Tips and Guidelines What They're for: Show Your Stuff High
schools vary from place to place, so colleges can't look at
grades alone. Standardized tests provide a consistent way for
colleges to evaluate students. Most colleges require you to take
one of the most common tests, the SAT® or the ACT®. Check with
the colleges you plan to apply to for their testing
requirements. Success Strategy: Prepare, Study, Repeat To take
these tests, you should be armed with more than a #2 pencil.
Both major testing organizations offer lots of resources to help
you prepare and study. Both also offer preparatory tests you can
take early. Your local library and bookstore have books that can
help you prepare. And if you don't do well the first time, don't
panic — you can re-take the tests to try to raise your score.
The Tests: Take a Closer Look The most common tests, with links
to their Web sites: SAT Reasoning Test™. This test measures your
ability to think and solve problems. Almost all colleges and
universities accept the SAT