ADMISSION TO US UNIVERSITIES

A Read the text below and compare the entrance requirements to American universities to those in Russia. Which of the systems is more competitive in your opinion? Which is fairer?

ADMISSION TO US UNIVERSITIES

Entrance requirements of various US universities and colleges may differ considerably. In general, they require satisfactory completion of a high school curriculum. Most universities and colleges require that freshmen have taken certain courses in high schools. Many schools will not admit students whose high school grades are below a certain average. As more students seek to attend universities or colleges, entrance requirements tend to become higher. Many institutions require students to pass an entrance examination. Schools may also give students intelligence tests and aptitude tests for later counselling. For example, a student's adviser may use the results of the tests to guide the student's work.

Colleges and universities state their entrance requirements in their catalogs. They nearly always require a transcript (copy) of an applicant's high school credits, as well as letters of recommendation. Entrance examinations are generally given several months before the school term begins. Freshmen usually take the intelligence and aptitude tests during an orientation period, frequently called freshman week at colleges and universities in the United States.

Many colleges and universities admit men and women who have not completed high school. This procedure allows the schools to serve an increasing number of adults seeking continuing education. It also helps extend educational opportunities to such people as military veterans and members of minority groups. Before enrolling such applicants, the university or college evaluates their work experience and reviews their scores on special tests. These tests are designed to measure whether a person's knowledge is equivalent to that of an average high school graduate.

College entrance examination is a test or a series of tests that helps determine whether a person meets the admission requirements of a college or university.

Many nations have established one examination that all students must pass to qualify for admission to a university. The United States has no such test. Instead, many universities and colleges in the United States require applicants to take examinations given by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). Others require tests prepared by the American College Testing Program. Many schools accept scores from either of these agencies. Each agency's examinations are given several times each year throughout the United States and other countries. Most students who plan to attend college take a college entrance examination during their junior or senior year in high school. A student may take the test as many times as he or she wishes.

The College Entrance Examination Board gives two types of entrance examinations, known as the SAT's. These tests are the SAT I: Reasoning Test and the SAT II: Subject Tests.

The SAT I consists primarily of multiple-choice questions and has two sections: (1) verbal and (2) mathematical. The verbal section of the test measures reading comprehension and the ability to understand word relationships. The mathematical section of the test measures the ability to understand mathematical concepts and to use them in solving problems.

The SAT II tests measure a student's knowledge in specific subject areas. The CEEB gives 16 one-hour tests in such areas as foreign language, mathematics, science, and writing. Some schools that require applicants to take the SAT I do not require them to take any of the SAT II's. Many schools that require SAT II's ask their applicants to take tests in three subjects. Most SAT II's consist of multiple-choice questions. However, the writing test also requires a 20-minute writing sample.

Scores on the SAT I and SAT II's are reported on a scale ranging from 200 to 800 points. There is no "passing" grade, and each college has its own standards for interpreting the scores. The CEEB helps students interpret their test results by providing a percentile rank for each score. The percentile rank shows how a student's score compares with the scores of others who took the test.

The American College Testing Program examination, known as the ACT test, has two parts. The major part consists of four tests: (1) English, (2) mathematics, (3) science reasoning, and (4) reading. These tests also use multiple-choice questions. The second part of the examination is the Student Profile. Students complete this section by answering a series of questions about their achievements, goals, and special interests. The ACT tests are scored on a scale that ranges from 1 to 36. In addition, the ACT provides a percentile rank for each score.

Both the American College Testing Program and the CEEB send score reports to the student's high school and to the colleges to which the student is applying. A student can request as part of his or her CEEB score report a listing of percentile ranks for three specific colleges. This listing shows how the student's scores compare with the scores of the members of the freshman class at those schools.

Some educators criticize the emphasis placed on test scores. They believe that the tests measure only a few of the many abilities necessary for success in college. Also, they claim that use of the tests does not change many admission decisions. Some educators say that the tests may discriminate against disadvantaged and minority groups.

The Advanced Placement Program (AP) is a CEEB testing program that allows high school students to earn college credit for knowledge that they have gained in high school. Each May, the AP offers college-level examinations in many high school subjects. A sufficiently high score on one of these tests may qualify a student to receive credit for college work in the subject. A student who scores well on several tests may be given sophomore instead of freshman status.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 869