The SATs Are a Gift for Connecticut Students Vying for College Admission

US News & World Report, the arbiter of all rankings(!), released a report on the best states.  Connecticut came in 4th for education.  But for towns along Shoreline-Southeastern, CT as well as Fairfield County Connecticut, Connecticut is really number 1 for education.  Our suburban population’s statistics are disproportionately affected by Connecticut’s cities which, unfortunately, are that strong.

The good news is that the schools in Connecticut’s affluent suburbs – Branford, Guilford, Madison, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, Valley Regional, East Lyme, etc. all are extremely strong compared to the rest of the nation. That should be wonderful news in relation to the college search.  But there is a distinct issue that most parents don’t fully understand: grades/class rank at your children’s schools are deflated in relation schools across the nation.  Getting As and being ranked in the top 25% of one of our Connecticut high schools is harder to do than getting similar marks in lesser high schools.

That leads to the SAT as the weapon that will differentiate your child.  Students at our local high schools do wonderfully well on a comparative basis on national standardized tests.  Maximize those and you have the strongest weapon in your college admissions arsenal.