A Guide to College Access
Standardized Testing - PSAT & SAT
SAT
Reading Comprehension (52 questions/65 minutes), Writing & Language (44 questions/35 minutes), Math without Calculator (20 questions/25 minutes), and Math with Calculator (38 questions/55 minutes) = Total of 154 questions/180 minutes
PSAT
Reading (47 questions, 60 minutes), Writing and Language (44 questions, 35 minutes), Math without Calculator (17 questions/25 minutes), Math with Calculator (31 questions, 45 minutes) = (139 questions/165 minutes)
While the PSAT is not necessarily used for college admissions purposes, it is good prep for the SAT. If you meet specific criteria after taking the test, you can qualify for one of the College Board National Recognition Programs. You can learn more about these programs
Note: Both the PSAT and SAT are administered under the College Board, but the PSAT tends to be shorter
and in some cases, slightly easier for some students.
Free SAT/PSAT Prep Resources:
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/digital/digital-practice-preparation/practice-tests/linear
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/digital/digital-practice-preparation/practice-tests/bluebook
https://www.khanacademy.org/sat/confirmed
How Long Does the SAT Take? College Board . (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://blog.collegeboard.org/how-long-does-the-sat-take
How the PSAT/NMSQT Is Structured. College Board. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/whats-on-the-test/structure
Standardized Testing - PreACT & ACT
ACT Test Day. ACT. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-day.html
What You Need to Know About the PreACT™. The Princeton Review. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.princetonreview.com/college/preact-info#:~:text=The%20PreACT%20is%20a%20slightly,Math%2C%20Reading%2C%20and%20Science.
ACT
English (75 questions/45 minutes), Math (60 questions, 60 minutes), Reading (40 questions/35 minutes), Science (40 questions/35 minutes), Writing (optional) (1 essay/40 minutes) -> 215 questions + Essay / 215 minutes
PreACT
English (45 questions/30 minutes), Math (36 questions, 40 minutes), Reading (25 questions, 30 minutes), Science (30 questions.30 minutes), NO ESSAY -> 136 questions/150 minutes
Note: Both the PreACT and ACT are administered by ACT, Inc., but the PreACT tends to be shorter and in some cases, slightly easier for some students. The PreACT is also not used for college admissions.
Free ACT/PreACT Prep Resources:
QuestBridge
QuestBride College Prep Scholars Program is a program geared toward high-achieving high school juniors who meet the academic and financial criteria for the program to be eligible for the program awards. Most notably, the program offers awards, including full scholarships to college summer programs, Quest for Excellence Awards, and invites to the QuestBridge National College Admissions Conferences, to name a few. In addition, being selected as a QuestBridge Prep Scholar increases a student’s chances of being selected for the National College Match by five times.
The National College Match is an opportunity geared toward high-achieving high school seniors who meet the academic and financial criteria to be eligible for a full-ride, four-year scholarship to a QuestBride college partner. The financial packages for QuestBridge Scholars include no student loans or family contribution and only occasionally includes student contributions (Summer Work, Student Savings, or Federal Work Study). The maximum number of college partners that can be ranked is 15, and students will be bound to commit to the school that matches them. Some college partners include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, Yale University, and Stanford University.
College Prep Scholars Program. QuestBridge. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/college-prep-scholars
National College Match. QuestBridge. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match
Fly-In Programs
What is a fly-in program?
Fly-in programs refer to typically all-expense paid overnight college visits, typically geared toward underrepresented high school senior students that may otherwise not have the opportunity to attend college visits.
Dartmouth College (Indigenous Fly-In Program) | |||||
College Access Programs
What is a college access program?
College access programs refer to programs that help students from typically underrepresented minority groups, low-income families, and first-generation students through college access.
(Programs listed below are a mix of in-person/virtual programs)
Enrichment + Summer Programs & Internships
Scholarships
