<p>@Snivelus </p>
<p>being an ORM --> higher standards to get in (for any asian applicant) --> inherently disadvantaged</p>
<p>soon we’ll be saying that being a URM is not inherently beneficial, and that hispanics and blacks are just better people…</p>
<p>@foolish </p>
<p>Did you even read my post? I didn’t deny that it is harder for Asians to get in. </p>
<p>I denied that it has anything to do with SAT scores.</p>
<p>on average, asians do have higher SAT scores; whether this is correlation or causation is up for debate but the end result is that SAT scores are involved one way or the other</p>
<p>HvePassion, who told you the students from prestigious boarding schools go to the local test cram centers? (Which are not prep schools, by the way.)</p>
<p>Did the employees of the test prep center tell you this? Where do their loyalties lie? With you, or with their employers? Nevertheless, I will go out on a limb and say you should try to improve the math score, to 700 if possible. There are many ways to do this. Have you tried Khan Academy? It’s online, it’s free, and you can track your progress. They offer SAT test prep–for free.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, the amount of test prep you are reporting is counterproductive. The top US universities look for students who have grades, test scores, AND free time, in which they do other things. If you spend 5 hours cramming every day, your application won’t stand out in any way from the rest of the pack. The admissions officers will conclude that you either don’t have much energy or curiosity, OR that you are working at capacity right now.</p>
<p>I’ve now had two children go through college interviews. None of the interviewers have spoken about testing. Really, what is there to say? And I don’t think applicants are writing about their test scores on their application essays. A recommendation which focused solely on test scores would be quite dull.</p>
<p>@Periwinkle I do have quite a few friends from private boarding schools,and they were the ones that introduced me to the prep centers at first.However, I have encountered prep centers that have lied about helping certain applicants get in.</p>
<p>Yes, I definitely understand a 600 is low. I have been prepping for around 5-6 months now, and my math score is around the low 700s now. It just disheartens me when they tell me that my efforts are basically futile because I didn’t get a 750-800. I do a lot of activities outside of school, so my parents are very upset about that. They think I should stay home and study more (even though I already spent so much of my time studying). I try to tell them that getting into a good US school isn’t all about scores and grades, but they choose to listen to prep centers instead. </p>
<p>Your parents pointed out that universities might have lied on their websites to get people to apply but it didn’t occur to them that prep centers have a vested interest in scaring people into thinking they need the highest scores possible?</p>
<p>What the heck…</p>
<p>A score around the low 700s should be fine; I wouldn’t tell you to swap extracurriculars for a slightly higher test score. </p>
<p>Try to get your parents to read some sources about the application process. For this concern, I’d recommend “A is for Admission,” by Hernandez, particularly the chapter on “how your application is read.” A copy may be in your local library; it’s available on Kindle as well.</p>
<p>Past a certain level in testing, (and if you hit 700 on math, you’d be in the zone), I’d say showing “leadership” in activities, and recommendations from people who know you well would be more useful than test prep.</p>
<p>In my opinion, many of the people with high test scores getting into highly selective colleges don’t spend time on test prep. They think quickly and logically, and thus have time to spare to do other things. </p>
<p>“Test prep schools” v. “college prep schools” - two different things, OP. </p>
<p>@dyiu13 Yea, I’ve realized that the way I worded it was kinda confusing. It’s a prep center where students can choose from a variety of courses ranging from SAT classes to college consulting programs. Hope that helps clarify a bit!</p>
<p>@periwinkle that’s what I think too! Scores and grades matter to an extent, but there are other things that make you more attractive as an applicant. Just trying to communicate that to my parents! </p>
<p>I also have friends that can self study for two months and score a 2380. That does leave them a lot more time to do other things. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them haha</p>
<p>The truth is what scores you need depends on some outside factors. If you’re white or Asian and upper-middle class or above, you’re going to need higher scores to get looked at. Colleges take a holistic view and try to fill various niches in their admissions process. Sure they admit some kids with lower scores - disadvantaged minorities, legacies, and outstanding athletes, applicants from North or South Dakota, viola, bassoon, or oboe players, tend to be the ones who get admitted with lower scores. Everyone else better have the numbers. At least this is my understanding. But studying for the SAT for 5+ hours a day is nuts if you ask me. Will the world come to an end if you don’t go to a top 10 college?</p>
<p>@earthmama I am an international applicant, so my parents have spent a lot of extra money on prep center classes, standardized exams and whatnot. Similarly, I also had to sacrifice a lot of things to apply to American schools. If I didn’t get into a top 15 school, it would be more than a bit disappointing. If I didn’t study sat math in the library everyday, my parents won’t leave me alone</p>
<p>And yes, I am very much aware of outside factors that play into the admission game. I am Asian, so perhaps that’s why prep centers think I need a 2300+.</p>
<p>If you’re international that’s even worse, you probably do really want a 2300. And that’s hard to do with a math score in the low 700’s. </p>
<p>ugh you’re Canadian, you aren’t going to be stuck in a poverty cycle if you can’t get into a top american school</p>
<p>but yeah international is tough, you’re in the same pool as the Asian applicants and god knows the shady s*** that they do</p>
<p>But you realize that there really is not a significant difference between a top 50 school, and a top 15 school, other than the bragging rights? (And one of my kids is at a HYPSM and my other is going to a top 5 LAC (which many have never heard of). My bragging rights for the first are a lot better than for the second. But my opinion on which one is getting the better education? Another story. </p>
<p>Yeah, I concur. Being an international Asian applicant kinda sucks :/</p>
<p>You know, there are good Canadian universities that you can attend at low cost if you are Canadian.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus Of course I know that haha. I do live and go to school in Canada after all. Doesn’t mean that I can’t try for American universities as well. </p>
<p>I take back some of what I said. I was working under the pretense that you are an American student. As an international student applying to top tier American schools, you are in fact going to want to have an SAT score over 2300. They won’t throw out your application if it has an SAT score of 2250 but ideally, you want to have it a little bit higher. The test still wouldn’t represent 70% of what is used in admissions, but yes, they are right somewhat. You do want to aim for 2300 and ECs do matter a lot. Once you get over 2200, and even just 2100, it’s generally clear that you are academically qualified and they scrutinize your ECs.</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats That’s what I think too! Have to study more I guess.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that:
There is no shortage of applicants from Canada.
There is no shortage of high-SAT applicants.
There is no shortage of asian-race applicants. </p>
<p>Unless you have some super-hook to make you stand out from crowd (e.g., elite, Olympic-level talent; parent is head-of-state; the high-profile charity you founded to feed starving chipmunks in Zambia was featured on CNN), your chances of getting in as an asian-race, int’l applicant from Canada w high SAT-scores are incredibly remote. It’ll be immaterial if your test score is 2200 or 2400. Your family changing its residency to the Maldives would probably give you a bigger admissions bump-up than a 2400 SAT score. HYPMS might care about your 2400 SAT score as a URM, but they won’t care about it if you are an asian,</p>
<p>You have high-quality, affordable options in Canada. IMO, I think your parents are wasting their money and your time. I too could potentially win the Nobel Prize in Physics, but given the odds, my time is better spent playing golf. </p>