Collegeboard.com is announcing that the May SAT Scores for the SAT Reasoning test and SAT Subject tests are now available at College Board.

Send and View SAT Scores

Visit SAT Reg & Scores to see if your SAT scores are available and to send scores to colleges and programs.

If you do not have a collegeboard.com account, sign up today.

Why Aren’t My SAT Scores Online Yet?

Do not panic if you cannot see your SAT score yet. Collegeboard releases most scores on the first score release day which is today Thursday May 24th but a small percentage cannot see their scores online today. In case of this scenario, you will see a message asking you to check back your score at a later date. College board.com suggests that you check back about a week later for your SAT scores and also your full score report.

The reason for such late release of scores for this small percentage of students varies. It could be missing information on your answer sheets or maybe some information on your sheet that is inconsitent with your registration information, something that might trigger a red flag. In this scenario, your test will get individual attention to verify all the details and available information. 

Overview of SAT Scores and SAT Scoring Process in 6 Steps

Here is an overview of how the SAT Scoring process typically takes place right from your handing in of your answer sheet to the time your scores are mailed in to the choice of your universities/colleges indicated.

1. After you turn in your answer sheet, your answer sheet and any forms you turned in will be handed over to the College Board’s processing center.

 Professional and personal affiliations can offer the prospective employer insight into important personal characteristics, such as dedication to your profession or a strong desire to learn and develop professionally. Involvement in a professional organization indicates that you are up-to-date with current industry trends.

Additionally, participation in industry and trade associations can offer you the opportunity to gain a variety of skills, such as team-building, leadership, problem solving, and management that potential employers find valuable.

Include all professional affiliations related to your job target and personal affiliations that demonstrate characteristics important to the job you are applying for.

Insider Tip:  When listing affiliations, use the organization’s full name followed by the appropriate acronym in parentheses:

American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)

This helps maximize your search results based the appropriate keywords managers use to locate qualified candidates when publishing your resume on the Internet or forwarding electronically to hiring managers.

Determining What Information to Include

If you have a list of Affiliations within your career field, you can consider listing only the names of the organizations

However, you may also consider listing the months and years of your membership, the name of the association, your title within the organization, and its location. You may want to include any additional information that will add to your qualifications.

·        If you held a leadership position within the organization, list your title and briefly summarize your duties.

·        You might also consider listing any important committees on which you served.

·        List any honors or awards you’ve received within the organization.

·        If you belong to an organization that may be unfamiliar to a prospective employer, describe the nature of the organization including its charter and any community related service it provides.

Questions & Answers – Professional Affiliations

Should I include organizations if I’m no longer an active member?

If you are not an active member, you should still consider listing your affiliation if it is relevant to your job target. You may list the dates of your membership or affiliation along with the organization.

What if my affiliations are religiously, politically, or ethnically specific?

Ask yourself this question, “Is this information guaranteed to create a positive impression?”  Political, religious or ethnic issues should usually be avoided during the hiring process. If you are confident that listing an organization of this nature will highlight a positive quality and not run the risk of alienating you with a prospective employer, you might consider including this information in your resume.  For non-career specific organizations, you could also put this information in a Volunteer or Personal section.

I’m involved in a community organization. Should I put this in my resume?

Many employers prefer candidates who demonstrate a commitment and focus to their career. If your membership in the organization demonstrates a quality desired by your prospective employer, or is directly relevant to your career objective, then include this information.

We previously talked about the References section in a resume and informed you that it is no longer a […]

It is no longer a common practice to include a References section on your resume, even one that states “References Available Upon Request.” Most employers today will assume you can provide references if they are requested. Therefore, you do not have to include references on your resume. 

If an employer is seriously considering you as a candidate, be sure to have a separate list of references ready to provide during the interview. Always ask permission of your references beforehand and discuss the kind of recommendation they will give.

Preparing a List of References

You should have a list of three to five references prepared, unless you are in a specialized field where a longer list may be required. Gather your list from any of the following contacts: 

–         Former Managers

–         Previous Supervisors

–         Department Heads

–         Members of the Executive Team

–         Business Colleagues

–         Professional Contacts

–         Customers

–         Professors or Advisors

–         Mentors

–         Community Leaders 

Insider Tip:  Be sure to add the contacts you would most prefer someone to contact at the top of your list.

Choosing the Right References 

Ideally, you will look for contacts that: 

If you do not have much on-the-job experience, volunteer activities can be a gold mine for a great resume. For seasoned professionals, listing volunteer work demonstrates valuable personal characteristics and a commitment to community. For recent graduates or people changing careers, volunteer work can form an important part of your qualifications. Whatever your volunteer work has been, you can turn it into valuable experience on your resume.  

If you have performed volunteer work that is relevant to your job target, you should list volunteer experience in a resume in the same way you would list any paid work experience.

Advice for Seasoned Professionals

Volunteer work demonstrates initiative, commitment, perseverance, and other personal characteristics and skills that potential employers might find valuable.  If you are listing volunteer work to demonstrate personal characteristics or a commitment to community, briefly mention the professional or community organizations where you have volunteered, any offices or committee memberships you have held, and any honors or commendations you have received in relation to your work. This information is typically included at the end of your resume. 

Advice for Recent Graduates of Career Changers 

If you are a recent graduate or are changing careers and your volunteer work demonstrates valuable skills, abilities, and qualifications that are not communicated through your work experience, then list these skills and abilities in the appropriate Accomplishments, Capabilities, or Skills sections. Additionally, if you have worked with an organization for a long period of time, consider listing this volunteer experience as you would any other organization in an Experience or Employment History section. Remember, non-paid experience is equally as valuable as paid experience.

Questions & Answers – Volunteer Experience

 Should I list volunteer work from religious, political, or ethnically specific organizations?

 Ask yourself this question, “Is this information guaranteed to create a positive impression?”  Political, religious, or ethnic issues should usually be avoided during the hiring process. If you are confident that listing volunteer work of this nature will highlight a positive quality and not run the risk of alienating a prospective employer, include this information in your resume.

Cover Letter : A little known fact about cover letters will make you look at them in a different light.

At AskStudent, we covered resume and job interview tips and suggestions before. We talked about how to write the perfect resume and also covered writing the perfect cover letter. This article expands on writing and improving your cover letter.

The truth is out there, and it’s alarming. Of the dozens of cover letters you’ve spent hours perfecting, very few will ever be read. Companies and recruiters don’t have the time to read everything you send them. Instead, they scan a resume for keywords like Java, computer science major or Nobel Prize winner. If the company’s managers like your resume, they might read your cover letter.

You still have to be careful when writing your cover letter. Your resume and cover letter work in tandem on a mission to infiltrate a company and secure a position. Each has a special role: the resume contains the information a company wants to know about you, while the cover letter tells the company what you know about it. Recognizing the cover letter’s role is the trick to writing an effective one.

The cover letter also demonstrates your writing ability, your grammar skills and your determination. Deficiencies or mistakes could result in a quick rejection.

Start by finding out who should receive your letter. Never begin a letter with “To Whom It May Concern.” You can find contact information from the job description or the company’s Web site, but the best way is to call and ask who will make the hiring decision.

Before you write your letter, do some research. Investigate your prospective employer’s Web page, or request an information kit from the shareholder services or marketing department. You can get the skinny from the company’s annual report and its letter to the shareholders. You’ll learn about the company’s position in its industry, who it competes with and how it runs its business.

Start your letter with a brief introduction stating the position you’re applying for and your qualifications. Then change the letter’s focus from you to the company.

Put your research to work. A simple and honest compliment about what you admire about the company is a good way to show what you know. Include a few examples of how you can contribute to the company’s success. (You’re proving you have the resourcefulness and motivation to do your research.)

Writing the cover letter is not a test of what you’ve learned about the company. Don’t feel obligated to include everything you’ve learned. There are many ways to write a good letter. Draft and revise yours until you’re comfortable with it.

Keep it short — no more than one page. Few people have the time to read long letters, unless they’re from friends.

In the last paragraph, tell the company what your next step will be. Include your phone number and ask the recipient to call if he or she has questions. Companies will rarely call immediately, so explain in your letter that you will call to check on your application’s status and arrange an interview. Give the recipient a week to review your application, but make sure you’re getting the attention you want. Always ask to arrange an interview.

You need to maintain momentum or your application will be buried under the dozens of new ones that arrive every day.

It might seem like a great deal of work just for a brief letter, but keep in mind that your efforts aren’t used in the cover letter alone. By learning about the company as you write the cover letter, you’re preparing yourself for the next stage of the hiring process: the interview.