UVI's University Bound Program SAT Preparatory program students. Photo Credit: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Forty high school students from public, private, and parochial schools in the St. Thomas-St. John district recently completed an SAT Preparatory program designed to help them improve their SAT scores, the University of the Virgin Islands has announced.
The prep program was administered by UVI's University Bound Program and was generously funded by Alpine Securities.
The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities and is one of the factors used to make admissions decisions. The exam measures a student's readiness for college and provides colleges with a common data point used to compare all applicants.
"Many of our students traditionally have stellar grades but low SAT scores, which subjects them to enrollment in non-credit-bearing courses," said Rosalia Rhymer Rohan, director of the University Bound Program, which provides various services to prepare high school students for college. "This course provided students with an opportunity to improve their scores, which, in turn, grants them access to a wider range of schools, more scholarships, and the ability to enroll in college-level courses. Our goal is to reduce some of the barriers that often place them at a disadvantage, and we are extremely grateful to Alpine Securities for their generous investment in helping us achieve this goal."
According to UVI, students enrolled in the 10-week course met on the Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas for three hours on Saturdays to prepare for the college admission exam. The program used a variety of educational tools and mock exams to prepare them for the national exam. Students learned valuable techniques to help reduce test anxiety, build confidence, and improve their test-taking abilities.
At the end of the course, students were tested again to see any improvements. On average, students had an increase in their test scores of about 50 points on the mock exams, and most saw an even greater increase on the national exam.
"Prep courses have been proven to boost test scores, and we want to help our students to position themselves in the best light possible as they go through the admissions process," said Vernon Araujo, director of Philanthropy and Community Relations for Alpine Securities.
For more information on the SAT Prep Program or the University Bound Program, contact [email protected] or visit www.uvi.edu.
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