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Capstone Educational Consultants

Helping Students with Test Prep, Tutoring, and Navigating the College Journey

ACT/SAT

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Self-Reported Test Scores

Self-Reported Test Score

Many colleges and universities around the country are allowing students to now submit self-reported test scores.

It is fast becoming a growing trend in admissions offices.  Colleges have always required an official score report from either ACT.org or the Collegeboard to complete the application file.   Now, colleges are taking your word for it first and asking for the official score to be sent later. 

It’s no secret that applying to college can be expensive.  By selecting a college that accepts self-reported test scores can save tons of money in the end. 

Our friends at Compass Education Group in California just published a list of 104 colleges and universities welcoming self-reported test scores.  It’s a great list and you might even be surprised to see some of our Georgia schools listed!

Capstone Educational Consultants helps to build a list that makes sense for every student because every student is different and needs a college list that makes sense!

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Lessons Learned From the Lower June SAT Scores

Lessons LearnedIn case you missed the news, many high school students who took the June SAT were surprised to learn their scores were lower than they expected. Some knew something was up as many reported the math section seemed particularly easy. Students and parents were unhappy with the unexpected outcome and took to social media almost immediately to make a case. On Twitter, @rescoreJuneSAT went as far as creating a petition and encouraged followers and those perplexed test-takers to sign in hopes of drawing attention from The College Board.

With many dollars and countless hours spent on preparing for tests such as the SAT, students and tutors work hard to maximize the strategies and content by focusing on specific deficiencies or strengths in hopes to raise the score. Students strive to push the bar on their scores for a variety of reasons. Some are being considered for scholarships or honors program placements. But, the most notorious of them all are those hoping to impress or influence an office of college admission.

The results from the June SAT brought considerable disappointment as it literally changed the story for many of these students. Scholarships would not be awarded, honors programs could not be applied for and that “better score” to flash at admissions was going to be far less glamorous.

Some wondered how this could happen when the SAT is a “standardized test.” Allow me to offer a brief explanation that may shed some light on why and how this could happen. Have you ever taken a test or quiz in a class where the teacher graded on a curve? Well, believe it or not, every time you take the SAT it too is graded on a curve. Most of the time it’s hardly noticeable and it’s meant to keep the scoring standardized. But because the math section for the June SAT was particularly easy to most, it elevated most of the test-takers to the top. There-in-lies the problem — and here comes the curve!

It’s painful knowing the implications of diminished returns on tests like the June SAT. It’s truly heartbreaking when one begins to think about all the lost possibilities. But instead of focusing on how this happened or why this happened, I’d like to suggest a few lessons we might learn from this experience.

Here are a few suggestions to consider as students prepare and plan for their future SAT or ACT tests.

Plan Ahead

June is a great opportunity to take the SAT, especially since it’s in the summer while there are fewer distractions and commitments. However, it’s important to plan your testing strategy early so that the June SAT is not the ONLY SAT you take. As a rising senior, this is your last opportunity to take the SAT before submitting your applications to college. By waiting until June to take the SAT you are placing all of your eggs in one basket.

Know the Landscape

It makes sense as a high school junior or rising junior to take a standardized test “cold-turkey.” It’s a good way to get a feel for the test. Along with learning the general feel for the test, it’s equally important to know about the general content to expect on the test. Self-help study guides can be found at your local bookstore and many test-prep tutors can coach you through the content. When you are unfamiliar with the test and its content, you’ll likely find yourself with a score far below your true ability and possibly even below college admissibility standards. So, do your best to know before you go.

Practice

Whether you are an athlete, an artist or a “book-worm,” practicing trains the body and mind to accomplish the desired outcome. Grandma always used to say, “Practice makes perfect!” And, while we know perfection may, in fact, be far away, practice will bring you closer to perfect than ever before. Practicing for the SAT or ACT used to be accomplished only by taking the actual test over and over, resulting in an expensive practice strategy and the results were reported. Now, it’s easier than ever before to practice taking these tests. Both SAT and ACT offer practice tests in their official study guides. For a more realistic practice test, you may want to check out your local test-prep companies. Some of them administer the test under the same testing parameters you would find in an actual testing setting and some even provide a detailed score report for added value! Capstone Educational Consultants is one of those offering such a service.

Take it Again

Taking the SAT or the ACT several times can serve as a series of benchmarks that can assist in knowing where to focus. My grandma used to also say, “Life happens!” And she was right! When it comes to the day you are scheduled to take the SAT or ACT — life will happen. But sometimes life will throw a curveball and take you off your game. Sleep through the alarm? Miss breakfast? Can’t find your keys? Forget your calculator? Family tragedy? All of these and many others can impact your testing performance. This is why it’s important to plan ahead, know the testing landscape, practice and take it again!

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New Option In Test-Prep and Tutoring

There is a new option in Peachtree City and the surrounding area in test-prep and tutoring for students.  For many years Capstone Educational Consultants was best known for assisting students and families in navigating the college journey.   Capstone is now adding to its services to college-bound students the opportunity to improve their academic achievements.

Capstone Test-Prep and TutoringUnder the same brand, the Capstone Test Prep and Tutoring division is providing a Foundational Program of 6 hours, a Starter Program of 12 hours and a Plus Program of 18 or more hours of SAT/ACT Test-Prep with a reputable and pre-qualified tutor.

Families can select a number of services to meet their student’s needs.  Students can take the SAT or ACT for a test-drive by taking a Practice Test any one of many Saturdays throughout the year.  With every Practice Test, students receive a detailed Score Report to use in planning their next strategy.  There are a limited number of seats available so register early.

If your 7th-12th grader is having trouble in a specific academic subject or needs to stay on top of the subject matter and not fall behind, Capstone can match them with a qualifying tutor to reach their goals.

Here are some test-prep tips on preparing for the college entrance exam!

 

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New Location – Peachtree City

We’re growing and needed to find a new location to meet those demands, so we found it in the heart of Peachtree City!  This new location is conveniently located across the street from McIntosh High School and easily accessed by all of Fayette County’s other high schools.

Our new address is 6000 Shakerag Hill, Ste. 108, Peachtree City, GA, 30269.  Directly behind the Waffle House!

Pinwheel of College Pennants

This new address will involve several changes.  Over the next several months, we’ll be announcing ACT/SAT test prep opportunities, ACT/SAT practice tests nearly every weekend, academic tutoring, and much more to complement our already successful and favored college admissions consulting.

When it comes right down to it, Capstone has been a growing presence in Fayette County, assisting families and students far and wide.  With this new location, we are positioned to provide the same quality and respected service at a sweeter value without the hassle of those congested roadways.

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Sending Your ACT Scores To College

Sending your ACT scores to the colleges of your choice is extremely easy once you understand what to  expect. Assuming you studied for the ACT or the SAT, you already know that preparation almost always involves careful planning, and sending your scores to college is no exception.Test

Every ACT registrant has a few different options when it comes to sending their scores to college. Let’s have a look at the 3 different kinds of score reports a student can request:

1. ACT free report:
When you register for the ACT, you are able to choose sending four free score reports. This means, however, if you do not perform as well as you had hoped, the school is still going to see this score. Most would advise against choosing the ACT free report because of the lack of control over whether you will be sending your best (or worst) score to the college of your dreams. That being said, there are some schools that require all ACT scores to be sent to their admissions. Some selective schools including Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, and University of Pennsylvania, among others, require all ACT scores to be sent. There is not a fully comprehensive list available of schools that require all ACT scores sent, so it’s recommended to double check on the school website, as their stance is generally laid out clearly regarding ACT scores. Rest assured, however, that most schools comply with the ACT Score Choice, which we are about to discuss.

2. Regular Report:
The ACT Score Choice allows you to send only scores from specific testing dates to the college of your choice. Note that this does not include individual section scores, however. This is nice because you have the chance to highlight only your highest scores to admissions.  The cost to send one test score to each college is $12, so depending on your situation, this can add up quickly. Let’s imagine you have 7 schools you’d like to apply to. All of these schools allow the ACT superscore, which means they take the best scores from each section of the ACT to form a new “super” composite score.  You’d like to send three tests to each school because on test 1 you scored highest in Reading and English and on test 2 you scored highest on Math and on test 3 you scored highest in Science. The cost to send these 21 tests to 7 schools adds up to $252. This can be as expensive or as affordable as you make it. The key here is that you have the choice.

3. Rush Report:
If time is of the essence, the ACT has got you covered here as well, but, per usual, it’s going to cost you more.  These rush reports will set you back $16.50 each. Regular reports take up to a week to be processed, whereas rush reports are processed within 2 days and are received by the school of your choice within 3-4 business days. It’s important to keep organized with admissions deadlines to avoid requiring rush reporting.

Now that you better understand the ACT Score choice, here are some tips to better plan your testing:

Take The Test At Least Twice:
It’s in your best interest to take the ACT more than once because your scores can improve with familiarity and additional focused practice. Assuming you study between the tests, there is no reason your score should not improve. In addition, if you apply section-specific studying strategies for ACT superscoring, you could focus on studying and improving specific sections at a time and eventually reach a higher composite superscore after taking 2-3 tests.

Relax:
None of the ACT tests you are taking are make or break in regards to your admissions into your top school (assuming you don’t need to send in all tests). However, you should not use this as an excuse to not study or prepare for the test. The advantage of taking the ACT multiple times is to improve upon pinpointed weaknesses and/or reach higher section scores, not to slack off.

Aim to hit your target score within 4 tests:
You should go into the ACT with a solid studying plan and rest assured that you can reach your target score. If the schools you are applying to superscore, then they can pull the highest section scores for a higher overall score. But with the costs of sending these scores as well as the time spent studying and taking the test, it’s best to go into this with an idea of the maximum amount of times you’d like to take the ACT.

Now that you understand the ACT Score Choice, your next step will be to make the purchases! On your online ACT account, you simply click on “Send Your Scores.”  A list of all tests you’ve taken will appear and you will select the date you’d like to send as well as input the school code that you would like to send it to. You have the option to select standard or priority reports.

If you’re not into technology and stuff, you have a few other ways to get your score reports to your school choices:

Hopefully this has helped shed some light on how to get your ACT scores to your preferred schools. Rest assured that if you take the time to strategize your studying and score reporting, there is little stopping you from getting into your top school!

Good luck!

About the Author:
Kristine Thorndyke works for Quesbook, an ACT test prep service that offers students free personalized studying as well as comprehensive study resources.

Are you studying for the ACT? Quesbook offers ACT scholarships of up to $20,000 for high schools preparing for the test. What are you waiting for? Earn some free cash for studying!