CATES Blog

PSAT exam

“Let Go Of That Score”

If you are worried about your college entrance exam scores – namely the standardized tests – you should be…somewhat.  For those suffering from score-induced panic, know that your scores, while important, should never infiltrate your self-esteem, let alone be a measure of it.

Let the others worry about themselves; you’ll have enough to manage!  First up in your unique standardized testing path is taking the PSAT in October of 11^th grade.  A shortened version of the SAT, the 2 hour and 10 minute PSAT serves two main purposes: 1) to give you a rough (and ONLY ROUGH!) idea of your overall multiple choice questions performance, and 2) to qualify the top 1% scorers for National Merit Semi-finalist eligibility.  While prestigious, National Merit is a separate, later series of steps to take.  Right now, dismiss that concept altogether.  Take the PSAT with as much focus as possible.  The outside, overwhelming world only compromises your best efforts if you let it!

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Exams via Flickr: Alex France

How much is too much? When it comes to the SAT, it’s a question that a lot of students (and their parents) wonder about. Few people just take the test only once; most take it several times, but how many times is too many? If twice, or three times, is good, wouldn’t four, five, or six times be even better? Well…probably not. A couple of factors come into play when you’re deciding how when, and how many times to take the SAT, so here’s a short guide to your testing schedule.

Take it More Than Once

Would it be great if you could just take the test once, and be finished? Of course it would. I mean…that would be great. That does occasionally happen, but unless you get a near-perfect score the first go-round, it’s smart to try again. Why?

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SAT Testing Sign via Flickr: methodshop.com

In the last post, we established that you should probably take the SAT more than once, unless you knock it so far out of the park on your first shot that it really is unnecessary. In a college admissions market where competition and pressure are sky high, however, it’s easy to let things get out of hand. It’s hard to know when to stop, when enough really is enough.

The SAT is offered in January, March, May, June, October, November, and December. Theoretically, you could start in January and go straight through the year, taking it month after month. There are a number of reasons why this would be a bad idea, not the least of which being that it would probably drive you completely crazy. Here are a few others:

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Fraternity party via Flickr: Rex Roof

Fraternities and sororities get a bad rap, and sometimes deservedly so—there are a lot of things you should take into account before you join one—but there are also a lot of potential upsides. There’s a reason Greek life has been going strong for as long as it has, in fact, there are a bunch:

Belonging

• It’s great to feel like you have a home base, and a place where you can walk in and be welcomed. Especially as an underclassmen, going to parties at fraternities and sororities can be intimidating—they’re not letting everyone in at the door, you don’t feel like you belong there, you don’t know where the bathroom is, or where you can leave your coat with the least risk of gross things getting spilled on it. Walking into a house where everybody knows your name, a la Cheers, can be pretty great, especially when you’re living away from home for the first time.

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Sorority House via Flickr: gb_packards

In movies about college, it seems like frats and sororities are pretty much where it’s at (to use a nerdy, dated phrase, that makes it seem like I have no idea what I’m talking about when it comes to what’s cool). From Animal House to Van Wilder, it’s all about the Greeks. As with most things that are true in movies about college—nerds always get their revenge, you don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies, blonde people can be lawyers—this doesn’t necessarily hold true in the harsh light of reality. Greek life can be a great choice, but it’s certainly not the only choice, and you should think about whether or not you want to be involved in that scene before you decide to join. Here are some potential downsides that you should definitely consider before you sign on:

$$$

• Being a part of a frat or a sorority is not free. There are dues, parties, formals, and any number of little expenses that add up. It usually isn’t a giant amount, but it’s definitely a factor.

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