The ACT is a national test used for college admissions and college readiness by institutions across the country. ACT results are accepted by all four-year colleges in the United States. The ACT is a curriculum-based test; whereas, the SAT is a reasoning-based test. The ACT focuses on curriculum in four areas and provides standards for college readiness. The College Readiness Benchmark Scores follow:

• English          18
• Mathematics             22
• Reading         21
• Science         24

According to ACT (accessed on September 8, 2010), “A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses, which include English Composition, Algebra, Social Science, and Biology.”

In addition to the curriculum areas above, the ACT includes an optional essay-writing section at the end of the test. As some colleges require this essay for admissions, I recommend that students take the essay whenever they take the ACT. The essay on both the ACT and SAT are similar in format and scoring.

A common student question is whether the ACT is super-scored (i.e., taking a student’s best section results from multiple test dates to create the best composite score) by colleges as is commonly done for the SAT. The answer is that more colleges are taking a student’s best sections and creating a super-score; however, it is still more commonly done for the SAT.

So, should you take the ACT? The answer is individual, but taking either the SAT or ACT a couple times will generally increase your chances for college admissions through achieving a higher score. If you believe you’ll do better on the ACT, then start preparing and plan to take it at least twice.

Finally, if you are looking for effective ACT preparation to achieve your best score, Educational Services Center (ESC) offers both traditional classroom and online class settings. With ESC’s Premium Package, you can even sign up for ACT and SAT prep at one low price.

The test similarities are that they both are used as national measures of college readiness (a factor that admissions offices review) by assessing students’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the tests differ in some of the reading and writing content. For example, the SAT test adds sentence completion questions in Critical Reading and different types of writing multiple choice questions; whereas, the ACT only has paragraph questions in both reading and writing, which are also on the SAT. The ACT includes a science section that the SAT does not. The main difference in the tests is that the ACT focuses on high school achievement and the SAT emphasizes reasoning skills. Given these content differences, some students may perform better on one test than the other.

To assist students and colleges in effectively comparing SAT and ACT scores, the College Board (makers of the SAT) and ACT have created concordance charts to provide comparable scores. These charts do not equate scores as the tests are distinct, but they are used by many colleges to cross-walk students’ test scores.

Finally, if you are looking for effective SAT or ACT preparation to achieve your best score, Educational Services Center (ESC) offers both traditional classroom and online class settings. With ESC’s Premium Package, you can even sign up for both SAT and ACT prep at one low price.

I still remember reading the essay of one high school applicant applying to Miami University (OH), a selective public ivy where I worked in Admissions, that informed me of his job as a shift supervisor at McDonald’s that he picked up after his father passed away as a means to provide for his family. His essay went on to reveal his sacrifice for two years was being reciprocated by his family, who supported his decision to go away to college. Not all students have such vivid stories to share, but each student has a powerful story to share. The essay is the opportunity to discover it and write it.

When writing college essays (sometimes called personal statements), students should do the following:

• Brainstorm the unique strengths they have to offer (e.g., community service, Eagle Scout, athletic team captain, part-time job balanced with school, musical performer, student leader, significant academic project, etc.)
• Tie those strengths into a chosen essay topic (for common topics, see The Common Application topics at the end of this blog)
• Draft their essay
• Get feedback on their essay from multiple people (e.g., family, trusted mentors, high school counselors/teachers/coaches)
• Revise their essay
• Get one more round of feedback and edits
• Submit their essay to colleges as part of their admissions application

By following these steps, a student can transform the task of completing the Admissions essay into a reason that a college may accept a student.

Sample resume topics from The Common Application follow:

• tell a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you
• discuss some issue of personal, local, national or international concern and its importance to you
• indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence
• describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
• a range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you
• topic of your choice

This is an individual question that is based on many factors that have been covered in previous blogs; particularly, I invite you to read “Where should I attend (or apply) – Choosing a college is about fit!” Once you have an idea of what you are looking for in a college [i.e., cost, location, size, academic programs (your major), extracurricular activities, graduation rates, etc.], I recommend applying to three types of colleges – safe schools, target schools and reach schools.

Safe Schools: These are the schools that students know based on their academic background (SAT score, GPA and high school classes) will accept them. A student’s academic background should be stronger than the Middle 50% (consists of ranges of SAT/ACT scores and GPAs/Class Ranks) of students who attend this college.

Target Schools: These are the schools that students believe based on their academic background (SAT score, GPA and high school classes) should accept them. A student’s academic background should be around the Middle 50% of students who attend this college.

Reach Schools: These are the schools that students consider based on their academic background (SAT score, GPA and high school classes) to be a significant stretch to accept them. A student’s academic background will be lower than the Middle 50% of students who attend this college. A student applying to a reach school may be accepted based on their unique talents, such as music, sports, service or other life experiences. More importantly, they can work to improve their comparison to the institution’s Middle 50% by increasing their SAT/ACT scores and GPA.

If you’re looking for a “magic number” of colleges to apply to, I recommend six, which provides two each of safe, target and reach schools. However, I do not recommend that every student apply to six schools – I encourage each student to take this advice and make it their own.

• Plan: What do you want to get out of your visit to a particular college?
  • How much time do you want to spend at a school?
  • Do you want to visit several nearby colleges in one trip?
  • Who do you want to see at a college (e.g., faculty, members of clubs/teams, etc.)?
  • Do you want to attend a class? If yes, which class?
  • Do you want to stay overnight with a student?

• Prepare: What questions would you like to have answered?
  • What are the requirements for admission?
  • What are the retention and graduation rates?
  • What majors and career opportunities are available?
  • What is class size?
  • Where do students live? Is the school more residential or commuter?
  • What scholarships/grants/loans/other financial aid packages are available?

Tip: Look at the school’s web site before you go, so you can ask specific questions.

• Pay Attention: Look for details that provide a sense of what the college values.
  • How clean is the college?
  • Who are you introduced to? Are students interacting between classes? Who does your tour guide greet during the tour (students, professors, staff, etc.)?

Tips: Pick up a newspaper to see what the important issues and interests are on campus. Pick up a calendar of events to see what cultural, athletic, musical and other events are planned.

• People: Gain multiple perspectives of the college by talking to as many people as you can.
  • Introduce yourself to others besides your tour guide and admission counselor.
  • Try to gain a broader picture of the college through conversation. Eating lunch in the dining room is a great way to do this.

Ultimately, the college visit is about you, the student. You may travel with your mom, dad or some other key adult in your life, and you will hear their opinions and those of the colleges. However, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions when your visiting is done: Where do you see yourself for the next phase of your life? What place do you want to call your “home away from home” for the next four years? What place will allow you to grow into the adult you are becoming?

To get the experience and perspective of a father and daughter who went on a college road trip together, I recommend the following Newsweek article from 2007 that was written by Howard Fineman and his daughter Meredith.

Early Decision

Early decision is a binding decision to attend one college made at the time that the student applies. For example, if a student applies to College Z and is accepted early decision, the student has agreed to attend College Z upon receiving the acceptance. For students and families considering early decision, they need to be certain that the college they apply to early decision is the right college for them academically, personally and financially. From a financial perspective, families have to know that regardless of the final financial aid award the student receives (often not provided until spring of the senior year) that they can afford to pay the cost of attendance.

Of note:

• A student can only apply to one college early decision.
• Early decision can benefit a student who is completely certain of where they want to attend college, but may not be certain of their admittance to that college. Early decision shows the student’s strong commitment to attend a particular college.

Early Action

Early action is a non-binding decision to attend one college made at the time that the student applies. For example, if a student applies to College Z and is accepted early action, the student indicated strong interest in attending College Z upon receiving the acceptance; however, the student has no obligation to attend. Early action provides the opportunity to receive the early peace of mind that early decision provides; however, it does not hold the same commitment for the student.

Of note:

• A student can apply to multiple colleges through early action.
• Early action benefits students in finding out their acceptances earlier in their senior year without forcing a commitment at that time. Early action shows a student’s strong interest in attending a particular college(s).

Colleges may slightly vary their early decision and early action procedures, so students should review each institution’s process before applying. Remember, it is the student’s right to have clear information and the student’s responsibility to be aware of his/her growing knowledge of college admissions criteria.

By definition, the factors of 6 are those numbers that divide evenly into 6. Another way of saying this is that 6 is perfectly divisible by these factors. A factor is synonymous with a “divisor.” The factors of 6 are 1, 2, 3 and 6. When asked for the factors of 6, many students would say “1 times 6 and 2 times 3.” We are not being asked to break 6 into factors, but merely to list the factors. The best way to do this is to start with 1 (which divides evenly into all integers) and proceed upward listing all numbers that divide evenly into the given number. That is why we recommend writing the list as 1, 2, 3 and 6.

What are the multiples of 6? Think of the multiplication table:  1 times 6, 2 times 6, 3 times 6, etc. Thus, the multiples of 6 are 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60, … 

The factors of 6 divide evenly into 6.  6 divides evenly into the multiples of 6.

One interesting note: We could have chosen any number for our illustration above but 6 was specifically chosen. Other than the number 6 itself, the other factors of 6 are 1, 2 and 3. Add them up:  1 + 2 +3 = 6, the number itself!!! It is very rare to have a number be the sum of its own factors (other than itself). Such a number is called a “perfect number.” Perfect numbers are few and far between. Challenge: What’s the next perfect number after 6? In other words, it has to be the sum of its own factors (other than itself). Hint: This one is not so big- we’ll tell you it is less than 50.

In their newest version of The Official SAT Study Guide, Practice Test #2, Section 5, problem #12 on page 467 is a perfect example: “If (3x + y)/y = 6/5, what is x/y?” Now, there are several ways to solve this problem but it screams for a division as described above. The left side of this equation would break into two divisions 3x/y + y/y.  Since y/y = 1, we now have 3x/y + 1 = 6/5. Subtract 1 from both sides to give us 3x/y = 1/5.  Now just divide by 3 and we will have the answer x/y = 1/15. (We’ll just give a hint that another method of solution is to cross-multiply the given expression.)

That’s a great formula to learn and to know for the SAT. However, the far more important SAT fact regards the exterior angles. What is the formula for the sum of measures of the exterior angles of a polygon? We might jokingly say that it’s not exactly a formula. The sum of the measures of the exterior angles of a polygon is 360. Students always ask how many sides the polygon has. The answer is that the sum of these exterior angles is always 360 regardless of how many sides the polygon has. The sum is not dependent of “n”, the number of sides. The writers of the SAT capitalize on this in a variety of ways. Over the years there have been several problems with a triangle and the exterior angles labeled “x”, “y” and “z”. With absolutely no given information, they ask for the sum of x, y and z. The message is clear. Students taking the SAT must know that the sum of the measures of the exterior angles of ANY polygon is always 360.

Consider this question: What is the average measure of one angle of a triangle? It’s a simple question. To find the average of any three things, we find the sum and then divide by 3. Since the sum of the three angles of a triangle is always 180, when we divide by 3 we find that the average measure of an angle of a triangle is always 60. This fairly simple fact has nice implications for SAT math problems.

Only an equilateral triangle has 3 angles that each measure exactly 60.  If we then decrease one of the angles by one degree to 59, to balance this out one of the other angles must increase to 61 so that the average remains 60 (and the sum remains 180). Now we have three unequal angles. Let’s examine them more closely. What can be said about the smallest angle of a triangle? Setting aside the equilateral triangle situation, the smallest angle of a triangle must measure less than 60. Are there any other conclusions that we can draw about the other two angles of the triangle? The largest angle of the triangle must measure greater than 60. Is there anything we can state for sure regarding the “middle-sized” angle of a triangle? It may be more or less than 60, we can’t tell for sure. However, if you give it some further thought, could this angle be as large as 90 degrees? If the “middle-sized” angle of a triangle is 90 and then the largest angle is more than that, we would have more than 180 degrees. Therefore, the “middle-sized” angle must measure less than 90.

All of these conclusions derive directly from the simple fact that the sum of the measures of the angles of a triangle is 180. Make no mistake about it – the SAT will test you about these more in-depth concepts. Taking an SAT Prep Course will hone your math skills.