thechiz

Can anyone tell me if Colgate is less strict in regards to SAT scores with Canadian students. My SAT's are around 1800, which is less than Colgate's standards, however I have heard that since Canadian's don't learn how to write the SAT's their whole life, they are not require to do as well. Any truth?

tickytock14

Americans don't "learn how to write the SAT's their whole life" either, so no.

bluebayou

since we both speak the same language, and math is math the world around, why would any US college be "less strict" with SAT scores for Canadians? OTOH, colleges are looking for a good group of international students, so a Canadian might have a geographic advantage over a similar stat New Yorker.

thechiz

right. however, although math is math throughout the whole world, most ameican high schools offer courses/preparation on "test taking" skills and such, therefore giving them an advantage, correct?

tickytock14

...no. any resources that Americans have I'm pretty sure most Canadians would have as well.

I've never taken a course on "test taking" skills or anything like that, and neither have most people I know.

jrpar

American high schools don't offer courses on SAT "test taking" skills - you are misinformed. Many internationals do very well on the SAT.

thechiz

ok riddle me this then...why is it that they dont require the same scores from Canadians that they do from americans? there must be some reason right?

jrpar

I don't know where you got this information. If anything, internationals often have higher scores. You should call the Admissions office and ask them.

OniLawliet

^ I second jrpar.

The Canadian high school system is very much alike to the American one. American high schools have no test taking courses, no SAT math classes, no kind of SAT preparation. The SAT is a REASONING TEST that is not dependent on your high school academic skill. Think of it this way; there are students in India and Morocco that will apply to schools such as Colgate and have competitive scores for admission. And we all know their schooling system is different from ours.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but I think the above example should explain things pretty clearly. Yes, being an international from Canada will help you, but it certainly won't up your chances of admission in lieu of an 1800 (which isn't a bad score at all, mind you, just not competitive for Colgate.)

thechiz

So coming from British Columbia, would I have a better chance coming from a place that is less represented on campus?

chocolatelover03

^ I would say that being from British Columbia would be more of a disadvantage. It's difficult enough for American citizens, let alone international applicants.

SS1955

I don't know about Colgate particularly, but I have heard that US schools do take into account that Canadian students do not tend to "prep" as much for the SAT as Americans do. Some American high schools do indeed offer SAT prep courses in the junior year, and there is a lot more awareness in the US of the need to study hard for the test.

Adaman

I agree with SS1955. There is an SAT Prep class offered at my school (but most "top students" don't take it – it takes up a spot on your schedule), and I myself took an outside prep course in between my two SATs. And almost everyone in that class was white, preppy, went to private school, and talked all the time about the last time they got wasted in their very fancy cars.

What I'm saying is that, especially in very affluent areas, there really ARE a lot of opportunities to prepare for the SAT in America. I'm not a Canadian, nor have I ever been there, so I can't say what it's like there, but we definitely get a lot of preparation. Not only that, but the SATs are, as SS1955 said, considered extremely important in America, and therefore it's not hard to be motivated to study really hard, either.

However, I'm not really sure how much Colgate would take that into account. In my experience (and "my experience" is limited to being addicted to CC), many international applicants have exceptional test scores, no doubt as a result of rigorous preparation, etc. It would make sense to me if they downplayed the SAT in international admissions, being aware of the imbalance in preparation, and paid more attention to high school (or secondary school for you Canadians? :-P) performance. Alas, however, the American college admissions system is stupid. Not stupid per se, but it's just horribly stressful and not always fair. Ultimately, I don't know how Colgate deals with this – I'm sure that, as much as the CC "population" is skewed towards higher-achievers for American students, it's even crazier for international students.

Charlotte08

I say definitely hard.

For internationals, this is pretty much what it's like..

It's your senior year, you walk into the SAT testing center for the first time, and you realise.. Oh ****. Maybe you get a second chance the next month to try to boost it up by a couple points.

So for American kids, remember the very first time you opened your SAT prep book, and take a diagnostic test[and yes, many start prepping their sophomore, junior year, or before that]. Did you get a horrible score that's lower than what you ended up on the real thing? And I'm sure the gap is pretty big.

As for those international students with exceptional scores, mind you, many are VERY rich, so they prep years in advance. Their parents have the dough to pay for tuition for 4 years most likely. OR, they've been dreaming about US schools since they're five, needless to say, they've done their research and preparation.

danielcarp17

Well I wouldn't exaggerate so much.

I'm a Honduran student. I scored 1520/2190 on the SAT (one sitting). I did my first practice test one month before the actual test. However, I am very determined and motivated to study in a liberal arts college. My parents are definitely NOT rich and I'm applying for a lot of need-based aid. I did not spend a single dollar on practice tests or prep books.
And I'm sure that many other international students, who are CC members, have similar test scores and backgrounds.

I think Canadians should be treated just like the rest of the international applicants. It is enough that they are considered as Americans for need-based aid in many LAC's. And though it might be true that Canadians are not as accustomed to the SAT's as Americans are, what about the rest of the international students whose native language is not even English?

At least I'm what's considered a "minority." And that's a huge advantage many students from India, Nepal, China, Indonesia, etc would looove to have.