Catelyn DiLeva
Staff Writer
Founder of Compass Education Group, Adam Ingersoll, hosted Mira Costa’s annual College Admissions Night on Tuesday in the Costa auditorium to speak about college admissions and testing information, specifically about the changes on the standardized tests.
The Manhattan Beach Education Foundation has arranged the College Admissions Night for the past six years. The event focuses on tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the American College Test and how students should choose the test they want to take.
“The idea of having a speaker come and explain the aspects of the SAT and ACT is one of the ways we engage our community,” MBEF Executive Director Farnaz Golshani said.
Recently, the maximum score for the SAT has changed from 2400 to 1600, but the ACT is still graded on a one to 36 scale. The essay on the ACT will have a different format and grading scale. Ingersoll stated that he hoped to clarify the different changes on the tests through his presentation.
“Current high school students are facing unprecedented changes to the SAT and ACT,” Ingersoll said. “Both tests are evolving rapidly.”
Ingersoll also talked about the role of Common Core curriculum, as this is the first year it is being fully integrated into Costa. He also provided a deeper understanding of college admissions by outlining the application and testing processes.
“We want students to make informed and tactically sound choices around college admission testing because the tests are critical and should be addressed properly,” Ingersoll said. “But we also want students to avoid giving the tests greater attention and concern than is warranted. The trick is to find the right balance, and it starts with getting the right information. [The information] is helpful for all people.”
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