All high school students, please read!

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm currently a Junior, and this first year of being an upperclassman has really given me insight into standardized testing, AP testing, and the pressure of colleges (although I will not actually be applying to any colleges until the fall).</p>

<p>I've noticed a general trend in the attitudes of both myself and my fellow students: "If I don't get a high SAT score, I'm stupid and I won't get in anywhere."</p>

<p>SAT, despite what your parents have told you and despite what you may feel, is NOT everything. Yes, it is a part of college admissions and yes, you want to get as high of a score as you possibly can, but NO it does not:</p>

<p>1) Define your intelligence. I'm sure there's a correlation between high scores and the intelligence of students, but correlation does NOT indicate causation. Some people are just not good at testing and some people simply haven't been exposed and familiarized to the structure and nature of the test. When I was studying for the SAT last summer, I was stuck at about 2050-2070 for a long time and after lots of practice, I got my second SAT score to a 2290, which is significantly better than what I previously was at. The SAT is a test that generally requires practice for some sort of mastery ,and if you haven't practiced for it, your score definitely won't be as great as if you did.</p>

<p>2) Mean everything to colleges. My school's valedictorian last year got both a perfect SAT score and a perfect PSAT score, but she was wait listed for Brown. Even in her extreme, extraordinary, and rare case of perfect scores, she didn't get into a school that she applied to. (She's at Harvard now, so that does tell you something about her qualifications and she was also nice, so that's a good added bonus). Also, if you're a history major, for example, the SAT doesn't say anything about your strengths; instead, it covers topics that don't even pertain to what you wish to do with your life. </p>

<p>We also see people on College Confidential who rave about their great AP scores. It's absolutely wonderful that you got a good AP score, but doing well in an AP test simply means that you would have passed or would have done well in an introductory course in college--a course that all incoming freshmen take regardless of which college they go to whether it's a local college or an ivy league. Similarly, not doing well on an AP test doesn't mean you're dumb or anything along those lines.</p>

<p>I can't really say that there was any definitive purpose for this post; I just wanted to share some thoughts about how much we overvalue and over exaggerate the importance of standardized testing.</p>

2

<p>I definitely agree with this, especially with #2. My English teacher, my other teachers, and my parents (i’m a junior myself) have said that when it boils down to it, “don’t take it personally.” People with perfect grades and scores and every EC under the sun don’t get accepted into Ivies from time to time and it’s nothing personal; they just don’t fit what the university is looking for. And what are they looking for? Sometimes, admission staff doesn’t know.</p>

<p>My English teacher also had us listen to this (I hope it’s okay to link): [Behind</a> The Scenes: How Do You Get Into Amherst? : NPR](<a href=“Behind The Scenes: How Do You Get Into Amherst? : NPR”>Behind The Scenes: How Do You Get Into Amherst? : NPR)</p>

<p>Basically, they sat in with the admissions group at Amherst College, and I found it helpful and kind of eye-opening. It’s better to just listen than have me explain it, but sometimes it’s honestly random, as terrible as that sounds.</p>

<p>That was a bit of a tangent, but I honestly don’t think SAT’s are a huge deal. I can understand re-taking them maybe once, but for people to needle and nitpick a few points drives me nuts. I got a 1920 on my first time (640’s in all 3) and i’m extremely satisfied. Granted, i’m not trying to get into an Ivy or somewhere as prestigious, but at some point I don’t think it makes a difference whether you got a 2290 or a 2300. </p>

<p>I think…some people here need to consider that before they post. A lot of people here (at least, from my point of view) are freaking out about something they don’t need to worry so much about. College searching and stuff is making me nervous, certainly, and it’s okay, but the paranoia of not getting into college with every EC and a perfect GPA and a 2300 makes me scratch my head and say, “You’re really worried about getting into X school?”</p>

<p>But maybe I don’t know what i’m talking about. I’m just a simple girl with somewhat simple dreams and goals.</p>

3

<p>I couldn’t agree more, and I’m known in my school for having high test scores. The truth is that while I do believe I’m intelligent, all the act/sat/psat scores represent is how good I am at standardized tests. When I see people around me that labor endlessly to help the less fortunate, are gifted musicians, or national award winning artists, I know that it’s ridiculous for us to compare test scores. People can be intelligent in thousands of different ways, and the standardized test type is easily one of the least practical anyway.</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>

4

<p>^^ Thanks for the link.</p>

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<p>More agree.
I honestly didn’t know how to do half of the math on the SAT, but through process of elimination of other test-taking strategies, I pulled out a 640. I know i’m a good test-taker, but a good chunk of the actual content made me scratch my head.</p>

6

<p>I agree with all of this, and in my observation, colleges are decreasing the emphasis the SAT and ACT have on admissions. These tests do not define intelligence, especially with all the prep courses available. Maybe they would if everyone took them without prep and for the first time, but even that is a stretch.</p>