| The ACT is a standardized test that provides an alternative to the SAT. Its format is more straightforward and achievement oriented, but also more time-intensive. Unlike the SAT I, there is no penalty for wrong answers, so it is very important that students complete every question on the test. It is composed of four sections (with an optional essay that is required by most colleges): |
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| The ACT is accepted by virtually every college and university. As with the SAT, it is important to sign up for the ACT early in order to be assigned to the test center you want. Popular test sites fill up quickly. |
| AP, or Advanced Placement tests, are offered by high schools to capable students in a variety of subject areas. At the end of these courses, there is a standardized test of the material. If you earn a score of 5 (top score) or 4 on these tests, you will usually be granted college credit. At some colleges, a score of 3 will also give you college credit. |
| GPA, or Grade Point Average, can be calculated in a variety of ways. Some of the most common include: |
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cumulative: an average of the grades over all semesters of high school
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weighted: an average GPA that adds extra points for honors and AP classes. Different colleges reassign such weighting based on their knowledge of the high school classes listed and the year in which a student has taken such courses. The UCs and CSU have a specific list of the honors courses to which they assign extra points for each high school in California.
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CSU or UC GPA: This GPA takes into consideration weighted courses that were taken during sophomore and junior years only.
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| The IB, or International Baccalaureate program of study, is offered in 1,425 schools in 115 countries. In the U.S. they are largely international schools. Upon finishing the prescribed IB program, tests are taken that measure mastery of the subject material, somewhat like the AP tests are designed to measure success in AP courses. Colleges and universities will look at the scores on IB tests to evaluate credit in college placement. |
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| The PSAT is offered in the fall of both sophomore and junior years at most high schools. It is designed to give students practice for the SATs. It is shorter than the SAT I. The PSAT offered in the junior year is used as a qualifier for National Merit Scholarships. |
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| The SAT test is a vital component of the college admission process. Although not everyone agrees about what good SAT scores may mean, the test is one of the few objective measures that colleges have to compare students from many different types of high schools. The SAT is divided into 10 sections which alternate between reading, writing, and math, and it includes a 25 minute essay. Because the SAT deducts a fraction of a point for each wrong answer, it is sometimes advantageous to leave a certain percentage of the questions blank. |
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| In addition to the SAT I, many colleges require students to take SAT II subject tests. Unlike the SAT I, the SAT II tests are designed to test competency with specific high school subject curriculum. If a college requires these tests, they will usually ask for two or three of them. It is best to take an SAT II test immediately after finishing the relevant course. For example, if you did well in Biology and want to take that SAT II, it should be taken during the year in which you took Biology. If you wait, you may forget some of the specific information you need for success on the test. |
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