My Aliso Niguel SAT Prep Branch - Week 4: Why the SAT Matters

I've spent the last few weeks telling you about strategies for test, when to prepare, and what's on the test, but I've left out one very important topic: why take the SAT in the first place? Most of you probably know that the SAT is involved in the college admissions process, but how much does it really matter? What about the other aspects of the college application like grades, extracurricular activities, and essays?

Let me start with a vey important disclaimer: the college admissions process is very complex and every school has very different ways of deciding whom to let in. There are no guarantees. What is true for one school may not be true for another. However, there are some general guidelines that will be helpful for you in evaluating what to focus on in preparing for the college application process.

The most important factor for pretty much every college is your academic performance. This is not just GPA or class rank, but also the type of classes you take and how challenging they are. For example, getting a 4.0 by taking all the easiest classes is not going to be as impressive to most schools as 3.7 in all AP classes. Many high schools give extra grade boosts for AP classes anyways, but the point is that colleges consider the level of difficulty in the courses you take. Overall, your academics count for roughly 50% of the college admissions decision.

The application itself, including extra curricular activities, personal essays, and any other extra materials you choose to submit, make up about another 25% of the college admissions decision. This is where schools get a chance to see who you are as a person, beyond your grades and test scores. I highly recommend you spend a good amount of time developing a strong essay that showcases your involvement in an activity that you are passionate about, whether it is a sport, a volunteer cause, or a club. Being highly active in one activity that you are genuinely interested in is much better than being a serial club-joiner who never does anything. This is the part of the application where you can demonstrate your creativity and excitement for the school you're applying to.

Finally there are standardized test scores, most notably the SAT. In general, the SAT will make up the final 25% of your college admissions decision. SAT II (or SAT Subject Test) scores, along with AP test scores and the ACT also fit in this category. After academics, your SAT scores are usually the second most important factor by which colleges will judge you. Part of the reason for this is that grades can vary from school to school, as each have different standards and curriculums. The SAT is a chance for colleges to see how you perform on a standardized level with students from around the country. That means that there is a lot riding on these tests. Many students and parents see this as cause for alarm and stress. While this should motivate you to get in gear and start preparing for the test, it shouldn't scare you.

This is because improving your SAT score is the easiest and most effective way of improving your college application. Consider the following: over four years in high school, you will likely spend about 8,000 hours on schoolwork. In that same time span, a 5-hour per week extracurricular activity adds up to a total of 800 hours. That's a lot of time. But if you spend just about 50 hours preparing for the SAT, you can dramatically improve your score. It's hard to make a big dent in academics or extracurriculars with just 50 hours, but for most students that's all the time you need to see a 200-300 point score improvement.

So if you haven't started already, get moving on SAT prep this summer. It's a great time to prepare without the distractions of the school year. Every hour you put in will help improve how you look to colleges on that 25% percent of your application, so it's well worth the time.

My last group course has already started, but I'm still available for individual and small group tutoring throughout the summer. Just shoot me an email  at Neil_Aronson@ivyinsiders.com and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about the test or college admissions. 

Neil Aronson, an Aliso Niguel High School alum, is a rising junior at Tufts University (a little Ivy right outside of Boston) where he's studying International Relations and Entrepreneurial Leadership. This summer he is starting and running a test prep branch through Ivy Insiders, a program offered by Revolution Prep that selects students from top schools who have scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and sends them back to their communities to help kids from their hometown improve their scores. Check back here every Friday for more tips and help on the SAT.