Elizabeth Morris , Counselor
Tel: (263 4) 883336;

870514/5 - ext. 206
Fax: (263 4) 883371
Email: emorris@his.ac.zw

             HARARE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

February 14, 2007

College Application News

Juniors who wish to register for the American College Test (ACT) can do so through the Harare International School Counseling Office.  The cost is $49 (U.S.) for the regular ACT and $69 (U.S.) for the ACT plus the writing test.  Unlike the SAT, which is a reasoning test that measures critical thinking skills, the ACT is an achievement test that measures what a student has learned in school. The ACT is widely accepted by U.S. universities and is being given in Harare on Saturday, April 14 and Saturday, June 9 at the Speciss Study Center, 42 Livingston Avenue  (telephone 722292; 924311). 

 To register for either the April 14 or June 9 ACT testing session, bring Z$15,000 to the HIS Counseling Office by Thursday, March 1.  Students will receive ACT registration materials and ACT study questions.  On the day of the test, students must go to Speciss Study Center with either a U.S. bank check or money order for $49 or $69 plus completed registration materials – do not seal the registration envelope before giving it to the test supervisors.

 Although the ACT can be submitted in lieu of the SAT for college application purposes, many colleges still require that students take the SAT Subject Tests.  Students are also advised to take the SAT Reasoning Test as some universities still require it.

Among 2006 high school graduates in the United States, more than 1.2 million students took the ACT test.

To learn more about the ACT, go to http://www.actstudent.org/index.html

 Why take the ACT?

There are at least four good reasons to take the ACT:

1.                  The ACT tests are universally accepted for college admission. The ACT is accepted by virtually all colleges and universities in the U.S., including all of the Ivy League schools.

2.                  The ACT multiple-choice tests are curriculum based. The ACT is not an aptitude or an IQ test. Instead, the questions on the ACT are directly related to what you have learned in your high school courses in English, mathematics, and science. Because the ACT tests are based on what is taught in the high school curriculum, students are generally more comfortable with the ACT than they are with the traditional aptitude tests or tests with narrower content.

3.                  The ACT is more than a test. In addition to the tests, the ACT also provides test takers with a unique interest inventory that provides valuable information for career and educational planning and a student profile section that provides a comprehensive profile of your work in high school and your future plans

4.                  The ACT is a good value. As a private, not-for-profit organization governed by educators, ACT is committed to providing services at the lowest possible cost. Accordingly, the ACT provides a comprehensive package of educational assessment and career planning services for college-bound students at a modest fee that is lower than the fee for the competing admission test.