Admissions Newsletter

This newsletter addresses concerns that many college-bound students and their parents have about college admissions and standardized testing. Enclosed are the 2007 - 2008 schedules for the three major admissions tests: the PSAT, SAT Reasoning Test, SAT II Subject Tests, and ACT, information about test scores, and tips for scheduling. A little bit of early planning can save headaches senior year.

If you haven't started yet, now is a great time to start thinking about college admissions. Test scores, academic record, and extracurricular activities all affect admissions decisions. As a rule of thumb, larger and less competitive schools look primarily at two things: your GPA, and SAT or ACT scores. In fact, the SAT or ACT can account for as much as 50% of the admissions decision at these schools. Highly competitive and smaller schools look closely at GPA and test scores, but also consider extracurricular activities and personal qualities. College guides can help you assess a school's entrance difficulty and your chances of admission. Low test scores can eliminate an otherwise qualified student from further consideration. High scores can make up for short-comings in other areas.

Because SAT and ACT scores are the only major considerations for college admissions which can be substantially improved in a short period of time, an increasing number of college applicants are getting involved in test preparation. Anyone who has tried to raise a GPA knows how difficult that can be. One semester of straight "A's might raise a GPA of 3.2 to 3.3. College Insights can help you raise your SAT by 200 or more points or ACT by 3-6+ points, guaranteed. And that just may make the difference. In years past, the question was "Should I prepare for a standardized test?" Today, the question is "With whom should I prepare?" Make the intelligent choice: College Insights.

Selected SAT Scores

The following are estimates of the average SAT and ACT scores for students admitted to the following colleges and universities last year, as they were reported by the colleges and universities. When comparing your scores to an average, remember that other factors influence admissions-half the students admitted will score below the average, and half above. Also, in-state students stand a better chance of admissions to many state schools than do their out-of-state counterparts. The foremost standardized test in the United States is the SAT I. Two other tests which are also used for admissions are the ACT and the SAT II- Subject Tests.

College or University	Ave. SAT	Ave. ACT	College or University	Ave. SAT	Ave. ACT
Harvard University	2242	32	Amherst College	2097	30
Univ. of Cal. Berkeley	2010	NA	Bates College	1995	NA
Stanford University	2148	31	Davidson College	1983	29
University of Colorado	1730	25	Gonzaga University	1746	26
Univ. of Cal. Santa Barbara	1784	25	MIT	2181	31
Brown University	2070	29	University of Missouri	1865	27
University of Arizona	1650	23	Princeton University	2235	33
Duke University	2100	30	Reed College	2009	29
Northwestern University	2063	30	Tufts University	1988	29
Boston College	1935	28	Air Force Academy	1916	28
Georgetown University	2018	30	University of Virginia	1956	28
Dartmouth College	2132	31	Middlebury College	2115	30
Puget Sound	1865	26	University of Texas	1817	25
University of Michigan	1904	27	Williams College	2093	30
Colorado College	1892	27	Wesleyan University	2037	29
Washington U, St. Louis	2055	31	Pomona College	2145	32

NA = Not Available

Test Scheduling

The SAT Reasoning Test is the most widely accepted college admissions test in the United States. It is scored on a 200-800 scale, and is used by virtually every college and university for admissions purposes. It contains sections which measure selected verbal and mathematical skills. While the SAT is not an I.Q. test, its authors claim it predicts potential for college success. The SAT is offered seven times during the school year. We suggest that students take the SAT in the spring of junior year. This allows them to retest in the fall of senior year.

The ACT is the Midwestern cousin of the SAT. While the SAT attempts to measure a student's potential to succeed at the collegiate level, the ACT attempts to measure skills learned in high school. Though only a handful of schools require ACT scores, many schools will accept the ACT in lieu of the SAT. Students receive scores on a 36 point scale in four subject areas on the ACT- English, Math, Reading, and Science, as well as a composite score. Administration dates for the ACT and SAT do not conflict. June and October are the most popular dates for the ACT.

The SAT II is a series of hour-long tests in specific areas. These subject tests attempt to measure knowledge or skills in particular academic areas and are offered on the same dates as the SAT I. Many competitive schools require students to take two to three SAT II: Subject Tests. The Math Level IC, or IIC are usually required. Students choose a second or third from among 12 tests in three other areas: History and Social Studies, Sciences, and Foreign Languages. The best time to take SAT II-Subject Tests is as close as possible to the completion of the corresponding course at your high school. In other words, June is a good time to take the SAT II in a year-long subject.

Test Administration Dates

2010 Test Administration Dates
SAT	SAT II	ACT	PSAT
Jan 23	Jan 23	Feb. 4	Oct. 13
Mar 13		Apr. 10	Oct. 16
May 1	May 1	June 12
June 5	June 5	Oct. 24
Oct 9	Oct 9	Dec 11
Nov 6	Nov 6
Dec 4	Dec 4