Tips For Improving Your Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test taking can be a very stressful experience. Don’t freak out. Standardized test scores are important, but they are not the primary factor in deciding whether or not you get accepted by the college of your choice. If tests make you cringe, you can compensate for less-than-stellar test scores by having a solid GPA, volunteer work, well-rounded abilities and a heavy amount of extra-curricular activities.

Even though your standardized test scores aren’t the sole deciding factor in your application, you should still make every effort to ensure that your scores are up where they should be. Here’s a few suggestions to help you improve your standardized test scores.

Take the PSAT. The PSAT is offered to juniors in high school during the month of October. The PSAT is just a Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test. It does not count toward your real SAT scores. The PSAT is optional, but you should really take it. It’s like a trial run that will familiarize you with the format and process of taking a standardized test. These tests take hours and have different sections, so you can practice your test taking stamina and see what subjects you score strongly in and what subjects you still need work on. Because it’s not the real thing, you’ll still have time to improve the areas that you need to work on, before you sit down and take the real test. There’s also a preliminary ACT test known as the pre-American College Test.

Consider getting a tutor, buying a study guide or enrolling in a test-taking course. The more you prepare for your standardized test, like the SAT or ACT (most colleges accept both), the less surprised you will be come test day, and the better you will be able to perform. These tests are marathons of scholastic output, and the more familiar you are with the format, the better you’ll be.

If you work well in a one-on-one environment, get a tutor before you take the test. If you learn better on your own, just buy a study book with sample tests and familiarize yourself with the format at your own pace. If you require a more structured approach, consider enrolling in a professional test taking course. These courses can be pretty expensive, but they can teach you valuable tricks and strategies that’ll give you noticeably better scores.

Get a good night’s rest before you take your test. Don’t show up late, don’t forget to eat a good meal and make sure you have a water bottle, some snacks, some headache medication and extra pencils handy. Practice controlling your stress. Try meditation, massage your temples or do whatever it takes to stay relaxed, calm and focused on the task at hand.

If you prepare properly, your standardized test taking experience will be a breeze. You will not be surprised or confused by particular sections or questions. If you invested your studying time accordingly, then you will not freak out. If you just have a crippling fear of multiple choice questions, that’s okay. Spend time developing your other application attributes (like grades, activities, an award winning personal essay, etc). Make every effort to improve your scores, and if your quantitative scores are not up to par, then overshadow them with your superior qualitative features.

Chris Stout is a frequent contributor to careersandeducation.com/ CareersandEducation.com Chris Stout is a feature writer that covers topics relating to careersandeducation.com/mba-programs/online-masters-of-business-administration-degree MBA Programs and careersandeducation.com/online-education online colleges.

What You Need To Win A College Grant or Scholarship

Most high school guidance offices provide support for students seeking to earn college grants and scholarship dollars. However, most high school guidance counselors are focused solely on administering the scholarship dollars they award routinely. This typically includes locally awarded scholarships and endowments that have been provided to the schools in previous years.

However, there are large amounts of grant and scholarship money which can be earned from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and private citizens from around the country and in many cases the high school guidance office will not know about these scholarships and may be unwilling to provide support for you in competing for these scholarships.

Keep in mind that completion of every scholarship application process takes time. It is not possible to compete for every scholarship available, nor would it be a good use of your time and resources. Also, you must be careful of offers that seem too good to be true as they probably are. Many scam artists will ask for money up front to provide “professional” assistance in completing scholarship applications. While there are legitimate businesses that do provide assistance in the scholarship application process, you should use these types of businesses with great caution and whenever possible only on the recommendation of individuals you trust who have received results from these companies.

If you choose to pursue scholarships on your own without the assistance of the high school guidance office, then you need to be organized with a variety of documents. These are the same documents which are required for the high school scholarship process and may be available from the high school guidance office.

These documents include:

1. high school transcripts provide the student’s grade point average and the student’s class rank

2. PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT scores.

3. Listing of awards the student has received

4. Listing of activities in which the student has participated including documentation of the number of service hours earned and the activities in which these hours were earned

5. Scholarship essays

6. Letters of reference for the student

Note that the guidance department can not create or even gather all of these items. However, they may maintain records that will support you in completing scholarship applications, whether private or high school provided.

Sources of Private Scholarships:

No single source exists to document every scholarship that is available or every organization that awards scholarship dollars. There are many organizations that you may wish to contact, or at least check their web site, to determine if they award scholarships.
These include:

* The college or university the student plans to attend

* The specific school or department within the college or university the student plans to attend

* Service, civic, professional and/or community organizations with which the student, parent, or in some cases grand parent is affiliated.

* Religious organizations with which the student is affiliated.

* The student and/or parents employers

* National organizations that award scholarships

o Government agencies and departments

o Corporations and corporate foundations

o National service and civic organizations

Making Yourself an Outstanding Scholarship Candidate:

It is important to remember that the student has opportunity to demonstrate their eligibility for a scholarship in many different ways – scholarship candidates are not just based on grades. Scholarships are awarded based on a variety of different factors that include community service, involvement in student life and student activities, and volunteerism and other civic engagement. Students should document their activities throughout the high school process to make the scholarship application process easier and to ensure that nothing is missed.

It is also important that if an essay is required for the scholarship that the student spend time preparing the essay and ensuring that the essay meets all the requirements. You should also consider having a trusted friend or peer review the essay for grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and flow. Finally, ensure that the essay meets requirements for length.

After scholarships are awarded:

Students who are awarded scholarships should remember that the people and organizations which award these scholarships do so because they feel that it is important to invest in the future – and in the education of those who will lead the way in the future. However, it is appropriate to thank those who provide these awards if you receive one. When applying for scholarships on your own – students should verify who to send the thank you notes to for each of the privately awarded scholarships they receive.

The author is a keen researcher of all things related to grants and scholarships. More articles along with tutorials and videos on the subject of college financial aid can be found at: CollegeForKatie.com CollegeForKatie.com Copyright © 2007 This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Disclaimer: Advice provided by collegeforkatie.com collegeforkatie.com is for informational purposes only. Material changes can and do occur. Programs, plans and definitions may change. Therefore, we encourage you to do your own research.

Financial Aid – When Should I Apply For?

Many different types of financial aid are available to you in the form of scholarships, grants, and loans. With billions of dollars at stake, it is important to begin the search process early and to apply on time. Follow these guidelines for applying for financial aid:

Three to four years before you plan to begin college…

-Review your high school coursework and activities. Colleges will look for challenging coursework, a good grade point average, and extracurricular activities such as sports, volunteer work, and community involvement.
-Take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) to prepare for the standardized tests (SAT and ACT) that you’ll take later. If you do well on the PSAT, you may be eligible to receive a National Merit Scholarship.

Two years before you plan to begin college…

-Begin researching your financial aid options by talking to your career counselor and researching grants and scholarships through books and the internet
-Start planning to take the SAT and/or ACT exams, depending on what is required by your college.
-During your college visits, meet with a Financial Aid Officer to find out what types of aid are available.

As soon as possible after January 1 of the year in which you start college…

-Contact the Financial Aid Offices at the colleges of your choice for deadlines and additional documents they require

-Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Available at www.fafsa.ed.gov, this form is your key to most financial aid, and to all Federal and state grants and loans. When you complete your FAFSA, be sure to list all the schools you’re interested in attending (up to six), even if you haven’t yet been accepted. Be sure to keep copies of all of the forms you submit.

-Fill out your tax returns as early as possible so you have accurate tax information for your FAFSA

-Complete the CSS Financial Aid Profile if it is required by your college

-Find out which financial aid applications your college choices require and when the forms are due.

-Send midyear transcripts to the schools to which you have applied.

-About four weeks after you submit your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) that contains federal financial aid information. Submit the SAR and, if requested, your tax forms to the Financial Aid Office. Contact each office to make certain that your application is complete. Find out what else you need to do to establish and maintain your eligibility for financial aid.

This article is distributed by NextStudent. At NextStudent, we believe that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we’re dedicated to
helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding as easy as possible. We invite you to learn more about financial aid at NextStudent.com .

Many different types of financial aid are available to you in the form of scholarships, grants, and loans. With billions of dollars at stake, it is important to begin the search process early and to apply on time.

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