Take A Deep Breath

College Entrance Tests                                                              

College Talk is a publication for students and parents on topics related to college selection and admission. This issue offers insights on standardized tests used in the college admissions process and is published by New Beginnings Career and College Guidance.

It’s strangely quiet as you file into the room clutching your #2 pencils in sweaty hands, and trying to calm the butterflies in your stomach. Even though it’s early in the morning you hope your brain is as sharp as your pencils as you wait for the proctor to say "begin."

In the upcoming months students across the country will drag themselves out of bed to spend a Saturday morning at a nearby high school filling in the ovals of the SAT, the ACT, or the Subject Tests. Before you get to this stage you should...

	Understand the importance of these tests. According to a 1997 survey by the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC), admission test scores are not as important as college prep courses and grades, but they do make a difference to admission decisions and it’s important to test as well as you can.
	Find out which tests you will need to take. Most selective colleges require either the SAT or the ACT and some want Subject Tests (the UCs want two). Consider taking the SAT and the ACT.
	Select dates to take tests. Pick up a registration bulletin from your high school so you can register early. It’s a good idea to take all the tests you need in your junior year.
	Decide what preparation you will do. Preparation helps increase your comfort level with the test, reducing anxiety. It may also reinforce needed skills. There are many options for preparation, but sometimes students neglect to do the obvious and that is to go to the source. Read the materials put out by the testing agencies. The College Board and the American College Testing Program provide instructional books and sample tests to help students familiarize themselves with the tests. Juniors (and some sophomores) should take the PSAT. This score report includes the answers to the test and pinpoints which questions the student missed.

Sometimes test results are disappointing and not a true reflection of your abilities. The first thing to realize is that test scores are not a measure of your self worth. Second, you can take the tests again. Colleges usually use the highest score submitted in their admission decision. Don’t spend too much time worrying. Remember, solid academic achievement can outweigh those test scores.

"...colleges aren’t just looking at exam scores. That exam score won’t mitigate your academic record ...and it won’t indicate your level of motivation..."  (Johns Hopkins Uni.)