Dear Rampage,
I would like to thank the editors and David Brackbill for providing a springboard for discussion about SAT/ACT test preparation and the university admission process.
For more than five years UCLA, Berkeley, Stanford, Ivy League universities and numerous other elite private universities have all been using the holistic admissions process David refers to. A direct quote from “UCLA Today” written for faculty and staff reads, “Each of these institutions, including
UCLA, could likely fill each of their incoming freshman classes with applicants with near-perfect standardized test scores and grade-point averages yet all of these institutions, including UCLA, understand that the ability to succeed in college depends on much more than test scores or grade-point averages measured in isolation, so they use admissions processes that examine the total candidate and his or her achievements in the context of the opportunities they have been given.”
The holistic approach includes a full spectrum of evaluative considerations for applicants. Students who are interested should visit http://admissions. berkeley.edu/selectsstudents or one of the best and clearest descriptions of this process.
While performance on standardized tests such as the SAT/ ACT are listed among the criteria, also emphasized and numerically placed above the test scores is the following quote, “Personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation, insight, tenacity, initiative, originality, intellectual independence, responsibility,m maturity and demonstrated concern for others and for the community are considered.” David, your passion for learning something new and discovering insights about yourself and how to better the world with that knowledge are powerful.
While I would not discourage anyone from self-improvement, including test score preparation and confidence in test-taking, I would caution students that this is not the only way to gain university admission. Personally, I have been saddened to read the online “testimonials” thoughtlessly published by these companies allowing students to publically disrespect their high school’s teachers or counselors.
No thought is given as to the counselor’s reasons for discouraging multiple AP/Honors courses in view of students’ emotional well-being. Many of these test-prep counselors have never had to sit with a parent as their student suffers emotional trauma, sickness, clinical depression or is forced to transfer to independent studies resulting from an illadvised impossible work load.
High school guidance counselors must hold a Master’s degree and PPS (Pupil Personnel Services) credential. There is a
reason that private universities will not accept letters of recommendation from outside agencies or private counselors. Our letters of recommendation are written free of charge and many are written on our own time during evenings and weekends.
When our students are admitted to Ivy League and other prestigious universities, we recognize that it was the student’s long hours of study, motivation and dedication that earned the acceptance. We take no credit for their achievements. We take no profit from their gain.
I hope this discussion will encourage students to consider taking a more holistic approach in their preparations for university admission and to begin to have confidence in their unique gifts and talents as individuals. You are more than your score.
Deanne Sciarrotta
Guidance Counselor
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As students, our parents have always told us that we need to receive good grades and obtain an outstanding ACT/SAT score in order to attend a good college. In the process of achieving such success, many of the students here at TCHS have been involuntarily placed into ACT/SAT prep classes at places such as Harvard Square, Elite or Alpha. These institutes charge a very high price, which can exceed hundreds of dollars for each class. It would be great if these classes actually helped to increase the student’s test scores significantly. However, that is often not the case.
I was one of those students who attended one of these ACT/ SAT prep classes. My parents spent over $10,000 on a so-called “Four-Year” package at Harvard Square Academy. This package promised subject prep classes, weekly diagnostic tests and of course, an ACT/SAT prep-class. During the first few months at Harvard Square, my score did increase to the 1800 range for SAT and 28 for the ACT. However, the score increase stopped. I personally believe the advertisement of “guaranteed high score” is partially a fraud. By the third month into my “bootcamp,” I started to feel like going to class was a waste of time. The daily lecture consisted of nothing more than the teacher’s reading of the material in a word-forword fashion and an abundance of interruptions caused by side conversations, which were sometimes, ironically, initiated by the teacher.
Towards the end of my testtaking career, I tried a new way of studying. Instead of going to a class to socialize with friends, I dedicated all of my time on simply just doing the practice questions from a “Real ACT” practice book at home. By repeating this routine, I was able to achieve in one week what I would have been able to achieve in one month at a prep class. It is possible to gain the same results without having to spend any money. In fact, our counselors have everything anyone would ever need to prepare for an exam, such as free practice books and studying tips. Thus, there is no point to spend so much money on any prep classes when you can learn it all on your own. In fact, you can use the money you have saved to reward yourself after getting that high score.
Michael Zhong
TCHS Alumni 2013