<p>I'm doing a debate and I wanted to know some issues. Like I said it's not a proper measure of intelligence since a lot of people don't do good. One person can study their entire life and get a 2400 but an another person can take it for the first time ever and get a 1500. It's holds a lot of people back and should be optional to strengthen your application.</p>
<p>why should it be optional… the person that studied all thier life becomes in fact SMARTER than the person that got a 1500. Just because they had the initiative to work harder and get a perfect scores makes their score meaningless? Because they tried hard its not fair? I fail to see that logic.</p>
<p>Well I have a lot of friends that are foreign and do really bad, or people with high GPA and low or average scores.</p>
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<p>One’s GPA is not a good measure of his or her intelligence. Average intelligence and a good wook ethic are sufficient for an extremely high GPA at the vast majority of American high schools.</p>
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<p>For people who have minimal preparation (only that which acquaints them with the test) and English as a first language, the SAT is an excellent, but nonetheless approximate, measure of intelligence. The ACT? Not nearly as much.</p>
<p>silverturtle, what scores do you consider to be in the “average intelligence” range.</p>
<p>The classic argument of GPA over test scores. Silver already brought this up but the GPA is a culmination of many things. Lienincy of course, work ethic, teacher etc. whereas the SAT is the same everywhere for everyone. SAT measures KNOWLEDGE, GPA measures, in my mind, a solid work ethic and ability to push yourself to do well. A person that got a A in AP calc may have worked their asses off, but if they can’t get an 800 on the SAT I then I question thier true knowledge. On a side note, I also question how much capicity they have to retain knowledge…</p>
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<p>Among the things that the SAT tests, knowledge is probably about 10-15%. Kim Peek, a recently deceased savant, was probably the most knowledgable person in the world. He, however, would probably have not known a single question on the entire test; he lacked almost all reasoning skills. If you’re looking for a knowledge test, the ACT comes much closer.</p>
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<p>There is no calculus on the SAT.</p>
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<p>A person of average intelligence who has a strong work ethic and has a supportive, college-educated family will probably score around 1600-1700 with no preparation. A person with similar intelligence who comes from a less advantageous background (perhaps one plagued by prejudice or without proper education or family support) will probably score around 1400.</p>
<p>^ there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom</p>
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<p>What do you mean?</p>
<p>Knowledge is more like information (knowing something, like a specific fact, such as when the Civil War was), whereas as wisdom is more common sense and understanding.</p>
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<p>I understand the common distinction. 
What I meant was: In what way is this distinction relevant?</p>
<p>When all is said and done, the SAT is what it has always been ie an aptitude test. The ACT is an achievement test. While they are different both tests do discriminate (ie sort) students into different groups. This helps college admissions offices make supposedly objective decisions.</p>
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<p>For the most part, I agree.</p>
<p>Average intelligence kids score like 1400-1500 with no preparation. 1600-1700 is a bit high in my opinion Silverturtle.</p>
<p>It’s more like 1400-1600 for average, considering 1500 is almost exactly average. But for an average student with higher income, that range may be slightly higher.</p>
<p>: ( </p>
<p><em>crumbles</em></p>
<p>I guess I am of average intelligence.</p>
<p>I don’t think GPA, SATs or any testing of that sort measures intelligence. The reason is this: If you study enough, and have a good work ethic you can get a 2400, and a 4.0 GPA. Its all work ethic. Testing in the U.S ( I don’t know about other places), is based on work ethic. You succeed based on your work ethic, not on intelligence. Intelligence plays a part probably in some jobs and careers, but other than on an IQ test, intelligence has no bearing. I scored a 1530 on my PSAT without any preparation, am I intelligent? I think I am, BUT there are kids in my school who scored 1800 on the PSAT with no practice. So those kids could be more intelligent than me, but in class exams I score higher than them, because I study and they don’t. If I continue to study for all my tests, I will go to a better college than them. Why? Not because I am more intelligent but because I have more work ethic than them. Intelligence means nothing when it comes to SATs and college admission, IMO.</p>
<p>So for someone to say a person who scores 1400-1500 on SAT without prep, is average, is wrong. I think of myself as intelligent, but whos to say? An SAT exam certainly cannot. All it is work ethic. If you study, you learn more, and become smarter, but maybe not intelligent. Smarts and intelligence are two different things in my book.</p>
<p>I hate to tell everyone this, but the conclusion of your discussion about the SAT is…</p>
<p>The SAT is a reasoning test. Hence SAT I is called the “Reasoning Test”</p>
<p>Meaning what? It can still be studied for, so wheres the reasoning lol</p>