Resources

Sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT at EHS in October. They also have an opportunity to take a practice ACT in November. These practice tests do not require any formal preparation, but EHS offers a PSAT overview session the Sunday prior to the PSAT.

We recommend juniors take the SAT or the ACT (some students opt to take both) in the spring (March, April, May, or June) of their junior year. Students or parents must register for these exams directly on the College Board and ACT websites. This testing timeline is discussed in individual college counseling meetings. Every student is different and testing timelines and strategy will vary. College counselors will advise students and parents individually about the best approach.

Not every student requires or benefits from formal test prep. Many students will be successful studying from an SAT book or using free online resources, including Method Test Prep. This comprehensive online course for both the ACT and SAT is located in your Naviance account.

Some students feel more confident after taking a course or working with a tutor. While EHS does not recommend any one test prep service, Capital Educators will conduct a course on campus beginning in January. Course details and registration information will be sent out later this fall.

We recommend that juniors review the results of the PSAT and practice ACT prior to beginning any kind of formal standardized testing preparation. Please contact the College Counseling office with any questions about standardized testing.

College representatives may schedule an in-person or virtual visit for the fall through RepVisits. In addition, we imagine that it will be possible to schedule a handful of evening meetings with seniors this fall (either virtual or in-person). We also welcome any representatives who are interested in offering and/or are able to offer our students an opportunity to interview as part of the application process. We recognize the value of this meeting for both admission officers and our students. Please contact us if you would like to schedule an evening visit or offer interviews to our students on campus and we will be happy to coordinate this for you.

Scoir is a college admissions network that connects students, families, high schools, and colleges. Episcopal students and their parents use SCOIR as a resource in the college planning, selection, and application process. College counselors use this system to track and analyze data about college and career plans, providing up-to-date information specific to Episcopal High School. School-specific materials are also submitted to colleges through Scoir.

Scoir helps students and parents:

 

Students who qualify for and plan to take extended time tests must contact Episcopal's Academic Support Center to make arrangements. Both the SAT and ACT programs have very specific and somewhat rigid qualification standards for extended-time testing qualification.

Registration deadlines are important! Students are required to register for all admission tests ahead of time, and the testing agencies are very strict about registration deadlines, which are well in advance of the testing dates. Testing centers—and especially the one located near EHS—fill up early, so register for the tests as early as possible.

Please note: Students must send their own scores directly from the test website to each college they apply to.

Many colleges require students to have all scores sent directly from the SAT and/or ACT website.

There are six types of tests commonly used by colleges and scholarship sponsors to evaluate a candidate’s ability and achievement.

Taken in October of sophomore and junior years.
The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) is used primarily as a practice test to prepare students to take the SAT in the junior and senior years.

National Merit Scholarships and recognition are based on results of the PSAT given in the fall of the student’s junior year (also known as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test or NMSQT).

You do not get two chances at posting a National Merit score. Students who repeat a year, for example, and take the test officially a second time, will find their scores flagged (with an asterisk) to indicate their ineligibility for National Merit recognition.

At EHS, the PSAT is taken for practice by sophomores. 

Taken in winter and/or spring of junior year and fall of senior year

Taken in spring of junior year and/or fall of senior year

The ACT consists of four sections covering English use, reading, mathematics, and natural sciences reasoning.

Most colleges throughout the country accept both the ACT and the SAT. Thus, it is sometimes an advantage to send colleges scores from both tests. Many institutions will base an admission decision on a higher ACT or SAT score when students submit both.

Colleges usually require students whose native language is not English to take the TOEFL.

Because the verbal portion of the SAT does not always provide an accurate measure of the non-native speaker’s fluency in English or verbal abilities, the TOEFL can provide colleges with a more accurate indication of a student’s command of English. Many colleges require international students to submit a TOEFL score, in addition to SAT scores.

Register early for this test since test centers tend to fill up quickly.

Most colleges publish the minimum TOEFL score required for admission.

Some colleges accept AP exam scores in place of standardized test scores. Also, when colleges review high school transcripts, they note enrollment in Advanced classes. Higher scores on AP exams earned during junior year can enhance their admission profile.

AP exams are given in May and cover the equivalent of college-level material in a specific Advanced course. The exams are graded on a scale of 1 to 5. While placement and credit policies vary from college to college, scores of 4 and 5 – and sometimes 3 – can earn students advanced college credit and/or placement. 

Advanced Placement scores are not on the EHS transcript. Strong sophomore or junior AP scores may enhance your application.

The SAT and ACT tests are offered in different forms to accommodate students with learning differences or disabilities. Students who qualify for these tests may take them with extended time and in other special needs formats. 

At many institutions, there are no special tracks or special programs for students with learning disabilities. Other colleges can offer extensive programs and accommodations. Admission committees will consider a student’s academic record at Episcopal to be an important predictor of the student’s success in college.

The Educational Testing Service of the College Board offers non-standard administration of the SAT and Advanced Placement exams to qualified students. Please note the process for requesting extended time for the SAT (from College Board) is a separate process from requesting it for the ACT.

Approval for accommodations is separate from, and not guaranteed by, approval for academic accommodations by Episcopal High School.

For additional information, visit the College Board website.

The ACT has established policies regarding documentation of an applicant's disability and the process for requesting accommodations. For details, visit www.act.org/aap/disab/policy.html.

No distinction is made on the score report for students who have taken the SAT or ACT exam with extended time. Scores appear exactly as scores from regular administrations.

In order to qualify for accommodations on College Board and ACT tests, students must have a complete psycho-educational evaluation. Please contact Episcopal's Academic Support Center for more information on required documentation.

Please note that the process for requesting extended time from the College Board is a separate process from requesting it for the ACT.