SAT IIs..are they really important?

wannabeariceowlgirl · 02-08-2005, 12:38 AM

this is probably a silly question, but are SAT IIs really important? I've read a lot of articles on the rice website and all they really ask for is better/improvement on the SAT Is for prospective students. I know that book..A is for Admission kinda stress that SAT IIs are important..but is it important for rice as well. I think the SAT IIs are going to screw me over =/....hope not.

Hmm, rereading all my posts on CC...I dont think I will be a good student for rice...I guess I can understand why i will get rejected..hopefully I wont but I think I understandy why.

wannabeariceowlgirl · 02-08-2005, 12:45 AM

oh..i should mention this...while i was taking my SAT IIs, on two of my tests I actually misgrided my answers!! I had to go back and erase a lot of answers and I was not done when the instructor called time...hmmm....i hope rice adcom would think that..oh gosh let them think that....
what am I doing yall? i am making up excuses...i guess i should not be shock if i get rejected..hope not though....

emilia · 02-08-2005, 12:53 AM

Wait, did you just take the SAT IIs and you don't know your scores yet?

But have hope...I had two good SAT IIs (800 writing, 770 molecular bio) and one bad one (650 math IIc) so I'm hoping for the best despite this....

But ultimately your app should be looked at as a whole - your essays, grades, other test scores, recommendations, etc.

tommyy · 02-08-2005, 01:03 AM

Hey... I woudln't worry too much about your SAT IIs. Mine wern't the best (740/740/680) and I was accepted ED. As long as you did relatively well (700+) in the test corresponding to your intended area of study, I think you should be fine. Hope this helped!

wannabeariceowlgirl · 02-08-2005, 01:15 AM

it does..but my score is not in the 700+ nor is it in the 600+...more like middle 500s and below...i think the rest of my application is pretty good or ok...just those darn SAT IIs...but this guy made a 480 on one of his SAT IIs [500-670 or so for the other two] and he got into rice..ed...lucky guy...so lucky...i hope luck is on my side =/

02-08-2005, 01:25 AM

I think SAT IIs are "important" in the sense that they give the adcoms a standard for comparison-- for example, if I hypothetically get a really low score like 500 on the Math IIc test, and you get a 800 on the same test, but we both got As in all of our high school math classes, then it can presumed that your high school is more competitive and rigorous than mine. However, there are a lot of problems with that reasoning, for example, people who know their material well but just aren't great test takers or had a bad day on the day of the exam.

As a result, I'm glad that as long as we get a reasonably good score of 700+, we should be okay and that SAT II scores aren't the world to Rice.

Owlgirl, don't lose hope yet! I have faith in your application. =)

sempitern555 · 02-08-2005, 01:30 AM

me too, I hope all ccers get in

nspeds · 02-08-2005, 01:33 AM

Quote:

but this guy made a 480 on one of his SAT IIs [500-670 or so for the other two] and he got into rice..ed...lucky guy...so lucky...

You must realize that these rare success stories are predicated on other mitigating factors. It would be incoherent to argue that SAT IIs have no bearing on the admissions process because one must view the application in its totality in order to determine its importance. If I possessed a 1600 on the SAT, a perfect High School GPA with a rigorous curriculum, and spectacular extra-curriculars with exemplary essays, the SAT IIs would not count so much, in my opinion. Moreover, if the applicant demonstrates extreme interest in Rice, the adcoms would be more than willing to magnify that respective applicant's successes in lieu of a low SAT II score. I have heard, on numerous occassions, of individuals with SAT scores in the mid to low 1300s getting admitted into Rice, and this is almost always because of some mitigating factor.

nspeds · 02-08-2005, 01:35 AM

It should be noted that perhaps your best tool is to show an extreme interest in Rice. However, how one would accomplish this is beyond me! If you happen to now how, please inform me so I can alter my application accordingly! I have personally done all I am capable of doing in terms of showing extreme interest, from visiting professors to making friends on-campus.

sempitern555 · 02-08-2005, 01:34 PM

ok here is what i should have done

last year wihle listening to a lecture on tape from any college prof I coudl have contacted the prof aboutr a question abotu the lecture and opf course included a note that i'll be applying .

then you could engage in dialogue with the prof

then when sending your app in mention that so and so requested to see your app.. any other questions

wannabeariceowlgirl · 02-08-2005, 04:57 PM

well...to show my interest i wrote the main essay [of course], one additional essay about my life [high school life and it was the same length as the main essay], one additional essay...kinda funny...about me and my silly side [length is the same as the mian essay], and submitted my journal entries [i wrote about how i felt and thought about things in the world...intellectual curiousity..i guess].i also turned in my ECs [of course] i've visited the campus two times and signed in on the sign in thingy...sat in a few classes...had a list full of students i talked to [about seven or so]...did an interview...hopefully all that will do...hopefully!!!
thank you icymoon for having faith in my application...love ya much

wannabeariceowlgirl · 02-08-2005, 05:15 PM

oh... icymoon..for testing taking...i misgrided a few of my answers and had to go back and change them but i could not finish..yeah...you know the rest...also that day...for some strange reason i could not breath...i had to force myself to breath...i had so much air in my lungs but i felt like i was holding my breath...oh gosh.

02-08-2005, 09:53 PM

owlgirl, you remind me of one of my friends. Sometimes she has trouble breathing like you, and she can be quite nervous at times, too. I'm sorry to hear about your misgriding

but at least now you know it won't happen again. best of luck to you!

jprencipe · 02-08-2005, 10:07 PM

Well, I hope my SAT II scores will be at least valued by the Admissions Committee, even if they're not really used for other applicants.

Joey

unclefeezus1 · 02-08-2005, 10:09 PM

My girlfriend didn't have SAT II scores and she was thinking about not applying to the UT Turning Scholars program (which required SAT II's), but I convinced her and she got accepted. Her stats were around/below average for the program (but then again, it probably helped that she was a girl).