<p>Okay, I am done with the SAT, and I'm planning on taking the ACT, but I wanted to get everybody's opinion on what Vanderbilt is going to do with the SAT. First of all I've only taken the New SAT (supposedly Vanderbilt requires this). But the first time I got 600 m, 600 v, but i got a 740 writing. And the second time I got 650 m, 650 v, and a much lower writing score ( I didn't break 700). Do you think there is a good chance that Vanderbilt will take 650 m, 650 v, and 740 writing for a total of 2040 (1360 on the old scale)?
Interested on any opinions as well as opinions from those you really really know how Vandy admissions works.
Thanks guys,
Sonia</p>
<p>Vanderbilt, as most other colleges, takes your best subscore from all sittings. So, yes, you'll get consideration with your 650s and 740. BTW< I'm totally unfamilar with the new SAT; how is the writing section different from the verbal?</p>
<p>Okay, the New SAT i'm sure you know is out of 2400. There is a math section, a verbal section, and a writing section, each worth a total of 800 points. The writing section is equivalent to to the old SAT II writing subject test, they just ''attached'' this to the SAT. However that is not the only "new" part. I believe that the math on the new sat is significantly different from the math on the old sat. I am temepted to say the math on the old sat is easier, but I haven't actually taken a real test so i don't know. The math on the new sat asks students to respond to questions that deal with math classes all the way through pre calculus. The student now should have a solid base in Algebra II. However I would say that you could do very well on the math portion of the old sat without even taking precalculus. Both the math on the old sat and the new sat involve logic and reasoning, but the new sat explored higher level math concepts. I do believe that the verbal on the old sat is harder than the verbal on the new sat. For the old sat, you could do very well if you knew a lot of vocabulary, because of all the analogies. For the new sat, you don't such a wide range of vocabulary, because there aren't any analogies. For sentence completions, you will usually be able to eliminate word choices without really knowing the word. The verbal section now has many short passages with usually one long passage at the end of each section.<br>
Based on this, I think it is completely unfair for colleges to mix and match scores from the old sat and the new sat. The tests are not the same. Also anybody who took the new sat knows how tiring it is. I don't have a problem with colleges accepting the old sat, but they need to put those applications in a separate pool. In terms of SAT scores, there should be a separate pool for applicants submitting old scores and applicant submitting new scores. I don't think Vandy will have a problem with this since they require the new SAT.</p>
<p>If the new SAT math is more content-based you should know that the ACT Math is COMPLETELY content-based, and you need to have pre-calculus to be able to answer every question. I totally hated the SAT I: Reasoning for that math. I can do content questions, not "logic" problems. The SAT II: Math IIC was a different story now.</p>
<p>Anyway, this isn't the first time that SAT has been changed, so all colleges that weren't founded three years ago have experience with test changeovers. I think they'll deal with everyone's application as fairly as possible.</p>