apply to college, do you know what you want to major in? >> i hope to major in biology. >> perhaps international relations. >> become a lawyer. >> economics. >> i plan on going to college for pathology. >> i'd like to major in world politics or international relations. >> i really want to major in biopsychology or something in child development. >> i'm really interested in biology, perhaps becoming a doctor. but i also like business, so i'm pretty undecided at this point. >> i don't know what i want to major in. >> i still don't know yet. i still like have a lot of interests like literature, science, and theater, and even politics, so i need to figure that out. >> that's okay. a lot of students start college without deciding on their major. but here are two more decisions you'll have to make before even applying. are you going to take one of the standardized tests, meaning the sat or the act? if so, do you know the differences between the two? >> i don't really know. >> [ laughs ] i don't know. >> no, i don't know the difference between the act and the sat. >> i honestly don't know. i know that they score different, but i don't know all the differences. >> i don't know the differences between the two tests. and if i have to take the tests to get into the college, i would. but other than that i don't really want to. >> [ chuckles ] you're not alone. most of us look forward to taking the sat or act with about the same enthusiasm as getting a tooth pulled. but as they say, "knowledge is power." so when we return, we'll tell you what you need to know so that you'll have the power to decide which test is best for you. "teen kids news" will be right back. >> closed captioning is brought to you by... >> when we were asking kids if they knew the difference between the sat and the act, most answered like this... >> no, i don't know the difference between the act and the sat. >> but then we came across this young lady. >> the sat is a standardized testing. it was founded in the early 1900s by a eugenicist. >> a eugenicist was someone who believed you could improve the human population by controlling what genes are passed on. >> and the act is a different type of test that involves science, which is different from the sat. and the sat was then changed to have a 1,600 scale versus the 2,400 scale, which it was in the previous years. >> wow! not sure i got all that, but it sounded like a pretty impressive answer. anyway, let's turn to the expert to get the down-low. joining us is rob franek. he's from the princeton review. hi. >> good to be here. thanks for inviting me. >> just so we're all on the same page, what is the princeton review? >> the princeton review is an education services company. we started a little over 30 years ago to help students master the sat and the act, but over the last 30 years we've been helping students with standardized tests, as well as college admissions advice, as well as financial aid. >> during your career, you've worked in college admissions, as well as a test prep teacher. so you should know. which is the better test for students to take? >> aha. it's an important question, and one that comes up all the time. and the answer is really easy. the better test for you to take is the one that you're going to perform best on. when we think about it, admissions teams at schools large and small, are going to want to put you in the best light using the sat or the act. the majority of the 4,000 schools that are out there will super-set your scores, meaning that you'll take the best verbal or math for the sat, or the best four components from the act, and mix them up, to put you, again, in the best light academically for them to consider. >> what's the difference between the two tests? >> well, first the sat and act are the most important standardized tests for the college admissions process. and they're both interchangeable in that admissions teams will use them in the same way. the sat and the act have lots of similarities and lots of differences. they are roughly about 3 hours a piece. both of the essay components, the writing components, are optional for students. what we've found is that the act mirrors a high school exam, so most of the questions are very straight-forward. for the sat, many of the questions require extra time for students to understand what they're asking, and once students master that strategy, then they can do quite well in the sat or the act. >> do colleges prefer one test over the other? >> it's a question, again, that comes up, and the answer is always no. the sat and the act are treated completely equal through the eyes of admissions counselors and admissions committees that are going to be looking at your applications. >> okay, but there have been reports recently that more and more colleges are no longer requiring either test. does that mean some of us can skip taking these tests completely? >> it does mean that some students can skip the sat or the act completely, but let's put some numbers around this. there are about 4,000 four-year colleges and universities in the u.s. alone. nearly 900 of those schools are test-optional. but two things to keep in mind. those schools will not require that you put in your sat or your act scores for academic admission, but many of those schools will ask for your sat and act scores later on when you're considered for scholarship dollars, financial aid, money that you don't have to pay back for school, so they may ask for those sat and act scores again. so when i'm guiding students i say that although the sat and the act are a chore, they are a navigable chore, but they are a chore, and they could still be used in the admissions process even for test-optional schools. >> all right, so let's say the school i want to apply to requires the sat or act. how can i tell which one is better for me? >> this is going to sound like a hard answer to get through our heads, but the truth is, that you should sit for a practice full-length sat and a practice full-length act. you can do that on websites, you can do it in offices, you can do it in any number of ways at home. if you take the full-length sat and full-length act and see that you score dramatically better on one or the other, then i would prep for that exam, because remember, they're treated exactly the same way in the admissions process, but if you know that you're going to do dramatically better on one or the other, i would choose that one. >> and final advice? >> one, that the sat and the act are only one part of the academic review that admissions counselors are going to go through when they review your application. the first and the most important piece of the college admissions application is going to be how well you did in high school. did you challenge yourself with regular-level courses, advanced-level courses, ap-level courses, ib-level courses. the second most important thing, and again, for the majority of those 4,000 schools out there, are still going to be the sat and the act, and remember they are completely navigable and coachable exams. >> great advice. thanks, rob. >> you're welcome. good to be here. >> believe it or not, but the ancient greeks offered some advice more than 2,000 years ago that's still rather helpful. in the temple dedicated to the god apollo, these words were inscribed -- "know thyself." guess when it comes to figuring out which test to take, that's pretty good advice. for "teen kids news," i'm amelia. >> coming up, students in arizona are kicking butts, but not in the way that you're thinking. we'll be right back. >> using tobacco is really bad for you. in fact, students in arizona just won't stand for it. scott explains. >> teens from the group known as stand against tobacco journeyed to phoenix, the state capital, to give the government a piece of their mind. they came together for national kick butts day, a day to raise awareness about the negative effects tobacco has on the teenage body. students showed paintings, made posters, and did all kinds of community service projects. it's a tar jar. it's basically a year's worth of tar from one pack a day of smoking cigarettes. this is how much tar will be in your lung. >> the plastic box is a bunch of cigarette butts. and what we're showing is that cigarette butts are a huge problem, especially in parks. they're extremely bad for the environment, and people litter them all the time, and so those are some of the butts that we picked up at our local park. >> those teens are trying to have tobacco products banned from public parks by getting their local government to pass legislation. >> i think the young people are great. the group i was speaking to in particular has been in front of our city council in my city numerous times to talk about issues, and for them to come up to the legislature, that is spectacular. >> i think youth involved in the legislative process is fantastic, the fact that they know the process, how it works, and are getting involved in their civic duties as they're young is gonna lay a good foundation for them as they get older, and staying involved in what happens in their area. >> at lunch, students were able to share personal stories with one another about how tobacco has affected their lives. >> one thing we know is that kids listen to each other more than they listen to people like me, and we can get that word out peer to peer. we know we can get a lot of action. >> in addition to sharing stories with one another, students got to spend some one-on-one time with legislators and get a behind-the-scenes look at the state senate building. >> we were able to show them the house of representatives and the state senate, and let them see that it's normal folks that are here, and they could potentially be one of those normal folks in the future serving the state of arizona. >> i think young people can actually make the most change because we're so young and we're so passionate. i feel that that shows other people that we really do want to make something better in our community and that we do have a voice and that we also have a say in what goes on. and it's not just like, "oh, this is happening and this is happening." no, we're actually being part of our society and making an input, and that we're not going to just let other people make the decisions for us. >> you know, their voices are just as important as adults and so, i think it's really important for kids to get involved early and learn the process so that they can effect change that's positive, as they get older and throughout their lives. >> students from red mountain high school actually built a robot in support of kick butts day. that's right -- a robot. >> okay, that's straight. do it. >> oh! so close! >> this robot here was to promote the prevention of smoking tobacco and young teens. so, what is does is, students are asked questions. >> as you can see the first question is what percent of adult smokers started in their teens or younger. so, different questions like that. and you'll answer them down the line what you think the correct answer is. and after you answer them you'll move right on to throw some frisbees. >> for every question a student got right, they were able to shoot a frisbee at certain targets. [ cheers and applause ] >> they load it inside the hopper, and they're able to control the robot going back and forth. they can either make an easy shot in the low, or they can try a little bit more of a challenge and aim higher. so, it's not guaranteed to go in, but it's a lot of fun for the kids. >> if that isn't amazing enough, this frisbee-shooting robot was built entirely by kids. >> the most challenging part would have to be shooting, because it shoots every so often and sometimes it even shoots two frisbees, and so aiming it and shooting it correctly is really hard. >> if you're interested in helping your town or neighborhood to kick some butt, you can find out more information at kickbuttsday.org. for "teen kids news," i'm scott. >> next, i'll tell you about some of the things you need to know before you go looking for a part-time job. "teen kids news" will be right "teen kids news" will be right back. it's time for the biggest sale of the year with the new sleep number 360 smart bed. "teen kids news" will be right back. it senses and automatically adjusts on both sides. the new 360 smart bed is part of our biggest sale of the year where all beds are on sale. and right now save 50% on the labor day limited edition bed. >> schoolwork, homework, studying can sometimes be stressful. and we can all use advice to help us strive for success. so here's christin with this week's "make the grade." >> while no one will argue that doing well in school is our first priority, many teens want -- or need -- to make a little extra money in their spare time. but you have to do some work before you start working. that means you need to find out how many hours the government allows you to work. if you're 14 or 15 years old, there are lots of legal restrictions. and many states require students under 18 to obtain working papers. you can find out what you need to know by going to your state's department of labor website. of course, you can also get some good guidance from your school guidance counselor. but remember, if you're already having a hard time keeping up at school, the best kind of work for you is probably your school work. i'm christin helping you to make the grade. ♪ >> northern ohio borders part of lake erie. so when it comes to protecting their fish, ohioans don't kid around. at least i don't think they kid around. after all, they passed a law making it illegal to get a fish drunk. even if the fish is over 21. guess in ohio you can lead a fish to water, but you can't make it drink...alcohol. and i think that's a fin -- i mean fine thing. >> it's time for another important message, brought to you by the national road safety foundation. >> this is kati. and i'm -- well, you know who i am. life's going great for kati. class president, captain of her soccer team, and just aced her sats, and she loves to text. but i know something she doesn't. see that intersection? a car will be going through it in precisely three seconds. i'll give her today. but tomorrow, who knows? >> coming up next, how to be a hero...at your next bake sale. >> while many of us like to bake, for some of us, it doesn't come easy...until now that is. katie explains. >> what's the history of bake sales? >> well, katie, bake sales have been around since the 1950s. as a matter of fact, the first bake sales were done in schools as fundraisers. >> so, i want to make a pie for a bake sale, but i'm not an experienced baker. what do you suggest? >> well, i suggest starting out with a no-bake pie. they're really easy to make. i think we should go ahead and make a banana cream today. okay, that's what we're set up for. so, here is a cream filling, okay, that we are going to add some milk to. and that's going to give us that cream base. >> okay. stir it up? >> yeah, give it a nice stir. >> okay. >> we really want to incorporate that together. and it's gonna get thick as you stir it. >> so it'll get all creamy? >> it's gonna get nice and creamy. >> okay. and how much milk do we have to add? >> we added 1 1/3 cup. and some people have some sensitivity to milk, so you could use soy milk, you could also use almond milk. >> okay. is that mixed? >> i would probably mix it up just a little bit more. we're gonna just want that thicker. >> really thick, like creamy. >> almost pudding thick, yeah. >> okay. and you should only use a whisk for that? >> a whisk is great or if you have a mixer, a mixer works just as well. >> okay. >> okay, that's looking good. >> is that thick? >> that looks fantastic. yep, it's gonna thicken up, too, as it just sits. all right, so, let's just set this off to the side. we've already cut up some bananas. we're just gonna finish it up, so we'll have a total of three bananas in our pie. so if you want to go ahead and finish this, that would be great. and add it to the rest of our bananas. >> should i use the ends? >> yeah, absolutely. all right. add that in. >> so they should be pretty thin? >> just uniform. that looks perfect. >> okay. okay, so what's next? >> okay, so, now what we're gonna do is we're gonna add our bananas to our cream filling. >> okay. and how do we mix it up? >> with a spoon. just gently fold it. >> okay. so it's not stirring exactly, but more like folding it over? >> yep. exactly. and this is gonna set up, too, in the refrigerator. >> okay. >> that looks fantastic. so i'm going to just transfer our cream filling/banana mix into our pie. >> what kind of crust is that? >> this is a graham cracker... >> mmm. >> ...pie crust. all right. now, what i've done ahead of time is i have whipped up some whipped cream. okay, this is gonna go right on top. >> okay. >> so, what we're gonna do -- let me just finish this off. all this gets right on top. >> oh, it looks tasty. >> i like to put it right in the center, and this way we can spread it. this way you don't have to worry about trying to get to the ends quite yet. i like to pick it up. you don't have to but i can get a real good view of what i'm doing at this angle. and just spread this all around. >> do you have to go all the way to the edge >> i think it has a nice appearance if you do. you know, just get it real close. >> okay. >> as close as you can. all right. and give it a nice little swirl. and then the very last thing we're going to do is add a little bit of chocolate. >> mmm. >> and i'm just gonna give it a stir. and we're going to drizzle it right on top, so be patient as it kind of starts to drizzle and then we're gonna start to move it. >> okay. >> okay. >> ooh. that makes it look so pretty. >> and that did not take long did it? >> no, it was really short. >> here we go. put it in the refrigerator and we are done. that is how easy it is to make a pie. and it's a no-bake pie. >> mmm. and you can make this pie from a kit? >> from a kit. they are elizabeth jean's pie kits. everything but the fruit is included to make this delicious pie. so you get your crust, cream filling, whipped topping, and your chocolate caramel sauce. >> elizabeth jean's pie kits make baking as easy as -- well, as easy as pie. for "teen kids news," i'm katie. >> that's our show for this week. but be sure to tune in again next week for more "teen kids news." bye. ♪ we started the week with 312 players, 312 hopes and 312 dreams. now we're down to two. in all three categories. the river ya country club has been the ultimate u.s. amateur host providing post card backgrounds and dynamic moments. all that remains is to hand out a trophy. 36 holes to determine the winner. 36 holes to join names like nicklaus, palmer and woods. 36 holes to be a part of history. it's a script made in hollywood literally and figuratively. and we can't wait to see how it plays out. a lot of golf already in