Standardized Testing for College Admissions

Standardized Testing for College Admissions- Overview

Standardized admissions testing are exams used by colleges as just one part of a student’s application. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges are recognizing that standardized tests are not the best barometer of student success and these colleges are now “test optional”, meaning they do not require test scores for admissions.
For the current seniors (Class of 2024), almost all colleges are “test optional”. While it is hard to be certain, the trend seems to be continuing for the Class of 2025 (current 11th graders). That being said, many other colleges have not yet announced their testing policies moving forward, so we will need to wait and see. In general, testing is being deemphasized in college admissions consideration.
In the college admissions process, these are two main exams: the SAT and the ACT. Both SAT and the ACT are considered the same to colleges -- meaning both exams are considered equally by colleges in the admissions process. It is entirely up to student strength & preference which exam they focus on.
These exams are offered only on specific dates and are taken over the course 11 grade year. For students to give themselves the best opportunity to perform their best on the exams, it is recommended that students should plan to take the test of their choice (SAT or ACT) at least 2 times. Most 11th grade students take their first exam in the spring of their 11th grade year, March for the SAT or February/April for the ACT.

Main Standardized Exams

SAT & ACT Test Dates

School Day SAT & ACT: ICE 11th Grade Students have the opportunity to take both the SAT and ACT at ICE during the School Day during the spring semester. The SAT School Day exam will likely be in March and the ACT School Day exam will likely be in April.

Test Dates for the 2023-2024 School Year Are Below

ACT Saturday Test Dates
Register at act.org

Oct 28, 2023
Dec 9, 2023
February 10, 2024
April 13, 2024
School Day ACT @ ICE - TBD in April
June 8, 2024
July 13, 2024 - NOT offered in New York State

SAT Saturday Test Dates
Register at collegeboard.org.

Nov 4, 2023
Dec 2, 2023
Mar 9, 2024 (DIGITAL) (not recommended, too close to school day SAT)
School Day SAT @ ICE - TBD in March (DIGITAL)
May 4, 2024 (DIGITAL)
June 1, 2023 (DIGITAL)

PSAT/NMSQT

The PSAT/NMSQT will be offered to all ICE 10th & 11th Graders (Class of ‘24 & ‘25) on Tuesday, October 24th!

The PSAT/NMSQT is a standardized exam meant to give students an opportunity to practice and become familiar with the content and format of the SAT, one of the primary exams used for college admissions. (The "P" stands for “preliminary” SAT).

When taken in the fall of 11th grade, students primarily take the PSAT/NMSQT to try to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. Please read below for more on National Merit. Comprehensive information on the PSAT/NMSQT is in the student guide, with scholarship + merit program information detailed beginning on pg. 57.

What is the National Merit Scholarship Program?

Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT (only in the fall of 11th grade, not in 10th grade) are eligible for the National Merit Scholarship, an award that is given to the very, very top percent of PSAT/NMSQT performers.
Students in the very top percentage of PSAT/NMSQT are selected as “commended scholars”, of that pool about ⅓ are selected to continue on as “semi-finalists”. After additional steps, students may be considered a “finalist”. Of these “finalists” , a smaller group is selected as “winners” of the National Merit Scholarship.
The National Merit Scholarship award for students who are selected from the pool of finalists as “winners” are awarded a $2,500 scholarship. Some colleges or businesses might offer additional scholarships for students based on National Merit qualification. The National Merit Scholarship is not the primary source of scholarship or financial aid for college.

NEW! Digital SAT

The SAT is moving to a digital format, which applies for the Class of 2025 and onward. They will offer the PSAT as a digital exam in October 2023, and the SAT will be digital from March 2024 onward.

Here are the real quick basics of the new digital exam:

The digital exam will be “adaptive” (responsive to questions)
The digital exam will be shorter
It will still be scored out of 1600 and test students on reading, writing, and math
ACT – the other possible exam - will stay the same

This helpful graphic, credit to Compass Education, shares more about how the new exam differs from the old. For those interested in getting into the details of the new exam, I recommend reading the entire detailed article from Compass, HERE.

Making a Testing Plan: SAT & ACT

The SAT and ACT are both accepted by all colleges, just some students are a better fit for some students. Think of it like Pepsi & Coke, just two versions of the same thing. Students should pick the exam that is the better fit for them, and focus on preparing and taking one exam throughout the testing process. We don’t necessarily recommend studying for both.

SAT v. ACT: The SAT & ACT have slightly different formats, content tested, and scoring. Differences summarized here.

Which one is best for me? When deciding which exam to focus on, consider these factors:

SAT: More analytical, better for students who struggle with time on tests, students who are better with math & science. The SAT is now digital and adaptive (above) — since this is a new change as of this year, we still do not know as much about how this impact students’ testing preference and strengths.
ACT: More straightforward, faster paced, better for students who are strong with reading & English (while the ACT has a science section, it is a reading comprehension focused section, so tends to cater towards strong readers).

How should I study? You can study in whichever way works best for you, but you need a plan! At ICE, we typically offer a test prep course, which happens in the spring of 11th grade year.

In addition to our test prep class at ICE, students can study on their own with free resources such as Khan Academy, make a plan to meet with a friend, use an outside tutor, or take any of a wide array of SAT or ACT prep classes offered through Princeton Review, Kaplan, or other test prep companies. Some resources below:

SAT Overview / SAT Practice Questions
For the new digital SAT: Bluebook practice testing app & initial set of practice materials are available on Khan Academy.
SAT Full length practice exams (Khan Academy or Printable)
ACT Overview / ACT Practice Questions.
ACT Full length practice exams (2020-21 doc here, list here).

How much should I study? What’s a good “goal score” for me? Your goal score and amount of test prep required depends on the colleges in which you are interested and what YOU want to do.

After you have taken a practice test and established a baseline score, you should determine where your score falls in comparison to students accepted at and entering the colleges in which you are interested. To determine whether you are on track to meet an institution’s testing standards, you should look up what that school’s admitted students’ median scores are. The scores will often be presented as the median 50% (25th - 75th percentiles) for the SAT and ACT. Some examples: for Columbia University, the median 50% score spans 1510-1560 on a scale of 1600; SUNY Albany’s median range is 1000 - 1170. Median scores are often listed on the school’s website or for many school’s through this database. For SUNY, you can find score ranges here. The higher a student scores in relation to these percentages, the more likely test scores will strengthen their application.

Picking Test Dates: SAT and ACT exams are only offered a limited number of times each year. A vast major of students plan to take the SAT or the ACT for the first time in early spring of their 11th grade year. I’m going to call this a “regular” schedule. Some students choose to take the SAT or the ACT beginning December of their junior year, on what I’m calling an “early” schedule.

You may want to take the exam on the “early” schedule if you already feel very prepared for taking your standardized tests, and you want to get it over with and behind you!
You plan to be a recruited athlete, and you want to be able to share SAT or ACT scores with coaches early in the process.

SAT School Day: Again, the SAT & ACT School Day exam is a special administration of the exam that is offered for free during the school day at ICE in the spring for 11th graders. The exam date is not yet confirmed for the spring 2024, but it will likely be in mid-March.

For every other SAT or ACT exam date(s), students have to sign up for, pay for (or use fee waivers for students who qualify), and travel to other testing locations around the city on a Saturday to take

Registering for the SAT & ACT

Registering for the SAT & ACT: With the exception of the FREE SCHOOL DAY SAT and ACT hosted at ICE in the spring of 2024, students & parents must register for all other testing on their own at other testing sites around the city.

SAT Dates ; Register for the SAT + Helpful video for how to register.
ACT Dates; Register for the ACT + Helpful Video for how to register.

To Register for the SAT or ACT, you'll need...

Our School CEEB Code: 333672
About 30 minutes
A “Headshot” Photo (take against a plain wall)
Fee Waiver Code (if you qualify - more below)

**You do not need to complete everything requested of you during the registration process. You can often click “continue” at the bottom to skip questions that are not required.

**If you are registering for the ACT, they will ask if you want to register for the essay portion. Because the SAT recently discontinued the SAT, in almost all cases the recommendation is to NOT register for the ACT essay section. More here.

Fee Waivers: Students who qualify for free & reduced lunch receive fee waivers for FREE SAT & ACT testing. Please email Molly or see her in her office (Room 522B) if you think you qualify. In order to receive a fee waiver, you must have a lunch form filed each year: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict

With a fee waiver, you can take the SAT 2 times for free (in addition to the School Day SAT) or the ACT 2 times for free.

Testing Accommodations for Students

As for students who qualify for testing accommodations, there must be a request for accommodations submitted to either the SAT or ACT, depending on which exam they plan to take. To submit the request for accommodations, your family must sign a consent to release information form, which you can access by using either of the following links, depending on which exam your student is preparing to take in the spring. Once signed and completed, the form should be returned to Wali in the College & Career Office, at which point he'll go forth with submitting the request (wali@iceeducate.org).

It's important to note that submitting accommodations for the ACT requires more extensive documentation and often takes longer to get approved, sometimes several months. Additionally, ACT requests aren't approved with the same success rate as SAT requests, so if your student is preparing for this exam and qualifies for accommodations, you should submit the consent form as soon as possible.

Contrarily, the SAT usually accepts requests as long as adequate documentation is on file at the school, which we'll have if your student qualifies for accommodations. Either way, we recommend submitting the consent form(s) before December, so there is ample time for the requests to be submitted, reviewed, and ultimately approved.
Consent Forms: SAT Consent for Accommodations Request //ACT Consent to Release Information to ACT

Test Optional & Test Blind Policies

Test Optional: This means that these colleges do not require standardized test scores when they review applicants; students will have the option to decide if they want to submit their scores for consideration. If scores are submitted, the college will consider; if they are not considered, they will focus on other components of the application, especially the academic transcript, as well as extracurriculars and recommendation letters.

The pandemic has drastically increased the number of test optional colleges. For the Class of 2024, almost all private colleges as well as our state public college system (SUNY) were test optional. Some colleges have announced plans to continue being test optional for several years, but many are only test optional for the current senior class. A full list of test optional colleges here.

Some colleges may require additional supporting materials if you choose to apply test optional. For example, a college may require an additional piece of writing only for students who select that they intend to apply TO.

Test Blind Policies: The truly equitable move from colleges is to take on a “test blind” policy, meaning that -- even if submitted -- they will not review test scores. This is different from the “test optional” policy discussed above, in which colleges will review students’ test scores if submitted. However, unfortunately, most colleges will likely not adopt this policy. A few colleges have opted for “test blind” policies, such as the UC system and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Test Optional - Send or Not to Send? When you’ve finalized your college list, you’ll need to make a decision for each college (if the college is “test optional”) if you want to send your SAT or ACT scores or not. A general rule of thumb is that your SAT or ACT scores should be at least within the median 50% range for the college if you plan to send your scores. Again, this data can typically be found on the college’s website or through this database. Highly detailed data can be found by finding the colleges Common Data set information (Google: Common Data Set + College Name).

Don’t forget… Check Specific Major or Program Requirements! Some colleges may have specific testing requirements or higher score ranges for selective programs, such as engineering, nursing, business, etc.
Still not sure? Have a conversation with Molly about any schools you're not sure about.

Scoring & Sending SAT or ACT Scores

How to Send Scores to Colleges: Once you begin to apply to college, it is the student’s responsibility to send their SAT or ACT scores to colleges. The College Office does not send SAT or ACT scores. Colleges accept scores in several ways, and it is the student’s responsibility to identify the method by which they will plan to send their scores, if they intend t o include them in their application. Scores often take 1-2 weeks to process, so make sure you send your scores before the application deadlines!

Official Score Send through College Board (SAT) or ACT.org (ACT). For each college you apply to, you need to pay (or free with a fee waiver) to send your official SAT or ACT scores. These official score sends can be done through the College Board website or the ACT website.
Self-Reporting (on the Common App, application portal, or other method). Self-reporting means that instead of sending your official SAT or ACT score report to a college, you instead can “self report” (on the application or elsewhere) your SAT or ACT scores. The college will only request official scores if you are admitted. It is important to identify how the college wants the self-report scores provided. The (growing) list of colleges that will accept self-reported scores is here (far right).

Which Scores Get Sent? Do I need to send ALL my scores? Most colleges participate in score choice” or allow students to only send test dates that reflect their highest scores. This article does a good job summarizing this policy & lists the notable colleges that require all scores be sent. You can find a list of colleges that allow score choice here.

SAT Official Score Sends. For all colleges that participate in “score choice”, you will be able to only send the testing dates with your highest test scores. When you go to send your official scores, you will have the option to select which test dates you’d like sent. More on SAT score choice here.
ACT Official Score Sends. ACT permits students to send either a “superscore report” or a “single test date score report”. If you are sending a single test event then the recipient you chose will only get the scores from that test. By sending a superscore, the college or agency will receive all the scores from every test event represented in the superscore. An incredibly detailed review of these policies here.

Superscoring & Other College Scoring Policies: Superscoring is the process by which colleges consider your highest section scores across all the dates you took the SAT or ACT. Rather than confining your scores to one particular date, these schools will take your highest section scores, forming the highest possible composite score. Some colleges have different superscore policies for SAT & ACT. College superscore policies here.

SAT Superscoring: For the SAT, the superscore is made up of a student’s highest Reading & Writing Section (EBRW) and Math (M) scores.
ACT Superscoring & Score Choice: For the ACT, the superscore is the average of the 4 main section scores. Again, incredible detail about new ACT superscore reports here.

Changing Policies: One of the most important things to understand both standardized testing policies, both at an overall level and an institutional level (different colleges) are constantly changing-- even before the pandemic! This means it is important for students and families to research on their own and check college websites to see updates in policies.

SAT/ACT PREP RESOURCES

Below you will find SAT/ACT tutor names and information, as well as reviews from some families. Please note that this is an informal list of names and companies we have heard good things about, not an official endorsement of any one of them. If there are any tutors or test prep companies you would like to add to this list, please email Molly (molly@iceeducate.org).

Phil Gillen: pgillen@post.harvard.edu 347.579.5894 www.philgillen.com/tutor

As a Harvard-graduate SAT and ACT tutor (with perfect scores on both tests), I have worked with over 200 students in my 7 years in the industry. My program is comprehensive but flexible: I can take students through test choice, content, strategies, practice tests, and official test dates. I am proud to say that I have helped all of my students to learn, increase their scores, and pursue their dreams (and maybe even have some fun in the process!). Phil has worked with many ICE students over the years with great success.

Skyler Siegal: skylerhsiegel@gmail.com 917-843-6591

After graduation from Washington University in St. Louis in 2015, Skyler worked on wall-street for two years before transitioning into a career as a writer. He grew up in New York and now lives in LA and tutors over Zoom (Skype). He works with students on subjects including ACTs, SATs, Essay writing/ english, and 6-11th grade math.

Teddy Uzamere: teddystutoring@gmail.com

Teddy is a Neuroscience Researcher working at the Friedman Brain Institute of Mount Sinai studying Addiction Neuroscience. He also has years of experience freelancing as a tutor for the SAT/ACT as well Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra 1/2, Trigonometry, and Precalculus. Teddy is also happy to work with students on college essay writing, resume building and interview workshopping as well. He is the head tutor and founder of Teddy’s Tutoring NYC, a collaboration of academic coaches working mostly in Science and Medicine in NYC.

Vernon Jeffrey: vernon.jeffrey1@gmail.com 347-866-3313

Vernon has over 10 years of experience tutoring for the SAT and has worked very successfully with ICE students. His rates are also very reasonable.

Michael Blume: Email: michaelrossblume@gmail.com Phone: (973) 534-4309.
Tutors students in academics as well as SAT and ACT prep. He is extremely well-versed in both tests, is smart, patient, easy to work with, reliable, and affordable tutor who graduated from Yale.

Jeremy Ellison-Gladstone: Email: JeremyEG@gmail.com
SAT I and ACT, all sections, SAT II-Literature, Math Levels 1 and 2, Spanish, Physics, Chemistry
Addresses text anxiety issues, organization and general problem solving techniques.

Sam Emara: Email: emara.w@gmail.com; Website: DO BETTER™ - Emara Academic Solutions
Excellent academic tutor for Math and Spanish (among other subjects). He can very quickly analyze a student’s problem areas and address them. Additionally, Sam is a great SAT math tutor, and can tutor to prepare students for all math and and science SAT questions. He has also been advising students on SAT prep and timing for taking both the regular SAT and the subject tests.He's very smart and personable. He went to Lab ('99) for high school and gained early decision to Columbia.

Taylor Grant-Knight: Email: grantknight@gmail.com; Phone (call or text): (518) 321-1671
Taylor graduated Magna cum Laude with distinction from Amherst College in mathematics. His particular focus was in mathematical logic. He's such a great teacher and is incredibly enthusiastic about learning. Students actually enjoy their sessions and state that they learned so much with Taylor as their tutor. He will come to a student's home or meet in a library.

Rachel Norman: Phone: (917) 415-7311; Email: rachelalexa1@yahoo.com
SAT, ACT, SAT II in Literature, US History and World History
*One parent noted her experience working with students with learning issues.

Wyzant: www.wyzant.com
Online database of services that handles the vetting of the tutors, lets you find someone in your area, read reviews, and, most conveniently for an ongoing arrangement, deals with payment for you. It's very easy to just put in a subject and a zip code and browse.

Recommended tutors found on Wyzant:
Robin W.: She would come for an hour and look at her college art portfolio and give us some advice on which pieces she should send. Not only did she help us with buckets of practical advice about which pieces to send in and how, but she had very wise holistic advice about how to think about portfolios and one's artistic history and future in general.

David M.: Calculus tutor, he was wonderful -- and comparatively cheap

Test Prep Companies/Resources

TestTakers: Alan Reed, NYC Director, alanr@ttprep.com, 212.466.9494, ext. 14

Providing a comprehensive—and enjoyable!—approach to test prep, TestTakers offers small, personalized classes plus three different levels of curriculum to allow students to learn at their own pace. In addition to our regular classes, every course includes four full-length diagnostic tests, weekly make-up sessions for busy schedules, and dedicated review led by dynamic, caring instructors.

Revolution Prep:
They have been incredibly helpful in terms of SAT tutoring. Their one-on-one tutoring as well as their options for tutoring was assuring that the cost wouldn't be too much. Students have been able to increase their score quickly. Tutors help students focus on their weak points rather than generally going through everything. This is time efficient and financially efficient as well. They also have online course opportunities - you are able to do SAT prep from home which was great as students can be involved with so many activities. The small class size was great.
Plan recommended by one family: If I were to recommend a tutoring plan it would not be the simple $99 an hour tutoring. I would say to choose either the 6 hour for one month for $299 or the 12 hour for one month for $549. This is half the price that they advertise and allows you to see your monthly progress and not feel obligated to keep tutoring until the exam if you don't need to. http://www.revolutionprep.com

Satellite Test Prep: Drew Valins runs this boutique test prep coaching company, specializing in one on one tutoring for the SAT, ACT and many other important standardized tests, as well as a full range of academic coaching in all subjects. www.satelliteprep.com

Testimonial: I have worked with Drew and Satellite Prep for over ten years. He is a consummate professional. As a tutor myself I have rarely seen someone be able to get the nuances of a student's strengths and weaknesses as quickly as Drew. My students love working with Drew and look forward to their classes with him. They were actually upset when the class ended. When I have tutoring needs, I call Drew. He is responsive, professional and talented. If my own kids needed tutoring, I would call Drew. Andrew Barber, Director of High School Placement and Preparation, TEAK Fellowship

PrivatePrep: Zachary Gilman, NYC Director: zachary@privateprep.com; Website: www.privateprep.comThey have provided students and families with tutors for SAT, ACT as well as Subject Tests. Each time, they carefully match students up with great tutors that fit both academically and personally. They have a center for administering practice test with proctors in a very professional setting. Tests are graded within days and they provide you with intelligent, insightful feedback.

Academic Approach: www.academicapproach.com Phone: (212) 348-4172
Recommended tutor: Nathan Rayman
*One parent noted the availability of multiple tutors to match multiple types of student personalities

Brooklyn Learning Center: Phone: (718) 935-0400
BrooklynLearningCenter.com

Cates Tutoring: www.catestutoring.com
Many families have been very happy with them. They are able to take student personalities and find great tutors that are excellent matches for them. They are able to help with academic tutoring as well as SAT/ACT prep.

City Smarts: www.citysmarts.net
The founders, Mark and Danielle, have been working with families for over three years, and are each terrific tutors, easily engaging with students in different styles and methods. They have a great rapport with their students and her teaching methods are innovative and successful.

Educational Talent Search Program for First Generation Students: Contact: Arthur Valiant Ybarra, Program Counselor, Educational Talent Search at John Jay College Phone: (212) 237-8913.
7 week program for 7 Saturdays from March-mid April that includes college workshops, 1.5 hours of SAT math lessons and practice, and 1.5 hours SAT writing/critical reading workshops.There is an SAT practice exam prior to the beginning of the workshops, and one after you have finished the workshops to view any progress. It was helpful in terms of building confidence and using the materials to study even further on my own.

Huntington Learning Center: www.huntingtonhelps.com

Kaplan Test Prep
Provides in person and online tutoring as well as in person and online SAT and ACT classes, Kaplan has got you covered. For more information call our 800 number, 1-800-527-8378, Robin Kaufman, 1-914-364-0336 or go tohttp://kaplanatschool.com/thebeaconschool

My Learning Springboard: mylearningspringboard.com
Services include subject tutors, test prep, college essays and time management issues. Brad puts together a comprehensive support system with a holistic point of view. Parents have found the tutors all to be very responsive, offering progress reports, answering emails etc. and highly recommend them.

SAT Study Guide Zone: http://www.studyguidezone.com/sattest.htm

The Tutoring Collective: http://www.thetutoringcollective.com/lets-talk.html
For everyday tutoring, Laurie Marvald uses a lot of younger tutors that are very smart and good with teens. Her prices are great and she is a wealth of information. She also matches kids up really well and you never feel rushed talking to her for advice - and she has a lot of useful advice to give.

FREE / REDUCED PRICE TEST PREP

Khan Academy: Every student worldwide can access high-quality test practice for free. Get the inside scoop on the SAT, and build your personalized practice plan today.

Daily Practice App for the SAT: Make practice part of your routine―any place, any time. Answer a question a day on the free Daily Practice for the New SAT app for immediate feedback.

PrepFactory: www.prepfactory.com/invite
Completely FREE SAT/ACT prep site. It has been recently showcased on FreeTech4Teachers. The site features 99th percentile instructors, thousands of practice questions, gamification elements to keep kids engaged. Developed to help the thousands of kids who can't afford the hundreds of dollars for a prep class.