College? But I’m Only a Freshman! - Part 2

by Mrs. Brown

Tip # 4:  Research.  Get to know “your” college now.  Even if you have only a broad idea of the kind of job or career field for which you’d like to prepare, start some searches and conversations about schools that are well respected in those programs. Get a solid idea of what those colleges expect of their students—average GPA and SAT scores of the admitted freshmen, for example.  Find out what tuition costs at the school. All of this is a few Google searches away!  Narrowing your search now will help you tailor your high school career to best meet the admissions requirements for your dream school.  I once had a young lady in my ninth grade homeroom who adored Duke University—she practically bled blue and always talked a mile a minute about all the Duke sports events and programs and how she’d be going to school there herself one day.   When I met up with her again as a junior, she was crushed.  She had just met with her guidance counselor and discovered that her C average was never going to get her past the first round of Duke applications. She asked me, “How come no one told me I’d have to do better in my ninth and tenth grade years? I didn’t think ninth grade mattered all that much!”

 Of course the answer is that there is no magical college advisor who will drop a perfect roadmap for life into your lap—you need to search out and learn some of the basic information about colleges, and then work--- and work NOW--- to meet those requirements.  There’s probably no need to start visiting universities in person, but spend some time online so you know the parameters of  the schools you are most interested in, or at least the type of school (state university, technical college, Ivy League, etc.) you think you will be most interested in.  Choices you make now--- the homework you do or don’t do, the tests you do or don’t study for—all will open or close doors and pathways to your future.  Know what kind of college you aspire to and then make choices starting today to make those dreams come true. 

One great resource you should sign up for NOW is The College Foundation of North Carolina, or cfnc.org.  This website is a total treasure chest of college tools for all steps in the search and application process.  It can help you match your interests to college programs, plan the right course of study, figure out how to pay for all that secondary education, and finally, prepare for the standardized tests most students will need for college.  Which leads to:

TIP # 5:  Prepare for Testing  College testing seems like a crazy alphabet soup:  SAT, AP, ACT, PSAT, PLAN, etc.  What are these tests and why are they so important?  First, look at it from a college’s point of view.  The college wants to recruit the best students possible, right?  But how do you know who’s the best? You’d look at the grades the students earned, right?  But not all grades and GPAs (grade point average) mean the same thing.  Some schools use letter grades.  Some use numerical averages.  Some use a 10 point scale and others a 7.  Some use pluses and minuses and others don’t.  Some schools offer a ton of Advanced Placement classes and others few or none.  So not all “As” are created equal.

This is where standardized tests come in. “Standardized” means they are the same for every student in every location, so colleges have a better chance of comparing "apples to apples" when it comes to student academic achievement rather than the mishmash of information that a simple GPA will give.  So you will want to do the best job you can on those tests.

• Which tests to take?  This is where your research pays off. Some colleges require one test, other ask for different ones, some will take any and all.  Find out what’s most common for your top schools and focus there.   The most common tests are the ACT and the SAT.  The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The ACT has up to five parts: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities, and it has only three components: Critical Reasoning, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test.

• When should I take them?  Most students take a standardized test at least twice, with the most common pattern being once in junior year and once near the start of senior year.  But you may want to start sooner.  There’s no age limit on when you can test, and if you are a strong reader and are taking advanced math classes, then taking your first  SAT in your ninth or tenth grade year may be appropriate.  You will also have a chance in school in your sophomore year to take the PLAN (pre-test for the ACT) and often the PSAT (pretest for the SAT) in your junior year.  Whenever you decide you take the test, don’t dawdle in registering.  The tests are usually given a half dozen times or more each year, but you will need to be registered for them at least a few weeks ahead of the test date, and popular test sites often fill up, too. Local high schools usually act as hosts for the test sites, and different schools host on different dates, so signing up early means a better chance of getting a test site near your house. If there’s still space at a test site you may be able to get late or even same-day registration, but be ready to pay a (very expensive) fee. 

   

•  How many times should I take the tests?  Again, this is a very individualized decision.   The College Board will “bank” your scores, meaning if you take it the first time and score very high on math but not so high on language arts,  but the second time you take the test you reverse this, your prospective college will receive your highest scores no matter which test date they come from. Some colleges like to receive ALL your score reports and others will let you choose which ones to report. There’s no maximum number of times you can take the test, but there is a fee (about $45) each time. And I’ve never seen this confirmed, but rumor has it that colleges look down on kids trying to take the tests too many times, especially if there is little improvement in the scores. Most students find that their test scores increase, sometimes dramatically, the second or third time they take the test.  This is due in part to just having a better sense of the test itself and in part to having more advanced classes from school that prepare you better.  

• How do I study for the test?  The simple answer is, you don’t.  You focus really hard on your regular class work, you read everything you can get your hands on, and you will accumulate the broad core of knowledge the test is measuring.  BUT:  you can study HOW to take the test.   Each test has its own rules and strategies and you will absolutely improve your scores by getting familiar with the test format.  If you want to throw money and time at the problem, most test prep programs do a fine job, but you can also do it on your own.  Try picking up one of the test prep books at any bookstore or for a free solution,  go to collegeboard.org and sign up for the free daily practice question.  A different test question will arrive in your e-mail every day, with the answers and reasons behind the answers.  Start now and work through these faithfully and you can save a lot of time and money on test prep courses and tutors.