Admissions prepare for new SATs

By: Julianne Pepitone

Posted: 3/2/05

High school classes graduating in 2006 will be the first to take a new SAT, which includes more difficult problems in the math portion and an entirely new writing section.

The new SAT will bring changes at both the high school and college levels, including Syracuse University, but dean of admissions Susan Donovan said SU's admissions board will continue to focus more on the student's academic record rather than standardized tests.

"The Admissions Committee carefully reads each student's application file individually," Donovan said. "Emphasis is placed on high school curriculum and performance; test scores have always been less important than the high school record."

According to the College Board Web site, collegeboard.com, the math section will now include topics from algebra II, including exponential growth and absolute value. Previously, the SAT did not test third-year math skills. Quantitative comparisons in the math section and analogies in the verbal section have each been eliminated.

An additional 800 points will come from the new writing section. Students will have

25 minutes to write an essay on a given topic, which will be scored from one to six. The section will also include a 35-minute portion for multiple-choice writing and grammar questions.

Stephen Stelzner, a guidance counselor at Nottingham High School, said he believes both colleges and high schools alike will require some time to adjust to the new test.

"I've been talking to colleges about it. They're going to take a 'wait-and-see' attitude," Stelzner said. "They're going to be looking at the writing for at least a couple of years and see how it works out. They want to compare that part of the test with college essays."

But Stelzner also noted the adjustment period does not mean college admissions will not immediately take the new test into account.

Stelzner also said the writing section will give colleges new insight into a student's true skills.

"Timed evaluation is important," Stelzner said. "The college essay is an attempt to provide the student's writing ability, but with those you can write and rewrite; with a timed essay, you can't do that."

Since the high school class of 2006 will be the first to take the new test, it is impossible to predict how scores will change, Donovan said.

Corcoran High School guidance counselor Marilyn Kerwin said her students are concerned about the new SAT's length. Adding the new writing section also increases the test-taking time from three to four hours.

Stelzner's students are also apprehensive, he said.

"The students are almost catatonic about it; they are definitely concerned," he said.

Both guidance counselors cited the New York State Regents exam, a set of standardized tests required by the state, as a plus for New York students.

"Interestingly enough, the English Regents program does a test that follows a format similar to what they're requiring," Stelzner said. "It follows a similar grading process as well. I think there'll be more of a focus on writing across the board, which is very good."

New York students may be at a slight advantage over those in other states, Kerwin said.

"The state has really put an emphasis on the rigor of the exam, so this is a step above kids (whose states) don't require them to take it," she said.

Both counselors also emphasized the need for practice and preparation.

"There's a certain amount of confidence there because of the Regents," Stelzner said. "The teachers are thinking, 'Yeah, we're going to be ready.'"

The sample essays provided by the SAT board are also telling, Stelzner said.

Kerwin cited the College Board Web site as a valuable resource for practice tests.

"I tell students to really start preparing now. There are a lot of online tests and review books, offered both in the schools and out. They should also plan to take the SAT more than once," she said.

The counselors each said they did not believe curriculum would change as a result of the new test.

"Generally, the SAT is supposed to be based on our curriculum - not the other way around," Kerwin said.

Kerwin herself echoed some students' dislike of the SAT in general.

"Personally, I'm not a big fan of standardized tests," she said. "A test like the SAT is one moment in time. I think a lot of colleges focus too heavily on them. I don't think they should be mandatory."

But SU's admissions board will consider many aspects of students' lives, Donovan said.

"We routinely interview students around the country to determine factors like motivation, communication skills, maturity and life experiences. Also important to us are the recommendations from counselors and teachers who can share insights that might not be readily apparent."

Donovan said she does not believe the new SAT will have a drastic effect on SU's admissions policy.

"We have never established 'cut offs' or minimum scores, so that won't change," she said. "We will assess the new scores in relation to all the other factors that play a part in our evaluation. I don't see the new test having any dramatic change on the way we personalize our approach to evaluating students for admission here at SU."