Navigating College Admission Tests...English 40 min, 62 questions 45 min, 75 questions Science 55...
Transcript of Navigating College Admission Tests...English 40 min, 62 questions 45 min, 75 questions Science 55...
THE ROAD AHEAD Navigating College Admission Tests
A Reality Check
A Reality Check
A Reality Check
A Reality Check
A Reality Check
What Colleges Consider
Standardized admission tests
Teacher and counselor recommendations
Class rank
Student’s demonstrated interest
Extracurricular activities
Strength of curriculum
Grades in all courses
90%
87%
87%
59%
58%
50%
46%
49%
34% AP/IB scores
Grades in college prep courses 94%
Essay or writing sample
What Tests are Required?
≈ 850* colleges are “test optional”
Majority of colleges (≈ 1550) require SAT or ACT
Many highly selective colleges (≈ 50) require or recommend
SAT Subject Tests in addition to the SAT or ACT
≈ 20 colleges allow ACT alone in lieu of SAT + Subject Tests
Exceptions with unique twists, e.g. NYU, Colby, Middlebury
Higher Average GPA’s = Diminished Differentiation
Percent of Students
1991 2013
SAT (2013)
0
5
10
15
20
200-240
250-290
300-340
350-390
400-440
450-490
500-540
550-590
600-640
650-690
700-740
750-800
Critical Reading Math Writing
SAT Score Distribution Remains Reliable
1 11 16 21 26 31 36
What Does My Score Mean?
50th percentile
80th percentile
95th percentile
99.9th percentile
ACT
PSAT Compared to Current SAT
PSAT SAT Total Sections/Time 5 sections
2 hours 10 minutes 10 Sections 3 hours 45 minutes
Combined Score 60-240 600-2400 Critical Reading ✔ ✔ Math ✔ ✔ Writing ✔ ✔ Essay ✔ Importance Little to no High Pressure Low High
Aspire Compared to ACT
Aspire ACT Total Sections/Time 5 sections
4 hours 10 minutes 10 Sections 3 hours 55 minutes
Score 1-36 Composite* (est) 1-36 Composite Question Format Some short answer All multiple choice Reading 60 min, 31 questions 35 min, 40 questions Math 65 min, 45 questions 60 min, 60 questions English 40 min, 62 questions 45 min, 75 questions Science 55 min, 40 questions 35 min, 40 questions Writing (essay) 30 min, required 30 min, optional* Importance Little to no High Pressure Low High
National Merit and the PSAT
PSAT Results – Sample Class
Score Change Sophomore to Junior
240
120
200
160
� Sophomore PSAT n Junior PSAT
Standardized Test Planning
Evaluate pros and cons of the three options: cSAT, rSAT, ACT
Seek out diagnostic test opportunities, especially ACT
Don’t shortchange Subject Tests
Follow best practices around timing and formal preparation
The Decision: ACT, Current SAT, or Revised SAT?
Three choices, but two are compromised
1. “Old” SAT – Discontinued as of Jan 2016 – Accelerated timeline inappropriate for most
2. “New” SAT – Practice tests limited and in “beta” form – Prep materials & strategies speculative – Debuts Mar 2016, but scores delayed until June 2016
3. Current ACT – Bank of dozens of “live” practice tests available – Prep materials and offerings are well-established – All test dates available with prompt reporting of scores
The SAT’s Evolving Mission
• 1926: “The SAT is a psychological test designed primarily to assess aptitude for learning rather than mastery of subjects already learned, and to assess ability independently of any school curriculum.”
• 1993:
SAT drops Aptitude from its name, changes the A to stand for Assessment, eventually decides SAT is not an acronym at all
• 2005:
“The SAT measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities that students develop over time, both in and out of school.”
Rise of the ACT
2013
SAT Takers 1.7 Million
ACT Takers 1.8 Million
• Number of students scoring 32-36 on ACT has increased by 70% since 2010
Rise of the ACT
SAT vs. ACT within the Compass client base • 1994 98% SAT ≈2% ACT
• 2004 80% SAT 20% ACT
• 2014 50% SAT 50% ACT
• 2016* 20% SAT 80% ACT
There’s a New SAT Sheriff in Town
“I have a problem with the SAT Writing.” -and- “The SAT must reflect the kinds of meaningful, engaging, rigorous work that students must undertake in the best high school courses being taught today, thereby creating a robust and durable bond between assessment and instruction.” -David Coleman, President, College Board
Philosophical Shifts of the New SAT
• Shares many of the CCSSI guiding ethics
• Adopts many of ACT’s characteristics
• Now more than ever, tests achievement over aptitude
Highlights of Changes on the New SAT
• Returns to the 1600-point scale • Guessing penalty eliminated • Technically a shorter test at 3 hrs, but not really… • …because optional* essay is now 50 minutes • Calculator and non-calculator sections • Strong emphasis on command of evidence • Text-heavy, reading-centric • Source material: non-fiction focus
MATH
MATH EXPERIMENTAL
Similar length, different rhythm and pace
Breakdown of Current SAT vs. ACT
Feature SAT ACT Time 3 hours & 45 minutes 3 hours & 25 minutes
Pace 10 short to medium sections 5 long sections Scale 200-800 per section 1-36 per section Total Score 600-2400 combined 1-36 composite Guessing penalty -1/4 raw point No deduction Order of difficulty Mostly ascending Mostly random Reading Section Mixed length passages, w/ vocab All long passages, no vocab Math Section Mostly Alg I & Geometry, “tricky” Up through Alg II/Trig, “mathy” English Section Varied question format, focused
on grammar “Top 10” rules All passage-based questions,
wider range of rules tested Science Section Absent on SAT Not rocket science Essay First, required, holistic grading Last, optional, rigid grading
Comparing the Tests
Scoring the Redesigned SAT
Current SAT: “Aptitude” Math
17. Four distinct lines lie in a plane, and exactly two of them are parallel. Which of the following could be the number of points where at least two of the lines intersect?
I. Three II. Four III. Five
(A) I only (B) III only (C) I and III only (D) I, II, and III (E) It cannot be determined from the information given.
Guessing Deduction: A Penalty or a Positive?
Which of the following is an equation of a circle with its center at (3,4) and tangent to the x-axis in the standard (x,y) coordinate plane?
A. (x - 3)2 + (y - 4)2 = 16 B. (x - 4)2 + (y - 3)2 = 16 C. (x - 4)2 + (y - 3)2 = 9 D. (x - 3)2 + (y - 4)2 = 9 E. (x + 4)2 + (y + 3)2 = 16
(3,4)
ACT: “Achievement” Math (x-h)2 + (y-k)2 = r2
Center: (h, k)
4
What Will Math on the New SAT Look Like?
Math An international bank issues its Traveler credit cards worldwide. When a customer makes a purchase using a Traveler card in a currency different from the customer’s home currency, the bank converts the purchase price at the daily foreign exchange rate and then charges a 4% fee on the converted cost. Sara lives in the United States, but is on vacation in India. She used her Traveler card for a purchase that cost 602 rupees (Indian currency). The bank posted a charge of $9.88 to her account that included the 4% fee. PART 1 What foreign exchange rate, in Indian rupees per one U.S. dollar, did the bank use for Sara’s charge? Round your answer to the nearest whole number. PART 2 A bank in India sells a prepaid credit card worth 7,500 rupees. Sara can buy the prepaid card using dollars at the daily exchange rate with no fee, but she will lose any money left unspent on the prepaid card. What is the least number of the 7,500 rupees on the prepaid card Sara must spend for the prepaid card to be cheaper than charging all her purchases on the Traveler card? Round your answer to the nearest whole number of rupees.
• Contains both Calculator and
Non-Calculator sections
• Focuses more heavily on Algebra and Data Analysis, with some attention to Trigonometry
• Involves real world applications
of concepts, including a progression of problems building off of a given scenario
25 Minutes
25 Minutes
10 Minutes
Essay
18Error
Recognitions
6Paragraph
Imp
5Sentence
Improvements
14Sentence
Improvements
Overview of Writing on Current SAT
“Citing Evidence” on the New SAT
Citing Evidence 4. In lines 49-54 (“Prosecutions … sense”), what is the most likely reason Jordan draws a distinction between two types of “parties”? A) To counter the suggestion that impeachment is or should be about partisan politics 5. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? A) Lines 13-17 (“It…office”) B) Lines 20-24 (“The division…astute”) C) Lines 55-58 (“The drawing…misdemeanors”) D) Lines 65-68 (“Congress…transportation”)
• Spans all sections of the test,
including Math
• Requires students to support their answer choices
• Challenges students to explain how an author uses evidence to craft an argument
SAT Evolution: Reading Skills vs. Vocabulary
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Antonyms
Analogies
Sentence Completion
Reading
25
20
15
25
40
19
19 19
48
ScholasticAptitude Test(1974 - 1994)
SAT 1(1994-2005)
SAT Reasoning(2005-Present)
Evolution of the Verbal Skills Tested on SAT
Vocab on the New SAT
Vocabulary “The nature of impeachment: a narrowly channeled excep<on to the separa<on of powers maxim. The Federal Conven<on of 1787 said that.”
3. As used in line 37, “channeled” most nearly means A) worn. B) sent. C) constrained. D) siphoned.
• Focuses on Tier 2 words
• Exploits words with mul<ple meanings
• Challenges students to derive
meaning from the context in which words are used
Reading Comp on the New SAT
Source Material …“Prosecu<ons of impeachments will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community,” said Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, number 65. “We divide into par<es more or less friendly or inimical to the accused.” I do not mean poli<cal par<es in that sense. The drawing of poli<cal lines goes to the mo<va<on behind impeachment; but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the cons<tu<onal term “high crimes and misdemeanors…” Adapted from a speech delivered by Congresswoman Barbara Jordan of Texas on July 25, 1974, as a member of the Judiciary CommiDee of the United States
House of RepresentaIves.
• Priori<zes non-‐fic<on over literature
• Relies on Founding Documents
(Declara<on of Independence, Cons<tu<on, Federalist Papers) and works from the “Great Global Conversa<on”
• Selects from a wide range of topics, including science, history, and social studies
Top Ten Writing Errors Tested on Current SAT
Pronouns (7-8) Parallelism (5) Verb tense (5) Idioms (4) Verb agreement (3-4) Faulty modification (3-4) Conjunctions (3) Comparisons (2-3) Compound sentences (2-3) Sentence fragments (2)
Grammar on the New SAT
Grammar
During his career, Kingman exhibited his work ⁷ interna<onally. He garnered much acclaim. In 1936, a cri<c described one of Kingman’s solo exhibits as “twenty of the freshest, most sa<sfying water colors that have been seen hereabouts in many a day.” 7. Which choice most effec<vely combines the sentences at the underlined por<on? A) interna<onally, and Kingman also garnered B) interna<onally; from exhibi<ng, he garnered C) interna<onally but garnered D) interna<onally, garnering
• Requires students to revise extended prose to more accurately express an author’s intent • Addresses a wider range of punctua<on
• Tests frequently confused words such as allusion/illusion
The Essay on the New SAT
Essay As you read the passage below, consider how Paul Bogard uses • evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims. • reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence. • stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.
[650-750 word Source Text will appear here] Write an essay in which you explain how Paul Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience that natural darkness should be preserved. In your essay, analyze how Bogard uses one or more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Bogard’s claims, but rather explain how Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience.
• Is based on a common prompt
• Measures students’ ability to explain how an author crafts an argument
• Rates students on strength of analysis and coherence of writing
SAT Writing + ACT English = Grammar & Rhetorical Skill
(A) Hearing that the college did not have a biotechnology center, a campaign was begun by Adam Dunlop to raise money for the construction of one.
(B) Like other military heroes, the stories about General Patton have
grown more apocryphal over time.
(C) All three of the Crowley brothers had hoped to be at least a finalist in their first rodeo competition.
(D) Neither the circus clown nor the trapeze artist were willing to
perform without a net. (E) An unsuccessful candidate may resubmit their application the
following year.
(A) Hearing that the college did not have a biotechnology center, Adam Dunlop began a campaign to raise money for the construction of one.
(B) Like the stories about other military heroes, the stories about General Patton have grown more apocryphal over time.
(C) All three of the Crowley brothers had hoped to be at least finalists in
their first rodeo competition. (D) Neither the circus clown nor the trapeze artist was willing to perform
without a net. (E) An unsuccessful candidate may resubmit his or her application the
following year.
ACT Reading: Finding the Low Hanging Fruit Structure: • 40 ques<ons in 35 minutes • 4 passages: Fic<on, Social Science, Humani<es, Natural Science • 10 ques<ons per passage
Pacing Concerns: • Average of 8 minutes and 45 seconds per passage, to both read and answer • Difficulty level of passages and ques<ons is random • Some passages will likely be harder than others, thus requiring more <me • Ques<ons only contain line references about 50% of the <me
Ques<ons 1-‐10
84% (no students leg any of these ques<ons
blank)
Ques<ons 11-‐20
90% (no students leg any of these ques<ons
blank)
Ques<ons 21-‐30
69% (on average, 8% of students leg each of these ques<ons blank)
Ques<ons 31-‐40
43% (on average, 14% of students leg each of these ques<ons blank)
ACT Science: Data Analysis Structure • 40 ques<ons in 35 minutes • 7 passages: 3 Data Representa<on, 3 Research Summary, 1 Conflic<ng Hypotheses • 5-‐7 ques<ons per passage • Contains liile to no Science content; focuses on methodology and data analysis
Pacing Concerns • Average of 5 minutes per passage, to both read and answer • Difficulty level of passages and ques<ons is random • Some passages will likely be harder than others, thus requiring more <me • Ques<ons almost always refer to specific components of the passage Average percentage of students who skipped any given ques<on in…
Passage 1: 1%
Passage 2: 1%
Passage 7: 11%
Passage 6: 8%
Passage 4: 2%
Passage 3: 1%
Passage 5: 5%
ACT Science
ACT Science
Concordance Table: Current SAT – ACT
ACT Composite
SAT CR+M+W
36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23
2390 2330 2250 2180 2120 2060 2000 1940 1880 1820 1770 1710 1650 1590
SAT Subject Tests
Designed to demonstrate academic achievement in specific subject areas
Scored on 200-800 scale
1 hour each, can take up to 3 subjects in one sitting
Maximize scores by selecting ideal test date
Recommended? Required? How many? Which ones?
SAT Subject Tests
Literature
U.S. History and World History
Math Level 1 and Math Level 2
Biology (E/M), Chemistry, and Physics
Languages: French, Chinese, German, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Latin
Amherst College Barnard College Brown University Caltech Carnegie Mellon University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Duke University Harvard College Harvey Mudd College Haverford College MIT
McGill University Pomona College Princeton University Rice University Swarthmore College Tufts University University of Pennsylvania Vassar College Webb Institute Wellesley College Williams College Yale University
Subject Tests Required
Carleton College Davidson College Emory University George Washington Univ. Georgetown University Johns Hopkins University Lafayette College Lehigh University Northwestern University Stanford University
UC Berkeley UC Irvine UCLA UC San Diego UC Santa Barbara University of Delaware University of Georgia University of Southern CA University of Virginia Washington and Lee University
Subject Tests Recommended*
TEST STRUCTURE (ONE HOUR)
Test Number of Questions Literature 60
U.S. History 90-95 Math 1 & 2 50 Biology E/M 80 Chemistry 85 Spanish 85
TEST SCORING: US HISTORY
Raw score Scaled score 81 - 90 800
70 740 60 680 55 650 50 620 45 590 40 560 35 530 30 510
Recommended Testing Plan for Class of 2017 May 2015 → take the ACT Aspire at Mira Costa
May and/or June 2015 → possibly Subject Test/s
Summer/Fall 2015 → finalize SAT vs. ACT decision, take more diagnostic tests as necessary, determine when to start prep
October 2015 → first administration of “new” PSAT
Oct 2015 – Jan 2016→ final administration of “old” SAT
Feb or Apr 2016 → first official ACT (fully prepared)
Mar or May 2016 → possibly try new SAT
May and/or June 2016 → Subject Tests and/or ACT retake
Fall 2016 → retakes as necessary
“Superscoring”
March SAT Critical Reading 600
Math 650
Writing 550
Combined 1800
October SAT Reading 650
Math 600
Writing 600
Combined 1850
Superscored SAT Reading
Math
Writing
Combined 1900
Repeat Testing: The Data
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000
One Sitting
Two Sittings
Three Sittings
Four Sittings
Five or more
Students
Score Choice Policies
SAT – You can select which dates to send, but you cannot send sub-scores (CR, M, or Wr) only – Most private colleges combine sub-scores from multiple sittings, while
most public colleges do not
ACT – Same as SAT, except there are few colleges who officially combine sub-
scores from multiple sittings
Subject Tests – You select which individual scores to send
Score Choice
All Scores Required Yale USC and the UC’s* Tufts Stanford Pomona Penn Johns Hopkins Georgetown Cornell Columbia Colgate Carnegie Mellon Barnard
Score Choice Allowed Williams Wesleyan Wellesley U of Chicago Swarthmore Princeton Northwestern MIT Harvard Duke Dartmouth Brown Amherst
Confusion
The Road Ahead…
Enjoy being 9th and 10th graders!
Refuse to worry too much too early about testing
Determine plan for Subject Tests, if needed
Seek out practice test opportunities
Decide between ACT, cSAT, and rSAT
Maintain perspective
How to Gain Access to Practice Test Opportunities
Connect with Compass in any of the following ways to find dates & locations, reserve a seat, or get help with analysis
• Fill out tear-off card and return to me
• Visit po.st/compass and fill out form
• Email [email protected]
• Call 310-550-0300
Page 48-49
Q & A…
Southern California 226 South Beverly Drive
Suite 200 Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(800) 925-1250
Northern California 700 Larkspur Landing Circle
Suite 235 Larkspur, CA 94939
(415) 464-8600