College Admissions: 6 Reasons Schools Should Offer the Pre-ACT
Monday, February 17, 2014
Here in the Northeast, we have a long history with the College Board and the SAT. In fact, it has become entrenched in our school systems. Nearly every high school in New England administers the pre-SAT or PSAT in the fall of 11th grade for college bound students. Many also offer it in 10th grade. However, few public or private schools offer the pre-ACT or PLAN/ASPIRE* test. What parents who sit on school boards and PTOs need to understand is that in ignoring this important test, we are doing students a disservice. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. As of 2012, the ACT surpassed the SAT as the nation’s most popular college entrance exam- It may be hard to believe, but today, more students in the U.S. take the ACT than the SAT. In 2012: 1,666,017 took the ACT and 1,664,479 took the SAT, and every 4 year college in the U.S accepts it.
2. Test choice gives all students an advantage- In allowing students to try both the PLAN/ASPIRE and PSAT, we enable learners to determine which test is a better match for their skills and testing style. This then allows students to focus their test prep on one test and maximize their scores, ultimately resulting in more college choices, opportunities for merit aid and honors programs.GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
3. The ACT is based on coursework-Although the Collegeboard has been moving to align the SAT more with school curricula and less with aptitude tests, the ACT has always been based on courses found in high school. This means fewer tricks and complicated strategies to learn before taking the exam. There is also less vocabulary, higher level math, and a science reasoning section, which can benefit some students.
4. No deductions for wrong answers-Simply stated, the SAT penalizes students for wrong answers, the ACT does not. This often helps students feel more confident about guessing, even if they can’t narrow it down to two or three possibilities.
5. Earlier fall test dates-While the SAT begins their fall testing season in October, the ACT offers its first test in September, with a second test date in October. This can prove advantageous for students who want to squeeze in two tests before early action/decision deadlines in November.
6. Avoid SAT II Subject Tests-Many elite colleges require or recommend SAT II Subject Tests, from the Ivy League to Boston College, Williams, Tufts and Duke. This means yet another round of tests for students already burdened with school exams, state boards, SAT/ACTs and AP tests. However, if you read the fine print on individual college websites, you will find that many SAT II colleges will accept the ACT in place of both the SAT I and SAT II Subject Tests.
Our goal as educators and parents should be to give children options, rather than one path to success. Providing both the PLAN/ASPIRE and PSAT is one way to do that. For more information on the ACT and how to get the ACT tests administered in your school, go to www.act.org.
**As of the 2014-2015 school year, the PLAN test will be rolled into the new ASPIRE program.
Cristiana Quinn, M.Ed. is the founder of College Admission Advisors, LLC which provides strategic, college counseling and athletic recruiting services for students. www.collegeadvisorsonline.com .
Related Slideshow: New England Colleges With the Best Undergraduate Teaching
U.S. News & World Report released a survey conducted in 2013 of college administrators on the best schools for undergraduate teaching. Several New England made their lists for best National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, and Regional Universities. See which schools made the lists in the slides below:
Related Articles
- College Admissions: 10 Extra-Curriculars Colleges Want To See
- College Admissions: 4 Elite Honors Programs in the East
- College Admissions: 4 Ways To Avoid Rejection Of Your Application
- College Admissions: 5 Reasons Not To Attend Your Stretch College
- College Admissions: 6 Books Every College-Bound Student Must Read
- College Admissions: 6 Ways To Ace The College Interview
- College Admissions: Best Ski + Snowboard Colleges in the East
- College Admissions: Demystifying Early Admissions 2013
- College Admissions: High School Classes Colleges Look For
- College Admissions: How a College Can Take Back Your Acceptance
- College Admissions: The 5 Most Unusual Colleges In The US
- College Admissions: What NOT To Do When Bringing Your Child to College
- College Admissions: 10 Extra-Curriculars That Colleges Notice
- College Admissions: 4 Fall New England Roadtrips
- College Admissions: 4 Ways To Get The Most Out Of College Fairs
- College Admissions: 5 Reasons To Choose A Liberal Arts College
- College Admissions: 6 Costly Financial Aid Mistakes to Avoid
- College Admissions: 6 Ways for Teens to Make This Summer Count
- College Admissions: Best Ski + Snowboard Colleges in the East
- College Admissions: Early Admission Apps Soared for Class of 2018
- College Admissions: High School Classes Colleges Look For
- College Admissions: Insider Secrets for Pre-Med Applicants
- College Admissions: The Common App 2013-14 Sneak Peek
- College Admissions: What Your PSAT Scores Really Mean
- College Admissions: 10 Scholarships Anyone Can Apply For
- College Admissions: 4 Fall Pennsylvania Roadtrips
- College Admissions: 4 Ways to Avoid Making the Wrong Decision
- College Admissions: 5 Reasons To Take The ACT Exam
- College Admissions: 6 Last-Minute Summer Ideas for HS Students
- College Admissions: 7 Things Your College Counselor Won’t Tell You
- College Admissions: Best Ski + Snowboard Colleges in the West
- College Admissions: Financial Aid + The Fiscal Cliff
- College Admissions: How Social Media Can Ruin Your Application
- College Admissions: Most Outrageous Hidden Stats For Class of ‘17
- College Admissions: The Hardest Colleges To Get Into In 2013
- College Admissions: What Your PSAT Scores Really Mean
- College Admissions: 10 Western Colleges Worth a Summer Road Trip
- College Admissions: 4 New England College Visit Road Trips
- College Admissions: 4 Ways to Increase Your Financial Aid Package
- College Admissions: 5 Reasons to Try the ACT
- College Admissions: 6 Questions You Need To Ask On College Visits
- College Admissions: 7 Ways to Cut College Costs by Up to $120K
- College Admissions: Best Ski + Snowboard Colleges in the West
- College Admissions: Freshmen Blues - What’s a Parent to Do?
- College Admissions: How To Cut Up To $120K Out Of College Costs
- College Admissions: No Acceptances? Don’t Panic
- College Admissions: The High School Cheating Epidemic
- College Admissions: Where There’s Help for Undocumented Students
- College Admissions: 10 Western Colleges Worth the Trip This Summer
- College Admissions: 4 Things To Do While Waiting For Early Admissions
- College Admissions: 5 Colleges Where Summer Never Ends
- College Admissions: 5 Things Rising Seniors Need To Do This Summer
- College Admissions: 6 Steps To A Killer College Application
- College Admissions: 9 Scholarships Anyone Can Apply For
- College Admissions: Big Changes For The Common App
- College Admissions: Get Noticed By College Coaches This Summer
- College Admissions: How To Keep From Choosing The Wrong College
- College Admissions: Roger Williams Drops SAT/ACT Requirement
- College Admissions: The Highest Paying Jobs By College Major 2013
- College Admissions: Who Really Gets in to Ivy League Schools
- College Admissions: 11 Ways For Teens To Explore Careers This Summer
- College Admissions: 4 Things To Do While Waiting For Early Admissions
- College Admissions: 5 Majors You Need to Choose Before You Apply
- College Admissions: 5 Things You Need to Know About Financial Aid
- College Admissions: 6 Things Seniors Need to Do Right Now
- College Admissions: America’s High School Cheating Epidemic
- College Admissions: Common App’s Meltdown Threatens Early Decision
- College Admissions: Great Books To Give College-Bound Students
- College Admissions: How To Keep Your HS Senior Out of Trouble
- College Admissions: SAT Myths Busted
- College Admissions: Top 10 College Admissions Websites
- College Admissions: Why Every Child Should Help Pay for College
- College Admissions: 3 Myths About the SATs
- College Admissions: 4 Things Underclassmen Should Do Before Summer
- College Admissions: 5 Majors You Need to Choose Before You Apply
- College Admissions: 5 Ways To Survive College Decision Season
- College Admissions: 6 Things To Do Before School Starts
- College Admissions: Are You Prepared For New Changes To The SAT?
- College Admissions: Deadline Changes From Hurricane Sandy
- College Admissions: Handling Early Admission Rejection
- College Admissions: How To Save $50K On Grad School Costs
- College Admissions: The 5 Biggest Campus Visit Mistakes
- College Admissions: Top 10 College Admissions Websites
- College Admissions: Why GPA’s Lie
- College Admissions: 3 Reasons To Take a Gap Year
- College Admissions: 4 Tips For Overcoming ‘College Phobia’
- College Admissions: 5 Must-Knows About College Visits
- College Admissions: 5 Ways to Get Ahead This Summer
- College Admissions: 6 Things To Do Before School Starts
- College Admissions: Athletic Recruitment: 3 Mistakes to Avoid
- College Admissions: Demystifying Early Admissions
- College Admissions: Handling Early Admission Rejection
- College Admissions: How Widespread is Campus Rape?
- College Admissions: The 5 Most Haunted College Campuses
- College Admissions: What College Would Batman Have Gone To?
- College Admissions: Why High School Rankings Matter to Colleges