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Zoom in on what you want to do, and then give it your best shot.

Tharuni Jayaraman

While the start of a new school year is the time for schoolmates to reconnect after the long summer months apart, for those in Classes XI and XII, the arduous task of preparing for college begins. Here is a guide to the world of standardised tests for those of you who plan to study in the US.

One of the metrics universities in the US consider when offering admission is performance in the standardised tests such as the SAT, ACT, and TOEFL.

The College Board is a not-for-profit association that administers the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. Its Web site at www.collegeboard.com is a “one-stop” shop for information on US universities. Using the “College Search” feature, you can find a detailed profile of any university, including important deadlines, special requirements for international students, average standardised test scores, and links to relevant portions of the university’s Web site.

Given the stiff competition in the admission pool for top-tier universities, many students are making use of “test prep” services that give specialised, sometimes one-on-one, coaching. Some of these services even help with the application process, but are they really worth the Rs 30,000 that some students (or more accurately, parents) spend?

According to a report produced recently by the US-based National Association for College Admission Counseling, the typical test prep programme raises a student’s SAT score by 30 points — “the standard error of measurement on any section of the SAT.” This does not, however, automatically render test prep courses worthless.

The report, which was based on a survey of 246 college admissions officials, found that up to 40 per cent of the 130 colleges studied would consider an additional 10 points in the reading section and an additional 20 points in the math section a “significant” factor that could increase a student’s chances of admission when compared with a candidate who was identical in all other metrics.

This slight edge becomes all the more important in the most selective universities, where all contenders score well. Indeed, this has been a large enough edge for some parents in the US to spend $200/hour on private one-on-one SAT tutoring.

Some form of preparation for the TOEFL, SAT, and ACT is required if only to familiarise yourself with the format of the exams and eliminate the feeling of being at a disadvantage vis-a-vis your classmates.

That said, investing in the most expensive services is not necessary for everyone and is definitely not worthwhile if such services cause a financial burden on the family. Instead of just joining the bandwagon of expensive services, you should weigh the costs and benefits of the four main test preparation options:

Test preparation books

Online test prep services

Free online sample questions and resources

In-class or one-on-one test prep services

For most, test preparation books that can be bought in stores or online will be the most beneficial as they generally provide test-taking strategies, full-length practice tests (not easily available for free), and other resources at a reasonable price. The online test prep services offered by the CollegeBoard and ACT are slightly more expensive, but they provide official practice tests and additional lessons. For those who do not want to spend money, these same organisations offer some sample questions and other resources online for free.

Finally, the in-class and one-on-one test prep services are significantly and progressively more expensive as they feature face-to-face interactions with instructors in a classroom or individualised settings, respectively.

Ultimately, it is important to keep in mind that standardised test scores are just one of the many metrics used by college admissions officers. Your health and happiness during the transition to studying abroad are much more important.

www.collegeboard.com: Information on colleges and the place to register for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests.

http://www.actstudent.org: Information on the ACT and the place to register for the test.

www.ets.org/toefl/: Information on TOEFL and the place to register for the test.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/prep_one.html: The online Prep Course and Study Guide offered by CollegeBoard that administers the SAT.

https://services.act.org: The online Prep Course and Study Guide offered by ACT that administers the ACT.

http://barronseduc.com/test-preparation.html: US-based Barron’s test preparation book publisher.

http://www.manyagroup.com/: Information about The Princeton Review’s (a leading US-based test prep service) offerings in India.

http://www.kaptest.com/Customer_Service: Information about Kaplan’s (a leading US-based test prep service) offerings in India.

http://www.jamboreeindia.com/: An India-based test prep service.

https:// www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/FAQ.aspx: The Common Application Form that is accepted for admission by many US universities.

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