Did atrocious on the SAT; SAT Optional Suggestions?

Parents Forum
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<p>Keep in mind that college is only 4 years of your life. </p>

<p>You should not think of courses going to “waste” if you aren’t able to go to the college you most prefer. You should be focused on your education, and you should be enrolling in classes that challenge you and enhance your knowledge, not because they look good on a transcript, but because your goal is to develop your mind.</p>

<p>I’ve also got some hard news for you: if you are going to a reasonably good high school, taking a mix of regular, honors and AP courses, and have to work very hard to keep up and get a mix of A’s and B’s… then college is going to be difficult too. </p>

<p>I think that you are a good person and you can achieve your goals, but you need to focus on your end goals. Yes, a small college with small classes seems more within your comfort level – but the goal is a degree. People get their degrees through many different routes, very often starting out at colleges they are not very fond of. The undergraduate college you attend is not the be-all or end-all of life. Maybe you will start out at a school you don’t like and be able to transfer to a better school later on; maybe you will get a 4 year degree from the college you hate, but do well enough to pursue a graduate degree at a much better school. Maybe you’ll decide to take time off and work somewhere along the way, and you will find that your prospects are somewhat different if you are entering or finishing college as an older, nontraditional student. I don’t think you have to make all the decisions now, but you may have some choices to make next year – and if you really, truly don’t like the college choices you face next spring, you may really want to consider a gap year. </p>

<p>If I were you, I’d pick one test or the other (SAT / ACT) – and study intensively for that test, and then retake it. I’d lean toward the ACT because its a shorter test, but you can figure out which one you are more comfortable with and then give it your very best shot. Get some test practice books, do the tests, and try to figure out where you are going wrong. If you can’t figure it out, get some help – if your parents aren’t willing or able to pay for a tutor, then find some kid in your school who did well on the tests and ask him or her to give you some pointers. </p>

<p>Outside of the tests, do you feel that you have to work harder or struggle more to get the same things done than other students? For example, is reading strenuous for you, or do you find that you have to read and reread repeatedly to make sense of it? Or do you have other tasks that seem unusually difficult for you? You may have an undiagnosed learning disability, and if your test scores don’t come up with self-prep, you might want to talk to a counselor at your school about arranging testing. Legally, a public school is required to screen for learning disabilities when a student or parents have reason to request it, but it can be tough sometimes to get the school to follow through.</p>

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<p>Some folks just don’t do those tests well.</p>

<p>My younger d. has close to a 4.0 GPA at a college where she is under the 25th percentile among attending students. She took the ACT three times, used Xiggi’s techniques to study, and did worse each time. Luckily, she had a lot going for her in admissions. Now she is applying to graduate school. She did even worse on the GMAT than on the ACT. Her graduate school of choice called her up and asked if they could waive the GMAT, so they wouldn’t have to look at it! (and take it off their books in terms of average for accepted students). They want her that badly.</p>

<p>It just is what it is. My d. doesn’t work any harder than many students. The tests just rely on a particular skill set that (to date) she has yet to master.</p>

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<p>I’m in college now and I still do the question of the day on College Board- it’s good to keep the mind stimulated :)</p>

<p>I personally did much better on the ACT than the SAT. To me, the format was easier to handle and I’m a science/math person anyway, so the science section was nice to have. I also never took a prep class but I had books for both.</p>

<p>I’d suggest what many others have said- take a little bit of time every day to work on SAT prep for 15 or 20 minutes. You’d be surprised how much time you actually have in the day when you schedule yourself.</p>

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<p>Thanks again everyone. Jym you asked what I DO WHAT. I want the following:

  1. An Open Curriculum (less core requirements)
  2. LAC in an urban area (Northeast, Midwest, California, Florida)
  3. Decent Tuition/Financial Aid
  4. Small Class Sizes
  5. Liberal/Open Minded Atmosphere
  6. Strong in the Social Sciences
  7. Small/Medium Size School</p>

<p>I have considered Oglethorpe before and I do like it. I’ve spoken with a freshman from N.Georgia and he said there aren’t many non ROTC students. I really don’t like that type of atmosphere. He said it is very segregated with the ROTC/non ROTC students. Is there any other private college which is similar in price? Flagler College is a great deal financially.</p>

<p>Calmom: All of my classes do challenge me, but at times it can get stressful. The only college prep class I am in is math excluding drama. I was in accelerated math freshman year, but it went way too fast. I am in AP Classes with mostly gifted kids. I am NOT gifted by any means. I have to try very hard to get a 3.4. It does not come to me. My mother was the same way. She had to work very hard, it is not natural intelligence. My younger brother does not have to study and he can ace a test. I can study for several hours and still fail. I study an hour for APUSH just to get a 50 on a quiz (all fill in the blank, no word bank). My friends don’t study at all and will still get a 50. These are <em>gifted</em> kids though and not regular average joe’s. I don’t really study every day though, so that’s a problem. My mother was very smart, but went to community college to save money. Her parents actually moved her to Miami from New York right before her senior year. She went to community college and then transfered to the University of South Florida. She was an early education major, but she thought college WAS MUCH easier than high school. She is 40, so she isn’t that old either. She worked like me in high school and still thought it was harder. My father was never book smart and went to three different 4 year colleges, but never graduated. I have a lot of friends in college (freshman, sophomores, juniors) and they all think college is much easier. However, they all attend state schools in Georgia but my friend goes to the University of Illinois- UC and she thinks it is easier than high school.</p>

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<p>When I took the SAT/ACT, I did have trouble focusing. I had so much on my mind that it was hard to read all of the passages. I tend to find reading harder when I’m under pressure and I skip a lot of important details. I never have trouble with reading at home, but I tend to over-think a lot of questions. I honestly feel that I had too much on my mind. I didn’t stress myself out, but I was thinking about other things when I took the test. I also have given up a little this semester. My grades are not as great because I feel all my effort I have done is useless. I know my hard classes will pay off in the end, but is it worth all the stress? This semester I haven’t had much stress because I haven’t cared as much. It feels as though I am a senior waiting for college. </p>

<p>I have talked about VSU with my father and he even thought it was a joke. He knows it isn’t the best school and thinks I can do better. My mother is a teacher and doesn’t think community college is bad because she did it and she is fine. Her friend went to NYU and became a teacher and is still in debt (now in late 30’s). My APUSH (Vanderbilt alumni) teacher thought NYU was a state school btw. My father isn’t realistic with college because he thinks I will just get financial aid and everything will be happy go lucky. He cannot believe some of the prices of colleges though. He is a healthcare recruiter and owns his own business. There are times when he makes good money, but other times when we are living out of our savings. My mother doesn’t want to go back to work, she wants to stay home with my sister. My father said he could afford 20k a year, but that was before the recession. He really has no idea now because his income is not stable. My parents are lucky my older brother is going out of state for college. My parents notice how hard I work and want it to pay off. My father’s dad was a lawyer so he had the money for college, but my family is pretty middle class.</p>

<p>I have always been a bad test taker. In school, people will do great and I will do bad on some tests. However, there are other tests where I do great and everyone else does terrible.</p>

<p>Also, if I went to VSU would graduate schools care where I went? Would it really matter if I transferred to UGA if I really loved VSU? I really want to talk to a counselor at my school who has known me since freshman year. She knows how ambiguous I am. I wanted to go to Bard College at Simon’s Rock when I was a freshman.</p>

<p>Do you think a decent but not great LAC is even worth all this money when I can go to college for a lot cheaper here?</p>

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<p>"Thanks again everyone. Jym you asked what I DO WHAT. I want the following:

  1. An Open Curriculum (less core requirements)
  2. LAC in an urban area (Northeast, Midwest, California, Florida)
  3. Decent Tuition/Financial Aid
  4. Small Class Sizes
  5. Liberal/Open Minded Atmosphere
  6. Strong in the Social Sciences
  7. Small/Medium Size School</p>

<p>If you were/are female, Smith fits every one of your requirements (it is not quite urban, but in a really fun, hip town.) (and is SAT optional - because they found, after years of study, it wasn’t a good predictor of college performance.)</p>

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<p>I am a guy mini, lol. However, I wouldn’t mind going to a college with mostly girls. AKA: Sarah Lawrence</p>

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<p>I would just underline the fact that the kids with whom you are competing now will be quite average–not gifted–when you get to college. So do try to choose a school where you can keep up. If you have a 3.1 GPA, because again that’s how they’ll look at it, choose a school where you can do it. Especially if you’re already working hard and tired.</p>

<p>Have you considered this one? It’s not an LAC but believe me, it will probably feel like one:</p>

<p>[The</a> Evergreen State College](<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/TheEvergreenStateCollege.aspx]The”>Evergreen State College - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews)</p>

<p>If you want liberal, no frats, lots of hippies, lots of freedom, and practically no core courses… it’s a dream. $17k for out of staters. Not Cali, but in Olympia which is a very cultured city and not far from Portland.</p>

<p>It is a love-it-or-hate-it school, though.</p>

<p>Average incoming GPA is 3.1 but notable alumni…</p>

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<p>Great place! (it’s my local school! And students work hard.)</p>

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<p>[Evergreen</a> State College profile - SAT Scores and Admissions Data for Evergreen State College](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegeprofiles/p/evergreen-state-college.htm]Evergreen”>Evergreen State College Admission: SAT, Acceptance Rate)</p>

<p>Come to think of it, if you’re a hard worker with a passion who doesn’t test well, this might be an ideal fit for you. If anything is unlike Georgia… Olympia is. Evergreen makes Portland look like a bunch of East-Coast uptight fascists by comparison. LOL I spent many weekends there with friends who attended. It was amazing and shocking at the same time, but has its own prestige.</p>

<p>Mini, I should have noticed–Olympia! :D</p>

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<p>My unweighted GPA is around a 3.2/3.3 (not positive). My ACADEMIC GPA is a 3.1. The kids I am competing now will probably end up at UGA/Georgia Tech. </p>

<p>I have heard of Evergreen State, but I am not hippy at all. I couldn’t fall into any category. I’ve heard Evergreen has a lot of non traditional students. I will consider it though, but it seems to have a large % of admittance. Is it outdoorsy? I am not outdoorsy at all, but I am on the swim team. I am very environmental friendly either haha.</p>

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<p>You could always become a hippie. :smiley: Maybe you aren’t one now because it’s too much of a burden to be one in Georgia. You wanted liberal, urban, cultured, costal, liberal arts, strong in social sciences, small-medium size, and small class sized, and this gets you all that.</p>

<p>You don’t have to be a hippie to attend. You just have to be genuine and passionate. People will accept nearly anyone so long as they are open-minded and earnest. Another plus is that although it has a high tuition as you’re OOS, the cost of living in that area is quite low compared to the northeast and Cali.</p>

<p>Okay, enough about Evergreen… I just think it might be a good alternative option and yes, high acceptance rate.</p>

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<p>Thanks again Mme! It may be a good option. Does anyone else think Evergreen should be a good fit? How many colleges should I apply to? I still want to apply to some instate schools, but I may apply to SAT Optional Colleges too even thought it may not work out. I don’t want to look back and go “what if.” However, I will be realistic when it comes down to where I should attend.</p>

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<p>The problem w/ Sarah Lawrence (and Smith, if you were a girl) is that many of the successful applicants have very high gpa and more rigorous course-loads than you present, early_college. </p>

<hr>

<p>Mini, I agree that some people, like your D, e are just poor test-takers; but your D had a 4.0 gpa and OP’s gpa is considerably more modest. Also, OP here doesn’t want to study for SAT/ACT on the weekends, which I suspect was not the case with your D. And SLC is at the top of his list b/c students don’t receive grades . . . .</p>

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<p>I didn’t want to study for the SAT/ACT on the weekends because I felt that even if I do improve it won’t be enough to get decent financial aid. I will probably take the ACT again. And SLC is not on the top of my list because they don’t receive grades. I love everything about the college. I like that it is so close to NYC and their structure for learning.</p>

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<p>

OP, are you concerned you couldn’t compete for graduate programs? Graduate programs are familiar with colleges that don’t provide explicit grades to students and can evaluate them.</p>

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<p>Op menat that SLC is on the top of his list, but not b/c of the absence of grades. </p>

<p>“I love Sarah Lawrence’s structure. I love the round table’s and the group discussion. I also like schools which do not give letter grades.” </p>

<p>I’m sorry early_college, working hard for a 3.1 gpa in your academic courses suggests that you will struggle at the more rigorous schools (the ones that meet 100% of need). I agree w/ calmom and mini that many schools will overlook a single weakness - - a friend’s D, also weak in math (algebra II as a jr and 520 SAT/math), was admitted to and did very well at Bates, but she had a 3.7 gpa (4.0 her last 3 semesters of high school). Your profile (which, I believe included low AP scores), however, suggests more than a single or isolated area of weakness. AND a more profound weakness. </p>

<p>I think calmom hit the nail on the head - - your primary concern should be affordability. If you don’t have the stats for the 100% need schools, focus on in-state publics and maybe apply to a couple of the 100% need schools (I don’t think that includes SLC).</p>

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<p>Erin: No, foolish said that I only wanted to go to SLC because they don’t receive grades. I said that isn’t true. I like SLC for a variety of different reasons.</p>

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<p>OP: Remember that particularly in these hard economic times, state schools with less than stellar reputations may be attracting brighter students who need to commute due to financial considerations. Also, I suggest you think long and hard about adding rural LACs to the mix. Few LACs are in urban areas, and rural schools have a lower COA. You probably won’t be able to afford city attractions and will be bummed out that you can’t join the full pays for their nights on the town. Instead, seek out more rural LACs with the liberal students you seek and that have a vibrant campus community with a lot of activities going on.</p>

<p>You can research colleges this summer. NOW, you MUST concentrate on your classes, grades, and ACT/SAT study. Demanding classes will better prepare you for higher education, and threatening to slack off to take easy classes makes you come across as a petulant child, versus a young adult preparing for college.</p>

<p>Only you know how hard you are willing to work and how much you are willing to sacrifice free time and fun. It is hard to see others achieving the same results or greater with less effort. But hey, that is life. Some people have talents that do not show up on test scores or grades; you will have to wait for that, unfortunately.</p>

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<p>SLC does give grades and the grades are on the transcript. It simply does not distribute the grades to the students unless they ask (at least in theory – it’s likely that students can retrieve their grades via whatever computer system is in place for their records – in the old days, before everything was computerized, a student would have had to go to the registrar to get a copy of their transcript.). But definitely there will be grades handed off to grad schools.</p>