Reasons Students Participate in ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)

A recent survey of 2,598 high school seniors who had received a 3 or better on select AP Exams asked questions about the students’ reasons for taking AP courses, and the intended uses of the AP Exam grades in college. Here are some of their responses:

• 83 percent of the students reported that they  took AP courses to improve their chances of getting into the college they wanted
• Over two-thirds reported that they took AP courses in order to get into advanced classes earlier
• Over half took AP courses in order to make time to take more electives in college
• Less than a third indicated that they hoped to  use credit from AP Exams to graduate from  college sooner

“AP success serves as an effective placement tool.”

Source : www.collegeboard.com

Essay Topics – worth practice

Select one of the following essay topics and practice a writing sample. We highly recommend that you take your time and thoughtfully prepare your essay.

• Discuss an issue of state, national or global concern to you.

• If you could live your life, fighting for one cause what would it be and why?

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact did the experience have on you?

• What gives meaning to your life?

• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?

• Where do you see yourself in ten years?

• Why are you the right fit for ABC college ?

• What book that you’ve read recently would you recommend to a friend and why?

• What is something you are passionate about?

• If you were given 1 million dollars today what would you do with it?

• If there was one thing you could change about yourself what would it be and why?

• Define “success”.

• What’s the value of failure?

• What sets you apart from your peers?

• If you could sit down with any one person for an hour, who would it be and why?

What do colleges mean by “accepted range of SAT for middle 50 % is 1850-2080?”

The middle 50% statistic means that the middle half of the entering class at a college scored in this range on the SAT (or ACT or GPA). That is, 25% of students scored below this range, and 25% scored above this range. If you are in the middle of the middle 50%, then, at least on the SAT statistic, you are in the target range for this college.

How to handle “typical” questions in an admission form ?

Generally you come across the following questions in your application/ supplement form:

• How would you describe your personality?

• What areas of personal development you need to improve upon?

• Why admission committee should give you admission?

The admissions officers want an honest self appraisal of what you are like in terms of  your personality (shy or outgoing, confident or unconfident, mature socially or immature, disciplined or lacking in self discipline, serious about studies or casual, goal oriented or uncaring, independent or dependent  upon others).

You should be honest to state what aspects of any of the above areas you believe you can improve upon.  Honest responses always impress the admissions officers.

The admissions committees are asking you to tell what makes you a strong candidate for their rigorous programs. You want to tell them that you are a serious student, motivated to learn, independent, determined to become a professional pharmacist, intelligent, and have a solid academic foundation to take on specialized higher educational studies.

This assumes that you can honestly state these positives based on your school performance and personal activities.

How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale ?

Colleges report GPA (grade point average) on a 4.0 scale. The top grade is an A, which equals 4.0. This is the standard scale at most colleges, and many high schools use it.

If your high school uses a different or weighted system, you need to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale for this tool. Talk to your school counselor or get a rough conversion by substituting these values:

A+ (97-100) = 4.0
A (93-96) = 4.0
A- (90-92) = 3.7

B+ (87-89) = 3.3
B (83-86) = 3.0
B- (80-82) = 2.7

C+ (77-79) = 2.3
C (73-76) = 2.0
C- (70-72) = 1.7

D+ (67-69) = 1.3
D (65-66) = 1.0
E/F (below 65) = 0.0

Source : http://www.collegeboard.com/

SAT Optional Colleges List Soars to 280

At least 280 four-year college and university campuses now have policies which do NOT use ACT or SAT results to make admissions decisions for many applicants, according to a new FairTest survey. That figure represents an increase of nearly four dozen test score optional schools since a similar count in 1995 and a rise in the total by almost one hundred since 1994.

The current ACT/SAT optional list includes highly selective private liberal arts schools, such as Bates, Bowdoin, Dickinson and Lafayette, as well as public universities in several states including Arkansas, Kansas, Maine, Oregon and, most recently, Texas.

The growing test score optional movement reflects increasing concerns that reliance on ACT and SAT results limits the diversity of applicant pools, excludes many young people whose talents are not reflected by multiple-choice tests and favors students who can afford expensive coaching courses. Many of the schools on the FairTest list have conducted their own studies which show that standardized tests do little to increase the ability of their admissions officers to predict success at their institutions.

In addition to the 280 schools on the list, FairTest found that hundreds of other undergraduate institutions have deemphasized standardized exams in their admissions processes but have not yet taken the step of dropping their test score requirements.

Source : http://www.fairtest.org

How to write a great essay for college applications and scholarships?

Be yourself, and make sure to write well. Be grammatically correct, and spell check carefully. That basic style and grammar issue is fundamental. To be “yourself” part is often harder. Use your own voice and experiences to showcase an interest, talent, significant experience in your life (whether an exciting one, a learning one, a hardship, etc.). Focus on the details, the specifics, the things you know well, rather than the big, vague generalizations or huge issues.

Write, rewrite, rewrite again. Show the essay to at least one person who knows you well and look for constructive criticism.

AP – Advanced Placement program and the Cost of College

Are you ready for a unique learning experience that will help you succeed in college? Each year, students around the world who want to learn and achieve at the highest level become AP students. Through AP’s college-level courses and exams, you can earn college credit and advanced placement, stand out in the admissions process, and learn from some of the most skilled, dedicated, and inspiring teachers in the world.

Research shows that your AP experience can benefit you in several important ways when you reach college:

• AP students are more likely to graduate from college in four years – students who take longer to graduate at public colleges and universities can spend up to $19,000 for each additional year.
• AP helps students qualify for scholarships – 31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when determining scholarships.

If schools require 2 Subject Tests, would it be better to take 3 or 4 in different subject areas just to have a safe base?

So, if you can take 3-4-5 tests in areas in which you have taken strong academic classes and do well in those tests (say, in the same score range as your SAT), then you should take the tests. The qualifier is that you shouldn’t focus too much on testing to the detriment of your classes and grades.

How much emphasis do schools usually place on SAT Subject Test Scores?

If a college requires 2-3 SAT Subject Tests, then they typically place a lot of weight on them. In some instances, we have heard colleges talk about placing equal or even more weight on the Subject Tests than the SAT, since the Subject Tests are seen to test actual content knowledge.