Shelton admits learning-different students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin in the administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

College Testing

Standardized entrance exams are a big part of the college admissions process. These tests are taken by thousands of students from across the nation, giving colleges comparative data to use in evaluating students from different high schools.

Preliminary Tests

PreACT - 8/9 and PreACT - A part of the ACT assessment program, PreACT 8/9 is given to all Shelton freshmen and the PreACT is given to all sophomores during spring semester. PreACT 8/9 and PreACT have four sections: English, Math, Reading and Science.  Both PreACT exams are standards-based assessments that use the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. Parents receive a PreACT report that includes their student's overall score, individual scores on each section, and a predicted ACT composite score. The report also includes improvement suggestions for subject areas.

PSAT/NMSQT - The PSAT test measures critical reading, math, and writing/editing skills. The types of questions given on the PSAT are similar to those given on the SAT. The PSAT is offered to Shelton Juniors each year during the fall semester. The comprehensive score report, mailed home in mid-December, shows the student's response to each question and the difficulty of each question (i.e., easy, medium, hard). Although PSAT scores are not reported to colleges, Junior students have the opportunity to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship competition.

Entrance Tests

SAT-The SAT measures achievement in Reading, Writing and English, Math (without calculator) and Math (with calculator). There is no essay on the SAT. The average score on the SAT is 1050 out of a possible 1600. Shelton students taking the SAT do so during their Junior year and Senior year.

ACT - © The ACT measures achievement in English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing (essay). An average score on the ACT is 19 out of a possible 36.  Shelton students should plan to take the ACT during their Junior year and Senior year.

AP Tests - These are tests given at the conclusion of study in an AP course. College credit may be awarded by certain colleges when students achieve sufficiently high scores.  Typically a score of 4-5 is required to receive college credit. *Shelton School does not offer AP courses.


Testing with Accommodations

ACT, PSAT, SAT, AP Tests

Eligibility for accommodations on all ACT and College Board tests are determined by the College Board and ACT officials. In order to request accommodations the a student must:

  • Have a diagnosed disability;
  • Have an updated evaluation (i.e. psycho-educational, neuropsychological, etc)
    • ACT within 3 years
    • SAT within 5 years
  •  Currently and regularly utilize school-based accommodations

If the above criteria are met, an eligibility request is submitted by the school testing office after consent is granted by the parent. The student will then receive an approval letter from ACT or College Board indicating approved accommodations and testing site*.  This process typically begins following the student’s sophomore year. *Testing location/site is determined by the College Board or ACT.

For more information please visit these websites: