SAT II: What to take, and When to take them

What SAT IIs should I take?

The SAT II tests are one-hour, subject-specific exams that most highly competitive colleges recommend for admission.  You can take an SAT II in math, science, history, literature, or foreign language,* and you can take up to three tests in one day.

If you’re taking an AP class in a subject that also has an SAT II, you should probably take that test.  If you’re not taking AP classes, you should definitely at least take a look at a couple of practice tests before your official SAT II, and might want to skew towards skills-based tests (i.e. math, foreign language, literature, and to a certain extent, science) instead of fact-based tests (history).

Regardless of which path you take, it’s safest to research your options ahead of time.  Although the College Board posts sample questions from each subject’s test online, it usually only posts a few per test, and it’s hard to gauge the test’s difficulty from these online questions.  Three to six months before you plan to take your SAT IIs, just go to Borders or another bookstore and take an afternoon to plop your butt down in the test prep section.  While you’re there, pull prep books for EVERY test you MIGHT possibly take, and browse through each subject’s practice tests.  Then, rank them for yourself from easiest to hardest, and just sign up for the three easiest tests.  (I say three because you can take up to three in one day, so you might as well do so, just in case one goes unexpectedly.  Most schools that require SAT IIs just require two, but it’s always nice to have a back-up exam.)

Caveat: if you know what you would like to study and at which college you would like to study it, double-check that the school doesn’t require specific subject tests.  Most do not, with the exception of some competitive science and engineering schools.  However, please be aware that if you apply to the University of California, you do not have to submit a math exam, but if you do choose to, it must be Math 2.

When should I take the SAT II?

You should take the SAT II when you feel prepared to deal with that test; again, looking at practice tests beforehand will help you decide.  That said, you should take tests for fact-based exams like science and history in the Spring of the year in which you take the classes.  Meanwhile, skills-based tests, such as math, foreign language, and literature, can be saved until you’ve had a lot of experience with said skills (usually Spring of junior year or Fall of senior).

Knowing that the above paragraph is annoyingly vague, I can offer you two more concrete courses of action, that may or may not work for you:

If you’re a junior taking AP classes, take your SAT IIs in May of that same year.  This way, you’re already studying for the AP exams anyway, so you can just kill two birds with one stone.  Plus, once you get used to taking three-hour-long AP tests with essay questions, a one-hour multiple choice test will be a breeze!

If you’re a junior not taking AP classes, take your SAT IIs in June that year.  Again, if you take them in June you’re probably studying for finals in the same subjects anyway, so it’s just more efficient than taking them at some random time or year, or six months after the class has finished.

My Experience with the SAT II:

In high school, I loved history, and excelled at world history freshman year.  Therefore, I decided to take the World History SAT II.  However, as a facts-based test, if I hadn’t covered a certain region or time period in my class, I would be totally screwed if I got a relevant question on the test, and if memory serves me correctly I got a score in the 500s — a good 200+ points lower than the SAT IIs I took later on.  I scored this way because half the questions on this test were about African history, or medieval Japan, or something else my school’s curriculum had never covered, and since a multiple choice history test is basically a big trivia quiz, I had no shot at doing well on this test.  Make sure you know what’s on the test before you sign up for it!

Conversely, I took the Literature test during Junior year and still consider it the most cerebrally-painful experience of my life.  That said, I scored higher on that test than every other but one, including my SAT I subjects.  My score came as a total surprise to me, since I thought the test was so darn hard.  This happened to be the third test I took on my SAT II day — a test I almost didn’t take, because I thought I didn’t have to, and I was just so tired.  Man, am I glad I took it!

Two Lessons:

1. Do your research before you even pick a test!

2. Max out your opportunities!  You’re allowed to take three tests in one day, so take three!  Worst case scenario, you can just hold all your scores.  Best?  You get an extra, awesome test!  In between?  Maybe you thought you’d do great on Spanish but bombed, and you thought you’d mess up on US History but you did great!  At least you now have a replacement test, instead of needing to wait four months and then cram in another SAT II right before your college apps are due.

Check out the College Board’s SAT Subject Test Preparation Center to get a primary source of information: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/lc_two.html

As always, don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you might have.  Remember: be prepared!

*Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, History (US), History (World), Japanese, Korean, Latin, Literature, Math 1, Math 2, Physics, Spanish.

What extracurriculars will get me into Harvard?!?! (Actions steps are bolded!)

First, don’t panic.

Second, there’s hundreds of great schools in the country NOT named Harvard.

As for the actual advice:

When it comes to extracurriculars, whether sports, jobs, arts, community service, or something else, you should do what you love.

When you invest yourself in activities you love, a few things happen:

1. Because you love it, you’ll enjoy doing it, which will make it fun, not a chore.

2. Because you love it, you’ll invest more of yourself in it, which will make you better at it.

3. Because you love it, you’ll get more out of it in the long run anyway, and it may help you achieve your future goals and develop skills you’ll need for your chosen profession.

When you love what you do, you’ll invest more in it, get better at it, and maximize your potential.  When you hate what you do, you don’t really care about it, and you will never be truly great at it.

In the end, colleges and universities don’t necessarily care which activities you engage; instead, they want to see leadership, excellence, and commitment. These three qualities come much more naturally when you love what you do.

Colleges care about your extracurriculars because they will not just be admitting You the Student, but instead will admit You the Full Person.  When you apply, you want to demonstrate that you are someone the school would be crazy to deny — someone who will enhance the campus and help lift up others around you, in any (and hopefully all) capacities.

If you’re a senior right now and currently applying, the above advice isn’t super helpful.  My advice to you is that when you’re working on your apps, make a list of every single non-academic thing you’ve done since you’ve gotten to high school, as well as any academic honors you’ve received. I mean everything of any substance whatsoever — not just that you’re in the Key Club, but also if you take care of your siblings after school, or work, even at your parents’ store.  List EVERYTHING, and then take a look at that list and organize it in a format that you can submit to your universities.  Highlight any instances of leadership, excellence, and honors, and use this information to craft your narrative — how you want your dream school to think of you.

If you have any questions about this topic or others, please feel free to post a comment or email me.  Good luck!

Chinese college admissions exams: Market Design Linkback

“China may be changing at head-twirling speed, but the ritual of the gao kao (pronounced gow kow) remains as immutable as chopsticks. One Chinese saying compares the exam to a stampede of “a thousand soldiers and 10 horses across a single log bridge.”
The Chinese test is in some ways like the American SAT, except that it lasts more than twice as long. The nine-hour test is offered just once a year and is the sole determinant for admission to virtually all Chinese colleges and universities. About three in five students make the cut.”

http://marketdesigner.blogspot.com/2009/07/chinese-college-admissions-exams.html

Should I take the SAT or the ACT?

SAT. Those three letters seem to inspire more fear in high school students than Lord Voldemort, the orthodontist, and acne, combined. Here in California, most students focus on (read: freak out about) the SAT and essentially ignore the possibility of taking the ACT. But did you know that some American universities do not consider the SAT as part of their admissions criteria, while all American universities will consider the ACT?

I’m writing today to encourage any and all college-bound students to seriously consider taking both the SAT and the ACT at least once before applying to college.

The tests are similar in many ways: they are both designed to gauge your readiness for college, are about four hours long, and essentially test your skills in math, reading comprehension, and writing.

However, there are some notable differences. For instance, while the SAT math section does not test any math beyond Algebra II, the ACT reaches to Trigonometry. In addition, the SAT’s essay is a required part of the test and the first test section, while the ACT’s essay is optional (but you should still definitely do it!) and concludes the test. Moreover, while the SAT only has three components (Math, Reading and Writing), the ACT adds an additional test on Science. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the SAT has 10 sections of 10-25 minutes each, while the ACT has five longer sections (including the essay) of 30-60 minutes each. Therefore, while on the SAT you will jump between shorter sections of the Math, Reading and Writing tests, on the ACT you will have one longer section per subject.

Although most colleges consider the two tests to be completely interchangeable as far as the admissions process goes, many students tend to perform better on one test or the other naturally, regardless of studying or preparation. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. First of all, some students do better on shorter tests with lots of change-up, while others do better with longer tests. In addition, although the SAT and ACT test essentially the same ideas, each test phrases its questions slightly differently. Finally, some people love that there’s an opportunity to work with Science on the ACT (though don’t get too complacent – the Science test is actually a science reasoning test, not a prior knowledge test). Of course, there’s a multitude of other reasons why students tend to do better on one test or the other – some reasons being relatively insignifcant, and still others just plain intangible – but these are the big, detectable differences.

So now, the million-dollar question: which test should you take? As I said earlier, take both! But before you take the real thing, consider the following:

One great way to get some first-hand, low-stress preparation is to take Kaplan’s SAT/ACT Combo Test. This is a practice test that essentially is half SAT and half ACT – thus, it’s still just four hours, but gives you an idea about how which test is a better fit for you. When you take this test, you not only get to practice in a realistic test-taking environment, but will also get the opportunity to receive your predicted scores on both the SAT and the ACT, as well as advice from a Kaplan professional on which test may be the best for you.  (If you’re interested in taking this free practice test, you can do it  at any Kaplan Center — visit www.kaptest.com/college or call 800-KAPTEST.)

Oh, and one last thing: as much as I obviously have an interest in telling you to take a Kaplan course, let me emphasize to you and your parents that I do NOT recommend taking a prep class for both tests. It’s overkill. Take both tests at least once (even if it’s just a practice test!), but if you choose to prep, focus on the test that works better for you – while these tests are important, they shouldn’t take over your life!

What is a “good” SAT/ACT Score?

I get this question at least five times a week, and unfortunately, there’s no magic number.

However, it’s relatively easy to figure out what a “good” SAT/ACT score is for you! All it takes is three simple steps:

1. Make a list.
Where do you want to go? Create a list of any and all schools you might even be slightly interested in attending. Because you’re just starting to brainstorm, the sky’s the limit! Your list can be anywhere from one school to thirty — just make that list.

2. Research.
Once you’ve created this list, visit the college’s website and check its admissions site to see its average SAT/ACT scores. You can also request pamphlets and brochures from most colleges, and can even call or email the school’s admissions office to speak with someone directly. The internet is probably easiest, though, so take advantage of it!

3. Evaluate!
Check your list. Where do you really, really, really want to go? Sort your list by average SAT/ACT score and aim for the top of your heap. Your goal score should be to meet or exceed the average score of your favorite school.

That’s how we answer the time old question, “what’s a good score!” Now all you have to do is figure out how to get there…

Thanks for checking in with my new blog! Please leave a comment with any SAT, ACT, PSAT, or college admissions-related questions, and I’ll try to answer a couple each week!

If you’re taking the SAT this Saturday, GOOD LUCK!