<p>Who needs Kaplan? SSU will develop its own test-prep company, and staff it with student employees.</p>
<p>bruno, the Oxford standards are a joke if they mean to suggest equivalency. They don’t even require AP tests – APs and SAT IIs are interchangeable. I think 700 SAT II << 5 AP < 6 IB SL < AAA A Levels.</p>
<p>JHS,</p>
<p>Yes, I agree that is odd. In any case, despite what the Oxford website says, I believe it is very unusual for a US applicant to be accepted without at least 3 AP exams and a 5-5-5 score.</p>
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</p>
<p>That’s my impression of actual practice, probably based on knowledge of fewer cases than bruno123 knows.</p>
<p>I am not sure I don’t see a place for SSU but it wouldn’t be for my kids- though they may indeed have the scores (or not) but the thing I think SSU would be missing is the “creativity” factor. I don’t think that you can tell just by the top scores if a person can even speak in public, design, develop. The top English Profs hate the SAT’s and AP’s because they aren’t “good” writing just good info. So though there may be a place for such a school I fear that it would be rather boring because the real thing that makes our schools, and our country and our world “ROCK” is our diversity- and not just in skin color.</p>
<p>
Depends. D just took SAT US History & APUSH. The SAT was loaded with questions on picayune facts – no grasp of the flow of history or the relevance of all these little tidbits was needed to do well. It was like a game of trivial pursuit. The APUSH required the student to really demonstrate a solid foundation. </p>
<p>I guess SSU should only go with the SAT subject tests, then. And perhaps require seven or eight be taken. </p>
<p>How about subtracting points for community service hours?</p>
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</p>
<p>Too subjective.</p>
<p>^ That’s interesting (#46). Two years ago, my son thought there was about a 60% overlap between the contents of these tests, i.e., the same exact questions about the same texts.</p>
<p>Didn’t read all of the posts on the thread, but does this mean someone with a 2.0 GPA and a 2400 SAT score would get in over the person with a 4.0 GPA and a 2300 SAT score, assuming all else was equal among categories? That is just wrong. I propose this adjustment to the system.</p>
<p>UW grades
3.74-4.0 is worth 800 pts (one SAT part)</p>
<p>3.0-3.74 is worth 600 pts (not bad, not good)</p>
<p>2.5-3.0 is worth 500 pts (pretty average)</p>
<p>Anything lower is worth 200 pts</p>
<p>This gives room for fluctuation between schools, but still keeps it in consideration.</p>
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</p>
<p>But of course.</p>
<p>I haven’t read the whole thread carefully, but Hunt’s seems somewhat similar to the French Baccalaureat. At the end of 11th grade, all students take the Bac1. Those who pass go on to 12th grade and take the Bac2. All students get tested in all subjects (French; history; two foreign languages–written and oral; math; chemistry; biology; physics; phys ed). The topics are somewhat different for those in different tracks and the grades are also weighted differently, again depending on the tracks (humanities/languages; social sciences/economics; math/sciences). GPAs do not count at all for university admission.
But it should be said that there is no campus life at French universities. It does not matter if you play the viola or soccer.</p>
<p>yuk
this idea is despicable</p>
<p>“does this mean someone with a 2.0 GPA and a 2400 SAT score would get in over the person with a 4.0 GPA and a 2300 SAT score?”</p>
<p>Yes, because SSU’s founders believe that GPAs are too subjective for a fair evaluation of a student’s mastery of the material. Note that the person with a Super-Stat of 6500 will also be admitted before a person with a Super-Stat of 6400, even if the person with a lesser score has cured cancer, performed at Carnegie Hall, received a gold medal at the Olympics, etc. SSU understands that there are other institutions that value such achievements, and are willing to accept persons with lower performance on standardized tests as a result.</p>
<p>My S applied to McGill in Montreal and submitted his SAT1, SAT2 and his GPA. His school may have sent his transcript but I am not certain. The admissions office asked for nothing else.
I think there was a minimum of 680 in all 3 sections but I’m not certain. AP scores were sent over the summer and he walked in with 20+ creidts.</p>
<p>Is McGill full of textureless drones?</p>
<p>Hunt,</p>
<p>LOL. You might be joking, but I like it.</p>
<p>D1 would have been a possible admit and would have seriously considered attending SSU over her present university. D2 (one of those obviously lopsided kids who would be penalized), would not fare so well. I still like SSUs philosophy and mission, as I understand it, which is to standardize the admission process and admit applicants who can work at a very high level across disciplines. </p>
<p>While SSU might miss out on the diamonds in the rough, some very creative kids, and the lopsided geniuses, it would admit some very successful students. Barring the occasional flame out, I would predict that SSU would make for a vibrant community with high achieving students and high graduation rates. Something tells me, though, that SSU might have to look outside of its alumni base to fund its endowment. I just dont see a lot of future wealthy movers and shakers at home there. :)</p>
<p>I personally can’t wait to see the uniforms…I’m picturing something in later Star Trek…</p>
<p>“I just don’t see a lot of future wealthy movers and shakers at home there.”</p>
<p>I think we would generate many successful doctors and lawyers.</p>
<p>I think SSU would have a lot of Wall Street “quants” among its alumni, many making millions per year.</p>
<p>The admission standards are very much like my son’s former IB middle school. It was not a very happy or vibrant place. We count it as a mistake to have chosen sending him there. The girls FAR outperform the boys and currently there is a huge drop out rate among boys. I think it would be better to separate the sexes at this age (off topic I know) and give the boys a very different curriculum.</p>