This document provides information and recommendations about college admissions testing for the 2012-2013 academic year. It outlines the recommended testing schedule, provides an overview of the SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests, discusses factors to consider in choosing between the SAT and ACT, and lists test preparation options and frequently asked questions. The key information includes testing dates, registration details, fees, and average scores for each test type.

1.
College Admissions Testing 2012-2013:
• Recommended Testing Schedule
• SAT, ACT and SAT vs. ACT
• Subject Tests & Should you take Subject Tests?
• Test Prep Options
• Frequently Asked Questions
1

2. BHSEC Queens Recommended Testing Schedule 2012-2013:
• Winter
Y1:
o
Prep
for
Tests
at
BHSEC
or
elsewhere
• Spring
Y1
o
Take
1st
test
(March
SAT/April
ACT)
o Take
2nd
Test
if
you
don’t
like
your
scores
(May
or
June
SAT/
June
ACT)
• Spring
Y1
o Take
Optional
SAT
Subject
Tests
in
May
or
June
• Fall
Y2
o Take
Final
Test–
Early
Fall
of
Y2
(Sept-­‐October),
only
if
you
are
not
yet
happy
with
your
scores.
Overview of Standardized Tests Options
The
SAT
Reasoning
Test
(also
known
as
the
SAT
I)
• The
SAT
1,
referred
to
simply
as
'The
SAT,'
includes
three
sections:
Critical
Reading,
Math
and
Writing.
Each
section
is
scored
from
200–800
points.
The
Writing
component
has
a
student-­‐written
essay
that
is
scored
from
2-­‐12
points
and
counts
for
one
third
of
the
total
writing
score.
• The
national
average
for
the
SAT
is
roughly
500
on
each
section
for
a
total
of
about
1500.
The
BHSEC
Queens
average
is
545
in
Critical
Reading
and
568
in
Math
and
550
in
Writing.
• The
SAT
is
offered
seven
times
per
academic
year.
• To
register
go
to
www.collegeboard.org.
• The
Fee
is
$50
(Fee
Waivers
are
available
upon
request
in
the
CTO
for
students
on
free
and
reduced
lunch
and
must
be
requested
before
each
registration
deadline).
• Find
more
information
about
the
SAT
here
http://sat.collegeboard.org/about-­‐
tests/sat
and
here
http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/when-­‐to-­‐take-­‐sat
The
ACT
with
Writing:
• The
ACT
has
four
sections:
English,
Reading,
Math
and
Science.
There
is
also
an
'optional'
Writing
section,
but
colleges
expect
to
see
this
section
completed.
Each
section
is
scored
from
1
to
36
and
students
receive
a
composite
score
that
is
an
average
of
the
four
sections.
The
national
average
is
about
21.
• The
ACT
is
offered
6
times
per
calendar
year
• Register
for
the
ACT
with
Writing
at
www.actstudent.org.
Fee:
$50.50
(Fee
Waivers
are
available
upon
request
in
the
CTO
for
students
on
free
and
reduced
lunch.)
2

3. • Find
more
information
about
the
ACT
here:
http://www.actstudent.org/faq/what.html
and
here
http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html
The
Subject
Tests
(also
known
as
SAT
II’s):
• A
relatively
small
number
of
highly
selective
colleges
require
two-­‐-­‐any
two-­‐-­‐of
these
hour-­‐long
subject-­‐specific
exams,
otherwise
known
as
SAT
2s
or
subject
tests.
Out
of
the
456
colleges
and
universities
that
are
part
of
the
Common
Application
(www.commonapp.org),
only
about
30
require
subject
tests.
(Scroll
down
to
the
bottom
of
this
email
for
details
on
schools
that
require
subject
tests.)
• Subject
tests
are
offered
in
Literature,
U.S.
History,
World
History,
Math,
Biology,
Chemistry,
Physics,
and
a
variety
of
languages.
• SAT
2s
are
administered
six
times
per
academic
year.
• Students
can
take
up
to
three
tests
in
one
day
but
cannot
take
them
on
the
same
day
as
the
SAT
Reasoning
test.
• Students
who
elect
to
take
the
SAT
Subject
tests,
usually
do
so
at
the
end
of
Y1
or
when
they
finish
a
course
in
a
subject.
• Register
at
www.collegeboard.org.
Fee:
$23
(Fee
Waivers
are
available
upon
request
in
the
CTO
for
students
who
receive
free
and
reduced
lunch.)
• Free
SAT
Subject
Tests
are
online
at
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-­‐
subject-­‐test-­‐preparation
• Find
for
information
about
the
Subject
tests
here:
http://sat.collegeboard.org/about-­‐
tests/sat-­‐subject-­‐tests
Which Should You Take? ACT vs. SAT
SAT
or
ACT?
All
colleges
equally
accept
bot
the
SAT
and
the
ACT
with
Writing.
Tradition
stands
that
students
on
the
East
Coast
take
the
SAT
–
but
since
when
have
BHSEC
students
followed
trends?
A
growing
number
of
students
on
the
easy
coast
are
taking
the
ACT
instead.
So
how
do
students
decide
which
test
to
take?
It's
too
time
consuming
and
expensive
to
take
and
prep
for
both.
To
answer
this
question
then,
students
should
go
by
'feel.'
Which
test
'feels'
better?
To
find
out
the
answers
to
these
questions,
either
register
for
a
FREE
Princeton
Review
practice
ACT
and
SAT
or
complete
practice
questions
which
can
be
found
on
both
the
College
Board
and
the
ACT
websites.
Also,
factor
the
benefits
of
the
ACT
regarding
subject
test
requirements
(see
section
4)
into
your
decision.
• Register
for
a
FREE
practice
SAT
-­‐-­‐either
online
on
your
own
time,
or
find
a
proctored
exam
at
a
convenient
location
and
time:
http://www.princetonreview.com/ChooseProducts.aspx?testtype=TAA&producttype=
FRE&productdetail=SATEventsNearYou&zipcode=10012
3

4. • Register
for
a
FREE
practice
ACT
-­‐-­‐either
online
on
your
own
time,
or
find
a
proctored
exam
at
a
convenient
location
and
time:
http://www.princetonreview.com/ChooseProducts.aspx?testtype=TBA&producttype=
FRE&productdetail=ACTEventsNearYou&zipcode=10012
Still
not
sure
which
test
to
take?
Check
out
the
Q
&
A
on
the
NY
Times
Blog:
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/guidance-­‐office-­‐ask-­‐sat-­‐act/
Should you take SAT Subject Tests?
Students
should
take
subject
tests
if
the
schools
they
are
interested
in
require
them
or
if
they
feel
there
is
a
subject
they
have
particularly
excelled
in
that
they
want
to
showcase.
In
general,
you’ll
want
to
take
SAT
Subject
Tests
right
after
you’ve
completed
the
recommended
classes
because
the
material
will
still
be
fresh
in
your
mind.
For
the
language
tests,
however,
you
should
consider
taking
these
tests
after
you’ve
studied
the
language
for
at
least
two
years.
However,
many
students
and
families
assume
that
‘all
schools
require’
them,
which
is
not
true.
1. Colleges
Where
No
Subject
Tests
Are
Necessary:
There
are
420+
Colleges
on
the
Common
App
that
do
NOT
require
subject
tests:
For
a
complete
list,
go
to:
https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/common2010_Gri
d.pdf
2. 20
Colleges
Where
ACT
with
Writing
Can
Be
Substituted
For
The
Subject
Tests:
The
following
20+
colleges,
submitting
the
ACT
with
Writing
will
actually
excuse
you
from
the
SAT
Subject
test
requirement!
However
if
you
submit
the
SAT
to
them,
then
you
must
also
submit
2
Subject
tests
(in
these
cases,
taking
the
ACT
can
be
helpful):
Amherst,
Barnard,
Colby,
Bryn
Mawr,
Brown
University,
Boston
University,
Boston
College,
Duke
University,
Haverford
College,
Hamilton
College,
Franklin
Olin
College
of
Engineering,
Pomona
College,
Rice
University,
Tufts
University,
Swarthmore
College,
Wellesley
College,
Vassar
College,
University
of
Pennsylvania,
Wesleyan
University,
and
Yale
University
3. 10
Colleges
Where
Subject
Tests
Always
Required:
At
the
following
10
colleges
and
universities
student
are
required
to
submit
2
Subject
Tests
regardless
of
whether
you
submit
the
SAT
or
the
ACT
with
Writing:
Carnegie
Mellon,
Cal
Tech,
Columbia
U.,
Cornell,
Dartmouth,
Johns
Hopkins
(does
not
require
subject
tests
but
STRONGLY
urges
applicants
to
submit
two),
Harvey
Mudd
College,
Harvard,
Princeton
and
Williams
4

5. Options for Test Prep:
BHSEC
Winter
Princeton
On
Campus
Review
Courses:
We
will
be
offering
The
Princeton
Review
ACT
and
The
Princeton
Review
SAT
test
preparation
classes
at
BHSEC
this
winter.
The
SAT
prep
course
starts
in
December
to
prepare
students
for
the
March
exam
and
the
ACT
course
starts
in
February
for
the
April
exam.
To
apply,
email
our
Princeton
Review
representative,
Eutilia
Ruggiero
at
ERuggiero@Review.com
Here
is
the
link
the
course
flier
with
sign
up
information:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B0GuVfIhnwrabm5qQmxjcmdsVHc
Courses
are
$399
with
an
early
enrollment
discount
if
you
sign
up
BEFORE
DECEMBER
1st.
The
Princeton
Review
does
offer
financial
aid
to
qualifying
students.
Please
remember
that
if
you
are
financially
eligible,
you
can
receive
up
to
almost
full
financial
aid
for
the
Princeton
Review
course
taught
at
BHSECQ
Outside
Courses
And
Prep:
If
you
enroll
for
an
SAT
or
ACT
class
outside
of
BHSEC
at
one
of
the
major
for-­‐profit
test
prep
companies
such
as
Kaplan,
(presumably
because
our
classes
do
not
fit
your
schedule)
even
if
it
is
offered
by
the
Princeton
Review,
the
same
company
that
is
teaching
the
course
at
BHSEC,
there
is
usually
no
financial
aid.
Classes
outside
of
BHSEC
through
Kaplan
and
Princeton
Review
are
typically
$599.
Both
companies
also
offer
some
online
course
options
for
$299.
We
also
keep
a
list
of
free/low
cost
SAT
prep
options
(ACT
prep
is
harder
to
come
by)
in
the
CTO.
Students
should
come
ask
for
it.
Prepping
on
Your
Own
(only
recommended
in
conjunction
with
a
course):
We
do
not
recommend
simply
prepping
from
a
book.
While
it
may
be
tempting
to
feel
that
simply
taking
many
practice
tests
at
a
table
using
a
timer
is
all
the
test
prep
needed,
we
have
found
this
not
to
be
true.
That
being
said,
at
most
bookstores
you
will
find
test
prep
books
that
offer
test-­‐taking
tips
and
sample
tests
with
answers.
We
also
recommend
these
sites.
• Number2.com
as
an
online
resource
for
free
SAT/ACT
Prep
• Khan
Academy
for
SAT
Math
• PWN
The
SAT
for
SAT
Math-­‐especially
for
intermediate
and
upper
level
test
takers.
• Ultimate
Verbal
Blog-­‐for
Critical
Reading
and
Writing
• College
Board
Site-­‐for
free
practice
tests,
sample
questions,
and
word
of
the
day
• Actstudent.org
for
free
practice
tests
and
sample
questions.
• Quizlet-­‐for
SAT
vocabulary
• Free
Rice-­‐for
improving
vocabulary
and
donating
to
charity
5

6. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1)
Q:
How
many
BHSEC
students
take
the
ACT
vs
the
SAT?
• Last
year
about
a
1/3
of
the
class
took
the
ACT.
This
percentage
gets
higher
each
year.
Many
more
students
said,
“I
wish
I
would
have
taken
the
ACT
instead…”
2)
Q:
Does
every
college
really
accept
the
ACT
with
Writing?
Do
they
secretly
prefer
the
SAT?
• Yes,
ALL
colleges
accept
the
ACT,
and
NO,
they
have
ABSOLUTELY
NO
PREFERENCE
for
one
or
the
other!
3)
Q:
What
are
some
potential
advantages
of
taking
the
ACT,
rather
than
the
SAT?
1. Out
of
the
35
highly
selective
colleges
that
require
the
SAT
plus
2
subject
tests
on
the
Common
Application
(versus
just
the
ACT
or
SAT,
without
subject
tests),
more
than
20
schools
on
this
list
waive
the
subject
test
requirements
for
students
taking
the
ACT.
That
leaves
about
12-­‐15
schools
that
require
subject’s
tests
for
ACT
test
takers.
The
reason
schools
waive
the
subject
test
requirement
is
that
the
ACT
has
a
science
section,
while
the
SAT
does
not.
So,
depending
on
the
schools
you
want
to
apply
to,
there
is
a
good
chance
you
won't
need
to
take
subject
tests
if
you
take
the
ACT.
2. Some
students
find
the
ACT
a
little
more
straightforward
than
the
SAT.
In
order
to
find
out
if
this
is
true
for
you,
since
this
is
a
matter
of
personal
opinion,
you
should
take
a
practice
test.
Keep
reading
to
find
out
how
to
do
this
anytime
online,
for
a
free
scored
exam.
4)
Q:
What
are
some
of
the
potential
downsides
of
the
taking
the
ACT?
1. The
ACT
has
a
science
section,
which
may
be
off
putting
to
students
who
are
not
strong
in
science.
However,
the
science
section
is
mostly
about
being
able
to
read
charts
and
graphs
rather
than
being
an
expert
in
Biology,
Chemistry,
or
Physics.
2. There
are
fewer
ACT
prep
classes
than
there
are
SAT
prep
classes,
and
very
few
free
ACT
prep
classes
offered
by
community-­‐based
non-­‐profits
like
Henry
Street
or
SAYA,
for
example.
However,
if
you
can
take
the
BHSEC
ACT
class,
then
you
do
not
have
to
worry
about
having
fewer
options
for
ACT
classes.
Need
based
Financial
Aid
is
available
for
the
Princeton
Review
classes.
If,
however,
you
CANNOT
take
the
BHSEC
ACT
class,
and
you
still
want
to
prep
for
the
ACT,
look
at
the
schedules
of
classes
offered
by
Princeton
Review
and
Kaplan:
https://www.princetonreview.com/college/act-­‐test-­‐preparation.aspx
and
http://www.kaptest.com/College/ACT/act-­‐prep-­‐courses.html
respectively.
5)
Q:
I've
heard
that
selective
colleges
often
want
to
see
subject
test
scores,
even
if
they
do
not
require
them.
Is
this
true?
6

7. • This
is
true
for
some
highly
selective
schools,
however
typically
only
very
high
scores
will
make
a
positive
difference
in
the
admissions
process.
Very
high
scores
are
considered
to
be
680
to
730
and
over.
Therefore,
if
a
student
takes
two
subject
tests
but
earns
a
good
score
of
640
in
both
subjects,
it
is
unlikely
at
worst
to
debatable
at
best
that
these
scores
are,
in
fact,
boosting
the
student’s
application
6)
Q:
Why
do
the
20
schools
in
List
above
waive
the
subject
test
requirements
for
ACT
takers?
• Because
the
ACT
includes
a
science
section
(The
SAT
does
not
have
a
science
section.)
7