ACT, PSAT, SAT, AP. What do these four acronyms have in common? Frequently tossed about in academic settings, these acronyms are more than just bad omens lurking in the minds of high school students. They are important standardized tests that you ought to know about as a University School student.
At University School, the PSAT and SAT are commonly taken by sophomores, juniors, and seniors. In order to excel on these standardized tests, students should avail themselves of the plentiful resources that are available online. One notable website for the PSAT and the SAT is “https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/”. On this website, students can find 6 practice SAT’s with answer explanations and 1 full-length PSAT. Also, you can find copious resources for test preparation, analysis, and requirements. But first, it is important to establish what the SAT and PSAT actually are.
The SAT is a test given to all high school students to assess their college readiness and to provide them with a better perspective on their academic career. In addition to an optional essay section, it consists of a Math section and an Evidence Based Reading and Writing section, and is scored on a scale of zero to 1600. The PSAT, meanwhile, is a test given to 10th and 11th graders to provide underclassmen with early exposure to standardized testing. For the PSAT, high-scoring 11th graders can earn prestigious National Merit Scholarships by scoring in the top percentile nationwide. This past month, three seniors were notified that they had earned the honor of National Merit Semifinalist.
With the recent introduction of the completely redesigned SAT and PSAT, however, many students at University School are now opting to take the ACT. Like the SAT, the ACT is a test of college readiness accepted by virtually all colleges. Unlike the SAT, however, the ACT has five sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing, and it is scored on a scale of zero to 36. For more information regarding the ACT, students should go to “http://www.act.org/”.
While the SAT and ACT are essential elements of a student’s college application because they assess a student’s general scholastic aptitude, many students will also want to demonstrate their mastery of specific subjects, such as Biology, US History, or French. These students will typically take SAT Subject Tests, which are 60-minute examinations on specific areas of study, or AP classes.
Advanced Placement classes, often called “AP’s,” are courses that are intended to be more rigorous than their non-AP counterparts. They require students to take a cumulative AP Exam in May, for which they receive a score on a scale of 1 to 5. Although students are not required to take AP classes, colleges generally look favorably upon a transcript that includes AP classes because these classes indicate a high level of academic rigor.
University School offers a wide range of AP’s for every discipline. For science, there is AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. For English, juniors can take AP English Language and Composition and seniors can take AP English Literature and Composition. Additionally, University School offers several specialized AP English Literature classes for seniors, including concentrations in world literature, men and women, satire, utopias, and Shakespeare. For math, there is AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science, and AP Statistics. In the history department, there is AP Economics, AP United States History, and AP United States Government and Politics. Finally, for languages, there is AP Spanish, AP French, AP Latin, and AP Chinese.
It is also important to note that students can take an AP Exam without taking the corresponding yearlong AP class. Each year, for instance, several juniors take the AP English Language and AP US History Exams in May without taking the respective AP courses during the year. For more information on AP classes, students should visit https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/home
Want even more test prep to get an edge in today’s competitive college admissions world? Look no further than the Wean Research Library. Under the Resources section of the Wean Research Library group on Schoology, click on “Test Preparation” to gain access to numerous practice tests for the SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP exams, SAT subject tests, and more. This extensive database will surely aid you in your test preparation. To log in, use Library ID: chag91161.
For those of you freshmen reading this article, don’t think that it’s too early to begin your test preparation. Freshman can take AP classes and SAT Subject Tests, and it’s never too early to begin taking practice tests for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT.
With all this information in mind, it’s time to start prepping for your next test. Good luck!