Decoding the ACT and SAT: Acing the Test

Webinar Transcription

2023-12-12 – Decoding the ACT and

SAT: Acing the Test

Anesha: Hi, everyone, and welcome to tonight’s webinar. My name is Anesha

Grant. I am a senior advisor at CollegeAdvisor, and I will be your moderator

today. Tonight’s webinar is, “Decoding the ACT and SAT: Acing the Test.”

Before we get started, I just want to orient everyone with the webinar timing.

So, we will start with a presentation and our speaker will share some guidance

and some tips, and then we’ll answer your questions in the live Q&A.

On the sidebar, you can download our slides under the handouts tab, and you

can start submitting your questions whenever you get ready in the Q&A tab.

Definitely submit your questions as the presentation is going. Don’t wait until

we start Q& A because then I get a flood of questions. So as questions occur to

you, please definitely feel free to drop them in the Q&A.

All right, but first we’re going to meet our panelist, Maria. Hi, Maria. How are

you?

Maria: Hi, everyone. My name is Maria Acosta Robayo, and I graduated class

of 2020 from Harvard, where I studied sociology, global health policy and

where I was pre med and I’m doing well. I’m calling from DC, um, which is

where I’ve been living for the past about two and a half years.

Anesha: Awesome. All right, before I let you take it away, we’re going to do a

quick little poll. Um, and I know one of the questions and you’ll speak to this,

but, what would you say was the most challenging thing that you faced? What

was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome in your test prep journey?

Maria: Yeah, I’d say I think like a very tactical answer is I definitely needed to

better understand some of the SAT math.

I think I had taken a lot of courses and some of them I felt like prepared me well

and others you just have to kind of get a feel for the questions and get a sense of

how to read a question and identify patterns. And I think that was definitely a

hurdle, um, like more tactically. And then just like a, a mental hurdle of on test

day, feeling confident and knowing that I had studied well and that, um, I’d

taken practice tests and knew what I was doing.Um, but I definitely feel like that’s a, there’s always a mental hurdle there of,

well, will, will that shine through on test day?

Anesha: Yeah, one of my students who said, I’m just going to walk in confident,

even if I don’t feel confident, um, just helping me. He prepped it, everything

like that. But I was like, I think that’s a good way to kind of start to get over that

mental hurdle.

All right, we’ll go ahead and close our poll for right now. I’ll just let you know

that the majority of folks with us are in the 11th grade, so about 68%. Of our

audience today is in the 11th grade, which makes sense. This is that is the prime

year to be thinking about starting your test prep journey. Um, we have 1 percent

in 8th grade 76 percent in the 9th grade.

Uh, 21 percent in the 10th grade, 3 percent in 12th grade and 2 percent other

meeting parents or some teachers. So we’re happy to have everybody here. We

do think that tonight’s session will be relevant and helpful for all of our

audiences. Um, but we’re excited to get to. talk to you all and hear your

questions.

I’ll stop talking and hand it over to Maria.

Maria: Thank you. Um, and yeah, so definitely for those who are juniors, this is

especially relevant to you all, but I hope that this also shines a little bit of light

on what might be forthcoming for some of the folks who are freshmen or

sophomores, um, or even earlier and that it’s a good review for folks who are,

um, seniors or planning on taking the test again and, um, you know, Getting a

chance to submit that before any of the, um, the last deadlines, uh, coming up in

the spring.

So, uh, I’ll kick us off with just talking a little bit more about, um, the impact

that standardized testing has on students applications. So, um, they are

important. I think especially, um, there has been a shift, especially after COVID

where, uh, a lot of schools used to require them before. Now there is more test

optional or test blind.

Um, And, um, I think a good way to just have a perspective on this is that it’s, if

your school requires it, um, or if it’s something that it’s optional, like it’s

definitely something, well, if it, if it, if a school requires you to submit one, then

it’s definitely a part of your application that you should definitely focus on, that

you should think about, that you should study for and do.If your school says that it’s optional, then that is more of an opportunity to think

about whether this is something that’s going to help your application, whether

it’s going to be an extra data point to, um, elevate your, um, your, the statistics

that they’re looking at, especially those that are in the academic realm.

I know there’s the GPA and lots of other potential AP and others, uh, test scores

that might be, um, in the mix, but this is a good opportunity for you to give an

additional data point if your school. Um, is saying that it’s optional. In either

case, it is one of various, uh, factors that, uh, admissions officers are looking at.

And so that it’s something that it can help you, um, show that you are on the

academic bubble or you’re in consideration. Um, but there’s a lot of other

elements that go into that as well, including your extracurriculars, including,

um, your essays, your teacher recommendations, um, your course load. Um,

potentially passion projects or sports that you play.

And so I would say that this is an important element in the application, but it’s

not the only one. And sometimes I feel like when students are studying for this,

it feels like it’s the most important thing and it’s not, it’s important, but not the

most important thing. Um, and then, uh, this is also just an opportunity for you

to show admissions officers, like a sense of your academic rigor, but admissions

officers do know that not everyone is a great test taker.

And so again, I would say that. This is something for you to consider, to think

about, and not, uh, not everyone likes doing the SAT, not everyone likes doing

the ACT, and if a school that Um, is saying that it’s optional than is saying that

is optional, then you should definitely talk to your advisor about whether your

academic performance in school, like your GPA test scores are, um, really

highlight your academic, uh, rigor in a way that maybe the SAT and ACT won’t.

And so, again, if your school is optional, that’s a really personal decision that

you can work with an admission officer to, uh, or an advising, um, advisor. An

advisor, a CollegeAdvisor to talk through or a counselor at your high school

who is advising you on on college applications. Um, so what are the

standardized test scores that are part of a student’s application?

so the When I’ve listed here a set of of tests Maybe you are familiar with and

there are some that are usually in your application and others that are more Um

as like a prep or something that could be indirectly part of your application So

the first one here is the PSAT, which is the pre SAT. This is not a test score that

you submit in your application, but it is something that in your junior year, if

you do, um, if you do really well and get National Merit Scholarship, that’ssomething that is a really positive academic, um, plus that you could add to

your application.

And so again, you don’t submit the scores themselves, um, as part of that, like

you would an SAT or ACT. But it is something that you can add into your

application. Um, if you do get national merit or you become a finalist, there’s

the SAT, which you’ve heard of the SAT two or a subject test. That’s another

name that you’ve probably heard of, but those are, have been discontinued.

And so they’re no longer offered. I put them on this list though, because some

folks kind of just have, there’s a lot of acronyms thrown around and it’s helpful

to disentangle which ones are part of the test, which ones are not part of the test.

So. SAT 2 has been discontinued. Those used to be specific subjects that you

could test your expertise on, but those are no longer offered or taken.

Um, then there’s the ACT. Again, one of the, uh, there’s the two popular ones,

the SAT, ACT, which you do, um, you can submit your scores for, and those are

both, um, The schools don’t have a preference for one or the other. It’s just a

different format of the test and it highlights different things that you might be,

um, you might feel like you’re stronger in.

And so it gives you a little bit more options for which one you want to take.

There’s a TOEFL, which is, uh, an English exam. And so this is usually for

international students to prove, um, their fluency in English or the ability to,

um, hit a certain rank the schools are, um, are asking for in order to go into a

school, into an English speaking university.

Um, and then there’s AP and IB exams. IB exams aren’t on there, but they

should be on that line of tests that are usually based on finishing a course at

school. There are some students who end up taking AP exams without taking

the course, but that is a lot more rare and oftentimes not Um, not advised

because it’s a really important part of prepping for an A, actually taking the class

is an important part of prepping for the exam and so usually students will take

the class and then take the AP exam sometime in May.

So those are probably the ones you’re most acquainted with, the SAT, ACT, and

the AP exams. So what is the SAT and what is that test process like? So it’s

administered about seven times per year. Um, so usually about every other

month, sometimes, uh, in subsequent months, but it’s administered that many

times.So you have those opportunities to take it. Um, There, it’s usually three hours

and 50 minutes, and the highest score is, uh, a 1600, and that score is split in

two ways. Um, it’s split in math, in which the maximum score you can get is

800, and it’s split into evidence based reading and writing, which is EBRW, and

that is maximum 800 points.

So if you put those two together, that gives you a 1600 points. Um, and so kind

of breaking that a little bit more to just see what’s in those sections in the math

section. That’s about 80 minutes and it’s 58 questions. Um, and it tests, um, It

tests algebra, problem solving, data analysis, and some advanced math.

And then the reading and writing section, or, yeah, the reading and writing

section that also includes like some grammar and other elements, um, that

includes two, two parts. Uh, it’s the evidence based reading, which is 65 minutes

to answer 52 questions, and that, Usually test your understanding on complex

passages and identifying words in context.

So if you’ve taken any practice tests, that’s the section that’s usually like a story

or a chunk of text and you have to kind of, um, Answer questions about its logic

about the grammar there about what makes sense in that story And then there’s

writing and language and that one is 35 minutes and 44 questions So that’s the

first one that you see is you have more questions than you have minutes.

And so Uh, your pace should definitely be quicker than a minute per question

Um, and those are testing grammar and argument building abilities Then there’s

the essay and that’s optional Um, and it’s 50 minutes some schools do require

the essay So i’d be very careful to make sure that if They do ask for it, that you

take it.

Um, but I would also take into account, um, that, um, that that’s something that

you should, like, definitely look into before you take the exam. Um, so what is

the ACT and what’s that process like? So, the ACT also administers seven times

per year. In the US it’s three hours and 35 minutes, so a little bit shorter than the

SAT.

And the highest score there is 36. Um, the score is split between English, math,

reading, and science. And so usually a perk that folks like about this test is that

it has a science component. And so people who are, um, more geared towards

that are able to, um, highlight that scale on this test. Um, so the process, so I’ll

just talk a little bit more about like the breakdown of this, and so you can score

up to a 36 in each section, and that, and that is usually a composite score of

four, uh, four different sections.And so unlike the SAT where you have like 800 max in one section plus 800

max in another section This is like the max you can get on each one is a 36

They add them all up average it out and that gives you your composite score

And that’s split between english, which is 75 questions in 45 minutes um in the

test grammar and usage punctuation sentence structure strategy organization

and style and so those are all Um similar to that last section of the SAT The

math is 60 questions in 60 minutes, and it’s usually testing pre algebra,

elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plate geometry,

and trigonometry.

So those are a lot of words, but if you’re thinking about like, okay, how much

does my Uh, the classes I’m taking at school factor into some of the things that I

will know for the ACT exam. Here you have some of those, and if you’ve taken

classes in these, it’s definitely a leg up. Um, reading is 40 questions in 35

minutes, and that tests reading comprehension of what is directly stated or

implied.

And so that’s a little bit more like the first reading section, where you usually

have a chunk of text, and you have to, um, analyze it for, um, Logic and for like

the implications of the time. Um, and then there’s science, which is 40 questions

in 35 minutes And that is not necessarily asking you a very specific Topical

question about like biology or chemistry or physics It’s a more so testing your

ability to interpret and evaluate graphs and data And so usually you will see like

some type of chart some type of graph and it’s asking you to deduct Okay,

what’s going on here?

What are some of the implications of this data? Um, and then similar to the

SAT, uh, the writing is optional. So it’s one essay and 40 minutes. Um, so

sometimes folks are asking like, you know, which one should I take? Should I

take the SAT versus the ACT? And I think the main question there is what are

your strengths?

If you’re someone who is more geared towards, um, That last section that I

talked about above, the science part of the ACT, that’s usually the main

determinant if you know that, you know, reading data and like making sense of

data, it comes really naturally to you, or it’s something that you’re learning and

you’re getting better at, then I would definitely say maybe Think about taking

the ACT.

Um, also think about what topics you’ve covered in school and go through and

see, take some practice tests and see which one fits a little bit more with some

of the knowledge base that you already have and that you could keep on

growing. Um, and then also thinking about how comfortable you are with noncalculator math and science analysis, which again, are some of the, the

differences in the two tests.

And so, um, I just. Got this chart from the Princeton Review that kind of breaks

down a little bit more, um, how you can, um, like how can you parse out some

of the differences between the two. Um, and so again, one more, one more

difference that I had in spelled out here is the ACT uses a calculator on all math.

And so that’s something that’s different from the SAC, the SAT, which only uses

the calculator for some sections.

So when do most students take standardized tests for college admission? So the

PSAT, which again is not something you submit for your application, but

something that you can take ahead of time, is most commonly taken in 10th and

11th grade, but can be taken as early as 8th grade. The reason why I highlight

11th grade is because in 11th grade, like I mentioned before, you can be

considered for national merit, depending on your scores, um, and less than the

top 1 percent go on to be finalists.

And so this is a very, um, prestigious and rigorous process that if you end up

getting national merit, or if you’re a finalist, it’s definitely something to include

in your application. Um, then there’s the SAT ACT. Um, I usually recommend

folks starting there to prep for this their junior year and into senior fall.

Um, although I don’t recommend starting that late because you’ll already be

thinking about like essays and applications as well as your classes. It’s a lot to to

balance as a senior and so I usually recommend that juniors who have the ability

to study ahead of time and to take it ahead of time. That they do that before,

before the fall of their senior year, because it’s just really hard to balance that all

later.

Um, then there’s the AP test, and that’s usually just based on the year that you

take the class. But like I mentioned before, some students do choose to take,

um, the AP test, uh, without taking the class. But that usually happens in the

month of May.

So, what are some of the best ways to prepare for standardized tests? So, I, um,

I think that the best way is to just take a lot of practice tests, like I said, uh,

especially with some of the math questions, there’s just a pattern and a trend to

some of the questions that if you take enough practice, uh, practice texts and

practice sections, uh, you’re able to kind of read that better, it starts to kind of

become like an instinct that you have and that can make the difference betweenYou know, being able to finish on time and answering all the questions or

laboring on a particular question that, you know, eats up time that you could

have done to, like, finish that section.

And so I think that it’s one of the ways where not only you practice the actual

content of the material, where, but you also practice the speed, because the more

you’re taking these practices again, the more you kind of get that muscle

memory of knowing how to do some of these questions, you’re able to identify

the type of question.

And even if the. If the numbers change or like the scenario changes, you kind of

know the type of question that they’re, um, that you’re seeing and the type of

answer they’re looking for. Um, some, uh, other tactics that folks have used is

signing up for a test prep course. If you’re someone who prefers to have like

someone there to guide you through the process and to take classes and to have

more of that structured method.

Or, um, uh, somewhere in between taking lots of practice tests and signing up

for a test course is buying a prep book and studying yourself. And that’s again,

more of a guided practice, but it’s definitely at your own pace versus at the pace

of an instructor, like a test prep course.

So what are some tips for the day of the test? Um, I would say eat a good

breakfast. Um, a lot of folks feel really nervous that morning and decide to skip

out on breakfast, but you need some of that energy to last you through the three

hour plus exam, whether that’s the ACT or the SAT. Um, and I would actually,

um, take a pretty big look out with the glycemic index of the food that you’re

eating, because you probably want to eat something in the lower glycemic

index.

That’s things like oatmeal. Or whole grain breakfast sandwiches or things that

usually considered are like more healthy and especially. And the specific focus

there is like their energy, uh, their sugar content because you don’t want to be

having an, uh, a sugar, um, a sugar crash in the middle of the exam.

You don’t want to spike at the beginning and then get really tired in the middle

of the exam. And so this is an opportunity for you to eat something that will

give you a little bit more of a stable energy over a course of a period of over a

longer period of time. Um, get a good night’s sleep. I wouldn’t say that.

So if you’re, um, Your rhythm is that maybe you only get a couple hours of

sleep every night, um, and you, you know that that’s below what you need. Iwould say before the test, Try to fit a rhythm of trying to get closer to eight

hours. Um, you don’t want to just try to hit eight hours the night before. I would

try to get a rhythm beforehand and try to make sure that you’re starting to gain,

um, some more rest before the day of the test.

Um, and then wake up with plenty of time on the day of the test. It’s a lot better

to wait at the test center because you got there early than to maybe have a hectic

morning right before a big test. Um, I We share the story that happened to me,

um, as a way to, uh, hit two birds with one stone in terms of giving tips.

Um, so it’s a story that connects that waking up with plenty of time and to

double checking your test center and timing the night before. So, the time I took

my ACT, I, um, accidentally went to the wrong test center, and I got there early

enough to be able to drive across town and get to the other tests, like, right as

they were about to start.

And so, I, one, see that as an example of an advantage of getting there early, you

don’t want Potentially, uh, a miscommunication or something, a glitch

happening where you go to the wrong test center. Um, and two, just like making

sure that you are vigilant about that the night before and making sure that

nothing has changed since you signed up.

Um, prep, uh, another tip here is just prepping your test materials ahead of time

and making sure that you have everything. You have your calculator, pencils,

um, you have some extra pencils so that you’re not scrambling in the middle of,

of the test. Um, Um, if you don’t have enough lead or if you’re not your pencil

breaks, um, and the last thing here, which I think a lot of folks forget is just

taking a deep breath and remembering that you’re a lot more than your test score

that your application is going to consist of a lot more than your test score.

And that if you do this early enough, there’s also opportunities to retake. And so

just kind of getting all of those things into a perspective of. You’re there to take

a task and things are going to be okay. There’s other chances after this. It’s going

to be okay. Um, and then what is the timeline for standardized tasks in a college

application?

So, uh, this is. Some of the general guidelines that I’ve seen, um, folks do. It’s

also a guideline that I used myself when I was applying to college. So I started

prepping the summer before, um, oh, sorry, the summer between sophomore

and junior year just to try to make your first test your junior fall or your junior

spring.Sometimes it gets really hectic when you’re, when you’re starting school,

especially your junior year when everyone’s, like, All of a sudden starting to talk

about college applications, uh, where maybe extracurriculars are picking up or

taking more advanced classes. And so I usually recommend starting your prep

that summer where things are a little bit more.

Um, more calm and you’re able to have more time and then continuing your

prep in the, in the fall of junior and, uh, in the fall and spring of junior year and

deciding to take usually in one of the, usually the spring or the summer between

the spring of junior year or the summer between junior and senior year.

Um, so that gives you time to retake without pressure and to consider preparing

for taking other standardized tests. If you, if you decide that the test you’re

taking or studying for is not the one that you prefer. Ultimately, you have to

submit the scores before the application deadline. So plan for a test date that

allows you to receive your score before the application deadline.

So make sure that you’re aware of when your application is. Make sure you

know how long it takes to get your scores and to send them in. Um, and make

sure that you’re communicating with the admissions officers of the school that

you’re, that you’re applying in if there’s any, um, if there are any discrepancies

about that timing or that you feel like you might not make it.

Um, some colleges will also accept the SATs after the application deadline, so

usually until like January or March time frame, but I always seek permission. I

would not count on this. This is not always the case, and so I would just say, if

that ends up being you, like, I would definitely look into that, but I wouldn’t, uh,

depend on that.

So my own standard, uh, standardized experience was, uh, I took my PSAT like

four times, but that was not, uh, because I wanted to. It was my school offered it

every year and everyone kind of had to take it. I didn’t know what I was doing

until in my junior year. Um, I heard that there was a potential for the National

Merit Scholarship, and that year was, I heard about it almost, like, I think maybe

the week after I took that, the PSAT.

And so, unfortunately, I didn’t really get a chance to study for it, but it definitely

crossed my mind that this was something important starting, um, my junior

year. Uh, as soon as I realized that, I started taking, um, an online prep course

that was provided by my high school. So this was just, um, there wasn’t any

teachers or videos necessarily, but it was a set of questions that I had every

week and so that allowed me to be able to, um, just take a lot of practice testsand they would give me the answers of why something was right, why

something was wrong.

And so I was able to self study and figure out like, okay. These are the times

where I’m getting it right. What are some of the patterns that I’m seeing and

learning from that? And so I started to get better by just doing practice tests.

And then I decided to take the SAT test consecutively. I took it the first time and

I, I did well, but I didn’t like how I did in one section.

And so I focused a lot more on my math and took it again right after, um, and

really focused on my math score. So, uh, schools will usually super score,

which means that they will look at. The highest score that you have, uh, for your

sections in the SAT, so if you had, um, like a higher score in one section for the

previous test, then, uh, then, like, they will see that score cumulative, or, right, if

you have two tests, and in one, one section is higher than the other.

and then vice versa. They will look at the top scores of the two tests. Um, and

then I took the ACT ones. I took some ACT practice tests and sections and then

I just took it. Uh, I did a lot better in the SAT, but it was something that I

wanted. I did want to try out the ACT just in case um, that went well.

Um, and then I took nine AP exams that were just part of my high school

curriculum, uh, and, and submitted those as well. So those were kind of the, the

culmination of all my, all my standardized testing, uh, in my high school years.

So some last advice that I would give to students preparing for standardized

testing is to look through that comparison chart to just find the best test for you

based on your strengths and your weaknesses.

Take a look at the length, how many questions, if you are thinking about doing

some of that science based data analysis, um, and making sure that you are

starting to prep for the test you think might be the best fit, but that if at any

point you start recognizing that the other is a better fit for you that you’re also

doing it with enough time to pip it, um, and to take the other test.

And then I think that goes hand in hand with just the general advice I’ve been

giving of starting early so that you don’t have to rush if you need to retake it.

And lastly, just taking lots of practice tests. I really do think it’s one of the best

ways to get acquainted with the exam, to start feeling comfortable.

Um, I would say just think about it as like, you know, When you were learning

how to do sums, um, there is thing, something about repetition that allowed you

to get to a place that was higher, a higher level where then you could do likehigher level sums and you can transition to higher math. And I think part of that

confidence that you have that maybe you don’t even think about the fact that

you’re adding probably on the day to day comes from the fact that you repeated

that so much in your, in your years.

And so I would say similarly, if you get to a place where you’re able to practice

a lot, you’re just going to come in much more confident. Okay. And you’re going

to be able to focus on the questions that are maybe a little bit more difficult

because they’re the ones that were easier you had a chance to do a lot of

repetitions on.

So, I think that is all for me.

Anesha: Thanks, Maria. All right. So that is the end of our presentation part of

the webinar. I hope that you found the information helpful and just as a

reminder that you can download the handouts under the handouts tab. We’re

going to move on to the live Q and a the way that it will work is I will read

through the questions that you’ve submitted.

In the Q& A tab, I’ll paste them into the public chat so that everyone can see

them and read them aloud so that Marie will have an opportunity to answer. If

you are having any challenges with submitting questions, just double check that

you logged in through the webinar link in your email and not through the

webinar landing page.

You might have to log out and log back in in order to submit your questions.

Um, and just also as a reminder, the webinar is being recorded, so you can

review it at a later time. I think one clarifying point was around the essay. I

don’t believe that SAT essay is being offered anymore. Um, so that might just be

something we need to, or not being offered consistently, um, across the board.

So, um, I just wanted to add that clarifying fact, um, with it. Yes, that is true.

Cool. Um, please do not send me scenarios in the chat. I cannot give you a

rundown of your personal situation and how you will perform or what your SAT

score means in the college admissions rundown. Um, so I just will give that

caveat, um, for, for folks in the questions and also, um, I advise against sharing

personal SAT scores one because it’s dated, uh, for all of us.

I think when you took it, it was 2016. Yeah. Um, and I took it in. more years

ago than that. Um, so it’s a radically different test. I don’t know if there’s a ton of

value with us sharing our particular or our specific SAT score. Um, but I willmove forward and ask a different question. Um, oh, so this is the first question

to get started with.

The one student asked, will test scores still be optional for the class of 2025?

Maria: Um, so that is something that’s going to be very school specific. I think

some schools will remain optional. Other schools have shifted back. I think,

Some the bigger trend, though, is schools becoming more and more optional.

That’s what I’ve seen so far. I’m not sure if you’ve seen that as well, Anesha, but

I think on my end, that’s what I’ve seen. Um, I do want to call out that a change

that’s happening for 2024 is I think that it’s going to be fully online. Um, So that

is a change. I think I didn’t, I don’t think I’ve seen any like structural changes,

but definitely correct me if I’m wrong on that.

But I think that in terms of the format of the, of the test being taken, it’s going to

be digital. Um, so I did want to call that out as well.

Anesha: Yeah. The, um, the SAT, I think we’ll move to being predominantly or

not exclusively digital in 2024. Um, the ACT students will continue to have a

paper and pen option that might also be regional.

Okay, the next question. I don’t know if you have like test taking strategy tips,

but we’ve gotten a lot of questions. So if you can’t answer it, don’t worry about

it, but I’ll ask it anyway. So someone asked, what are some tips to retain

information and optimize timing? And to speak to a more personal question,

how do you manage your time while taking both of the tests?

Maria: Yeah, so I think, yeah, I’ll answer that in two parts. I think the first in

terms of trying to like keep everything in your head when you’re probably also

balancing, retaining information for all of your classes and who does like what

other extracurriculars are things that you’re doing that require energy.

So I’d say to definitely try to take time every day to practice questions. Um,

sometimes it seems like a really big feat. To go go ahead and just take entire

sections or whatnot But I think one of the best ways to retain information is by

doing so if you get in the habit of Maybe every morning for just like 15 20

minutes.

You’re taking you’re answering questions and you’re able to build that muscle

It’s going to seem a lot less, like, laborious to, to, to go into that than to think

about, okay, every weekend for like five hours, I’m going to do this SAT. Likethis is, that’s going to be maybe taking more of your brain energy and it’s going

to be harder to remember everything that you learned in those five hours or in

such a large period of time than if every day you’re building that muscle and

exercising that muscle.

And so I would say a general tip is to Take digestible chunks at practicing the

test than trying to just fit everything in a big chunk over the weekend or on a

specific day of the week. Um, another thing that you could also do is, um, like

do it with friends, like practice with friends. Sometimes it’s really helpful to

learn from the practices of another friend.

And if someone’s figured out a pattern in a question of like they’re recognizing

like, The numbers change, the scenario changes, but like, these types of

questions are asking the same thing. That’s something that you can learn from

others and that you could share with others. Um, in a, like, also reversal

scenario, when you’re able to help other people, it usually signifies that you

have like some sort of, not necessarily mastery, but that you really have

internalized what you’re, what you’re saying to other people.

So it’s helpful to not just know for yourself, but if you’re starting again to help

other people, that’s going to help cement that knowledge in your mind. Um, so

those are two tips that I would give. Um, and then in terms of how to decide to

like, you know, balance your time, um, when deciding what tests to take, I

usually recommend that you start with one test, see how you do with that, and

then decide whether you want to do the other test.

The reason for that is because I think that it’s easier for, like, minds to, like,

focus on, on one task in one format, and you know that there’s going to be some

overlapping information. So if you focus and you do really well on one test, it’s

not like all of a sudden you’re going to have to study for a brand new task.

Like, a lot of that, I would say maybe, like, a very high percentage of, I don’t

want to say a number because I don’t want to be quoted on that, but a very high

percentage of the task is the same. And so I would, I would definitely just feel

confident that if you’re studying for one test, you’re in a way also studying for

the other.

Anesha: Yeah, I think, I think the content on the test are generally the same, and

the skills being tested are similar. I think it’s the way, the way it’s scored, and

like the strategy of how it’s positioned in the test is somewhat different. Um, it’s

It’s complicated. I, I mean, I have always advised students not to try to study forboth at the same time, though prep for one could definitely help you prep for the

other.

Um, and I, yeah, yeah, I agree with what you’re saying. Um, next question. Oh,

I also wanted to say the digital test. We’re getting a lot of questions about the

digital tests. I will say, I think there is limited knowledge of the structure of the

digital test. The SAT has not made a ton of that widely available.

They’ve been doing some of the testing, like internal testing. So they have data

around it, but they have not explicitly stated how it’s going to be scored

differently. Um, I know that it will be responsive to some extent. So if you get

an answer wrong, it changes the next question that you will receive.

Um, on the digital response, I’m not sure if the ACT will be similar. So I’ll just,

I’m just saying that as a caveat of like, we don’t have all the information of ways

in which the ACT digital will be different. From the paper test, uh, just quite

yet, but okay. The next question I wanted to ask, which I thought was an

interesting process question was, do we have to register for the test or will our

schools just tell us when to do them and also how do we register?

Maria: Yeah. So I, you do have to register. Schools could tell you when to

register, like could remind you of the dates, but you independently have to go

on the portal. So that’s either the college board for the SAT or the eight, the

college board for the SAT. Or the ACT website for the ACT test and those are

two places where you could register and so they’ll have you like look up the

nearest test center or again maybe for the SAT once that becomes like a fully

online thing, uh, that will be like a home test center like in your own house and

like you’ll schedule a time, um, that’s similar to potentially the GRE, which is

like More of the graduate school test version of the SAT, um, that you don’t

have to worry about.

This is for like after undergrad if you wanted to go to grad school. Um, but this

is something where you would go on the, on those two tests, uh, websites and

you would sign up individually. And so I would be vigilant about. When you

want to sign up and make sure that you’re doing that yourself and that you’re

submitting whatever information They’re asking you to submit ahead of time.

Anesha: Thank you Um, all right, so a lot of folks are asking about study

guides or study tips Um, so do you have a a book or a specific study guide that

you would recommend for the act or the sat? Or any other general test prep

resources that you would recommend?Maria: Yeah, so I think I use Kaplan or Princeton, um, review, but those were

usually for the sake of the question, like practice questions.

I also use a lot of the, or actually, sorry, the first resource that I used was the

college board, right? Because the college board is like where the SAT

originates. That’s like the doctoral company. And so they had a lot of old tests.

And so I took a lot of the old tests. Um, they did have a book. I didn’t use that

one.

I ended up using Kaplan or Princeton review. Um, bye. I could say like those

three are very credible resources that folks use all the time. Um, and I’m not

sure if the ACT has their own book as well, but like their own, like the company

itself has their own book. I’m sure they do. Um, but I know that for sure Kaplan

and Prince Review have SAT and ACT for both.

Anesha: Yeah. And just, uh, as a note, um, within CollegeAdvisor, if you have a

CollegeAdvisor account, I think, uh, elite or higher, you usually get access to

Method Test Prep, which is an internal online. Test prep resource. Um, so you

can do that on top of whatever books you might be using or classes you might

be taking.

And then I always recommend Khan Academy as a free resource for folks, but

that is only for the SAT. I’m not sure if you can speak to this question, but a

person asked it a couple of times. If you know if there’s a test that is better for a

student with ADD or if there are test prep companies that work better for

students who might have ADD or some kind of learning differences.

Maria: I personally do not. Um, I think. Honestly, for I would say one asking

maybe someone like in those organizations what their policies are and what

their like offerings are to see if there are folks who specialize in that and then

like that kind of already narrows it down because if I I would say I haven’t

heard that being advertised as much and so they do have a program like I would

definitely take advantage of that if for whatever reason those like that tactic

doesn’t like work I would say try yourself like get a feeling for I mean,

regardless of like any other like learning disability or like the type of learning

disability, there is definitely a uniqueness of maybe you have a learning

disability, but really love the ACT And maybe somebody else was learning

disability and they really love the S. A. T. And so those differences are

sometimes better seen if you actually go ahead and take the test for yourself.

Um, so I would say, like, not necessarily a registered test, but if you take a

practice test and get a feel for, In like in your own skin, what do you what are

you liking better?What is not working for you? And you can maybe start getting a sense for the

timing and the structure um again, I I think the ACT is shorter and Maybe that

shorter span could be a little bit more like stressful that i’ve heard Like in

general, um, and so I would maybe just feel that out Um, but yeah, the the first

bet is to ask like any of these companies that offer test press for you Test prep

course that that question and if they have offerings for folks with any learning

disabilities

Anesha: yeah, the only add on I would say is like making sure if you have ADD

or any kind of Intellectual difference that you understand that you have it

documented and that there’s clarity on what your accommodations are because

the ACT and wherever Both tests, sorry, the A.C. T. And the S. A. T. And

wherever your testing center is has to provide you with the accommodation. So

if you need extra time, if you need people to read the questions allowed to you,

whatever adjustments you need or accommodations you need in order to take

the test effectively, um, just make sure that that is documented and that you

present that to your testing center so that they can set that up for you.

Because I I don’t know which test might be better or worse, but I think

regardless of the test, make sure you’re getting the accommodations that you

need to, to show up and do your best on the exam. Um, okay. Someone asks,

does your score change if you don’t choose to do the essay for the SAT or the

ACT?

Maria: No, your score remains the same. Again, if, if, Schools require you to

take the essay, which I think again, folks are leaning or schools are leaning more

away from, um, then that’s something that will be evaluated as a separate score.

It’s not part of that, like, 1600 or the 36.

Anesha: All right. Um, someone said, If I’m considering, oh, a lot of folks are

trying, are looking for strategies on how to improve a score.

So someone said, if I’m considering a retake, what’s the best approach after my

initial attempt?

Maria: I think if you’re considering a retake, I would look at the score that you

or the section that you scored the lowest in. And I would try to think about like,

okay, how can you In the next couple of weeks or months, if you have the time,

like, how can you better prepare in that specific section?

Um, if it’s across the board, then like, again, I would, I would just start with

focusing on the one that you scored the lowest in and spending more time there.Um, I know that when I took my two, I think the SAT twice, the first time,

again, I did really well back when it was three sections, I did really well in the

first two sections, uh, or in like the.

The two sections that were not math, in the math section I did well, but

definitely was the lowest of the three. And so I wanted to really excel there and

I actually asked for a tutor just for that section. And so it was a little bit more

cost effective because I knew that it was a specific section that someone was

helping me with.

And so I would say like that at least helps you narrow down where you could

spend your time. I

Anesha: don’t know if you have a broad ranging response to this, but someone

said, what are the most common or biggest mistakes that test takers make?

Maria: Yeah. So actually I made a big mistake my first time taking the SAT,

which was that I had never taken a paper SAT before.

I had only taken practice exams on the computer or like online. And, And so this

is maybe not a problem that folks will face in 2024 unless they’re only

practicing in the paper version and then they have to take it online, but for me, it

was the reverse. I was taking, I was only practicing online and then, uh, when

the paper section came, into play.

I didn’t realize that the way that the page was structured is like there was

multiple sections per page and I kind of got disoriented with like what section

flowed from what to what. Um, and so I started filling out the wrong section

and I wasted like a solid like Three minutes trying to refill the bubble sheet and

making sure I erased everything from the other section Which meant that I

didn’t get to finish one section uh, luckily somehow, uh, so there is And I don’t

know if this is still true in the upcoming sat Um the new the new version but in

the sat that I took there were some questions that were just practice questions

like there were or test questions were like Not tough.

They were called experimental questions. Yeah experimental questions You And

I knew for sure I had an answer to maybe like four questions at the end, and I

think that was the experimental section because I, when I got my scores back, I

think I had only missed. One question or two. Um, definitely less than what I

had actually missed because of that blunder, um, messing up the sections.And so, I mean, it was like a really great feeling to know I hadn’t totally messed

up, uh, my score, but I remember panicking because I had written in the wrong

section and so I would just recommend that whatever format you’re, um,

whatever format the test is that you’re going to take, that you practice some

sections in that format.

Anesha: Alright, I’m going to take a quick break just to do a quick PSA about

CollegeAdvisor. So for those in the room who are currently working with us,

again, there’s a huge SAT and CS program. component of the overarching

college admissions process. We do have a team of over 300 former admissions

officers ready to help you and admissions experts ready to help you and your

family navigate the process through one on one advising.

You can take the next step in your journey and sign up for a free 45 to 60

minutes session. During that session, you can We will discuss your

extracurriculars. We’ll talk about college lists and outline any tools you’ll need

in order to develop an effective application strategy, um, and make sure that you

can stand out in the competitive as well.

So you can use the QR code that’s on the screen. If you’re interested in signing

up for 1 of those free 45 to 60 minute strategy sessions, we will get back to our

questions. The next question for you, Maria is someone asked how long should

we how long should we study in advance of the test?

Maria: Yeah, so I think that it just depends on.

The style that you have. Um, I am definitely someone who I don’t love working

under high pressure Um, I would rather start early and do things with like little

bites of doing practice Like small practices every day and like building up a

habit a consistent habit Then sitting down and like cramming in like three

weeks or two weeks and like really Um kind of doing a crash course and so I

think it depends on your learning self.

Some people really thrive on that. Um, You I’m I always recommend starting

early no matter what if you want to crash course lot or if you want to do like

like a lot of information on one day and that’s just how you like

compartmentalize your learning and you’re in, um, in your training, then like

that’s totally fine.

But I think one of the best ways is to start early and to think about and by early,

I mean, I think like the most ideal is the summer before junior year so that youhave junior year to take the test if you’re able to do that. If you’re already a

junior, then I would think about, okay, when is your exam?

And I actually think a better resource than me is like a lot of these, um, practice

books have an actual like, um, Three months, two months, one month plan, and

I think those are really good. Again. I am not like an expert a full expert on The

actual tests themselves. Whereas each of these companies like this is their their

biggest product And so I would say if you want to follow the most like expert

pattern pattern of studying I would look at what they suggest and For like

specific dates for specific weeks They’ll break it up into like you should do

sections one and two on week one And like sections three and four on week two

and take a practice test that weekend So all those more specifics I think is better

to get from these companies um more generally I would just say like think

about your learning style if you’re someone who likes a lot of information And

like thrives under maybe some of that pressure a little bit more and if you have

too much time you’ll end up procrastinating Then think about maybe Doing a

shorter, a shorter stint and taking it like you can take the test earlier and still

study for a shorter sprint and that allows you to one, be able to retake if you

don’t do as well and still like is amenable to your learning style of learning in

the shorter period of time.

If you learn in a longer period of time. Start now, start thinking about like when

you’re going to take the test and make sure that you’re giving yourself enough

time to pace yourself and to be able to retain the information.

Anesha: Yeah. My only addendum to that would be just consistency. If you’re,

if you’re going to work on it over the course of like two months, just make sure

you’re consistent in what you’re doing over those two months.

Don’t like do two weeks on one week off and then like restarted or a day here, a

day there. I would just say aiming towards consistency for yourself. Um, all

right. So someone said, does the, I’ll ask a handful of questions that are related

to the number of times the students take a test. So does the amount of times you

take an ACT or SAT affect you negatively?

Are colleges able to see how many times I’ve taken it and does that affect their

decisions? And do colleges care how many times you retake it and do they

prioritize the highest score?

Oh, I lost you.Maria: Sorry about that. Yeah. So students can take the SAT as many times as

they want. Um, the recommendation is to take it at least twice so that you get a

sense of, like, you know, could you do better unless if you ace it the first time,

like, good for you, like, keep on going. Um, I usually recommend, like, taking it

twice to see if you can do better.

Um, I think the There is no magic number of, like, you can only take it this

many times. Again, you can take it as many times as you want, but I think

where it starts to become a little bit more, um, uh, maybe something to think

about is, like, if you’ve taken it, like, four to five times is the general

recommendation that I’ve heard of considering switching to another test.

Or thinking about whether, you know, just sending in your best scores and like

super scoring. Um, so that’s usually like the numbers. And I think, again, this is

very, um, subjective. But what I’ve heard is take it at least twice to make sure

that you’re getting, like, you can super score the highest scores unless you ace it.

Um, and then take, um, Like no more than four or five times.

Anesha: Yeah, I, yeah, I think, I think honestly that advice varies by like

advisor. Um, because I feel like I, I try to say no more than three. Um, and just

for clarity to the point of super score, yes, they will super score. So whatever

scores you send in, if you have a good, if, if your first test has your strongest

reading and your second test has your stronger math.

you send in both tests and they will take the stronger of the two scores. I believe

they also do that with the ACT that they will superscore across sections, um,

given the number of sections, given the number of tests that you submit. Um,

but they will only see the scores that you submit. Go for it.

Maria: And a quick thing that I would add is that if you are going, if you’re

applying to like higher rank schools, I think that number does go from, Like

from the four or five times max to like the three of like, I think that there’s

definitely like a discrepancy between like how many times would be too much

if you’re applying to one of the Ivy leagues are like a very high ranking school

versus if you’re applying to a school where like you just need to meet a certain

score in order to get in.

Like there’s some folks who you just need to hit like, um. Like, I don’t know,

like a 1450 or like a 1400 to get into a specific school. And if that’s the case, and

like, that is the limiting factor, then like going over three times is acceptable.Anesha: Right. Um, someone said, do you believe test optional colleges are

completely unbiased?

Maria: Um, so I would have to work in the admissions officer to in the

admissions office to like, really have a good grasp on that. I worked in the

admissions office while I was at Harvard, but that was over three years ago now.

Um, And I would say that, from my experience, admissions officers, when they

choose to become test optional, like, that is a big decision, it’s not something

that’s taken lightly, and so admissions officers, and the school itself will really

think about, like, is, why are we doing this, and like, If we’re going to go test

optional, are we okay with like the difference in like, maybe the folks, the type

of application pool, how many people would apply now that it’s test optional,

maybe more people just shooting their shot.

And so I think that it is a very, um, well thought out decision, which makes me

think that like, if someone’s going to go through the trouble of becoming to, or

not someone, but like if an entity and institutions is going to go through the

trouble of becoming test optional, then yes, like they’re really going to.

Adhere to that. Um, I do have friends who are in who are admissions officers,

and I know that that’s something they take really seriously because a lot of this

is also geared towards equity. And helping to make sure that folks who don’t

have the access to prep schools and to all these resources are able to apply to

like high ranking schools without the pressure of, you know, having to ace the

SAT and ACT exam that maybe other folks that with more resources and

privileges like we’re able to do and so I know that there’s a lot of folks in the

admissions officer in the admissions offices who are Are seeing this as an

important equity issue and therefore will take it very seriously Um, so my short

answer is yes I do believe that but I want to make sure that To know like for

y’all to know that this is my opinion and that and that was the context from

where it came from

Anesha: Yeah, I think if if you doubt I guess that they’ll be unbiased But the

way the way you could address that is if you were to attend info sessions or

reaching out to a mentions officer And asking them If they read holistically, um,

which means like, are they considering the application as a whole?

Um, some institutions have the flexibility to be holistic, and so they won’t say

that the SAT is a deciding factor or not. It’s one factor amongst many that goes

into your decision, but yeah. Someone said earlier, um, you’ve referred to

identifiable patterns within the SAT test. Can you explain what you mean by

that?Maria: Yeah, for sure. So, for example, I think the easiest place where that

comes into play. Is the math section. So there is definitely, you need to know

certain amount of like content knowledge, um, to know and do that well. But

sometimes they’ll ask the same like question about, um, like probability and like

marbles.

But instead of using marbles, they’ll use like, I don’t know, like, Books on a

bookshelf or like different things where like the scenario is changing, right?

Books versus marbles. Like lampposts versus a building when you’re doing like

geometry. So they’ll use like different scenarios, maybe different numbers,

different angles, different Like types of probabilities, but then the actual

question and the, the strategy to solve that question might be the same.

Um, and so that’s where I think it’s helpful to practice a lot of these questions

because then you’ll recognize like, Oh, this question is asking me about like the

number of flowers versus the number of marbles. But, like, the strategy to

answer that question, I’ve seen that before, like, I’ve seen the wording of this

type of question before, and it’ll trigger, like, those memories.

Um, and again, I’ve seen that a lot in the math section. I think once you do

enough of, like, the writing and grammar, like, You start to see like, Oh, the, the

like options in the dropdown or like, you know, like the multiple choice, like

they’ll usually have like a red herring or like some type of like trick, like trick

answer.

That’s like just close enough and you’ll start to get a feel for which ones, like

when that happens. And so I could only describe it as the gut feeling that you

can get the more that you practice something. Um, I think that’s akin to like, if

you are. Someone who’s in the arts or someone who practices a sport, like

there’s only so much that you could learn by like reading about something and

like learning about something versus doing.

And at some point muscle memory takes over. Um, and I think that that’s what I

would describe as like both the strategy of like knowing and recognizing

something and then also having like that added gut feeling that comes from

practice.

Anesha: I just, there are a couple of comments I guess. So someone said they,

they had friends who took the digital test using books and that it didn’t help

them as much.So I guess if you know that you’re signing up for a digital SAT, it might be

helpful to find a resource that helps you practice digitally and not have the

digital. book. Um, and someone also clarified that the test is not question

adaptive, it’s section adaptive. So if you, depending, depending on how you do

on one subsection, it changes, I guess, how the next section, section is, um,

administered on the digital version.

So again, I know I don’t have a ton of information about the digital execution of

it. I’m waiting for the data to come out on performance for students. And just as

a reminder, we are giving you our opinions. We are not a test prep company. We

are a college advising organization. All right. Our next question.

Um,

What are the most common types of questions, um, regarding the reading

section, what are the most common types of questions, and would you, do you

have advice regarding reading the questions before the passage?

Maria: Yeah, so, um, I would say one, the best, the best way to answer this,

especially like, As the test is changing is to ask that every year I think I was a

big fan of Reddit when I was studying for this because folks would just talk

about like, hey, there’s like all like these, these are the most common questions

are like, hey, I really had trouble with this.

And then folks would like share strategies. And so I would say like, Reddit

channel, sometimes when you ask about these questions, like the there is a lot of

info there. So I will say that first, just because it’s more relevant as students add

to it every year. Um, some of the ones that I remember from my year and what

I’ve seen for my students is that a lot of like the writing sections will ask like

about logic.

So they’ll say, you know, having read this, like, what do you think are like, you

know, like intentions behind X, Y or Z? Or like, do you think that this falls into

the premise of like what’s being explained? Like, um, sometimes there will be

like more of like causality of like, is this something that was like, um, Like, is

this something you can infer from the passage?

Is this something that, like, was a direct cause and effect? Like, who were some

of the players in, like, this? And so I would say, it really depends on the passage,

but I think it’s an opportunity for you to think about, like, how can I parse

through the data that I was given and think critically about it?Think critically about the implications of the data that I was given. Um, I know

that sounds like very scientific for something that’s maybe more literary, but

that’s how I always thought about it. Um, and then in terms of, um, like reading

the questions before the text, I often just like to read the text first.

Um, sometimes like when I read the questions first, it made me think like it

made me want to like guess at some of the answers and like it played with more

of like that, like part of my mind. Whereas if I just read everything I had, like. I

wasn’t starting from scratch. I wouldn’t, I wasn’t just seeing questions from

scratch.

And I also think that for my particular brain, I wasn’t able to read the section

later without only trying to scan for answers. And I think that that is a pitfall of

Sometimes reading the questions before the text is that you’re not able to just

absorb the text. You’re scanning for answers within the text instead of just

actually thinking about the whole text.

Um, so I actually recommend first looking at the text, then looking through the,

like, trying to answer the questions that you think are easiest about it, and then

going back and rereading and scanning for answers on the ones that you don’t

know already off the bat.

Anesha: Someone said, this may be a dumb question. What happens if you

don’t finish your test in the amount of time, time given, and then to you

specifically, they said, do you finish early and have time left over?

Maria: Yeah. So it’s not a dumb question at all. Like I, I definitely didn’t know

that at first either. Um, I, it does end up counting like your, Like if you didn’t

answer a question like that is counted against you.

Um, or it’s, it’s like not something that will help increase your score. Like it’s

definitely some, it will be marked as like a non answer. Um, and I personally,

like my first test, like I said, I didn’t finish, I think it was like four or five

questions, um, as a result of like messing up the section. The second time that I

took it, I did, um, I did finish and what I did with Extra time is that I went back,

but you can only go back to the section that you finished, like you’re not

allowed to finish the text, the text, or sorry, you’re not allowed to finish the

whole test and then go back to a specific section.

You’re allowed to, if you finish a specific section early, you can go back.Anesha: Someone asked, is the ACT offering a digital exam? So, yes, they’re

giving that option starting in 2024, just as a quick FYI. Are you familiar with

the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, Maria?

Maria: Um, I didn’t do it myself. but I know vaguely of it.

If you know more than definitely feel free to share.

Anesha: No, someone just said, if you’re familiar with it, can you super score

your, your, your ACT or SAT for eligibility for the scholarship? I, again, I’m

aware of it, but I’m not sure about the eligibility for it.

Maria: Yeah, I think for the Florida bright futures, you can’t super score.

So I, I’m originally from Miami. I took it in Florida. I don’t know if other states

have bright futures, but in my head, like when I think of bright futures, I think

of Florida. And so, um, I think back then you could superscore. I think that’s a

very easy, like, Google question though, um, that I can check as you’re

wrapping up.

Anesha: Yeah, also you’re a high school counselor will probably know better

than us if you are in the Florida area. Um, um, all right. Sorry, I was going to

ask another question, but we are at time. So, um, thank you all for joining us.

Thank you, Maria, for all of your questions. For letting us pass through these

variety of questions.

Thanks for folks for sharing some comments and giving us some clarity on the

information we were sharing as we went throughout. It is an involving process,

but we appreciate you all joining us tonight. And then we, that is the end of our

seminar. We are webinar. We do hope that you’ll join us For um, our future

sessions are remaining 2023 sessions in December.

So tomorrow, December 13th, we will have a session on editing supplemental

essays for any folks who are interested in starting that process or getting an

insight into what that looks like. On December 14th, we’ll share tips on crushing

your college interviews, but for any seniors in the room, you might have those

coming up soon and our last webinar of the year will be on December.

We’ll, we’ll discuss making the most of your college visits. So for any younger

students who are planning some college visits over the winter break or in the

spring semester, you might get some tips there. Um, we hope to see you soon,

but until next time, take care and have a great evening, everybody.Maria: Bye everyone.

Thank you.