Students must prepare for admission to college while in high school.
Colleges evaluate applicants on their grades, particularly in college preparatory courses, but also on their overall grade point average and high school class rank. High school students wishing to go to college need to start preparing while in high school by taking college preparatory courses and advanced placement courses. Colleges also take into account students' scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and American College Test (ACT).
Scholastic Aptitude Test
High school students should take the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test) in their junior year in order to be eligible for the Merit Scholarship award. Taking the PSAT also provides experience which will help when taking the SAT. The SAT has three parts, mathematics, critical reading and writing; scores on each section range from 200 to 800. The average score in 2010 was 516 on mathematics, 501 on critical reading, and 492 on writing. The national average score for the three sections was 1509 in 2010. Admission requirements vary by the type of university or college, but a score below 1100 is considered too low at most colleges.
American College Test
The ACT covers four areas: English, mathematics, reading and science, with an optional essay test. Students obtain scores on each of the areas ranging from 1 (lowest) to 36 (highest). Most colleges use a composite score to evaluate students. The composite score is an average of the four components taken in a single test-taking session. In 2001 the average ACT composite score was 21. Some colleges will take the highest score a student obtains if he takes the test multiple times.
Grade Point Average
Most colleges require a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a four-point scale, which translates into a B average. Most high schools use the 4.0 scale, the percentile system or letter grade methods; the latter two can be translated into the 4.0 scale. Although colleges set 3.0 as the minimum, they sometimes accept students with lower averages if their test scores are outstanding, but most accept the applicants with the highest GPAs.
Other Considerations
The most influential factors in colleges' admission decisions are high school grades in college prep courses, test scores on the SAT and/or ACT, grade point average and the students' rank in their high school class. Colleges also take into account extracurricular activities, written work, interviews and letters of recommendation. Students should ask teachers who are familiar with their work and school counselors to write letters of recommendation.
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