Reply to Bad News for Test Prep Parents

Forum Index » Advanced Academic Programs (AAP)

Reply to "Bad News for Test Prep Parents"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]I find it hard to believe any reasonably prudent person in their right mind would not at least take a look at the type of questions that are going to be asked on [b]a test that will so greatly affect one's life.[/b][/quote]

Here is where the confusion lies. The SAT just does not have that huge effect on a person's life in the U.S.  It is only one of many aspects of a college application, and not by any means considered the single most important one. Many schools have made SAT/ACT scores an [b]optional[/b] part of the application package. Lots of schools don't even require the applicant to send in their scores.
Colleges are looking at lots of factors: GPA, rigorousness of curriculum, involvement in extracurricular activities, essays, and sometimes interviews. Test scores are only one part of the picture and in no way are they determinative of anyone's future.  Go to college admissions sessions and one will hear that SAT/ACT scores are not the sole factor in any student's acceptance or denial.
[/quote]

sorry but this is misleading as hell.  So many good posts on these various threads about college admission and they all agree the GPA and SAT are the main criteria.  You need those two to make the cut for further consideration at most competitive schools.  After that, the other things you mention come into play.  But of you up your SAT it will limit your college admissions options and, yes, your life will be affected. Is it a death knell? No, but it will affect your life. [/quote]

Not misleading at all and it confuses people to tell them otherwise.

Most of the big state schools consider GPA and SAT/ACT as their main criteria. The farther up the ranking lists you go, other aspects of the application start to take on more importance in the decision-making process. Most of the high-ranking schools will tell you that the most important part of the application is the GPA and the rigor of the student's course load. [b]A kid who has kept up a high GPA in tough courses is going to do fine on the SAT or ACT.[/b] And if a kid has a low GPA or a high GPA in easy courses? Well, it won't matter how high the scores are for that application. 
An applicant has to have the total package for competitive schools, with test scores being only one part of the whole. A kid with the drive and work ethic to have the GPA in the right courses may benefit from some sample tests and some reading about test strategies, but that kid does not need extensive (and expensive!) prep courses or private tutoring that goes on for months. You can take these tests as many times as you want, so it doesn't matter if you mess up one day. Scores go up just by taking the test again anyway. And no matter how much prep is done, a kid who is scoring in the 500s on each section is not going to raise the score to the 700s by prepping, except maybe in math since that is the easiest section to prep for.

[/quote]

maybe they will, maybe they wont. What if they don't? Then they're going to NoVa or JMU or Mary Washington.   You're going to tell your high GPA kid to just go ahead and leave the SAT score to chance since most kids with high GPA and tough course will do "fine?"  Go ahead, but I think it is lousy advice.[/quote]

I went to a third tier school because of my low GPA, but then transferred to Virginia Tech after one year.  Went on to get my PhD from a major university. I am not worried if my DD does not get into MIT....NoVA is a lot cheaper, and she can transfer[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics