As parents, once we have survived the college admissions process with our first child, we may feel emboldened by our newfound knowledge. We perhaps serve as counsel for friends who parent high schoolers and even feel confident in making abrupt decisions for our own younger children – decisions we had weighed carefully the first time. Because we are at the height of the testing season, I believe that now is a good time to issue a word of caution.
The standardized testing landscape has changed dramatically over the last decade. Decisions made regarding standardized testing for older children just a few years ago may no longer be advisable today. Accordingly, I want to share a few facts about standardized testing that may surprise you – considerations that either may have changed since older children graduated or that simply did not apply to your older children. I know that over the past few years, I have seen many parents stunned by the following information:
Some colleges require students to submit ALL standardized test scores. In other words, there are no free passes for these schools. University of South Carolina, Georgetown, and University of North Carolina-Charlotte are a few popular schools in our area that subscribe to this policy. Many, many more colleges, though, follow this same policy.
Every year, I have parents who want their children to begin testing early, as sophomores or before, with at least half of their high school careers ahead. Many parents want to do so to establish a “baseline score” for their children; however, for most students, this early testing is not prudent (1) because most students are not ready to earn their optimal scores and (2) because it creates a record that may have to be submitted alongside college applications. Practice tests at home can often serve as a suitable replacement for these sought-after baseline scores.
Fewer and fewer colleges require or even recommend the SAT and the ACT optional essay. Many students sign up for the essay without even considering whether they should because a teacher or parent, perhaps ill-advised, told them to do so. In today’s testing environment, though, this decision should be weighed carefully. If your child will not need the essay, then perhaps it is not advisable to risk tainting an otherwise strong score report with a low essay score, particularly if his or her college list is complete and none of the intended schools require the essay.
The formats of the SAT and the ACT essay differ significantly from each other. Practice and prep for these essays often leads to improved scores. Students should not go into these essays unaware of the format or of their graders’ expectations.
Moreover, many students simply do not have the stamina to write an outstanding essay at the end of a three-hour exam.
The ACT outpaces the SAT in popularity.
Every year, I hear of parents who push their children to take the SAT without even considering the ACT. They may know that their children should attempt the ACT at some point, (however, often they do not) but they are wholly unaware that the ACT overtook the SAT in popularity in 2012. On the East Coast, historically the SAT was THE test, but those days have well passed.
Your child should consider very carefully on which test he or she excels. Do not presume to know that it will be the SAT or the ACT. Take practice tests at home to identify your child’s preferred test. Often, your child will not have a preferred test and will end up taking both the SAT and the ACT, but proceeding with intention and knowledge will best serve your child’s interests.
A perfect PSAT score is now a 1520, not a 1600. The College Board shifted the PSAT scale down to account for the fact that it is an easier test than the SAT, so its score should presumably better predict your child’s SAT score. If, as a parent, you saw a significant jump from PSAT to SAT score in your first child, you may not experience and certainly should not expect that same jump with child two.
Be aware that highly selective schools often require SAT Subject Tests for admission. Although the testing landscape has not changed as much in this arena, every year I meet parents who fail to understand that their child’s college application would be improved or even incomplete without these tests. Students who seek admission to highly selective schools should take these SAT Subject Tests immediately following their final or AP exam in the subject matter at hand (The College Board, who administers the SAT, offers twenty different subject tests), when possible, because, at that time, students will usually be best prepared for these content-heavy tests.
In short, take caution when approaching standardized testing. Presume nothing has remained the same. Every decision may be fraught with unintended consequences.