HomeInquiryCollege Ready or Not? Annmarie July 16, 2014 4 Comments Dear Ed Inquiry, My son is struggling on the Reading section of ACT because of the ridiculously short amount of time given to read the passages and answer the questions. Throughout his school career, his high-level honors and AP classes have emphasized critical reading, but that takes time. The result is that he gets totally stressed out when he has to speed-read and cannot take time to process the information. It just irritates me that a kid can have a high GPA in rigorous classes, but a college won’t even consider him if he doesn’t score a minimum number on a test. Can one test, like ACT, really predict how well a student will do in college? Aren’t GPA, work ethic, and motivation better indicators? I am really sick of kids being judged by numbers when there is so much more to consider. Sincerely, College Ready or Not Dear College Ready or Not, SAT has been around since 1901, and ACT since 1959, and these scores have since been used as an indicator for college readiness. And, they still are, for the most part. However, that way of thinking is beginning to shift. Read this article for an interesting perspective on the true effectiveness of these tests. NPR also outlines ground-breaking information on how ACT and SAT are not good predictors of college performance. There are a growing number of colleges that are not requiring the scores, and we hope more will be added to this list in the very near future. Your son may want to consider applying to one of these colleges. However, if his desired institutions are not on the list, he will need to continue working on speed-reading strategies to “beat the test.” Does that make him a better student? Does that build the endurance needed to make it through a multi-year course of study? No and no. However, until more post-secondary institutions join the anti-testing revolution, many students will be stuck taking these college admissions tests over and over until they nail the score they need. More money for the testing companies; more stress and nail-biting for students and parents. Sounds like a fair exchange, right? Sincerely, Ed Inquiry PS: If you really want to educate yourself on this topic, click on the study embedded in in the NPR article referenced above. Warning: It is 70 pages long, but we know many of you will want to dig deeper. 4 Responses Sharon Turner July 16, 2014 Contact the school social worker and tell them you want a 504 to provide him with extended time for tests. Also if the kid has ADD or ADHD ask for separate setting for testing with 10 or fewer other students. This aids in maintaining attention. This is not an IEP (Special Education services) but accommodations provided under IDEA laws that will be monitored by testing administrators and folks like the school social worker. http://www.504idea.org/…/Modern%20504%20Eligibility.pdf Reply amferry July 17, 2014 Thanks for that resource, Sharon. It is true that the extended time can help some kids, but some of my Special Ed kids with an IEP tell me that the extra time actually screwed them up because of the way it is set up. Apparently, instead of adding a specific amount to each section, the students are responsible for deciding when to end one section and go to the next. Some ran out of time to complete all the sections even with the extra time. I still encourage kids to take it with extended time, then try without to see what works best. Great money maker for the testing companies. Same goes for the students who re-take the test multiple times to nail the score they need! I will still contend (and am even further convinced after reading the studies on this topic) that GPA and the types of courses the student takes in high school are way better indicators of their college readiness and, ultimately, college success. It takes a lot more endurance to earn a degree than is needed for a test that lasts a few hours. Reply Suzan Harden July 16, 2014 In principle, I agree with Ms. Turner that you could explore a 504 plan. If your son is a senior, though, and has not been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and has never required accommodations before, this would be a long and expensive process that probably cannot pay off in time for application/admission season. If your school does not have a social worker, see his counselor, the AP for Curriculum, or the school’s test coordinator for help. You might also have him take the SAT at least once to see if he performs better on that. Most colleges now will allow students to mix and match scores from different tests and administrations. Be sure to visit personally the colleges in which he is interested. Make a connection in the Admissions Office and try to create support for his application. Help him analyze his community service and extracurricular experiences so he can really relate his leadership skills and goals. Most of all, don’t let him fall into what I call the “good school” trap. These are the “cool schools” that everyone is trying to get into. These are usually the large, over-populated universities trumpeting their traditions on college football Saturdays. The pressure to get accepted by one of those schools can be tremendous. They could be completely wrong for your son. If you go to a college fair, don’t go to the tables for those schools. Those schools will likely send representatives from the Admissions Office to your community anyway. Search out the schools you don’t recognize where you could find a real gem he has never even considered. The best school for him might be a school none of his close friends will consider. His “good school” will be the one where he feels welcome, appreciated for his unique skills, and confident, and where he will find a major course of study that suits him. And lastly, realize that a college is a very individual decision that students reach in their own time. Parents tend to underestimate how stressful the senior year is and how much anxiety seniors feel when it finally sinks in that for the first time ever, they can’t picture what “next year” will be. If your son is dragging his heels on the admissions process, the answer is not to do it for him. Have a talk and ask him why he’s not moving forward. Don’t make him afraid to tell you he doesn’t want to go to college. There are other good options. Support him and help him, but don’t take anything he says personally! Good luck! I am a high school counselor. Reply amferry July 22, 2014 Suzan, Excellent advice! I especially appreciate the comment about falling into the “good school” trap. There are so many alternative ways to reach one’s goals, and not getting into your “dream school” shouldn’t be the end of the road! I was one of those “bubble” kids, slightly above average, a hard worker, a decent test-taker, but not a rocket scientist by any means. I did get into UCF, but totally freaked out as the time drew near for me to start making plans to go, especially since I was footing the bill for most of it myself. So, I ditched plan A, enrolled in my local community college, was placed in an Interdisciplinary Studies program, and transferred to a 4-year school after I earned my AA. The pressure I see students put on themselves to hit a certain score is crazy. There are always different routes to travel. The traditional path is most definitely not for everyone! 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Sharon Turner July 16, 2014 Contact the school social worker and tell them you want a 504 to provide him with extended time for tests. Also if the kid has ADD or ADHD ask for separate setting for testing with 10 or fewer other students. This aids in maintaining attention. This is not an IEP (Special Education services) but accommodations provided under IDEA laws that will be monitored by testing administrators and folks like the school social worker. http://www.504idea.org/…/Modern%20504%20Eligibility.pdf Reply
amferry July 17, 2014 Thanks for that resource, Sharon. It is true that the extended time can help some kids, but some of my Special Ed kids with an IEP tell me that the extra time actually screwed them up because of the way it is set up. Apparently, instead of adding a specific amount to each section, the students are responsible for deciding when to end one section and go to the next. Some ran out of time to complete all the sections even with the extra time. I still encourage kids to take it with extended time, then try without to see what works best. Great money maker for the testing companies. Same goes for the students who re-take the test multiple times to nail the score they need! I will still contend (and am even further convinced after reading the studies on this topic) that GPA and the types of courses the student takes in high school are way better indicators of their college readiness and, ultimately, college success. It takes a lot more endurance to earn a degree than is needed for a test that lasts a few hours. Reply
Suzan Harden July 16, 2014 In principle, I agree with Ms. Turner that you could explore a 504 plan. If your son is a senior, though, and has not been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and has never required accommodations before, this would be a long and expensive process that probably cannot pay off in time for application/admission season. If your school does not have a social worker, see his counselor, the AP for Curriculum, or the school’s test coordinator for help. You might also have him take the SAT at least once to see if he performs better on that. Most colleges now will allow students to mix and match scores from different tests and administrations. Be sure to visit personally the colleges in which he is interested. Make a connection in the Admissions Office and try to create support for his application. Help him analyze his community service and extracurricular experiences so he can really relate his leadership skills and goals. Most of all, don’t let him fall into what I call the “good school” trap. These are the “cool schools” that everyone is trying to get into. These are usually the large, over-populated universities trumpeting their traditions on college football Saturdays. The pressure to get accepted by one of those schools can be tremendous. They could be completely wrong for your son. If you go to a college fair, don’t go to the tables for those schools. Those schools will likely send representatives from the Admissions Office to your community anyway. Search out the schools you don’t recognize where you could find a real gem he has never even considered. The best school for him might be a school none of his close friends will consider. His “good school” will be the one where he feels welcome, appreciated for his unique skills, and confident, and where he will find a major course of study that suits him. And lastly, realize that a college is a very individual decision that students reach in their own time. Parents tend to underestimate how stressful the senior year is and how much anxiety seniors feel when it finally sinks in that for the first time ever, they can’t picture what “next year” will be. If your son is dragging his heels on the admissions process, the answer is not to do it for him. Have a talk and ask him why he’s not moving forward. Don’t make him afraid to tell you he doesn’t want to go to college. There are other good options. Support him and help him, but don’t take anything he says personally! Good luck! I am a high school counselor. Reply
amferry July 22, 2014 Suzan, Excellent advice! I especially appreciate the comment about falling into the “good school” trap. There are so many alternative ways to reach one’s goals, and not getting into your “dream school” shouldn’t be the end of the road! I was one of those “bubble” kids, slightly above average, a hard worker, a decent test-taker, but not a rocket scientist by any means. I did get into UCF, but totally freaked out as the time drew near for me to start making plans to go, especially since I was footing the bill for most of it myself. So, I ditched plan A, enrolled in my local community college, was placed in an Interdisciplinary Studies program, and transferred to a 4-year school after I earned my AA. The pressure I see students put on themselves to hit a certain score is crazy. There are always different routes to travel. The traditional path is most definitely not for everyone! Reply
