The Foreign Service Journal, June 2012

J U N E 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 85 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT College Applications: Books Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges with CD-Rom. Barron’s Educational Series, 2011. Comprehensive reference book with statistics on all four-year accredited institutions in the United States. The Best 376 Colleges, 2012 Edition . Princeton Review, 2011. Excellent all- around guide that weeds out the top ten percent universities for you, including humorous best-and-worst lists. Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Pope, Loren. Penguin, 2006. Although it has not been revised since the author’s death, this book is still a good resource for those interested in small liberal arts colleges that don’t necessarily have “big name status” but offer an excellent education. The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, 2012: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 38th Edition. Yale Daily News Staff, ed. St. Martins Griffin, 2011. One of the most interesting college admissions books out there because of its emphasis on student feedback quotes about their colleges. Cracking the SAT with DVD, 2012 Edition. Princeton Review, 2011. The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd edition. The College Board, 2009. Crash Course for the ACT, 4th edition . Princeton Review, 2012. SAT/ACT Testing Dates 2012 SAT (register online at www.collegeboard.com) Oct. 1 — register by Sept. 9 Nov. 5 — register by Oct. 7 Dec. 3 — register by Nov. 8 Please note that in some countries, you must register for an SAT test date — about 10 days earlier than the above registration dates — through an international representa- tive. Check the College Board Web site for more details. ACT (register online at www.act.org) Sept. 10 — register by Aug. 12 Oct. 22 — register by Sept. 16 Dec. 10 — register by Nov. 4 Only some of the ACT test dates offer an optional writing test. Whether you take this test or not depends on the requirements of the colleges you are interested in. If you are a good writer, it’s advisable to take the ACT that offers the writing test. Please note that the ACT is not offered on all dates in all countries. Plan well ahead of time!