I’ve recieved a position to work in a lab as a paid intern, but I’m also trying to study for the SAT. As a sophmore with a SAT of 1500ish which one should I choose to focus on? I can’t do both this summer. Btw, the internship is related to my major.
Thank you!
Which one would help me in college admissions for HYPSM.
I personally would choose the internship ONLY because you are still a sophomore. If you were a junior, SAT prep would win. Good luck.
I would definitely suggest the internship. Remember that the SAT is geared toward juniors and seniors, not sophomores, so of course your score will tend to be lower as a sophomore, and according to CollegeBoard you have an 80% chance of improving your score if you take the test again anyway.
An internship (especially related to your intended major) will not only look AWESOME on applications, it will give you an idea of whether you really want to do whatever you plan on doing for work. Plus, you can start a project at an internship that you might be able to submit to a big science fair like ISEF, JSHS, Intel, or Google, which can mean prestige and big scholarships. Plus you will be paid, which is always good.
Also remember that everyone takes the SAT, but not everyone has done an internship. It might just make you stand out. Instead of preparing yourself for three stressful hours of your life, that you will forget five minutes after it ends, why not have a lifelong experience?
I fail to see why you couldn’t do an internship AND SAT prep at the same time. Most people at top schools are able to handle this kind of workload. If the answer is that there is a schedule conflict (the prep class conflicts with the internship), then do the internship and find a prep class that meets on the weekends. Or talk to the internship folks and see if there is some flexibility in your schedule that would allow you to attend the class and make up the hours.
If all else fails, go with the internship. These kind of experiences can be life-changing.
I say internship, in a heartbeat. The students who get into HYPSM are NOT spending all their discretionary time on test prep. They are earning high scores while excelling in a rigorous curriculum and participating in outside activities at a high level. If your test scores next spring are clearly outside of the competitive range, then you probably won’t be a competitive candidate even if you dedicate your summer to raising them. Is that 1500 a two-test or three-test score? If two-test, then you shouldn’t be contemplating a test-prep course for a moment. If three-score, then you might want to get a study guide, and start working on some sample tests. I still believe the best way to boost a CR score is to READ, and start looking words up the way teachers always told you to. I always performed well on Reading Comprehension tests, from a young age, and grew lazy as a reader. I read quickly, inferring meanings from context. It was important, as I got older, to slow myself down a bit.
Go for the internship but you can still study for the SAT in your spare time.
You should focus on paid internship. Because it would help you learn a lot from the career you have chosen. Yuou are open to see the real world, the real career.