ISSAQUAH
HIGH PTSA
SAT/ACT Readiness Program
Registration for the Mock SAT Exam given at Issaquah High School this coming fall will be handled
online this year. This is a great opportunity to get practice for the PSAT and
the SAT. Mock SAT test dates offered are September 12,
September 19 and
a take home exam option. Register online at http://tinyurl.com/IHS2009SAT. Mail in
a copy of your registration confirmation with a check for $25 to Issaquah High
PTSA at PO Box 1096, Issaquah, WA 98027. If you have questions contact
Blythe Meigs at 425-401-1508.
If you want to receive practice SAT questions, sign up through the
www.collegeboard.com
website for SAT Question of the Day.
For ACT practice, see www.actexampracticetests.com.
2009 – 2010 IH PTSA SPONSORED SAT READINESS OPPORTUNITIES
SAT READINESS CLASSES: Math and Verbal courses taught from the
Collegeboard review manual. Six weeks of courses taught by our wonderful Issaquah
High teachers (Ms. Dean, Ms. Jarvinen, Ms. Crain)
The Fall SAT Readiness Classes will be offered beginning the week of September 21. To register, complete
and mail in the Readiness Class form.
Outside SAT Prep Resources: For
those who are not able to get into the SAT Prep class offered at
the high school there are outside resources available. Two that have ties to
Issaquah HS are Kaplan and The Scholar's Choice.
Kaplan has generously
supported the IH PTSA by providing all the materials and proctoring of our Mock
Exams offered several times each year. Kaplan offers a 10% discount off their
programs to Issaquah HS students and they will also make a donation to
PTSA. www.Kaplan.com
The Scholar's Choice
will make a donation to PTSA. One of the instructors is an Issaquah HS alum. www.TheScholarsChoice.com
MOCK EXAMS: Using materials provided by Kaplan, practice tests are
administered to approximate the SAT exam experience
including material covered, time constraints, and test score / feedback. Take
home exam option available for those unable to make the scheduled test date.
Dates for the MOCK
exams this coming school year are as follows:
Mock SAT: September 12
September 19
January 30, 2010
Mock ACT: February 6, 2010
Register online for the Mock SAT at http://tinyurl.com/IHS2009SAT and mail
in a copy of your registration confirmation with a check for $25 to Issaquah
High PTSA at PO Box 1096, Issaquah, WA 98027,
Note that Mock exams
are sample exams and they may be very similar to Mock exams given in past
years. These practice exams are not intended to be taken multiple times.
If you can't make the
date of a Mock exam, don't worry. Along with the take home option we are
offering, there are free online resources (see www.collegeboard.com) and Kaplan
also offers mock exams at other schools. Call Rebecca Gomes at Kaplan for more
information (206-985-1322, ext. 1). Kaplan also offers exams in their office
every Saturday. Call for information.
The College Board has approved an important change to the
current SAT score-reporting policy. To read about the specific changes, go
to SAT Score Reporting.
For some information
on the difference between SAT and ACT, view:
ACT v SAT Score Conversion
ACT v SAT Score Comparison
ACT v SAT Test Differences
For more information,
email SATReadyIHS@hotmail.com
SAT/ACT Tests – the REAL thing:
Parents of juniors should be aware that
there are limited seats for SAT and ACT testing in our area. Early registration for desired test
dates is suggested to avoid extra driving to more distant locations. See below
for links to SAT and ACT information.
PSAT/NMSQT vs. SAT vs. ACT??
Are you totally confused by this alphabet soup?? You are not
alone. Let us try to help.
Ø The PSAT or
PreSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a test offered one
time each fall, primarily to high school Juniors, as a qualifying test for the
National Merit Scholarship competition. Yes, the PSAT can be taken by anyone,
and the test makers tout the test as good practice for the actual SAT, but only Juniors can
qualify for the National Merit Scholarship competition and therefore the
majority of PSAT test takers are Juniors. Most importantly, the PSAT is not to
be confused with the “mock” SAT that we offer each year
or any other practice SAT you may hear about.
Ø The SAT or Scholastic
Aptitude Test is the college entrance exam that many of you will include with
your college application. The test is offered several times a year and can be
taken more than once. It is totally up to you to register and sit for the test
to make timely application to your targeted schools. During the school year,
your PTSA will offer readiness classes as well as a “mock” SAT exam.
Ø The ACT or American College Test is also a widely
recognized college entrance exam. It differs from the SAT in several areas. The
ACT is often described as a “content based” test while the SAT tests “critical
thinking”. Specifically the ACT includes a science reasoning section, a
trigonometry section and tests English grammar to a greater degree. The SAT tests more vocabulary
and is not entirely multiple choice. Again, it is up to you to register and sit
for the exam. Your PTSA will offer a “mock” ACT exam during the year.
Make sense? Also try these helpful links: For info on the SAT go to www.collegeboard.com. For info
on the ACT try www.act.org. Or for a more impartial
look at the two entrance exams try www.kaplan.com
and/or www.princetonreview.com.
For more information, please contact Blythe Meigs, the SAT/ACT Readiness
Program Chair.