<p>
</p>
<p>I know a bunch of 11-13 years olds who can get 700+ in each section in the SAT. I will continue to maintain that the bar is low.</p>
<p>What do you believe it measures, IP? What do you think it is supposed to measure? Are there some accelerated kids who can score well on the test? Sure. That means either they have mastered the information or they are being drilled at a very early age, or both. For what purpose? To prove the test can be mastered? So? That doesn’t mean the educational bar is too low. Some of the very accelerated kids have significant social adjustment difficulties. That is a shame. I’ve seen kids with Aspergers learn/memorize everything there is to know about dinosaurs, locomotives, airplanes, birds, you name it by the time they were 5. All this means is they have the capacity to learn the information. If you are so against the American educational system, why did you chose to come here for your advanced degrees? If it was merely for the diploma, as you suggested elsewhere, you could have gotten that anywhere. These threads seems to be thinly veiled attempts to provide a soapbox to insult, criticize or otherwise degrade aspects of US culture, education. It was also observed that many of the agitator posters also then choose to disable their PM’s so they can’t communicate backchannel.</p>
<p>This kind of dialogue reminds me of the folks who complain about their meal while they stuff their face.</p>
<p>No, the SAT doesn’t fully measure that, which is why they look at essays and personal statements and recommendations and extracurriculars. But you knew that. </p>
<p>Hey, maybe elite US schools “should” use your proposed subject matter entrance exams. Likewise, maybe schools in India or China “should” take extracurriculars into account in admissions. But here’s the beauty of it. If you don’t like a given system, you need not apply there.</p>
<p>PG, Does the SAT even partially measure potential?</p>
<p>Send me a PM, JYM.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>A very interesting observation.</p>
<p>Does that imply that Asians have the lion’s share of the test prep market, books or courses? Or do they go for the cheap stuff because they cannot or are unwilling to pay for private tutors? And do Asians include Russians and Iranians?</p>
<p>Do you think the SAT measures potential, IP? Do you think it is a benchmark for how a student will perfom in college?</p>
<p>
No thanks, IP. Was just making an observation about several agitas-type posters. It isn’t always about you :)</p>
<p>So, what do you think the SAT measures?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Every single Asian kid I know has test prep books. I remain amused. That said, Asians do not have the strength in numbers to drive the billion dollar+ supplemental education industry. Go to any SAT prep course and the majority are not Asians.</p>
<p>
Data?? Or is this just an assumption?</p>
<p>Elite colleges aren’t interested in admitting more than a handful of overprepped dutiful dorks who are taking the SAT at age 11 instead of running and jumping and playing and doing all the things a normal 11 year old should be doing. Really. It’s not a race to see who gets to the 700 on the math SAT first. It’s perfectly fine if a kid doesn’t take the SAT til junior year. </p>
<p>Anyway, I’m not convinced these supposed kids do anything one bit better or grander in life than kids who do kid-things as kids, high school things as high schoolers, and go on off to good colleges. I get that your culture values high test scores in and of themselves. Our culture values smarts combined with leadership and personality. Frankly, we consider having an 11 yo take the SAT pretty dorky unless there is a specific purpose in mind such as qualifying for a summer program that requires it.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>I’d guess more the former. When you drive through heavily-Chinese neighborhoods in Los Angeles nearly every little strip mall will have a Chinese restaurant, a bank, and a store-front SAT prep school.</p>
<p>Interesting observation, coureur.</p>
<p>Lakes42,
I obviously did not go through the college prep row inquiring as to the background of every person standing there. That said, my family has roots that go back to Russia. Does that mean I added to the asian population in the SAT prep aisle? (I was looking at the latest version of the Yale Daily New’s insiders guide to colleges. I LOVE that book!)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Looking through the windows of the local Kaplan and Princeton Review and Ace and all the other nonsense.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you drive through the streets of my lily-white upper middle class suburban neighbourhood with two great public high schools, you see the same.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s neither here nor there. Fact remains that the exam is at middle school level.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It measures nothing in my view. However, high performers also have great SAT scores. It is like this - great atheletes usually eat well, but not everyone who eats well becomes a great athlete. By itself SAT would be pretty meaningless. In that, I agree with the likes of HYPSM, who apparently routinely discard 2400 SAT scorers.</p>
<p>
Really? Where I live the clases are taught in either private free-standing facilities, conference rooms of office buildings or places of worship, etc. There is no way a stranger would be walking by a streetfront facility peering in windows at the attendees. Thats really kinda creepy, and not very believable.</p>
<p>As for the SAT, it seems to be backwards. Just because some middle schoolers can score well on it does not mean it is a test at the middle school level.</p>
<p>And not to forget that these middle schoolers taking the tests are typically labeled gifted.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My son has classes next door to two of these places. I meet the kids in the lobby all the time. Few are Asian.</p>