<p>there is always hope. the valedictorian last year who didnt have that great of an SAT score and took about no honor classes got into NYU</p>
<p>The SATs also measure your ability to handle pressure in a short window of time. While grades stress you out over many months, the SAT puts you on the boiler for 3 hours. I have the common tendency to misread questions and get easy answers wrong because of it.</p>
<p>Neither of them are good indicators of ability. You're still just a young'in when you get your high school GPA. For many, intellect doesn't blossom until college. Plus, some teachers are cruel, and others grade easily. And the SAT is taken TOO early on a Saturday morning for 3 excruciating hours. Together, they give some idea, but it's still not enough.</p>
<p>Well grades are really inconsistent. Some teachers give out A's right and left, while other teachers make you earn even a C. For example, in my AP Lit. class last year I had to prepare my essays, have them proofread, and afterwards, recheck my paragraph organization, etc.; just to get a B (She didn't give out many A's on essays). Ironically, this year in my AP writing class I can write a much sloppier essay the night before and still get an A.<br>
SAT sucks (maybe I'm mad because of my 1200 SAT score!) It doesn't accurately reflect knowledge or academic ability (I think) becuase there are so many are variables to the test. For example, when I was practicing for my SAT with no time constraints, I got like a 650-700 M. Under time pressures I got a 620. And lets be serious, if out of the 70 or so math questions even making only 5 mistakes brings your score down to a 700 (which can easily be accounted for by stress or bubbling errors). Furthermore, I had 3 verbal sections in a row. By the third one I don't even know if I was filling in the right bubbles. Oh well, I guess the SAT sets upart the good test from the bad ones.</p>