THE ROAD AHEADNavigating College Admission Tests

Times Have Changed?

• New York Times, “High School Seniors’ Agony” . . .

“Competition for college admission has created an unprecedented time ofintense worry.”

“Getting into college has never been so competitive.”

“Standards have shot up. Parents who got into top notch colleges on

medium marks and good overall qualifications cannot understand why their

kids can’t.”

. . . Written in 1957!

A New Sheriff in Town

“I have a problem with the SAT.” -David Coleman

President, College BoardArchitect of the Common Core Standards

The SAT’s evolving mission

• 1926:“The SAT is a psychological test designed primarily to assess aptitude for learning rather than mastery of subjects already learned, and to assess ability independently of any school curriculum.”

• 2005: “The SAT measures verbal and mathematical reasoning

abilities that students develop over time, both in and out of school.”

• 2016: “The SAT must reflect the kinds of meaningful, engaging,

rigorous work that students must undertake in the best high school courses being taught today, thereby creating a robust and durable bond between assessment and instruction.”

Early History (1926 – 1959)

• 1926: First SAT (8,000 students)

• 1937: First Achievement Tests (2,000 students)

• 1946: First SAT prep class

• 1959: First PSAT

• 1959: First ACT (to measure academic preparation; “achievement not aptitude”)

Middle History (1960 – 1994)

• 1961: 800K SATs (42%) and 300K ACTs (16%)

• 1968: UCs require the SAT

• 1971: National Merit Scholarship begins

• 1989: 1.2m SATs and 1m ACTs

• 1993: SAT drops “Aptitude” from its name

Recent History (1995 – 2010)

• 1995: SAT scores are re-centered

• 2001: UCs consider dropping the “esoteric” SAT

• 2005: A “New” SAT debuts (2400 points)

• 2007: Harvey Mudd accepts ACT (now ALL colleges accept both)

• 2010: 1.57m ACTs and 1.55m SATs

The Latest News (2013 – 2016)

• 2012: David Coleman (Common Core) becomes College Board president

• 2013: Re-designed SAT announced

• 2014: Pilot testing of vertically aligned testing systems (SBAC, PARCC)

• 2015: New PSAT debuts

• 2016: New SAT debuts (March)

Major Goals of the New SAT

• More Focused

• More In-depth

• More Relevant

• More Transparent

Philosophical Shifts of the New SAT

•Shares many of the Common Core guiding ethics

•Adopts many of ACT’s characteristics

•Now more than ever, tests achievement over aptitude

Highlight Changes of the New SAT

• Returns to the 1600-point scale• Guessing penalty eliminated• Shorter (but not really)• Calculator and non-calculator sections• Essay is optional• Command of Evidence is emphasized• Text-heavy; reading-centric• Source Material; non-fiction emphasis

Scoring the Redesigned SAT

Holistic Review (but some things matter more)

Standardized test scores

Teacher and counselor recommendations

Class rank

Student’s demonstrated interest

Extracurricular activities

Strength of curriculum

Grades in all courses

90%

87%

87%

59%

58%

50%

46%

49%

34% AP/IB scores

Grades in college prep courses94%

Essay or writing sample

Mixed Messages

• Alumni magazine, August 2014: “Selectivity on the rise…record-low 21% of applicants received the coveted ‘thick envelopes’…2000 more applications than prior year…from more diverse backgrounds…”

---and---“…the students are also SMARTER, with a mean SAT score 18 points higher than last year’s crop”

Application Bubble

1967 1976 1986 1996 20060

10

20

30

40

50

60

College Applications - % Submitted

One application Four or more applications

Higher GPA = Less Differentiation

Percent of Students

1991 2013

Score Distribution: By Design

SAT Scoring: Relative Standing

Cumulative Percentiles

1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 24000

20

40

60

80

100

17

39

63

82

9398 99

SAT COMBINED SCORE

1 11 16 21 26 31 36

What Does My Score Mean?

50

th

perc

en

til

e 80

th

perc

en

til

e 95

th

perc

en

til

e 99.9

th

perc

en

til

e

ACT

Pathways to College Admission

• SAT only or ACT only (2,000+ schools)

• SAT or ACT, plus Subject Tests (~ 10-40

schools)

• Test Optional/Flexible (~ 50 schools) [p.

4-6]

Page 3

Standardized Test Checklist

• New PSAT

• Old SAT vs. New SAT vs. ACT

• Subject Tests

• Timelines & Preparation

• Repeat Testing & Score Choice

Strategic Planning

Evaluate pros and cons of the three options

Seek out diagnostic test opportunities, especially ACT

Don’t overlook Subject Tests

Follow best practices around timing and formal

preparation

PSAT Structure: 2014 vs. 2015

2014 2015

Scoring 20 to 80 (x 3) 160 to 760 (x 2)

Time 2 hours 10 minutes 2 hours 45 minutes

Items 125 138

Reading 48 items | 50 min 47 items | 60 min

Writing 39 items | 30 min 44 items | 35 min

Mathematics 38 items | 50 min 47 items | 70 min

Wrong Answers ¼ point deduction No deduction

Vertical Alignment of Scales

National Merit and the PSAT

Three choices (two are compromised)

① “Old” SAT– Discontinued as of Jan 2016– Accelerated timeline is inappropriate for most

② “New” SAT– Practice tests limited and in “beta” form– Predicted scores highly speculative– Scores delayed until late spring 2016

③ Current ACT– Deep bank of practice tests available– Prep materials and offerings are well-established– All test dates available with prompt reporting of scores

Traditional Testing Sequence

1. October of 11th grade PSAT

(NMSQT)

2. March (or May) of 11th grade SAT

or

Feb (or April) of 11th grade ACT

3. May or June of 11th grade Subject Tests

4. Fall of 12th grade Re-test as

necessaryPage 8-9

Class of 2017’s Likely Testing Sequence

1. October of 11th grade New PSAT

(NMSQT)

2. March (or May) of 11th grade SAT

Feb (or April) of 11th grade ACT ✔3. May or June of 11th grade Subject Tests

4. Fall of 12th grade Re-test as

necessary (ACT, SAT)

Page 8-9

Rise of the ACT Nationally

2013

SAT Takers 1.7 Million

ACT Takers 1.8 Million

• Number of students taking the ACT has increased by 30% since 2008

Rise of the ACT in California

• ACT has grown 126% in California* over last decade

• In 2013 in CA there were still more SAT-takers, but the gap is closing fast

• Number of students scoring 32-36 on ACT has increased by 70% since 2010

– * HS graduates are up 9%

Rise of the ACT at Compass (SF & LA)

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

SATACT

ACT Science: Data AnalysisStructure• 40 questions in 35 minutes• 6-7 passages: Data Representation, Research Summary, Conflicting Hypotheses• 5-7 questions per passage• Contains little to no Science content; focuses on methodology and data analysis

Pacing Concerns• Average of 5-6 minutes per passage, to both read and answer• Difficulty ascends from passage to passage and on questions within passages• Some passages will likely be harder than others, thus requiring more time• Questions almost always refer to specific components of the passage

Average percentage of students who skipped any given question in…

Passage 1:

1%Passage 2:

1%Passage 7:

11%Passage 6:

8%Passage 4:

2%Passage 3:

1%Passage 5:

5%

Concordance Table: Current SAT – ACT

ACTComposite

SATCR+M+W

3635343332313029282726252423

23902330225021802120206020001940188018201770171016501590

Current SAT: “Aptitude” Math

17. Four distinct lines lie in a plane, and exactly two of them are parallel. Which of the following could be the number of points where at least two of the lines intersect?

I. ThreeII. FourIII. Five

(A) I only(B) III only(C) I and III only(D) I, II, and III (E) It cannot be determined from the information given.

Which of the following is an equation of a circle with its center at (3,4) and tangent to the x-axis in the standard (x,y) coordinate plane?

A. (x - 3)2 + (y - 4)2 = 16B. (x - 4)2 + (y - 3)2 = 16C. (x - 4)2 + (y - 3)2 = 9D. (x - 3)2 + (y - 4)2 = 9E. (x + 4)2 + (y + 3)2 = 16

(3,4)

ACT: “Achievement” Math(x-h)2 + (y-k)2 = r2 Center: (h, k)

4

Thematic Features of the New SAT

Math

An international bank issues its Traveler credit cards worldwide. When a customer makes a purchase using a Traveler card in a currency different from the customer’s home currency, the bank converts the purchase price at the daily foreign exchange rate and then charges a 4% fee on the converted cost.

Sara lives in the United States, but is on vacation in India. She used her Traveler card for a purchase that cost 602 rupees (Indian currency). The bank posted a charge of $9.88 to her account that included the 4% fee.

PART 1

What foreign exchange rate, in Indian rupees per one U.S. dollar, did the bank use for Sara’s charge? Round your answer to the nearest whole number.

PART 2

A bank in India sells a prepaid credit card worth 7,500 rupees. Sara can buy the prepaid card using dollars at the daily exchange rate with no fee, but she will lose any money left unspent on the prepaid card. What is the least number of the 7,500 rupees on the prepaid card Sara must spend for the prepaid card to be cheaper than charging all her purchases on the Traveler card? Round your answer to the nearest whole number of rupees.

• Contains both Calculator and Non-Calculator sections

• Focuses more heavily on Algebra and Data Analysis, with some attention to Trigonometry

• Involves real world applications of concepts, including a progression of problems building off of a given scenario

Thematic Features of the New SAT

Vocabulary“The nature of impeachment: a narrowly channeled exception to the separation of powers maxim. The Federal Convention of 1787 said that.”

3. As used in line 37, “channeled” most nearly means

A) worn.B) sent.C) constrained.D) siphoned.

• Focuses on Tier 2 words

• Exploits words with multiple meanings

• Challenges students to derive meaning from the context in which words are used

Thematic Features of the New SAT

Text & DataThe United States Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts steady job

growth in this field, ⁶projecting that 16 percent of new jobs in all occupations will be related to urban and regional planning.

6. Which choice completes the sentence with accurate data based on the graph?A) NO CHANGEB) warning, however, that job growth in urban and regional planning will slow to 14 percent by 2020.C) predicting that employment of urban and regional planners will increase 16 percent between 2010 and 2020.D) indicating that 14 to 18 percent of urban and regional planning positions will remain unfilled.

• Permeates all sections of the test

• Requires students to analyze and extrapolate from data represented graphically in multiple contexts

• Asks students to identify and correct inconsistencies between data and text

Total

Urban and Regional Planners

Social Scientists

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Percent Increase in Employment, Projected 2010-2020

Percent

Thematic Features of the New SAT

Citing Evidence 4. In lines 49-54 (“Prosecutions … sense”), what is the most likely reason Jordan draws a distinction between two types of “parties”?

A) To counter the suggestion that impeachment is or should be about partisan politics

5. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

A) Lines 13-17 (“It…office”)B) Lines 20-24 (“The division…astute”)C) Lines 55-58 (“The drawing…misdemeanors”)D) Lines 65-68 (“Congress…transportation”)

• Spans all sections of the test, including Math

• Requires students to support their answer choices

• Challenges students to explain how an author uses evidence to craft an argument

Thematic Features of the New SAT

Grammar During his career, Kingman exhibited his work ⁷ internationally. He garnered much acclaim. In 1936, a critic described one of Kingman’s solo exhibits as “twenty of the freshest, most satisfying water colors that have been seen hereabouts in many a day.”

7. Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?

A) internationally, and Kingman also garneredB) internationally; from exhibiting, he garneredC) internationally but garneredD) internationally, garnering

•Requires students to revise extended prose to more accurately express an author’s intent

•Addresses a wider range of punctuation

•Tests frequently confused words such as allusion/illusion

Current SAT Essay: (through January 2016)

• First Section. 25 minutes. Required.

• Ex: “Can people choose to be happy?”

• Personal experience ok

• Thesis can be only tangentially related to

topic

• Graded holistically, rewards style

• Widely criticized

• Held in low regard by colleges

Current ACT Essay: (through June 2015)

• Last section. 30 minutes. Optional*

• Ex: “Should students have to wear

uniforms?”

• Graded on persuasiveness of argument

• Creativity and style not necessarily rewarded

• Held in low regard by colleges

New ACT Essay: (as of September 2015)

• Expected to increase to 40 minutes

• Will require evaluation of three different perspectives on a topic, e.g. artificial intelligence

• Students must not only present their own perspective but also analyze the perspectives given

• Essays receiving high scores will “effectively employ rhetorical strategies”

Thematic Features of the New SAT

EssayAs you read the passage below, consider how Paul Bogard uses•evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.•reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.•stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.

[650-750 word Source Text will appear here]

Write an essay in which you explain how Paul Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience that natural darkness should be preserved. In your essay, analyze how Bogard uses one or more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage.

Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Bogard’s claims, but rather explain how Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience.

•Is based on a common prompt

•Measures students’ ability to explain how an author crafts an argument

•Rates students on strength of analysis and coherence of writing

SAT Subject Tests

Designed to demonstrate academic achievement

in

specific subject areas

Scored on 200-800 scale

1 hour each, can take up to 3 subjects in one

sitting

Plan ahead to maximize scores

Recommended? Required? How many? Which

ones?

Subject Test Policies

UC system no longer requires Subject Test scores

but will consider them if submitted

No longer any college requiring 3 Subject Tests

Georgetown still “recommends” 3

~30 colleges officially require 2

Many colleges “recommend” 2

Detailed list at www.subject-tests.com

SAT Subject Test Options

Literature

U.S. History or World History

Math Level 2 or Math Level 1

Biology (E/M), Chemistry, and Physics

Languages: French, Chinese, German, Spanish,

Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and

Latin

Test Scoring: US History

Raw score Scaled score

81 - 90 800

70 740

60 680

55 650

50 620

45 590

40 560

35 530

30 510

REPEAT TESTING

Multiple Scores

Public Private

Superscore 52% 61%

Best Sitting 41% 25%

Most Recent Sitting 2% 5%

Average of All Scores 1% 1%

No Response 4% 7%

Questions Remain

Colleges’ reactions and policy changes

• Essay (UC’s will require it)

• Score Choice

• super-scoring

Concordance with old SAT scores and with ACT scores

More changes in the future: Subject Tests, ACT

Score Choice – Varying Policies

Harvard– We allow Score Choice– “The application is yours. We’ll review what you send us.”

Georgetown

– We don’t allow Score Choice under any conditions or combinations

– And we require three Subject Tests (yep, just us)

Stanford

– You can’t use Score Choice for SAT or ACT; all of both must be sent

– Score Choice is allowed for Subject Tests, because they’re optional*

Yale

– Choose either a) SAT + ST’s or b) ACT alone, then send all of either

– If you choose to send ST’s with ACT, then you must send all SAT’s too

SUPERSCORING

March SATCritical Reading 600

Math 650

Writing 550

Combined 1800

October SATReading 650

Math 600

Writing 600

Combined 1850

Superscored SATReading

Math

Writing

Combined

650

650

600

1900

The Big Takeaways

Focus on reading now

Consider Subject Test(s) and/or AP(s) sophomore

spring

Take diagnostic test(s) early summer after sophomore

year

Decide when and how you will prepare

Maintain perspective

A REALITY CHECK

A REALITY CHECK

A REALITY CHECK

A REALITY CHECK

A REALITY CHECK

A REALITY CHECK

Q & A…

Southern California226 South Beverly Drive

Suite 200Beverly Hills, CA 90212

(800) 925-1250

Northern California700 Larkspur Landing Circle

Suite 235Larkspur, CA 94939

(415) 464-8600

Access to Practice Test Opportunities

Connect with Compass to find dates & locations, reserve a seat, or receive guidance:

• Complete tear-off card and return to me

• Visit po.st/compass and complete quick-form

• Call 415-464-8600

Page 48-49

Subject Tests make sense for high scorers . . .

Math Level 2 Subject Test Takers in California

2009

All Scorers 700-800 Scorers

~ 67,000 ~ 13,000

2013

All Scorers 700-800 Scorers

~ 35,000 ~ 13,000

Most schools that look for students in the 500-650 range don’t require or use Subject Tests

But these advantages come at a price: the Internet appears to

be chipping away at my capacity for concentration and

contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the

way the Internet distributes it, in a swiftly moving stream of

particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I

zip along the surface like a person on water skis.

11

12

The figure of speech in lines 11-12 (“Now...skis”) serves primarily to

(A) emphasize the speed of the Internet(B) underscore the vastness of the Internet(C) convey the sense of control that the author feels(D) suggest the cursory nature of the author’s thinking process(E) highlight the author’s fascination with high-speed activities

49%

37%

attractor

READING COMPREHENSION EXAMPLE

SCORE CHOICE POLICIES

SAT– You can select which dates to send, but you cannot send sub-scores (CR, M, or Wr) only– Most private colleges combine sub-scores from multiple

sittings, while most public colleges do not

ACT– Same as SAT, except there are few colleges who officially

combine sub-scores from multiple sittings

Subject Tests– You select which individual scores to send

Subject Test Takers, by the numbers:

USA California

2009

1.53 million SATs 207,000 SATs

295,000 STs ( ~ 20%) 107,000 STs ( ~ 50%)

2012: UCs dropped their ST requirement

2013

1.66 million SATs 234,000 SATs

251,000 STs ( ~ 15%) 56,000 STs ( ~ 20%)