National Society for the Gifted and Talented to Offer Summer SAT Administration

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The College Board and the National Society for the Gifted and Talented (NSGT) today announced that the SAT will be administered to NSGT University Prep participants on August 3, 2012. The August test date marks the first time that the country’s oldest and most widely-used college entrance exam will be administered to students outside the standard academic year.

“For the first time, students are able to take the SAT during the summer months and in addition, they will experience an enriching program that will better prepare them for the college admissions process.”

NSGT, a not-for-profit organization, will administer the SAT at no additional cost to the participants of NSGT University Prep, a 3-week intensive college preparatory program at Amherst College held each summer. The program runs from July 15 through August 4, 2012 with the SAT being given to program participants only on August 3. Official SAT score reports from the August 3 NSGT administration will be sent to the colleges and universities designated by the student test-takers.

“The partnership between NSGT University Prep and the College Board is an historical one," states Barbara Swicord, Ed.D., President and CEO of the Summer Institute for the Gifted and a member of the NSGT Board of Trustees. “For the first time, students are able to take the SAT during the summer months and in addition, they will experience an enriching program that will better prepare them for the college admissions process.”

Created by educators to democratize access to higher education, the SAT is a highly reliable standardized measure of college readiness used in the admission process at more than 95 percent of four-year, not-for-profit undergraduate colleges and universities in the United States. Aligned to high school curriculum, the SAT tests the reading, mathematics and writing skills and knowledge students acquire during high school. The SAT also measures how well students can apply their knowledge, a factor that educators and researchers agree is critical to success in college.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with NSGT University Prep on this initiative,” states Matt Lisk, Executive Director of the SAT Program. “The College Board and NSGT share a common goal of preparing students to succeed in college, and this unique summer SAT administration will help further our mission of connecting students to college success and opportunity.”

Founded in 1900, the College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization created to expand access to higher education. Today, the organization is made up of more than 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success, and also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools.

The deadline to apply for University Prep, open to U.S. and international students between the ages of 15 and 18, is May 1. Visit www.nsgtuniversityprep.org for details.

The National Society for Gifted and Talented, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization was created to honor and encourage gifted and talented children and youth. The goal of the NSGT is to provide a structure where gifted and talented children and youth are identified, and, as members, can expect to find information and opportunities that directly relate to and cultivate their abilities and desires to achieve at a high level. Visit NSGT at www.nsgt.org.