Practice Questions For New SAT

To help students prepare for the redesigned PSAT/NMSQT (first offered in October 2015) and the redesigned SAT (spring 2016), the College Board has released a significant number of test questions.

See Sample Questions 

Students and teachers can get detailed information about the format and features of the redesigned exams’ Reading Tests, Writing and Language Tests, Math Tests, and the SAT Essay on these pages:

• Reading Test
• Writing and Language Test
• Math Test
• The SAT Essay

The College Board encourages both students and educators to learn more about the redesigned SAT by looking through the sample questions.

Apply Now For Summer Pre-College Programs

By Dr. Aviva Hershfeld Legatt

Owner and College and Career Consultant

VivED Consulting

Do you have a freshman, sophomore or junior at home? As former Director of the Leadership in the Business World pre-college program at The Wharton School, I can tell you that participating in a pre-college program not only contributes to a student's growth and development, but also to his/her future college applications. While there is not a one-to-one link between participating in a summer program on a college campus and university admission, there are many benefits for students who participate in one of these programs. 

Besides the friendships made, the paramount outcome of a summer pre-college program experience is that students receive insight about their academic/career interests and college choices. In the many admissions applications I have read, and in my current college counseling practice, it is clear that many students have very little idea about why they want to study their intended major or go into a particular career field. (Hint: Reasons of "prestige" and "excellence" are insufficient). Pre-college programs provide opportunity for students to recognize and articulate compelling personalized (and informed) reasons about why a major (and/or school) is a good fit.

 

If your student is interested in attending a pre-college program this summer, make sure he or she applies ASAP: Most pre-college programs have rolling admissions, filling seats on a first-come, first-served basis.

Need ideas for pre-college programs that would be a good fit for your student? Contact Dr. Aviva Hirschfeld Legatt at aviva@vivedconsulting.com.

Debunking Myths About Financial Aid

Every year, thousands of students and families let misconceptions about financial aid stop them from applying for -- and receiving -- the aid they deserve. Let's let the folks at collegedata.com set the record straight.

Myth #1: There isn't enough aid for everyone, and certainly not for my family.

Fact: The amount of aid for college students increases almost every year. According to the College Board: More than $185 billion in financial aid was distributed to undergraduates during the 2012-2013 academic year in the form of aid from all sources, including grants, work-study, loans, and tax credits and deductions. Between the academic years 2007-2008 and 2012-2013, grant aid for full-time undergraduates increased an average of 6.8 percent each year.

If you need financial help, get in line. You have only yourself to blame if you don't. Visit collegedata.com for lots more mythbusting information.

SAT Essay: How To Score High

The essay represents about 25% to 30% of the SAT Writing score. The other 70% to 75% is based on your performance on the multiple- choice grammar questions.

The prompts of the SAT allow for a great deal of leeway in your choice of examples. You can practice by reviewing a range of people and topics from literature and history before the test.

Most important, though, is the quality of your writing and your ability to support your thesis. This can also include an example taken from personal experience. Just be sure to make it specific.

When you sit down for the test and get your prompt, take a few minutes to outline your answer. While it is often true that the top scoring essays are the longest ones, it is not true that you can simply improve your essay by writing more or writing faster.

It’s not easy to write a complete SAT essay in 25 minutes, but you can do it. And, with practice, you will. The key is being prepared.

New SAT Practice Questions: Here's A First Look

About a year before the first administration of the new SAT, the College Board recently released a significant number of practice problems for the new test to help students prepare for the redesigned SAT in Spring 2016. Practice tests for the redesigned SAT are expected in spring 2015. 

According to the College Board, we can expect at least seven weeks between the first administration of the new SAT and the release of scores, along with concordance tables that will equate scores on the current and the new SAT.

Colleges will accept old SAT, new SAT, and ACT scores from the class of 2017. The new SAT represents an opportunity to improve the way test scores fit into the admissions process. We at Key Academics look forward to introducing our new prep guides, practice tests and other materials this summer. 

Math Sample Questions

• Calculator: Permitted
• Calculator: Not Permitted
• Reading Sample Questions 
• Writing Sample Questions 
• Essay Sample Questions

It's Time To Fill Out College Financial Aid Form For Fall 2015

Students who plan to attend or continue college next fall should have already started their application for financial aid. Those who file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid from January through March receive, on average, twice the amount of grant money as those who file later

That’s probably because many states and colleges have early deadlines, the New York Times reported. Connecticut, for example, has a Feb. 15 deadline for certain aid programs. Plus, some state grant programs distribute awards on a first-­come, first-­served basis. So waiting means that students may miss out on aid even if they qualify.

The FAFSA form is the starting point for students and families seeking federal aid, and is used by most states and colleges as part of the student aid process. It must be completed every school year for students seeking aid. The form collects financial and personal information about students, and their parents if they are dependents, to determine eligibility for scholarships, grants, work-­study awards and loans.

A common mistake applicants make on the Fafsa is to include the value of their or their parents’ retirement plans, or the value of their family’s primary home. Neither is used by the Fafsa to calculate financial need, so including them could hurt an applicant’s chances. 

What to Do When You Get 'Deferred'

Receiving a “defer” decision from your top choice college or university as an early decision (ED) applicant can be a very discouraging, frustrating, and confusing experience.  There are two primary reasons why a candidate is deferred:

1) The admissions committee wants to see how the applicant fares relative to the regular decision applicant pool.

2) There is a gap in knowledge about the student’s scholastic performance or personal qualities.

While the final admission decision is out of an applicant’s control (and hopefully this relieves student/family anxiety in some way), there are strategies that students can use to stand out after receiving a deferral decision *:

1) Students--Send an email to thank the admissions officer for their thoughtful consideration of your application; reiterate that the college or university where you applied ED continues to be your top choice. Ask for 5 minutes of the admission officer’s time to discuss your application so that you can find out if there is particular information (e.g. grades, recommendations) that would help the committee to better understand you as a candidate. Even if you are unable to reach an admissions officer directly, make sure to submit updated materials such as grades, standardized test scores, and new recommendation letters (where appropriate).

2) Students--Ask your high school-based college counselor if he/she is willing to reach out to the admissions office to find out if there are particular materials you can submit to make a more compelling case for admission.

3) Parents--Be mindful that your student, and his/her college counselor where possible, needs to be front and center in following up with admissions officers. It is understandable for parents to want to “do something” during this tumultuous time, but the best thing that parents can do is to allow their students to take the lead.

Please know that admissions officers do consider the needs of students and their families during the process.  Nonetheless, students and families sometimes need additional college application support that a college or university cannot provide.

Questions? Contact Dr. Aviva Hirschfeld Legatt, College Admissions Consultant, at vivedconsulting@gmail.com or 215-595-4926.

*Thank you to numerous colleagues for input on these strategies.