First of all, only about 30 schools in the country even require SAT Subject Tests. This is a group of highly selective colleges that include such names as Harvard andYale. You need to research prospective schools to see if they even require these tests. You certainly can get much of this information through researching college and university websites, but there is no substitute for actually contacting the admissions department and directly asking an admissions officer. Those schools who do require the SAT Subject Tests will generally require two different Subject Tests, with a few requiring three tests.
By John Christianson Some of you may wonder about whether you need to take the College Board SAT Subject Tests. Most, if not all of you, are familiar with the SAT and ACT. Colleges and universities who require the submission of standardized tests as part of the application usually require the SAT or ACT. But what about the SAT Subject Tests? These are one hour tests that are offered in 20 different subjects, including U.S. History, Math Level I, French, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and a host of other subjects. What do you need to know about these tests and do you need to prepare for these tests?
First of all, only about 30 schools in the country even require SAT Subject Tests. This is a group of highly selective colleges that include such names as Harvard andYale. You need to research prospective schools to see if they even require these tests. You certainly can get much of this information through researching college and university websites, but there is no substitute for actually contacting the admissions department and directly asking an admissions officer. Those schools who do require the SAT Subject Tests will generally require two different Subject Tests, with a few requiring three tests.
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A college is a business. It’s a business whose purpose is to provide a quality education to a diverse and vibrant student community, but a business nonetheless. At the end of the day, the books need to balance. For this reason, schools employ what they call “strategic enrollment strategy” in order to meet their two main goals: provide valuable service and remain financially viable.
In some ways, these two goals seem to be in direct opposition to each other. How can a college keep its head above the water if it’s bleeding money to provide every student’s full financial need? And on the other hand, how can a school maintain student diversity if it excludes students who require financial aid or admits such students but fails to provide the necessary aid? This is where strategic enrollment strategy comes in, and a big part of it involves “need-blind” policies. “Need-blind” means that the school takes no account of students’ financial situations when making admittance decisions. A good many schools advertise a need-blind policy in order to attract students from underrepresented groups such as low-income families, minorities, and first-generation college goers. This seems to go over well with donors and students alike. According to an article run online by Inside Higher Ed, Hamilton College raised $40 million to fund their need-blind policy in half the time projected, largely through alumni support. Vassar, who recently re-adopted a need blind policy, saw applications from minorities double; the school has also increased its offers of admission and improved its enrollment numbers. On the other end of the spectrum are schools like Macalester College, who have dropped their need-blind policies in order to ensure full access to the lower income students they do admit. The idea is that need-blind doesn’t necessarily give a boost to low-income students if A) they still get passed over during the selection process or B) the school doesn’t have enough money to cover their financial need. By Kassandra Flamouropoulos Brendan Farrell is a Pennsylvania native, hailing from Phoenixville, PA: home of Phoenix Steel and the Blobfest (or so he tells me). He attended Villanova Universityand greatly admired the school’s student-focused academia. He graduated with a BA in English with a minor in Philosophy and a focus on dramatic and poetic literature.
Once upon a time, Brendan took roles in school plays and, although he doesn’t have a favorite role, he says playing villains “is always a lot of fun.” He remains connected with the theater world in Philadelphia, though mostly as an audience member and a “picky, picky critic.” In his spare time, he enjoys gardening and reading; John Gardner’s Grendel stands out as a favorite. As a tutor, Brendan most enjoys working with students and their families during a period of momentum and change as the student strives, struggles, and ultimately triumphs. He fully recognizes the value of being invited into a family’s home, and he is always grateful for the opportunity. He advises his students to remember that their reward is not only the score but the sense of accomplishment that comes from putting in the work and succeeding. Brendan’s future path remains “muddy,” but he assures me that he doesn’t mind a bit of mud. He has, however, applied to several Master of Fine Arts programs for Creative Writing in Poetry and has done some reading on creative writing pedagogy. In the meantime, Brendan plans to continue working as a substitute teacher and web editor. |
About the BlogOur blog is updated monthly with articles about test prep, college planning, financial aid, and other educational topics to help inform and prepare our students. Archives
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