presents
SAT/ACTPrepWorkshop
5500 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Suite 5A Dunwoody, GA 30338 (770) 394.2626 http://www.huntingtonhelps.com
WhatAreStudentsUpAgainst?
1. LATimeshttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/01/college-admission-may-get-easier-as-the-ranks-of-high-school-graduates-drop.html
2. USDepartmentofEducation.NationalCenterforEducationStatistics3. NACAC:2011StateofCollegeAdmissions
• Anestimated3.2millionstudentsgraduatedfromAmericanhighschoolsin2014.1
Studentpopulationisgrowing
• Thepercentofstudentsenrollingdirectlytodegree-grantinginstitutionscontinuestorise.In2016,projectedenrollmentindegree-grantinginstitutionswillexceed21millionstudents.2
Enrollmentisgrowing
Today,25%ofstudentssubmit7applicationsor
more.3
• Thenumberofavailableseatshasnotkeptupwiththeincreaseinenrollees.
Seatsremainstagnant
ACollegeDegreeisImportant
4TheGeorgetownUniversityCenterOnEducationAndTheWorkforce
Betterjobsmeanbetterpay
*Over a 40 year career based on 2009 data.
NoHighSchoolEduca/on
WithaHighSchoolDiploma
WithaBachelor’sDegree
AverageHourlyWage
$11.70 $15.67 $27.26
MedianAnnualEarnings
$24,000 $32,600 56,700
“Medianlifetimeearningsrisesteadilyforworkerswithincreasingeducationalattainment.”4• Onaveragecollegegraduatesearnapproximately42%moreinhourlywagesandannualearningoverhighschoolgraduates*.
Admissions:JustHowCompetitiveIsIt?
6.USNewsandWorldReportBestColleges2013
Look on college websites for acceptance rates for colleges you are interested in.
HowDoTheyChoose?FactorsinXluencingcollegeadmissions
• Gradepointaverage• SAT/ACTscores• Coursestaken• Extra-curricularactivities/communityservice
• Essay/personalstatement• Recommendations• Interview
HowaretheSATandACTScoresUsed?
• Comparestudentswithacommonyardstick• Determinehowwellastudentwillhandlecollege-levelwork
• Selectthebestcandidatesfromthousandsofcollegeapplicants
• DetermineeligibilitytoparticipateinNCAAsports• DetermineXinancialaidandscholarships• Admissionsdecisions• Determineacceptancetocollegeprograms(Honorsprogram,acceptanceinmajor)
• Courseplacement
CollegeisaBIGInvestment• AverageTuition,Fees,RoomandBoard(2014-2015)7– Four-yearpubliccollege:$18,943peryear(instate)
– Four-yearpubliccollege:$32,762peryear(outofstate)
– Fouryear,privatecollege:$42,419peryear
• BetterperformanceontheACT/SATcanbringthesecostsdown
7.CollegeBoard:TrendsinCollegePricing2011
WhatYouShouldKnowAbout
theSATandACT
SAT ACTType of Test Assessment Achievement Focus • Critical thinking
• Mathematics conceptualization
• Reading ability
• Reading ability • Knowledge of high
school core curriculum
Highest Mathematics Level
Algebra II (graphing functions)
Trigonometry
Vocabulary Important Unimportant Science Knowledge
Unimportant Important
Essay Now Optional Optional Difficulty Predictable order of
difficulty Random order of difficulty
Traps Many Few Wrong Answers No Longer Penalized Not penalized Question Types Mostly multiple choice All multiple choice Paths to Success Reasoning and strategy Academic knowledge Composite Scale 400-1600 1-36 Average Score TBD 21
• Most colleges will accept either the SAT or ACT. • It is unclear how schools will incorporate the NEW
SAT into the admission process
• 75quesDons/45minutes• LargestrawnumberofquesDonsonthetest
– 75outofatotal215quesDons• Brokenintotwocategories:
– Usage/Mechanics• Fundamentalsofgrammar
– RhetoricalSkills• WriDngstrategyandorganizaDon
English
Mathematics• 60quesDons/60minutes• Brokenintothreecategories:
– Pre-Algebra/ElementaryAlgebra• NumberproperDes,percent,averages
– IntermediateAlgebra/CoordinateGeometry• LinearequaDons,exponents,polynomials
– PlaneGeometry/Trigonometry• Lines,angles,quadrilaterals,sine,tangents
CriticalReading• 40quesDons/35minutes• Brokenintofourpassages:
– ProseFicDonandHumaniDes– SocialStudiesandNaturalScience– Meanttoberead– QuesDonschallengeastudentsabilityto:
• Understandmainidea• Infer• Determineauthor’spointofview• Demonstratecollegelevelvocabulary• Getthefacts
Science• 40quesDons/35minutes• QuesDonsarebasedon:
– Biology,chemistry,earth/spacescience,physics
• Measuresstudentsabilitytoread,digestandanalyzescienDficdata– Containscharts,tables,graphsandscienDfichypotheses
Writing(Optional)
• Your essay will be evaluated based on the evidence that it provides of your ability to:
• analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue
• state and develop your own perspective on the issue • explain and support your ideas with logical reasoning
and detailed examples • clearly and logically organize your ideas in an essay
• Scale of 1-36 and four writing domain scores (Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions), each scored on a scale of 2-12.
HowDoYouGetaLegUp?
• Strategicguessing• Omitting• Analyzethequestion• Timemanagement
Strategiestoimproveyourscore
HowDoYouPrepare?
• Workhardinschool• Developthelearningskillsneededtosucceed
• Readregularly• Preparewithatestprepprogram
Theroadtosuccess
• Eatagoodbreakfast• Wearcomfortableclothing• Bringthecorrectkindofcalculator• Bringseveralsharpenedpencils• Staycalm
Whentestdayarrives
• September– ContinuePSATprep– RegisterforthePSAT– Studyandgetgoodgrades– SignupforAdvancedPlacement
courses– Stayinvolvedincommunityand
schoolactivities– Applyforleadershiprolesin
schoolactivities– Meetwithyourguidance
counselor
• October/November– TakethePSAT– Determinewhetheryouwilltake
theSATortheACT• December
– Begintestpreparation
• Spring– Askteacherstowrite
recommendations– TaketheSATorACTexam– Visitcolleges– PlantotaketheSATSubjectTests– Researchscholarshipopportunities– Attendcollegefairs
IfyouareaJUNIOR
• Summerafterjunioryear– Beginwritingcollegeessays– IfyouarenotsatisXiedwithyour
score,preparetoretaketheexam– Completeapplicationsforearly
admission– Volunteer,workortakeacourse
TheCollegeAdmissionTimeline
• September– Continuetovisitcolleges– Narrowlistofcollegeselections– Continuetestprepifyouwillbe
takingtheexamagain– Determinewhich,ifany,SAT
SubjectTestsyouwilltake– Studyandgetgoodgrades– Takeleadershippositionsinschool
activities– Meetwithyourguidancecounselor– Askteacherstowrite
recommendations
• November– Finalizeyouressay– Earlyactionapplicationdeadlines
• December– EarlydecisionnotiXication
• January/March– Regulardeadlinesforcollege
applications– Financialaiddeadline
IfyouareaSENIOR
• Summeraftersenioryear– Packyourbagsandheadofftothe
collegeofyourchoice!
• April– Acceptancesarrive– Makeyourcollegedecision
TheCollegeAdmissionTimeline