From
"College Times 2000/2001"
How
to get power over tests? There is a lot of college test fiction floating
around- wrong ideas that just might get you into testing trouble.
Replace test fiction
with test fact, and get the power
to test your very best.
FICTION:
"If I want to go to college, getting a high SAT score is the
most important thing I can do in high school."
Carolyn Barnhart, a longtime counselor in Los Angeles high schools,
has a blunt reaction to this idea. "Get a life," she says.
After all, the SAT I measures just two things, verbal and mathematical
reasoning skills. It does not measure work ethic, personal
interests, exceptional talents, or any other qualities that can bring
success in college, and admissions officers know it. That's why the
SAT score is just one of the many factors they look at.
Colleges
consider your class standing, GPA, essay, teacher recommendations,
athletic accomplishments, and extracurricular and volunteer activities.
They look at course you've taken and, more and more, they look at
whether you chose to take the most challenging courses offered by
your school. Honors courses or AP (Advanced Placement) courses on
a high school transcript do catch an admission officer's eye. They
deliver two messages: "This student looks for a challenge,"
and, "This student is prepared to do college level work."
The
(really) most important things you can do in high school? Take solid
courses, earn the best grades you can, and explore your interests
in sports, the arts, and extracurricular activities. In short: Work
hard, play hard, and stretch yourself. Colleges will notice.
FICTION:
"I don't need to take the SAT. Admission officers can learn all
they need from my transcript and application."
Colleges can't learn everything from your application package.
For example, grading policies aren't the same in every school. A "B"
n your high school could mean as much as an "A" in another
school. Yet an 1100 SAT score is an 1100 SAT scores everywhere, and
that's the point of a standardized college test. It gives colleges
a quick read on how your academic skills compare with those of two
million other students who take the same test every year. That information
helps an admission officer predict that you will probably do well
in your first year at his or her college. After all, colleges want
to admit students who'll succeed.
A
standardized test score, then, isn't the main thing in your college
application, but it is an important ingredient. You should be ready
to do your best on the test when you take it.
FICTION:
"The students who do best on the SATs are the ones who know all
the tricks and play all the angles."
People have odd ideas about "tricks" and the SAT. Some say
it's easier in one state than another (wrong: it's the same test everywhere),
or easier in October than November (wrong: a process called equating
assures that scores mean the same thing from test to test). In short,
the SAT is the same experience for all students- as we've said, that's
why colleges use standardized tests.
As
for "trick questions", there are none. The SAT reflects
work you'll do Freshman year in college. Those who do best on the
test aren't trick-masters; they're high school students who take solid
courses and earn good grades. Still, you can prepare for the test,
and you should- there's no point walking into it cold.
How
to prepare? We asked Brian O'Reilly, who heads up the SAT program
at the College Board, which puts the SAT (and this magazine) into
schools. At a minimum, Brian says:
(1)
Look through a sample test (you'll get one free when you sign
up for the SAT). Read the directions in each section, and try out
a few questions. That way, you'll get familiar with how the test
works, and you won't waste time with things like figuring out
the directions when you take the test.
(2)
Take the practice test, making sure to time yourself
as you go. You'll get a feel for pacing so you'll know all
about how fast to go in each section- when you're rushing it, and
when you have time to slow down and think about a question.
(3)
Review the answers on your practice test to see how your
guessing strategy worked. Wild guesses, taken when you've no idea
at all which answer is correct, don't usually pay off and can cost
you points; but if you can eliminate one or two answers, it can pay
to guess among the answers that remain. Most test experts say that
when guessing, go with your first hunch.
So,
you should prepare for the test- and luckily, there are terrific materials
available to help:
-
Every student who signs up for the SAT receives a free booklet, Taking
the SAT I: Reasoning Test; ask for one at you guidance office.
It includes extensive tips plus a complete practice test.
- You'll find further practice tests in the book 10 Real SATs.
- There's a software package, "One on One with the SAT".
Look for it on www.collegeboard.com.
- Whatever you do, check out the "SAT Learning Center" on
www.collegeboard.com.
Chock full of free test prep material, it's a great place to review
the SAT before you take it.
FICTION
"Only an expensive test prep course or private tutoring will
help me on the SATs." We've already talked about how
you can handle the test prep on your own. But, should you prepare
on your own, or should you spend cash on a test prep course? We asked
several counselors. Most agree that it depends on what kind of student
you are. Bob Harris, for many years a counselor at New York City's
Brooklyn Tech High School, says, "What courses do is make you
more comfortable taking the test by getting you more familiar with
it, and giving you tips about things like when to guess."
You
can get that kind of comfort on your own. If you're a skillful and
focused student, you can get to know the SAT, and take a practice
test, using the College Board's free test prep materials. If you study
well with a parent or older sibling, you can use those same materials
to prep for the test with their help.
But
a paid coaching course does offer extra structure. If you're a student
who'll focus best in a classroom with a teacher, consider a paid coaching
course.
FICTION:
"SAT IIs are impossibly hard. Who needs 'em?" Chances
are, you need 'em. SAT IIs are subject-area tests. Most measure what
you have learned in specific courses like French or World History.
Should you take them? Yes and maybe. Yes, if you are serious about
a college that requires them as part of the application process. Maybe,
if your colleges don't require them. After all, the SAT IIs let you
show your strength in a subject. If you're a hot French student, take
the test and let the world know.
There's
nothing "impossible" about these tests, but don't take them
too late or too early. SAT director Brian O'Reilly explains: "Take
course-related tests like Biology as soon as possible after finishing
the course, before you forget what you've learned, but not too early-
for instance, not midway through the course. For the writing test
and others which aren't associated with a particular course, and which
measure knowledge and skills that are still being gained, you're probably
better off waiting until as late in your senior year as you can."
FICTION:
"The night before the SAT, the best thing you can do is party,
party, party. It relaxes you." Don't freak out over
this test. As Joan Catelli, a counselor at Lowell High School in San
Francisco, says, "It's not life and death. It's just one of the
factors colleges look at, and if you have a bad day, you'll almost
always have a chance to take it again."
But
do give it your best shot. Partying the night before is out. Instead,
do the stupid stuff (honest, the stupid stuff will make a difference
in your score): Go to bed early and have everything planned for the
morning push. Know what you're going to wear. Make sure you know how
to get to the test room or building. Set out your admission ticket,
the #2 pencils you'll need, and fresh, smudge-free erasers. Don't
forget your calculator! Get up early enough to eat a good breakfast
and arrive at the test site with time to spare- relaxed, alert, and
ready.
In
the end, remember: Your SAT score is not you- it's not your
personality, not your talents, not your interests or the energy you
put into pursuing those interests. So, do your best on the test, and
go on with the lively task of being you- doing solid schoolwork and
pursuing your interests, which will give you power where it really
counts, not just over your tests, but over your life.
