Testing






SAT and SAT Subject TESTS

SAT AND ACT SCORES MUST BE FORWARDED TO THE COLLEGES BY THE STUDENT

Waldwick High School will not be responsible for sending your scores

Some of the following Data was taken from the collegeboard web site.  Please check the website for the most up-to-date data

ABOUT THE SAT

WHEN THE SAT’s ARE HELD:
The SAT’s are generally held on a monthly basis during the school year.  SATS will be held on-site at WHS for each month they are offered.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE SAT:
You must register online at:  www.collegeboard.org

WHS CEEB CODE:
You must enter Waldwick High School’s CEEB CODE #311563 when you register online.  This will allow WHS to receive your SAT Scores.  If you do not enter the WHS CEEB Code – we will have no SAT history on file for you.

WHAT IS THE SAT?
While high school grades are a very useful indicator of how students will perform in college, there is great variation in grading standards and course rigor within and across high schools. More than 80 years ago the College Board created the first standardized college entrance test to help colleges and universities identify students who could succeed at their institutions and to connect students with educational opportunities beyond high school.

Today, the SAT Reasoning Test is the benchmark standardized assessment of the critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills students have developed over time and that they need to be successful in college.

AVERAGE SAT SCORE:
SAT scores are reported on a scale from 200-800, with additional subscores reported for the essay (ranging from 2-12) and for multiple-choice writing questions (on a 20-80 scale). Your scores tell college admissions staff how you did compared with other students who took the test. For example, if you scored close to the mean or average — about 500 on SAT critical reading and 500 on SAT mathematics — admissions staff would know that you scored as well as about half of the students who took the test nationally

WHAT IS THE SAT SUBJECT TEST?
SAT Subject Tests are the only national admissions tests that measure students' knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, and their ability to apply that knowledge. They are closely linked to the high school curriculum and have a proven track record of providing colleges with a highly reliable, objective assessment of student readiness for college-level work. The SAT Subject Tests give students an additional opportunity to distinguish themselves and showcase their skills in a particular subject area.

Students take the SAT Subject Tests to demonstrate to colleges their mastery of specific subjects such as English, history, mathematics, science, and foreign languages. The content of each test is not based on any one approach or curriculum but rather evolves to reflect current trends in high school course work.

SENDING SAT SCORES ONLINE TO COLLEGES and SENDING COSTS:
Choose four SCORE recipients for FREE during registration. You can make updates to your score recipients for up to nine days after your test date. For all additional reports – there is a $10.50 fee per report.

**Students can select which scores they send to colleges by test date for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests.


SENDING SAT SCORES TO COLLEGES

STUDENTS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SENDING SAT AND ACT SCORES DIRECTLY TO THE COLLEGES THEY PLAN TO APPLY TO.  WHS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SENDING YOUR SCORES.
The following data taken from the collegeboard website:

HOW TO SEND YOUR SCORES WITH REGISTRATION
Choose four score recipients for FREE during registration.  You can make updates to your score recipients for up to nine days after your test date.

SEND ADDITIONAL SCORES
Four score sends are included free with your registration. If you choose to send more than four, or to send scores outside the registration time period, you will be charged per score send.
HOW SCORE CHOICE™ WORKS
Select which scores you want to send to your score recipients.  Score Choice gives you the option to choose which scores (by test date for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests™) you send to colleges — in accordance with an institution's stated score-use practice.

If you decide not to use Score Choice, all of your scores will be sent to your recipients. Students should still feel comfortable sending all scores, since most colleges consider a student’s best score.

SENDING SCORES TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS
For certain college and university systems, once you submit your score to one school, other schools within that system will also have access to your score. Please note, however, that if you are applying to more than one school within a college or university system, it is still important for you to send your SAT scores to each individual school. If you are not sure whether the specific school you are applying to is part of such a system, contact the school's admissions office.

SCORE REPORTS AND SCORE SENDING
Sending official SAT score reports is the only way to ensure that colleges receive your scores.
Four SAT score reports are included free with your registration.
Sending scores with your registration is the fastest way to send scores to colleges and scholarship programs.
Many colleges view receiving your scores early as a demonstration of your interest.
SAT Program recommends that students send all of their scores if they are unsure of which scores to send.

ACT TESTS

SAT AND ACT SCORES MUST BE FORWARDED TO THE COLLEGES BY THE STUDENT

Waldwick High School will not be responsible for sending your scores

Some of the following Data was taken from the ACT web site.  Please check the website for the most up-to-date data


WHAT IS THE ACT?
The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in: English, Math, Reading, and Science.  The ACT Plus Writing includes the four subject area tests plus a 30-minute Writing Test. ACT results are accepted by all 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S.

The ACT multiple-choice tests are curriculum based. The ACT is not an aptitude or an IQ test. Instead, the questions on the ACT are directly related to what you have learned in your high school courses in English, mathematics, reading, and science. Because the ACT tests are based on what is taught in the high school curriculum, students are generally more comfortable with the ACT than they are with traditional aptitude tests or tests with narrower content.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE ACT:
You must register online at:  www.actstudent.org

WHEN THE ACT’s ARE HELD:
The ACT’s are generally held every other month – or around six times during the school year. 

WHS CEEB CODE:
You must enter Waldwick High School’s CEEB CODE #311563 when you register online.  This will allow WHS to receive your ACT Scores.  If you do not enter the WHS CEEB Code – we will have no ACT history on file for you.




What is the difference between the ACT and SAT?

The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities.

The ACT has up to 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. The SAT has only 3 components: Critical Reasoning, Mathematics, and a required Writing Test.

The College Board introduced a new version of the SAT in 2005, with a mandatory writing test. ACT continues to offer its well-established test, plus an optional writing test. You take the ACT Writing Test only if required by the college(s) you're applying to.

The SAT has a correction for guessing. That is, they take off for wrong answers. The ACT is scored based on the number of correct answers with no penalty for guessing.

The ACT has an Interest Inventory that allows students to evaluate their interests in various career options.

Check with the colleges you are interested in to see which tests they utilize most during the admissions process.

The SAT is a more widely used test for colleges in the East Coast while the ACT is more established in the Western part of the country.

In addition to speaking with your counselor – please take the time to review both of these web sites to better understand these tests.