ARHS offers the PSAT on a Saturday in October. Announcements are made often at school and an e-mail is sent to parents to inform families of this opportunity. The PSAT serves as the basis for National Merit Scholarship consideration for juniors only, and is essentially a practice SAT. We encourage all juniors to take the test, and believe that sophomores who are enrolled in Algebra II and Honors Geometry can learn something about standardized testing from taking it. Sophomores who are enrolled in algebra or College Prep Geometry can certainly take the test for practice, but they should realize that they currently lack much of the math knowledge that will be tested, and thus may not find taking this test to be a rewarding experience. College Board fee waivers are available to juniors only.
Most students who apply to four-year colleges will need to take standardized admission tests, either the SAT or the ACT. As a general rule, students should not take these tests before the winter of the junior year.
Some students should consider taking SAT Subject tests earlier than the junior year. These are students who have strong interests in science, are excelling in Honors Chemistry in tenth grade or Honors Biology in either ninth or tenth grade, and who will not take AP Biology in eleventh grade. Scores approaching 700 or better will be viewed favorably by highly selective colleges. Scores under 600, even if achieved early in high school, will not enhance an application to a highly selective college. ARHS students find that our curriculum is most closely aligned with the SAT Subject tests in Literature, Biology, Math and languages. The history tests are not aligned with our curriculum, and only students who read extensively about history on their own should take these tests. The chemistry test includes some units that are not covered in our chemistry course. Students need to teach themselves this material, with the support of our teachers.
Beginning with the class of 2010, the College Board will be using a Score Choice System. This means that students will be able to choose the Reasoning or Subject Test scores they wish to send to the colleges to which they are applying. It will not be possible to pick and choose between Reasoning Test sub-scores, but it will be possible for students to select the individual Subject Test scores they wish to send, regardless of the test date.
Increasingly, students in the Northeast are finding the ACT to be a good alternative to the SAT. All colleges accept it as equivalent. A few colleges want subject tests in addition. The ACT has a science section in addition to reading, math, English and optional writing. It is sometimes thought of as more of an achievement test, more geared to curriculum than the SAT. Students can select their best ACT composite score and not send other administrations. Students who are disappointed with their SAT scores might want to consider taking the ACT.
Both the SAT and ACT are offered multiple times each year. Consult www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org for more information and to register for the tests. Fee waivers are available to income-eligible students.
If you have any questions, please contact your student’s guidance counselor or Myra Ross, the ARHS College Advisor, at rossm@arps.org.