Most of us have spent at least a few minutes trying to figure out who we are, why we do what we do, and how to use this information to make our lives better. If you’ve been online at all, you’ve probably seen variations on this theme: “Take this personality type test and figure out which Wizard of Oz character you are!” (Only four choices here. And who wants to be the Cowardly Lion?)
One of the more famous systems or theories of personality types is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). (Now you get a choice of 16 types!) Carl Jung actually came up with the personality types, and MBTI aims to make his theories “understandable and useful in people’s lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.” (From their website, http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/ .)
It obviously gets more complicated than Dorothy vs. the Tin Man, so you might be wondering, “Why bother?” But understanding your personality type can help you in many areas, including relationships, education, choosing a career, and more. Types can help parents, teachers, and coaches better understand their children and students, and choose more effective ways of teaching and guiding them. Which brings us to us!
More Than SAT uses several different tools to get to know a student quickly and know how best to guide them in their educational plans. One test very similar to MBTI is called MySparks, which looks at patterns of behavior. On a deeper level is an aptitude test based on The Ball Aptitude Battery (http://www.ballfoundation.org/), which looks at the drivers of behavior. Our educational consultants use the results of these tests (and many other tools) to help students and their families find their “right-fit” colleges and narrow down majors and career choices. We also use a modified MBTI assessment with the students we work with. The results give the Academic Coach and consultant a good idea of the student’s temperament, as well as insights into his or her learning preferences. Students can learn how to better deal with challenging environments and instructors, and how best to prepare for tests and quizzes.
If you are completely intrigued now, and are ready to find out your type, there are a variety of free tests online (one site is http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp). Then after you’re finished – to make all this work and self-analysis truly worthwhile – take your results and figure out where you fit on this chart. (I’m the scary guy without the helmet.) And if you have a student in your life, contact us at More Than SAT for academic coaching, college test prep, or some consulting that will make this whole college planning/search/application process a lot easier.