Tess was a tenth grader I met after one of my talks. She was doing everything right. She’d absolutely killed it her freshman year of high school. She was involved in band, student council, and had made the Principal’s Honor Roll. In her sophomore year, she was on track to be accepted into National Honor Society, taking AP courses to help her knock out college credits and boost her GPA, and a section leader in the marching band. She was focused and engaged. When we talked about her college future, I told her the same thing her band director might say: keep that good rhythm going.
For most sophomores, the main thing they need to know is to continue the good work they started as freshmen. Like I told Tess: they need to keep working hard on academics, keep growing their leadership responsibilities in extracurricular activities, and keep hunting down those scholarships. The amount of scholarships they’ll qualify for during their sophomore year is going to be much bigger than freshman year. They need to focus on writing essays and applying for as many opportunities as possible. Being faithful in this can really pay off! Entering the tenth grade is also a good time to do another social media check with your student. Sit down and walk through their accounts together. Remind them to be professional with their social presence and be proactive in building a positive personal brand. Within a year, colleges could be checking out their history on social media.
You Can’t Afford to Ignore the Tests!
In addition to maintaining their rhythm, sophomore year is when you and your student want to really get a handle on the big key tests: the SAT and the ACT. Leyton was a freshman in college when I met him. His story is interesting because he did most of the right things in high school. He was involved in student council leadership, was the captain of the soccer team, carried a 3.8 GPA, and was also a leader on the school spirit team his senior year.
Leyton was accepted to his state school but wasn’t awarded any significant scholarships. He was frustrated because he had classmates with much lower GPAs, who were involved in fewer extracurricular activities than he was, yet received $5,000–$6,000 more a year than he did in scholarship money from the college. When we talked through this dilemma, I discovered he’d ignored one of the most important factors in getting a college scholarship: prepping for the ACT and SAT.
Even though some colleges may not put as much emphasis on SAT and ACT scores for college admissions, these test scores are a significant portion of how scholarship awards are decided. Your student can’t afford to dismiss these tests if they plan to pay for college with scholarships.
At this point, your student has probably taken the PSAT—maybe even twice. In many school districts, they may have already taken an ACT practice test. If not, they likely will see the ACT pretest early in tenth grade. The first official paid tests don’t usually take place until junior year, but right now is the time for your teenager to study up and start practicing.
The Cost and Timing of the Tests
The ACT and SAT testing actually begins to count for college admissions at the beginning of a student’s eleventh-grade year. The absolute latest a student can take one of the tests and still use the score to apply for regular admission to a university is usually January of their senior year. (If they’re applying for early decision, the deadline will be earlier.) So the good news is your teen has about a year to prepare to take these tests and to take them multiple times. According to statistics provided by the College Board, almost two-thirds of students who take the ACT a second time are able to improve their overall score on that second attempt (on average by at least one to two points). What’s crazy is that statistics show only half of all students choose to take the test more than once. By starting now, your teen has enough time to learn about the tests, which one they should take, and map out a strategy that works for them.
Almost two-thirds of students who take the ACT a second time are able to improve their overall score.
The tenth grade is also when you want to start looking for when and where the ACT and SAT tests will be offered. Your student needs to know the dates and registration deadlines because many of the testing dates can fill up quickly. Those schedules are usually posted online, and your student’s high school guidance counselors will also have them.
There’s a cost involved with taking both tests. Generally speaking, the costs currently range from $47.50 to $67, depending on whether your student takes the essay portion of the test. (You’ll need to know if the colleges your student wants to apply to require the essay section.) Be aware that there is a late registration fee if you miss the regular registration deadline. There can be additional fees as well, like for registering by phone; changing your test center, date, or test subjects; and sending scores to more than four universities. Keep in mind that there are also options available for families who can’t afford the testing fees. Check out the websites for each test to find out more: collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat for the SAT and act.org for the ACT.
Scoring Conversion
Let’s go over some of the general facts your student should know about the ACT and SAT. You’ll first want to research which test your student’s preferred colleges require, if any. Some smaller schools often do prefer one test over the other. It’s sometimes even determined by what region of the country you live in. But most major public universities will accept either one.
If your kid has taken both the SAT and ACT tests and wants to submit only their highest score for college admissions, check out the official conversion table provided by the College Board. They’ve mapped out how scores between the ACT and SAT compare to one another so you know which one is higher. An ACT score of 19, for example, would convert to an SAT score of 990–1020. An ACT score of 22 would equal an SAT score of 1100–1120. A 26 on the ACT would convert to a 1230–1250 on the SAT, and so on.38
What’s a Good Score?
Now, let’s briefly review how the tests are scored and what those scores mean. The highest score possible on the ACT test is a 36. The current national average composite score for ACT test takers is a 20.8.39 So that means that a below-average score is anything lower than a 19, a good score is considered a 20–26, a competitive score would be 24–27, and a top level score is a 28 all the way to the perfect 36.40 The ACT practice test that’s available to most students in the tenth grade can help you get an early feel for how your student will perform.
The highest score possible on the SAT is a 1600. The national average for SAT test takers is a 1050. Below-average scores on the SAT hit under the 910 mark. 910–1200 is a good score, 1200–1400 would be considered competitive, and the top test takers average in the 1400–1600 range. Your child has likely taken the PSAT at this point, so you should have a decent idea of where they may fall right now.
What about Testing Accommodations?
Standardized testing can be tough for students with learning disabilities, visual impairment, hearing impairment, or certain medical conditions. Accommodations are available for test takers who qualify, but these requests must be made in advance and documented by your child’s doctor.
Accommodations can include things like additional time to take the test, extra or extended breaks, wheelchair-accessible rooms, large font test booklets, the use of a scribe, and alternate test formats. Do your homework early though: it can take a couple of months to receive approval for an accommodation, and then you have to find a facility that can host your teen. (Not all testing sites offer all types of accommodations.)
Which Test Is Right for My Student?
As your child prepares for these big tests, one of your first goals should be to determine which test your student will do better on (assuming they can take either one). The ACT and SAT are different tests: they have different questions and qualities. I think it’s helpful to talk with your student about their own learning strengths and weaknesses before deciding which test they should take. Let’s look at the profile for the SAT test first.
The SAT is divided into two major sections. There’s a Math Test and an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section (EBRW). Here are some helpful tips to know if the SAT is the best option for your student:
If your student stresses out about time limits when they’re testing, then it’s important to know that the SAT offers more time than the ACT. Students who take the SAT observe that it doesn’t feel as rushed as the ACT. If your student is likely to freak out about not answering every question, the extra time on the SAT generally allows students to complete every question on the test.
Also, students who struggle with geometry want to stick with the SAT because the formulas are provided for the test taker. Not only that, there are fewer geometry questions overall on the SAT.
If your student finds it difficult to read, comprehend, and remember where the answer to a question may be located in a reading passage, they may find the SAT questions easier. The SAT actually tells the test taker which reading lines they should review in order to find the answer.
Now, if your student loves to write essays in English class, the SAT essay format is more like a typical class writing assignment. It requires your student to read, analyze, and respond to a specific passage just as they do in their high school English class.
If your student doesn’t like science, they’re in luck because the SAT doesn’t even have a science section! There are some science-related questions on the test, but not a separate section dedicated to science like on the ACT.
The ACT is divided in clear sections by discipline: English, math, reading, science, and the optional writing section. Here’s what you need to know when considering the ACT for your student:
There’s less time available to complete the questions for each section of the ACT. The test requires better time management overall. You want to make sure that your child works well under pressure and can manage their time if they’re going to choose the ACT. A shorter test can also be appealing and motivating to some kids.
If your student struggles with vocabulary, the ACT may be a better choice between the two tests. The SAT actually has a more challenging vocabulary level.
The ACT requires test takers to recall and find information without being told where to look. If your student has really strong reading comprehension skills, meaning that they can read, comprehend, and then remember where something is located in a passage, they will likely do well.
The ACT is organized by subject matter. So if your student prefers subject-focused tests, where all the math questions are in one section, all of the science questions are in another, and so on, they will prefer the ACT.
If your student loves geometry or trigonometry, there are more of these questions on the ACT. It’s important to remember that the ACT requires those formulas to be memorized (the SAT provides them in the test questions). Your student will also be able to use a calculator for the math section of the ACT.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT has a science section. If your student does well in science, this section could really help boost their score.
Finally, if your student prefers to share their opinion in writing, the ACT essay sections are more focused on having them explain and defend their opinion like a persuasive writing assignment. It isn’t the usual English paper format that requires your student to respond to a reading passage.
How to Improve Test Scores
When you think about the SAT and ACT tests, I want you to think of them more like a strategy game. It is possible for your student to raise their scores, and there are a number of tutoring services and books that specifically address how to do so. We’ll cover some of this in Chapter 8, but here are a few initial pointers.
There are a ton of practice tests available to your student online. Some are timed to simulate the real tests and some aren’t. These can be helpful, but ask your teenager’s guidance counselor which they recommend because there are some low quality and ineffective practice options out there.
I definitely recommend exploring test prep courses. Some research shows students can increase their score up to four points on the ACT and 100–150 points on the SAT. This can make a big difference in admission and scholarships, but keep in mind not all students will improve this much. Be wary of really big claims from test prep companies, and check with your school administrators, psychologists, or guidance counselors for their recommendations.
What If Your Student Doesn’t Do Well?
The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of bright and successful students who are just straight-up bad at testing. I once talked to a student who would literally memorize her notes from class word for word and still do poorly on her exams. It wasn’t a lack of preparation or motivation. She just didn’t perform well on tests.
Maybe that’s your student. So what do you do if your student doesn’t do well on these tests? What if they take it several times and just don’t score well? Can they still go to college? The answer is yes. There are many state schools and community colleges that will admit students with lower standardized test scores.
Open admissions, or open enrollment colleges and universities, accept students with high school diplomas, GEDs, or the equivalent. You can apply to open enrollment schools without taking an ACT or SAT test. Many of these schools also offer remedial courses for students who aren’t ready for full college-level coursework. And here’s another option: there’s a small but growing trend of schools who are beginning to place a higher value on essays and high school grades for admission and scholarships. So it’s not impossible to find a good college scenario for your student if they had good grades but didn’t perform well on the tests. Just because they can’t win at the testing game doesn’t mean your student can’t win at college. The one thing lower test scores usually impacts is the number of scholarship awards they will win. So take this into account as you consider how to pay for college.
Just because they can’t win at the testing game doesn’t mean your student can’t win at college.
Enjoy This Year!
As crazy as it sounds, college is only about two years away for your sophomore! You and I know just how fast that time will go. Help your teenager stay focused on the end game. Sophomore year is about maintaining a good pace inside the classroom. And outside, it’s about hunting for scholarships and preparing for the big tests. It’s also a really fun year of high school and the last year of calm before the college storm. College activity ramps up in a serious way junior year, so enjoy the slower pace of tenth grade with your child.
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