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Ask the College Counselor: Advanced Regents diploma required? |
Q: Is the Advanced Regents Diploma necessary for getting into SUNY colleges?
While our daughter passed most of her Regents exams, she failed one of them, a math test; she can re-take it, but is nervous that she’ll fail it again. And without this exam, she won’t be able to obtain an Advanced Regents diploma. She is stressed out about taking a review course, but also stressed about not being able to get into a strong SUNY program.
A: Every year numerous students are admitted to SUNY schools without Regents diplomas or Advanced Regents diplomas. Remember that SUNY admits applicants from many other states, not just New York! So while having an Advanced Regents diploma would certainly be a plus for your daughter, not having one will not destroy her chances.
Exams administrated by boards or agencies from outside the student’s high school, like the Regents exams, AP tests, or SAT and ACT tests — can help support a student’s application. In the best cases, these external evaluations validate the internal evidence — school grades — of the student’s qualifications. But they are not always necessary. Many high schools do not offer AP exams, and many students do not receive Regents diplomas. Yet if their credentials are strong, they are successful in their college applications.
Another thing to remember is that many other factors will combine to determine your daughter’s college admission. Has she challenged herself in the courses she has taken? Are her grades in school strong? Has she contributed to the life of her school and/or community in a significant way? Does she have special talents in music, drama, athletics, art, dance, or creative writing? Has she demonstrated leadership? Will she have competitive SAT or ACT scores? If she is doing well and just that one Regents exam indicates a weak spot, she’ll still have a strong admissions profile.
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Advanced Regents diploma enables the student to receive extra funds ($750) from the state. If you need the financial help, as small as it may seem, the Advanced Regents is the only way to get those funds.
Comment by Iris — June 16, 2009 @ 5:04 pm
That sounds like what used to be called the Regents Scholarship, back when I went to school. What is this called now, and where can I find more info on it?
Comment by Dennis — June 16, 2009 @ 6:12 pm
Will people in the know comment on ACT vs. SAT. I’d rather my daughter take one not both. Before knowing which schools she’ll apply to, how can we know which test would be most advantageous?
Thank you!
Comment by LizF — June 16, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
Liz,
Last year I wrote to the College Counselor about the SAT vs ACT and here is her response:
To return to your question about whether taking the ACT will have a negative impact on your son’s applications: the answer is “no.” Colleges that require standardized test scores do not care if students take the SAT or the ACT, or both. It makes no difference to them. The ACT has been around for a long time, but it was developed by a Midwestern company, so that’s why it gets somewhat less publicity on the East Coast. The SAT, because it was developed by an East Coast testing company, has long been the ruling exam in New York City. But if we lived in Chicago, the ACT would be the test of choice. The two companies are business rivals, and the only thing they have agreed upon is that they will not give the tests on the same dates. The idea that one test is “better” than another is just a myth.
What are the essential differences between the two exams? They both test reading comprehension and math. The SAT includes a writing section (many colleges are still not weighing this section strongly at all) and the ACT has an optional writing section. The ACT additionally has sections on English and science. The highest composite score on the ACT is 36, and on the SAT it is 2400; each exam scores the essay on a 0-12 basis. There is no “wrong answer penalty” on the ACT, while the SAT subtracts 1/4 point for each incorrect response (which forces students to strategize rather than to concentrate on just answering the questions). With the ACT, a student can choose to send the scores from one test date, and withhold the scores from another. The SAT used to offer this “score choice” option, but then changed its policy, saying that all SAT and Subject Test scores would be reported on one form and no individual scores could be withheld; however, the SAT is returning to the “score choice” option for students graduating in 2010 and after.
I personally do not prefer one test over the other. Some students feel more at ease with one rather than the other; it just depends on individual reactions. Your son might consider taking both during his junior year and comparing his results.
Here’s something else the two tests have in common: they test, primarily, the ability to do well on the test. While it is idealistic to believe that a “standardized” test levels the playing field for all applicants, the field is far from level. Many factors impact test outcomes, including socio-economics (test prep courses cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars), learning styles, and whether English is the primary language spoken at home. College admissions officers understand this and take these factors into account. And many colleges have decided that neither the ACT nor the SAT is truly a reliable way to assess a student’s academic performance and potential, and therefore have made the submission of scores optional, not required.
Comment by Ivy — June 22, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
hi my name is susan m my question is would my daughter be able to graduate and get a high school diploma without taking regents subjects , because we are currently in california but we will be moving to ny in her senior year and in california we dont have regents we have exit exams which she had already passed would all the subjects she took that are none regents be accredtit to her or what would be the case iam realy confused with this matter if u can answer my question i would realy apriciate it ,and can you please explain what is regents thank you so much
Comment by Anonymous — October 11, 2009 @ 5:21 pm