 |
| Academics and School Life |
|
|
Academics and School Life  College Counseling FAQ
SAT Testing
How do I register for standardized tests?
Students may register for the SAT-Reasoning, SAT-Subject, or ACT tests by mail, phone, or online. Links to online testing registration may be found under the Standardized Testing link on the College Counseling Office home page. Paper registration forms may be picked up in the College Counseling Office. Registration for AP exams takes place through the Director of Student Services Office in March. The Meadows School will automatically register all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors for the PSAT.
What should I know before registering?
The Meadows School is a test site for the SAT-Reasoning, SAT-Subject, and ACT. Students may select another high school as a test site on most dates throughout the year by entering that school's test code when they register for these tests. Refer to the test registration link for specific dates. Students must always enter The Meadows School code (290116) under their own information; this is the only way that the College Counseling Office will receive the test scores for the Standardized Test Reports. Students should also take care to put their full legal name on every test registration; college admissions offices will not know that Sanjay and Jay is the same person, and some scores may be lost.
Should I do test prep for the PSAT?
While it is always a good idea to review the practice materials before any exam, students should not invest in formal, expensive test prep classes for the PSAT. The PSAT is meant only as a practice for the SAT. So, in a sense, taking the PSAT constitutes test prep for the SAT. When students' scores are returned, they will be accompanied by a detailed report of each question answered correctly or not, and students should use this report to identify any areas of weakness when they prepare for the SAT. Freshmen and sophomores take the PSAT so they are better prepared to take it as juniors.
How important is my PSAT score and how is it used?
Your PSAT results are meant to give students some guidance in preparing for the SAT, and for strong junior test takers, this score will be used to determine students' status in the National Merit Scholarship Competition.
Should I do test prep for the SAT or ACT?
It is always a good idea to prepare for standardized tests. Some self-directed, highly-motivated students do very well by buying a CD or a book of practice tests and taking them on their own. Other students need the enforced discipline of attending a class. While it has been proven that familiarity with standardized tests do improve students' scores, one method of preparation is not necessarily better than another. It is recommend that students try to prepare themselves with a less expensive method for the first testing. When scores are returned, students can decide for themselves if they want a more intensive, formal preparation.
Other than a Princeton Review or Kaplan class, what test prep options are available?
The makers of the SAT Reasoning, SAT-Subject, and ACT have free test prep booklets that contain actual test questions for students' review. These booklets are available in the College Counseling Office. Most major bookstores sell books of practice tests containing actual test questions. These books will give students the opportunity to take several full-length tests at home and will give them advice on taking the tests more effectively. Software packages are also available to help students prepare and may be found in bookstores or through the SAT and ACT websites. Students may also take a free diagnostic mini-SAT on the College Board's website.
What tests should I take, and when?
SAT-Subject tests are single subject tests that are best taken at the completion of a particular class. Juniors will usually take the math SAT-Subject tests at the end of the junior year. Some students will take history, literature, science, or foreign language exams at that time as well but generally after the completion of an AP class. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will take the PSAT in October. The College Office recommends that students take either the SAT or the ACT twice, and testing should not begin before early spring of the junior year. Please refer to the testing calendar, paying particular attention to the preferred dates indicated by the "*." AP exams should be taken in May at the completion of each AP course. The College Counseling Office will advise students about the testing schedule through individual counseling meetings.
How many times should I take each test?
The Meadows School college counseling department recommends the SAT-Reasoning and/or the ACT exams generally should be taken no more than twice. Most SAT-Subject tests are taken only once, but students may retake them if advised by their counselor to do so.
How do my test scores get reported to colleges?
Some colleges require official notification of students' standardized test scores. That means that the student must have the scores sent directly from the testing agency. When students register for the SAT-Reasoning, Subject, or ACT and enter The Meadows School code (290116), the College Counseling Office receives test score labels for each student. Those official results labels are placed on each student's official transcript. IMPORTANT: if students fail to enter The Meadows School code (290116), the College Counseling Office will not receive scores for that student, and they will not be included on the student's transcript. If students would like their AP scores sent to colleges with their applications, those students must photocopy their AP score reports themselves and include them with each submitted application.
Do I get to choose which of my test scores are sent to colleges?
Students must be aware that from the time the student enters high school, the SAT score reports are cumulative. So if a student has taken the SAT more than once, all scores from all testing dates will be reported. Most colleges will select the best scores (Critical Reading and Math) from multiple testings. ACT will allow students to select only one test date to report if they so choose.
|
|
