Another common fear when applying to an Ivy League college is that a student needs astronomically high test scores. High test scores always help, of course. But not all those admitted have perfect or near-perfect scores. The best advice for taking the SAT and the ACT is to start early. It is a good idea for a student to take his or her first test as early as the junior year of high school. If your child does well, then you have more time to worry about the application and less time to fret about the scores. If attempt one does not go as well as you would like, there is plenty of time to take the test again. A plethora of testing aids and courses are available to improve the a student's performance on these tests. If you are worried that your child might not perform very well on these standardized tests, perhaps it would be useful to sign him or her up for a class or to purchase the books and computer programs that can aid with test taking.
Advanced Placement Tests
If a student takes an Advanced Placement course, a national test is administered at the end of the year in the subject. These tests are very difficult and are meant to tax a student's expertise in the given subject. Taking AP classes is always a good idea if they are available, but another common misconception is that a student must do extremely well on the tests to get into an Ivy League school. Remember, not every student admitted to one of these colleges will even have taken AP classes. Doing well on the tests is a bonus; passing the tests is often a very positive thing in your attempt to get into these schools.
SAT II
Many uper echelon schools require SAT II subject tests for admission. These tests are similar to the SAT but focus only on one subject. These tests, though not as difficult as AP tests, are strenuous, and a mistake many students make is taking the tests when the subjects are not fresh in their minds. Do not have your child take the SAT II Biology test during his or her senior year if he or she took Biology as a junior. Schedule the tests for times close to the end of a course and your child will most likely perform much better. Again, do not place too much emphasis on these test scores. Overall, tests can help your child if they do extremely well, but they are not as likely to doom an applicant as one might be led to believe.