SAT and ACT | Post-Secondary/College Planning | Helpful Web Sites | College Planning Timeline | PSAT, ACT and SAT Information
SAT and ACT
Juniors generally will take either (or both) of these tests in the spring of this school year. The 2024 dates for the SAT are March 9, May 4, and June 1 (The SAT on those dates will be given digitally). Spring ACT dates are February 10, April 13, and June 8, 2024. These tests are also given in the fall and can be taken in the fall of the senior year.
Many colleges are test optional now so students many not need to take them. Students do NOT need to take both ACT and SAT unless they want to. Colleges will take either test!!
Students register online for the SAT at www.collegeboard.org and for the ACT at www.act.org. The New Hartford School Code is 333345.
Students needing a fee waiver should see their Counselor prior to registering for a test. Fee waiver eligibility information is available online at the respective testing agency’s website.
Student MUST upload a photo when registering for the SAT or ACT. Please make certain to follow the photo guidelines so student will not be turned away at the test center!
Post-Secondary/College Planning
Monthly – Junior Newsletter posted online (an email is sent when a newsletter is posted)
September 27 – Attend the SUNY College Fair at OCC (6:00 – 7:30pm)
October 10 – Attend College Night at MVCC (6:30 – 8:00pm) OR
October 11 – Attend RFA’s College Night (6:30 – 8:00pm)
October 14 – Take the PSAT, if registered
November 6 -14 – College Planning Seminars (Counselors will review how to use Naviance)
February – March – Scholarship Competition information on website & e-mailed to families
February – Academic Planning for the 2024-2025 year
March (TBA) – BOCES/New Visions Open House for interested students/families
April 10-19 – Every Junior will have an individual Junior Review scheduled with their counselor
- Attend In-person & Virtual College Fairs throughout the year. Information has/will be emailed out and/or put on the Counseling Department Calendar
- Take the ACT and/or the SAT Tests, if needed
- Visit colleges of interest and narrow list of schools throughout the year
Helpful Web Sites
https://student.naviance.com/nhshs college search, college research, career/major research (student have a username & password to access)
New Hartford Sr High Counseling website (calendar, newsletters, college planning section, career information, academic information, etc.)
www.act.org (ACT online registration & information)
www.collegeboard.org (planning for college, taking the tests – SAT, finding the right college, getting into college, paying for college)
www.khanacademy.org (free Test Prep and educational lessons)
www.ncaa.org (NCAA information)
https://www.hesc.ny.gov/ NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (financial aid and preparing for college)
College Planning Timeline for Juniors
September
- Consider setting-up a college related only e-mail (and check it frequently)
- Families attend College Fairs (Check Counseling Calendar & watch for emails)
SUNY College Fair @ OCC September 27, 2023 6 -7:30pm
October
- Families attend College Fairs (Check Counseling Calendar & watch for emails)
- October 10th, 6:30-8:00pm @ MVCC OR
- October 11th, 6:30-8:00 pm @ RFA
- Take the PSAT on October 14, 2023 @ 8am, if registered
November
- Students attend College Planning Sessions with Counselors will review Naviance to do a college search, research colleges, and complete the Personality inventory
- Families attend College Fairs (Check Counseling Calendar & watch for emails)
- Students should start building list of potential colleges using Naviance
- Consider when student will take the SAT and/or ACT and note registration deadlines to avoid late fee
- Receive PSAT scores online from College Board, if taken (sometimes scores are not released until early January)
January
- Prepare for Regents Exams and Finals
February
- Visit Colleges during the winter break
- Academic Planning for Senior Year begins! Choose challenging courses that supports postsecondary plans. Students can complete the Intelligences inventory and the Cluster Finder in Naviance.
March
- Narrow list of schools
- Families attend College Fairs (Check Counseling Calendar & watch for emails)
- Take the SAT, if registered
April
- Take the ACT, if registered
- Families attend College Fairs (Check Counseling Calendar & watch for emails)
- Jr. Review (students will meet individually with their counselor)
- Visit Colleges during Spring Break
May
- Take AP Exams, if in AP course(s)
- Take the SAT, if registered
June
- Take SAT and/or ACT, if registered
- Stuck with the college search — consult your counselor
- Prepare for Regents exams and finals
Summer
- Visit colleges
- Narrow list of colleges
- Start writing college essays (College applications can normally be started AFTER August 1st)
- Register for ACT &/or SAT if taking them in August/September/October/November
PSAT, ACT, and SAT Information
PSATs
- Practice for the SATs
- Many 4-year colleges are once again requiring the SAT or ACT
- As a Junior, students will be entered into the National Merit Scholarship Competition
- Students will become familiar with the format of the test, directions, types of questions, etc.
- Detailed score report will be available to students in November – students should be watching their HOME email for notification of the results.
Taking the ACTs / SATs
- Some 4-year colleges require either the SAT or ACT. Students need to see if colleges they are interested in applying to require the tests or are test optional!
- Colleges will accept either test (ACT or SAT)
- Which test is right for my child?
- Look at the math that they have taken
- Have them practice both tests and take which one they feel more comfortable with
- How should my child prepare?
- Take a strong academic program
- Get comfortable with the test format
- Use the free online practice at testing agency website or through Khan Academy
ACT
- ACT is Offered
- September, October, December, February, April, and June
- Test Sections
- English (45-minutes) made up of 75 multiple choice questions on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure
- Math (60-minutes) made up of 60 questions
- Reading (35-minutes) for 40 multiple choice questions based on reading passages
- Science (35-minutes) for 40 multiple choice questions on science-based passages with graphs, charts, tables, and research
- Register online at www.act.org
- When should students take the ACT?
- Recommend start taking in Spring of Junior year in April (not at New Hartford) or June
- They also have the opportunity to re-take it in the fall of their Senior year — September and/or October
SAT
- SAT is Offered
- August, October, November, December, March, May, and June
- Digital Test Sections
- Math (70-minutes) made up of 44 questions
- Evidence Based Reading & Writing (64-minutes) made up of 54 questions
- Register online at www.collegeboard.org
- When should students take the SAT?
- Recommend start taking in spring of Junior year
- They also have the opportunity to re-take it in the fall of their Senior year — October and/or November.