JUKO 2015 - College Admission Testing

1. JUKO
November 2015
College Admissions Testing

2. Basics
 Meet with your counselor to create a testing plan
 When in doubt, ask your college counselor
 It is the students’ responsibility to be aware of each
school specific requirement

3. SAT Reasoning Test
What?
∗ Critical Reading, Math, Writing
∗ 2400 is the highest score possible
Who?
∗ Students applying to US & Asia and
∗ Students without IB Diploma
When?
∗ Last chance for the current SAT: January 23rd
∗ Redesigned SAT May 7th
How?
∗ Register at www.collegeboard.org
Where?
∗ ISM ☺ Test Center: 74905 (confidential)

4. Changes from SAT to Redesigned SAT
SAT
 Three sections:
 Math
 Critical Reading
 Writing
 Scoring 600-2400
 ¼ a point loss for wrong
answer
 Required Essay
 Aptitude test, testing reasoning
and verbal abilities
 Obscure word without context
Redesigned SAT
Two Sections:
 Math
 Evidence Based Reading and
Writing
 Scoring 400-1600
 No Penalty for guessing
 Optional Essay
 Curriculum based learning
 Less obscure words (more
contextual analysis)
 More advanced math
 Math without Calculator section

5. But what if the SAT is not my best friend?
∗ FAIRTEST.ORG
∗ SAT Optional:
∗ ex. NYU, but need predicted IB Scores
∗ SAT Flexible:
∗ ex. Middlebury, 3 subject tests in place of SAT
Reasoning Test

6. SAT Score Choice
College Board and ACT allows you to choose
which scores you submit from specific test
dates.
∗ But what if a college requires all test scores?
∗ The College Board says they are your scores
∗ Colleges will require you to sign a statement saying
you have submitted all scores
∗ College board does not report if you use Score
Choice
∗ Using score choice typically does not make you a
better applicant

7. SAT Subject Tests
∗ What?
∗ 1 hour exams in English Literature, History, Languages,
Math, Sciences
∗ Who?
∗ Generally those who are applying to selective US colleges
∗ How Many?
∗ You can take up to 3 in one sitting
∗ 2 is often required
∗ Ex. Georgetown & Johns Hopkins recommend 3
∗ When?
∗ Cannot take them on the same test date as the SAT
Reasoning
∗ Language with Listening (preferred) is offered only in
November
∗ Recommended in May/June JUNIOR year

8. Advice for Subject Tests
 Study – you can learn the material for them
 What is a good score?
 700 + is competitive at the most selective colleges
 What if it’s not required?
 If you can score well, it can help your application
 Take what you can score well on, but not too many.
 Score choice can be used on individual exams within a
single test date
 It is not recommended to take a language subject test in
your first language.

9. ACT
∗ What?
∗ College admission exam similar to the SAT, includes a
science section
∗ Who?
∗ Students applying to US universities
∗ Why?
∗ Many US colleges will accept the ACT in lieu of the entire
SAT Reasoning and two SAT Subject Test requirement
∗ When and Where?
∗ Five times per year at ISM
∗ Coming up: December (NOV 6th Deadline), April & June
∗ How?
∗ Register at www.actstudent.org

10. TOEFL
∗ What?
∗ Test Of English as a Foreign Language
∗ Who?
∗ Passport holders of non-English speaking countries
(including the Philippines) are often expected to submit a
TOEFL score
∗ Where and When?
∗ Offered several times per month at various locations in
Manila – but not at ISM
∗ If possible take TOEFL before senior year begins
∗ How?
∗ Register at www.ets.org/toefl

11. Potential TOEFL Exemptions
∗ Check individual college requirements
∗ 650 on SAT Critical Reading
∗ English A HL (sometimes with a prediction of 5+)
∗ Entirety of high school education in a Western
nation accredited school with instruction in
English (similar to ISM)

12. IELTS
 International English Language Testing System
 Offered about 3x a month in Manila
 Take if you are going to a school in the UK
 UK will not issue a Tier Four visa without an
IELTS

13. IB
∗ Full Diploma generally required in Europe
and Australia
∗ Full Diploma students are exempted from
the SAT requirement in Canada and at
some Asian universities
∗ ISM reports predicted scores for all IB
Diploma candidates
∗ All university offers are conditional
∗ UK and Australia set strict IB score conditions
∗ North American universities expect you to
achieve close to your predictions

14. Advanced Placement
∗ Myth: US colleges prefer AP to IB
∗ ISM only offers AP US History
∗ US colleges do not expect ISM students to submit AP scores,
unless the student has taken AP US History
∗ ISM courses do not line up with AP course material
∗ AP exams are offered at ISM for a wide scope of subjects
∗ If taken in junior year, you can submit AP scores as part of
your application to US colleges
∗ Please don’t sacrifice grades and health by studying for a
bunch of AP exams

15. Generic Timeline
Junior Year:
∗ November-February: Take SAT/ACT for
first time
∗ February-May: If needed take SAT/ACT
again
∗ TOEFL: Junior Year
∗ June: SAT subject test
Senior Year:
∗ Last time for the SAT/ACT

16. An Additional thought
 Junior Year Transcripts are important.
 Find a balance between testing and school work.

17. SAT 2015-2016
Test Date Registration Deadline Results Online
December 5 November 5 December 22
January 23 December 28 February 11
May 7 (REDESIGNED) April 8 Mid June
June 4 May 5 Mid July
ACT 2015-2016
Test Date Registration Deadline Results online
December 12 November 6 December 22-Feb 5
April 9 March 4 April 19-June 3
June 11 May 6 June 21-August 5

18. Additional Resources
 College Board Sample Questions
 College Board: SAT Suite of Assessments
 New York Time: Everything you need to know about
the New SAT

19. HIGH SCHOOL CODES
ACT
www.actstudent.org/intl
HS Code: 705720
Test Center Code: 867480
SAT
sat.collegeboard.org
HS Code: 705720
Test Center Code: 74905

20. Questions?