<p>That's crazy curmudgeon.</p>
<p>I hate the can't end sentence with preposition rule, it's stupid.</p>
<p>The grading was a tad over the top.</p>
<p>BTW That should have read either "had a certain way" or "certainly had a way". I couldn't decide fast enough so I decided to split the difference and type some illiterate jibberish instead. My apologies to College One.</p>
<p>yeah, that is a "bit" over the top. i really do like writing though. i wish that all of my tests would be essay tests.. haha! my roommates wish they'd just abolish essay tests because they love multiple guess tests and whatnot.. i don't know. I've tried explaining to them that when you have a job, and somebody doesn't know, for example, how to set photoshop to use an 18% grey because they want to print out a grey card (for photography), they aren't going to say hey you.. do i do a, b , c, or d! i'm like, theyre going to ask you how, and you need to know that.. but alas, i am still the only one whom likes essay tests :(</p>
<p>writing an essay in 25 minutes is a bit rush, but i suppose that's part of the objective. nevertheless, i believe the writing test will be a good addition to the sat, no matter how much i dread it. </p>
<p>anyway, about people reading college essays. i like to have my friend(s) read my essays, or at least the essays i really really care about. they would tell me when i make terrible grammitical misakes which i have a serious problem with, maybe it is due to the fact that english is not my first language. i think it is possible to have your own writing style show through with a peer editor. however, i stop at grammer. i know when my essay is crappy or good. i just have a hard time deciphering the numerous english grammatical rules. i guess i am hoping that contents is more important that mechanical errors.</p>
<p>i probably won't be able to survive with curmudgeon's grading scale.</p>
<p>and that's my rant. i will apolognize beforehand for any ugly sentence syntax errors, grammatical mistakes, etc.</p>
<p>There will be growning pains associated with the new SATI, no doubt about it. It is probably a very good thing that Adcoms will have access to the actual essay a student writes for the test. That way, they can compare their own opinion of the essay to the score awarded by the test evaluators. I've read that the scoring for the new SATI essays will be very formulaic, which I guess would have to be the objective if one were to hope for any level of standardization. However, this very fact allows for very little in the categories of personal style and creativity. An essay awarded a low or mediocre score by a test evaluator might be valued by an adcom for strengths not included in the test scorer's rubric. </p>
<p>I do feel sorry, however, for the student who needs time to sit and ruminate upon a topic before he can begin writing about it. Twenty minutes is not very long to write an impromptu essay on an unknow topic. Many people just do not think fast on their feet, or write well under pressure. I realize that the SATII Writing Exam presented the same problems, but they will now be multiplied by serveral hundred thousand--dare I say, millions---with the advent of the new SATI.</p>
<p>Fendergirl, you are definitely a purist in your approach to writing, and I applaud (in theory) your sense of personal integrity. But I shudder to think what the literary world would be like in the absence of editors and proof readers. Many colleges (my D's is one of them) offer the services of a "Writing Center" whereby a student may submit a paper for peer review prior to handing it in for a grade. This service is highly recommended by the faculty and administration. The Writing Center is staffed by students who have proven themselves highly competent writers, peers who can help a student hone her topic by pointing out areas of weakness or inconsistency. It helps alleviate stress for the student writing the paper (assuming she has not waited until the last minute to write it and attempt to have it evaluated by the Writing Center staff), and helps her to submit her very strongest paper for a grade. What the Writing Center staff DOES NOT do is write a paper for a student (or rewrite one). They merely help her to determine that she is on the right track, that her ideas are cogent, and that she has avoided any glaring glammatical errors. I see nothing wrong with that. It also helps spare the faculty the pain of reading through a truly horrendous paper.</p>
<p>Carolyn, I more or less agree with Testmaster Xiggi with a certain twist: my guess is that their records are computerized sufficiently that they can run past classes for
SAT I + SAT II Writing to get a 2400-tops scale to compare students on the New SAT to.</p>
<p>poetsheart--I love the "growning pains." Maybe it was a typo but that perfectly captures the feeling of distaste for something new and untested.</p>
<p>I also agree with xiggi's analysis (1600+800) of the new SAT. </p>
<p>I don't mind the timed essay. What I hate about the SAT 2 Writing (and the new SAT I writing portion) test is that the grading will be so subjective. And if it is done by a rubric, the grading will be worthless as a determination of whether the student can write.</p>
<p>For those of us with Juniors, we'll all struggle through together. As a Cal resident, S would've taken SAT2 writing anyway. But, what I see is a big difference is the additional length of the test. Adding another 35 minutes to an already grueling morning is a LOT. I'm afraid that kids will run out of brain power without a proper nourishment break. I realize that the test time is the same for all kids, but not all people are marathon types that can pack enough carbs (protein?) to keep the brain and muscles going for 3-4 hours. Those individuals that can load with brain food will likely do better than those that run out of steam, particularly in the last section; and, if the last section is Writing with a boring prompt, a kid may stare at the prompt for 5 minutes until s/he 'gets it'. At what point does this become a test of physical prowesss instead what is purports to measure?</p>
<p>I think the expansion of the SAT test to include writing is stupid, stupid, stupid. What is SAT prep going to look like? Will students cram 3 or 4 essays into their memory banks and spew out the most appropriate one during the test? There is already a huge premium placed on the skill of rote memorization. As for the scoring, everyone will know what "2400" means. Otherwise expect to hear 3 numbers.</p>
<p>For parents of Juniors - have any of your kids received their PSAT scores yet? My daughter's school has them but isn't passing them out until the day before christmas break. Some of the comments about the curve on the test board have been unnerving - I'd love to hear from parents about how their kids did - especially if they took the "old" PSAT last year as a sophomore.</p>
<p>Carolyn, judging by the number of posts on the SAT section about PSAT scores, I believe all the schools have received the scores. My son's school claimed (when I called yesterday) that they had NOT received the scores but expected to get them next week. My son left school today (boarding) for winter break, so we won't get the scores until January. My neice's public school in suburban Phila has not distributed PSAT scores either. Karen</p>
<p>Karen,
Yes --- I know her school has them. They do this every year. I think they may want to discourage kids from "comparing" the scores so they give them out right before break. As if kids won't all run to Instant Messenger and do so any way. LOL!</p>
<p>i disagree with the poster who indicated that colleges will see math and verbal scores and use writing as something else.</p>
<p>you can expect that elite college admissions will only get more stressful and competetive. why?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>schools that compute an AI will use the writing score equally. in fact, a lot of these schools will favor this, as they want a well rounded applicant. students who had high math and low verbal scores will only be weaker in this new pool if they cant express themselves. Most top schools have been changing curriculi to emphasize more critical thought and writing. Similarly, students with high verbal ability will only score well overall if they have the logic and organizational abilities typically associated with a strategic thinker. The new section will challenge a group of students who might sneak through the process without such a test.</p></li>
<li><p>schools will now have a writing score to compare against the quality of an essay. it will be more difficult for college preparation counselors to package a student with an essay that might be beyond their ability, since the true writing ability will be placed on a standardized scale.</p></li>
<li><p>It will now be a larger scale that will more finely distinguish the top students. Instead of having only 20 point totals between 1400 and 1600 there will now be 30 points.</p></li>
<li><p>Comparisons to the SATII writing are a bit futile. While it was somewhat the same type of test, the students who took the SATII were a self selecting group.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As much as the test changes appear cosmetic, they only add wrinkles to admissions process. Mathematically, yes I think the average scores of students will simply go up by another 200-800 point scale. But schools will look at all 3 average means and medians. Some students will be in for a surprise.</p>
<p>Well, I can attest to the equality of the new and old. I did score 50 points higher on the new, all on the math. I got exactly the same verbal. I scored 50 points higher on the writing than i had on the writing sat2. so i dont know what exactly that means but i certainly think they are comparable</p>
<p>My S's second take of new SAT I was almost the equivalent of his PSAT. Interestingly enough, his SATII Writing score was the same in
both of the new SAT I writing tests. His CR was a bit low in both takes but he refused to take the new SAT I a third time -- said it was just way too long. I agree with bluebayou's comments.</p>
<p>WSJ says many schools not using writing for much.</p>
<p>The thing that surprised me is that some schools are still requiring 3 SAT II's with the new SAT. That's really like having 4 subject tests, since before, writing usually had to be one of them, and then you only had to take 2 others. Doesn't seem fair at all.</p>
<p>From today's WSJ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113392427118515919.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal%5B/url%5D">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113392427118515919.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
Many Colleges Ignore
New SAT Writing Test</p>
<p>Essay May Not Predict
Academic Success, Critics Say;
When the Results Can Help
By CHARLES FORELLE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
December 7, 2005; Page D1</p>
<p>The prospect of churning out a coherent essay in the midst of the pressure-filled SAT test has been making high-school students around the country quake. But now that the first results of the new SAT writing test are in, many colleges say they're ignoring them.</p>
<p>The University of Chicago, Ohio State University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other institutions say scores on the writing test won't figure into their admissions decisions this year. "We don't know what they mean," says Ted O'Neill, Chicago's dean of admissions. "We don't know what they predict."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Georgetown is also ignoring the writing scores. </p>
<p>Isn't strange that someone (i.e. me) can get an 800 on the Verbal, but only a 720 on Writing? Luckily, I think nearly all colleges are taking the writing scores with a grain of salt this year.</p>