Category Archives: 2015 Articles

The “new” SAT will become a part of history in March of 2016. Many students do not even know it is changing and may take the test thinking it is the same as the “old” SAT. On the contrary, there are multiple reasons why taking the SAT next spring might be a bad idea. 

First let’s discuss the changes.  The changes to the SAT are the most extensive overhaul in the past 25 years. Why? There are lots of reasons why the SAT was changed. First of all, the SAT was losing ground to the ACT which has become increasingly popular over the past years. In fact, rumor has it that the new SAT will be suspiciously similar to the ACT.  It will have only 2 sections for a 1600 point total (as opposed to current 2400 points). It will make the essay optional, although we recommend that all students do the essay section since some universities will require it.  The new SAT drops some of its obscure vocabulary words and students will no longer be penalized for incorrect answers.  The math section will have the most changes, aligning more with Common Core Standards.  Many students will be challenged by this different approach to math, particularly if they have limited experience in Common Core.

So at this point, there are several reasons why we believe the Class of 2017 and possibly 2018 would be safer if they focus their efforts on the ACT:

1.  The colleges do not know how to use the new SAT results yet. Because they are not familiar with what the test is actually telling them about a students, you can expect that the students will be unwitting “guinea pigs” as the colleges sort this out.

2. Delayed test results.  The College Board will intentionally delay the results of the tests taken in the spring of 2016. Students who want to prepare to retake the test will find themselves in a holding pattern as they wait for their test results. 

3. Lack of test prep materials. Well to be candid, I could say that most students do not study anyway, but to that I say, “They should!” Students in other parts of the country do. The scores not only impact admissions, but also scholarships.  Test prep is important if you want to compete with students across the country! 

Although there may be some exceptions, for the most part I will encourage my students in the Class of 2017 (and probably 2018) to take the ACT.  Let’s give the College Board a year or two to work out the kinks in the “Redesigned” SAT and not make our students the test group!

For more information go to: http://www.thecollegesolution.com/why-you-should-worry-about-the-new-sat-test/ 

Well, as if the financial aid process is not already confusing enough, the government has now changed the base tax year for which information is used when filing the FAFSA. Now this can be good news or bad news for you. The good news is that you will actually have the correct tax return completed when you are ready to file the FAFSA next year. The bad news is that if you have any financial adjustments to make that could actually lower how much you have to pay for college, you will need to take care of that a year sooner.

So let’s take a look in a little more detail. If your student is a senior this year, you will file the FAFSA in January, 2016 and you will estimate what your 2015 tax return will look like. Then you will have to scramble to get the 2015 tax return completed and submitted so your FAFSA can be updated. However, next year, when your current junior is a senior, you will file the FAFSA in October of 2015, and you will use your completed 2015 tax return to input the data. This will make filling out the FAFSA a bit easier and you should not have to update information once the FAFSA has been submitted.  They call this PPY, or Prior-Prior-Year since you will be using the tax information two years prior to the student enrolling in college instead of one year as it is today.

So what is the downside? Well, there are different strategies some families can utilize that will reduce their Expected Family Contribution (EFC). That means that there are ways to reduce how much you may have to pay for college. Currently, families have until December of the student’s senior year to do this. With the new rules, these adjustments will need to be made by December of the junior year. Now the fact is that most families will not be negatively impacted by this change. However, there are some who will be. 

So how can you figure out if this will impact you?  You can start by estimating your EFC.  A good calculator can be found on the College Board’s Big Future web site. Once you have figured out your EFC, you can play around with the numbers to see if changing certain things will change your EFC. Remember, the lower the EFC, the less the college will expect you to pay. It would probably be a good idea to get started on college planning a little sooner so you have time to make potential adjustments. The sophomore year is a good time to begin planning if financial aid is a concern to your family. 

So you are ready to start your junior year of high school, and it may feel somewhat anti climactic to the excitement of the freshman year and the boldness of the senior year. However, it could be said that the junior year is the most important year when it comes to the decisions you may make for your college and career choices. 

First of all, remember that  “king” in the admissions process is rigor of classes and grades. So take the most rigorous schedule you can handle, and get the best grades possible. Remember that your junior grades are the last ones the college will see when making their admissions decisions. 

Although there is some disagreement on the value of standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) being used for admissions purposes, there is consensus that the scores are used extensively for merit scholarship decisions. At a recent college planning conference I attended, the Dean of Admissions at UCLA explained that although they don’t really like using test scores for admission purposes, they do resort to the scores to quickly narrow their applicant pool. With over 100,000 qualified applicants you can certainly understand their reasoning.  Many students spend considerable time preparing for these tests, so keep that in mind as you plan your test schedule. With the new SAT being launched this year,  we recommend sticking to the ACT until the SAT is “figured out”. Colleges accept either test. Take the test early (February or April), study throughout the summer, and retake in September. If you really want to take the SAT, stick with the old test only. The last administration of the old SAT will be in January. Oh by the way, if you are aiming for National Merit Scholarship recognition, take the PSAT in October of your junior year. 

The junior year is the time to begin your college plan. Start communicating with colleges you are interested in. Begin to make a college list of 10-15 colleges. Include, public, private, in state and out of state if funding is important in your search. You will begin to receive mail/email from many colleges. Make a new email address that you will use for all of your college communications. Choose something professional. Stay away from things like “ilovemom@gmail.com, or jockking@yahoo.com-get the picture? Use your new, professional address for all college communication, including test registration,  and get into the habit of checking it at least once a week. 

Start to develop a resume and be sure you continue to participate in your favorite extracurricular activities. Volunteer or work in a similar activity if possible. The colleges want to see depth in your passion rather than a collage of activities with no depth. 

This is also a good time to begin thinking about a major in college. If you can do a personality assessment to evaluate your interests and aptitudes,  that might help you narrow down a direction to pursue. 

Parent Alert! January of the junior year begins what is called “the base year” for financial aid. (Starting in 2016 the base year begins in January of the sophomore year). Figure out your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)  and determine if there is anything that can be done to lower the amount the college will expect you to pay.  

College is just around the corner. Do your research. Be prepared. Reduce stress by starting now. Set your goals high. As Fridtjof Nansen so aptly put it, “The difficult is what takes a little time; the impossible is what takes a little longer.”