or choose wisely! a presentation by everitt clark this work is licensed under a creative commons...
TRANSCRIPT
or
Choose Wisely!
A Presentation by Everitt Clark
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
True or False?Some colleges (mainly on the east and west coasts) prefer the SAT, while others (in the midwest and south) prefer the ACT.
False. Both tests are accepted at all four-year colleges in the United States that require standardized test results.
The ACT is more “knowledge-based” than the SAT.
Mostly false. The ACT does require slightly more advanced math and science skills, but the SAT demands a larger vocabulary.
The ACT is easier than the SAT. False. Although ACT questions tend to be a little more straightforward than SAT questions, the time pressure on the ACT is significantly more severe.
The “new” SAT will be harder than the current SAT.
False. The Revised SAT will be harder than the current SAT in some ways and easier in others. Some students will prefer the new SAT, some the old.
You can improve your score on both the SAT and the ACT if you prepare yourself for the tests.
True. Fairtest.org reports that studying and/or tutoring often does result in significant score increases.
What do these acronyms mean?
“SAT” stands for:A) Scholastic Aptitude Test
B) Scholastic Assessment Test
C) Scholastic Achievement Test
D) SAT
“ACT” stands for:A) American College Test
B) Another Crappy Test
C) ¡Ay, caramba! Test!
D) ACT
“SAT” and “ACT” don't stand for anything because it's not particularly clear what the tests measure – except how good you are at taking them!
James Conant, the president of Harvard, saw that only rich, well-connected preppies could get into good colleges. He was worried that the rejected (but smart) students would become communists unless there were a test that could help them get into schools like Harvard. Enter the SAT! Conant's former assisant started Educational Testing Services, the company that now writes the SAT.
A Brief History of the SAT(in multiple choice format)
Which of the following played a role in the development of the SAT?
A) Eugenics
B) Communism
C) Ralph Nader
D) A sixth-grader in Florida
E) All of the above
Ralph Nader and Allen Nairn published The Reign of ETS, which revealed that the SAT privileged the wealthy, the white, and the powerful – precisely the opposite of what it was supposed to do!
Carl Brigham developed the Scholastic Aptitude Test in the 1920s. He was a proponent of eugenics – the belief that genetically superior people should pass on their genes to improve the “race”. He thought the SAT would help to demonstrate that aptitude/intelligence was a genetic trait. Later on, he disavowed his early racism, said that SAT didn't really measure intelligence, and tried to stop it from being used for college admissions... but it was too late.
Richard Atkinson, the president of the University of California, visited his sixth-grade granddaughter's class and discovered that the teacher was already drilling them on SAT questions. He thought this was preposterous, and threatened to stop using the SAT in his school system. In 2005, ETS changed the SAT so that the University of California would keep using it.
An Even Briefer History of the ACT(in the form of an analogy)
SAT is to ACT as...
American College Testing was founded in 1959 by E. F. Lindquist to compete with ETS
Initially, the ACT contrasted with the SAT:The ACT was popular in the midwest, the SAT on the coasts
The ACT was chiefly used by public universities, the SAT by private ones
The ACT claimed to measure mastery of the high school curriculum, the SAT to test aptitude regardless of knowledge
But the ACT has become more like the SATIn 1989, the “Enhanced” ACT was introduced: the Social Studies test became a
Reading test, and the Science test became a “Science” test
By 2006 every college accepted the ACT, and by 2012 the ACT was more popular than the SAT.
Coke is to Pepsi
A Glimpse into... the Near Future!The Revised SAT The ACT
Jon L. Erickson, head honcho at ACT, Inc., has a very successful test on his hands.
David Coleman, the new President of The College Board, has been a critic of the SAT for a long time.
The New SAT will emerge from its chrysalis in March 2016. The New PSAT arrives in Fall 2015.
Coleman was the main designer of the Common Core, so the new SAT will be more in line with those standards. Also, it will be more like the ACT.
The ACT is only changing in fairly minor ways – most of which won't affect students who live outside the midwest or the deep south.
The content will be similar, but there will be optional “constructed-response” questions and a revised essay.
The SAT and the ACT today
10 sections (3 hrs. 45 min.)
3 Writing 1 essay
2 multiple choice
3 Math
3 Critical Reading
1 Experimental
The order of sections is random, but the Essay is first and the shorter sections are at the end
Several sections of each type
Essay is required
SAT ACT
5 sections (3 hrs. 25 min.)
1 English
1 Essay (optional)
1 Math
1 Reading
1 Science
The sections always go in the same order: English, Math, Reading, Science, Essay
One long section of each type
Essay is optional
Writing (multiple-choice)
About grammar and syntax, mostly in isolated sentences
Math
Through Algebra II. Formulas provided, but questions are tricky.
Critical Reading
Lots of tough vocab. Difficult questions about reading passages.
NO Science
Yay?
Essay (Required)
Broad topic. Write a lot.
English
About grammar, punctuation, and meaning in longer passages
Math
Through Pre-calc. No formulas provided. Lots of word problems.
Reading
Easy vocab. Straightforward questions. Time pressure.
Science
Not much science knowledge required. Time pressure.
Essay (Optional)
High-school focus. Write a lot.
The SAT and the ACT today
How are the SAT and the ACT scored?
Score Range: 600-2400
200-800 for each section; scores are then added together
Graded on a curve
Multiple choice questions have 5 answer choices
Incorrect answers are penalized a fraction of a point (except on the Math grid-in questions), so you shouldn't randomly guess
Most colleges “superscore” the SAT (use best section scores from all test dates)
SAT ACT
Score Range: 1-36
1-36 on each section; composite score is the average of these
Graded on a curve
Multiple choice questions have 4 answer choices (except for Math, which has 5)
NO “guessing penalty”, so you should never leave a question blank. Guess away!
Most colleges do NOT “superscore” the ACT (they use your best single test)
The average SAT score is around 1500, and the average ACT score is 21. An easy SAT-ACT score conversion chart is on the back of the handout. Make sure you grab a copy!
The Redesigned SAT in a nutshell The Redesigned PSAT rolls out in October 2015, the Redesigned SAT in March
2016. You'll be able to take the Current SAT until January 2016.
Instead of the Current SAT's three subject areas – Critical Reading, Writing, and Math – there will now be only two: “Evidence-based Reading and Writing” (i.e. the Critical Reading and Writing subjects smushed together) and Math.
The maximum SAT score will again be 1600 (ask your parents).
The essay will be optional. Competitive colleges will require it. (Like the ACT)
4 answer choices instead of 5! (Like the ACT)
No guessing penalty! (Like the ACT)
Subscores on every section! (Like the ACT)
More graphs and word problems! (Like the ACT)
No more hard vocabulary words! (Like the ACT)
Revised motto: The Redesigned SAT™: It's the ACT™!
An optional computer-based version of the test will be available in select cities.
You will still be able to prepare for every section of the Redesigned SAT. You just won't need as many vocab flash cards.
Today's SATWriting (multiple-choice)
About grammar and syntax, mostly in isolated sentences
Math
Through Algebra II. Formulas provided, but questions are tricky. Calculator permitted.
Critical Reading
Lots of tough vocab. Difficult questions about reading passages.
Essay (Required)
25 minutes. You supply your own point of view on a broad topic.
Writing and Language
About grammar, punctuation, and meaning in longer passages. Very similar to ACT English.
Math
Through Pre-calc. Formulas still provided. More word problems. Less geometry, more statistics. Calculator permitted for some problems, not for others.
Reading
“Relevant words in context” instead of hard vocab. No more sentence completions. Reading passages will be similar but include graphs.
Essay (Optional)
50 minutes. Read an essay and analyze the author's point of view.
Tomorrow's SAT vs.
What about upcoming changes to the ACT? Some students in midwestern and southern states (not northern Virginia, alas) will
have the option of taking the ACT on the computer starting in Spring 2015.
Students will have the option of taking additional 30-minute “constructed-response” (i.e. not multiple choice) Math, Reading, and Science sections. ACT hasn't announced when these will be available.
Starting in Fall 2015, the essay will no longer be all about providing your point of view on a topic relevant to high-schoolers. Now it will require you to analyze several viewpoints on a topic of broad interest. (A little bit like the Redesigned SAT Essay.)
More subscores on every section starting in Fall 2015! Yay subscores!
Revised motto: “The New ACT™: it's still the ACT™!”
Which test is right for you (class of 2016 or 2017)?
You did extremely well on the PSAT.
You are a slow but careful reader.
You have a commodious vocabulary.
You are a whiz at math-related brain teasers.
Science = yuck gross
You like gaming the test.
The Current SAT if... The ACT if...
You do great in school but so-so on the PSAT.
You are a fast reader.
Not so much with the vocab.
You know your math formulas (up through trig).
Science = bring it on.
No games. Let's keep it real.
A little from column A, a little from column B? You should try a full practice test of each kind. Free tests are in the office and online!
Which test is right for you (class of 2017-)? Take a practice Redesigned PSAT when it becomes available on the College Board
website in March 2015, or take a practice Redesigned SAT whenever one is released (probably summer 2015).
If you like the Redesigned SAT/PSAT, then prepare for and take the Redesigned SAT in March 2016 or later.
If you don't like the Redesigned SAT/PSAT, then take either the Current SAT (now through January 2016) or the ACT (whenever you feel like it).
All colleges will accept the Current SAT, the Redesigned SAT, or the ACT. The only thing you have to worry about is which test you prefer.
This presentation contains the most up-to-date information about the upcoming changes to the SAT and ACT, but the test makers will be releasing new information in the coming months. Visit the College Board or ACT website and sign up to receive updates as soon as they become available!
Check out pwnthesat.com (yes, that's how it's spelled) for more in-depth analysis of both the Current SAT and the Redesigned SAT.
A Few More Things to Consider Plan to take either the SAT or the ACT twice during your junior year. You can order a
copy of your SAT if you take the test in October, January, or May; you can get a copy of your ACT if you take the test in December, April, or June.
Do any of the colleges on your list require SAT Subject Tests? You can't take Subject Tests and the normal SAT on the same test date. Also, a few colleges accept the ACT in place of Subject Tests.
You can check out colleges' own websites or Naviance to find out how your scores match up with last year's incoming freshmen. Also make sure to check how much your favorite schools care about the Writing portion.
Most colleges will “superscore” your best SAT Math, Critical Reading, and Writing scores. For the ACT, most colleges use your best composite score, not your best individual section scores.
SAT/ACT scores are just one factor in college admissions. Keep that GPA up and get involved in extracurricular activities!
Several dozen schools are “test-optional”, and several hundred admit a significant number of students each year without regard to their test scores.
Tutoring and diligent study can raise your score, but it is just as important to know what your testing options are and to have clear goals.
A Final Thought
"The test movement came to this country … accompanied by one of the most glorious fallacies in the history of science, namely that the tests measured native intelligence purely and simply without regard to training or schooling. I hope nobody believes that now. The test scores very definitely are a composite including schooling, family background, familiarity with English, and everything else."
- Carl Brigham, creator of the SAT
SAT or ACT: Choose Wisely!
For more information about the SAT and ACT, please visit my website:
EVERITTCLARK.COM