benefit from general overview and an interactive teacher-led environment. 

 

In-Person - At Home

Preparing for the SATs for some students requires more than just ordering a dictionary-sized book of practice tests and work through it. For those that need a more hands-on approach, in-person courses are an even more individualized, distraction-free option.

Thumbtack/Wyzant, $

These search engines allow students to find tutors locally instead of going through a service. This exposes them to individuals who may know their school’s curriculum, what they’ve covered, and where they may need help. 

Varsity Tutors, $

Varsity's SAT or ACT prep tutorials are built to meet the logistical as well as the academic needs of a student. With options to receive help in-person, online, via phone or instant messenger, they are the most flexible option. 

Private Prep, $$

Private Prep tutors are available to meet students either at one of their locations or in the home. They also host practice tests on the weekends and boasts a library of online resources for families to use.

 

Online - Self-Directed

For students that are able to self-direct their study and are able to focus on lessons without checking social media, there are several prep courses that can be completed online, on their phone, and in their own time.

Khan Academy, free

With a library of practice exercises and instructional videos, Khan Academy provides students with all the tools they need to guide themselves through to test day. 

Peterson’s, $

This interactive, online course is best for students that thrive in an online environment and prefer to study on a tablet as opposed to at a desk. 

Magoosh, $

Similar to Khan Academy, Magoosh is video-centric, very online, and ideal for students that are ready to lead their own lessons and be their own teacher. 

 

Online - With Coaching

If your student wants to work online, but need a little more structure, there are options to add-on a tutor available with most SAT/ACT prep courses. The added presence of an actual person tracking their progress may be what your child needs to succeed.

PrepScholar, $$$

With customized courses, PrepScholar allows students to focus on areas where they need improvement. It prepares them for the challenges they will personally face instead of blindly studying all the material.

Kaplan, $$$Kaplan's online, interactive classrooms are led by knowledgeable instructors. The courses also come with video lessons, practice tests, live instructions, and other test prep resources.   

Testive, $$$

For a combination of both online and in-person help, Testive provides students with the opportunity to chat one-on-one with instructors as well as work through coursework at their own speed. 

 

As important that the SAT/ACT is, it is not the only avenue to college acceptance. Should a student realize in taking the test or preparing for it that their talents are elsewhere, know that it is not uncommon. There are other assessments and other paths for those students.

 

Consider test-optional schools

Depending on a student’s list, the SAT/ACT may not be required. An increasing number of schools are deprioritizing standardized tests in their application process. Students that don’t test well or have other strengths should consider test-optional schools that allow their applications to highlight other skills and talents. 

 

Whether the SAT/ACT ends up being the centerpiece of your child’s college application or a high school learning experience they’re ready to forget, every student should walk away from the test knowing they did their best to prepare. Embrace test day. Have a sharp pencil, a calculator, an eraser, a snack, and layers packed and ready. Remind your student to do their best and know that ultimately that’s all they can do. 

 

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about preparing for the SAT/ACT or other assessments, you can schedule a free consultation here.

 

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Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

What is the Best Time to Take the SAT/ACTs and What is the Best Way to Prepare for Them?

5 Simple Tips to Writing a Great College Application Essay

Crafting a Cohesive College Application

When Should Students Consider Applying Early Action/Early Decision?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time management is one of the most important skills to develop in high school. With a rigorous academic course load, countless extracurriculars, and the ever encroaching college admissions process, it is one of the busiest and most stressful periods for young students. With that being said, it’s important to equip your child with the know-how and knowledge to stay successful and happy during this time. 

Here are some tips to help your child learn to manage their time. Whether your child is already a strong student or proven procrastinator, they can benefit from streamlining their study habits and learning how to spend time in a smart way. This list includes links to online resources and downloadable apps designed to help students stay motivated and on top of tasks as high school progresses. 

 

Create a To Do list

Have your child keep track of tasks. Whether using a pad of paper or apps, it can be helpful to plot out and visualize everything that needs to be done in a day, a week, or a month. Popular online options for organizing assignments and events are myHomework and RememberTheMilk. 

 

Budget time

In addition to creating a schedule, encourage your child to designate a specific amount of time to each item. There is a such thing as taking too much time on something, even studying for a test. Teaching your child to restrict themselves will ultimately teach them to utilize their time. A physical planner may be helpful. A more digital-friendly option would be an app, such as HabitHub or 30/30, that can help keep track of how much time is being spent on any activity. 

 

Utilize technology

While it’s important to limit your child’s screen time, understand that technology also brings them a wealth of opportunity when it comes to refining study and organizational skills. Programs, like Google Keep and SimpleMind, were designed to help students organize their ideas, craft mind maps, and "see" their thoughts as they come to them, no matter where they are. 

 

Don’t waste spare time

Take advantage of the minutes your child spends waiting for the bus or in between activities. Encourage them to make full use of this time. Apps, like StudyBlue and Quizlet, are a great way to break studying down into bite size chunks so that it’s not an all-nighter before the test. 

 

Limit distractions

Whether this means designating a study space or switching all electronic devices to silent, have your child create a space for studying and homework that is free of distractions. It may be helpful to download a blocking program, like StayFocused or AntiSocial, to keep them from logging on. 

 

Don’t overload 

Allow your child to say ‘no’ to adding on activities or commitments. High school is an important time for your child to develop a sense of what “busy” means to them and understand how much they can handle inside and outside of school. Remind them to take breaks when they feel stressed or overwhelmed. Eye Care 202020 is a great program that helps users rest their eyes after all that screen time. It may also be helpful to use a meditation app, like Calm, to learn how to truly and purposefully relax before/after studying. 

 

Celebrate achievements

Whether your child has finally ticked off the last item on a lengthy to-do list or aced an exam that they’ve been carefully preparing for, be sure to recognize all achievements. No matter the size. Success in high school is the cumulation of a thousand tiny tasks and not just graduation. As a parent, be sure to communicate your approval and celebrate with them through the years. Whether it’s with an ice cream cone or another hour of TV.

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about time management, you can schedule a free consultation here.

 

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Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

When is a good time to start planning for college? Part 1 

Parenting Advice: How to Help Your Child with College Planning

Versed Guide to Tutoring Services

High School Extracurriculars Simplified

 

 

 

The most popular time to take the SAT is during the spring of junior year and the summer afterwards. However, for various reasons, your child may choose to take it earlier or later. In order to determine when to take the SAT/ACT, first figure out what your child’s goals are in taking the test. Are they taking the SAT just as a test-run for later? Are they applying to college and need scores for their application? Are they applying to a summer program that requires ACT results? These guiding questions should help them decide if now is the right time. 

Your child may find value in taking the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) or the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) instead. It may be a more appropriate preliminary test. Additionally, the PSATs are also used to identify students for distinction. For example, the National Merit Scholarship recognizes juniors that score within the top 1%.

 

Why take the SAT/ACTs early

These tests are sometimes used by younger students to measure their abilities and better prepare them for the future. The SAT/ACT may also be a good way for some students to identify academic strengths or dispel anxieties surrounding standardized testing. 

Another benefit is the potential for distinction. Individual states award high scores with academic scholarships and other accolades. SAT/ACT test scores can also be used to apply to gifted programs, like DIP or CTY. 

 

How to choose a test date

The most popular time to take the SAT is the summer before and the spring of junior year. While there isn’t strictly a time when your child should NOT take the SAT/ACT, be aware that the tests are a sizeable time commitment as well as a financial investment and possibly an emotional strain. They should not be taken lightly. Consider the following before registering: 

Prep work

Even students at the top of their class should prepare for standardized testing months in advance. Build in plenty of time to study. If your child plans to enlist the help of a tutor or study group, be sure to research and register ahead of time. 

Schedule

Consider your child’s schedule when planning to take either test. If they're involved in a spring sport or are registered for AP exams, it may be wise to schedule their SATs when there's more time to dedicate to them.

Material

Ask your child: Has the test material been covered in class? The ACT, for example, includes math sections that are typically taught in junior year of high school. Thus, taking the ACT before then may mean that they’ll encounter concepts not yet covered. 

Retakes

Most students take the SAT/ACT twice. It is not recommended that students take either test more than 3-4 times. Some colleges require that applicants share ALL their scores and not just the best ones, so additional testing may lower your child’s average. 

Deadlines

Keep application deadlines in mind. Should your child choose to apply Early Decision I/II or Early Action, they may need their scores processed earlier than most students. Allow time for their results to reach the admissions committee. If your child plans to retake the test, be sure that their new scores will be ready before the deadline. 

Cost

The tests as well as most tutors, prep courses, and sample materials come with a fee. While there are some free practice tests available online, there is still a financial component to be considered. Especially if your child plans to take either test more than once. 

 

How to prepare

The amount of preparation your child will need depends on their abilities and academic record. If this is your child’s first time taking the SAT, they may require more time to get ready. If they’re retaking it in order to improve their score, their preparation may be more targeted. In general, there are a few steps to take in studying for either examination:

 

Become familiar with the structure and content of the test 

Before cracking a prep book or sharpening a pencil, have your child read up on the test that they’ll be taking. 

 

Identify your child’s strengths 

Have your child figure out which subjects and sections they expect to perform well in. Determine where they will need extra revision or outside help.

 

Take practice tests 

There are prep materials available online and in print. Decide how much time/money to invest in order to give your child an adequate sense of the test and how they’ll perform in it. 

 

Study in unconventional ways

Expand your child’s studying beyond sample questions and mock-ups of the actual exam. In addition to taking practice tests, use other materials to prepare. For example, different sources advise reading nonfiction books, articles, and essays to study for the Reading section. 

 

Take breaks/sleep 

Don’t underestimate the power of a well-earned study break. It’s also important to eat and sleep well before the test. Even if your child has prepared extensively, a lack of sleep or empty stomach can affect their ability to shine. 

 

What to do with scores

Analyze your child’s results. If they plan to take the test again, identify areas where they can improve and focus accordingly. 

If your child plans to submit their scores to colleges, they will need to indicate where. This can be done either when they take the test or afterwards. SAT scores are sent via official reports through College Board. Students are also able to use tools, like ScoreCard, to assess their results and forward only the best ones. Have your child check with their colleges to see what their requirements are before submitting. 

 

It may also be beneficial to talk to one of our Advisors about their experience with standardized testing. You can schedule a free consultation here. 

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

If you or your child have additional questions, read our blog: 

Versed Guide to Tutoring Services

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

When Is a Good Time to Start Thinking About College? (The Answer Isn’t What You Might Think!) Part 2 of 2

Does my child need a private college advisor?