Posts Tagged ‘college admission’

25
Aug

The Best Courses to Prepare for College

Going to college is an exciting stage in the life of a teenager filled with the anticipation of being away from home and independent for the first time. One aspect of this process includes meeting the academic admission requirements. College preparatory classes help students who choose the college track to take the classes needed, no matter which type of college or university you decide to attend.

English

In addition to mandatory freshman and sophomore English classes, four additional semesters in language arts sets high school students on a college track. College prep English course options are plentiful, depending on the school you attend. Language arts classes that best prepare students for college include an array based in literature. World, American and British literature courses help college-bound students develop literary analysis skills befitting a college freshman.

Science

Most schools have only a limited number of science classes available. To fulfill most college and university requirements of four years of science, students may end up taking all the science classes offered at their school. Biology and chemistry not only fulfill college admission requirements for science but meet the lab requirements as well.

Social Studies

When your educational path is college-oriented, eight semesters social studies classes are required. Gone are the days when social studies classes consisted only of U.S. and world history. Social studies classes also include world geography, and most high schools have a civics requirement for graduation. College-bound students also have social studies options that include psychology and sociology.

Foreign Language

One area in which state schools and elite universities differ in admission requirements is foreign language. Most colleges and universities require students to have at least two years of the same foreign language, but Ivy League institutions such as Princeton expect their incoming freshmen to have four years of the same foreign language. Meeting this requirement for college admission is open to whichever languages you can take in school, such as Spanish, French and, in some schools, German and Latin.

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05
Jun

College Board’s Sat Overview

The SAT test has become synonymous with college admissions in the United States. SAT test preparation, therefore, has become necessary for doing well on the SAT. The SAT exam is a standardized test that tests students on the basis of their reasoning skills. There are a few things that parents and students must know about this standardized test. Let us talk about some of those things.

The SAT test is a three hour forty five minute test. There is also a 25-minute experimental section. But the score of this section does not contribute to the overall SAT score. Including this section, the SAT becomes a two hundred and fifty minute exam. If you add the breaks, the SAT becomes a 5-hour test.

There are people who might want to take the SAT a second or third time. What is the test taking limit? Students, in general, take the SAT a maximum of three times. Exceptions exist here too as there are some who claim to have written the SAT test more than five times. Suppose you write the Sat more than once. In that score, which score would be considered by colleges? There is no fixed rule to this. However, as general rule, colleges consider the score of every attempt at the SAT. However, different colleges have different criteria- some take into account the highest combined total SAT score. The best thing you can do is check with the college’s admission office to understand its admission procedure.

What about students who have disabilities? Can they take the SAT? College Board has set certain accommodations for SAT test takers having documented learning disabilities. However, there is a process involved for this. The student is required to complete a Student eligibility form before registering for the SAT test. More details about registration for disabled students can be found on the College Board’s website.

How to register for the SAT? Online registration is perhaps the simplest and the quickest way to register for the SAT exam. Students would have to visit the College Board’s website and follow the registration procedure. The first step would be choosing the desired test date and test center. The best thing about registering online is that one can get immediate registration confirmation.

Registration via mail is also an option. College Board allows SAT test registration through mail if a student wants to pay by check or money order. There are some other criteria too about which you can read on the College Board’s website. Standby registration and homeschooled registration are also available.

Students should ensure that they understand the registration policy carefully before registering for the SAT test. Students (and sometime parents) believe in the myth that the SAT is a complicated exam that asks for years of rigorous efforts. This is not the truth. The SAT is a fairly simple test that has been designed to challenge the student’s reasoning skills. SAT test preparation should not unnecessarily burden the student. With a SAT study plan that covers SAT practice tests and test-taking strategies, doing well on the SAT ceases to be a difficult affair.

04
Jun

Sat – Myths and Truths

The SAT Reasoning Test, previously known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test, is a standardized test, mainly used by colleges and universities in the US to select students for admission. The programme consists of the SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT Subject Tests. The SAT is three hours and 45 minutes long and measures skills in three areas: critical reading, math, and writing. Although most of the questions are multiple choice, students are also required to write a 25-minute essay.
The SAT Subject Tests, on the other hand,?are a one-hour, mostly multiple-choice test in specific subjects. These tests measure knowledge of particular subjects and the ability to apply that knowledge. The SAT is offered seven times a year in the United States. Students can prepare for the test with the help of books, tutors, or online   programs. It is published and marked by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

The SAT has been the subject of controversy ever since it was introduced. It has been described as racist, sexist and a very inaccurate pointer to a person’s real abilities. Because of the way it’s constructed, its high pace, and inherent cultural biases, the SAT denies African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and women equal opportunities for higher education.
It’s almost become de rigueur now for students to attend expensive coaching classes for excellent scores on the SAT, for admissions in top universities. So many myths have sprung up around the SAT, that it’s become something of a bugbear for the academic community in general. It’s time we debunked some of these myths (and earn the gratitude of the long-suffering students).

Myth 1: SAT tests alone determine your chances of admission.
Absolutely untrue. While it’s true that the test does play a role in the admissions process, it’s not the only determinant to college admission. The reality is that when admissions officers evaluate students’ applications, they take into consideration evaluation letters, essays, academic records, awards, work experience, extracurricular activities, to get a clear view of the candidate’s all-round abilities. It is fallacious to assume that the SAT alone determines your chances of getting into the college of your choice abroad.

Myth 2: One has to score over 1350 to get into any of the Ivy League colleges.

This is another of those enduring myths. Many guidebooks provide a median score for each school, which indicates the score at which half the students scored better and half scored worse. A few schools’ list ranges between which most of their admitted students scored. One should keep in mind that every year thousands of students with good academic records but lower than average test scores are admitted to top schools.

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