REGENTS REPORT

South Dakota Higher Education: Good Investment. Great Future.   NO. 79, 09/08/97

Preparation for College

What the ACT Tells About South Dakota High School Seniors

Each year high school juniors and seniors from across the country and South Dakota take the ACT college entrance exams. The ACT is just one of many tools South Dakota’s universities use to determine if prospective students are ready for the demands of college study. High school guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators can assist students in planning high school courses to ensure that students are ready to attend college. The ACT recently released 1997 results for South Dakota that report scores, institutional preferences, and planned majors of study.

The Basic Requirements for Admission to South Dakota’s Public Universities

The public university admissions requirements, listed below, are designed to encourage students to prepare for college study while still in high school and are the same as what the ACT defines as "Core Coursework" or college preperatory courses (with the exception of fine arts and computer science requirements). Sixty-five percent of South Dakota high school students taking the ACT this year were enrolled in or exceeded the core course requirements. Sixty-one percent of high school students nationwide taking the ACT this year met the core course requirements.

ACT data for South Dakota and the national show that students meeting the core course requirements (in English, math, science, and social studies) perform better on the ACT test. For example, compare ACT performance for high school students meeting the minimum South Dakota course requirements to those not taking the minimum requirements.

Composite ACT Scores for Students Meeting Core Requirements and Those Who Don’t - 1997

SOURCE: ACT

ACT Scores and University Performance

The South Dakota public university admissions requirements are consistent with the core courses identified by ACT, which include the four basic areas that improve student performance on the test and in college. Performance on the ACT is also an indicator of future success at college. Of students achieving an 18 composite ACT score, over 59% had first term grade point averages (GPAs) of 2.0 or more. Eighty-two percent of students achieving a 22 on the ACT had a GPA of 2.0 or greater at the end of their first semester.

Where South Dakota Students Want to Study

This year over 48% of South Dakota students taking the ACT picked one of South Dakota’s public universities as their first choice to attend. Below are the top ten institutions that South Dakota students preferenced as their first choice to attend.

SOURCE: ACT

E-mail us at: info@bor.state.sd.us

Conclusion

Most of South Dakota's graduating high school seniors meet the minimum curriculum core requirements for the public universities. History shows that students that have completed these requirements consistently perform better on the ACT and better in college. With improved chances for academic success, the student wins. Look for an upcoming Regents Report on the soon-to-be released High School Feedback Report.