Standardized Tests
Name one of the two standardized tests used for college admissions.
ACT or SAT
Other tests used for college admissions include the SAT II subject tests, the TOEFL, AP tests, and the IB test
What is Early Decision?
Early decision is an early admissions policy for students who have a clear first choice of college. It requires students to withdraw applications at other schools if accepted.
Some schools admit a higher percentage of students through ED.
Some schools offer less generous financial aid packages for ED.
If you apply for ED you may be accepted, rejected, or your application may be moved to the regular decision pool.
True or False, a personal statement should be about 10 pages long.
False!
Word count requirements vary by school and some do not have a maximum or minimum word count. However, a rough guideline would be to aim for approximately 500 words, or a typed single-spaced page.
Your essay should be concise enough to be readable and compelling, but long enough to thoroughly answer the prompt.
Do colleges outside of New York recognize the Regents exam?
No
However, admissions officers from around the country are often aware of the Regents diploma and recognize the rigorous course load that it indicates.
Just in case, if there is an opportunity elsewhere in your application, you might consider briefly describing the Regents and explaining it’s significance.
What was the average college application fee in 2014?
A.) $41
B.) $50
C.) $90
B. The average is $41, but the fee for many colleges is significantly higher (for example, $50 at SUNY schools and $90 at Stanford).
Which standardized tests contains a mandatory science section?
The ACT
The ACT science test contains questions about Earth Science and Biology
You can also take SAT II in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics subject tests
Name two advantages of Regular Decision admissions.
Some advantages include:
More options
More time to complete your application
More time to decide on a school
Possibility of more financial aid
Major disadvantage is a larger (thus more competitive) applicant pool
How many teacher recommendations should you send?
How many the school asks for! If the school does not give a specific number, aim for 2-3 recommendation letters (one counselor and two teachers).
Schools often do not appreciate getting excessive numbers of recommendations; aim for quality over quantity.
Beware that if you send more than what is asked for specifically, some schools will pick that number of evaluations at random to read and discard the rest.
What score do you usually need to achieve on an AP test to receive college credit?
Most colleges will give credit for a 4 and above. Some will give credit for a 3 and above.
Not all colleges will give actual credits, but you may be eligible for advanced placement instead.
If you did not take an AP class or if your school does not offer AP, you can still take the exam.
It is not mandatory to take the AP test if you took the class (unless required by your school). Even if you choose not to take the test the coursework is still valuable for your learning and looks good on a transcript.
True or False, there is a standardized set of HS classes that all colleges require you to have taken.
False
However, there are many common expectations that colleges share. For example, you will find that most colleges require 4 years of English/Language Arts. Make sure you understand the specific requirements of each college you are applying to.
Just because you meet all of college’s baseline requirements doesn’t mean you meet their preferred qualifications. Make sure you understand what classes will make you a competitive candidate.
Which standardized test contains a mandatory writing section?
The SAT
In the SAT writing section students have 25 minutes to respond to the given prompt.
The ACT writing section is 40 minutes long and optional (but check to ensure whether your school requires a writing test before skipping the test.
What is deferred admission?
When you are admitted to a school but defer (put off) your enrollment to the next year or semester.
Deferred enrollment is sometimes referred to as “taking a gap year.”
Students choose deferred enrollment to for many reasons including to save money, travel, or gain work experience.
You do not need to indicate that you are interested in deferred enrollment on your application.
Not all schools offer guaranteed deferred admissions. Make sure you know the school’s policy before choosing to defer!
What is the difference between the Regents diploma and the Advanced Regents diploma?
The Advanced Regents diploma entails all the requirements of the Regents diploma AND scores of 65 or above on two additional math exams and one additional science exam.
“Honors” designation is for students who score an average of 90 or more on all exams (can be applied to either Regents or Advanced Regents diploma)
What times of year should you take the ACT/SAT?
A good choice would be to take the test in the Spring of your Junior year and/or the early fall of your Senior year.
If you choose to take the test earlier, make sure you have already covered the test content in school. If you choose to take the test later, make sure it is not too late to have your scores considered for admissions.
You can take the test multiple times if you are not satisfied with your scores, but research indicates that after 3 times student’ scores plateau (don’t get significantly better or worse).
What is the major difference between early action and early decision?
Early action is not a binding commitment to enroll.
This means that you can apply to more that one school through early action and you can decline an early action offer of admission.
If your teacher hasn’t submitted your recommendation, how long should you wait to remind them?
Send a reminder 2-3 weeks before the application deadline.
Don’t forget to make your initial request well ahead of the deadline.
Don’t forget to send a thank you note!
Can you take an individual AP exam more than once?
Yes
However, all scores will be sent to your schools unless you specifically request to withhold a score (temporary, for a fee) or cancel the test (permanently, no refund).
What is one way you might be able to get an application fee waived?
Policies vary from school to school, but here are some options:
If you have financial need, apply for a fee waiver with the National Association of College Admissions Counseling
If you have an SAT/ACT fee waiver, apply for a free pass with the College Board.
Apply to a school with no fee.
Apply to schools with free online applications.
Speak to your guidance counselor about individual school fee waivers that he or she can sign for.
What does SAT stand for?
Standard Aptitude Test
Does the SAT actually test “aptitude”? No! However, a good score can help your college application if your grades are borderline so you should try to get the best score you can.
Many schools are now choosing to de-emphasize standardized tests in admissions. You can find a list of these schools at www.fairtest.org
What is one thing you can do if you need a recommendation from a counselor, but you go to a large school and your counselor barely knows you?
Some things to do in this situation:
Make sure you attend as many in-person meetings with you counselor as available.
Be clear and concise with your counselor about your strengths, achievements, and goals when you meet.
Prepare a “brag sheet” of your accomplishments for your counselor to reference when they write the recommendation.
True or False, you can take IB classes without being enrolled in the IB Diploma Program?
True
Students can take individual IB classes and receive certification without being enrolled in the Diploma Program.
The IB Diploma Program is a two year program of study Juniors and Seniors which includes a set course of classes, 150 hours of extra-curricular hours in service and the arts, and a 4,000 word essay.
Name one optional supplement to your college application.
These options vary by school but may include:
Writing sample
Art portfolio
Digital media
Musical recording/original sheet music
Resume
Research proposal or abstract
In-person audition
Keep in mind that most schools will NOT return materials.
Don’t send additional materials just because you have them; colleges don’t like to have to manage unnecessary materials and too much extra information can actually hurt your application. Think hard about whether or not a supplement will enhance your application before including.