So, how important is the SAT?
Dan Lundquist, vice president for admissions at Union,
answered that and other questions in a radio show on the college admissions
process that is airing nationally on public radio stations.
Lundquist was interviewed for “The Best of Our Knowledge,” a
national production from WAMC in Albany. The show goes to about 150 stations.
The 30-minute show can be heard at www.wamc.org . (Click on “The Best of Our
Knowledge.”)
“The SAT probably means less in the admissions process than
students and their families think, but more than most colleges admit,”
Lundquist said on the show.
While the SAT may be useful as a “touchstone,” students
should keep in mind that most colleges put more weight into factors such as
grades, course selection, academic progress and extracurricular involvement,
Lundquist said.
“Students should put their best foot forward, but it might
be a waste of time to over-psych (the SAT). The most important piece is
in-class performance.
As for when to start searching for a college, Lundquist
advised not starting before the junior year. “If we get people thinking about
college too early, they may move over some of the important intermediary
steps,” he said. “We want them to be thinking about college when they have time
to maneuver, but not to become obsessed about it.”
Lundquist was joined on the show by two college counselors
and Brian Selchick, an Albany Academy graduate who will be attending Union this
fall.