Weekly Column Tag: college testing
Tag: college testing
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A recent column talked about when and if you should take the SAT or ACT a second time (the short answer was yes, but read the whole column, since it’s still up). In addition, a ton of wrong information is out and about on these tests that could cost you more money that front row seats at the Eminem/Jay-Z joint concert at Harwell Field in Detroit, and cost you more sleep than the folks who live next to Harwell Field are going to lose that very same night. In the interest of setting the record straight (get it—Eminem? Jay-Z? Record?), here’s the info on the tests—read on to make sure you’re Not Afraid: Every college that requires testing will accept the SAT and the ACT. There used to be a time when colleges on the coasts only took the SAT, and all the Many colleges are test optional. Another change in the past three years is the number of colleges that don’t require any testing at all. Many of these colleges see the test as one more stresser you just don’t need, or a piece of information that just doesn’t tell them all that much So if you want to send your scores, cool; if not, equally James. A partial list of these schools can be found at www.fairtest.org; you’ll notice Send the scores before you see them. This is the big issue that would make Doctor Evil pull his hair out if he were a school counselor—and if he had hair. ACT and SAT will send your scores to as many as four colleges at no extra charge, as long as you tell them where to send the scores before you actually take the test. If you wait to send the scores after you get them, it costs you at least $9 per college, and sometimes more. My advice? Save the dough, and send the scores for free. “But dude” says you, “what if I score badly? I don’t want a college to hold bad scores against me!” I get that—and the answer is they won’t, even if you send them bad scores. After talking to a lot of colleges and hobnobbing with my fellow school counselors, I can tell you I know of no college that sees a high ACT score and a low ACT score and uses the low scores in their decision. In fact, some colleges have computer systems that only let the admissions officials see your best scores, and other colleges will “superscore” your results by taking the best sub-scores of each test and putting them together. Not every college has these services, so ask—but even if they don’t, you won’t find a school where bad scores are used in a decision. You need to do your best on the tests, but don’t let them get the best of you—that’s the secret to test success beyond a Reasonable Doubt.
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