On this page you will find information and resources for
​meeting college admission requirements.
​Please scroll down the page to see all resources. 

Freshman College Admission Requirements

Different colleges have different requirements, but the two largest California public university systems have the most comprehensive requirements, and those are the requirements we support you in meeting here at Calistoga Jr/Sr High School. In fact, your A-G requirements meet the minimum freshmen admission requirements for both systems.

In addition to taking the required classes while you are in high school, you will need to take the ACT or SAT exams. You don't have to take both, but we recommend you do because they are slightly different, and some students do better on one over the other. See below for important test dates.
Did you know you can practice for the SAT and ACT on Khan Academy? Yup. FOR FREE. They'll even take the results of your Practice SAT (PSAT) and map out specific practice you need to score higher on the SAT. What are you waiting for? Oh, a link? Here you go :)

College Entrance Exams

SAT Test Dates ~ Register

Test Date
​10/5/19
11/2/19*
12/7/19
​3/14/20
Registration Deadline
​9/6/19
10/3/19
11/8/19
​2/14/20
Late Registration
​9/24/19
10/22/19
11/26/19
​3/3/20

ACT Test Dates ~ Register

Test Date
10/26/19*
12/14/19
2/8/20
​4/4/20
Registration Deadline
9/20/19
11/8/19
1/10/20
​2/28/20
Late Registration
10/4/19
11/22/19
1/17/20
​3/13/20
IMPORTANT: It is extremely important that your name on your birth certificate, social security card (if you have one), transcript, test scores, college and financial aid applications all match. Be sure you are using your legal name on all important documents. If you have questions, see Ms. Craig-Morales. 
*Last recommended testing date for college applications deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a good score?

Where should you test, and how will you get there?

Do all colleges require an SAT or ACT score?

How and when do you submit your scores?
The score you earn by preparing and doing your best! Taking the tests multiple times often helps students earn higher scores, and remember to use your resources, especially Khan Academy to help you practice and prepare. 
Section
Total Scores
Evidence-based Reading & Writing
Math
Score Range
400-1600
200-800
​200-800
​The College Board calculates the national averages for each year’s graduating class. As of 2018, the national average Evidence-Based Reading score was 536, and the average Math score was 531. That means that nationwide 2018’s average total SAT score was 1067. Please keep in mind, however, that a lower score DOES NOT mean you won't get into college!
You'll have multiple choices for where to test -- usually Santa Rosa and Napa schools offer Saturday SAT and/or ACT tests. You should plan ahead and make sure you arrive on time with all the necessary information. Many students choose to carpool to the same test. 
No! More and more colleges are not requiring SAT or ACT scores, especially in light of recent (but not new) problems with testing security, which has privileged some people over others. The UC is currently looking closely at their policy and considering dropping the requirement, but for now, you will need either an SAT or ACT score to apply. 
3 Ways to Send Your SAT Scores

1. Sign up to send SAT scores for free when you register for the SAT.
You can request to send four FREE score reports anytime from the day you register to up to nine days after your SAT test date. 

2. Send SAT score reports after you take the test for a fee.
Unless you’re eligible for an SAT fee waiver, there’s a $12 fee to send a score report after the nine day window has passed.

​3. Request an SAT rush order.Just added a college to your application list and need to send your scores ASAP?
​You can request a rush order, which means your scores will be sent to colleges within 2 to 4 business days (for an additional fee, of course!)

NOTE: If you send multiple SAT score reports to the same colleges, they will use your highest score for each section of the test. 
2 Ways to Send Your ACT Scores

1. Use Your Four Free Score Reports. 
​From the time you register for the ACT until noon Central Time the Thursday after your test date, you have the option of sending out four free score reports to colleges or scholarship programs. However, this means you'll be sending your scores without having actually seen them. Whether you should take this free reports offer really depends on your circumstances:
  • Pros: These four reports are free, so you'll save some money.
  • Cons: You won’t be able to take advantage of the ACT score choice policy (more on this later). In other words, instead of getting to pick and choose which of your scores colleges will see, your test results will be sent to colleges even if you do worse than you expect.

2. Order Additional Score Reports. You can also send your ACT scores any time after you receive them by logging into your ACT account or by sending in an order form for additional score reports. In your account, you can see your scores from all ACTs you've taken and create reports of these scores for colleges to see.

  • Pros: You can customize each score report to have only the test dates you want to send to colleges. This lets you take advantage of ACT score choice.
  • Cons: Each score report costs $13 (even for students eligible for fee waivers), and each report can only have one test date and one college on it. For example, sending one test score to 10 schools costs $130, while sending four test scores to one school costs $52. Priority reports cost even more: $16.50 per report. These fees add up quickly, so think carefully about what you want to send where.​