<p>okay so just a few months ago, i was one of the people on this website who was always trying to comfort myself by saying SAT scores didn't matter, etc. i always said that admissions are holisitic, and therefore other things matter more than something you walk in one day and simply test.</p>
<p>while i still believe this, however, i've kind of changed my attitude towards the test. yes, i was not someone who walked out with a 2400, but i was someone who was commited to raising my score. </p>
<p>i worked in the summer studying for one solid month on the SATs, like 5-6 hours per week, basically by taking practice tests, and i lifted my score 240 points.</p>
<p>the more i thought about it, the SAT is a test you can completely prepare for. it's not somethin that walking in and walking out is all there is. while not all of us need time to study for it, some of us unfortunately do, but if you really work hard at it YOU CAN raise your score.</p>
<p>i just wanted to put it out there. IT IS TOTALLY POSSIBLE.</p>
<p>so when we say SATs don't matter that much, i think it also reflects on one's ability to commit themselves to achieving a higher score. </p>
<p>any other opinions?</p>
<p>and by preparing i don't mean by wasting money on a tutor, i mean self-preparing.</p>
<p>I personally don't think the SAT are the end all score. I think it matters in the fact that 600+ SAT scores say that you are capable of doing ivy league college level work. If you don't achieve 700+ in every one its not a big deal... although colleges tend to accept more students with higher SAT scores, this is usually because the higher SAT scores correlate with a stronger student. There are many exceptions though (and I am an example... 2090 on my SAT but I consider myself a strong student..).</p>
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i worked in the summer studying for one solid month on the SATs, like 5-6 hours per week, basically by taking practice tests, and i lifted my score 240 points.</p>
<p>.....</p>
<p>and by preparing i don't mean by wasting money on a tutor, i mean self-preparing.
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<p>Exactly what the Xiggi method is all about. Congrats!</p>
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I personally don't think the SAT are the end all score.
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<p>Correct, but they are one way in which AOs compare students from disparate high schools. This was stated at a session I attended at our HS on "What selective schools are looking for" and was given by the head of admissions at a top LAC. He gave the example that it serves as a tool to compare a kid who attends a prep school that offers 23 AP courses to a student from a HS in WY where they don't offer any.</p>