Got Tests?

There's a recent article in the New York Times discussing whether students should take/retake the ACT/SAT. There's lots of information available about this issue. The college admissions consultants at College Connectors consider the testing piece of the admissions puzzle very carefully. Here's our answers to the questions:

ACT or SAT?

How many times should you retake it?

First of all, we live in the Midwest - what some people describe as the Fly-Over part of the US. Of course, that's where the ACT people live too. So, we've never thought the ACT was inferior.

We let people know off the bat that colleges will consider the results of either the ACT or SAT in their admissions decision and to reinforce what others have said, test scores aren't the most important part of the admissions decision anyway.

We advise students and parents that the goal of the either test is to get a score that accurately reflects a student's ability. We sincerely suggest to parents: "The goal is NOT for your teen to have a score you can brag about at a cocktail party".

With this guidance, we suggest students pick one test, a test date that's convenient for them, prepare for the test starting about 6/8 weeks ahead of time, and plan on taking the test once.

Preparation can take lots of forms: buy a book and go through it on your own, take a class, hire a tutor, create a study group with your friends. Whatever, just prepare. We don't think that taking the test officially one time 'just for practice' counts.

Of course, there are times when even we suggest a retake. For example, if the student was ill and couldn't concentrate and scored lower than we'd predict based on their PSAT, PLAN and/or grades, he should retake it. Or, if one of her scores was way out of range compared to the others(ACT sub scores that is), she can think about retaking it.

Most importantly, however, if the student is applying to a college that offers merit scholarships, a retake might be necessary. Consider the case of a student with a 27 ACT score. If the college awards $5000/year to a student with a 27, and $10,000/year to a student with a 28, another stab at the test, another Saturday morning, and the $$ cost of retaking the test could have a great financial payoff and is warranted. The ROI potential in this case is $20,000. Not bad for an 18 year old and a few hours of work. Remembering all the time that it's just as easy to score one point lower as it is to score one point higher.

According to our research, the classes a student takes and the grades they get in high school are more important to colleges than test scores. The pieces of the college search puzzle need to fit together. An over-sized testing piece won't help the solution.

Parents Only Want to Help

How can parents help their teens with the college search and application package without going overboard?

Some parents might take over the process because they're concerned that their children don't communicate with them. Here are some Dos and Don't s for Parents:

DON'T:

1. discuss your child's ACT/SAT test scores at cocktail parties
2. contact colleges more than once or twice
3. ask questions at the college visit information sessions
4. pretend to be your child on the phone and call the college(see #1)
5. answer questions interviewers pose to the child
6. fill out applications
7. write the essays
8. dictate the college list

DO:

1. encourage your teen to contact the admissions representative with questions
2. make the travel arrangements for college visits
3. insure that your child has a process for researching colleges
4. find someone to educate you about financial aid and scholarships
5. ask your teen questions and really listen to the answers
6. check out information at: www.unigo.com

Watch this blog for future topics on how to start conversations with your children that will lead to finding the right college match.