Score At The Top Blog

With news of the recent demise of SAT Subject Tests, many students were thrilled to find out they could scratch those additional test sittings off their long list of college preparation to-do’s. Ultimately, however, colleges still want to know that students have mastered academic subjects, so the College Board (CB) has merely shifted the emphasis to their other testing tools – AP exams. As a result, we are predicting that taking rigorous AP courses and scoring well on the exams are going to be more important than ever for students who hope to be admitted to top universities. Here’s what you need to know about AP exams and how they can impact your college planning process, as well as your college career. 

Topics: AP Exams, College Admission, Subject Test

Read More

Amid the sea of challenges that rocked the world of college admissions this past year, College Board is riding the wave of changing times. The organization announced on Tuesday, January 19, that it will no longer administer SAT Subject Tests and will drop the optional essay portion of the SAT.

Topics: College Admission, Subject Test, SAT Essay

Read More

Your extracurricular activities play a significant role on your college application. In fact, for most selective colleges, they’re the next most important factor after your academic record and test scores. And without test scores, your activities play an even greater role!

Topics: College Admission, Extracurricular Activities

Read More

In August of last year, our blog titled “When your GPA doesn't equal your GPA” discussed the varying ways in which colleges look at students’ grades – and the strength of the schedules that produced those grades – in making admissions decisions. In that blog, we noted that “When it comes to your GPA, the one that’s on your transcript is not necessarily the one that colleges will use!” That’s every bit as true now as it was then, and it’s also true, in spades, for the Florida State University System (SUS) schools that will be the focus of this blog.

Topics: College Admission, Application Essays, Person Statement

Read More

The College Board just postponed the June SAT, and also announced that it will offer one test every month from August to December, and that it will increase testing capacity for those tests dates. Priority registration will be offered to juniors who don’t yet have an SAT score and for those who previously registered for the June administration. It will also offer school-day testing in the fall and likely explore a test-at-home option similar to the upcoming AP exams.

Topics: Study Tips, ACT, College Admission, College Counseling, College Planning, SAT, Test Optional

Read More

Colleges have their own ways to view SAT and ACT scores when they’re comparing applicants for admission, and that’s particularly true when applicants have taken those tests more than once.

Topics: ACT, College Admission, superscore

Read More

In the world of college admission testing, we’re moving steadily towards a future in which testing takes on a very different look. In Part 1 of this blog, we discussed the existing ACT and SAT. Our goal was to help students and their parents make informed decisions when it comes to selecting and preparing for an upcoming exam. Today, part 2, we’ll examine some current trends in testing and consider how they may shape the future. But, first, we’ll take a look at another test that is occasionally used in the admission’s process.

Topics: College Admission, Test-Prep, Subject Test

Read More

GPA of 4.5? 1500 on the SAT? Those tell college admissions officers that you’re reasonably bright, perform well in scholastic matters, and can compete for admission with other students who have comparable stats. But that’s all they say about the applicant – they’re data points, devoid, you might say, of personality. In virtually all competitive college admissions situations, those data are simply not enough.

Topics: College Admission, Extracurricular Activities

Read More

It’s back…. The SAT, that is. For the first time in seven years, more students are taking the SAT than the ACT, a surge in popularity attributed to the SAT’s alignment with the Common Core and its last makeover to appear more like the ACT. Indeed, both tests share about 80% of content spanning the four major areas tested (math, science, reading, and writing). However, some key differences remain – as do questions about the importance and relevancy of college admission testing.

Topics: ACT, SAT Test, College Admission, ACT/SAT

Read More

Year after year, the same crucial question is posed: “When should I start taking the SAT and ACT?” Our answer: “Early.” If you’ll complete Algebra 2 by the end of your sophomore year, then consider the June* ACT and August SAT at the end of your sophomore year. That leads to the next question:

Topics: College Admission, ACT/SAT, Test-Prep, sophomores

Read More