<p>RBase07 has to learn that it isn't "daddy paying for a tutor" getting people high scores. It's a combination of knowledge, intelligence, test-taking ability, and luck.</p>
<p>Do wealthy people who study a lot and have tutors score high? Sure they do. There are also plenty that score low.</p>
<p>Let people do what they please. If they want to retake a college entrance exam, who are you to judge? You shouldn't have to if you are content with your score.</p>
<p>good enough for me, schwaby. But my argument is promarily directed at the ignorant views of such posters as jeffl, not individual posters. Therefore, your case may be different, but for most people in your financial boat, their SAT's aren't nearly as high as yours. especially many URM's in your boat. And rarely do people not study and recieve a near-perfect score like a 1560.</p>
<p>My Point: you are an true exception to the norm. I studied my ass off and couldn't pull an 1100. You didn't even study and got a near perfect score.</p>
<p>my psat was a 185, equal to about a 1270 sat. This board makes me feel like a failure so I'm not sure why I'm so addicted to it :p</p>
<p>Who's judging? I'm merely trying to save people the headache of paying for the SAT testing fee, studying for weeks/months, driving to the testing center and taking it.=, only to boost their score from a 1580 to a 1590. Colleges don't give give a flying DUCK about the difference between a 1580 and a 1590. Anybody who tries to argue THIS point is an absolute idiot.</p>
<p>Show me someone on the forum who has retaken a 1580.</p>
<p>And not those joke threads.</p>
<p>You have to understand though, I get what you're saying about kids retaking what (to you and many others) is an obscenely high score. Yes, it seems frivolous. You have to remember however, that many on these forums are overachievers that are applying to the most competitive colleges in the nation. If they believe that that extra 40 or 50 points will make their application that much better, more power to them.</p>
<p>"Do wealthy people who study a lot and have tutors score high? Sure they do. There are also plenty that score low."</p>
<p>Most wealthy people that have access to resources like THE ONES ALREADY MENTIONED in this topic and still score low do so because they don't try. They have been exposed to such resources for probably the entirety of their natural born lives, but some are lazy, and as a result, perform poorly on the SAT's. It's very easy to see an first generation college-bound URM whose single-parnent mom brings in less than $40,000 a year get a 950 on the SAT's and say in short, "You didn't study hard enough," but the reality is, having money will make a difference in your SAT score (FOR THE MOST PART). Some freaks like Celebrian:) will overcome the odds of their underprivileged lifestyle, but for the most part, if you have money and attend an elite prep school, you PROBABLY won't be getting under a 1200 on the SAT, whereas a an underprivileged URM in a underfunded public high school in Philly will be amazed in they score a 1000, regardless of if they studied or not.</p>
<p>"Northstarmom: just because one gets a low score on the SAT doesn't necessarily mean that the individual didn't study. I SERIOUSLY busted my.."</p>
<p>I didn't make the assumption that private school = money for private tutor.
I made the assumption, which I am sure is correct, that a private Quaker school in Philly = excellent education or at least an education that's much better than what most Philly public school students get and for that matter what most black students in this country receive.</p>
<p>I also made the assumption that a private Quaker school education = the student's intelligence is more than that of the average college-bound student. </p>
<p>Not too many black kids are able to break out of the system of attending low achieving public schools. The ones that do have a lot going for them: high motivation to do well academically; courage to be willing to attend school away from their neighborhoold friends, and to attend a school where they'll be in the minority; parents who support their educational aspirations whether or not the parents are college educated.</p>
<p>With all of that in mind, I make the assumption that you have the capability to do much better on the SAT than you have done so far. Based on what I have seen in close to 20 years of mentoring black students as well as students of other races, I also would make an educated guess that what you consider busting your butt to study for the test probably is not anywhere near what some of the high scoring students have done who post on these boards.</p>
<p>Most black people seem to think that SAT achievement is due to good luck, and few of us bother to study for the test. Meanwhile, particularly when it comes to Asians and Asian Americans as well as some other groups, such as Jewish students, they are brought up to truly study for the test. Some who even come from low income families will sacrifice and manage to find tutors.</p>
<p>Others will buy the books, and use on-line sites and study -- a lot for the test. I have known, for instance, Asian Americans who study at least an hour a day for the SAT over the summer. We see plenty of students posting on CC who took the time to memorize hundreds of words to prep for the test. These include international students for whom English is a second language.</p>
<p>In my volunteer work as an alumni interviewer for an Ivy, I have met immigrant students who moved to the US when they were in 8th grade, and who hardly spoke English then who made National Merit commended on the PSAT and got SAT verbal scores of 700 or even higher. Again, studying is what made the difference. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, you can choose to accept your score, feeling it's fine because it's average and you feel you busted your butt or you can choose to keep studying for the test, and while doing that studying, you can follow some of the many tips you see posted on CC. You also can decide to feel that you have an insurmountable disadvantage for not being able to take an expensive tutoring course, something that is not at all necessary in order to achieve a high score.</p>
<p>"If they believe that that extra 40 or 50 points will make their application that much better, more power to them."
-Schwaby</p>
<p>The fact is, and this is the point of me making this entire thread: IT WON'T MAKE A SINGLE IOTA OF A DIFFERENCE. A HYP ivy will gladly accept 1550 as it will a 1580 as it will a 1600. The scores won't make that much of a difference. all of these 1500+ scores are 95th percentile and up scores.</p>
<p>
[quote]
but the reality is, having money will make a difference in your SAT score (FOR THE MOST PART).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Of course it will. Nobody is arguing against that point.</p>
<p>Being wealthy does give you a better opportunity to do well on the SAT.
But having a high score doesn't mean you are wealthy.</p>
<p>Period.</p>
<p>
[quote]
IT WON'T MAKE A SINGLE IOTA OF A DIFFERENCE.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Prove it.</p>
<p>And kindly show me someone who has retaken a 1550+ SAT.</p>
<p>Northstarmom: No offense, but I don't FEEL I busted my butt. I really did, and I don't need to prove it to anybody. All of this:</p>
<p>"Others will buy the books, and use on-line sites and study -- a lot for the test. I have known, for instance, Asian Americans who study at least an hour a day for the SAT over the summer. We see plenty of students posting on CC who took the time to memorize hundreds of words to prep for the test."</p>
<p>...I did all of that.</p>
<p>Actually, wait.</p>
<p>
[quote]
IT WON'T MAKE A SINGLE IOTA OF A DIFFERENCE.
[/quote]
[quote]
The scores won't make that much of a difference.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Which one is it?</p>
<p>near perfect example of obsessivetestakingism:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=21833%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=21833</a></p>
<p>He had a 1340, not a 1550+.</p>
<p>You're telling me if he had retaken it and gotten a 1590, it wouldn't have made a difference?</p>
<p>Next example please.</p>
<p>The guy/girl is wondering if he should take the SAT for a 4th time.</p>
<p>Some kids can't even to financially afford to take it more than once.</p>
<p>He/She gets a well above average score of 1300+, and he's stressing out over if georgetown will accept him with that score, like its subpar or something.</p>
<p>Some kids struggle to make 900 on an SAT.</p>
<p>Schwaby, I'm not going to sit here all day and find examples to prove what I'm talking about. I know what I'm saying is true. I don't need to search the CC archives for an hour straight to finally get you to see what I'm saying is true.</p>
<p>With the exception of Celebrian, I really feel like everyone here is opposing me. schwaby, Northstarmom, jeffl, etc.</p>
<p>Does anybody agree with me?</p>
<p>
[quote]
The guy/girl is wondering if he should take the SAT for a 4th time.</p>
<p>Some kids can't even to financially afford to take it more than once.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Apparently he can. If he has the opportunity, why not take advantage?</p>
<p>
[quote]
He/She gets a well above average score of 1300+, and he's stressing out over if georgetown will accept him with that score, like its subpar or something.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It is on the lower end of Georgetown's SAT percentile. He may think his application isn't that strong and needs an above average (for Georgetown) SAT score. </p>
<p>What's the problem? It's his choice.</p>
<p>I'm really just playing devil's advocate. I'm pretty bored and have nothing better to do. :p</p>
<p>Plus, everyone likes a good debate.</p>
<p>EDIT:
I agree that it's nuts for people to be obsessed with retaking their SAT to garner what may be a relatively small improvement, but I realize that if they want to do it, let them do it.</p>