<p>People who have 3.6-3.8 GPAs go and get 2000+ SAT while people like me who've had 4.0+s get 1600-1700 on their SAT.
MIND BOGGLING.</p>
<p>(not hating)</p>
<p>That’s exactly what standardized tests are supposed to detect - grade inflation. There are many other factors too - maybe some people didn’t really care about grades in school.</p>
<p>Yeah, those people most likely just aren’t putting as much effort into school</p>
<p>Often, more motivated students ( such as yourself) are so far beyond the material tested on the SAT that you may stumble over some of the basics you haven’t seen since the 7th or 8th grade (particularly math) .
Also, more invested students (such as yourself) tend to be more meticulous workers which doesn’t work to your advantage in a timed setting. Did you find yourself rushing through questions? That could lead to a falsely-low score. You might be the type of student where if the clock wasn’t ticking you’d get a 2400.</p>
<p>what is your school’s rank from great school? what is your school’s average SAT? what are your AP scores?</p>
<p>Can’t remember my ds1’s UW GPA, but he had a lackluster rank at his competitive school and got 2200+ on his SATs. It’s common for kids in BC Cal, for instance, to make a B in the class and then a 5 on the AP test. If you’re getting straight As and 1600, I’d say your HS may not be challenging enough.</p>
<p>Agree with asking how many APs your HS has and what is the passing rate. Those would be indicators of the rigor of your HS.</p>
<p>^Agree completely. I got 2 B’s in AP Calc AB, which is very hard at our school, and aced the test (5). I know many who get easy A’s at other HS, but when it comes to the AP tests they’re getting 3’s. I am one of the poeple you described, I don’t have a 4.0 (3.86) and I have a poor class rank (15th %) but a 2340 superscored SAT. </p>
<p>Don’t worry about your intelligence; your SAT score is still above the national average, it just says more about your HS than anything about you as a student.</p>
<p>That is simple: “People who have 3.6-3.8 GPAs go and get 2000+ SAT” because they simply know the straight forward SAT tricks. People who’ve had 4.0+s get 1600-1700 on their SAT because they don’t. </p>
<p>The SAT tricks are like magic illusions, once you know how the magicians do them, they are so easy.</p>
<p>Sorry guys I hadnt checked this post in a while: I have a 4.17, ranked in the top 8%, and have scored 4s on both the AP tests I took. My school is great in academics and athletics. Raked in the top 100 in CA and offers almost all APs.
aldFig0: there is no grade inflation at my school (at least in my classes hah)</p>
<p>thanks for the replies!</p>
<p>Did you study?</p>
<p>If you are a truly smart student with a 4.0GPA from a good rigor school, with studying and getting used to the test layout, you should be easily able to get 2100+. The SAT was designed to reflect Objectively everyone. IE, You are giving every HS student in america the same test, with the same question types, with the same time limit, and you are seeing how they do in comparison to each other. I am 15th in my class with a 3.9 uw, but out school suffers from MASSIVE grade inflation(our school ranks based on our weighted GPA,many BS classes are weighted for us and many people take them). I guarantee that out of the 14 people above me, 8 or 9 don’t break 2000. It is a sad fact and it happens everywhere. If you go to an elite private school you may be ranked 50/230 and have an uw GPA of 3.4 but not show up to a single class in a school somewhere else and get a 4.0. The SAT determines the overall worth of your GPA and Class rank. </p>
<p>That is why Class Rank and GPA are not THE most important factor in admission, they are too variable. IF your SAT doesn’t reflect your GPA, then you GPA isn’t seen as a true indicator to colleges. Regardless of what they say, colleges don’t buy the “I don’t test well” thinking. Same goes with AP tests, some schools and out A’s like candy and others make it impossible for someone to get a B…but the AP Test determines the overall worth of those grades. </p>
<p>That being said, if you do honestly have a deserved 4.0GPA(I do not doubt this) then with practice you can EASILY get a 2100+.</p>
<p>Also think about it this way.
There are 20k+ public high schools in the country. Every high school has to have a number one student with a 4.0 GPA. Does that mean that all those students are geniuses that deserve to go to an Ivy? 20k students? There is a more objective way to break this group down into better pool and bring in people who have been left out of the number one spot for any reason in.
That being said, maybe you will do better on the ACT. There is no reason someone who is smart can’t do well on the ACT, there are no “tricks” on that test at all.</p>
<p>Drac i aggree 100%. if you are smart as your gpa says you are you should defintely able to score 2150+ because you should know how to do that much on the test and no reason to get nervous on :)</p>
<p>Drac I agree and it doesnt happen to everyone, but its happened to a lot of poeple I know, I have a friend who got a 1650 SAT and 25 ACT and has taken 6 APs and gotten 5s on all but 2 (which he got 4s).
But its definitely not everyone I completely agree.
I took the ACT and got a 27, which again I was not pleased to see. I guess having a high GPA made me expect higher scores and when I didnt receive the scores I wanted I just got ****ed haha
Im not hating on the SAT and ACT thats forsure, sadly I agree it is a necessary tool for college admission.</p>
<p>This is a good thread btw haha</p>
<p>wow they block that? the word starts with p and ends with issed</p>
<p>Sqaqqq, get into study mode. It takes a little time for some to just get used to the test. Once you break that barrier, your score JUMPS, it happens with a lot of bright kids taking the test for the first time. I started with a 2000, and in a couple weeks JUMPED right on up to a 2300. I started to realize how to approach and answer problems as I practiced. Go through all the official tests you can and memorize vocab, your score will improve.</p>
<p>Some kids get good grades because they listen closely to their teachers and do the things they need to do to get the As. Other kids, often the very bright kids with ADD, might only be half listening. They don’t do all their homework, so they don’t get straight As. If you get straight As it means you care. Some kids don’t. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t smart nd can’t ace the SAT. They could easily be smarter than you in the areas measured by the test.</p>
<p>There are a few reasons:
Some people are just good test takers. Plain and simple.
There are people who think school is boring so they slack off, but are actually smart and score well.
Some people know the SAT tricks.
Lots of high schools have MASSIVE GRADE INFLATION. Schools are simply not challenging and anyone who is even reasonably motivated can get straight A’s.</p>
<p>Same with me. High School too lenient.
4.0 GPA
1460 SAT =(
24 ACT -_-
Time got me, and I am a bad test taker.
I kinda prefer the ACT because I don’t have to take the writing on it anymore and it has straightforward questions while the SAT, it requires writing (bad at) every time and vocabulary.
Suggestions on which is easier to improve on? ACT or SAT</p>
<p>^ SAT is easier to improve on because you have only three sections and you can improve your RAW score through practice. The methodologies to do so are well listed around the forums.
Think about it this way:
600W, 600CR, 600M = 1800
Add a little practice and get just a couple more q’s on each section right
650W, 650CR,650M = 1950
150 point increase like that</p>
<p>If you don’t do well on the SAT, you really won’t be able to improve it much, but the ACT is still gonna be hard to improve as well because it consists of FOUR separate sections that are averaged together to provide your composite.</p>
<p>32R 30W 26S 28M = 29 Composite
put a bunch of practice in:
34R 31W 28S 28M = 30 Composite</p>
<p>See? You increased your points throughout your sections buy a whopping 5, but your composite only increased by 1! The work to result yield for the ACT is harder see and has a greater discrepancy than that of the SAT. But it is still plausible to get your scores up if you are good at the ACT.</p>
<p>No wonder, the SAT is so popular. Thanks a lot.
Any suggestions on how to tackle the Writing section and the list of vocabulary?</p>