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College Entrance Guide

IB Coordinator and College Counselor: Barbara Kuhl


PART FOUR: STANDARDIZED TESTING

In order to maximize your chances at good test scores, LILA recommends the following formula:

PRACTICE!

Ultimately, the key to success on these tests is practice and preparation. Familiarizing yourself with the format and approach of the tests will serve you well on exam day. There are a number of ways for LILA students to practice for these exams:

  • Take the PSAT (practice SAT) and the PLAN (practice ACT) in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. LILA administers both exams during the week at an off-site location. Results are a good indicator of strengths and weaknesses for future exam preparation.

  • Take advantage of FREE resources!
    • The Los Angeles Public Library annually partners with The Princeton Review to present a system-wide library program for teens, “Student Smart: Tools of Becoming a Better Student”, an initiative offering citywide seminars and FREE SAT and ACT Practice Test sessions, conducted by The Princeton Review Instructors in LAPL Branches/Central Library. Visit www.lapl.org/ya/events/studentsmart/ to view the schedule.
    • LILA’s Los Feliz campus library is stocked with copies of up-to-date SAT prep materials, including real SATs that can be used to practice entire, or portions of, an actual exam. Of course, these resources are in demand and often out on loan, so owning the following titles would be great for at home preparation: “Cracking the SAT” & “Cracking the ACT” by The Princeton Review and “10 Real SATs” & “10 Real SATs: Solutions manual” by The College Board.

  • Take the real exams as often as you can. The College Board will keep the six most recent exam scores you earn. However, as busy IB & FB students, your schedules will not allow you to become a full time standardized test taker, so you will need to strategize when and how often you will sit for these exams. Here are some recommendations:
    • Juniors
      • Take two (2) SAT Reasoning tests: one at the end of the Fall semester and another one in the Spring Semester (see calendar for details)
      • Take one (1) ACT in the Spring semester (see calendar)
      • Sit-in at one (1) SAT Subject Test session. You can take up to three (3) Subject tests per session.
    • Seniors
      • Take at least one (1) SAT in the fall (see calendar)
      • Sit-in at one (1) SAT Subject Test session. You can take up to three (3) Subject tests per session.
      • Take one (1) ACT in the fall

    The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)

    Juniors should take the SAT in November and then again in the spring, in May and/or in June. October offers a chance for seniors to take another SAT in order to send improved scores for early action/decision, or to a rolling admissions application to a college. For most colleges, November is the last acceptable test date for early applications. November is the traditional time to take the senior SATs for “non-early” students and the December and January dates provide a last opportunity to take SATs as a senior, still in time for consideration at most colleges. Students taking late tests may need to rush their scores.

    SAT Subject Tests

    Students should take SAT Subject Tests in May or June of the junior year. A number of students will wish to retake some Subject Tests from 9th or 10th grade or take additional ones, depending on the requirements of their college applications. Keep in mind that you can take up to three SAT ST’s per sit-in. Part of your decision about when to take the SAT-R and Subject Tests may be driven by the need to take certain tests (for example, language tests), and by the dates they are given. Not all tests are offered on all dates. The back of the registration booklet tells you when each test is given.

    Students are responsible for knowing the specific Subject Test requirements for each college in which they are interested, particularly in the areas of English, Mathematics and Language, in addition to conferring with teachers about appropriate preparation.

    Remember – Some colleges will accept ACT scores in lieu of Subject tests scores. Scores must be sent directly to colleges in time to meet the application deadlines. Occasionally a college will wait; call the Admissions Office before the test date to find out. Students are responsible for sending ALL scores directly to the colleges. LILA cannot send these scores and they are not on your transcript.

    The American College Test (ACT)

    Many colleges now accept the ACT in lieu of SAT-R and/or Subject Tests. The ACT is structured differently than the SAT-R, and includes four sections so students who are concerned about their SATs may wish to take the ACT to provide additional or alternate testing information. The ACT is administered on different dates than the SAT. Check the ACT calendar. Plan to take the test in April. Students are responsible for sending ALL scores directly to the colleges. LILA cannot send these scores and they are not on your transcript.

    PLEASE NOTE: Students are responsible for completing and mailing their own registration forms in time for specific deadlines, or for registering on-line. Registration forms are available in the college counseling office to be picked up anytime.