Weekly Wisdom

Synopsis:
Articles about “bad” writing on the NEW SAT, admissions insanity, and the costs of high profile admissions. Also some questions about SAT IIs, and a profile of the University of Oregon.

Introduction:

Weekly Wisdom

Just when you've taken the SAT and want to relax, you realize you now have
to worry about taking the SAT II tests. Which ones should you take and when
should you take them?
The answers to these questions have changed. In the old days, most students
mainly took the Writing and Math IC SAT II tests. But with the advent of the
New SAT, the Writing SAT II has been rolled into the SAT itself and is no
longer offered as a separate test, and the supposed broadening of the SAT
Math section has caused some schools - most prominently the California
public universities - to say they will no longer accept the Math IC
(although it is still given).
The most important thing now is - check what's required by the schools
you're applying to. Most colleges still require at least two SAT II's. Some
may still accept the Math IC; others will not. In general, you will likely
be required to take at least two of the subject-specific tests: Math IIC,
history (World or American), science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or
Computer Science), Literature, or foreign language (French, German, Spanish,
Japanese, Chinese, or Korean). As for when you should take them, most
students find it advisable to take a test in the spring at the conclusion of
the course, while the material is still fresh in their minds.

Upcoming Deadlines

ACT - June 11, 2005
Registration deadline: May 6, 2005
Late registration deadline: May 20, 2005

SAT and SAT II: June 4th, 2005
Registration deadline: Apr. 29, 2005
Late registration: May 11, 2005

Articles in the News

Our first article this week is about the dangers of the NEW SAT writing test as it pertains to how it teaches students to write. This is nothing new to us, but now it has an MIT professor’s name to lend it some credence.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE

The second article is about the College Board, the test prep industry (yes, we know we are a part of it) and the questions raised by this new industry. It is an interesting, if pointed article.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE

The final article this week is about “”admissions insanity”, and we offer this to all of our near-seniors and near-senior parents who are about to enter or have already entered this crazy world. Some distance, as recommended by this article, is always a good idea.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE

Ask The Experts

asktheexperts@thepreptalk.com

Application & Essay Tips

Juniors, start a file or get a file box and organize all of those brochures you are getting in the mail. Interested in the college? Then make a file for it and start including anything you collect about it in there. In the fall, this will not only make the unwieldy process easier, but you will be able to answer questions you have about the school by looking at the materials you have saved and filed, since colleges are pretty good at including lots of information in little tiny brochures. The more organized you are about this process from the beginning, the better off you will be.

Featured College

The University of Oregon

The University of Oregon, a member of the PAC-10 athletic conference, is often overlooked by students in Los Angeles who are looking into public universities. Perhaps this is because University of Oregon has a smaller enrollment at about 12,000. Perhaps it is because Eugene, OR is a small town. Or perhaps it is because of the rain. The city of Eugene’s website says that average rainfall is 43 inches, mainly falling between “September and June”. This makes for a wet school year.

If those things are overlooked, though, students interested in the University of Oregon will find one of the most interesting and exciting campuses around. The liberal and environmentally responsible campus and university are vibrant, to say the least.

Although admission is not as selective as some other Pac-10 schools, it is still no a walk in the park to be admitted. University of Oregon has highly respected programs in business marketing, journalism, architecture, and environmental sciences, and there is no more highly respected sports and sports-related programs in the country than the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, which is part of the School of Business.

Socially, the school has its pros and cons. On campus, kids have a large variety of activities to choose from, and the Greek system is very involved in campus social life. The other huge factor is sports. Oregon athletic programs are all top-notch, and the students take great pride in being ducks. The main drawback to Oregon’s social life is Eugene, which many students call a “very sleepy”city. Still, Portland is just a day trip away, as is some the prettiest scenery in the country along the Willamette River and in the Cascade mountains.

If you are looking for a public school with big sports, a big name, some highly respected programs, and a slightly less strict admissions criteria – the University of Oregon should be at or near the top of your list.

Vocab of The Week