Written By Andie Pinga
As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect” – and for expert SoFlo tutor Sarah Jenison, it’s quite literally true. Having gotten the same score after taking the SAT twice, she decided to hit the books and achieved a perfect Math score. Read on to hear Sarah’s tips on studying and taking the SAT/ACT, as well as her journey through the college process and how it led her to Georgia Tech’s top chemical engineering program.
How did you approach your college applications?
I knew before applying to college that I wanted to study chemical engineering so I was easily able to narrow down my options to schools which have the best ChemE programs. I wanted to move out of state, so I applied to an in-state (PA) safety school and Gatech, Northwestern, and Johns Hopkins. Living in a city and attending a top program were the most important factors that I considered. I waited until the last minute to do my applications and submitted all of them the night they were due (no early decision/action).
Why did you choose Georgia Tech? What factors did you consider?
Georgia Tech had the best chemical engineering program and the least expensive out of state tuition of all the schools I applied to. I also did not want to be in a highly competitive environment where students felt the need to climb over each other to do well in their studies. Gatech seemed to have a really collaborative student culture compared to the other schools, so it was an easy choice for me!
What was your testing journey like?
I first took the SAT cold, without any studying, and with the intention of taking it again if I did not like my score. I did well the first time, but took it again in hopes of getting a score well above the averages of the schools I applied to. The second time I did a few hours of Khan Academy and got the same score, so I got mad and took it one more time. This time, I studied everyday for 4-6 hours the week before the exam where I only took practice tests (out of an SAT practice book) and reviewed my incorrect answers. The third time, my overall score improved by 100 and I did perfect on the math sections.
What did you write about in your college application essays?
My application essay was actually really bad looking back, but thankfully my grades and test scores were good enough to get me into the schools I wanted. In fact, no one read my essay before I submitted it and I just hoped it was ok enough. I wrote about my upbringing as an Asian American adoptee in a transracial family. Honestly, it did nothing to highlight my intellectual interests or how I would be a great student. It was definitely the weakest part of my application and I have no idea how it got me accepted.
Do you have any advice for students applying to colleges and taking the SAT/ACT?
My biggest advice is to not take rejection personally. There are so many qualified candidates and not enough spots for each great student to get admitted. A rejection is not a reflection of your potential to succeed in college! Schools get so many applications that many times, there is no particular reason why you got rejected and another person got accepted. Also, write something in your essay that conveys your intelligence, interest in learning, and desire to pursue higher education! You do not need to tell a sob story to be admitted.
Taking SAT/ACT practice exams is significantly more important than reviewing topics. I think it’s best to skip a question that you have no idea how to do when taking the practice exam and to review how to do the question afterwards. There are many free youtube videos of people going over exams.
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