SAT SUBJECT TESTS

Should you take them?

The selective colleges require SAT Subject Tests and often suggest a math and then one or two other exams, such as a science or history or language.

<Each test is a timed one-hour exam.

<Each individual test is scored on a scale of 200 to 800.

SAT Subject Tests™ are offered 6 times per year in October, November, December, January, May and June.

<Important Information About SAT Subject Tests

You may take up to three SAT Subject Tests on a single test date.

The Language with Listening tests are always given in the first hour of testing. Only one listening test can be taken per test date.

Calculators may be used only on the Mathematics Level 1 and Level 2 Subject Tests.

You cannot take the SAT Subject Tests and the SAT on the same test date.

You must indicate which SAT Subject Tests you plan to take when you register.
However, you may change which test(s) you actually take on test day — except for Language with Listening tests.

Subject Tests offered:

Literature

Biology E/M

Chemistry

Physics

U.S. History

World History

Mathematics Level 1

Mathematics Level 2

French

German

Spanish

Italy

Modern Hebrew

Latin

French with Listening

German with Listening

Spanish with Listening

Chinese with Listening

Japanese with Listening

Korean with Listening

Social Media and College Admissions

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Recommendations for Getting College Recommendation Letters

Here's the who, what, when, where, why, and how of asking for college recommendation letters.

Who to ask: your guidance counselor, teachers, coaches, employers. Basically, anyone in a position of authority who's supervised you in some way. They should know you well, like you, and respect you. Most importantly, however, they should be reliable. A great recommender is one who actually writes and submits the recommendation letter on time.

Who NOT to ask: parents, other relatives, your friends, famous people you don't know well. In short, anyone who's clearly biased and anyone who doesn't actually know you.


What to ask: Explain what you hope to achieve in college and ask if the potential recommender is willing to write a positive letter for you. If the answer is yes, give them a brief list of potential "writing points" for the letter. This list can include any research papers you've written, any insightful comments you made during class, etc. Give the recommender this list. Make writing the letter as easy as possible for them. If they offer to let you write a draft, that's great, but never bring up this idea yourself. Make sure you have that persons currect email address.


What NOT to ask: "I really need a strong rec letter because my grades are terrible. I know I haven't done all the work and I've turned things in late, but I'm really going to turn things around in college. You'll write a good letter for me, right?...No?...well, how about I just write it myself and you'll sign it?"


When to ask: EARLY! I can't emphasize this enough. The nicest teachers (the ones most likely to write gushing rec letters) are likely to get a ton of requests. Beat everyone else to the punch and ask at the end of junior year. This also gives recommenders plenty of time to write a nice and detailed letter for you.

When NOT to ask: Anytime from September to January of senior year. If you're reading this, and it's already the fall, ask the potential recommender ASAP. Other bad times to ask include when the teacher is in the middle of a lesson, when other students are standing around, when you've recently bombed a test or when you've recently gotten into trouble during class.


Where to ask: Ideally, in the recommender's classroom / office after school or during an off-period.

Where NOT to ask: In the cafeteria, as the recommender is running out of the building, while you're sitting in the detention room


Why to ask: Because colleges require recommendation letters! These letters help admissions officers get a fuller picture of you.

Why NOT to ask: If you want to sabotage your college admissions chances by not including everything the application requests.


How to ask: "May I stop by during your off-period or after school to chat for a few moments?" Then, you actually ask them in the course of a one-on-one conversation about your goals and future.

How NOT to ask: "Hey teach, can you write me a rec letter? It's due next week."

Differences Between SAT vs. ACT

The ACT has gradually gained momentum amongst test takers as an alternative to the SAT. While the subject matter is somewhat similar (after all, the people designing the ACT are under the same constraints as those designing the SAT) there are some crucial differences. The vast majority of colleges accepts either test to fulfill their standardized test quota so it would be highly advantageous for you to take both tests, or, if you are short on time and don’t have the time to prepare for two different tests, it is to your benefit to compare the two tests and select the one that is most conducive to your abilities. Here are some of the key differences between the two tests.

1. The most salient difference between the two is clearly the addition of the science section. Foremost, the science section isn’t actually about biology, or chemistry, or any other scientific discipline. Rather, the section focuses on your general scientific ability such as data/chart interpretation, research interpretation, and comparing conflicting scientific opinions. Thus, the science section actually tests elementary statistics, and reading comprehension. If you understand these subjects, you can easily do extremely well on this section and should not be intimidated by its novelty.

2. The ACT does not penalize incorrect answers. This means there is enormous shift in strategy required. The ACT actually makes things quite a bit easier in this regard. While on the SAT one must do a certain amount of mental gymnastics trying to figure out whether or not to leave a question blank or think about how many questions to leave blank in a section, the ACT requires none of these concerns. This affords you the ability to focus on nothing but the question at hand and the time on the clock. Simply answer each question to the best of your ability in the allotted amount of time and move on.

3. The ACT has easier questions but less time to complete them. This may seem trivial but can have some big implications depending on the type of test-taker you are. Some people are able to dissociate their emotions from their test and if they struggle with a question they have no problem forgetting it and moving on. Others, however, are streaky test takers. When confronted with a question or a series of difficult questions they may become frustrated and let their emotions hinder their ability. When confronted with a question that they are capable of but do not immediately understand, they may give up on the new question too soon. On the other this same personality can get on an emotional high after answering a series of questions with ease giving them the confidence to attack even very difficult problems and solving them with gusto. The crux of the issue is to determine whether your confidence levels are affected by your test taking and whether your confidence level affects your test taking ability. If it is the latter personality type that you into, then the ACT will likely be a better choice for you to make holding other factors constant.

4. A final important difference is that on the ACT, the writing section is optional. This is largely up to your own discretion. If you feel you are a good writer then take the writing portion and vice versa. It is important to keep this in mind when comparing the tests. If you feel you are truly a terrible writer and don’t want this to affect your standardized score as it inevitably would on the SAT, the ACT is a simple solution that does not hurt your application.

As you can see, there are many important issues that should influence your decision to take the SAT or ACT. Do not simply go along with what your friends and your school's majority are doing. Analyze these differences and decide which test you are likely to perform better on. However, If time allows, taking both tests is still the optimal scenario. 

Extracurricular Activities | How to Demonstrate Commitment

Extracurricular activities are one of the biggest parts of your college application. This means it's in your best interest to get the most bang for your buck on the clubs and sports you join.

However, most students don't do much in in their first 2 years of high school and then suddenly join a whole bunch of clubs in their last two. They're trying to cram in their extracurriculars. Unfortunately, it's easy to see why this strategy is not optimal. The person reading your application has seen this sort of thing before and will see through the charade . Here's a better way to participate in extracurriculars:

This philosophy is inspired by Carl Friedrich Gauss (a mathematician), and it signals exactly what you want to show college admissions officers. (Don’t worry, you won't have to be familiar with anything Gauss actually did to follow this strategy.) Gauss was arguably the greatest mathematician of all time. In his published mathematical works, he used this very simple phrase as a preface, “pauca sed matura,” which translates to “few but ripe.”

Gauss, while a prolific mathematician, was not a prolific writer. He refused to publish anything he considered to be incomplete. He would find one strand of research and follow it all the way to the end. Then, he'd only publish what he learned if he reached the end. (Someone following this advice for *academics* would easily fail high school for failing to turn in assignments, but that's beside the point.)

Learn from Gauss, and make this your guide to extra-curricular activities. Your objective is not to join a large number of clubs and sports. You don't want to be a jack of all trades and master of none. Instead, join fewer clubs and and remain in those clubs for at least 3 years. Get super-involved and rise to a leadership position within those clubs.

Admissions officers aren't stupid. If they see that you did nothing in your first few years of high school and then that you suddenly became a member of many clubs in the last, they'll know why. They hate these people.

The best solution? Do what our friend Gauss did: signal commitment, passion, and leadership by sticking with fewer things and doing them better as a result.

By sticking with 2 or 3 activities for 4 years rather than 6 or 7 for only one, you demonstrate that you have a lasting passion for an activity and are motivated enough to pursue it even when there is no immediate payoff. (Boost in college admissions chances) You also show that you're willing to make a commitment and pursue the things you enjoy. If you manage to rise to a leadership position within the club (and honestly, this is not difficult), then you can make this a big talking point in your application. So when joining clubs, keep in mind the Gaussian philosophy; “Few, but ripe.”

College Essay...Show, Not Tell

It's common knowledge that you're supposed to show, not tell, in your college essay.

Admissions officers read tons of essays, and many of them are similar to each other. You want your essay to stand out and be interesting, not boring or cliché.

Still, anyone who has written a college essay can tell you that this is easier said than done!

Keep these three tips in mind:

1. Before you start, write down a list of the things that make you special.

While it may seem like this is unnecessary (you already know yourself), this can be very helpful later on in the essay-writing process. When making the list, think about your passions, character, and personality traits, rather than your accomplishments. After all, the admissions officers already saw your transcript, test scores, and resume. Things to include are your tenacity, creativity, close bond to your family, love of tuba-playing, rugby, finger-painting, or whatever applies to you!

2. Choose your topic carefully.

Sometimes (as on the Common Application), you can pick your own topic. In this case, choose carefully. Look at your list, and think about a topic that will give you the best opportunity to showcase your passions and personality traits.

However, if the school to which you are applying does not give you much flexibility on topics, don't worry! Schools spend a lot of time picking topics that they think will inspire a good essay that shows your personality.

Usually, application essay topics are open-ended and allow you a lot of space to be creative. If they require a particular topic, think about how to write a response that will best exhibit the qualities you listed in step 1. Even if it's something simple like asking you to talk about your favorite book, you can write of a story explaining your love for this book. Just do it in a way that showcases your personal qualities. Remember to pick an essay topic that you are excited to write about, as this will show through in the essay.

3. Tell a story.

When writing your essay, it is easy to fall into the trap of approaching it as if it is a thesis essay about why you are so great, and why College X should accept you. Laying it on too thick is unconvincing and could reflect badly on you. More importantly, it is also boring for the reader.

Always keep in mind that the admissions officers reading your essay are overworked and forced to read hundreds of similar essays. The goal of your essay should be to engage the reader, to make yourself stand out, and to make him or her want to meet you. The best way to do this is by telling a story. The story does not have to be an earth-shattering tale of pulling a child from a burning building or climbing Mount Everest.

(If you have a story like this, great! However, if you're like 99.9% of us, and don't, there's no need to worry.)

Some of the best essays recount seemingly boring events that were important to the applicant. Make sure your story is detail-rich. Include colorful anecdotes, talk about your thoughts and connect your essay to your dreams and who you are as a person.

How to Ace the College Application Essay

5 Ways to Ace the College Application Essay

What you've accomplished in high school is an important factor in college admissions decisions, but even more important is how you present yourself.

By the time you're putting the applications together, you may not have much control over your test scores, grades, and teacher recommendations. However, the essay is your blank slate to show the admissions officers why they should want you at their school.

Here are some pointers I've developed over the years to help students shine on this part of the application:

1. Remember that this is an essay about you.

Whether the application asks about a defining moment in your life, or for page 237 of your autobiography, or for a nutritional analysis of your favorite breakfast cereal, the goal is the same. They want to learn about you as a person. What would you like to tell them besides your grades and test scores? What may your teachers not have thought (or known) to include in their recommendation letters? Use this as a chance to show -- not tell -- them who you are and what you have to offer.

2. Be conscious of your reader.

All writing is addressed to an audience and written for a purpose. You just thought about your purpose as you read #1 above. Who is your audience? You're writing to one or more college admissions officers who will spend many long days and nights reading application after application. At the most competitive schools, the vast majority of applicants are turned away. Therefore, you don't want to blend into the crowd. You want to stand out. Hit your reader with an attention-grabbing first sentence, one which will make her want to keep reading.

3. Capture a moment; paint a picture.

Since you need to show, and not just tell, the admissions officer something about you, it helps to put her in your shoes. Let your reader see herself at that point in your life, or between the lines of your autobiography, or there at the breakfast table eating Corn Flakes with you. Then, use these images to support the points you'd like to make. How did this experience help to shape the person you are -- and the person you'd like to become by attending your dream school?

4. Don't be afraid to get personal.

When it comes to college admissions, few topics are off-limits. Admissions officers read many essays every year about how sitting in the front row in biology class and paying close attention enabled a student to get the most out of his education. Delve deeper. Write about your emotions, your innermost thoughts, things most people don't know about you. Be honest and authentic; let your reader see the real you.

5. Leave an impression.

Essays that the admissions officer is still thinking about while he's cooking dinner are the ones that beat the competition. Keep this in mind throughout the essay, but pay particular attention to your last few sentences. After sifting through dozens of applications, they start to all look the same. Give the reader something by which to remember you at the end of the day.

Who is reading your college application??

The biggest thing to remember is that the people reading your application are real people. 
So what do you need to keep in mind while filling out your application?

1. The people reading your application are short on time. This means you need to be as succinct as possible. Whatever they ask, give them exactly that and nothing more. The more you elaborate, the more you'll bore them. Trust me, they've seen it all before. Don’t try to sound smart by using big words. They might not know the meaning of the word you found in your thesaurus, and they're not going to take the time to look it up. They'll just skip it and move on. This especially applies to your essay. I know it sounds basic, but stick to the word count. A long essay might seem impressive in theory, but when the reviewer has a stack of 200 to read, it's only going to annoy him or her.

2. The person reading your application is overworked, so don’t be obscure in your language or your structure just to seem unique. Most schools use a simple rubric where a certain GPA will give you a certain number of points, your SAT is worth another, your extracurricular activities another, and so on. If this total number exceeds their requirement, they’ll send you a letter of acceptance. That means everything you've done for the past 4 years will be combined into a single number. The easier you make it for your reviewer to calculate this number, the better your chances of acceptance. Don’t force him or her to think about the number to assign. Make the admissions officer's job easy, and they'll be more likely to reward you.

3. There's a certain degree of randomness involved in college admissions. Since these applications are read by a human, not a machine, there's always some arbitrariness involved in the decision. Maybe the reviewer has a cold or is just having a bad day. Unfortunately, these small things impact the final decision. The flip side, of course, is that maybe he or she got some good news and is feeling especially generous. The point is, the decision may be unfair in your favor or not in your favor. Don't put all your eggs in one basket by only applying to one school. The only way counteract this randomness is to apply to many schools.

In short, remember to keep in mind that the person reading your application is a real person. Keep things simple, to the point, and obvious. Follow all directions carefully. Don’t do more than you are asked. Remember that there's a certain degree of randomness, so apply to several schools.

Future Cost of College Calculator

Although grants, scholarships and loans can significantly lower the costs of college, prices have increased faster than the rate of inflation. 

Use this tool to estimate the future cost of college.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/04/14/your-money/20090415-college-calculator.html

Writing Do's

Writing Do's

Below is a list of writing suggestions to ensure your essays have an enthralling style and voice that win over admissions boards.

Take a risk

They will likely remember you, and that will make all the difference. As one writer has said, “If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more."

Write your first draft with your heart, your second with your head

Get the raw thoughts out first. You’ll get a better sense of what you want to say. Then you can focus on how you want to say it.

Show, don't tell

Evoke sensation in the reader. Don’t tell us you hated being caught in the rain, but rather show us how you were weighed down in a cold, waterlogged sweater.

Use specific details

General: My uncle Mike has been a huge influence in my life.

Specific: My uncle Mike was the man who told me my brother had broken both his legs skiing in the Alps. Mike was the man who took me to the father-son picnic when my dad was ill. And when I found myself in need of help that late Friday night that would forever change my life, it was Mike’s number I dialed.

Color your language with sensory writing (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Use power verbs

But don’t overdo it.

Employ rhetorical devices (allusion, alliteration, foreshadowing, hyperbole, looping, metaphor/simile, repetition, satire, symbolism)

Don’t overdo this either.

Have a compelling style that fits your topic

Note how a slightly altered wording can change the entire effect of a line. President Kennedy once said: "The New Frontier is not what I promise I am going to do for you, the New Frontier is what I am going to ask you to do for your country." Months later he said: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

Make sure every sentence matters and makes one want to read on

Begin with an attention-grabbing introduction

Finish with a spectacular conclusion

Give your essay a great title

This is by no means necessary, but a forceful title can make all the difference.

Seek out others for feedback

Proofread for clarity, content, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word count

Take a break from your essays before editing for final changes. You will gain new perspective and clarity so you can be more judicious in your criticism. Focus first on substance and style, then pay attention to the technical details. And, of course, make sure the right name of the college is on the right essay.

If you break a rule of language (such as using sentence fragments), make sure it serves a key purpose and stands out against a backdrop of otherwise perfect prose. All these rules are meant to be broken if there is a good reason behind it.

Good Essay Topics - Bad Essay Topics

Often you'll have the option: Topic of your choice.

Good Essay Topics

Below is a list of general topics worth considering.

What are your favorite activities and hobbies? Why?

What are your talents/skills? How did you develop them? Who helped you?

Who have been the most influential people in your life?

What was your most memorable experience? Best? Worst?

How have you changed in the past four years?

What makes you special/unique?

What is something about you that others do not know and would not expect?

What have you done during the past four summers?

What academic/intellectual interests drive you?

What is a strong belief/philosophy you embrace?

What is something challenging you've done?

What is the most pressing issue our society faces and what can you do about it?

When and how have you shown leadership?

What are you passionate about?

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

What makes you you?

Bad Essay Topics

Below is a list of general topics you should typically avoid. There are always exceptions, so use this only as a guide. Just make sure that if you cover one of the following topics, you do so in a unique way that highlights your strengths.

Sex, Drugs, Booze

Crime you've committed

Character flaws

Excuses

You can, however, include a short supplemental page that addresses a slip in your grades or some other negative aspect of your application.

The "Big Game"

Essays about coming through in the end for your team in the final seconds of the season are cliché and don’t typically reveal much about your character. They mostly just show how people sometimes get lucky.

Why that school is perfect for you

Your college essay is a love letter demonstrating why you want to be with that school. In a love letter, you don’t demand, "Be with me! We're perfect! Can't you see that? Why, for the love, can't you see that?" You come off as, well, a little crazy. Beyond that, it sounds needy and turns the person off. You write your love letter by simply expressing your own feelings for the other person. Similarly, you do not want to try to come off as the school’s prototypical student but rather want to craft your essay from the heart and with subtlety. Let the colleges say, "Hey, this person is perfect for us. We need her here." In essence, let them come to that conclusion on their own. You do this by showing, not telling.

Deep confessions

Save it for therapy

Sob stories

Really, therapy can be a truly cathartic experience

Sensitive political or social issues

You never know who is reading your essays and what his or her personal biases are.

Summer camp tales of growth

These tired stories make the “Big Game” essays seem distinctive

Summer abroad program working with poor community

Just because you escaped your posh lifestyle for the summer to help build a jungle-gym for some third-world kids and suddenly realized how fortunate you are, it doesn’t make you enlightened and certainly doesn’t make you a more qualified applicant. While such approaches could work, they typically come off as pretentious and cliché, even if your experience was genuine and valuable.

All-purpose essay that says a little about everything but really says nothing

List/Résumé as a replacement for an essay

Information they can get from your application

Overly philosophical or intellectual essay

If you are indeed a philosophical soul, convey that and write away. But don’t try to feign an academic aura if one does not already surround you.

Community-oriented theme

Again, if you have contributed something meaningful to your community, then write about it in a compelling way. But don’t try to invent yourself as a devoted citizen of your school or town if your experience does not naturally reflect this.

What you think they want to hear

Don’t fall into the common trap of giving the colleges what you think they’re looking for. You want to, of course, present a case for why you are a worthy candidate for each unique school. But the best way to achieve this is by being honest with yourself regarding why you are applying to each school and expressing this honesty. Show them who you are, not what you hope they will perceive you as. If you follow this sincere path, you will end up writing a more natural, compelling essay, plus it will allow you to reflect on whether or not a school is actually right for you.

Major news events – unless you have a unique and personal connection

Hordes of applicants in 2001 wrote their admission essays about the defining cultural event of their generation, which occurred right at the start of the college admissions process: the events of September 11. While each student’s experience of this day and its aftermath held its own individual significance, essays addressing this topic poured into colleges and thus failed to distinguish applicants for their originality. Unless your perspective of such a shared event is truly unique, pick something else to write about.

World peace

If applying to college is really just practice for the beauty pageant you’re secretly planning to enter, then go for it. Otherwise, move along.

A topic the application doesn't ask about

Answer their question directly. Don’t just force an already-written essay on a completely different topic into other schools’ applications. Also, if they ask for 500 words, try to stay within the limit. Doubling the word count is unacceptable.