1. Intro to College Admissions Testing
Or, “Why do we have to take these stupid tests and why are there two of them anyway?

2. First, some history… (courtesy of Erik Jacobsen at erikthered.com)
Late 1800’s: Individual admission tests (Northeastern U.S.) or “admission by certificate” (Midwest)
1899: 12 colleges in the Northeast form the College Board to bring order to a chaotic admissions system
1901: 1st “college boards” given to a cohort of <1000 students
: Multiple-choice intelligence tests developed for Army, Columbia, and a few other institutions

3. First, some history… (courtesy of Erik Jacobsen at erikthered.com)
1925: About 20,000 students take the College Board exam (~10% of college students)
1926: College Board administers 1st Scholastic Aptitude Test to students as supplement to the current exam (aptitude vs. mastery)
: SAT gains popularity and makes continual adjustments, including wrong answer penalty (1954) and allowing students to see their own scores (1958)

4. First, some history… (courtesy of Erik Jacobsen at erikthered.com)
1937: SAT Subject Tests are introduced, and are called “Achievement Tests” until 1994
1959: American College Testing (ACT) Program is founded to address regional differences in college admissions and to focus on “achievement” instead of “aptitude”; based on the Iowa Tests
1968: Number of students taking SAT = Number of students taking ACT ( ~900,000)
: Continued changes and controversies; more schools accepting either test
2011 data courtesy of ACT.org

5. First, some history… (courtesy of Erik Jacobsen at erikthered.com)
1995: The Great Recentering
2005: Writing Multiple Choice and Essay added to SAT; Optional Writing Test added to ACT
2007: Every college accepts ACT scores
2010: Number taking ACT > Number taking SAT
2013: College Board decides to change the SAT format again for March 2016

6. Why does any of that history stuff matter?
In order to get optimal results, it helps to remember that these tests are:
NOT a measure of intelligence or achievement
NOT a good predictor of your future success
SOMETIMES used by employers
OFTEN subject to criticism and change
REALLY a way for colleges to sort thousands of applicants

7. Old (pre-March 2016) SAT Overview

8. New (post-March 2016) SAT Overview

9. New vs. Old SAT Overview

10. ACT Overview

11. New SAT/Old SAT/ACT Comparison

12. SAT/ACT Comparison

13. SAT/ACT Concordance

14. AND NOW…
IT’S TIME TO PLAY…
FACT OR CRAP
SAT/ACT VERSION

15. THE ACT IS EASIER THAN THE SAT.
FACT OR CRAP

16. SOME SCHOOLS ONLY ACCEPT THE SAT.
FACT OR CRAP

17. THE ACT ACTUALLY TESTS CONTENT YOU LEARN IN SCHOOL, UNLIKE THE SAT
FACT OR CRAP

18. MOST COLLEGES SUPERSCORE BOTH TESTS?
MOST COLLEGES SUPERSCORE BOTH TESTS
FACT OR CRAP

19. COLLEGES DON’T EVEN LOOK AT THE WRITING SCORE
FACT OR CRAP

20. SOME COLLEGES MAKE YOU TAKE SAT SUBJECT TESTS
FACT OR CRAP

21. YOU CAN’T TAKE THESE TESTS MORE THAN TWICE
FACT OR CRAP

22. 1200 (SAT) / 26 (ACT) IS A GOOD SCORE
Well, it’s Complicated…

23. Do a little informal research:
TONIGHT’S HOMEWORK:
Do a little informal research:
Look up the required or average entering scores of the colleges you’re applying to
Based on those data, determine your target score