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SAT II subject tests are required by some, but not all, institutions for admission or placement. Each subject test measures a student’s knowledge of a specific subject. Generally, a student is asked to take 2 or 3 SAT II subject tests for a given institution. There are over 20 SAT II tests available. They are primarily multiple choice tests and the student is given 1 hour to complete the exam. Three SAT II tests may be taken on one test date. Students gain a point for each correct answer and lose a fraction of a point for incorrect responses. The raw scores are converted to scaled scores that range from 200 to 800.

The PLAN test is a test for Sophomores to help guide them in post-secondary planning. It can be considered a pre-test to the ACT test. The PLAN test provides the student with an estimated ACT composite score range. The test measures the same academic skills as the ACT assessment test. Past tests included an achievement section with 120 questions, and allowed 2 hours to complete. It included a non-academic section of 120 items allowing 5 minutes.

The PSAT test is a practice test for the SAT examination. It is also used as a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program , The National Scholarship Service, Fund for Negro Students, and the Hispanic Scholar Recognition Program. The PSAT includes a writing skills section of multiple choice questions that does not appear on the SAT. Past PSAT tests included: a Verbal Reasoning section of 50 questions allowing 50 minutes; The verbal section included sentence completion, critical reading passages and analogies; The Math section included 40 questions allowing 50 minutes including regular Math, Quantitative Comparisons and student produced response sections; The writing skills included 39 questions allowing 30 minutes, including an improving sentence, improving paragraph and an identifying sentence errors' sections. Students receive a score in each content area ranging from 20 to 80. The total score ranges from 60 to 240.

Start a conversation with your child early in High School. Do not wait until December of his or her Senior year. Have your child gather information at the guidance counselor's office in his or her Junior year. Research colleges on the Internet. Go to college fairs in your child's Junior year. Parents and students should visit college campuses during the summer prior to their Senior year.

Some of the characteristics to consider when selecting a collge are: Costs, Financial Aid; Academic Environment including: majors offered, student-faculty ratio, faculty teaching reputation, instruction by professors vs assistants, libraries, facilities, and internships available; Size and Student Body; Location; Time needed to commute to and from home; Housing; Admissions; Activities; Athletics and Specialized Programs.

Generally, 90% of college bound seniors or their parents used the Internet in their search for the right school. Collegeview.com, embark.com and usnews.com are three websites that can be accessed to find lists of colleges, based on your input requirements.

The following web addresses provide helpful college information: --www.collegeboard.com is the College Boards site with advice and explanations and SAT review questions --www.collegeview.com --www.features.yahoo.com/college/search. html --www.aol.com - keyword "college prep" ---www.embark.com is Embark.coms --www.mycollege.org is Fishnets College guide --cnsearch.collegenet.com --nces.edgov/ipeds/cool/search.asp is Cool's web college resource. --www.collegequest.com is provided by Peterson's College --www.myessay.com provides tools to help write the application essay. --www.searchedu.com is dedicated to university sites and various things scholastic.

Here are some sites you should look at for financial aid information: --www.collegeboard.org..then access Fund Finder. It includes a 3,000 source database. --www.ed.gov/studentaid has an online application for federal student aid. --www.fastaid.com is a searchable scholarship database including 650,000 private awards. --www.collegenet.com has 3 sites for lists and scholarships. --www.salliemae.com maintains 3600 listings of private sector awards. --www.finaid.com answers questions about financial aid and includes financial loan calculators. --www.ed.gov/finaid.html is the Department of Education's site that provides major publications on student aid, including the latest edition of the "Student Guide". --www.finaid.org includes a comprehensive, alphabetical index of all financial aid resources on the web.

Every college institution requires an application to be filed out, which usually includes an essay. Many colleges accept the "Common Application". That means that one application with basic biographical and academic information and an essay can be used for multiple colleges. You may obtain a copy of the common application from your High School guidance counselor. You may also go to www.collegequest.com to get a copy of the Common Application or even apply on online to more than 1,200 colleges using a single application. You should verify if your desired college or university accepts the Common Application.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA form)is an application to apply for federal student grants, work-study money, and loans. This application is also used to apply for most state and some private aid. The required information comes from your estimated or current year's federal tax return. After you send your FAFSA form in, you should receive a student aid report (SAR) within four weeks. If you do not, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800/4-FEDAID (800/433-3243), 800/730-8913 or 319/337-5665, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST to check on the status of your application. You can also check your status on the web at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov