<p>This is what happens when one company has a monopoly on an industry; they take advantage.</p>
<p>First off, the SAT costs about $41.50, no fee waiver. Like most students you probably take it twice, so your at about $83.00 for the SAT I. Then you probably take about 2-3 SAT IIs, costing $18 + 9 + 9 = $36. So we're at $119 now.
Then, if you're taking SAT IIs your probably taking APs. Let's say most of these students finish high school with about 3 APs. Each AP test cost $83, meaning $249. </p>
<p>Now we're at $119 + $249 = $368. Now if your like many students, you didn't sign up for specific schools you want to mail your official score reports to -- that is $9.80 per school, so let's say you send it out to 4 schools, that is $39.20. </p>
<p>Grand average total, when it's all said and done, and you qualify for no fee waivers = _ $407.20 _</p>
<p>Then they have all their extra charges, like phone reporting ($8) , late fees, and God-forbid you want a rescore ($25 per exam). Sometimes it takes weeks after the test is over for you to receive your grade in the mail.
I do not care what you say - that is an inexorbent, ridiculous amount of money to pay to College Board for these damn tests. Are they out of their minds? The SAT is the de facto standard for college admissions at most schools, College Board knows this and lines their pockets with green. Not only that, but it comes down to high schools having to conform to the College Board curriculum so their students don't end up totally unprepared for what is on the test. This is nonsense. This is the company that is supposed to represent and help thousands of high school students? Thieves.</p>
<p>although its true that 400 dollars is a lot of money...it may or may not be a ripoff...just like any other organization...the collegeboard has costs that they have to pay...they need money to pay for grading the answer sheets, paying people to grade essays,paying for secure transportation of testing materials/answer sheets, paying proctors for their time, paying schools/areas that host testing rental fees, paying people to make thousands of questions (of which only a few may be used) and ensure that the questions are fair and have a good level of statistical difficulty...the list goes on and on...</p>
<p>now dont get me wrong...i dont particularly like the collegeboard or anything... but i just think that in order to make an accusation that collegeboard or anything else is a ripoff, that you need to take into account all the possible factors...</p>
<p>while i am playing the devil's advocate, let me also point out that i have no hard data to support my supposition that the collegeboard has substantial costs that would need to be covered by fees...for all i know the collegeboard spends very little on all the things i mentioned above and is indeed truly ripping us off just like theRGS says...I'm only trying to put out the possibility and reasons why the collegeboard may not be ripping us off...</p>
<p>dont forget the int'l students... students from southeast asia have to pay some stupid surcharge ... or smething.. dey charge 20$ extra for every tests</p>
<p>I was most outraged at the price of the AP tests, but then I realized how valuable a good score on one can be in the future. Not necessarily for admissions, but so many schools accept it as credit/ use it to place out of a class... $83 or hundreds of dollars on a college course? hmmm... </p>
<p>Actually, the College Board is performing a service. By setting up its fee structures as they are, you not only get to take an exam but can experience the value of planning ahead (avoiding late fees, change fees, rush fees and additional report fees) and patience (avoiding charges for calling in for scores before they arrive in the mail for free)</p>
<p>CollegeBoard doesn't really have a monopoly. Almost every college that accepts the SAT will also accept the ACT. My school does not even administer the SAT--they only do the ACT.</p>
<p>RIPOFF
did you know that if u take the test in the spring when collegeboard does fee waivers you might get a better score because fee waiver kids tend to be inner city who don't do well cause they didn't get a proper education, and so they bring the average down and therefore the curve is larger and you get a better score. </p>
<p>isn't that ironic. collegeboard wants to cover their butts and not have their average go down.</p>
<p>i think that is called CHEATING.</p>
<p>and i know this is true because i have an inside source.</p>
<p>it bothers me how you can send scores to schools for free if you list them on the exam, but then this doesn't carry over if you want to do it later...</p>
<p>obviously they can afford it if they offer it to you once</p>