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2009 College-Bound Seniors Are Most Diverse Group Ever to Take SAT® As More Minority Students Prepare for Higher Education

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Source: CollegeBoard.com
NEW YORK — The College Board announced today that this year’s graduating class has the most college-bound students taking the SAT® in history, and this class also stands out as having the most diverse participation in SAT history.

More than 1.5 million students (1,530,128) in the class of 2009 took the SAT, the most widely used and researched standardized college admission test. Of those, 40.0 percent were minority students. This is an increase from 38.0 percent in 2008 and 29.2 percent in 1999, reflecting the steady growth in SAT minority participation rates.

“We are tremendously encouraged by the increasing diversity of participation in the SAT,” said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board. “The College Board will continue working together with educators nationwide to ensure all students have the opportunity to confidently pursue their college dreams. As the equity gap narrows, more than ever, the SAT reflects the diversity of students in our nation’s classrooms.”

On a long-term basis, students’ mathematics scores have experienced an upward trend and are now four points higher than a decade ago; conversely, critical reading scores have declined somewhat and are now four points below what they were 10 years ago. This year’s college-bound seniors averaged 501 in critical reading, 515 in mathematics and 493 in writing. In 2008, the average score in critical reading was 502; in mathematics, 515; and in writing, 494. The writing section of the SAT was introduced in 2005. In 2006, the first year the writing scores were reported for the college-bound seniors cohort, the average writing score was 497.

“Almost all of our nation’s colleges and universities accept the SAT as an integral part of the admission process, and most that require the submission of the SAT do so because they know they can make better admission decisions if they have as much data as possible about every student applicant,” said Caperton. “The college admission process is like most other activities in our increasingly complex society: The more data and information we have available, the better decisions we can make.”
2009 College-Bound Seniors At a Glance

* The most diverse group of college-bound seniors taking the SAT on record, this year’s minority participation totaled 612,666 students.
* Hispanic students represent the largest and fastest-growing minority group taking the SAT and now account for 13.5 percent of all SAT takers compared to 7.8 percent 10 years ago. The number of Hispanic testers over 10 years has more than doubled.
* Females comprised 53.5 percent of the 2009 test-taking group; males comprised 46.5 percent.
* More than one-third (36.1 percent) of SAT takers reported their parents’ highest level of education as high school or less.
* Language diversity is increasing as more 2009 SAT takers report that English is not exclusively their first language compared to previous years — 25.2 percent versus 18.3 percent in 1999.

The Value of Preparation in SAT Performance

As in previous years, the strongest SAT performers in the class of 2009 on average had three things in common: They had completed a core curriculum, had taken their school’s most rigorous courses and had familiarized themselves with the test.

“The SAT directly reflects what students have learned in school and how they use that knowledge,” said Laurence Bunin, senior vice president of the SAT Program at the College Board. “That’s why the latest research continues to validate that the SAT, when combined with high school grades, is the best predictor of college success.”

Completing a core curriculum — four or more years of English, three or more years of mathematics, three or more years of natural science, and three or more years of social science and history — remains strongly related to SAT scores. Students in the class of 2009 who took core curricula scored an average of 46 points higher on the critical reading section, 44 points higher on the mathematics section, and 45 points higher on the writing section than those who did not.

Similarly, students in the class of 2009 who had taken the most demanding honors or Advanced Placement® courses had higher SAT scores on this year’s test. For example, students who took AP® or honors English courses scored 60 points higher in critical reading and 59 points higher in writing than the average of all students. Similarly, students who took AP or honors math courses had a 79-point advantage compared to the average mathematics score.

Those students who practice more and familiarize themselves with the SAT also tend to have higher average scores than those who do not. One way to practice is to take the PSAT/NMSQT®. Among the class of 2009 SAT takers, students who had taken the PSAT/NMSQT had average scores of 513 in critical reading, 524 in mathematics and 505 in writing, compared to 470, 491 and 460, respectively, for those who did not — a combined difference of 121 points. Slightly more than 82 percent (82.4 percent) of 2009 college-bound seniors reported taking the PSAT/NMSQT.

“Data bear out the necessity for schools to renew efforts to provide the strongest core curriculum possible, including writing instruction, and to improve access to courses like AP that give students such advantages on the SAT and later in college,” said Caperton.

Both College Board and independent validity studies continue to confirm that writing is the most predictive section of the SAT.
About the SAT

Designed to measure what students have learned in high school, the SAT tests students’ reading, writing and mathematics skills — the same skills they’re learning in high school and that are essential to college success. It also shows how well students can apply their skills, which is critically important to colleges when evaluating undergraduate candidates. Each year, the SAT is administered to more than two million students in more than 6,000 test centers that are located in more than 170 countries.

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New SAT Score Choice is not accepted by universities nationwide

Monday, October 26th, 2009

By Adam Mandell

A new feature provided by the College Board this year to give students more say over the SAT scores they send to universities has recently come under fire, as some argue that it undermines the academic value of tests and favors wealthier students.

The new “Score Choice” policy allows students to choose which SAT scores their prospective colleges see. The policy is not mandatory, and if certain students do not wish to use the feature, all of their scores will be automatically sent to the colleges of their choice.

While the College Board, which produces the SAT, allegedly aimed to lessen the pressure of the standardized exam with Score Choice, several institutions around the country are responding negatively to new feature.
Several universities, including Cornell, Rice and Yale, have criticized the new policy and continue to require that applicants submit all of their SAT scores. Representatives from several of these dissenting schools warn that the new policy may have unintended negative repercussions and contend that they already have protocols in place to reflect a student’s test-taking ability.

Under the Score Choice policy, students can choose one test date and have the critical reading, mathematics and verbal scores from that specific date submitted to colleges. The policy counters measures by colleges that would otherwise choose the student’s highest sectional scores from a variety of test dates.

The College of Wooster is one such school. An applicant’s best composite score — determined by combining the highest scores on each SAT section from any number of tests — is used for admission purposes.

“We encourage students to submit all of their scores,” Scott Jones, senior assistant director of admissions at the College of Wooster, told the Daily. “We only count the highest composite score sent, hence the score choice leaves really no effect.”

Tufts’ Office of Undergraduate Admissions also uses a student’s highest composite score and requires that applicants send all SAT scores.

“Our goal is to keep the admission process as straightforward as possible,” Tufts’ admissions office Web site says. “Since our database already selects the highest sectional score for inclusion in the application file, ‘score choice’ is redundant.”

The Score Choice policy has also raised concerns that students from less wealthy demographics may be severely disadvantaged. The policy provides an incentive for students to take the SAT multiple times, but not all students may be able to pay to take the test numerous times.

“With such an incentive to take the test more, the assessment becomes focused on the coaching and gamesmanship,” said Robert Schaeffer, the public education director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest), a non-profit that monitors standardized testing.

Although there are fee waivers for allowing students who demonstrate need to take two free tests, any additional attempts must be paid in full, according to Allen Grove, director of the Alfred University’s First-Year Experience Program, which helps students make the transition from high school to college.

“Poor student demographics have always been at the losing end of standardized testing,” Grove told the Daily.

Schaeffer agreed that the test could offer a significant advantage to well-off applicants. “The test has become a very good measure of accumulative advantage,” he told the Daily. “It seems slightly counterproductive to the notion of equity.”

Schaeffer was among the many who questioned the College Board’s motivation behind the policy change. The SAT has suffered in the competitive market battle with the ACT, which has a test submissions policy similar to Score Choice.

“It is a double-edged sword. While it helps test takers by preventing a bad score sticking with that student for life, it reveals a very greedy element to the College Board which creates more confusion, anxiety [and] test-taking costs for the students,” he said.

Criticism has not been uniform, however, with several universities, including Harvard and the University of Chicago, voicing support for the new policy.

Still, the newfound student incentive to take the exam multiple times has prompted fears among some that test scores will lose their value.

“Scores will start meaning less; this could bring into question the credibility of the scores,” Grove said.

To facilitate student understanding, the College Board is providing an online forum in which colleges can publicize their specific SAT submission requirements. The Web site aims to decrease confusion about policy changes by providing a one-stop location for individual university regulations.

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Answers From the Admissions Dean of the University of Pennsylvania

Monday, October 26th, 2009

By Eric J. Furda

Mr. Furda, a graduate of U. Penn, was previously executive director of undergraduate admissions at Columbia University.

Today, Mr. Furda answers questions about whether the process of choosing among early decision applicants is different from the regular decision process; how much weight is placed on the campus visit (particularly for students from far away); and the essay, and how an applicant can best communicate why he or she is interested in a particular college.

To pose a question to Mr. Furda, use the comment box on our original post or the box below. His answers are scheduled to continue through Friday. (Some questions and answers have been edited for length, style and other considerations.) — Jacques Steinberg
Q.

In what ways does the admissions office consider early decision and regular decision applicants differently? What similarities and differences do you regularly see in the applicants, and how much does the first-choice mark of an early application impact your consideration of that applicant?

—Jennifer
Q.

Is it true that those who apply early decision, or even just earlier, have a better shot at financial aid dollars?

I know of several students of color who will need full financial aid. Normally, they are advised never to apply early decision so that they can evaluate all offers and financial aid packages in April. Recently, a private counselor has pressed them to apply early decision because dollars for financial aid are assigned as students are accepted — and the college might run out. If that is true, then how does the college assign financial aid since they can’t look at Fafsa forms, which can’t be completed until January?

—Mel
A.

A number of questions posted by readers asked what impact applying early decision has on an applicant’s chances for admission, such as Jennifer’s: “Does the first-choice mark impact your consideration?”

I would suggest to all applicants that they need to demonstrate their knowledge about the school(s) to which they are applying and why that institution is appealing to them intellectually, academically, socially etc. So, many times, the difference between early decision applicants and many regular decision candidates is the depth of knowledge they are able to communicate about the school through their application.

For example, students who apply early decision to Penn share a demonstrated passion for our academic programs, the campus community and the city of Philadelphia, and we respond to this pool with a higher admit rate than in regular decision. So I would suggest that the benefit does not come from simply marking the early decision box but that the decision to apply early comes after a thoughtful search process, where one school becomes the student’s clear first choice.

The higher educational system in the United States has thousands of wonderful schools to choose from; therefore, we also recognize that, for the vast majority of applicants, identifying a school as a clear first choice is not possible. That said, I still recommend that they demonstrate and articulate their interest in the college or university as a regular decision candidate, either through their applications or an interview.

Mel asked whether applying early decision impacts a student’s chances for financial aid. At Penn the answer is no, but financial aid varies from school to school, so I highly recommend that you research a school’s financial aid policy: early decision, early action, regular decision and rolling admission processes. As Mel also suggested, for some students applying to a range of schools in regular decision will allow a student to compare financial aid packages, which is one reason why early decision is not for every student.
Q.

My daughter is interested in colleges on the East Coast, but we live in California. How much weight is placed on whether or not you visit a campus and meet with admissions officers when applying to competitive schools?

—Blair Pleasant
A.

Many institutions track interactions and contacts with prospective students: institutional outreach efforts, student-initiated via the Web, attending a regional event, visiting campus, or when the college visits your high school. The heart of Blair’s question is whether visiting (or not) will have a material difference on the admission decision.

Admissions offices want their applicants to be knowledgeable about their school, and studies have shown that the campus visit is the best way to experience and learn about the school; I know this to be the case for Penn. However, we recognize that a campus visit is not always possible, particularly for families wanting to visit schools hundreds — and thousands — of miles away from home.

Penn’s location in Philadelphia, the sixth largest city in the U.S., makes it easy to travel to, if cost (and time) wasn’t an issue, but we know it is. Therefore, we at Penn and colleagues at other schools on the East Coast take this into consideration, just as our colleagues on the West Coast take this into consideration for their East Coast applicants. (Yes, the Midwest and Southwest and other parts of the country can be substituted as well.)

If visiting the school you are interested in learning more about is not feasible, I suggest for your daughter to have some contact with the colleges she is interested in by attending a local college fair, high school visit or contacting a local alumni representative. Much of this information is on their Web site. Also, learn if a college has any specific policies about a campus interview.

Some small liberal arts colleges require or prefer an on-campus interview for applicants, especially from within a certain distance. If you’re not able to get to campus, I am sure they will try to arrange an interview with a local alum or possibly provide you with a phone interview when getting to campus is not feasible.
Q.

How much emphasis do you place on the essay portion of the application process? With so many students to choose from, what are some of the standout qualities in applicants that appeal to an institution such as yours?

Students are involved in so many things in this day and age. Their guidance counselors advise them to take honors courses, advanced courses, SAT prep courses, service activities, a job, sports and on and on. Most of the students in my daughter’s high school are doing it all! So what really sets them all apart?

—SB
A.

What really stands out about applicants? What really sets them apart? And then, how can those qualities come across in an application? As SB indicates, students are involved in a range of courses and activities. To the admissions committee, the question is not only “what” has a student taken academically or “what” is she involved in? We want to dig deeper beyond the lists, to find out the why – why this class, why these activities?

To take it a step further: how has that piece of literature moved you and challenged your thinking? How has your physics teacher influenced your interest in research? What came from the leadership experience in student government when your peers didn’t agree with your stance on an issue? How has your commitment to service organizations shaped your view of affecting change in society?

The applicants who stand out are able to communicate their experiences beyond the lists and resumes to convey more about who they are as a person. Some students share this through their short-answer question response, while others choose to write about it in their longer essay. Whether through a short essay or a longer one-page essay, my best advice is to remain true to your own voice and tell your story. Admissions officers want to hear a 17-18-year-old voice, not a 40-50-year-old voice. (Sorry, parents.)

Another way in which we gain insight is through counselor and teacher recommendations. Although the quality of these letters can vary widely, references provide a picture of a student through an academic lens and also from a broader community perspective. Since students can choose the teachers who write on their behalf, they should consider how they have interacted with those teachers and the perspectives the teachers can share.

As with any high school community, some students are going to stand out for exceptional intellectual capacity, passion for learning and other talents; parents, teachers and other students can point to who these students are and those characteristics that distinguish them. Even in a highly selective applicant pool like Penn’s, these applicants rise to the top.
Q.

My daughter has a strong interest in a particular field of study that is not typical, and therefore, only really offered by a minority of schools, many of which are very difficult to get into. She is very strong academically (straight As, lots of AP classes, including math), but we live in one of those places that produces a lot of strong candidates and, from this end, the selection process seems almost random.

So, my question is, does it matter to these schools at all that she wants to attend them not just for their prestige but because they are exceptionally strong in her chosen field? And if they do, what’s the best way for a student to present themselves on that basis?

Or do schools just not care about that kind of thing and go for the strongest students on paper regardless of interest?

—Barbara
A.

Students who are exceptionally strong in a particular subject and are focused on a specific field have an opportunity to make a connection with colleges that have programs in that area. I am interested in what field Barbara’s daughter has a strong interest.

As an example, departments in the natural sciences, mathematics, fine or visual arts and foreign languages will attract students who have developed capacities and deep interest in those fields. By developed I mean sustained over a period of time with a level of depth in their exposure to the field by taking courses at the highest level (perhaps at a local college), research experience, immersion in a language and culture or demonstrated talent. At Penn, we refer to these students as “well angled.”

To Barbara’s question, colleges are interested when students can make a connection with a department in which they excel. As with other questions I am answering, students can convey their interest through the short-answer question in the Common Application or Universal Application (if the school accepts these) and essays. I would also consider requesting a letter of recommendation from a teacher who will be able to communicate your commitment and talent, further supporting your intellectual interest.

This may be a case where supplemental material is appropriate through an arts supplement or research that we can have evaluated by our faculty. Just be sure the school accepts supplements.

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Treating a College Admissions Essay Like a First Date

Monday, October 26th, 2009

By Jacques Steinberg

High school counselors and admissions officers are always reaching for analogies to convey to students (and parents) the purpose of a college admissions essay. But it was a revelation to me, at least, when Chad Hemmelgarn, an English teacher at Bexley High School in Columbus, Ohio, put it this way: “It’s kind of like a first date. You’re telling us the stuff that makes you special.”

Mr. Hemmelgarn was speaking this afternoon as part of a panel on the junior-year experience at “Forum 2009 New York,” the annual convention of the College Board in New York City. Over the next two and a half days, hundreds of counselors and admissions officers will attend dozens of sessions on all aspects of the high school and college-admissions experience.

In a series of posts on The Choice, several Times colleagues and I will attempt to pass on tips and perspectives from those meetings that we think will be useful to applicants and parents, as well as counselors and admissions officers.

For example, at the panel on the junior year, Mr. Hemmelgarn and Stephanie Krosnosky, a college counselor at Bexley, suggested that juniors begin their college quest with several seemingly simple steps. These included using a single sheet of paper to collect the dates of all the standardized tests they intended to take, which they would then post on the family refrigerator so that “mom and dad” would make sure they didn’t oversleep that day.

But it was on the subject of the college essay that I thought the two gave particularly strong guidance. For example, Mr. Hemmelgarn requires his juniors to write 25 sample college essays — using actual questions from the University of Chicago and Ohio State, among others — in 25 weeks, at home. His mantra? “Practice makes better.”

Mr. Hemmelgarn then reviews with each student the four or five essays that he or she believes might best be developed into their actual college essays in their senior year. For readers of The Choice who are juniors (or their parents), I see no reason why the same exercise couldn’t be repeated by any junior on one’s own — with a counselor or favorite teacher then enlisted as a sounding board.

Mr. Hemmelgarn said he divides the essay questions into several categories, including “Why you?” and “Why us?”

As an example of “Why you?” — or why might a particular college want you — he referred to an actual prompt on the Common Application that directs an applicant to “evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.”

Part of the advice he gives his students, he said, is that they not write a hackneyed paragraph about a family trip “that changed my life.” Unless, of course, it did.

One counselor in the audience immediately raised her hand to say that one of her high school students was in the process of writing just such an essay — about learning Flamenco in Spain — that promised to be unique and memorable. The boy’s theme (and yes, it was a boy)? “When am I ever going to do that again?”

Mr. Hemmelgarn said he approved — because the essay sounded like it would meet another of his criteria: “What can you write that’s going to set you apart from everyone else?”

As an example of the question of “Why us?” Mr. Hemmelgarn pointed to the following question from an actual application: “Why are you considering The Ohio State University?”

In counseling his students on how to approach their answer, Mr. Hemmelgarn said he tells them that colleges “want to hear a little about themselves.” And that, he said, usually requires some research.

One other tip from Mr. Hemmelgarn: When an applicant is asked a question like, “Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you,” as appears on the Common Application, what the college is really seeking is something about you (as in how you are similar to the person, or different.)

“The college is not accepting grandpa,” Mr. Hemmelgarn said. “They want to know what qualities of grandpa do you have.”

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Parliament Tutors Beats Out Test Prep Giants For Prestigious SAT Prep Honor

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 26, 2009 – Boutique private tutoring services are doing their best to compete with test-prep giants like Kaplan and Princeton Review that can afford luxuries like real ScanTron tests to grade students immediately after practice exams. BestTestPrep.Blogspot recently released their annual rankings. Parliament Tutors placed first in the Private SAT Tutoring category. This honor comes just weeks after Parliament Tutors released its own prep materials and diagnostic grading module. While, the best test prep method is often diligent, independent study, new technology and advanced testing strategies have given students an upper-hand in standardized test-taking.

New York City-based Parliament Tutors, recently invested in state-of-the-art software to better diagnose students SAT strengths and weaknesses. “We want to be ahead of the SAT Prep curve,” explains Parliament Tutors Academic Advisor David Greenberg. “We consider ourselves the most forward-thinking private-tutoring service in the nation. Our software engineers have developed a grading program to assess students’ strengths and areas of opportunity based on their correct and incorrect answers immediately upon submission. Our specialized math and verbal tutors are trained to respond to these evaluations.”

Parliament donates a percentage of its profits to sponsor free private tutoring sessions for students in need. “This campaign is special because is provides those in need with the same advantages as those who can afford first-class tutoring services,” explains Ari Smith, Parliament Tutors Midwest Director. “Students that can’t afford group courses, let alone a private SAT tutor, are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to competitive standardized-testing. I am proud to be a part of this effort and to give back to the community and provide these needy students with the same state-of-the-art software and top-notch tutors available to the wealthy.”

Last year over 1.5 million students took the SAT. As the importance of SAT scores in the college admissions process continues to grow, so does the demand for private tutoring and test-prep services. More and more students are applying to college today than ever before.

“With fewer job opportunities, students that may not have considered school in the past are turning to secondary education as an alternative,” explains test-prep tutor and educator Uri Carni. “Never have we seen such a high number of standardized test-takers for secondary education.” Students have responded to this increased demand in education by stepping up their preparation strategies as college application season approaches. The SAT may be the most important component in the college application process. The most important key for success is identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and building lessons accordingly to maximize your potential. Take as many practice tests as possible and focus on your areas that require extra attention and improvement.

“As important as these tests are, college admissions officers are putting increased emphasis on candidates’ profiles and less emphasis on their scores,” explains Lawrence Beer, Parliament Tutors West Coast Director. “Students are going to have to work hard to find and develop their niches to get admission officers’ attention today. A 700 around the board isn’t what it used to be. Schools want to see leadership, involvement, and expertise.”

This education boom will precipitate an even more competitive college admissions process. Much more attention will be given to students personal statements. It is important to grab your readers’ attention from the outset of your essay. Anecdotal essays that can relate to everyone typically work best. Increased attention and focus is being given to subject tests and AP results, as well. These exams give students a chance to show off their abilities to complete college-level coursework and to demonstrate proficiency in a particular field.

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