Shoyz

What?! We've always had 99.95 as the maximum over here... ;x

Score choice, as far as I know, is that you can choose which SAT sitting to send in. Like, you can sit it 5 times, but you can choose just one to send. Bit dumb, but hey.

Your ECs are great because they sort of show some focus. As I said before, I don't believe in chances. =P Since all of this is a huge lottery anyway. You're as competitive as they come, and if you write a killer essay, I'm sure you'll have a decent chance.

Also, your SATs are fine. A 2230 is quite respectable. But with score choice, I guess there's no harm taking em again. I'd also strongly suggest the ACT. Much easier. =P

sora2712

Rest of Australia, yeah?
I wouldn't be as annoyed if they hadn't dumped it on us in the MIDDLE of our HSC...
What happened to forwarning etc.?
+ I feel bad for the people in our grade who would've gotten 100s...
Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank... sigh. Everyone except Queensland's got it now.

So that's score choice? I thought you had to report ALL you scores, for EVERY sitting in your application? Never knew it was voluntary...

Thanks about my 'chance', it's sweet of you to say that... I'm not too worried about the essay, I come across pretty well in my writing, I figure that's how I got published, lol...
But my year9~11 transcript is really, really, bad... ahwell. nothing i can do now.

But amen to that lottery thing, admission to Ivies is crazy...

Yeah, I'll take the SATs again in December, probs...

Is ACT really that much easier?

Shoyz

You used to have to report all your scores, but I remember them changing it very recently. I'm not 100%, but I'm quite sure that's what score choice is.

I found the ACT much easier. The SAT seems to focus more on "natural knowledge", which is a whole load of crap because all the american kids spend hours prepping for it. The ACT focuses more on "studied knowledge", so more on stuff that you do in school; so I think it's better for internationals whose academic life doesn't have the same focus on these tests.

You don't have to spend hours pouring over vocabulary and stuff like that.

I didn't prepare for my tests so take my results with a grain of salt. I got 2110 on the SAT.
(Offtopic, but I hate writing. =P
"Let's see...correct this sentence...Okay. A is bad...B is bad...C is bad...D is bad...must be E then. Hold on a second...E is bad too!")
And I got a 35 on the ACT, which converts to around 2350 on the SAT.

*shrug* Maybe I just got lucky. But I'd take the ACT over the SAT any day.

st.g.i.dragons

yeahh i didnt even know you could do ACT in australia ahah
sucks to me for not researching properly

Shoyz

Haha, I didn't know either actually.

I just went to the local american international school for my SAT, then I saw the students there with an ACT book too! So...2+2 and... xD

Also, for the sake of my dignity. A 35 on the ACT converts to a 2360! ...yeah.

sora2712

2360?!??! woww... how's ACT different from SAT?
because the writing section really pulls me down...

beeish

If you do the ACT you will probably need to do their essay section anyways, most schools require it if you want to take the ACT instead, or like you take the ACT without writing and then the SAT subject test that has writing in it, but I could be completley bullcrapping here. I did the SATs only cause I couldn't be bothered to go out to the American School and do the ACT, besides science psh. and Hey I prepped for the SATs and I self studied so I am pretty happy. I spent hours pouring over those books though, had SOOOO many, but yeah alot of US kids have SAT prep, like tutors and stuff which you CAN get here, at least in Sydney but its SUPER expensive, I spent less on the books then I would have on one prep course here.

But I got 2210 and still got into some decent schools, okay maybe not ivies, but I didn't really want to GO to the ivies and my grades weren't exactly THAT stellar.

Shoyz

Uhh yeah. Most schools want you to do the ACT with writing.

The ACT is nicer in that it has science. But one mistake pulls your marks down by a number--that is, if you make 1 mistake, your mark for that section is 35, if you make 2, it's 34. That goes on till like, 30 or something.

But that said, there are 4 sections, and I found it slightly easier. So...=P No harm trying if you have the money/time, I guess.

And you can use sparknotes to look it over too.

sora2712

science!??!?! i dropped that ASAP, back in yr 11.
i think i'll stick with SATs... lol.
ahwell. cbb to study for ANOTHER kind of test anyhows.
i gotta sit the LNATS in september too... TOT
tQ for info though...

Aininor

Hey guys I've been offered a cadetship position with KPMG and now I'm so confused as to what I want to do A cadetship is where you do a commerce degree while getting a paid salary from kpmg because you're doing part-time study/work for 4 years and at the end of it you wok with them for 2 yrs to get your CA prof qualifications. The thing is you have to sign a contract and you cnat bakc out of it after it starts (Feb 2010) but I only find out aboput US uni decisions in Apr. And I've done some SATs and registered to do more! Anyone in similar situation??

Shoyz

Well, when I say science, I really mean logic puzzles. It's not so much science-y as logical reasoning really.

So you're interested in law in the UK as well?

---

Sucks being on this side of the world sometimes, huh? I really have no idea how to advice you on that apart from asking KPMG for an extension. You could always enter your university first, then leave before the census date to not pay anything--just whether or not KPMG will support that.

If you're interested in accounting, it might be a good idea. KPMG is a good firm with good international opportunities (moving to other offices, I guess) and you'll have job security--definitely a good thing to have in this economy.

What do you intend to do in the US? Why do you want to go to the US?

st.g.i.dragons

dude a cadetship doesnt come around very often. it really depends on what you want to do. a cadetship in accounting virtually guarantees you a job without the financial burden you will fall under by going to college in america. but if its not what you want to do then go uni overseas.

if i was in your situation, i dont know how good KPMG is but, if it is a good firm and stuff like shoyz said, then id take it full stop

Sidfromaus

cadetships arent that rare. about 15 or 20 students from my school are offered them each year. I would say you could ask them to hold off for one more month. Or, even better, as them if they promote MBAs or other masters degrees in top US universities bcoz of they do, then they will partially fund your Masters which will probably be a good bonus for sticking with them.

Otherwise, you could go to a good college in the US, make more money each summer than the cadetship, and be more qualified.

Aininor

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I think the cadetship is really practical and everyone says starting your career at a Big 4 accounting firm is the best way to get ahead. If I were to go USA, I plan to do international relations/economics. And there are def lots of cadetships out there but they're rarer with the Big 4 - KPMG only had 30 cadet spots this year and had several hundred applicants. So statistically speaking getting this was like harder than getting into ivy league lol.

@Sid I'll def ask kpmg about doing postgrad studies since they were always telling us you can travel overseas and we will support you if you want to do your masters etc.

beeish

I would seriously stay with the cadet ship, they all have secondment anyways so you can always work in the US and have a guarenteed position and then make the move over once your position is a little more certain cause like they have offices ALL over the world!

My friend would have killed for a PWC one, she interviewed but didn't get it