Ranney's Summer College and Test Prep Courses Can Help to Boost Strategies and Scores

At Ranney School, college prep starts in 9th grade, when student schedules pass through the College Guidance Office for review. Staff members work closely with students, parents and advisors throughout the Upper School years to ensure that each student follows an appropriate academic course, with clear and achievable goals.

During junior year, Ranney’s college counselors meet one-on-one with students and parents to discuss all the variables in the college selection process and help focus each student’s priorities, goals and aspirations. By the time students are ready to apply to college, they can feel confident that Ranney will provide them with the best possible chance of acceptance.

A large part of the college application process is, of course, taking the SAT and other standardized tests. At Ranney, students take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) during their sophomore year on a practice basis. Test results are used to identify potential weaknesses in math or English and help advisors and subject teachers address any problem areas. Ninth and tenth graders may also take SAT Subject Tests (e.g., in Biology if the student is enrolled in AP Biology or in US History if enrolled in AP US History). Students take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of their junior year. During the fall of senior year, students take the SAT as well as SAT Subject Tests or the ACT.

Each summer, Ranney School’s Summer Study Program offers several test preparation courses for the ACT, PSAT and SAT, as well as intensive writing courses, including an expository writing class that focuses on SAT and college prep. These courses are available to Ranney students as well as non-Ranney students who wish to boost their test-taking, writing and subject-specific skills over the summer. The classes are designed for students entering grades 8–12.

Mr. John Henrikson, an AP Biology and AP Environmental Science teacher at Seton Hall Prep School in West Orange, NJ, is teaching this summer’s PSAT and SAT Preparation course. The two-hour-per-day six-week course covers test-taking strategies, section drills and specific math skills. Students take four full practice tests (PSAT or SAT) during the class.

“We have kids in the class that are taking the PSAT and the SAT; some are preparing for the first time and some are looking to improve their scores,” said Mr. Henrikson. “Fortunately, there is a lot of overlap between the two tests in terms of content and skills and our small class size allows us to focus in on individual student needs, which is great for math in particular because we can break into small groups.”

The class is ideal for those students who have not yet taken the PSAT/SAT or a test-prep course because it allows them to shape their own strategy and approach. “The course produces significant results for many students,” says Mr. Henrikson, who has taught the Ranney summer course for approximately seven years.

He also advises students to read, read, read. “Most students who have success on the SATS are those that read the most. I tell my students that it doesn’t matter what you read—read anything that interests you—but keep reading. One can always better one’s self as a student by reading.”

Ms. Kelly Harmon, an English Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator at Communications High School in Wall Township, is teaching a course called Introduction to Expository Writing: SAT & College Prep for students entering grades 10-12.

In this three-week course, she says that, “Students master the pre-writing, drafting, revising and editing process within required timed constraints (of the standardized tests) and develop the ability to judge their own work effectively.” They also learn to analyze different types of texts (e.g., visual and print) and different types of arguments with a focus on rhetorical strategies. Critical reading and analysis are taught by reading informational texts such as The New York Times as well as pieces of literature to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text. They also evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in an exposition and work to construct an arguable thesis. At the conclusion of the course, students leave with a writing portfolio.

“The summer is a perfect time to begin preparing for standardized tests like the SAT,” says Ranney School’s Co-Director of College Guidance Adam Materasso. “Students have time in their schedules to prepare for these tests without having to worry about homework, studying for tests and all of the responsibilities associated with being a high school student. While test preparation, such as expository writing and skill-building, should continue throughout the school year, it’s great that students get a head start on it in the summer.”

Visit the College Guidance section of the Ranney School website, at www.ranneyschool.org/college_guidance, for more information about Ranney’s college counseling program, including matriculation lists of past graduating classes, standardized test dates and our college guidance blog, which features advice and testimonials.