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UC Reviews Applications Holistically

January 27, 2011 By

Using an application review system already in place at UCLA and UC Berkeley, other UC campuses (including San Diego and Irvine) will be adopting a more holistic application review process, reports a recent LA Times article.

Under holistic review, each part of the application—high school grades, honors classes, SAT or ACT scores, extracurricular activities, essays, etc.—will be “read and scored as a whole, rather than in pieces.”

Two admissions readers will assign a single score to applications; the process will award them a more complete picture of the applicant, much more so than were they to examine each component on its own. A low SAT score, for example, won’t be automatic grounds for dismissal, if when looked in the greater context of the application the student is still able to make a strong case for candidacy. The holistic approach is expected to take longer than did the traditional process.

“The goal of holistic review is to give students more thorough and fair evaluations,” said Susan Wilbur, UC’s director of undergraduate admissions.

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Interview with ACTprep

September 14, 2010 By

We have a guest in today’s post. Rebecca Masinter, head of an innovative online approach to ACT Test prep, answers a few questions to help those of you taking the ACT, especially the science ACT.

Accepted.com: What is the main difference between the science ACT and the subject SAT exams in the sciences?

Rebecca Masinter: There are two main differences between the ACT and SAT science subject exams.  The first is simply how colleges use them.  The ACT or SAT I is required for college admissions at most colleges while SAT II subject tests are optional at many colleges and are often used for academic course placement.

The second main difference between them is that SAT II science tests measure a student’s scientific knowledge in a specific subject while the ACT science test measures scientific reasoning and data interpretation.  This means that the ACT science does not test or reflect a student’s scientific knowledge but a skill set that allows them to effectively interpret graphs and experiments in a short time period.  Since the test requires applied scientific reasoning instead of scientific knowledge, many students who excel in their science courses are shocked by their low ACT science scores.  This distinction also explains why effective tutoring can raise students’ scores on the science ACT with less preparation than subject tests require.

Accepted.com: What is the biggest challenge in the ACT as a whole and the science ACT in particular?

Rebecca Masinter: For many students, completing the ACT test within the allotted time period is a big challenge.  Timing difficulties are compounded on the science ACT test as each of the seven passages presents scientific information unfamiliar to most students, (the test includes data from all branches of science and is not correlated to a high school curriculum).  Unless students have a method to move through the data quickly, they will find themselves without enough time to finish the ACT science test.

Accepted.com: What do you feel is particularly effective in preparing for the ACT as a whole and the science section of the ACT in particular?

Rebecca Masinter: All students should take a practice ACT early on to determine their weakest subject area so they know where to direct their energy.  Our approach is to focus on the science section because it is the lowest scoring section for many students and, in our experience, the easiest section to raise ACT scores significantly by applying specific techniques.  The skills and confidence students gain while preparing for the most intimidating section will carry over to other ACT tests as well.  After students have learned the strategies to master the test, they should practice diligently until the techniques are deeply ingrained so that even under the stress of a timed test, they will be able to apply them effortlessly. 

Accepted.com: What is the focus of ACTprep.tv’s videos and webinars?

Rebecca Masinter: ACTPrep.tv’s videos and webinars are designed to boost students’ scores on the science portion of the ACT test, in the shortest amount of time at a reasonable price.  The webinars (web based seminars) consist of an introductory four hour course that can be combined with an additional three hours of practice using sample ACT passages.  (The supplementary practice webinar can also be used on its own as a review or reinforcement for students already familiar with ACTPrep’s method.)  The webinars are taught live over the internet allowing students to interact with a tutor by asking questions and solving problems in the website’s virtual classroom.  The videos on-demand are a lower priced alternative to the live classes.  The videos teach the same strategies but without student interaction and using fewer examples.  The website will shortly have additional practice passages and review sessions available in video format in order to provide even more practice for students.

ACTPrep.tv provides live online tutoring and pre-recorded videos to prepare students for the ACT.  The company’s initial courses are focused exclusively on the science section of the ACT, but will eventually cover all subjects of the test.  ACTPrep leverages the efficiency of the Internet to provide students across the country with direct access to experienced teachers and a proven methodology at competitive rates.

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College Admissions News Round Up: SAT IIs, ACTs, Graduation Rates, and Loan Repayment Rates

August 27, 2010 By
  • An Inside Higher Ed article, “Era Ends for 3 Subject Test Requirements,” bids farewell to the SAT II test (also known as “achievement tests” or “subject tests”) at most universities. William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, explains that “the university decided to stop requiring three subject tests because the writing test on the main part of the SAT has turned out to be a valid predictor of grads, just the way the subject tests are.” Only Canada’s University of Toronto still requires three subject tests. Other schools, like Stanford and Georgetown, may encourage applicants to take the SAT IIs, but do not require that they do so.
  • Average ACT scores took a downward turn this year, yet more students have proven that they are prepared for college by surpassing the test’s four “college preparedness” benchmarks, reports a U.S. News article last week. According to Cynthia Schmeiser, ACT’s president and COO, these seemingly contradictory findings actually show progress. “It’s slow progress,” she says, but “[w]e are headed in the right direction.” Overall, readiness in math and science is up, while readiness for college-level English is down.
  • A Chronicle article discusses the results of an Education Trust report that reveals disparities in college graduation rates among white, black, and Hispanic students at private and public universities. 60% of white students earn degrees within six years of beginning college, while only 49% of Latino students and 40% of black students complete school within that same timeframe. Schools that have made efforts to close this gap “have achieved smashing success…while others have records of shocking irresponsibility.” The message here, according to the Chronicle article, is that “what colleges do for students of color powerfully impacts the futures of these young people and that of our nation.”
  • Graduates from Ivy League institutions are 4% more likely to repay their student loans, reports an NPR article, “Ivy Grads Outperform Their Public-School Colleagues on Loan Repayment.” Harvard topped the repayment list with an 84% average pay back rate (Harvard Business School’s repayment rate is even higher at 88%). For the “public Ivies,” the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the College of William and Mary tied for first place at 79%. On the lower end of the spectrum, Brown University came in at 63% and Miami University of Ohio at 62%.

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Navigating Your Standardized Testing Options

March 24, 2010 By

I chuckled a little bit when one of my friends posted to Facebook about the “large number of high school students outside nearby high school building early on a Saturday morning.”  March 13th was one of the SAT test dates around the globe.  Were you there, furiously scribbling your essay in pencil, and carefully writing the testing statement in cursive letters that you haven’t written since 3rd grade?  Whether you haven’t sat for standardized testing yet, or you have a score sheet with a dozen entries, testing remains an important component of applying to college.

For most colleges and universities in the United States, standardized test scores are one important, although not be all end all, factor in the admissions process.  Almost all of the colleges that require standardized tests give students the option of submitting scores from either the SAT or the ACT.  It used to be that students in the Midwest often took the ACT, while students on the east and west coasts, as well as abroad took the SAT.  In recent years, that has been changing as both tests are available nationwide. And despite my love for Saturday mornings, I often advise my students to take both exams.  While both tests aim to provide a level playing ground for comparing applicants, the SAT and the ACT are slightly different tests, and some students score significantly higher on one than the other.  The ACT tends to be a little bit more subject oriented, testing scientific reasoning among other things.  The SAT is known as a test that challenges critical thinking and problem solving skills, rather than classroom knowledge. 

The format of the tests is different as well.  In the SAT, students write the essay at the beginning of the test, and then complete multiple choice (and a few non-multiple choice) sections that range in time from 25 minutes to 10 minutes in length.  In the ACT, the essay (which selective colleges require) is optional, and is given at the end of the exam.  The ACT has fewer sections, each one lasting a bit longer – up to an hour for the mathematics section.   The SAT penalizes guessing, the ACT does not.

In addition to the ACT and SAT, you may also need to take the SAT II Subject Tests.  These hour-long, content based exams are given in a variety of subjects.  Some universities, or even schools/divisions within universities require specific tests, others give you the freedom to choose your strengths.   After years of administering these exams, my strongest words of advice are to avoid taking three subject tests in one sitting if possible.  A room that starts completely full soon dwindles, and the remaining students start to look drained as they approach the final hour.  Consider taking a subject test or two this June, when the coursework you have just completed is fresh in your mind.

If you’ve got this under control, and have mapped out your remaining test dates, congratulations.  If my words above resemble multiple choice bubbles, ask a question in the comment section below, or head ove

For more information about colleges that do not require the SAT or ACT exam, see FairTest.

 By Whitney Bruce, who has administered standardized tests (SAT, ACT, and AP) to thousands of students since 2000.  She has served as an Senior Assistant Director of Admissions (Washington U), Application Reader (University of Michigan), Assistant Director of College Counseling (private prep school in St. Louis), and an independent college counselor. She is happy to advise you as you apply to college.

Filed Under: ACT, College Admissions, SAT