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College Prep
QUESTIONS FROM
JUNIORS
Visiting Colleges,
Choosing Senior Classes, Boosting SAT Scores
BY DAVE PETERSON
© Copyright
2005 by Parents' Press
Originally published in the April 2005 print edition of Parents'
Press
Illustration © 2001, Artville, LLC
Things are really heating up now for high school juniors: Those scary SAT scores are due back, the spring grading period is closing, and the challenge of choosing a college looms. Here's what many juniors are asking about these issues, and some answers that may help.
Q. What is
a good or bad SAT score?
A. This varies for each person. A score that matches or exceeds
the average freshman scores at the colleges you want (or should
want) to attend that's a good score for you. A score below
that level may alert you to looking at more realistic colleges.
A realistic score is a good score!
Q. My reading
(or writing) score is lower than I hoped, but I plan to major
in math (or science, or engineering). Is that okay?
A. Probably not. Very few departments feel that verbal skills
are less important, while in the humanities, they are often very
heavily weighted. Even the math and science textbooks are printed
in English, no? And what language will you use for your research
papers?
Q. I averaged
700 in each of my sections. Will that get me a scholarship at
an Ivy League college?
A. Top colleges use high SATs only for starters as they examine
all parts of your record and life. Most scholarships are given
primarily for proven financial need rather than for strong academics.
Q. As I register
for senior courses, should I opt for AP (Advanced Placement)
courses or some career-related electives?
A. AP courses always build intellect and broaden your college
options. If you have room in your schedule, you might consider
electives that relate to career goals, but colleges prefer the
academic basics.
Q. I want
to take zoology next year, since I plan to major in it in college.
Can I substitute that for physics?
A. Lack of a physics course always raises a question in admissions
offices. Colleges are wary of kids who sidestep this tough but
basic college prep subject .
Q. My GPA
(grade point average) is great, but my SAT scores were no better
than my PSATs. What do I do now?
A. Before you take the SAT again, thoroughly review the item
analysis page in your PSAT score report. Pinpoint the test behaviors
you need to improve. Then practice them! And study the free Taking
the SAT booklet closely.
Q. I need
to re-take the SAT in May, to save June for the SAT II group,
but the registration deadline is past!
A. Try to take the May SATs as a stand-by. Get there early with
your registration form completed and your check in hand. Check
with your local test supervisor now for any other procedures
you need to be aware of.
Q. The old
dilemma: Is it better to get B's in honors courses or A's in
regular classes?
A. Colleges prefer challenge over mastery, so go for honors
and try for the A anyway!
Q. My SATs
and GPA seem right for me, but my parents are pushing colleges
that expect more. Help!
A. This is a very common crisis; educating parents is a difficult
job. Encourage your parents to read some of these of these columns
and, if possible, to join you in a college counseling session
focused on college success, not just admission.
Q. My spring
grades are a disaster. Will colleges see them?
A. No, college transcripts show only year-end grades until the
first term of your senior year. But a quick fix is needed so
that this year's final grades are not a problem.
Q. With my
good SATs in hand, can I now make definite college plans?
A. You can certainly zero in more closely on college groups,
but some major pieces are lacking, like SAT II results in June,
year-end grades and class rank, achievements still to come in
your activities, and summer successes.
Q. My SATs
and my GPA are way out of line with one another. Any advice?
A. Don't just plan for the worst with your weakest area, whether
it's scores or grades. Chances are that your weak area is out
of line with the real, better you. With help, diagnose the problem
and take action to fix it.
Q. I've used
the free Taking the SAT booklet, but I need more help preparing
for the test. What should I do?
A. The book Ten Real SATs (available in bookstores and in your
school guidance office) is perfect for you. And the College Board
software, One on One with the SAT, is a great (and pleasant)
interactive way to learn test strategies. Your guidance counselor
may have the software; you can also find it at www.CollegeBoard.com.
Q. I must
raise my SATs; what's the best prep course to take?
A. Your own! Saves lots of time and money and uses the actual
materials the test makers use. Study thoroughly the print and
Internet resources mentioned above.
Q. I want
to major in a creative field. How do I know what each college's
"philosophy" and approach are, to be sure they match
mine?
A. Only campus visits and talks with professors and students
in your chosen department can help here. But a junior can wait
until summer or fall for this time-consuming, but critical, in-depth
research.
Q. How far
away from home should I travel to college?
A. Once you're in a dorm, college living expenses are similar
everywhere, but the time and cost of travel can be a major factor.
Most college transfer students move from a distant to a closer-to-home
location. If you can find a campus you like closer to home, consider
that seriously. Keep Mom and Dad's wishes in the mix also!
Cost-wise, in-state tuition at public colleges is always lower
than at out-of-state campuses, whether public or private.
Q. I have
no idea what to major in, but I want to factor this into my college
choice somehow. How?
A. You can ask your counselor for an "interest inventory,"
which may suggest some likely areas to focus on. But college
will help you decide later on, and many kids change majors along
the way.
Q. My major
is normally found in urban colleges, but what about the social
life there?
A. The city itself will be your social life. The many students
who commute will help you quickly learn the ins and outs of their
neighborhoods and the college's surroundings.
Q. Now that
I have some colleges in mind, I'm anxious to visit a few. When
should I go?
A. It's best to wait until after May 1, when the current senior
admission season is over, and you become the primary focus for
admissions offices.
Q. I want
a college with a strong sense of community on campus. Suggestions?
A. Campus visits will help you assess such qualities as values
similar to your own, isolation from distractions, relatively
small size, a residential student body where few leave the college
on weekends. Talk with students there about their community.
Q. How do
kids actually end up weighing the various criteria as they make
choices about colleges?
A. A recent study asked seniors which factors mattered most as
they made their decision among multiple acceptances. Here's what
they came up with:
1. Location.
2. Major.
3. Parents.
4. Cost.
5. College publications.
6. Visits and tours.
7. Financial aid.
8. Friends.
9. College fairs they had attended.
10. Reputation.
11. College recruiters.
12. Teachers.
13. Counselors.
14. Coaches.
Q. Is this list a normal or desirable order of priorities?
A. There is no "normal" or "right"
your own priorities will reflect your values, maturity, and style.
Q. Why does
it seem so difficult to predict college success?
A. The chemistry between an individual campus and an individual
student, at a certain point in time, based on unpredictable sets
of experiences, is so variable and subjective that no attempt
to simplify or generalize about this will ever amount to much.
Visit as much as you can!
Q. Why is
settling for a "matching" college better than reaching
for the stars?
A. Maybe it isn't. But any college is a great challenge, and
your level of self-confidence, assertiveness, competitiveness,
time management skills, and resiliency are key factors in your
happiness and success wherever you end up. Know your tolerance
for frustration in advance.
Q. Why are
SAT scores more reliable than grades in predicting college freshman
success?
A. They aren't, but a combination of both works better than either
one alone. Why? They reflect different aspects of what's needed
to succeed in college courses. Grades show achievement in mastering
subject matter. SATs show the level of academic skills.
Q. What SAT
scores do colleges see?
A. All the ones you took during high school. Not included: PSAT;
any pre-grade 9 testing; any SAT II scores you withheld by using
ScoreChoice.
Q. Which scores
do colleges use?
A. In almost every case, the highest verbal and the highest math,
whenever each of those was achieved.
Q. I missed
or skipped lots of SAT questions and still got solid average
scores. How come?
A. In a screening test, very unlike the classroom mastery tests
you take every day, the testing goal is for the average student
to get half the questions correct. That's what you did! The good
news is that your scores, along with decent grades, qualify you
for consideration at 95 percent of colleges!
Dave Peterson has been an admissions officer, high school counselor, and guidance director. He now serves as director of college planning for the EDIFI corporation, a national mutli-media counseling service.
This article first appeared in longer form in the April 2005 issue of Parent.TEEN.
|
CLICK HERE for more College Prep articles by Dave Peterson. COLLEGE
PREP Dave Peterson is a college admissions officer, high school counselor, and guidance director. He now serves as director of college planning for the EDIFI corporation, a national multi-media counseling service. |