Monday was the last day to register late for the November 3rd SAT test. The SAT is required by both the NCAA Eligibility Center and most college admissions (although you can take the ACT instead of the SAT if desired). The next SAT test date is December 1, and the deadline to register is next Thursday (November 1st). The SAT and ACT are only offered a few times a year. That is why it is crucial for you to get organized and prepare for each test.
In order to be an eligible NCAA athlete, you need to earn an SAT score of at least 400 (critical reading and math sections) with at least a 3.55 GPA. Now, that is calculated using the Sliding Scale, so if you score higher on the SAT, then a lower GPA is needed (and vice versa). However, every college has their own SAT or ACT score requirement. So even if you are eligible for the NCAA, it will not get you admission to your top school if you don’t score high enough for them. Check the test score requirements for the schools you are interested in ahead of time so you know what your goal should be.
Since your eligibility and your admissions are determined greatly by your SAT scores, you need to make sure to prioritize and get prepared. Here are some tips to help:
- Plan Ahead: check your schedule to determine when the best test date will be for you. Make sure to consider the deadlines for college applications and give yourself plenty of time to get the results to include on your application. For example, you can take the test at the end of your junior year first, and then determine if you need to take it again in the fall before you apply to your desired schools.
Here are the upcoming test dates:
- December 1st, 2012
- January 26th, 2013
- March 9th, 2013
- May 4th, 2013
- June 1st, 2013
Prepare/Study: Use any resources available at your high school to help you prepare for the exam. You can use books, computer software, and prep courses to help. You can take the test multiple times so if you don’t score well the first time, use your experience to better prepare yourself for the second one. This is also another good reason to plan ahead! So you have all the time you need!
Prioritize: The SAT is a big part of your recruiting eligibility so you need to make sure that it comes before other things. Give yourself enough time to study, even if it means sacrificing something you’d rather be doing; your college future is more important than missing some time with your friends. You can easily get a study group together to help each other out!
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