The SAT is changing. Yes, that venerable rite of passage for high school students planning to attend college will soon have a new look and feel, a fact that turns an already stressful situation into an unbearable one for many students. But relax – the effect of the changes is to make the test more student-friendly in a number of ways.

First of all, these changes are not scheduled to occur until the spring of 2016, so if you are a high school senior or junior they won’t affect you at all. For better or worse, you’ll take the good old SAT – math, reading, and writing, each section scored from 200 to 800, for a possible total of 2400 points. If this is you, stop reading this and grab an SAT study guide. A great one is the Official SAT Study Guide, published by College Board.

For the rest of us, here is what you need to know. Number one: the form of the test will be different.  The new SAT will consist of math and reading sections only, scored from 200 to 800 points. An essay section will be optional, but it will receive separate scores, from 2 to 8 on three different features of the essay. Moreover, multiple choice questions will consist of four answer choices instead of five, and the much despised “guessing penalty” for wrong answers is eliminated. On the new SAT you should never leave a question blank.

But perhaps most significantly, the content of the new SAT will differ in important ways from the old SAT. Math questions on the new SAT will look more like the kinds of questions you see in your classes. And many problems will be drawn from real-world contexts such as the sciences. Similarly, reading questions will concern passages drawn from sources relevant to your broader classroom experience, including important historic texts. Passage information will also include charts and other diagrams which you will be required to understand and relate to their associated passages. Moreover, questions will place additional emphasis on identifying and providing evidence for claims, and less emphasis on vocabulary.

The upshot – the new SAT will feel more familiar and less tricky than the current test. If you do well on your coursework in high school, chances are that, with good preparation, you’ll reach your testing goals on the new SAT.  Good luck, and work hard!

Which test should I take – ACT or SAT?

Getting ready to apply to colleges is a long, complicated process that involves many important decisions. One of the most consequential decisions you will make concerns which college admissions exam to take – ACT or SAT. Let's talk a bit about these tests, and what you should consider when deciding which test is best for you.

Comparing the tests

In many ways the ACT and SAT are similar, and should be relatively familiar to any US student who has taken the various standardized tests required of them in high school. Both tests contain math sections, reading sections, and sections testing grammar and sentence construction (English and Writing, respectively). But there are significant differences in the ways the two exams test these subjects. Moreover, the ACT contains a section with no counterpart on the SAT – the Science section. Understanding these differences is important to choosing which test you should take, so let's talk about them in more detail.

The Math tests

While there is considerable overlap regarding the math subjects tested, the ACT contains questions involving subjects not tested on the SAT. For instance, the ACT contains questions concerning basic trigonometry, while the SAT does not. 

So, the math tested by the ACT is slightly more advanced than that tested by the SAT. On the other hand, SAT problems are more likely to involve clever problem solving techniques that stress critical thinking as much as the math content itself. Moreover, while the ACT math test consists entirely of multiple choice questions, the SAT contains a number of questions that require you to fill in a number.

So the upshot is that, to the extent you prefer more straight-ahead math questions, and are prepared to answer questions through basic trig, you may prefer the ACT math test. On the other hand, if you excel in abstract problem solving and critical thinking, you may prefer the SAT math test.

The verbal tests

The ACT and SAT both test a similar range of reading and English grammar and construction skills. But there are two main differences in how these skills are tested. First, while both tests contain multiple choice questions that focus on grammar and construction, only the SAT requires the test taker to write an essay. Second, in addition to the familiar reading comprehension questions found on both tests, only the SAT contains additional sentence completion questions.

These differences are not especially significant to most test takers. Moreover, the ACT does offer an optional writing test for those test takers who wish to submit an essay, as is required by a few college programs In short, the ACT English test and the SAT writing test are similar enough that most test takers will probably not have a strong preference for one test over the other.

The ACT Science test

The most significant difference between the ACT and SAT exams is the inclusion of a forth test – the Science test – on the ACT. The Science test consists primarily of short passages accompanied by charts and graphs, often in the context of reporting experimental results. The questions test your ability to comprehend the material in the passages, graphs, and charts, including understanding the objectives and methods of any described experiments, as well as to make reasonable inferences based on this material. It is important to note that the science test does not test scientific knowledge; all of the information needed to answer the questions is contained in the passages, graphs, and charts.
The impact of this additional section of the ACT can be enormous. First of all, despite the test's name, the skills required of the Science test are largely verbal; being able to extract information quickly from passages and charts is essential. Thus students whose verbal skills are strong and who are not intimidated by charts and graphs tend to perform well on this section. Secondly, the Science test tends to dilute to contribution of the math test to one's overall score. Thus a student who is exceptionally strong at math but less strong in verbal areas might prefer the SAT, since she will have a third her score determined by the math test on the SAT but only a quarter of it determined by the math test of the ACT. Conversely, a student with exceptional reading and verbal skills might prefer the ACT, for the same reasons.

Additional considerations

There are other things to consider before deciding which test to take. For example, what resources are available to you? If all of your friends are taking one of the tests, all things being equal it probably makes sense for you to take the same test, since this way you will be more likely to benefit from the advantages of preparing with a group rather than by yourself. Similarly, which test is more familiar to your high school teachers, or other educators who might offer you test prep guidance? All of these factors can be relevant to choosing the right test.

Of course, the best way to choose is to try each test for yourself, and compare your performance. Free tests are available at actstudent.org and sat.collegeboard.org.

Dealing with Test Anxiety

Sweaty palms, a knot in the stomach, a sudden inability to comprehend the simplest sentence, a cloud of doom descending. Most people know these symptoms of anxiety first-hand through one experience or another – freezing up when called on by a teacher, botching a speech in front of a large audience, stage fright while performing in a play. Depending on the severity of the anxiety, the effects of anxiety can be debilitating.

Before proceeding, we must acknowledge that some anxiety before a test, or one of the public performances listed above, is actually quite normal. In fact, some studies have recently shown that some anxiety is not only normal, but also quite beneficial. Anxiety is one's natural reaction to a stressful situation. When a stressful situation arises and one is forced to perform, the body reacts by in ways that are intended to heighten awareness, increase oxygen flow to the brain and body, and sharpen senses – all very positive reactions that will help one perform at their peak when the time is right. However, problems arise when the anxiety levels become so severe that they negatively impact one's ability to concentrate and perform. For the remainder of this article, we are primarily focusing on the severe type of performance anxiety, which will likely have a negative impact on the test taking experience and your performance.

Approximately one-third of students experience severe anxiety during testing situations, a condition known as test anxiety. But as with the various forms of anxieties above, there are clear steps one can take to decrease test anxiety's negative effects, both by reducing one's likelihood of experiencing anxiety in the first place and by successfully coping with anxiety when it arises.

Anxiety before the test

For many students the very thought of an upcoming test can trigger anxiety. This "pre-test anxiety" can be especially harmful, since it can interfere with your preparation for the test in the first place. Not only can anxiety decrease your ability to retain the information you learn while studying, the very fact that studying for the test is itself a source of anxiety makes you less likely to study to begin with. In addition to the tips discussed below, one who experiences pre-test anxiety should develop a clear, easy-to-follow study plan – and stick to it. Many students find it helpful to study with others since they can be a source of encouragement and support. This is why many students with pre-test anxiety benefit from test prep in a class setting.

The components of anxiety

Anxiety has three components – a bodily component, an emotional component, and a performative component. One way to think of these components is as in terms of a complicated system of feedback connections. For example, in a situation that triggers anxiety one has bodily sensations of various types – butterflies in the stomach, weak or trembling legs, shortness of breath, etc. These sensations are accompanied by emotions of self-doubt, expressed in thoughts concerning past failure or the inability to master a particular skill, for instance. These bodily and emotional responses in turn negatively impact one's ability to perform a wide range of tasks, including those involved in test taking. This inability to perform tasks that may even be routine under other circumstances then reinforces the negative bodily and emotional responses, resulting in a spiral of gloom and doom.

Facing anxiety

Psychologists have determined that successful approaches to reducing test anxiety address each of these components, either alone or in combination. Moreover, successful approaches to reducing test anxiety involve not only techniques for dealing with anxiety during the test, but also techniques for reducing one's anxiety response to the idea of taking the test itself. These techniques are not instant panaceas, but instead require practice to master. Developing techniques for reducing anxiety should be a standard part of your test preparation plan.

Relax

Reducing anxiety requires breaking the web of feedback responses, and the first place to start is the body. Relaxation techniques should be a priority for anyone who experiences severe anxiety. There are a number of well-known relaxation techniques that you might try, but most involve one or the other of two components: controlled breathing, and quiet attentiveness.
Generally, your first response to anxiety will be to focus on your breathing, attempting to take long, deep breaths while attending to the sounds and sensations of the air slowly moving in and out. With practice this will reduce the unpleasant sensations associated with anxiety and result in a calmer state that puts you back in control.

In addition to practicing controlled breathing, some time during the weeks before the test should be spent practicing quiet attentiveness. The first step in developing this ability is to try to focus on your breathing to the exclusion of everything else – especially that unending, meandering internal monologue that is the constant companion of each of us. Unwanted thoughts will persist; just try to focus on your breathing. Once you have slowed your thoughts, next attend to your bodily sensations. A commonly recommended method is to "scan" the body, beginning with the top of your head, for instance, and slowly moving down the body, trying to notice each sensation occurring there.

Developing these relaxation techniques will not only help to reduce your pre-test anxiety, but also will provide you with valuable tools when anxiety strikes during the test itself.

Accentuate the positive

Relaxation is an important part of any anxiety reduction plan, but it only goes so far. The next step is to avoid (or at least reduce) those emotionally charged negative thoughts about the test that directly impact your ability to perform well on it. This, of course, is much easier said than done. And like the relaxation techniques discussed above, it requires concerted effort in the weeks before the test to be able to successfully replace the self-destructive, negative thoughts about the test with other (true!) thoughts that instead provide encouragement and build confidence.

One helpful technique is the "half empty/half full" game. For one entire week, write down all of the negative thoughts you have about the test in a long list. Then at the end of the week, next to each negative thought write a true, positive thought that concerns the same point. So for example, next to the negative thought "I never have time to finish a test section" write the positive thought "I only have to answer about two-thirds of the questions to get a good score." From then on, whenever one of the destructive negative thoughts from your list creeps into your head focus on the helpful positive thought you have associated with it. With enough practice you will learn to automatically chase away your negative thoughts and replace them with the positive, constructive thoughts that you have associated with them instead.

A closely related technique involves imagining that you are taking the test, and that anxiety strikes. The goal is to practice your techniques for dealing with anxiety in this imaginative setting so that on test day you know how to effectively respond. For example, one would imagine taking a few deep breaths, recalling some relevant, true thought ("this problem is not that important; I can skip it if I want"), and resuming the test with minimal disruption.

Perform

Of course, reducing your anxiety is not enough to guarantee success on test day; you must also be well-prepared. For those who suffer from test anxiety, the goal should be to become so familiar with the questions on the test and the common tasks required of you that test taking becomes a matter of routine, like brushing your teeth or tying your shoes. In other words, solving test questions should become as much a matter of reacting to familiar situations as it is a matter of thinking about how to solve problems. This is why students with test anxiety probably benefit more than the average student from taking many practice tests, and under circumstances as much like the actual test as possible. The familiarity that results from repeated exposure to the testing situation not only serves to reduce anxiety itself, but it also helps to routinize your test taking so that anxiety is less likely to interfere with your test taking if it does occur.

Moreover, after several weeks of preparation you will notice improvements in your test taking performance. They may be small improvements, and there may still be much that you have to work on. But thinking about those parts of the test that you have improved on will serve to reinforce a positive attitude toward your preparation and provide a foundation for further improvement.

Put the pieces together

Remember, a little bit of anxiety is a good thing and will help you perform at your best on exam day. Taking steps to control anxiety is an essential part of a successful test preparation plan. Effective management of anxiety requires practice, and the techniques described here should set you on the path to a less anxious, and more successful, testing experience.

Should You Go To College?

Everybody knows the story – they go to college, work hard, and play by the rules. Four years later they have a degree but no job, and tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. This story has played out in thousands of households around the country over the past several years, and is increasingly common as the current economic downturn has disproportionately affected those at the beginning of their careers. A generation ago, a college degree virtually guaranteed a path to a relatively prosperous life; today's college grads seem as likely to be serving coffee as putting their degrees to good use. Not surprisingly, many people are second-guessing their decision to go to college. Is going to college still a good idea?

The current economic situation complicates the picture. Many of today's graduates have friends or family members who graduated before the recession, and who have not been as severely affected by it. Compared to these earlier graduates, todays graduates are clearly worse off.

In today's economy with bleak employment prospects, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that this is the wrong comparison to make. When assessing the value of a college education, the correct comparison is rather between having a degree and lacking one. In other words, will you earn enough extra money if you go to college to make up for the expense and time lost by attending?

A recent paper by the Brookings Institute addresses this question. And while the picture is somewhat complicated, for most people the short answer is "yes."
First, the good news: Research generally shows that there tend to be large economic advantages to obtaining a college degree. The report cites research showing that, over the course of their careers, those with a bachelor's degree will earn an average of more than $500,000 more than those with only a high school diploma. And of course there are plenty of non-economic benefits associated with a college degree as well, including improved health and job satisfaction.

But this earnings premium is an average; many of those with a college degree fare far more poorly than this. What also must be taken into account, the authors of the report stress, is both the competitiveness of the institution attended and the student's major. Not surprisingly, the more competitive the college the greater the career earnings premium, generally speaking. Also not surprisingly, science and engineering majors tend to have a greater earnings premium than art majors.
The upshot is that, economically speaking, whether attending college is a good decision depends on how likely you are to graduate, which school you attend, and what you study. If you attend a reasonably competitive college and major in a field with good job prospects (the STEM fields are almost always a good bet, and employment in health care is projected to increase consistently) it is likely that college will be a good investment.

Otherwise, going to college might still be a good idea, but not for economic reasons. After all, what is the value of studying something that you love? Just don't expect a pot of gold waiting for you when you finish.