Counseling Corner: Willowbrook Guidance Department helps students with college entrance exams

College entrance exams are an important component of a student’s college admission process.

Colleges and universities use those exams to measure a student’s collective knowledge in various skill areas. They are not designed to measure what a student has learned in high school, but rather a student's potential to perform well in the future. By taking a rigorous college-preparatory high school curriculum, students will be prepared for those exams. Students are encouraged to visit Naviance and CollegeBoard to research which exams are required for admission to the colleges and universities on their prospective list. At some colleges and universities, entrance exams are optional. For a list of those schools, go to http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional. 

Below are the current college entrance exams used in the admission process by colleges and universities

• ACT: This exam consists of four sections – English, math, reading and science reasoning – and includes an optional writing test. The purpose of the test is to measure the skills and knowledge that have been developed since middle school. All juniors at Willowbrook who have met credit requirements will take the ACT as part of the PSAE (required for graduation) in April. There also are national test dates offered on Saturdays, and the remaining dates for this school year are April 12 and June 14. For more information on the ACT, or to register, go to www.actstudent.org.  
• SAT: The SAT includes a critical reading, math and writing section and measures the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well students analyze and solve problems with skills they’ve learned in school. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. For more information on the SAT, or to register, go to www.sat.collegeboard.org/home.
• SAT Subject Tests: These are one-hour tests that measure a student’s knowledge and ability to apply that knowledge in specific subject areas. Some highly selective four-year colleges and universities require two or three SAT subject tests. Tests are given in U.S. history, world history, math, world languages, literature and the sciences. Students should take a specific SAT subject test as soon as possible after completing the course. For more information on SAT Subject Tests, or to register, go to www.sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-subject-test-dates. 

TEST PREP INFO: Students can find test prep information on the testing websites listed above or on Willowbrook’s website at www.dupage88.net/wbhs. Willowbrook also offers ACT prep classes in February for juniors (information on how to sign up was mailed home in December). For more information, go to the Willowbrook Guidance & Student Services webpage at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/50 and select “Testing,” or speak to your counselor.