standardized testing - Great College Advice https://greatcollegeadvice.com College Admission Counseling Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:59:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://greatcollegeadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/758df36141c47d1f8f375b9cc39a9095.png standardized testing - Great College Advice https://greatcollegeadvice.com 32 32 SAT Takers Complain of Reality TV Question https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/sat-takers-complain-of-reality-tv-question/ Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:01:02 +0000 https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=7167 A recent prompt on the essay portion of the SAT has created quite a stir. How can students prepare to write an argumentative essay about a topic they are not familiar with?

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]]> An essay prompt on the SAT exam administered earlier this month’s has created quite a stir in chat rooms on college admissions resource websites.  Even The NY Times published an article on the controversy.
The prompt asked students to consider how authentic reality TV shows can be when producers design challenges and scenes and then edit the footage.  It did not refer to any specific type of reality TV programming, but lead with the explanatory statement:  “These shows depict ordinary people competing in everything from singing and dancing to losing weight, or just living their everyday lives”.  It appeared that students who were familiar with reality TV seemed relatively comfortable writing a response, while students with little to no interest in the genre struggled.
The College Board maintains that all essay prompts are extensively “pre-tested” and provide students with the opportunity to show their writing skills.  Students need to be able to write a strong argumentative essay, no matter what the topic is.  They have to chose a stance on one side of an issue and be able to look past whether or not they actually believe what they are writing. Of course it is helpful if the student is familiar with a topic, but as some students found out, you may not always be so lucky.
So what can students do to prepare?  Practice, practice, practice.  Search the internet for a few sample topics and practice writing essays.  You only have 25 minutes to complete your essay on the actual SAT, so the more you practice producing a well-organized essay with that time constraint, the more relaxed you will be on test day!
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant

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]]> College Planning for Juniors: Standardized Testing Plan https://greatcollegeadvice.com/blog/college-planning-for-juniors-creating-a-standardized-testing-plan/ Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:11:51 +0000 https://greatcollegeadvice.com/?p=6915 If you are a junior, what should you be thinking about regarding the college admissions process? Currently, you should be coming up with a standardized testing plan.

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]]> One of the most confusing aspects of the application process is standardized testing.  If you are in your junior year, you should create a timeline of when you would like to take your standardized tests.  You should also plan how and when you would like to prepare for the SAT and/or ACT.
We generally recommend that students take the SAT and ACT in the spring of their junior year.  You may also need to consider taking 2 to 3 SAT subject tests, depending on the schools you are planning on applying to.  In your senior year, you can take the SAT and/or ACT again if needed.  Generally for early applications, the last month universities will accept testing is October.  For regular decision, the last month for testing is December.  As policies vary, please refer to the colleges that you are applying to in order to confirm their deadlines for accepting standardized testing scores.
To learn more about the difference between the SAT and the ACT, please read our blog post:  SAT vs. ACT:  What is the Real Difference? If you need additional information on obtaining extended time on either exam due to a learning difference, please refer to this post.
To register for the ACT, please visit:  www.act.org.  To register for the SAT, please visit, www.collegeboard.org.  Be sure to register for you exam soon since both exams have registration deadlines.
For international students, please refer to the international dates and deadline posted on the ACT and College Board websites listed above.  Since many international testing sites fill up early, it is essential that you register early.  International students may also need to look into taking the TOEFL exam if English is not considered to be your first language.
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant
 

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