UReady for College

Quick Update

2007-11-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

Wow. I'm really sorry to anyone who was reading this blog on a somewhat regular basis. Let's just say that this semester has been a busy one (let's just say 30 hours of class a week plus extracurriculars doesn't leave a whole lot of time to post stuff on a blog).

However, I'll be off in a week for Thanksgiving break so I'm going to try and get some articles up. Also, In about a month Winter break starts, which means I'll have a month off to give some reflections on this semester (including some mistakes I've made - it's always about learned from the mistakes) and some suggestions for those of you who are in the midst of your college application process.

Again, I apologize for my extended absence. Several of my courses turned out to be more work than I had initially expected (not an excuse, I know). Hopefully some new material will be up within the next week or so.

Contact Me

2007-09-14T11:31:00.000-04:00

My goal for this site is to provide people with information so that their whole college experience is less strenuous. I hope that the articles I am posting provide useful information, but if you have any specific questions feel free to contact me.

SAT Subject Tests (SAT II)

2007-09-13T15:09:00.001-04:00

There is another aspect of the SATs that I have not talked about yet and that is the SAT Subject Tests (SAT II).

The subject tests are, as their name implies, a test of your aptitude in a specific area of study. The general areas are English (literature), History (U.S. and European), Mathematics (Level 1 and 2), Science (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), and Languages (Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Korean). For more description on each of these areas check here.

The format of the subject tests is a one hour multiple choice exam. Some of the tests have some other supplemental areas to them, such as listening sections for some of the language areas. You can sign up for a maximum 3 tests for one date, although if you can avoid it I would not suggest taking all three in one sitting.

Not all colleges require subject tests – in fact, many don’t. They are generally used as a supplement for the SAT so that colleges can get a better picture of all your abilities as a student. Some colleges will specify that you have to take specific subject tests while others will simply tell you to take at least one or two. You can also use them as a way to boost your academic credentials, especially if you did not do too well on one area of the SAT.

The tests that you decide to take should depend on two things: which ones your colleges require (if any) and which areas you feel you are most qualified in. For areas such as science or history the best time to take the subject tests is as soon after completing the course as possible. This is particularly true if you are taking an A.P. course in any of the aforementioned subject areas. Meaning, for example, if you are a junior who is taking A.P. U.S. history a good time to try and take the subject test on U.S. History would be sometime soon after taking your A.P. exam in May. I found that the SAT subject tests for the courses that I had completed as an A.P. student were much easier than the A.P. exam itself, so preparation for the A.P. exam is very good preparation for the SAT subject tests.

If you don’t have to take the subject tests, though, I would suggest against taking them unless you feel you can do particularly well in any of the subjects. If, for example, you are fluent in Chinese then by all means take the Chinese subject test because this will provide another dimension in your academic resume. However, if you are a 3^rd year Spanish student who is getting by so-so in Spanish and who is not applying to any colleges that require SAT subject tests, then why take the test?

In summary, the SAT Subject Tests (SAT II) are just another tool that colleges use to assess you as a student. They’re not nearly as painful as the SAT, but if you can avoid them I would suggest doing so.

Receiving Your SAT Scores

2007-09-12T16:44:00.000-04:00

I just want to talk quickly about receiving your SAT scores and what you should do after you have gotten them.

Receiving Your Scores

There are two ways that you will receive your SAT scores. Everyone is sent their scores by mail about a month after the completion of the test, so be on the lookout for them about a month after you take the test. The second way is online. If you have registered online with CollegeBoard you can view your scores about 20-25 days after you have taken the test. To get the exact dates that your scores will be released check here.

Contact Your Guidance Counselor

You should contact you guidance counselor after you have received your SAT scores to make sure that he/she has also received your scores. Normally this is done automatically, but there is no harm in making sure that it happened. This will be important when your guidance counselor is preparing your transcript and writing your letter of recommendation.

To Retake or Not To Retake

This is probably the biggest issue you will face after you have received your scores. If you received the scores that you wanted or the scores that you believe you need to get into the college(s) of your choice then there really is no need to retake the SATs. However, if you did not receive the scores you were looking for there is no harm in retaking the SATs. The only issue is that you will have to pay for them again. However, beyond that you will not be penalized for retaking the exam. In fact, typically you get better at taking the SATs every time. Also, colleges only look at your best scores, even if they were on different tests. So, for example, let’s say you got a 650 verbal but a 400 math on your first try, so you take the SATs again and get a 600 verbal but a 550 math. Your total SAT score will then be 1200 (not including the writing portion). In the end it comes down to what your situation is, but make sure you assess whether or not retaking the SATs would help your chances of getting into the colleges you are applying to before you make your decision on what to do.

Sending Out Your Scores

One of the things that you need to do is send your scores to the colleges that you are applying to. This is not something that you have to do until you have submitted your application, but I figured I’d mention it here. You can send your scores via CollegeBoard.com as another one of the services that they offer. This is important because most colleges require an official SAT report from College Board, so there is no reason not to do it through their site.

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SAT Subject Tests (SAT II)

Receiving Your SAT Scores