Admission Tests PowerPoint Presentation Feb. 8- 2016

THE ROAD AHEAD Navigating College Admission Tests Bruce Reed, Co-Founder Compass Education Group Anxiety Reaching New Heights? New York Times, “High School Seniors’ Agony” Written in 1957 “Competition for college admission has created an unprecedented time of intense worry.” “Getting into college has never been so competitive.” “Standards have shot up Parents who got into top notch colleges with average grades and good overall qualifications cannot understand why their kids can’t.” The Smartest Test Takers I Know Pragmatic Resilient Planners Drivers Holistic Review GPA Rigor Test Scores Recommendation Letters Demonstrated interest Personal Essay Extra-curriculars Interview Work / Internships AP/IB Scores Class Rank Legacy Status Financial Need Application Bubble College Applications - % Submitted One application Four or more applications 60 50 40 30 20 10 1967 1976 1986 1996 2006 Grade Inflation = Less Differentiation 1991 2014 Standardized Tests Resist Inflation SAT (2014) 11 16 21 99.9th percentile 26 95th percentile 80th percentile 50th percentile Standardized Tests Resist Inflation ACT 31 36 Test Requirements ACT in lieu of Subject Tests ≈12 Test Optional/Flexible ≈50 Subject Tests ≈35 SAT or ACT Required ≈1,450 See pages 4-5 of Compass Guide Timelines for Preparation and Testing EARLY COMMON LATER Begin prep summer before 11th grade Begin prep fall/winter of 11th grade Begin prep spring of 11th grade Goal: National Merit recognition PSAT used as a benchmark First test end of 11th grade Aim to finish testing by end of 11th grade Peak in late spring of 11th grade or fall of 12th grade Continue prep and repeat testing fall of 12th grade See Compass Guide pp 10-11 ACT Reading Difficulty Distribution See Compass Guide page 46 ACT Science Difficulty Distribution See page 47 of Compass Guide ACT Science Example A bomb calorimeter is used to determine the amount of heat released when a substance is burned in oxygen (Figure 1) The heat, measured in kilojoules (kJ), is calculated from the change in temperature of the water in the bomb calorimeter Table shows the amounts of heat released when different foods were burned in a bomb calorimeter Table shows the amounts of heat released when different amounts of sucrose (table sugar) were burned Table shows the amounts of heat released when various chemical compounds were burned insulated outer container firing element Food Mass (g) Change in water temperature (°C) Heat released (kJ) Bread Chees e Eg g Potat o 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 8.3 14.1 5.6 2.7 10.0 17.0 6.7 3.2 sample water Figure Amount of sucrose (g) Heat released (kJ) 0.1 0.5 1.0 2.0 4.0 1.6 8.0 16.0 32.1 64.0 Table steel bomb stirrer Table Table thermometer Chemical compound Molecular formula Mass (g) Heat release d (kJ) Methano l Ethano l Benzen e Octan e CH 3OH C 2H OH C 6H C 8H 18 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 11.4 14.9 21.0 23.9 ACT Science Example Based on the data in Table 2, one can conclude that when the mass of sucrose is decreased by one-half, the amount of heat released when it is burned in a bomb calorimeter will: Table A increase by one-half B decrease by one-half C increase by one-fourth D decrease by one-fourth Amount of sucrose (g) Heat released (kJ) 0.1 0.5 1.0 2.0 4.0 1.6 8.0 16.0 32.1 64.0 Sample Question: Question: Reading? “Science” Sample Text & Data The chemical formula of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is now well established The molecule is a very long chain, the backbone of which consists of a regular alternation of sugar and phosphate groups To each sugar is attached a nitrogenous base, which can be of four bases—adenineand and different types Two of the possible bases—adenine guanine—arepurines, purines,and andthe theother othertwo—thymine two—thymineand and guanine—are cytosine—are pyrimidines So far as is known, the sequence of bases along the chain is irregular The monomer unit, consisting of phosphate, sugar and base, is known as a nucleotide Based on the table and passage, which choice gives the correct percentages of the purines in yeast DNA? A) 17.1% and 18.7% B) 17.1% and 32.9% C) 18.7% and 31.3% D) 31.3% and 32.9% Thematic Features of SAT the New SAT New Essay •Is based on a common prompt •Measures students’ ability to explain how an author crafts an argument •Rates students on strength of analysis and coherence of writing As you read the passage below, consider how Paul Bogard uses •evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims •reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence •stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed [650-750 word Source Text will appear here] Write an essay in which you explain how Paul Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience that natural darkness should be preserved In your essay, analyze how Bogard uses one or more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Bogard’s claims, but rather explain how Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience New ACT Essay (Debuted September 2015) Issue: Privacy Technology is changing our ideas about privacy Our social media posts help us connect to friends, families, and people across the globe, but they also supply a steady stream of information to advertisers and, potentially, to governments, employers, and law enforcement agencies Smartphone apps track our locations, buying habits, and Internet searches; that data can be both used to improve services and sold to companies to better target marketing We’re increasingly willing to share our opinions, images, and relationships online and to turn to the Internet to run searches on others As sharing our lives with a global audience increasingly becomes the norm, it’s important to consider how our connected lifestyle is changing the value we place upon privacy Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three Social media and smartphone apps help us navigate the world and our relationships with greater knowledge and insight The only people who should be worried about losing privacy are those who have something to hide When we lose our sense of private lives, we lose part of ourselves Being on public display hinders introspection and a sense of our independent identities When nothing is private, nothing is personal Our desire for privacy is often rooted in embarrassment about common human issues like illness Letting go of old ideas about privacy would break down barriers and help create a more open and empathetic society Features  40 minutes; Optional*  Analysis of perspectives  Scored in areas:  Ideas & Analysis  Development and Support  Organization  Language Use Subject Tests: Overview 200-800 scale; hour per test (up to in one day) “Guessing Penalty” is still in effect “Easier” scale but “Harder” testing pool Cannot take SAT and Subject Tests on same date www.subject-tests.com (Policies by college) Subject Tests: Options Literature U.S History or World History Math Level or Math Level Biology (E/M), Chemistry, and Physics French, Chinese, German, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Latin Subject Tests: Policies UC system no longer requires Subject Tests Only Georgetown “requires” Subject Tests 22 colleges officially require* Many colleges “recommend” Some schools provide specific guidelines * ACT in lieu of Subject Tests is OK at some colleges Subject Tests: Required Required, No Exception ACT in Lieu of OK Caltech Carnegie Mellon The Cooper Union Cornell Dartmouth Harvard Harvey Mudd MIT Webb Institute Williams Amherst Barnard Brown Columbia Duke Haverford McGill Rice Swarthmore Tufts Vassar Wellesley Subject Tests: Recommended Carleton Davidson Emory Georgetown Johns Hopkins Lafayette Lehigh Northwestern Pratt Institute Princeton Stanford UC Berkeley UC Irvine UCLA UC Riverside UC San Diego UC Santa Barbara University of Delaware University of Georgia University of Pennsylvania University of Virginia USC Washington and Lee Yale Diagnostic Testing Compass hosts proctored practice tests for all college admission tests Redwood Shores | Sunnyvale | San Jose See inside back cover Individualized ApplicationSupport Bubble • Guide in e-book form • Monthly email newsletter • Proctored Practice Tests • Testing plan & preparation Q&A Northern California In-home tutoring (800) 620-6250 www.compassprep.com ... of 2017 “Old SAT” “New SAT” ACT Discontinued as of January 2016 Practice tests limited and in “beta” form Deep reserve of practice tests available Accelerated timeline is not ideal for most students... until late spring 2016 All test dates available with normal reporting of scores Two Choices for Class of 2018 “Old SAT” “New SAT” Discontinued as of January 2016 Several “live” tests will be available;... Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Latin Subject Tests: Policies UC system no longer requires Subject Tests Only Georgetown “requires” Subject Tests 22 colleges officially require* Many colleges