Taking AP Exams On Your Own
Question: Can I take Advanced Placement exams even if my school doesn’t offer the appropriate classes? My counselor says he cannot order these tests for me.
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Other College Issues
Early Decision Then Transfer?
Question: I am a high school senior and am wondering if, in applying early decision, there are any terms that prohibit transferring to a different college for the second semester. If you apply early decision are you making a commiment to attend your university for four years or just for one semester?
There’s no rule that we know of that prevents an early-decision applicant from transferring out after one semester, however doing so could be stressful and probably even costly (e.g, new application fees, possible moving expenses). It seems that, while no one can guarantee that a student/school match will bring true love, you should not apply ED without the conviction that the college in question is right for you. (Since you indicate that you’re a senior, we wonder if you’ve already been admitted ED and are now questioning your choice. This happens sometimes, and, if so, you should focus on the pluses of this place that initially attracted you. Perhaps an overnight on campus will help get you psyched.)
Moreover, transferring as a second-semester freshman can be tricky. If space is available, you can usually get admitted to a college that is less selective than the one you’re already in (or possibly on the same level). You won’t, however, be able to “trade up” to an institution that wouldn’t have admitted you straight from high school. In order to make that sort of move, you’ll need to spend at least a year–and possibly two–proving yourself at your first college. In addition, if you’re applying for financial aid, some colleges have little or no money for mid-year transfers. Always ask about that well in advance.
If, however, your ED uncertainty is linked to financial fears (i.e., your ED college didn’t give you the kind of aid you feel you require), contact the financial aid folks there and share your concerns and also speak to your guidance counselor immediately about what other options may still be open to you.
Average Soph PSAT Scores
Question: What are the average PSAT scores for sophomores? How much improvement is normal between sophomore and junior year? My son’s initial scores were low, with a total in the low 120’s. What is the best way for him to improve? I should add that his standarized test scores have always been on the low side, yet he manages to get mostly A’s & B’s in a highly ranked high school.
Below is some data on soph PSAT results from the College Board Web site. You also ask about the best way for your son to improve. Well, one tried and true method is to to urge him to read, read, read. It’s not too late to encourage him to turn off the TV and put down that joy stick and instead grab a book or even a newspaper or magazine. This won’t help his math scores a lot, of course, but even math questions require some reading, and if he builds his overall academic confidence, he’ll probably do better in everything he tackles.
In addition, while we’re reluctant to admit it because the price tags are so high, professional coaching courses can make a difference. It may be more the confidence-building thing again rather than the “test-cracking” strategies that such programs often claim to provide, but they do seem to work for many kids. Of course, before shelling out any big bucks, ask around for suggestions on which test-prep outfit has the best reputation in your community. Princeton Review and Kaplan are the “Coke and Pepsi” of test preparation, but there may be other local options (less expensive ones, too) where you live. It’s a buyer-beware situation. The success of the program is linked to the quality of the instructor, and that can vary widely.
Depending on your son’s study habits and probably on family dynamics, you may be able to also do some test preparation on your own, using one of the many books or software packages available. The College Board and ACT folks both rack up plenty of profits by selling study aids that are geared to their own tests. If you do spring for home-study materials, make sure the ones you buy include complete practice tests along with explanations of the correct answers.
As you forge ahead, however, you need to weigh the value of promoting test preparation with the amount of stress it will put on your son. Some kids are simply not good testers, and you don’t want to make him feel that he’s let you down if his scores aren’t up to snuff. There are plenty of great colleges that aren’t as score-oriented as the Ivies and their equivalents, and a growing number of top colleges don’t require standardized tests at all.
Now, here’s the info about soph scores. You can also find it yourself by going to:
http://www.collegeboard.com/research/html/2002_psat.html
and there is a state-by-state report on soph statistics from 2002 at
http://www.collegeboard.com/research/html/2002_psat_pdf_soph.html )
Highlights of 2002 Sophomore Data
54.4% of sophomores who took the PSAT/NMSQT were female.
Of those noting racial/ethnic background, 37.2% of sophomores indicated a category other than “white.”
Sophomore average scores for 2002 (with comparison to 2001 data):
Verbal: 44.4 (0.7 decrease)
Math: 45.5 (no change)
Writing Skills: 45.9 (0.3 decrease)
By way of comparison, the Junior average scores for 2002 (with comparison to 2001 data):
Verbal: 48.0 (0.3 decrease)
Math: 49.2 (0.2 increase)
Writing Skills: 48.8 (0.1 decrease)
We couldn’t locate any information on the current 10th-grade class (your son’s) but the numbers are probably comparable.
Advice for Last-Minute Early Grad
Question: I am currently a high school junior and was just informed (in late January) that I have enough credits to go to college next year. I am already scheduled to take my SAT’s on March 27th. What else do I need to do?
If you’ve just recently learned that you’re eligible to graduate this spring, it seems awfully late to be starting the college process. A fruitful college search requires more time than you have now. The application deadlines for most competitive colleges have past. You won’t even have your SAT results until mid-April at the earliest.
However, you can begin college in the fall, if you are willing to attend a community college or less selective school. But–if you’re a strong enough student to have fulfilled graduation requirements a year early–then it sounds like you also might want to think about making a good college match and perhaps attending an institution that will challenge you, rather than just going anywhere that you can get in at the last minute.
On the other hand, if you really feel as if you’ve outgrown your high school curriculum and you don’t want to spend another year where you are now, then you can enroll in a less-selective college or university in September, with the aim of “trading up” to another college the following fall.
Before you make any decisions, read this previous Ask the Dean column about EarlyGraduation: http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000080.htm .
Are you sure you’re ready to give up all the benefits of spending your senior year with your classmates? Does your high school offer a “Dual Enrollment” option that would let you be a full-fledged senior but take all (or most) of your classes at an area college? (If that option doesn’t formally exist, you may even be able to create a special program that meets your needs.) Typically, “Dual Enrollment” students take their courses on a nearby college campus but can participate in extracurricular activities at their high school, if they so choose. The college schedule often also allows them extra time to get a part-time or to pursue other interests in an in-depth way that the more rigid high school day usually doesn’t.
In any case, it’s impossible to give you responsible guidance without knowing a lot more about you, your academic record, your interests, and goals. However, we urge you not to rush off to college just because you have fulfilled your high school graduation requirements. Choosing a college is a decision that should take planning and a lot of thought, and there’s not time left this year for either.
Understanding PSAT Scores
Question: On my PSAT I received 149 for my selection index. (My scores were 500 Verbal; 480 Math; 510 Writing.) But I don’t understand how everyone says that means I got 1490 out of a possible 1600 points because you can get up to 800 for each section of the test which means it’s 1490 out of 2400, right? Are my scores good?
You are correct when you note that a “perfect” PSAT score is 2400, not 1600 (that’s if you add a zero to your total to compare it to the SAT scoring system). The PSAT scoring system, as explained by the College Board, is below:
The PSAT/NMSQT score reports provide three different scores on the 20-to-80 scale. One each for verbal skills, math skills, and writing skills. The average verbal, math, and writing skills score for juniors is about 49.
Also on your score report is the Selection Index, which is the sum of the three scores (V + M + W). The Selection Index ranges from 60 to 240. The average Selection Index of juniors is about 147.
Those who have told you that your score was actually a 1490 out of 1600 are probably confused because the old PSAT was composed of only two scores–not three–since the writing component was recently added.
Thus, as you can see from the College Board information, your scores are slightly above the national average. That makes them “good” in many eyes but not so good if you are aiming for Ivy League universities or other highly competitive schools. However, there are many factors that go into admission decisions–not just test results–and these are only PSAT’s, not the real deal.
Index of Fields of Study
Question: I’m a parent looking for a detailed listing of all fields of study offering minors, majors, doctorate degrees, etc. Where can I find this?
Such a list no doubt exists, since there seems to be nothing new in the world anymore, and each time we come up with a great idea for a book or invention, it seems that someone has already beaten us to the punch. Unfortunately, however, we don’t know where to find the list you seek, but if we knew why you want it, we might be able to suggest alternative routes to your goal.
One resource that we use in our counseling is Barron’s Guide to Competitive Colleges which includes a very long appendix covering what we consider to be all imaginable fields of study, from Accounting to Zoology, and with stops along the way at arcane areas such as Apparel and Accessories Marketing , Ceramic Engineering, Hospice Care, and Rural Sociology. Often, if we’re working with students who have found high school to be onerous or frustrating, we point out that a college education doesn’t have to include only the subjects they’ve already suffered or snoozed through (English, history, math, etc.). Many indeed are eager to sink their teeth into new areas they find more intriguing–Music Therapy, Recreation Management, Wood Science–that we’ve culled from the Barron’s book. Of course, all the usual suspects are there, too, some with a more specific spin (e.g., Wildlife Biology, Slavic Literature) than the high-school version of the class.
Another place to look for fields of study is on the College Board Web site (www.collegeboard.com). If you click on “Advanced Search” on the home page and then on “Majors and Academics,” you’ll find a list of several dozen broad fields that can be broken down into many sub-fields once you hit “More detail.”
A final suggestion for a comprehensive list of fields of study is below. You can find it in many bookstores or order directly from the College Board at http://store.collegeboard.com/search_results.asp?keyword=Index+of+majors&submit.x=13&submit.y=11 .
The College Board Index of Majors and Graduate Degrees
(for $23.95)
“This essential guide helps you find the colleges with the major you want, at the degree level you need. Brief descriptions of every major help you define your goals, and indices of over 20 special academic programs –such as teaching certification, accelerated programs, or combined bachelor’s/master’s programs — help you explore more options.”
Hope you find what you’re looking for, and happy hunting!
Soliciting and Sending College Transcripts
Question: I spent two years at Bowling Green State University and now need to get a copy of my transcript sent to another college. (I am applying there for a graduate degree.) How do I obtain a copy of my transcript or get it mailed where it needs to go?
We wish all our queries were as easy to answer as this one is. Colleges are very accustomed to mailing out transcripts, even for students who only matriculated briefly or who attended many years ago. By contacting any school by phone or e-mail, you will usually be quickly directed to the department in charge of this process.
In your case,go to this page on the Bowling Green Web site for all the information you need: http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/registrar/intro/transcripts.html
If you have questions or problems, you can simply telephone the Bowling Green Office of Registration and Records and get additional assistance.
Good luck with your grad-school plans.
SAT and AP Exam Score Reports
Question: I took the SAT I and II last spring as a junior, along with two AP tests. When I ask the College Board to send my SAT I scores to four colleges this fall (that don’t require SAT IIs), will my SAT II results be automatically put on my score report? How about my AP exam scores?
According to the College Board, SAT score reports are cumulative histories of scores earned on SAT Is and SAT IIs from grade 9 to grade 12. When a request is made to send scores, then all scores of record up to the date the request is made will appear on the report sent. (The only exception would be SAT II scores earned during the years that Score Choice was in effect and which were put on hold and left on hold, but that wouldn’t apply to you, since you took your SAT IIs after the Score-Choice era had ended.)
AP scores and SAT scores are not sent together, so those four colleges that receive your SAT scores will not see your AP results unless you have them sent separately.
SATs for Sophomores?
Question: When should students begin taking SAT’s? I am in 10th grade, and many of my friends are taking the SAT’s this year, but what’s the use? Will the scores go onto my college applications? Shouldn’t I just wait until I’m a junior?
Should a soph sit for SATs? Typically, a student’s first brush with admission testing begins with the PSAT in the fall of junior year, and most don’t tackle the SAT I until that spring. However, a growing number of students are now taking the SAT I’s for the first time as sophomores. They want to get a ballpark idea of how they are going to perform on this test and to discover their weak spots while there’s still time to improve them.
Colleges will eventually see all of your SAT results, but most count only your highest tests and will recognize that some scores may early ones. If you take the tests in grade 10 and then improve significantly in grade 11 or 12, then the soph scores will be largely disregarded.
You may feel ready to try the SAT I as a sophomore, but–if you’re not–that’s fine. Nonetheless, you still might want to consider taking a SAT II test this spring. The SAT II’s are the subject tests–hour-long exams in areas that range from English and writing to varied foreign languages, history, and sciences. If you are enrolled in any classes this year (e.g., biology or chemistry) that you won’t be taking at a higher level before you graduate, you might want to try the SAT II in that subject in the spring. Again, while colleges will see all of your SAT II tests, they usually pay the greatest attention to the three highest scores, so if you don’t do well on 10th grade tests, you’ll have plenty of time to do better.
Electronic Applications
Question: Is applying electronically safe. How can I be sure the application reaches its destination? Do teacher recommendations get sent separately?
Electronic applications are generally as “safe” as the paper versions, when you’re talking about the likelihood that they reach their destinations. However, whether you are applying online or on paper, it is your responsibility to follow up and make sure that all your materials (including teacher recommendations, transcripts, and other components that don’t come directly from you) have arrived.
Some college routinely notify candidates if their applications are–or are not–complete. Some have Web sites and student passwords that enable you to check the status of your application. But some offer none of these options, so it is up to you to be certain that nothing has gone astray. Allow several days after electronic applications have been sent or a week after items are put in the mail before you call admission offices to check on their whereabouts. It can take admission staff a few days to process materials, even those that are zapped to them through Cyberspace in seconds.
Typically, when a student applies electronically, some parts of the application still go to admission offices via “snail mail.” These include teacher recommendations, high school transcripts, unsolicited extras such as newspaper clippings, art slides, etc. Admission officers are used to this “mix and match” approach and don’t expect all materials to show up on their computer screens.
Just make sure you clearly label each page of each submission with your name, school name, and, if available, a social security number. If your name is a common one, take extra care to be certain that admission folks don’t get you confused with another (perhaps less qualified!) candidate.
