<p>And eh…I feel like I have been challenged a little but not REALLY challenged…especially in AP , apparently…AP feels like a regular/honors class to me.</p>
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<p>Unusual in the context of CClandia, but not that unusual in many places. For instance, and perhaps due to the automatic admissions in Texas, the SAT is overlooked and GC are dismissing it as some of the top 7 to 10 percenters will go to the flagships and the rest to the mostly mediicre local schools. That is surely the case in South or West Texas. It is not unusual for the top public HS with that “uber” full IB to have few if any scores above 500. Lack of interest or lack of capabilities? Take your pick. After all, why care to lift the 1500 to 1800 or 1950if it makes no real difference in local admissiins. </p>
<p>The low SAT and high GPA is mostly yet another indictment of the abysmal state of our public education. Low standards, easy grading, inadequate teaching and learning all contribute to the simple conclusion that all GPA nor all valedictorian are equals. And WHY standardized tests remain important to evaluate almost all students. </p>
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<p>But is that student an anomaly at the high school, or do other students who get good grades in the most rigorous courses also do about that well on standardized tests?</p>
<p>If the student is an anomaly, perhaps due to test anxiety or other factor that specifically affected her standardized test performance but not her academics in general, then it is quite a different story from the situation where the high school’s top students tend to score only at around the national median on standardized tests.</p>
<p>Universities do tend to use standardized tests or their own placement tests to determine placement into entry-level courses (remedial, regular, or advanced placement).</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus
The student in question is an anomaly. Our salutatorian scored over 1900 cold, and other top students get over 1600s and 1700s.
Most don’t prepare for any tests due to Texas law (and that’s a valid enough reason), but it’s still a strange case.
edit: From a small private school in southern TX, if it matters
By the way, this occurred before any placement tests were administered. UT pretty much sent her a email requesting newer test scores, or else she’d automatically be placed into remedial math.</p>
<p>@SammyxB
At least one of my English years felt like that. You can still prepare yourself rather easily with the SAT Question of the Day, though.</p>
<p>1600s-1900s SAT scores for the top students does not seem to be particularly impressive, even for unprepped SAT or ACT test taking. The valedictorian with 1500 SAT score may be an anomaly, but the “normal” situation at the high school does not look particularly good.</p>
<p>Also, in high schools as well as colleges, private does not automatically mean academically elite.</p>
<p>@Fredjan Texas law isn’t really a valid reason. Top X% at UT is shrinking all the time and a test score could make the difference when it comes to Honors and scholarships.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus
Yeah, I am aware of those circumstances. Even then, valedictorians and top students from previous years have gone to Plan II Honors, McCombs Business Honors, Rice, and Notre Dame, All of them scored 1900 or higher.</p>
<p>I am now going to the ACT completely. It is a better fit for me. @Fredjan</p>
<p>lol Most of my English years been like this. With exception to AP lang since I had a teacher that REALLY taught instead of just making students memorize things and repeat what they have been taught,</p>
<p>All English ever felt like was reading books,worksheet after worksheet…heck I can’t recall being taught grammar in full depth lol. Worksheets is all I can remember which were annoying to me tbh.</p>
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<p>A better yardstick would be the average SAT from the HS profile. It is not usual that a school might alternate a valedictorian with 1500 SAT and students able to be admitted to McCombs’s BHP that I s statistically on par with HYPS. This said, it is not unusual for a school to have a couple of strivers who are head and shoulders above their HS peers, and often with little to no influence from the HS education. </p>
<p>Fwiw, from the list of schools described, it appears that the HS is a private religious one. And such schools tend to exhibit different dynamics, including a reluctance to stress the impact of standardized tests, and follow a model deeply ingrained in the 20th century. Some of them, however, did make amends and embraced the new demands with … great results. My own HS did just that! </p>
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<p>It is hard to catch up on subpar previous reading in a few months. Reading only might help improving one’s vocabulary, but reading comprehension requires a deliberate effort. </p>
<p>The writing score is more a matter of reviewing the mechanical parts of the SAT and covering the narrow range tested. </p>
<p>All in all, the easiest way is to review a specialized book such as the Black book. </p>
<p>@xiggi
By the school profile, the class of 2011 students in the top 10% averaged an SAT of 1150 (CR+M), and the top 25% averaged 1100. This was the class that sent a kid to Rice.
Stats haven’t been updated since then. </p>
<p>Sorry I didn’t read all of these posts but I just wanted to say the reason they won’t disappear is that US News and World Report will not rank schools that don’t have them. Until this changes, it’ll be a tough nut to crack for a lot of schools. If this was already discussed, I apologize. </p>
<p>Nvm, I just see it above. :(( </p>
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<p>With exception of 11th grade(read only 2 books but we did analysis and discussion and going in depth with the books: Into the Wild and The Great Gatsby)</p>
<p>I cannot recall reading books in class at college level.</p>
<p>CR section I always do strong in because,since I was in 2nd grade, I always read a lot of books . Middle school was the time period where I read quite a lot due to free time,reading up to 6 books per week.</p>
<p>I think that is what saved me in CR, reading all the time and building my reading skills to be at college level. I also like to re-read books and ask myself questions about the author’s purpose ,theme,etc etc.</p>
<p>Kids in the midst of hs learning don’t always see the advantages of a particular teaching style, for some time. One of mine had a ridiculous English teacher who, ultimately, turned out to have taught her some solid skills for college. Same for the other with those danged DBQs. YMMV.</p>
<p>@SammyxB
Have you ever taken any classes at the local college? You’re definitely going to encounter “college-level” texts there.</p>
<p>Yeah.Dual-enrollment. That’s all I could ever really do.School doesn’t allow/offer much since it’s brand new.</p>
<p>It’s fine though 
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<p>KUDOS to Hampshire College. I hope other schools follow their example.
Many Test optional schools are just using that as a phase to self select kids with MONEY, anyway… So it makes sense to go “STANDARDIZED TESTING REJECTED” option.</p>
<p>@SammyxB Hey I also read so much in middle school. Not quite 6 a week!, but at least a couple each week. High school took away a lot of my reading time.</p>
<p>@theanaconda I decided to give reading a little break in High School.Wanted to go out more, expand my horizons and what not 
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