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4 Ways Students Can Prepare for a Valuable PreACT Experience

By U.S. News & World Report

Beginning in September 2016, the PreACT exam will be available to high school sophomores for the first time. Much like the PSAT, the PreACT offers a realistic glimpse of the ACT college entrance exam, which plays a critical role in college admissions and scholarship eligibility.

The PreACT also includes the ACT Interest Inventory to help students begin thinking about college majors and careers and the steps they should take now for future success.

If you decide to take the PreACT this year, consider these three ways to prepare to ensure you have the most valuable experience.

[Get to knowimportant facts about the PreACT.]

1. Investigate the PreACT’s availability: Individual high schools and districts — rather than testing centers — will administer the PreACT. Each school or district can offer the exam at any time between Sept. 1 and June 1.

As such, the dates won’t be uniform across all high schools in the U . S . that will offer the exam, or even in a particular district. Speak with your guidance counselor to determine which test dates are available to you.

Keep in mind that an earlier exam date will give you more time to prepare for the ACT. A later PreACT test date will allow you to complete more of your sophomore-year coursework; your test results then may offer a more accurate prediction of your future performance on the ACT.

Both scenarios are useful, but remember the effects that timing can have on your PreACT scores and ACT readiness.

2. Familiarize yourself with the exam format: The PreACT is an entirely new test, rather than a revision of an existing exam.

You may confuse the ACT Aspire with the PreACT, since the former test was also available to high school sophomores. However, the ACT Aspire is intended to track student progress through multiple grades, whereas the PreACT is strictly a college-readiness assessment.

As with any new test, you may have a difficult time initially finding great prep materials. Until PreACT-specific materials are developed, use ACT prep resources.

[Find outwhat students should know before starting SAT, ACT prep.]

Individual questions on the PreACT will be comparable in content, format and difficulty to questions on the ACT. The primary differences between the two exams will be the number of questions and the test length.

3. Take a balanced approach: With time always at a premium, it can be difficult to determine how many hours to spend on PreACT test prep. Sadly, there is no simple answer to this question.

On the one hand, since the PreACT has no direct implications on college admissions or scholarships, you might be tempted to take the exam without reviewing it first. On the other hand, you might be tempted to neglect other parts of your life to study.

Both approaches obscure the exam’s diagnostic purpose. You want to do your best such that the results give you an accurate idea of where you should focus when preparing for the ACT. However, do not allow your schoolwork to suffer because you are overpreparing for the test.

4. Remember your test results may vary: Keep in mind that the PreACT is very new. Its intent is to provide a diagnostic tool that can help students prepare for the full ACT.

However, there isn’t data yet that demonstrates whether students who do well on the PreACT will perform equally well on the ACT. This matters because a high PreACT score may lull you into a false sense of security regarding the much more consequential ACT.

You may find the greater length of the full exam exhausting, or you may receive a series of questions that perfectly match topics you studied extensively. In short, study for the ACT regardless of how well you score on the PreACT.

[Learn how tochoose between taking the ACT and SAT.]

Conversely, a poor result on the PreACT does not guarantee a poor result on the ACT. If you do not perform as well as you had hoped to on the PreACT, take it as a call to action, rather than a forecast of doom.

When you take the ACT — or its rival, the SAT — you will have had six to 12 months of additional studying and learning. If you suffer from test anxiety, you will have ample opportunity to find potential solutions to overcome your challenges with standardized tests.

Remember that the PreACT is another potentially useful tool when readying for college. Take it seriously — but stay balanced.

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4 Ways Students Can Prepare for a Valuable PreACT Experience originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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