By Paula Steers Brown, August 2007

• Introduction
• Meet your match
• What do they have to offer you and what can you offer them?
• Standardized test savvy
• The application: narrow the focus
• Your essay: extract the unique
• Show your passion
• Finding funding
• Download the full article as a

Standardized test savvy

The SAT I measures verbal and math reasoning. Taking the SAT twice is usually a good thing. It is longer than the PSAT and can have an experimental section. Most juniors take the SAT in May and perhaps retake the test in October or November. There are classes that teach test-taking skills. Must-visit sites: www.act.org (for ACT takers) and www.collegeboard.com (for the SAT). You need to prepare but do it in your own style. That could mean spending an evening reading tips online, buying a book and taking practice tests, making vocabulary flash cards, scheduling one or more conferences with a tutor, or taking an entire preparatory course.