9th ANNUAL NAACP NATIONAL DAY OF COLLEGE PREPARATION

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),The Princeton Review Foundation and The Sallie Mae Fund offer studentsfree SAT Test Strategies, College Admissions and Financial AidInformation in 19 cities nationwideWHO: The NAACP, The Princeton Review Foundation, and The Sallie Mae Fund.WHAT: The 9th Annual NAACP National Day of College Preparation is aone-day clinic designed to increase awareness among students and theirparents that a college education is valuable, attainable, and affordable.* The Princeton Review Foundation will offer students practiceSAT tests under simulated conditions and then evaluate and offerdiagnostics. They will offer score improvement strategies as well as testpreparation books donated by Random House.* The Sallie Mae Fund will host “Paying for College” workshops toeducate students and their parents on planning and paying for college.The Sallie Mae Fund will also award a $1,000 scholarship to acollege-bound student in each city.WHERE: NAACP Youth Councils will host clinics in 19 cities: Atlanta;Baltimore; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati; ColoradoSprings, Colo.; Columbia, S.C.; Dallas; Detroit; Flushing, N.Y.; Ft.Lauderdale, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; Memphis, Tenn.; San Antonio; Seattle;Stockton, Ca; St. Louis; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Washington DC.WHEN: Saturday, October 23, 2004, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Please visitwww.naacp.org and click on “National Day ofCollege Preparation” to pre-register. You must be pre-registered byOctober 18th. Space is limited for the SAT practice tests so don’t delay;there is no space restriction on parental attendance for the financialseminar. Please note the date for Memphis, Tennessee is Saturday,November 13th.WHY: Data from the College Board shows that black student SAT scorescontinue to lag behind their white peers by almost 240 points. Lastyear’s SAT scores showed improvements for the Asian and Latinopopulations; black students’ performance scores remained flat. Studiesshow that practice and preparation improve scores. Studies also show thatmany families of color lack basic information about attending college,the college admissions process, and the types of financial aid available.The National Day of College Preparation aims to bridge the test score andinformation gaps.This year is complicated by the fact that the SAT test is changing inMarch 2005. The new test will include a handwritten essay as well ashigher level math and more reading comprehension. For extra practice,The Princeton Review is offering a free online essay grading session fromOct. 21-24 at www.princetonreview.com/essay . All interested media areencouraged to attend. Contact the NAACP to participate.###NAACP 410-580-5130The Princeton Review 212-874-8282 ext. 1091The Sallie Mae Fund 703-984-6227Mary C. WrightMedia Relations SpecialistNAACP National Communications Office4805 Mt. Hope Drive # 26Baltimore, MD 21215410-580-5125, f) 410-358-9786, mwright@naacpnet.org