University Admissions Testing General:
Please see above buttons for specific information.
The SAT post COVID
Do I have to take the SAT to get into "Good Universities?"
NO! you do not!
Even pre-COVID many top Universities in the US were SAT test Optional. These included schools like Boston University and NYU two of the top Universities historically applied to by TISA students. This list has only grown with the experience of COVID, and while things are in flux at the moment I fully expect this to settle in as the new norm. As of right now you need to check the Universities webpages for the most up to date information. Please note that the absence of the SAT may mean that you may be asked to provide an English exam. If you have that request please let your School Counselor know and usually we can help the University to understand why this is not necessary.
Do I have to take the SAT at all...
It depends on where you want to apply?
Some states like Florida the state legislature have mandated that all Public Universities have the SAT as a required part of their application process. Some Universities in the rest of the world may also ask for an SAT exam.
How do I know if this is a requirement?
Ask the Universities/look on their Websites/Ask for your School Counselors Assistance.
Will and SAT help my application even if it is not Required?
It depends....
Please note that some Universities like NYU only want your IB scores if you are applying with an IB Diploma. If a University is Test Optional- not submitting an SAT will not hurt your application But for some Universities a "strong" SAT score can help.
How do I know if my score is a "strong score"?
You need to look at the "Average Admitted Student" data for this University.
As an example Stanford:
Let's say that at Stanford 50% submitted scores are between 1420 and 1570, but, the average SAT score acceptable by Stanford is 1480. (Please do not take these numbers as current fact. These numbers are meant to serve as an example.) If a student has an SAT above 1480 then it will not hurt an application to send it. If however a student is asking for scholarships then having an SAT score closer to or above 1570 might assist in that endeavor. You do not have to send your SAT score to every school you apply to and in fact you do not need to send it at all even if you have taken the test. So if you take it and do well-- use it! If not, do not submit it and the lack of an SAT will not harm your application at SAT optional admissions processes.
PSAT (US)
The PSAT is an opportunity to try taking a standardised test, and see how you might do on the SAT. If you are a US citizen taking the PSAT may make you eligible for the National Merit Scholarship or NMSQT. TISA offers the PSAT every October. There is a minimal fee for this exam. This fee includes the cost of shipping the exam and is subject to yearly adjustment. The exact cost of the exam will be announced in late August/Early September when the exams are ordered. If you are thinking of taking the SAT, it is recommended that you try the PSAT in M5 and/or DP1 grade. You may also take the test in M3 or M4 if you wish the additional practice.
Like the SAT practice questions and exams can be found on Khan Academy.
EU
Many Universities that TISA students apply to like Bacconi and IE University have their own entrance exams as part of the admissions process. Most of them are general knowledge exams. (Medicine is of course the anomaly. Please see this link for general information on Med. and Med. related programs.)
The Bacconi test as an example is a multiple choice test and a combination of Logic, Maths, Reading Comprehension and Numerical Reasoning questions. Most all of these exams have past papers/practice exams for you to look at and try out. The best place to get started is on the University webpages for the most up to date information. For Baconni that would mean this page.
Netherlands
Netherlands Numerus Fixus Programmes: Some programs in the Netherlands are more competitive and have limited numbers of spots available. These include the PPLE at the University of Amsterdam and many of the Psychology programs that TISA students have applied to. For these courses there is often a subject specific or other entrance exam required as part of the process. For the Psychology programs as an example they give a student texts to read through ahead of time and then on the day of the test students are asked to respond through a variety of questions. For more information on finding programs in the Netherlands please follow this link.
SAT
TISA is an SAT testing site, but we are a closed testing site. This means that we are only open for testing TISA students. We do this so that we can reserve testing seats for our students and can guarantee that our students have the best testing setting possible.
If you are a current TISA student and you want to take the test at TISA please come see your School Counselor for the Testing Site Code so you can register to take the Test at TISA.
Please see the red button above for more information.
SAT VS. the ACT
The SAT and ACT are mostly interchangeable for application to the US. The SAT covers Math, Reading & Writing and Language. The ACT covers Math, Reading, and Science, with an optional Essay. Most students who take both tests do about the same.
ACT
Unfortunately we are unable to offer the ACT at TISA at this time. We will continue to look for opportunities to offer it in the future.
UK
Medicine, Oxbridge, Law and a few other specific programs require testing as part of the application process. The UCAS Website has a page on assessments to get you started, and the UK button above will give you more directed information for TISA Students.