College Admissions Tests ACT or SAT Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Cost of Attendance in Indiana for academic year IU$18,044Tuition, Room & Board only Purdue$18,988Tuition, Room & Board only Ball State$15,948Tuition, Room & Board only USI$13,119Tuition, Room & Board, fees VU$13,573Tuition only (15 cr. Hrs.) Ivy Tech$3,355Tuition only (15 cr. Hrs.) UE$38,946Tuition, Room & Board, fees

High Test Scores = Scholarship $ Indiana University Excellence Scholarship Award:$9,000 per year School:Indiana University Major:Any Criteria:Students with SAT score of 1340 (CR & MATH) or above or ACT composite of 30 or above and a minimum GPA of 3.8, will receive an IU Excellence Scholarship at the time of admission. Deadline:Must have complete application file to IU by November 1, Indiana University Prestige Scholarships Award:$4,000 per year School:Indiana University Major:Any Criteria:Students with SAT score of 1220 (CR & MATH) or above or ACT composite of 27 or above and a minimum GPA of 3.7 will receive an IU Prestige Scholarship at the time of admission. Deadline:Must have complete application file to IU by November 1, 2011.

What is the SAT/ACT? College Admission Tests Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) by CollegeBoard American College Test (ACT) by ACT

Why take the SAT/ACT? Critical in Admission and Scholarship decisions Colleges will be looking at course selection, grades earned, GPA, Class Rank, and TEST SCORES when making admissions decisions Any 4-year institution will require SAT or ACT scores (Check w/other schools) & some scholarship programs Only objective way for colleges to evaluate student’s readiness for college-level work

SAT vs. ACT

SAT Critical Reading Math Writing Average score is about 500 on each section of the test Each section is scored on the scale, where 200 is lowest and 800 is highest

SAT (cont.) For each correct answer, the student earns one point For a wrong answer to a multiple-choice question, the student loses ¼ point. No points are deducted for unanswered questions or for wrong answers to math student-produced response questions (not multiple-choice).

ACT English Math Reading Science Writing (Optional, but required by many colleges)

ACT (cont.) Average Composite Score (21.0) *The composite score is an average of the four test scores (Eng, Math, Reading, & Science) Each test is scored on the 1-36 scale, where 1 is lowest and 36 is highest All questions multiple-choice (except Writing Test)

When do I take the SAT/ACT? Spring of Junior Year Allows enough time to test again and still meet deadlines Some admission and scholarship decisions are made in Early Fall Most universities will tell you to take SAT/ACT during the spring of your junior year

What does it cost? SAT - $49.00 (Late Registration $26.00) ACT - $34.00 (Late Registration $21.00) ACT Plus Writing - $49.50

How do I register? Online (preferred) or Paper-Pencil (SAT) (ACT) Limited registration materials available in the guidance office Barr-Reeve School Code:

Additional Registration Information Select four institutions you wish to receive your scores (May request more than four, but requires extra fee.) Must include high school code or we will not receive your test scores (Could delay college application process)

Additional Registration Information (cont.) If you are a 21 st Century Scholar or Project Aspiree student, ask about fee waivers Students with disabilities may be eligible to receive accommodations; Must fill out form (See Mrs. Sward)

Additional Registration Information (cont.) Students planning on registering with the NCAA Clearinghouse MUST request all ACT and SAT scores be reported directly to NCAA. (Code 9999) If you plan on taking the ACT, check to see if your college requires the optional Writing portion

Understanding Deadlines… SAT DATES Understanding Deadlines… TEST DATEREGULAR REGISTRATION DEADLINE LATE REGISTRATION DEADLINE May 5April 6April 20 June 2May 8May 22

Understanding Deadlines (cont.)… ACT DATES TEST DATEREGULAR DEADLINE LATE DEADLINE April 14March 9March 23 June 9May 4May 18

When to arrive and what to bring to the Test Center: Arrive no later than 7:45AM; Testing usually completed by 1:00pm Admission Ticket Acceptable Photo Identification (Has to have name and recognizable photo) Two No. 2 Pencils and a soft eraser (NO PENS OR MECHANICAL PENCILS) Acceptable Calculator

What NOT to bring in the testing room: Cell phone, pager, PDA, or other digital/electronic equipment Scratch paper Notes, books, dictionaries Compass, protractor, ruler Highlighter Portable listening device Camera

A word on cell phones…. Cell phone use is prohibited If their phone makes any noise or a student is seen using a cell phone (even during breaks), the student may be dismissed immediately, his/her scores canceled, and the device may be confiscated and its contents, inspected. Also applies to any other digital/electronic equipment DON’T BRING IT!

Admission Tickets Students can print their Admission Tickets from the testing center’s website Only students who register by paper and do not have an will be mailed an Admission Ticket Students who provide an address will also receive an Admission Ticket by . No one will gain entry to testing room without an Admission Ticket

Acceptable Identification Acceptable photo identification in English is required Identification must be current, recognizable and bear the student’s name exactly as it appears on the student’s Admission Ticket

Acceptable Identification (cont.) A Driver’s License IS an acceptable form of identification A Social Security Card, Credit Card, Parent’s Driver’s License, Birth Certificate are NOT acceptable forms of identification

Test Taking Tips Answer easy questions first (usually at the beginning of the section) Make educated guesses (Rule out one or more choice) Skip questions you really can’t answer – on the SAT no points are deducted if an answer is left blank Limit your time on any one question

Test Taking Tips (cont.) Keep track of time Use your test booklet as scratch paper Mark the questions you skipped and want to return Check your answer sheet to make sure you are placing your answers correctly Make sure you use a No. 2 pencil Be sure to fill in/erase entire circle

Test Taking Tips (cont.) Guessing on the ACT: Because there is no penalty for guessing on the ACT mutliple-choice tests, it is to the student’s advantage to answer every question. A student’s raw score on each multiple-choice test is simply the number of correct responses.

How to Prepare The best way for students to prepare for the SAT is by taking challenging courses and by reading and writing as much as possible. PSAT My College Quickstart ACT Prep Booklets available in guidance office (practice tests w/answers)

How to prepare (cont.) Test Day Simulator: an interactive sneak peek inside an SAT administration (sat.collegeboard.com/register/sat-test-day-simulator) Answers imagined: a creative exploration of answers to SAT practice questions (sat.collegeboard.com/practice/answers-imagined) Why SAT: What students and families need to know about the SAT (sat.collegeboard.com/why-sat)

How to prepare (cont.) Free Official Online Practice Test: a free, official online practice test with automatic scoring features based on The Official SAT Online Course (sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-practice-test) SAT Study Plans: individualized study plans based on a student’s stage in the test-taking process (sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-study-plan)

Questions?