Colleges and universities are deciding to handle the new vs. old SAT differently. For example, at Grinnell College, we will accept only scores for the new SAT for any student applying for admission in the fall of 2006 or beyond. We will still accept the ACT, though, in which case a student would not be required to sit for the SAT.

The new SAT will be scored on a 2400 point scale: 800 points for each of the 3 sections. Again, colleges and universities will use these scores differently - some will consider the writing score when determining admissability and others won't.

I recommend to all juniors I talk with that they take the new SAT because that's what we'll require at Grinnell AND because the PSAT they took earlier this year was the new version. The best advice I can give to all students, though, is to contact the schools you might apply to. Ask them which test they prefer and how they'll use the writing portion of the test.

Adrienne Enriquez
Class of 1998
Assistant Dean of Admission
Coordinator of Multicultural Admission
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa 50112
(800) 247-0113 -- toll free
enriqadr@grinnell.edu

We will only continue to require the math/verbal sections on SAT. We do not require the SAT II.

Jamie Marsh
Admission Counselor
Loyola University Chicago
Water Tower Campus
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-915-6500
Email: jmars1@luc.edu

Most selective colleges and universities, including the University of Georgia, will be requiring current juniors to submit scores from the new SAT with writing or to submit ACT scores which include that test's optional writing section. So, any preparation for the new SAT that's available to you would be beneficial, especially writing a first draft essay in a timed session. For more information on the new SAT, the best place to go is the source: the College Board's website, www.collegeboard.com.

J. Robert Spatig
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Terrell Hall
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1633
(706) 542-3982

The best answers can be found at: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/newsat/about.html
There is also a section on scoring at this site. I don't know if there is much studying that a student could do, but this site does give some suggestions on how you might best prepare.

Judi Marino
Director of Admissions
Florida Institute of Technology
jmarino@fit.edu
321-674-8030

Thank you for your question. The new SAT will start in March of 2005. At Seton Hill University, we will honor scores from either the new or the old SAT exam for admissions purposes. A student should check with the university or colleges they are considering applying to in order to determine if both or only the new SAT will be accepted. The scoring for the new SAT will include three categories: Writing (the new section), Critical Reading, and Math. Each section will carry a score between 200-800. Collegeboard.com offers a wonderful assessment of the new exam, and specifics on the new SAT. They even have practice tests, sample SA questions, and scoring information. Best of luck.

Kimberly A. McCarty
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

The new SAT will be scored similarly to the old SAT. Moreover, College Board has stated that the scores on the New SAT are on par with the old. In terms of studying for the SAT it is never too early to study for anything. The more prepared one is for a test the better they will perform.

Clifford Thornton
Associate Dean of Admission
Wesleyan University (CT)
(860) 685-2984(ph)
(860) 685-4890 (fax)
http://www.admiss.wesleyan.edu

It's never too early to start preparing yourself for something like the SAT. As is true with much in life, the more effort you put in, the better the results! This link to the College Board website, http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/newsat/scores.html, explains how the new SAT will be scored. Since the new test will continue to be scored on a 200-800 scale it will not be necessary to convert scores. According to the College Board website, "math and reading scores can be compared to the existing math and verbal scores. This is something colleges need for consistency in admissions requirements. However, the SAT writing score is completely new."

Chris Markle
Director of Admissions
Susquehanna University
marklec@susqu.edu
570-372-4260

This depends on the colleges you apply to. At Grinnell, we recommend that an applicant take four years of math - at least through the precalculus level. Students who have not taken precalculus are disadvantaged in our applicant pool. That won't be the case at every school, BUT it is always recommended that students take the most rigorous program available to them - and in which they will perform well.

Adrienne Enriquez
Class of 1998
Assistant Dean of Admission
Coordinator of Multicultural Admission
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa 50112
(800)247-0113 -- toll free
enriqadr@grinnell.edu

Students may opt to take Pre-Calc in high school, but it is not required. As long as students have at least 15 academic units (1 unit = 1 yr in of a class) in Math, English, Social Studies, Natural Science, and Foreign Language.

Jamie Marsh
Admission Counselor
Loyola University Chicago
Water Tower Campus
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-915-6500
Email: jmars1@luc.edu

YES. If you are pursuing any undergraduate degree program that requires Calculus I, II and Differential Equations, you will be at a disadvantage. You will have to take a remedial course - Pre-Calculus.
Recommend you either take this spring semester at your school or a community college, if you are planning to enroll Fall 2005.

Mark Smith
Dean of Students
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Academy Hall, 4th Floor
110 Eighth Street
Troy, NY 12180-3590
Phone: 518.276-6266
Fax: 518.276-4839

In many cases, the answer to this question depends on the major you intend to pursue in college. If you are interested at all in business, science or engineering, pre- calculus would be strongly recommended. In other instances, it might not matter. The most important thing to do is to check with the colleges in which you are interested. Again, the more selective the college or university, the more math they will expect you to have. At UGA, for example, we cannot admit a student with less than four high school units of math, one of which must be beyond Algebra II.

J. Robert Spatig
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Terrell Hall
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1633
(706) 542-3982

Students planning to major in hard sciences or engineering should plan to take pre-calculus. For the most part, competitive schools will expect a student to have completed pre-calculus and be ready for Calc I in their freshman year.

Judi Marino
Director of Admissions
Florida Institute of Technology
jmarino@fit.edu
321-674-8030

Thank you for your question. Each institution may have specific requirements for admission, so I would be sure to check with each school to determine if you will want to take the class or not. At Seton Hill University, we encourage students to take advanced courses, but do not require it. As long as a student has fulfilled their graduation requirement at their high school, they can be considered for acceptance. If a student does take an AP level course, honors, or advanced course work, we do take that into consideration. I do not feel that any advanced college prep curriculum can harm you. Best of luck.

Kimberly A. McCarty
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

Yes, not taking pre-calc. could be a negative factor on one's transcript; however it depends on how competitive a candidate the student wants to be. If one is considering the more competitive colleges and universities than the student must take the most rigorous courses available.

Clifford Thornton
Associate Dean of Admission
Wesleyan University (CT)
(860) 685-2984(ph)
(860) 685-4890 (fax)
http://www.admiss.wesleyan.edu

In general, it is advised that students take a rigorous academic courseload throughout their four years of high school in order to be as competitive as possible in the college application process. Preferably, students will have taken four years of English, foreign language, math, science and social studies upon graduation from high school. This kind of preparation can only be to a student's benefit as s/he prepares for the rigors of college-level work. Many colleges require that students take some kind of math course to graduate, so it would be wise for high school students to fit math into their schedule. It is even more important for students interested in fields such as, engineering, pre-med, or the sciences to gain as strong a background in math as they can. That said, if a math class like pre-calculus is unavailable, be sure you (or your guidance counselor) explain in your application why you were unable to continue your math studies.

Chris Markle
Director of Admissions
Susquehanna University
marklec@susqu.edu
570-372-4260

We do offer a pre-med track, and students still declare a major of their choice. Our advisors will help students with course planning, MCAT prep, and application processes for Med school. We have our own Loyola Medical School in Maywood, IL as well. Our acceptance rate into Med school is about 79%!

Jamie Marsh
Admission Counselor
Loyola University Chicago
Water Tower Campus
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-915-6500
Email: jmars1@luc.edu

Many schools, through their PRE-MED office post the number of medical school placements each year. However, this is not a consistent or reliable method. There is no one "best" school. The best is the quality of the EXPERIENCE - kind of courses, out of classroom activities, work experience, research relevant to medicine or health science, community service - well-rounded, quality undergraduate experience. This part of an education is very dependent on the individual and commitment to the medical profession.

Another option, if eligible, is an accelerated medical program. Admission to both the undergraduate and affiliated medical school – 3 yrs undergraduate, then directly to medical school, years 4 - 8. Undergraduate degree awarded after the 4th year (1st year of medical
school). Complicated and intense, but an option to consider.

Mark Smith
Dean of Students
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Academy Hall, 4th Floor
110 Eighth Street
Troy, NY 12180-3590
Phone: 518.276-6266
Fax: 518.276-4839

Any college or university with strong biological science and organic chemistry programs should be a good place for pre- med majors to prepare for medical study, even if you don't major in science (some pre-med students major in English, foreign language, psychology, etc. but all take a full slate of biological science and chemistry courses). At the University of Georgia, students in our nationally recognized Honors program enjoy among the highest medical school admission rates in the nation at Washington University in St. Louis, the most competitive medical school in the USA.)

J. Robert Spatig
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Terrell Hall
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1633
(706) 542-3982

With so many colleges and universities offering this field, have your daughter utilize other college choice factors first...size, location, type of school, etc. Then contact the pre-med advisors in those colleges and find out what each school does to prepare pre-med students and how successful they are in advising and placing students. Secondarily, find out what schools offer for students in their pre-med curricla , to prepare the student for work/a career if the student does nt succeed in enrolling in medical school.

Judi Marino
Director of Admissions
Florida Institute of Technology
jmarino@fit.edu
321-674-8030

Thank you for your question. I believe that many institutions have strong medical programs. My suggestion would be to first find schools that your daughter likes, and if they have pre-med or a program that interests her, then visit that school and learn more about the program. I believe in a student finding a good fit at an institution first. Deciding on a small or large school, rural, urban, or suburban setting, or a liberal arts school can all be important first decisions. She can go online or contact schools that she likes to find out if they have any medical programs. At Seton Hill University, we have a pre-med program and a liberal arts core. A student will receive a broad base of foundation courses, as well as their major courses, creating a balance and lessons in creative and critical thinking. Best of luck.

Kimberly A. McCarty
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

There is a wealth of information out there on college pre-med programs and besides locating it, you will have to sift through it all to find what the right fit is for your daughter. I always suggest starting with a self-analysis of what matters most to the student. Besides the issue of curriculum and majors, are other questions such as size and location of the school, the presence of Greek life or not, class size and student to teacher ratios, medical school/graduate school acceptance rates, etc. Also, find out who does the teaching: faculty or graduate students? Do undergraduates have the opportunity to conduct research? Are there internship opportunities?

As a starting point, I suggest your daughter begin with her own guidance counselor at her high school. Another great resource is your local library and the college search section at bookstores. Beyond that, there are numerous college search publications, directories, magazines and websites (CollegeBoard.com, uscollegesearch.org, Petersons.com, to name just a few) that you can explore. Within the Ventures Scholars Program website are listings of premedical programs as well.

Once you have narrowed down your choices, do try to visit as many of the schools as you can. Get in contact with current students in the premed programs. Talk to alumni. Speak with admissions staff. Some schools have special interest open houses, like Drew University where we host an annual Science Day for students considering majoring in the sciences and health professions.

This brings me to my last piece of advice. Do not narrow your focus to strictly science or health profession oriented schools. Many liberal arts schools offer wonderful premed curriculums and have great success rates with medical and graduate school placements. For example at Drew’s liberal arts college, there is a special pre-med program for students interested in the health professions. It includes tailored curriculum, pre-med advising, a dual-degree program option, and access to RISE, the Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti where undergraduate students engage in research under the supervision of industrial scientists.

At a Center of Inquiry Conference in December 2002, Medical School deans maintained that medical school applicants should have broad undergraduate training and that undergraduates who have narrowly focused their academic careers in the sciences do not acquire good preparation for medical school. They also asserted that although their applicants are required to have a strong background in the sciences, medical schools do not have a strong preference for any specific undergraduate major. If you visit collegeboard.com, you will read that only about half of the medical school applicants major in a science as undergraduates.

If you keep your mind open while conducting your college research and you will succeed in finding the best match for your daughter.

Mary Beth Carey
Dean of College Admissions and Financial Assistance
Drew University
Madison, NJ
973-408-DREW
www.drew.edu

In order to determine the best pre-med programs speak with a college counselor and/or review any of the numerous college guides on the market. Know that most of the top tier liberal arts schools do not offer pre-med programs per se. Instead, students interested in a career in the health professions take a set of math and science courses prescribed by medical school admission committees.

Clifford Thornton
Associate Dean of Admission
Wesleyan University (CT)
(860) 685-2984(ph)
(860) 685-4890 (fax)
http://www.admiss.wesleyan.edu

As one of our nation's top medical school's states, "The Committee on Admissions seeks applicants who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership qualities, intellectual curiosity and personal maturity. Applicants should be liberally educated men and women who have studied in some depth subjects beyond the conventional required premedical courses." (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine website) Many colleges and universities can prepare students well for entrance to medical school, so when considering undergraduate institutions inquire about the resources available to students interested in pre-med. Strong advising and access to research and internship opportunities are several key aspects students should look for in a school. These features as well as an overall fit with an institution should provide a student with the foundation necessary to embark on the path toward medical school.

Chris Markle
Director of Admissions
Susquehanna University
marklec@susqu.edu
570-372-4260

Many colleges read applications holistically, meaning that they will consider the entire application and all its components as a whole. No one element will preclude a student from being admitted. Our goal as college admission people is to select students who we believe will thrive in our schools, so we use all the information we are given to make admission decisions. That said, though we do want to see students take a rigorous program in high school and do as well as possible in that program, we would prefer to see a student earn an A in a "regular" class than a D (or in many cases, even a C) in an AP/Honors class. If you do find that you've earned a lower grade than you anticipated you might when you signed up for the class, and if you have a reason for that (but no excuses, please!) you may want to share that information in your application. Again, we are anxious to make good decisions as well.

Adrienne Enriquez
Class of 1998
Assistant Dean of Admission
Coordinator of Multicultural Admission
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa 50112
(800)247-0113 -- toll free
enriqadr@grinnell.edu

We look for at least a solid B average, or a 3.0/4.0 scale. We also look at ACT/SAT scores, class rank, and guidance counselor letters of recommendation.

Jamie Marsh
Admission Counselor
Loyola University Chicago
Water Tower Campus
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-915-6500
Email: jmars1@luc.edu

Grades are important, but only one of several factors considered for admission. The harder the high school courses, the greater the challenge - willingness to accept and respond to challenges is more important than the actual grades. Colleges today are quite aware of courses used to "pad" their GPA and will discount those very quickly. So, the short of it is - take the challenging courses, do well, and demonstrate one is not going to be afraid to take a risk.

Mark Smith
Dean of Students
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Academy Hall, 4th Floor
110 Eighth Street
Troy, NY 12180-3590
Phone: 518.276-6266
Fax: 518.276-4839

Good question! It depends on how "less-than-stellar" the grade is and when that grade was earned. Another thing that selective colleges and universities often consider that is underemphasized is an applicant's grade trend, meaning a low grade in 9th or 10th grade might not make as big of a difference if a student earns a higher grade in that subject area in 11th or 12th grade. The best thing is to address any low grades directly and to accept responsibility: no one in admissions likes to read in an application that "it was my teacher's fault!"

J. Robert Spatig
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Terrell Hall
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1633
(706) 542-3982

Admission officers are usually familiar with students' high schools, the rigor of their courses and the challenges the student has attempted. If there is one single grade that is out of sync with all the others, the student might want to supply some explanation if possible.

Judi Marino
Director of Admissions
Florida Institute of Technology
jmarino@fit.edu
321-674-8030

Thank you for your question. Grades are very important in the college admissions process, but so are other assessments, such as class rank, standardized testing, recommendations, writing samples and SA’s, achievements and honors, work experience, and much more. Most institutions are looking at college prep courses, and want to be sure a student will be able to handle the difficult college curriculum and have a successful college experience. At Seton Hill University, if a student is taking more advanced college prep classes, we take that into consideration. I suggest that students contact institutions they are interested in and inquire about their admissions standards, as well as the consideration given to these types of more difficult classes. If a high school is offering these classes, they very often are also doing a weighted GPA, which will reflect the difficulty of the curriculum.

Best of luck.

Kimberly A. McCarty
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

Grades and curriculum are important factors in determining whether a school is the right fit for a student. In most cases one grade will not completely ruin a student's chances at admission; however, it would stick out and the admission officer would probably like to know why that one particular grade does not resemble the other grades on the transcript. Therefore, one grade will not weigh heavily, but it will be weighed.

Clifford Thornton
Associate Dean of Admission
Wesleyan University (CT)
(860) 685-2984(ph)
(860) 685-4890 (fax)
http://www.admiss.wesleyan.edu

In general, the overall academic record of a student weighs most heavily in the admissions process. As admissions professionals, we realize that the cumulative work a student has produced throughout high school is more telling than a single grade. However, it can't hurt to explain why a certain grade differs so greatly from the rest.

Chris Markle
Director of Admissions
Susquehanna University
marklec@susqu.edu
570-372-4260

Are you involved in other activities that do interest you? Community service is important, but we don't want you to do it just for the sake of your resume. In fact, we don't want you to do any activity just for your resume. We put so much stock in your extracurricular activities because we hope that when you are a student on our campus, you'll continue to be involved in those activities…and we need students to be involved to ensure that the campus community is an active and vibrant one. So, if you haven't been able to find community service opportunities that interest you, maybe you've been involved in something else - athletics, music, theatre, scouting, etc. OR … if you really are interested in doing service and you just haven't found the right opportunity, have you thought about creating the opportunity? If you've got an idea for something you'd like to try, see if you can't make it happen. Sure, it will take more work on your part, but we'll be even more impressed with the leadership skills you exhibited AND you'll have had an opportunity to do community service you wanted to do, even in a small town!

Adrienne Enriquez
Class of 1998
Assistant Dean of Admission
Coordinator of Multicultural Admission
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa 50112
(800)247-0113 -- toll free
enriqadr@grinnell.edu

As a Jesuit school, community service and outreach play a large role in the lives of our students, staff, and faculty. Students may opt to complete service work and justice promotion through coursework and as extra-curricular activities. Although it is not required for admission, we do have scholarships available to students who have completed service work prior to the college experience. We also look heavily at extra-curricular involvement at the high school level.

Jamie Marsh
Admission Counselor
Loyola University Chicago
Water Tower Campus
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-915-6500
Email: jmars1@luc.edu

Sorry, but I don't believe there is nothing one can volunteer for in a town of your size. The question appears to be more of a selfish "not really interested in community service, but will do it only if there is a benefit to me" one. Taking this approach will limit your choices and will be very apparent to an application reviewer at the colleges you do choose to apply. Do community service for the sake of helping others - no other reason.

Mark Smith
Dean of Students
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Academy Hall, 4th Floor
110 Eighth Street
Troy, NY 12180-3590
Phone: 518.276-6266

Well, there are two issues in this question. As for availability of options, admissions counselors try their best to consider each student within his or her own context. Thus, we expect more from those to whom more opportunity is available. But, on the other hand, we're looking for students who show initiative as well. If you're not interested in the choices available to you, our best advice would be to look at that as an opportunity to identify a need in your community and start a community service project on your own to address that need. Students who take that route tend to stand out in the admissions process not just for their service, but for their initiative and leadership as well. Make a difference on your own!

J. Robert Spatig
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Terrell Hall
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1633
(706) 542-3982

This is truly an issue for each individual college to which you apply. You will find it is of NO consequence to some universities, and important to others. Investigate this point with your individual college choices.

Judi Marino
Director of Admissions
Florida Institute of Technology
jmarino@fit.edu
321-674-8030

Thank you for your question. Community service is a very important part of preparing yourself for college and life in general. At Seton Hill University, service is a large part of the college experience as well. If opportunities do not seem to be bountiful in your area, you may want to consider other ways to help. For example, possibly something online is available, or helping with fundraising, or a church group. Maybe the entrepreneur in you develops your own new service organization that appeals to you and some others. I think there are many ways to get involved, and the experience should be one you wish to be involved in, and not something you are doing simply because of college applications. Best of luck.

Kimberly A. McCarty
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
and Campus Visit Coordinator
Seton Hill University
724-838-4201
kmccarty@setonhill.edu

Generally, admission officers consider the student's region and school in order to get a sense of whether that student has taken full advantage of the available opportunities in their particular environment. Clearly, not all students can have the same experience; as a result, a particular extra-curricular activity is not preferred over others. It is more important that the student demonstrate an ability to balance academic commitments with some extracurricular activity.

Clifford Thornton
Associate Dean of Admission
Wesleyan University (CT)
(860) 685-2984(ph)
(860) 685-4890 (fax)
http://www.admiss.wesleyan.edu

Community service is not a requirement for admission to college. When admitting a class, admissions professionals are looking for students who are engaged outside the classroom. The fact that they are involved and committed is more important than exactly what it is they spend their time doing. If community service is something you would really like to do, then maybe you could create your own volunteer opportunity. Come up with a plan for a project that interests you, propose it, and see if you can get it off the ground!

Chris Markle
Director of Admissions
Susquehanna University
marklec@susqu.edu
570-372-4260