It's SO Frustrating...

Applying to College
1

<p>I have never been more frustrated and confused than right about now. </p>

<p>I'm someone who is aiming for Ivy League level schools, and I have been working as hard as I can all throughout high school. More than anything I have strong extracurriculars. </p>

<p>My issue is this: I struggle so much when it comes to timing. And this year as a junior, there were more and more standardized tests we had to take. One after the other. And the honest truth is I simply can't finish, I try as hard as I can to go faster, but I always need that extra five or ten minutes at least.</p>

<p>Its hurt me the most on the SATs, I mean I look at my scores and almost all the questions I get wrong are ones I cannot get to. The ones I answer, I get right, its just always the ones at the end.</p>

<p>I don't want to come off as ranting, at all. But its just been very hard to deal with it, because I always feel like I could do better if I just had more time. I don't know what to do.</p>

<p>And, I've already tried the trying to get extended time thing. My mom absolutely refuses to let me get tested for extended time. She thinks that its just a hoax a lot of parents try to get there kids into under the disguise of ADD. Like there might be some truth to that, but its so hard in an AP class when I sit there and six of sixteen students are getting extended time and I can't get it, even when I need it more than all of them. And then it results in not scoring as high.</p>

<p>I just don't know what to do. I'm retakeing the SATs, but I don't want something like this to be the reason I can't get into a school I'm aiming for. I mean I'm in Cum laude and in the top 10 percent of my class, and taking a very rigorous course load, but I just feel like its over for me pretty much because of what this has affected me recently, and even more so on the SATs and Sat IIs. </p>

<p>If you read this all, wow, thanks.</p>

2

<p>Some of the SAT II's have such good curves, you can still get a good score if you leave quite a few of the answers blank at the end.</p>

<p>Have you tried the ACT? If you are a little bit ADD, you might appreciate the fact that the ACT is a bit shorter. The SAT is so long, it's gruelling even for those who can fairly easily focus their attention for hours.</p>

3

<p>Take the ACT with writing. You may find it more to your skills, and the subjects parts substitute for SAT II at a lot of schools. My younger D took only that one test and was accepted ED to JHU.
Quote: More than anything I have strong extracurriculars.
You may want to consider scaling back a bit on them.</p>

4

<p>Well, I don't think I have ADD. I mean maybe I do, I guess I'll never know because I'm not allowed to get tested.</p>

<p>The ACTs actually were worse for me. Although it is a shorter overall test and easier, the ACTs actually give less time for a greater amount of questions. I did better on the SAT than the ACT.</p>

5

<p>When you say scaling back on them, do you mean on the application, or just the overall amount of time I put into them?
Thanks.</p>

6

<p>Ask your GC at school about testing, explaining your mother's objection. Your GC may be able to smooth things over, get you tested, write you a letter.</p>

7

<p>Malika, I meant scaling back on number of ECs and/or time put into them, thinking you needed the time to prep more for the SAT or ACT.</p>

8

<p>Okay, yea thanks. I'm going to be self-studying the whole month of July and August. I'm taking it again in October. I think by more practicing I will be able to do better. Its just hard because I want to go out and do effective things, but I have to push myself to do better on the SATs unlike some kids who can just walk into a room and pull off 2300-2400.</p>

9

<p>Very few can do that, Malika. Try talking to your GC for help in the meanwhile, and good luck to you.</p>

10

<p>wow. 6/16 kids have ADD?!
look, if you don't think you're ADD and you just want to be tested for those extra minutes, that's just as bad as the dishonest people...plus, I don't think you understand the severity of ADD and other focus related problems. those kids that have it...actually REALLY need those extra minutes.</p>

<p>as for you, I can imagine it must be very frustrating...but I'd advise you to just practice more with an open mind...try to encourage and accept yourself instead of feeling bitter and frustrated. </p>

<p>i think i might have a similar issue. I absolutely cannot do 'real work' the last 3-5 minutes of an SAT section...so I actually have to finish each section (except essay) with at least ~5 minutes left or I feel panicked! but i got through it and you can too, don't brood on the problem, solve it. resolve your cognitive dissonance ;)</p>

11

<p>okay thanks.
well i don't know if all those kids have ADD, i really don't think they do. i mean they have approved extended time by the school.</p>

12

<p>I'm one of those kids you hate, but I was wondering as to the exact reason for your slowness.</p>

<p>If I were you, I'd be intensely curious about what your speed says about your mental processes than what it says about your test-taking abilities.</p>

<p>You seem to think that your first post was long and grueling to read, though it's not, so maybe you're a really slow reader? I'm fairly slow too, but I don't have trouble finishing the SAT. Or is it that you're a slow thinker? How come?</p>

<p>You're implying that your intelligence is the same as the 2300 scorers, but it's just your speed tha's off. Could you think and elaborate on the cause a little more? It would help us both out. No offense meant in this post.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

13

<p>

I always finished early on the verbal sections (800CR, 710W) but had trouble finishing the math section. I have a tendency to make silly errors in math (resulting not from an inability to understand the material, but from misreading the question, being sloppy with basic arithmetic [e.g. accidentally adding instead of subtracting], and basically being careless); to compensate, I'd slow down after each question, look over my answer twice, and make sure that I hadn't missed any details... which obviously took quite a bit of time.</p>

<p>I eventually improved my speed by practicing math sections from the College Board book. I didn't set time limits, but the practice increased my precision (and confidence!), and I managed to raise my math score from the mid-600s to 760. </p>

<p>I "only" got a 2270, which may hurt my credibility here, but I'd still suggest multiple practice tests.</p>

14

<p>I almost forgot: I never finished an essay either, but I think the format of the writing test is flawed and didn't study for it on principle. I was aiming for 700+ on every section, and in that I was successful. That I was below 2300 seemed fairly irrelevant, and the admissions officers at Dartmouth don't seem to have cared.</p>

15

<p>Yes, I can elaborate a bit.
I think it might be a bit that I'm a slow reader. For me the hardest is multiple choice questions. Alot of times I have to read things over again, and the choices more than once in order to completely process I guess. The one subject that I haven't had too much trouble with is Math. I'm not quick at Math, but I can manage to finish, and it is my highest SAT subject. </p>

<p>The writing is impossible for me to finish. I can't even get to the last section, sometimes I think I overthink it, but I'm not sure.</p>

<p>And I'm not trying to give off the impression that I'm really smart or something, its more the fact that I know I'm capable of answering and understanding alot of the concepts I can't complete or even reach for that matter. I like writing essays, and I don't seem to have too much trouble finishing them when I write. I am slow for just about everything, but there are somethings that I feel I'm too slow in. I'm also very into art, and have done alot of painting and drawing throughout my life, and even in Art it shows that I'm not quick. I take longer than most students.</p>

16

<p>all i can say is DONT take the ACTs. timing is what really get most on the ACTs, even very quick readers/thinkers</p>

17

<p>Simply, it might just be you naturally work at a slower pace than others. Perhaps you should try to take a practice test where you rely on your first impression of the question rather than analyzing and analyzing each question. This is just a guess, but based on what I've read, you're the kind of student who works really hard and takes your work very seriously. Maybe since you put so much weight on these tests, you spend too much time on each question which ultimately hurts you in the end when you run out of time. These standardized tests aren't meant to give you all the time in the world to focus on each question. Try pacing yourself better and not focusing too much time on making sure you're 100%, absolutely sure on each question. More than likely, you've already selected the right answer on your first try. Are you looking back at old tests and finding your first choice is always wrong?</p>

18

<p>From my daughter's experience:
With almost all SATs she did the first test, and she ran out of time. Most answers correct, just test not finished. But by the time she finished the prep book she had no problem with timing. You may find that preparing with a test prep book including numerous tests helps a lot.
(my daughter did not spend that much time preparing for tests; just going over one book was enough; so it is not the amount of effort, but the format of preparation).</p>