A college counselor friend of mine likes to tell the story of Matthew, a student with a dream to go to UC Berkeley.
Upon meeting with Mathew, my friend reviewed his clients test scores and grades. Since his scores and grades were good but not great, my friend recommended that Matthew consider other UC schools. UC Berkeley, my friend told Matthew, was a long shot.
Somewhat disheartened, the student agreed to apply to UC Merced as well UC Berkeley. While not his top choice, UC Merced appeared to be a viable back up. Both the counselor and the student agreed that his good grades and test scores would be more than enough to get admitted to UC Merced.
Months later, Matthew received follow up communication from both UC Berkeley and UC Merced. Unexpectedly, Matthew was rejected by UC Merced yet offered admission to UC Berkeley.
This seemingly improbable outcome proves that as much as college admission appears to be a science--good grades plus good test scores equals the college of your choice--nothing is ever guaranteed.
Or is it? I wrote previously about the new UC Transfer Admission Guarantee. If your goal is a degree from a UC, that is a great way to do it.
The other path towards potentially guaranteed UC admission is to ensure you are in the top 9% of California high school graduates. This "statewide path" is by no means easy since you must ensure you achieve a certain GPA and SAT or ACT score. Find out if you are in the top 9% by visiting this website and using the interactive tools to input your GPA and test scores.
If you are in the top 9%, and you are not admitted to a UC, you should be "offered a spot at another campus if space is available."
Perhaps this is not a guarantee but it is certainly something pretty close.
And who knows? Maybe you could be the next Matthew and find yourself admitted to your dream school too.
For test prep advice, contact CROSSWALK today. CROSSWALK is the go to resource for ACT, SAT, PSAT, SSAT and academic tutoring on the Monterey Peninsula.
There are exactly three spots left for CROSSWALK's six-week Summer ACT and SAT Test Prep Series. This is a highly personalized and individualized small group class ideal for Juniors and Sophomores.
Students can attend in person at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or via Skype.
All sessions meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30pm. Here is the schedule:
- 6/26: SAT and ACT Test Overview and General Strategies
- 7/3: Reading Strategies for Success
- 7/10: Math Strategies for Success
- 7/17: Writing Strategies for Success
- 7/24: Science Strategies for Success
- 7/31: Essay Strategies for Success
Drop in for the session you need and pay by the class or sign up for the whole program and save.
Sign up today via the following form.
Questions? Or need further information? Contact CROSSWALK.
CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT prep and academic tutoring.
Register today for a focused and individualized SAT and ACT test prep program by Brooke Higgins of CROSSWALK.
Starting Tuesday, June 26, CROSSWALK is hosting a six-week Summer ACT and SAT Test Prep Series.
Attend in person at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or via Skype.
All sessions meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30pm. Here is the schedule:
- 6/26: SAT and ACT Test Overview and General Strategies
- 7/3: Reading Strategies for Success
- 7/10: Math Strategies for Success
- 7/17: Writing Strategies for Success
- 7/24: Science Strategies for Success
- 7/31: Essay Strategies for Success
Drop in for the session you need and pay by the class or sign up for the whole program and save.
Sign up via the following form.
Questions? Or need further information? Contact CROSSWALK.
CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT prep and academic tutoring.
Is school out for summer? Maybe not yet but we are getting close.
With summer around the corner, now is a good time to map out a test prep plan, particularly for current juniors in high school. Hopefully you already have a program, like CROSSWALK's Summer SAT/ACT Test Prep Series. If not, here is plan you can do on your own over eight weeks:
Week 1: Start with the End in Mind
Take the first week of summer to do some research into potential universities. Most importantly, as it relates to ACT and SAT prep, find out the score you need to get into the school(s) of your dreams. This score represents your Goal Score and your Goal Score is the key to your entire test preparation and strategy.
Week 2: Take a Practice Test
You may have already taken the PSAT or PreACT. If not, download a practice SAT and/or a practice ACT and take the test according to the directions and timing. Be sure to recreate the testing environment as realistically as possible so your practice experience is comparable to test day. For example, ignore your cell phone while taking the practice test.
Week 3: Run the Numbers
If you have a detailed score report from a PSAT or PreACT, be sure to access it. If you took a practice test, score your test according to the instructions. Running the numbers means determining the test score in your practice and comparing it to your Goal Score. Take the time to calculate your score so you can see the difference between your current score and the one you need.
Week 4: Dig Into the Data
Once your have compiled your test score results, now you have to dig further into the test results. Turn over all stones and determine what kinds of questions you missed and what kinds of questions you aced. A strong understanding of your strengths and weaknesses is a major part of developing your preparation and strategy going forward.
Week 5: Get Better
Simply put, take your weaknesses and put a plan together to improve. For example, if you find you always miss graphing function problems, ask a friend, find a teacher or even access some videos on Khan Academy to get better at this skill.
Week 6: Prepare a Game Plan
After working on your weaknesses, fine tune your Game Plan, or your strategic approach to test day. For example, map out your timing so you know exactly how much time you have to spend on each section. Similarly, determine which problems to guess on and which ones to spend time on. Your Game Plan is the path towards your Goal Score.
Week 7: Test. Learn. Repeat.
Take at least a week to work your plan. Do practice sets and maybe even a full length practice test. Score them and learn from your mistakes. Adjust your plan accordingly and repeat the process. It's an iterative process but the more you do it, the better you will score.
Week 8: Set Your Mindset to Growth
Students who believe they can learn anything with hard work, effort and determination will learn more. It's a scientific fact. If you are stuck in a rut and don't think you can learn anything new, get out of the rut of a fixed mindset and adopt a growth mindset. Tell yourself you can get better at anything with time and effort and you will.
Not too hard of a plan, right? It's totally doable. Now just map out the weeks and dates on your calendar and get your summer test prep plan going. If you need help, contact CROSSWALK.
Register today for a focused and individualized SAT and ACT test prep program by Brooke Higgins of CROSSWALK.
Starting Tuesday, June 26, CROSSWALK is hosting a six-week Summer ACT and SAT Test Prep Series.
Attend in person at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or via Skype.
All sessions meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30pm. Here is the schedule:
- 6/26: SAT and ACT Test Overview and General Strategies
- 7/3: Reading Strategies for Success
- 7/10: Math Strategies for Success
- 7/17: Writing Strategies for Success
- 7/24: Science Strategies for Success
- 7/31: Essay Strategies for Success
Drop in for the session you need and pay by the class or sign up for the whole program and save.
Sign up via the following form.
Questions? Or need further information? Contact CROSSWALK.
CROSSWALK is the Monterey Peninsula's local resource for SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT prep and academic tutoring.
What if the SAT was administered during school hours? How might that change the testing experience?
Just recently, the Sacramento City Unified School District did just that for their juniors.
And it seems there is a movement to make the SAT more part of the academic day.
Lots of hoops to jump through administratively, politically and operationally but worth a consideration.
Perhaps offering the SAT at school during school hours would reduce the stress around test day. Might scores go up as a result?
No matter when they offer the test, CROSSWALK is ready to help. We specialize in test prep for the SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT and many academic classes. Contact us today.
Getting into one of the University of California schools is a competitive process; one that requires strong grades and a good test score. And even if you have good grades and a good test score, admission is not guaranteed.
Or is it?
Good news because if your dream is to attend a UC, there is a way to guarantee admission.
As of August 2017, six of the nine UCs (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz) offer a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) for California community college students who fulfill all transfer requirements. Proper coursework and credits at the community college along with an application submitted on time are the main requirements.
There are some restrictions to TAG, like an exclusion on certain types of degrees at particular colleges. Business Administration at UC Irvine, for example, is a major excluded from this program. Similarly, TAG is not available for students who already have a bachelor's degree or a graduate degree.
Also, you can only request a TAG for one UC and most UC schools only offer TAG for the fall semester. For complete details, check the admission information at the University California website here.
TAG offers an excellent way to guarantee admission into highly selective and competitive colleges. And students would potentially save thousands of dollars starting first at a community college. Yet another reason to not stress about SAT and ACT scores during high school.
For test prep tips on the SAT and ACT, contact CROSSWALK. The Monterey Peninsula's primary resource for test prep, CROSSWALK specializes in SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT and academic tutoring.
