When your child is college-bound, financial stress is a very real thing. In fact, the financial part of sending a child off to college can be overwhelming.
I spent 12 years working in college admission at my alma mater. Every so often, parents would break down in tears in my office. They wanted so badly to be able to pay for college. I’ve never forgotten these conversations and I still think about those families.
Money is one of the most commonly mentioned personal stressors, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2019 Stress in America survey. In fact, 60 percent of people from the survey cite money as a major stressor.
Chances are, you probably feel some financial stress — I mean, 60 percent is a heckuva lot of people!
It’s easy to say, “Think about something else! Go for a bike ride!” You know, common ways to de-stress your life. But financial stress is so different — it doesn’t go away when you spend 30 minutes with a yoga mat. It may take time and involve some serious planning.
So instead of telling you to grow your own potatoes or start extreme couponing, here are six ideas for how to attack financial stress. Warning: They’re not all quick fixes, but they will help you feel better about financial stress later on. Promise.
1. Recognize how you deal with money-related stress.
The first thing you can do to alleviate financial stress is to recognize how you handle money. Have you ever stopped to evaluate how money in general makes you feel?
Maybe you:
Never talk about it. You just let the stress build up like a hot air balloon.
Talk about money (or lack thereof) with everyone — your spouse, your kids, your friends — everyone!
Fall somewhere in between these two approaches.
Suze Orman, award-winning author and financial personality, believes that how your parents handled money paved the way for you to formulate your own attitudes about money.
Did money cause stress in your family? Did you parents spend more than they earned? Was money a source of pain? Were your parents controlled by money instead of the other way around?
Orman grew up in a poor family. She often tells the story about how her father’s small takeout restaurant burst into flames. He still ran in to get the cash register, burning his hands in the process. It showed a young Orman that money is more important than life itself!
Money is so closely tied to emotions. For families, a big source of stress can be the cost of preparing teens for college, but resources like Educo provide affordable SAT, ACT and AP exam prep designed to ease both financial and academic pressure.
You may want to think of it this way instead: You define your money. You tell it what to do! You’re in control of it! You can make as much as you want. (You just might not be able to do that completely through a traditional nine-to-five job. Check out my piece on how parents can make money!)
2. Write down your goals.
When I worked for the college, I gave a presentation to my team during our annual summer retreat about writing goals. When I announced my topic choice, I’m pretty sure everyone groaned. “Why do you feel that way about goal setting?” I asked.
I laughed and said, “What’s boring about getting exactly what you want? Let’s say you write, ‘I’d like a new car in a year and I’ll do A, B and C in order to save for it.’ What’s boring about that? You get a new car!’”
I’m sort of a geek when it comes to goal-setting. Let me tell you, writing down your goals works. For example, my husband and I resolved to save a certain amount of money by this spring because he wants a new shop. It’s currently in the works — all because of a little Google doc (and a bit of willpower, too).
The premise is simple: Write it down, make it happen!
You can write down your goals associated with paying for college. Let’s say you write, “Get a side gig by July 2020 to earn extra money for Junior’s college fund.” And yes, you can do this even if your child is set to go to college this fall.
Try it! Write it down! I promise, it works. There’s something empowering about writing down your goals and posting them where you can see them. And man, oh, man, is it cool when you turn that goal into reality.
3. Meet with a financial advisor.
You may already have a financial advisor, but if you haven’t met with him or her recently, it may be time for a financial checkup.
Never worked with a financial advisor before? One of the best ways to find a great financial advisor is to ask around. Ask your family and friends who they use in town. It’s important to have a financial advisor who has a good reputation in your community.
Next, meet with a few financial advisors and ask good questions! Here are some you can ask:
Are you a fiduciary? A fiduciary will put your financial interests before their own. If a financial advisor is not a fiduciary, don’t choose that advisor.
How do you get paid? Focus on fee-only advisors. Fee-only advisors might charge a percentage of the assets they manage for you — a flat fee for services or an hourly fee. If costs are a concern, use a robo-advisor like Betterment, WealthfrontorSigFig.
What are your qualifications? You can check the legitimacy of a financial advisor by visiting FINRA’s BrokerCheck. BrokerCheck is a free tool that can help you research advisors and firms.
How will you help me map out a plan to pay for college? Whether you’ve saved nothing at all or have some money in the bank, an advisor should be able to give you an idea of how he will help you approach paying for college.
Make sure the advisor meshes well with your personality. Your best friend may have recommended a particular advisor, but that person may not click with you. It’s okay. Move on to someone else. In all cases, your first consultation is free.
Believe it or not, talking with financial advisors is often very soothing. The reason? They help you come up with a concrete plan to help you tackle your goals.
4. Use financial aid to your advantage.
Yes, this could be the most obvious de-stressor of all — getting financial aid!
Class of 2020 parents, you can combat financial stress during this corona-crazy time. All it takes is a simple phone call. Ask the financial aid office at your child’s chosen college if there’s any extra money laying around. Inquire about extra scholarships. Ask about work-study. Tell the financial aid office about a recent job loss. Talk to someone in financial aid about any financial situation you’re going through. Colleges want your child to go to their college and can help you alleviate financial stress.
If you’re the parent of a sophomore or junior, financial aid can go a long way to help you and your child afford college. It’s a great idea to start planning now. Check out my short piece about financial aid (What is Financial Aid? Plus, 6 Steps to Get It) so you start understanding the basics.
5. Reduce other stressors.
What’s a great way to reduce stress? You can make a long list of temporary stress relievers, I’m sure: Go for a walk. Talk to a friend on the phone. Color rocks with sidewalk chalk (that’s what I’m watching my kids do right now).
Do you know what seems to exacerbate one stress? Another stressor!
For example, let’s say you’re already stressed about paying for college. It doesn’t help if you’re stressed about, say, the 2020 presidential election. (I’m not pulling this out of thin air — the American Psychological Association’s 2019 Stress in America survey actually cited the presidential election as a major source of stress. It would be interesting to know how coronavirus would rank now.)
As much as you can, try to reduce other stressors in your life. Have a talk with your neighbor about his dog’s incessant barking. Talk to your mailman about firmly shutting your mailbox door so your mail isn’t soggy every time you grab the mail. (These seem little, but man, are they irritating!)
Eliminate the little stressors so you can tackle your financial stress before college head-on and talk to your spouse or others about what’s really stressing you out.
6. Talk to someone.
Chances are, you know someone else who’s sending a child off to college this fall. Or better yet, you know someone who already has three kids in college right now. This is your tribe! Your friends and community can be a great sounding board for your fears.
If your regular tribe doesn’t include parents of college-bound kids, it may be time to find a new tribe or add to your existing tribe.
You might need to go beyond your tribe and your spouse or partner and seek counseling if you’re really stressed out. If you find daily life to be a struggle or feel that your emotions are overwhelming, seek help. Just remember, money fears are real. It’s okay to reach out to a professional.
Reduce Stress Now
First and foremost, remember to celebrate one major thing: That your child’s going to college. Focus on what’s important. He or she is going to get the college education that he or she (and frankly, you!) have always dreamed about.
Remember that even though you may want to help your child pay for college, it’s still possible for your child to get loans to fund college completely.
Above all else, consider your attitudes toward money. Again, you may want to reframe how you think about money. If you think of money as unlimited — flowing in abundance! — it might just happen and help you and your kiddo pay for college.
Your kiddo might be tired of hunting for change every time he needs to get groceries. Worse, he might be calling you for money!
College might be the most scrape-the-bottom-of-the-barrel time of your child’s life, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some ideas for how to make money in college — whether your child needs a long-term gig or just wants to make a quick buck.
Cramming a job into an already-packed student schedule may seem like a daunting task, but college students all over the U.S. have jobs.
Part-timers more commonly have jobs than full-time students. The percentage of undergraduate students who were employed in 2017 was higher among part-time students (81 percent) than full-time students (43 percent), according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
How to Get a Job
Help your student consider the types of industries that might be a fit. A part-time job might help him work his way up to a full-time job after he graduates — so don’t underestimate that night-and-weekend gig.
He can even consider the right industry and which jobs fit his personality. You can be a great help here — you may recognize qualities in him that he may not even know about: (“Really, you think I’m good at caring for kids? Gee, thanks, Mom!”)
Here are a few industries to consider that are almost always hiring:
Service
Information
Health care
Finance and insurance
Real estate
Manufacturing
Construction
Agriculture
Look online for jobs in your area and encourage your child to check in with his college’s human resources office.
Can you guess the best method for getting a job? That’s right — use connections! Tap into your own connections at work and in groups to which you belong. Your network may be considerably wider than your student’s.
2. Suggest that your kiddo get an internship.
Your kiddo’s college and career center should be bursting with internship information. Of course, he’ll want to look for paid opportunities. A career center coordinator should be able to dig up internships that aren’t even on your radar. These ideas should all center around what could benefit your child’s future career.
Your student could also consider reaching out to the alumni office at her college — alumni are always super excited to help youngsters from their alma mater.
How to Get an Internship
Here are a few steps your kiddo can take to get an internship. When necessary, have her enlist the college’s career center for help during any steps.
Get that resume in order. Maybe your son or daughter will let you read it over to make sure it’s in good shape.
Make sure your kiddo writes a cover letter. It’s easy to get lazy and not write a cover letter. A cover letter is a must-do because it helps your child stand out among a pool of other interns (who may not have written a cover letter!) Make sure your child’s cover letter is in great shape (if he’ll let you read it).
Choose a few different internship possibilities. Your student may have found a few options online or a good connection through the alumni office or the college or career center. Make sure your child applies for several internships — holding out for just one option may not work out.
Make sure he asks two or three people to be references. Your student may not realize it, but he must ask people to be references and make sure their contact information is accurate.
Cross your fingers. You can’t hang over your child’s shoulder all the time. Hopefully, he double-checks a company’s online portal to make sure every part of the application is correct.
Get the right outfit for the interview. (You might be on the hook for the funds for that.)
Help your child understand basic interview etiquette. Shake hands with everyone, go over some common interview questions and make sure he follows up with a thank-you note, kind of like you would if you send a scholarship thank you letter to an individual or organization.
Work-Study Options
Juuuust in case you missed the definition at orientation, work-study is a part-time job offered to undergraduate and graduate students. The amount awarded depends on financial need. Your child will only receive work-study if you file the FAFSA.
It’s possible to work on or off campus. College students usually work for the school if they work on campus. Your child might work in a couple of different areas at the college or university:
Athletic office
Business office
Admission and/or financial aid
Food service
Academic departments
Grounds crew
Library
Security
Day care
The HR office will be able to give your son or daughter a list of jobs. Your kiddo might also be able to get work-study through a private nonprofit organization or a public agency. Colleges can have agreements with private for-profit employers for work-study jobs.
Undergraduates are paid hourly but graduate students can earn an hourly wage or salary. The trick to work-study is that students can’t work more than what they’ve been allotted through the financial aid award.
Steer Your Kiddo Toward a Side Gig
It’s tough to fully commit to a job or internship during college, which could require more structured hours. What about a side gig with looser hour requirements? Your student may be able to pick and choose specific hours. Here are a few ideas that can offer flexible hours:
Tutor
Babysit or nanny for parents who need help after school, during weekends or anytime between classes
Teach music lessons or perform
Be a tour guide for the town
Manage social media for businesses
Personal chef
Walk dogs
Scoop dog poop (yes, that’s a thing!)
Clean houses
Do yard work
Use TaskRabbit to find jobs and help people do tasks like raking leaves or fixing cabinet doors. Granted, this could be considered a “real job,” but it’s possible to pick and choose among jobs. You’re not committed to being at the same place for eight hours per day.
How to Make Money in College without Getting a Real Job
What with o-chem homework every night, your student may not have time to get a real job at all. Here are a few ways your student can make money in college without getting a “real” job or even a side gig.
Make Money Online
Earning money online is one of the best ways to make money in college. Here are a few ways your student can make money online:
Fill out online surveys like Swagbucks or InboxDollars. It’s possible to make a few extra dollars doing these.
Participate in focus groups for online market research — these types of surveys pay more than online surveys like Swagbucks. Check out Respondent or Fieldwork.
Answer questions on JustAnswer. Does your student have a particular area of expertise that can help people? JustAnswer can be a great option.
Do micro jobs on Mechanical Turk. Just create a worker account and work on the types of Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) your child qualifies for.
Teach online through Cambly, SayABC or the Tutoring Lab — no degree is required for any of these.
Do freelancing online, whether it’s writing, web design, web development, graphic design, search engine optimization (SEO), mobile app development and more.
Your child may have an extra room or basement and may be able to look for another roommate. Make sure your student gets a background check on each potential roommate.
Use Decluttr to get rid of electronics, Blu-ray discs, DVDs and more.
Sell unused clothes through a brick-and-mortar consignment shop or online through Poshmark or ThredUp.
Sell scrap metal at a local recycling plant — copper, brass and aluminum will make the most money but all scrap metals have some value.
Sell just about anything else on Craigslist — furniture, old TVs, lamps, décor, yard equipment, etc.
How to Help Your Student Make Money in College
Chances are, your student feels guilty asking you for money twice a month. Ask your child to consider other ways he or she might be able to build up some savings. Encourage your child to be creative and think enormous, giant-sized dreams. Wouldn’t it be incredible if he launched a lucrative entrepreneurial endeavor from your dorm room?
Kids are exposed to so much creativity in college — there may never be a better time to bootstrap that idea that’s been rattling around in his head since freshman year.
When I was an admission counselor, one of the most challenging parts of my job was building relationships with high schoolers.
I remember contacting a particular student for months. I’d talked to his parents a handful of times and they said he was really interested in the college I worked for — he’d applied and everything. I texted, emailed and social media-ed. In a last-ditch attempt, I even called his cell. (What teenager answers his phone?)
I never heard from him. In fact, he remained elusive to everyone at the college. Finally, he visited in March, barely talked throughout our meeting but ended up enrolling.
It’s so important for kids to develop relationships during the college search process — and it’s a good idea for parents to do the same! It can work wonders for their college search and help your child hone in on the right college match.
Why? Building relationships allows you to get an idea of the character of the people at that school — and that’s just one reason why building relationships is a must-do.
Why it’s Important to Build Relationships During the College Search
Jessica Quintana Hess, director of admissions at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, says, “Families sometimes think, ‘We have all the information we need on the internet. Why do we have to talk to anyone?'”
She says there’s real value in building relationships with the admission staff, financial aid office, coaches and more. She says that, unfortunately, students often don’t take advantage of that or think that the colleges should only exist to serve them. Think of it this way, though. How can an admission counselor help you if he or she doesn’t know what you need?
“Relationship building can help you in the admission process, but if you’re not giving me anything, I can’t advocate for you,” she says.
Building relationships can:
Help those at colleges do active work on your child’s behalf. So, what I mean by this is that people at the college can advocate for your child, go the extra step and help your kiddo with whatever he needs. Quintana Hess shared this story with me:
She says a young man enrolled at another college (not Lycoming) and got into a bit of trouble during his pre-orientation sessions. He could have stayed at the college but didn’t feel comfortable there anymore. He reached out to Quintana Hess because he had applied to Lycoming. She says he ended up enrolling because she was willing to give him a chance.
“If we hadn’t built a relationship when he was an applicant, he wouldn’t have felt comfortable coming to me,” she says. “I get Christmas cards from his family every year,” she adds.
Cement relationships for down the road. This process is all about finding the match, right? You want to find the right place for your child — and that means interacting with the actual people at the college. Not the buildings online or the list of classes. The college experience is about the people.
Help your child learn about opportunities. You hear about the heart and soul of an institution from the people who work there. You’ll find out how the robotics instructor hosts dinner at his own home or how the journalism professor stays up till all hours of the night to help students put the finishing touches on a fantastic article.
How to Start Building Relationships with Colleges
There are so many people you could start building relationships with — even before your student arrives on campus. There are three key individuals you’ll want to build a relationship with, plus, one more.
Admission Counselor
The admission counselor’s job is to build relationships with you, particularly if you’re looking at a small private liberal arts college. Even if your son or daughter is looking at a state school, it’s still a great idea to build that relationship.
How do you know who your admission counselor is at each school your child is interested in? Great question.
All it takes is a little poking around on the internet. The country is typically divided up into a giant jigsaw puzzle. Just click on your area and you’ll find your admission counselor.
Coaches (Including Assistant Coaches)
Coaches want to get to know your child, obviously. Your child definitely wants to get to know coaches, too. Just don’t overlook getting to know assistant coaches. They’ll be able to answer a lot of questions that the head coach might not know, including about different aspects of team dynamics.
Definitely build a relationship with players every time you and your child is on campus. Have lunch with team members. Have your child do an overnighter. Make sure your student feels 100 percent comfortable with the team.
Financial Aid Professionals
Financial aid professionals are VIPs. Who else holds the key to knowing everything about institutional scholarships, the FAFSA, grants, work-study, loans and more?
Always make an appointment with the financial aid office when you visit any school. It may not even be an offered option online, so call and ask for an appointment.
School College Counselor
Right, school counselors aren’t at colleges. However, this is a great person for you and your child to get to know at her high school. School counselors can clue your child in on scholarships, connect her with must-know people in the community (scholarship opportunities!) and help navigate the college search.
They wield tremendous power. A dozen cookies and weekly drop-ins from your student will go a long way.
How to Build Relationships
You may know exactly how to build relationships, but your kiddo might not have any idea. Kids spend hours each day engaging with ideas and one another through screens, but do they have good practice honing their interpersonal communication skills?
I noticed this when I greeted hundreds of high school kids over the years — they just don’t know how to talk to adults.
Some parents are whizzes at teaching their kids to interact with adults. I’m always impressed when I say “Hi” to kids and they look me right in the eye, shake my hand and engage in simple small talk.
Teaching kids how to do this gives them a lifelong advantage — I repeat — a lifelong advantage! They’ll be able to ask questions in college, do better in college, and succeed in college! They can sell themselves in job interviews after college (see the theme here?)
Now’s as good a time as any to encourage your child to start learning how to do this, especially if you know it’s kind of difficult for him.
Fortunately, you can start small. Building relationships with colleges happens in more ways than one. You can:
Email
Call
Text
Communicate via social media
Conference calls
One-on-one meetings
And more! (I think the COVID-19 crisis will give admission offices even more ideas about how to communicate with students throughout the year.)
So, knowing there are lots of ways to communicate with colleges, I think it’s worth mentioning what your son or daughter can practice.
You want firm handshakes, eye contact and more when he or she interacts with adults — yes, even if your child is naturally shy. Here are some things you can work on.
Initiate Contact
Teach your high schooler that it’s a great idea to initiate contact with an admission counselor. Trust me, guys, I was an admission counselor for years and admission counselors are hungry to hear from your child. It’s the best day ever to open up an email from an interested student or get a text that says, “Hey! I’m interested in your college. Can you tell me more?”
Trust me, most admission counselors will fall all over themselves to answer your child’s email or text.
Respond to Questions
The only way to get better talking freely with adults is to practice. Even among peers, is your child uncomfortable responding to questions or never pipes up in a group setting? It’s okay to be shy, but encourage your child to contribute if he or she is burning to say something. It’s a great idea to practice doing this among friend groups first, then translate it to adults.
On the other hand, your kiddo may find it super easy to interact with peers, but not with adults at all. Encourage your child to practice. Say “Hi” to people at church, have her call up for pizza delivery. Ask your daughter to make her own appointment to get her hair cut — over the phone, not online.
Then work up to calling someone in the admission office to get information. Even better, have her set up a college visit. That’ll require a dexterous blend of having to schedule, coordinate and make decisions. Great practice!
Sustain Conversations
Teach your child how to keep a conversation going and more importantly, be sincere in the questions he’s asking.
Gah, it can be such a thing to teach a high schooler how to have a conversation that’s not one-sided. Kids are so used to adults talking and asking the questions — do kids ever practice asking the questions? No. Teach him the art of the open-ended question.
A good suggestion is to talk about the things your child is passionate about — sports, hobbies, goals, dreams. A college professional always wants to hear about a kid’s goals and dreams. It’s what they live for!
I remember a 30-year-old nontraditional student I talked to in the admission office who had a dream to still go to medical school. At 30! I was entranced by his story — I could have listened to it all day.
Admission professionals lap that stuff up. Make sure your child knows how to talk about his goals.
Practice it Yourself
You may cringe if you notice that your child doesn’t interact well with adults.
But what are your own habits? Do you go out of your way to make small talk with strangers at the grocery store or waiters at a restaurant, or do you just exchange acceptable pleasantries and nothing more?
Your child picks up social cues from you. Remember that.
Continued Communication
When people like you, they want to continue chatting with you! The best thing you can do is have your child continue to stay in contact with prospective schools for an entire year. (Yes! A whole year!)
If your child’s no longer interested in a particular school, it’s important that he tells them. Reach out to admission counselors to let them know they no longer need to recruit your child.
(It can be frustrating for admission staff to have to keep reaching out blindly because they have no idea your child’s no longer interested.)
Have your child send an email or text to the admission counselor to let them know they’ve chosen a different college.
Start Building Relationships Now
Don’t waste any time! Start building relationships with everyone you can at all colleges, whether your child is a sophomore or senior. Make sure your student does, too. It’ll serve your child well later.
Hey, hey, are you staying healthy? I sure hope so.
I’ve been trying to do my part by slowing the spread and doubling down at home (hence all the rapid-fire posts covering COVID-19-related tips!)
I know there’s one thing you may be thinking about if you’re the parent of a sophomore or junior: the SAT. COVID-19 may have wreaked havoc on your SAT plans.
I worked for 12 years in a college admission office in the Midwest, so most students took the ACT, not the SAT. I even administered the ACT test every few months (those poor students were soo nervous!) so I was always a bit curious about the SAT.
Parents, it may be a few years since you’ve taken the SAT yourself (if you took it at all!) and want to know more about it. I’ll also cover some top tips on how to handle it during COVID-19.
What is the SAT?
What does SAT stand for, anyway? Let’s do a multiple-choice question, just like in the real SAT:
Scholastic Aptitude Test
Scholar Assessment Test
Slippery, Atrocious Trial
It’s not an acronym for anything. It’s just S-A-T.
Got a good guess? It’s D! (Did you notice that I tried tricking you? The SAT did stand for Scholastic Aptitude Test when it was created.)
You know that the SAT is a multiple-choice entrance exam administered by the College Board. You may even know that over 2.2 million students took the SAT in 2019, according to the 2019 SAT Suite of Assessments Program Results. But do you know the finer points of the SAT?
The SAT does one major thing: It assesses your child’s readiness for college. Most colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions. Your child’s SAT score, in addition to high school GPA, transcripts, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, personal essays and interviews, may also be taken into consideration for admission decisions. Some schools don’t weigh SAT scores as heavily, while others do.
Of course, it’s to your student’s advantage to do well on the SAT or the ACT. Your child is more likely to be able to attend and possibly receive more financial aid from a particular school with a higher score.
The SAT is divided up into three major sections: Reading, Math, and Writing and Language. The Essay portion is optional. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’ll find on each test.
Reading Test
The Reading Test is 65 minutes long and features reading passages. Each reading passage requires you to answer 52 multiple-choice questions using tables, graphs, and charts. The SAT always includes:
One literature passage
A U.S. history passage or pair of passages
A passage from economics, sociology or psychology
Two science-related passages
Your child may need to find evidence, interpret data and consider implications to answer the questions on this test.
What’s on the Language and Writing Test? Easy — this is your child’s chance to be an editor for 35 minutes. He or she will take a look at sentence structure, usage and punctuation in portions of an underlined part of a passage.
There are four passages and 44-passage based questions. Your child must be able to know how to manipulate words, use punctuation and sentence clauses, as well as understand verb tense, parallel construction, subject-verb agreement, comma use and more.
The SAT Math Test covers basic algebra, problem solving, data analysis and complex equations. It’s divided up into two components — a calculator section and a no-calculator section:
The calculator section is 55 minutes and contains 38 questions.
The no-calculator section is 25 minutes and contains 20 questions. Your child isn’t permitted to use a calculator. (These portions are conceptual and your child won’t need a calculator to complete them.)
Most of the questions on the Math Test are multiple choice but 22 percent are student-produced response questions, known as grid-ins.
The SAT Essay portion is optional but some colleges require it. (It’s a good idea to do some checking around to find out whether your kiddo should take the essay portion.)
The Essay Test is 50 minutes and measures your child’s ability to read, write and analyze. The two people who score your child’s essay each award between one and four points for a maximum score of eight.
Here’s how it’s done: Your student must read a passage and explain how the writer builds an argument and how that writer persuades using evidence from the passage.
How long is the SAT?
To sum up, the SAT is 180 minutes, not including breaks. The SAT Essay Test is 50 minutes.
Reading Test
65 minutes
52 questions
Writing and Language Test
35 minutes
44 questions
Math: No calculator Math: Calculator
25 minutes 55 minutes
20 questions 38 questions
Essay
50 minutes
1 essay
History of the SAT
Okay, buckle in for a history lesson. The history of the SAT goes back all the way to the first World War, believe it or not. Robert Yerkes, a guy who knew a heck of a lot about I.Q. testing, asked the U.S. Army to let him test all recruits for intelligence using the Army Alpha.
One of Yerkes’ brilliant assistants, Carl Brigham, taught at Princeton and adapted Army Alpha as a college admissions test. It was first administered to a few thousand college applicants in 1926, just for fun. (Yeah, it was one big experiment!)
James Bryant Conant, the president of Harvard in 1933, decided to start a new scholarship program and asked an assistant dean, Henry Chauncey, to find a test to evaluate candidates for these scholarships. (Poor guy!) Chauncey met Brigham and recommended… dum da dum dum dum… The SAT!
Chauncey talked the members of the College Board into using the SAT as a uniform exam in 1938 for scholarship applicants. The second World War changed everything in 1942. All College Board admissions tests were abolished, so the SAT became the test for everyone.
When’s the SAT Offered?
This is kind of a trick question because the SAT’s schedule has changed due to COVID-19. The SAT’s normally offered during the following months each year:
August
October
November
December
March
May
June
For example, the dates for 2020-2021 are the following:
August 29, 2020
October 3, 2020
November 7, 2020
December 5, 2020
March 13, 2021
May 8, 2021
June 5, 2021
What to Do About the SAT During COVID-19
The College Board canceled the May 2, 2020, SAT and SAT Subject Test administration due to COVID-19.
Right now, the next SAT is scheduled for the first weekend of June (June 6), but that depends on how the public health situation evolves. The registration deadline for the June 6 test is May 8.
Your student’s school may have originally scheduled a School Day SAT Test, which was cancelled. The College Board is seeking multiple solutions with states and districts about School Day administrations. Learn more about the College Board’s COVID-19 response.
Normally, the SAT should be taken by at least the spring of your child’s junior year. Taking it junior year gives your student the opportunity to take the SAT a second time in the fall of senior year before college application deadlines (if necessary).
This is a great time to prepare for the SAT. Your child can take practice exams and spend time preparing during quarantine.
Should My Kiddo Take the SAT and the ACT?
I stuck this question in here because I heard it every so often as an admission counselor.
You may be tempted to encourage your child to take both the SAT and the ACT — but it’s actually not a great idea. Why?
Think about it this way. Your student will only have so much preparation time for both tests and taking both will slash that time in half. Not only that, but if you pay for tutoring, you’ll have to pay for a tutor class for both tests.
Colleges have no preference for the ACT over the SAT or vice versa, so focus on one.
Talk to Colleges
Now you know the answer to “What does SAT stand for?” and more.
You might be wondering what you’ll do if COVID-19 is still a public health concern in June. Remember, there are still several dates around the corner: August 29, October 3, November 7 and December 5.
There’s still plenty of time to test (and retest!) so don’t get stressed out about having your child take the test before college application deadlines.
Sure, it might be a bit of a squeeze to get everything done, so it’s a good idea to reach out to all of your child’s prospective colleges. Explain your concerns and hear their recommendations. (They may change their college deadlines in light of this situation, anyway. Call and find out!)
I had a post all ready to go about “how to help your high school junior” — then COVID-19 hit. I almost chucked the whole post out.
It’s easy to see why — it was about tackling the ACT or SAT, making an appointment with your child’s school counselor and more.
Guess what? Your high school junior can still do most of this get-ready-for college stuff. Your fears that your junior will be way behind is natural. But there’s good news: Colleges and universities are now faced with a whole cohort of students who will have to play catch-up.
Things have changed, yes, but in many ways, they really did stay the same. Here’s how to help your high school junior right now!
1. Have your high school junior talk to his or her school counselor.
One of my friends is a high school English teacher. She’s been watching the progression of her juniors and told me that her school’s college counselor is holding Zoom meetings with families so they’re on track with financial planning, scholarship pursuits and registering for senior year classes.
Talk with your child’s college and career counselor — it doesn’t have to be through Zoom, but it’s a good idea to have a conversation over the phone if it doesn’t happen online. Here are a few things you may want to talk about:
High school schedule for senior year
AP or college credit classes
Colleges on your child’s radar and any others that the counselor would recommend
College admission questions
College application timeline questions
Scholarship and financial aid options — particularly local scholarships
Gather a list of questions ahead of time with your child and yes, join the call!
2. Start getting your high school junior ready for the ACT or SAT.
The April ACT has been rescheduled for June and the May SAT has been canceled. To put a positive spin on it, this means that your child has more time to study for the ACT or SAT. (Hurray, right?!)Here’s what he or she can start doing to get ready for either test.
Whether your child is taking the ACT or SAT (please know that one isn’t better than the other and colleges are good with either one), the most important thing to do is get familiar with each section on each test by studying for it.
Here’s a quick comparison between the two tests.
ACT
SAT
Type of test
Achievement test that aims to pinpoint what you’ve learned in school.
Aptitude test that analyzes your verbal and reasoning skills.
Sections of the test
English, mathematics, reading, science and optional essay tests
Reading, writing and language, math, optional essay tests
Test length
2 hours, 55 minutes (3 hours, 55 minutes with essay)
3 hours (3 hours, 50 minutes with essay)
First things first. Suggest that your son or daughter does a diagnostic test. Time pressure is a huge factor on the ACT and SAT, so finding out how well your son or daughter can handle that is a great place to start. For example, if your son has trouble finishing the math test but does well in all other tests, that’s a good place to focus.
Have your child time each test accurately — yes, to the second! You can be a big help here.
Be sure your child takes the required break, just like the regular test.
Eliminate distractions.
Try to help your child simulate actual test conditions as much as possible. Have your kiddo go through all the tests in order to get a feel for what it’ll be like.
Once you’ve identified which test or tests will be a challenge for your son or daughter, it’s time to practice! You can find all sorts of mock tests online that resemble the actual test and you can also buy study books, too.
3. Make a list of schools.
In lockdown from COVID-19 right now? It’s a great time to bend your heads over a laptop and start doing some research. What are the characteristics your child wants in a school?
What’s on your own wish list? (You may have to be careful how you phrase this, depending on how open to your input your high school junior is.) Consider:
Academic programs
Athletic programs
Extracurricular opportunities
Location
Scholarship opportunities
Parent/family connections
Word of mouth that a school is excellent
Other factors that make that particular school appealing
Next, take a look at your child’s credentials and learn the colleges’ admission rates, median GPAs and SAT and ACT scores to figure out whether there’s any chance of admission.
Any school that admits only a small percentage of applicants is a reach school. A college should be considered a reach for your kiddo if her test scores and GPA are below (or at the lower end of) what a college typically accepts.
On the other hand, her GPA could align with that of accepted students. Bingo! You’ve identified a target school!
A safety school is one that accepts a high percentage of applicants. Your child’s GPA and test scores go above and beyond the qualifications.
You may want to start a handy spreadsheet to identify these schools and continue to add to the list.
4. Do a virtual visit.
So many schools are hosting virtual visits right now — they’re making their own and hiring companies to complete virtual visits if they didn’t have comprehensive virtual visits before COVID-19. It’s virtual visit time! Check out my post on technology tips during COVID-19.
Depending on the school, you might experience simple click-through photos of different buildings. On the other hand, you might encounter really cool interactive options that offer photos and videos plus 360-degree photos. Some of these sites really do a great job of appealing to visual learners!
5. Reach out to colleges.
Virtual visits can go beyond just a virtual tour of the campus. You can reach out to an admission counselor, financial aid officer, coach — anyone who normally would have been on your list for a regular visit. Call the admission office and ask whether you and your son or daughter will be able to visit with these people using tech options. Doing this gives you a more comprehensive look at what a college has to offer. Make a list of questions you and your high school junior would like to ask, including:
Campus life (including meal plans and housing)
Majors and minors the college offers
Admission requirements
The application process (including whether that will change due to COVID-19)
Cost of attendance and financial aid options
And yes, join your teen on this call! It’s just like a college visit.
6. Have your high school junior laser focus on grades and updating that resume.
My high school teacher friend says, “Our school has asked that we focus more on our students’ well-being than academics, but that doesn’t mean they don’t learn anything. My juniors will finish Macbeth tomorrow!” She says she usually teaches Shakespeare by reading aloud but now uses YouTube clips, questioning and EdPuzzle to pull it all together. “My school and many others were lucky enough to already implement tools like Canvas, Blackboard or GoogleClassroom prior to this, so the challenges have been slightly less stressful,” she says.
She also told me this. “I also teach three sections of seniors, and they have divulged that they are dealing with an all-new style of senioritis. Now they struggle to get online to attend Zoom meetings because their bed is calling out to them. When attending school traditionally, the greatest senioritis temptations were to skip this chapter, do that assignment in study hall, or show up five seconds (or minutes) late. Now, classes take place in their living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms next to televisions and gaming systems. The temptations to do something else other than school is greater than ever.”
Yikes. It’s easy to see how juniors can fall prey to this, too. But just because school is taking place in dining rooms and living rooms and feels totallynot like school, it’s more important than ever to keep academics top of mind.
Some teachers have optional office hours, so students are encouraged to make contact when they are confused or frustrated. Your junior can take advantage of this to focus on that all-important GPA and even get help formatting her resume.
Your high school junior might stay camped out on a tablet, phone or laptop all day. Don’t forget to encourage regular breaks — kids need to get up, take a walk or run and get the blood going again.
Have you had to shut off the app to your retirement account because you really aren’t interested in watching it drop anymore? Even if you aren’t paying close attention to your retirement accounts, maybe you are paying attention to your teen’s 529 plan, custodial account, savings account — or wherever you’re stashing your child’s college money.
First, the good news is that your child is a junior and many, many experts expect the stock market to recover in a jiffy once the worst of the coronavirus outbreak is over.
There’s also good news for student loan borrowers. Interest rates have dropped to record lows. Federal Direct student loans may dip to 1.5% to just above 3% for 2020 student borrowers — possibly even lower.
The Federal Parent PLUS loan could come down almost 2%. Private student loans may start as low as 3%.
Finally, don’t forget to come up with a plan to tackle scholarships! The College Board offers a scholarship search tool you can look at together and it’s a good idea to talk to your high school junior’s guidance counselor about community scholarships.
Come Up with a Plan for the Fall
Your junior will experience a time crunch in the fall. High school juniors are a hard-hit group (after this year’s seniors, of course.) Your junior will have to squish in:
Any of those college visits you and your junior didn’t experience this spring.
Any academics and extracurricular activities he or she missed this spring will be pushed into the next academic year.
ACT/SAT makeup dates will have to happen in the fall or winter.
What other stressors will show up later? Discuss these changes with your high school junior so you’ll both know how you’ll tackle them in a way that (maybe) isn’t so stressful.
