SAT's

[John Klyne]

Just a hint...

What do you all think about SAT Scores...? In my opinion, they show how well you know how to take 1 test, which stupidly determines the college you go to...but what do you all think? Here is America, leaving the students in the hands of a test, that psychologically puts a student in a mood, to DO BAD ON IT....

Have fun with this topic : ) ... hehe.

[mcklovin]

I've found that most who complain about the SAT/ACT do so because they blew off the first three years of high school and are shell shocked when they have to take it.

If you pay attention and do all your work in the first 3 years you'll be fine.

[Smith6612]

Well, the SATs don't cover much at all. Just English and Math (two fields which I know many people aren't the greatest in) mainly. What the colleges really need to look at are your traits, personality as well as how motivated you are towards the subject the person in question wants the college to teach them (as well as some academic ability, which is where the SAT could/is coming into play), vs. a silly test score which has so many variables added in it. After all, colleges do want their $$$, right? ;)

[descalzo]

What the colleges really need to look at are your traits, personality as well as how motivated you are towards the subject the person in question wants the college to teach them

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The University of Michigan received 29,794 applications from prospective freshmen for 2008
...
As of June 5, 12,533 students were offered admission to the University's Ann Arbor campus.
...
This year's incoming class will be at or near the preferred size of 5,710

They really don't have the time or the resources to do in depth screening.

While imperfect, SATs do help measure the ability of students to pass college level courses.

High School grades can be horribly inflated.

Recommendations depend on how good a writer the source is.

[John Klyne]

I've found that most who complain about the SAT/ACT do so because they blew off the first three years of high school and are shell shocked when they have to take it.

If you pay attention and do all your work in the first 3 years you'll be fine.

No worries about me, I've taken them years ago. But I like how so many stress over them in the town I live in at least. The colleges can't find a way to get a clear set of how the students are, and that is what makes them resort to tests like the SAT's or ACT's to see if they are any where near the "range" of "smartness" they want their students to possess.
Edit:

What the colleges really need to look at are your traits, personality as well as how motivated you are towards the subject the person in question wants the college to teach them (as well as some academic ability, which is where the SAT could/is coming into play), vs. a silly test score which has so many variables added in it. After all, colleges do want their $$$, right? ;)

If someone can come up with a way to learn about their motivation/personality and smarts all in one small package/test/ ...something not book related. Little do the colleges ask for a brain capacity test/try to get you to scan your brain and see how active you really are. Now I did not pursue a career related to the brain, but according to my knowledge, the amount of brain activity that shows up, while scanning your brain, can show how well you do in, mathematics related courses compared to non-mathematics related courses...the scan can also show, how physically active you are, how well your speech may be, how much time you spend on the computer/watching tv or reading a book...the scan can show you how fast you read, learn broad concepts or whether you are a righty or a lefty. The scan can show, how tall you are bound to get, or when you'll have a heartattack or whether or not you have a tumor in your head (THE LAST EXAMPLE is the ONLY reason people take these scans)...

I think it's about time someone told the colleges about this "cool" invention...

Well what do you all think about that last paragraph of mine? Too bad, I'm busy learning whatever else I feel like learning...I would not mind working on this concept in the future though...it is bound to bring me loads of cash...and increase revenue of the medical industry/insurance industry. : ) ...

PS...it's not too late to start investing in the medical/insurance industry... Take it from me.

[Sharky]

Sounds like the military testing I went through...
Thorough medical, fitness, and all followed by intensive aptitude testing. Stuff like multitasking (doing stuff that doesn't require any sort of conventional knowledge, at the same time as other stuff that does -- hey, they don't want idiots...), moving a joystick in relation to on screen events, interpreting logic, reaction times, and the like.

Suffice to say, I passed them all with flying colours. The phrase "highest score I've seen in a long time" was mentioned, but that's enough of that :cool:

[Smith6612]

If someone can come up with a way to learn about their motivation/personality and smarts all in one small package/test/ ...something not book related. Little do the colleges ask for a brain capacity test/try to get you to scan your brain and see how active you really are. Now I did not pursue a career related to the brain, but according to my knowledge, the amount of brain activity that shows up, while scanning your brain, can show how well you do in, mathematics related courses compared to non-mathematics related courses...the scan can also show, how physically active you are, how well your speech may be, how much time you spend on the computer/watching tv or reading a book...the scan can show you how fast you read, learn broad concepts or whether you are a righty or a lefty. The scan can show, how tall you are bound to get, or when you'll have a heartattack or whether or not you have a tumor in your head (THE LAST EXAMPLE is the ONLY reason people take these scans)...

I think it's about time someone told the colleges about this "cool" invention...

Well what do you all think about that last paragraph of mine? Too bad, I'm busy learning whatever else I feel like learning...I would not mind working on this concept in the future though...it is bound to bring me loads of cash...and increase revenue of the medical industry/insurance industry. : ) ...

PS...it's not too late to start investing in the medical/insurance industry... Take it from me.

Oh, I didn't mean such a thing in that sense, I assure you. Once I'm more settled over something I just read about a secret copyright agreement that's being written up behind the world's back, I'll post up what I really meant.

[fractalfeline]

I prefer the NMSQT just because it sounds really funny if you try to pronounce it :D Like some sort of absurd insult. "You nimsquat!" :laugh:

I remember being in high school, and everyone was stressing out for the SAT. I didn't study for the thing, didn't look at the SAT Prep Books, and only took it once. And yeah, that morning... cold Saturday mornings aren't really good for my test taking mojo. I remember staring at a few math problems with nothing but blank upstairs... and after getting home and my brain warming up, I was like DOH, I knew that. I probably could have done better if had practiced or something, but I decided I didn't care enough about it to retake it. And many years later, it doesn't seem to have mattered a whole lot what my score was. Perhaps I didn't make it into the really pretentious schools, but I liked the college I ended up at. So all's well that ends well I guess :D

Overrated if you ask me

[xav0989]

Up here in Quebec (in Canada), there is no uniform test between college and university. In the last year of high school, you get a couple of gouvernement-made exam, one for each program you are in. Afterward, the only uniform test is a french test at the end of college (we do 6 years in elementary, 5 in high school, 2-3 in college, and then we have university). At the end of college, the government ranks you relative to your group and the rest of all the students in the province, and depending on which college you attended, your rank can go up.

SAT's do have their advantages, but I kinda prefer the French Canadian method. You basically get ranked for tests you took during 4-5 years.

[adamparkzer]

Just a hint...

What do you all think about SAT Scores...? In my opinion, they show how well you know how to take 1 test, which stupidly determines the college you go to...but what do you all think? Here is America, leaving the students in the hands of a test, that psychologically puts a student in a mood, to DO BAD ON IT....

Have fun with this topic : ) ... hehe.

I don't really care about how the SAT determines how good of a college I get into. I've always been a good test taker, so I do pretty well on all tests, including the SAT. I guess people that have taken a lot of tests before and have test-taking skills are deemed as higher qualified to go to a good college.