High School Students Will Be Able to Choose Which SAT Scores Colleges Receive
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The College Board just announced a change in its score reporting policy. In the past, a school received all of a student's SAT Scores. If you took the test 3 times, a college received all 3 scores. The new policy will allow test takers to select which SAT scores a college receives.
Reduced Stress from Taking the SAT
The shift in policy was intended to "reduce student stress and improve the test-day experience", according to the College Board. With the new policy, you would know going in that if you screwed up royally on the SAT, you could always take it again and the college would never see your poor score.
Is the New SAT Policy Unfair?
Some people worry that this new policy may help higher-income families disproportionately. They have the money to cover the cost of the multiple SAT exams. If you could afford to, you could keep on taking the SAT until you got a score that you liked and only show that score to colleges.
More about the New SAT Score Reporting Policy
The policy does not kick in until the March 2009 test date. However, once it's in effect, it will apply retroactively, meaning you could choose to send your March 2009 score to a school and not your November 2008 score (even though the November 2008 test date was before the start date of the policy).
The new score reporting policy is "opt-in". You will need to actively choose this score reporting option or all of your test scores will be sent to colleges and universities.
Labels: college, SAT, Test
In-State Colleges versus Out-of-State Colleges
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The age-old dilemma of in-state vs. out-of-state... stay close to home or venture off away from your family... save some money or go to the best college possible.
Many of you are going to grapple with this question, and it's not always an easy one to answer. We're going to share a few thoughts on the benefits of both staying close to home at an in-state college and going off to an out-of-state college.
The Benefits of In-State Colleges
In-State Colleges Make Financial Sense
So the main reason most high school students opt for an in-state college is the cost. You typically get a really good deal on tuition when you go to a public school in your home state.
Easier to Get Into In-State Colleges
You'll typically have an easier time getting into the state schools in your home state. For example, the bar is much higher for a New Yorker to get into the University of California, Berkeley than a Californian.
There May Be Money In It For You
A number of scholarship opportunities at public colleges and universities are reserved for in-state students. Many states want to encourage top high school students to stay close to home, figuring that they are much more likely to work in that state after graduation.
The Benefits of Out-of-State Colleges
See a New Place
One of the biggest benefits of venturing off to a college far from home is your newfound independence. You'll experience a new place that may open your eyes to new ways of looking at things. Going to college in Massachusetts is likely a very different experience than going to college in Florida (if nothing else, the weather will be dramatically different).
Meet New People
You'll also meet a whole new set of people. That was a big draw for me as I looked at colleges. I lived within a 2-mile radius my entire life and I wanted to meet people from all over the place. That's not to say there won't be a diverse crowd at most in-state schools, but it's likely that the majority of students will be from that state.
Go to the Best College Possible
You may have to venture out of state to find the college that has the best program for you. If you're an engineer, you probably can't beat MIT or Cal Tech. If you want to study visual or performing arts, Juilliard or RISD may be the best colleges for you.
Labels: college, college search, in-state, out-of-state