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~ Wednesday, September 22 ~
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What Tests to Take and When

All colleges now will accept either the ACT or SAT. I recommend that students focus on one and take it four times- twice junior year and twice in the fall of senior year (the December senior year score is typically the last one considered for admission or financial aid by selective colleges). Colleges only see your highest score and never learn how many times you took the test. If a student is unsure which test to take, he might try each one junior year and then take his preferred test three more times.

The SAT 2 Subject tests are one hour diagnostic tests on math, chemistry, biology, physics, American history, foreign language, and a few other topics. Most selective colleges want the SAT and three SAT 2 Subject Tests or they want the ACT. Even if submitting the ACT, you’ll want to take three SAT 2 Subject Tests. If those scores are solid, they will help the application. If they’re not solid, don’t submit them. Especially for out-of-state selective colleges, the more solid diagnostic test scores, the better: SAT or ACT, SAT 2 Subject Tests, AP and/or IB scores are the ones sought.

The best time to take the Subject Tests is in June at the end of junior year because the student has just completed final exams and the information is fresh. Though math and foreign languages represent cumulative knowledge and might be taken any time, US History and science Subject Tests are best taken just after the Final. You can then retake a Subject test or two or three in October or November in the fall of senior year, if necessary. Be sure to pick up a Subject Test Prep book for each Subject test taken and prepare for it (you can buy inexpensive used ones on Amazon.com). For more information on the 20 Subject Tests offered and practice questions, click on http://sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-subject-test-preparation.

Feel free to ask us any other college admission-related questions, and we’ll try to respond to them. You can learn a lot more about college admission by becoming a friend on our John Baylor Test Prep Facebook page. To increase your ACT score, just click on http://www.johnbaylortestprep.com/index.php/jbtp-for-students/online-at-home. We’ll have online JBTP SAT Prep available in January.


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