College Entrance Exams

Many four-year colleges require that students be in the upper half of their graduating class and perform satisfactorily on an entrance test such as the American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Two-year schools accept the ACT and SAT, but also have other test options depending on their requirements. The ACT is the most widely accepted college entrance exam. The SAT is generally required by the Ivy League or various schools on either coast, mainly. The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). PSAT is used primarily for juniors to gain entrance into the scholarship opportunity or for underclassmen to either gauge how they might do on the SAT or utilize the score for use in PSEO registration.

Many four-year colleges are beginning to take a more holistic approach to entrance requirements and have become test optional or even test blind. You can check with the respective admissions office of the schools you are interested in or for a listing of schools that are being reported as having changed their test requirements; LIST of TEST OPTIONAL SCHOOLS.

Explore the statistics of average scores of the last incoming freshmen class at each school, how important things like college entrance exams, GPA, class rank, letters of recommendation, etc... are post-secondary schools you might be considering. MCIS can provide all the details for you. Students can simply choose the Log-in with Clever option on the home page to utilize their same username and password as other LSHS technology. Any other questions, please talk with Amy Juaire (Amy.Juaire@isd194.org) in the Career and College Readiness Center.

ACT Test Information
The ACT college entrance test is available for all students in grades 10-12, but commonly taken in junior year. It is considered the “universal college entrance exam” throughout the Midwest area and a curriculum-based test. In the past, it has been recommended that students who plan on attending a four-year college or university take the ACT exam in the spring of their junior year. With the FAFSA deadline earlier and decisions for admissions starting being made earlier, it was recommended that you take one prior so not to rush to get another one in before Fall of your senior year.

As of today, two thirds of the colleges/universities in the United States are test optional for admissions. This means that an ACT score is no longer required even for admission at those colleges. This is a permanent change at some colleges as they begin taking a more holistic approach to admissions. It's also become a temporary change for some colleges for students since Fall of 2020 and continuing for many in Fall of 2021 with Covid getting in the way of testing opportunities. Some schools have already indicated it will remain test optional or test blind even in Fall of 2022 already. To see if a college/university is test optional, check the individual college website or www.fairtest.org for a list of "test optional" or "test blind" colleges.
With that being said, there may still be some advantages to submitting an ACT score. Here are some things to consider:

Is your school of choice one that is more difficult to gain admittance?

Does the college/university use ACT scores for scholarship or honors consideration?

Are you a good standardized test taker? A nice score can still add to your 'resume'.

Is your ACT score a good reflection of your academic ability and potential?

If the answer is yes to any of those questions, you may want to submit an ACT score or test again if you feel your score is too low regardless of test optional admissions. Register to take the ACT during one of the National test dates at www.actstudent.org . This test is taken at a designated high school, and it assesses students in reading, math, english and science subjects. Either Lakeville North or South is often a choice for the test location for a majority of the testing dates.
Due to restrictions possibly with Covid lingering at times, be sure of all test dates, registration deadlines, and locations remain the same. Please check exam dates and locations on the ACT website .

The cost of the ACT exam for 2023-2024 is $68. There is an optional 30-minute writing test that can also be taken. The cost of the exam with the writing portion is $93. Students may register for the writing test when they register for the ACT. It is not possible to register for the ACT writing test alone. It must be taken at the same time as the ACT Assessment. More information about the writing test is available on the ACT website.

2024 Testing Date for ISD 194 Juniors

Juniors in the Cougar Class of 2025 will take the District administration of the ACT at Lakeville South on Tuesday, March 12th during Digital Learning Day. All juniors are automatically registered to take this exam, unless we receive their parent permission for an opt out. This testing opportunity is free to all our juniors. Any other interest in taking the exam would require registration and payment on your own through ACT National Dates. You can find flyers with other test dates in the Career and College Readiness Center on the 3rd floor next to the Media Center.

ACT Details:

Grade Levels Tested: Grades 10-12
Required Test to Graduate: No
College Entrance Exam: Yes, score used for admissions and scholarships

Test Registration: ACT.org
Lakeville South High School Code: #241-326

Test Results: Notification email sent to students from ACT (approx. 2 weeks later)
PSAT - Preliminary SAT
LSHS PSAT EXAM 2023
Register for the PSAT Exam at Lakeville South through the School Store on Campus. The cost is $35. The test is 2 hours and 45 minutes in length.
- Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. (register by Oct. 6)
- Monday, Oct. 30, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. (register by Oct. 20)
PSAT/NMSQT
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is an optional standardized test offered by the school district and administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation to students in grades 10-11. Lakeville South typically offers this optional exam each Fall.

This standardized test provides first-hand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test. Scores from the juniors taking the PSAT are used to select the top students nationwide to compete for scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation scholarship programs. Students considering PSEO classes who have not taken an SAT or ACT yet, can also use this score to help with their application to various schools.

This nationally standardized test allows students to compare their performance with other college-bound students. This test measures critical reading skills, math problem solving skills, and writing skills and provides the opportunity for students to experience a college entrance test in a practice setting.

Following the test, students receive feedback about their performance on these critical academic skills. Students also have the opportunity to receive information from colleges. For more information on PSAT or NMSQT, plus practice or support material, visit: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10

TO REGISTER for the EXAM, PAYMENT AUTOMATICALLY PUTS YOU ON THE ROSTER and ORDERS a TEST for YOU:

1. Log into the parent Infinite Campus application on your mobile device or visit: https://sis.isd194.org/campus/lakeville.js p

2. Click on SCHOOL STORE in the left sidebar menu.

3. Click on the SHOP button for Lakeville South High School.

4. Select Test Fees

5. Select view for the PSAT

6. Select the Recipient then add the item to your cart.
SAT Test Information

The SAT college entrance test is taken by students before entering a college or university that is typically located outside of the Midwest area. Students should check college websites for entrance exam testing and admission requirements.

This test measures critical thinking, analyzing problems in math, critical reading, and writing. The mandatory writing section includes a multiple-choice component and a 25-minute essay component. The addition of the writing section increases the total possible score from 1600 to 2400. The SAT Subject tests measure a specific academic subject. These tests consist of five subjects: english, history, math, sciences, and languages. Some colleges require 2 or more subject test scores to be submitted with applications.

Students sign up for the SAT through the College Board website.

SAT Details

Grade Levels Tested: 10th- 12th grade
Required Test to Graduate: No
College Entrance Exam: Yes, score usually used for admission to coastal colleges and universities

Test Registration: Collegeboard.org
Lakeville South High School Code: #241-326

Test Results: Email sent to student from CollegeBoard (approx. 2 months)

College Entrance Exams

ACT Test Information

2024 Testing Date for ISD 194 Juniors

PSAT - Preliminary SAT

SAT Test Information

ACT Results Fast Facts

ACT Test Prep

SAT Test Prep

College Entrance Exams

ACT Test Information

PSAT - Preliminary SAT

SAT Test Information

ACT Fast Facts

Recommended Test Preparation Options for LSHS Students:

Test your knowledge with free prep from the makers of the ACT test.

Advantage Prep

MELSA Tutoring & Test Prep