SAT scores

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-05-26 01:23am

Bertie Wooster wrote:SAT II scores are more indicative of academic skills IMO.

I agree.

Honestly though, SAT scores simply exist for colleges to come up with a minimum score for applicants, and a score that they consider impressive which helps the applicant but at the same time colleges are more interested in extra-cirruculars, classes taken, and the grades students got in those classes.

I don't agree. The SAT does help establish a national range, helping colleges index high schools and they do give colleges a more complete measure of a candidate. There ARE colleges and universities that weight the SAT more heavily than extra-curriculars, and even grades. My dad knew a lot of people at Cal Tech who had laughably weak GPA's in HS and did nothing outside of class. Also, when schools and regulatory committees DO establish minimums, it tends to be with good reason. For instance, no one can get an athletic scholarship without getting a 700 combined score. Frankly, that strikes me as being common sense for "scholar-athletes," since I see little reason for someone without that score to even be attending college.

For the most competative colleges, good SATs are necessary but not sufficient on their own.

True, and at some colleges they're not even that important. Nonetheless, standardized national testing seems to offer colleges a more complete picture of candidates.

Tzeentch · Post by **Tzeentch** » 2004-05-26 01:36am

I got a 1550. I didn't really see what useful thing besides basic geometry it was testing.

True, and at some colleges they're not even that important. Nonetheless, standardized national testing seems to offer colleges a more complete picture of candidates.

It's a waste of their time; there's a greater correlation between height and weight than between SAT scores and freshman grades.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-05-26 01:50am

Tzeentch wrote:
True, and at some colleges they're not even that important. Nonetheless, standardized national testing seems to offer colleges a more complete picture of candidates.
It's a waste of their time; there's a greater correlation between height and weight than between SAT scores and freshman grades.

Duh. Height and weight are very positively correlated, since there is so much overlap in both environmental conditions and in the pleiotropic effects of genes. However, there's also a positive correlation between SAT scores and grades, and that goes up after freshman year. It's a college's prerogative to use the SAT scores they receive as much or as little as they like, and if the SAT's were as inaccurate as their opponents like to claim then there would be a considerable selective advantage towards colleges which weight the SAT's very poorly. This has not been observed, and in fact the most selective colleges and universities (as measured by their acceptance rates) TEND to be the ones that weight SAT scores most highly.

Further, while there are doubtless more accurate ways of gauging the potential scholastic achievement of candidates, SAT's remain fairly inexpensive ways for a college to do so.

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2004-05-26 02:03am

I "only" got a 1410 on my SATs four years ago (710 #s, 700 words) but I'm pleased to say that I got a 34 on my ACT, including a 36 on the science section.

It was an asshole of a test too; on the science section there was a question where I had to figure out which wrong answer they wanted me to pick! (It was something about why toad populations were declining, if any of you took the same test.)

Striderteen · Post by **Striderteen** » 2004-05-26 02:38am

I made 1480 on my SAT I and ranged from 740 to 800 on my SAT IIs.

Shadow WarChief · Post by **Shadow WarChief** » 2004-05-26 03:35am

SAT
800 - Verbal
680 - Math
Combined: 1480. Was 1370. Was 1350

SAT II
710 - Writing
700 - Physics
710 - Math IIC

Test Prep courses don't help at all. I took one, and my score went up 20 points. I stopped the course, and studied on my own, and then jumped up 110 points.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-05-26 06:47am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I never took the SAT. Instead, I took the ACT, because I was under the impression that more universities gave the ACTs more consideration than the SATs.

I didn't do any sort of preparation for it whatsoever. I just went over to Kirkwood one morning, took it once, and that was it.

I got something like a 26.

Depends on what kinds of schools. Coastal schools look more at SATs (as well as Ivy League). More inland schools prefer ACTs. Hence, I took the ACT as well. It's still harder than the SAT, or so I've heard from literally every person I know who's taken both.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-05-26 06:48am

Sriad wrote:I "only" got a 1410 on my SATs four years ago (710 #s, 700 words) but I'm pleased to say that I got a 34 on my ACT, including a 36 on the science section.

It was an asshole of a test too; on the science section there was a question where I had to figure out which wrong answer they wanted me to pick! (It was something about why toad populations were declining, if any of you took the same test.)

I hate you. Then again, I could have done better, had I (a) studied, and (b) slept.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-05-26 09:27am

After much digging, I have managed to pull up my old SAT score: 1180.

What are you looking at? Damn you all!

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-26 10:06am

1280-ish IIRC. It was a decade ago so i'm not sure. It was over 1200 i remember that. i also remember it heavily favoring the verbal side.

starfury · Post by **starfury** » 2004-05-26 11:51am

After much digging, I have managed to pull up my old SAT score: 1180.

What are you looking at? Damn you all

same here, also 1180

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2004-05-26 12:20pm

1400, 690 math 710 verbal. I use it as a weapon against all the parents in this rich town that love bragging about how well their children did...

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-05-26 01:15pm

After some digging (well, I called my old college):

1490

730 Verbal
760 Math

SAT II's:

US History: 780
Math IIC: 750
Writing: 800

CrimsonRaine · Post by **CrimsonRaine** » 2004-05-26 03:48pm

nimetski wrote:
I believe it was like a 1270 or something. Pathetic.
SAT's are not all they are cracked up to be. They really mean nothing, since there are many who do excellently in high level college courses.

Would have to agree on that one. I do great in college (not straight A's, but better than others) and I have done better than most people who did better than me on the SATs. I only scored an 1170, when most my friends where either in the 1200s or 1300s. So really, it means dick.

'Raine

Raxmei · Post by **Raxmei** » 2004-05-26 03:53pm

Did anyone besides Sriad do better on the math than the verbal? So far he's the only person who posted his score breakdown who did. Everyone else did better on the verbal, sometimes dramatically so. Even very mathy types get that result. Any idea why that is?

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-05-26 04:42pm

Raxmei wrote:Did anyone besides Sriad do better on the math than the verbal?

Eh hem.

WacoKid · Post by **WacoKid** » 2004-05-26 10:14pm

Meh. 1420. 770 verbal, 650 math. I am also more math-inclined. I'll probably retake them at some point.

They are also worthless. I agree with all who said that.
Shit, this is a ridiculously above-average group in terms of SAT scores, though. There's really not much difference in between anyone.

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2004-05-26 10:29pm

Bah, I never took the SAT because what I remember most schools in the west and central prefer ACT scores, which I got a 30 or something like that, I really don't care to dig up the sheet again.

Of course I'm studying now to take the MCAT next year, so I piss on your fancy high SAT and SAT II scores.

Symmetry · Post by **Symmetry** » 2004-05-27 01:21am

1600 first time.

Master of Ossus wrote:
Raxmei wrote:Did anyone besides Sriad do better on the math than the verbal?
Eh hem.

For the PSATS I got an 800 in math but only a 780 in verbal, does that count?

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2004-05-27 05:36am

Raxmei wrote:Did anyone besides Sriad do better on the math than the verbal? So far he's the only person who posted his score breakdown who did. Everyone else did better on the verbal, sometimes dramatically so. Even very mathy types get that result. Any idea why that is?

My guess is that the math portion is mostly easy but with a few really hard parts, which is why even people who suck at math (such as myself) can get fairly decent scores, and even people who are really good at math have a hard time getting a perfect score.
Whereas the verbal part is all easy, which is why almost everyone does well in it, and I was able to get 800 without even really trying.

Slayen · Post by **Slayen** » 2004-05-27 01:43pm

700 verbal, 660 math. No prep. I frankly thought i was going to do a lot worse so was very plesantly surprised.

The funny part, at least to me, is that a friend of mine spent at least a hundred dollars on practices and prep courses and I beat his score by 1 point for each dollar he spent.

I don't know why but it makes me chuckle each time i remember that.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-05-27 01:49pm

1380. 730 Vebal, 650 math, on my first attempt with no preparation. The only thing that pervented me from getting an 800 Verbal was the vocabulary. Now that they removed it for good, I would have done better.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Lancer · Post by **Lancer** » 2004-05-27 01:59pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:
Rogue 9 wrote:The maximum score on the SAT is 1600. The point spread is most decidedly not linear. Most people fall around the 900-1,000 range, IIRC. My 1500 put me in the top 1% of people taking the test that year, but its not the hardest test in the world.
Its somewhat norm-referenced, I believe.

1540, breakdown 790 Math, 750 Eng.

The SAT II's are insane. A perfect 800 on Physics & Math IIc only put me into the 85-th percentile or so.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2004-05-27 06:58pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:After much digging, I have managed to pull up my old SAT score: 1180.

What are you looking at? Damn you all!

And yet, what do you do for a living...?

And you're complaining why? Well, aside from the fact you're a glorified truck driver, but that's besides the point.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-05-27 07:50pm

RogueIce wrote:And you're complaining why? Well, aside from the fact you're a glorified truck driver, but that's besides the point.

Name one truck driver who's flown solo in a jet three feet off the wing of another jet at 270 knots and 90 degrees of bank.