Transcript Slide 1

College Admissions / SAT
Information Session
February 25, 2007
Home of Christ - Cupertino
Test Your College Knowledge
Which college/university consistently has a 99%
acceptance rate of graduates accepted into their
first choice medical school and 90% into their
first choice law school?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Johns Hopkins University
Stanford University
Williams College
Pomona College
Test Your College Knowledge
If the following four medical school candidates
have the same MCAT (medical school entrance
exam) score, which would most likely be
accepted by Stanford Medical School?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Attended Stanford and graduated with a 3.4 GPA
Attended Santa Clara University earning a double major
in Chemistry and Biology, and graduated with a 4.0 GPA
Attended Harvard and graduated with a 3.5 GPA
Attended UCLA and earning a degree in photography,
with a 3.9 GPA, and completed the pre-med prerequisites
Test Your College Knowledge
For the SAT I Reasoning Test, the Writing
Section has two components: The Essay
and the Grammar Multiple-Choice section.
Which one is more important for the
Writing score?
a)
b)
c)
Essay
Grammar Multiple-Choice
Both
Common Questions/Myths
1.
How many times should my student take the SAT?
2.
For top private universities, students need to score at least
750 for each section on the SAT I?
3.
How does the colleges look at the SAT Writing Essay score?
4.
Which SAT Subject Tests (SAT II) should my student take?
5.
Should my student take more challenging courses (AP) and
risk a lower grade or take an easier course to get the A
grade?
6.
Should my student do a summer internship or take summer
school?
7.
Which extracurricular activities do colleges care about more?
Itinerary
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
UC schools & The Stats
Private Universities & The Stats
Criteria for College Admissions
SAT Test Information
Q&A
UC Admission
Statistics
UCLA Applicants
45000
40000
35000
30000
Total
Applicants:
47,245
Top 10% of
their Class:
45,828
25000
20000
15000
Accepted: 12,069
10000
5000
0
UCLA Applications
UC San Diego
Admitted Freshman Profile (2006)
Averages
High School GPA (weighted): 4.04
 SAT I Score: 1936 (Avg)
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Critical Reading: 630
Mathematics: 667
Writing: 639
SAT II Math (1C and 2C) Score: 669 (2005 score)
Admit Rate: 45.7%
Applicants: 43,587
 Admits: 19,933
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Private University
Statistics
College Sampling
School
Pomona College
Columbia
Williams College
New York University
USC (Univ of SoCal)
Rice University
SAT scores
(2005) *
1370-1530
1380-1530
1330-1520
Percent Admitted
(2005)*
20%
13%
19%
1310-1440
1260-1440
1350-1510
35%
27%
22%
* Source: US News & World Report (2006 Edition)
College Admissions Process
Criteria For Admissions
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
GPA: Grades in courses taken
Standardized Test Scores
Extracurricular Activities
Personal Essay
Counselor/Teacher Recommendations
Interview (if required)
College Admissions Process
1) GPA: Grades in courses taken
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Generally, most important
Challenging courses (AP & Honors)
Uptrend in GPA score
UC: sophmore thru first semester of senior year grades
Private schools: depends on each school
2) Standardized Test Scores
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SAT Reasoning Test (SAT I)
SAT Subject Tests (SAT II) (2 or 3)
College Admissions Process
3) Extracurricular Activities
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Type of activity generally not important
Student passion/interest
Depth vs. Breadth
4) Personal Essays
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Very important to private schools
Student voice/personality/passions
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Unique and interesting
UC – highlight achievement/accomplishment
Don’t wait until the last minute!
College Admissions Process
5) Counselor/Teacher Recommendations
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Get to know your counselor (be proactive)
Instructors who know you
Ask early – Don’t wait until the last minute
6) Interview (if required)
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Opportunity to differentiate
Differences in Admissions
UCs vs. Private Universities
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UC Admissions
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More Formula Driven
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Achievements/
Accomplishments
Explanations
More In Depth
Examination
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GPA
SAT scores
Strength of Courses,
Extracurriculars, College
essay, etc.
College Essay
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Private Universities
Too many applicants
Most important criterias
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GPA
Strength of Courses
SAT
Counselor/Teacher
Recommendations
Extracurriculars
College Essay
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Passions/Interests/
Personality/Character
SAT Test
Information
THE TESTS:
SAT REASONING TEST
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SAT Reasoning Test
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(Formerly SAT II)
(Formerly SAT I)
Math
 Sciences
 Languages
 Literature
 History
Critical Reading
 Writing
 Math
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2400 points (total)
SAT Subject Tests
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800 points (each)
COMMON PROBLEM AREAS:
SAT Reasoning Test (SAT I)
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Critical Reading:
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Writing:
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Reading the SAT-way rather than for English Lit class
Reading speed and stamina
Vocabulary
Most difficult section to improve
Knowledge of grammar the “SAT-way”
Knowledge of the most commonly tested grammar rules
Timed essay writing
Grammar section easiest section to improve
Math:
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Knowledge of higher level math concepts
Problem solving skills / Avoiding SAT “traps”
MORE COMMON PROBLEM AREAS:
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The SAT is a reasoning test designed to measure critical
thinking skills, not what students learn in school. In the
words of Collegeboard, the makers of the SAT, “The
SAT assesses how well students analyze and solve
problems.”
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The biggest challenge students face with the SAT: IT’S
A 5 HOUR PROCESS--YIKES!
SAT SUBJECT TESTS:
Non-Language
Nov. 4,
2006
Dec. 2,
2006
Literature
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
United States (U.S.)
History
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
World History
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
Mathematics Level 1
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
Mathematics Level 2
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
Chemistry
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
Physics
x
x
x
N/A
x
x
Test Name
Biology E/M
(Ecological/Molecular)
Jan. 27 March 10, May 5,
2007
2007
2007
June 2,
2007
FLEX Recommended SAT Schedule
SOPHOMORE YEAR:
June
SAT Subject Test (1)
JUNIOR YEAR:
October
November-January
January-April
May-June
PSAT & SAT Subject Test (1)
SAT (first sitting)
SAT (second sitting)
SAT Subject Test (2)
SENIOR YEAR:
(Contingent on junior year scores)
October
November-December
SAT Subject Test (2)
SAT (third sitting)
NOTE: Never take the SAT unless you are ready!
What can I do now?
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Freshmen
Begin reading different topics from a variety of
publications (e.g., Time, Newsweek, New York
Times)
 Practice writing under time pressure
 Don’t forget your math
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Sophomores
All of the above
 Think about SAT Subject Test options
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Goto www.collegeboard.com and become
educated about the process
Q&A Session
Common Questions/Myths
1.
How many times should my student take the SAT?
2.
For top private universities, students need to score at least
750 for each section on the SAT I?
3.
How does the colleges look at the SAT Writing Essay score?
4.
Which SAT Subject Tests (SAT II) should my student take?
5.
Should my student take more challenging courses (AP) and
risk a lower grade or take an easier course to get the A
grade?
6.
Should my student do a summer internship or take summer
school?
7.
Which extracurricular activities do colleges care about more?
Contact Information

Gus Hsu
- [email protected]
- (408)252-7742
- www.flexcollegeprep.com