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SATs, College, and me (uh, help)
Local H Jay
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, I just got a hold of my SAT scores from last june. I have no idea how good I did. Please help me:
Crit. Reading: 590 (in the 77th pecentile)
Math: 530 (54%)
Writing: 500 (52%)
I did a writing section but can't see a score for my work there (and the above writing was gramatical questions and paragraph fixing).
Mostly, I want to know where I stand. I'm a B-C student and I have pretty much zero cash. My mom, step dad, and dad would help, but that'd probably come to either them paying 1/4 (mom/stepdad) and dad 1/4, leaving half to me. So, after I get a job, what should I look for in the way of financial support? Loans? etc..
Have no idea for colleges, I am looking at what the college board website is suggesting. Any ideas? I'm looking into Graphic Design major with maybe a writing or journalism minor (if you can even do that)?
So yeah, any help would be greaaaaaat.
Edit: says I have two subscores: 51 for Multiple choice, 7 for essay.
Crit. Reading: 590 (in the 77th pecentile)
Math: 530 (54%)
Writing: 500 (52%)
I did a writing section but can't see a score for my work there (and the above writing was gramatical questions and paragraph fixing).
Mostly, I want to know where I stand. I'm a B-C student and I have pretty much zero cash. My mom, step dad, and dad would help, but that'd probably come to either them paying 1/4 (mom/stepdad) and dad 1/4, leaving half to me. So, after I get a job, what should I look for in the way of financial support? Loans? etc..
Have no idea for colleges, I am looking at what the college board website is suggesting. Any ideas? I'm looking into Graphic Design major with maybe a writing or journalism minor (if you can even do that)?
So yeah, any help would be greaaaaaat.
Edit: says I have two subscores: 51 for Multiple choice, 7 for essay.
Local H Jay on
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And okay well, guess I'll retake the SATs then, too.
How bad did I do?
It makes more sense to start looking now so he knows what kind of loans are available, whether or not he'll need a cosigner, what kind of interest rates are out there and who's offering the best ones. It makes more sense to become knowledgeable about the loan process now than to wait until he has a month to make his decision and then has a month to come up with the money for school.
FAFSA is best done online. Visit studentaid.ed.gov for all the info you need. And it's not that you did bad but you did meh. You typically do better the second time you take them as most students aren't prepared for the test process itself or are a bundle of nerves.
EDIT to add: I can't stress enough how helpful early planning and learning all you can is. I was the first in my fam to go to college and loans/finaid/everything was confusing at first. The more time you have to figure things out the better informed you'll be when you make your choices and you'll make better ones.
Well, you didn't actually do badly, you just didn't do well. Do you understand how percentiles work?
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Going by the percentiles you gave, you did a bit above average. That means you can probably get into most of the public schools in your state. If that is what you want to go to then you don't really need to retake it, but it won't hurt to do so. If you want to go to a top 100 school then you'll definitely want to retake it. If you haven't decided yet then retake it anyways. The college board website has statistics on the average SAT scores of different schools.
And yes, I get percentiles, but was unsure if I'm better or worse than that percentage.
Fill out your FAFSA first things first. Then you can find out what your EFC and SAR will be and get an idea of how much the government is willing to assist you with. Depending on income you might qualify for Pell Grants which can cover a big chunk of community college if you can't. Does your state do the lottery? If so they have a lottery scholarship program as well. This program qualifies to a large percentage of people in the state and they aren't nearly as stringent with requirements as other scholarships are. You'll find out if you qualify for this (if it is indeed available) when you get the results from your FAFSA.
Avoid private loans like the plague if possible. These are an absolute last ditch effort. If you get loans you want loans that are subsidized by the government. What that means is that you don't pay any interest on the loans while you are enrolled. After you graduate you get a grace-period to find work before you begin paying the loans off. Subsidized loans also come with good interest rates. The Stafford loans are something like 5-6% and the Perkins loans are something like 4%. The other good thing is that in the end you can get these loans consolidated to an even lower interest rate. Private loans do not have any of these features as they are offered by shitfuck banks that just want to make monies. Keep in mind that our current administration is fiercely trying to get rid of the Perkins program. The federal government slashes the budget for that program every year and they intend to do so until its gone completely. Another note about these loans is that they do not offer very much to 1st and 2nd year students. You won't actually start getting a significant amount until your junior year.
Finally, if you're still coming up short on money to pay (and at this point if you are you really need to think about the institution you've chosen and why the fuck it costs so much) check out www.fastweb.com
I'm sort of 50/50 on this place but they have done some good. They'll find lots of scholarships and whatnot that apply to you and notify you about them. Many of them appear to be lame in that they are only $250 or somesuch but those $250 scholarships are the easiest to get. Often times these go completely under the radar and get few or no applications to them. Three semesters ago I won seven of those things by just writing one page essays for each. The money really adds up.
Shogun Streams Vidya
also superthanks for all help so far.
Edit: but yeah to echo everyone else here, FAFSA and take your SAT again. It's structured easy/moderate/hard (as in the order) so question 1 is easiest and the last is hardest, which should help you when planning the way you're gonna go about taking it.
On the other hand those SAT scores and grades should also be enough to get you into a not-bad state school, which will be (sort of) affordable with federal loans. Fill out the FAFSA and see how much aid you are eligible for, then compare that to what it will actually cost you.
Oh, and if you are interested in graphic design, community college might even be a better option, as they tend to focus on more practical/technical skill sets. As for minors in writing or journalism, you are probably basically going to want to minor in English and then focus on those classes that have to do with your interests, as well as getting involved in whatever journalism or writing activities are going on on your campus.
EDIT: http://www.commnet.edu/
and it looks like most of the campuses have some sort of graphic design program, there are a couple of journalism certificates in there as well.
The SAT is not an indicator of academic success and is an indicator of only a very specific (yet nebulous) potential. In short, it doesn't mean jack shit to who you are. But, it is a hoop you must jump through in order to get in to college. So, treat it like any other activity: the more you practice it, the better you will inevitably do. Go out and buy a Kaplan book and drum out lots of practice tests. There are a couple of books with info regarding specific test taking info and mental tricks. Those tricks and strategies are awesome and simple.
I live in manhattan around Morningside heights and I see a fair number of test prep programs. If you can scrape the cash together, you might be able to get into a course (the more professional, the better, I wouldn't skimp too much).
If you want some general test taking tips, I used to be an SAT prep course teacher and Tutor. I also have taught English, so PM me if you're desperate.
Also, make sure you eat.
And remember to breathe.
As far as the SAT goes, here are average scores for different types of schools (all scores are Math + Reading):
1000-1200 = decent large state school
1200-1400 = very good state schools and many small private liberal arts schools
1400-1500 = top tier schools (Ivy League and comparable institutions)
With Bs and Cs, it will be tough to get into the better private schools. You've got a decent chance at getting into good public schools, especially in-state.
Schools will ONLY see your best SAT test, if you take it multiple times. So you can take it as often as you want, barring time or money constraints. You could also take the ACT, many schools accept that instead and it's a bit different (SAT is more general, ACT is about specific subject matter), so you could do much better (and if you do worse, you don't need to submit it).
The SATs aren't a hard exam. If you learn the format of the test and get yourself prepared for the types of questions they like to give you, it really shouldn't be hard to get 600s and 700s. With B-C level grades you won't be getting into anywhere super fancy, but high SAT scores can open up all sorts of financial aid options.
Seriously, buy a prep book and retake the test. It'll be worth it.
This is true. I'm not much of a math person, but I did a few practice tests, bought a book, and studied with my friends who went to tutoring centers to get help for their SATs (and asked them questions), and I ended up scoring higher than them. Spend like 30 minutes to an hour a day and I think you'd be fine.
Also, when I took practice tests, I did the whole thing as close to the letter as possible (breaks, how long each segment is, etc), so I was used to pacing myself. I also think I got a good score because I learned the "ins and outs" for the SATs, those simple little test tricks you learn helped me go a long ways.
This is good advice, but out of date - for the past few years SAT scores have been out of 2400 (and i think many fewer places require the SAT II).
I, OP, like you, am not so hot at math. The trick is to leverage your strengths and get a high verbal score. I was able to get into a good school because, even though I sucked at math (and still do...got out of calc with a skin-of-my-teeth C-), I got an 800 verbal SAT. A good SAT score (especially a good all-around score) can forgive bad grades, and it helps if you show improvement over time.
As another piece of advice, you should never, ever, discuss SAT scores when you get to school. Either you got a higher score and you make it seem like you're trying to belittle them, or they got a higher score, and you make it seem like you tried to belittle them and failed.
I can also highly recommend MTAT, especially as I used to be a teacher/tutor for them and currently own the Dallas location.
If you have any questions about the test, scores, etc. feel free to PM me.
You should absolutely take the test again, however.
The thing about the math section is that it isn't really a math test. I used to do practice sections with my classes, and I would do them without a calculator and still finish before the students. More than anything, it's actually about reading comprehension: determining what the question is asking you to do, and doing it. This is especially true for the later questions in each section; they do go from easy to hard, but the math doesn't get harder, the questions get harder to interpret. If you take a class or buy prep books, you'll learn all sorts of excellent strategies to pinpoint types of questions and typical tricks they spring on you.
Two important things: SLOW DOWN and SKIP. Since the first questions are easier, spend more time on them to be sure you get them right. There is no reason that someone with your score should be trying to answer all the questions; there's no bonus for getting to the end, and you're more likely to make mistakes. If you get a question wrong, that's 1/4 point off. If you skip it, no harm, no foul. So if you're totally confused by a question, skip it and come back.
A class or a book will give you more specific help, but those are two basic tips. Good luck.
Short answer: Probably, but depends on the college. I believe that SAT scores are generally considered acceptable going back about five years, but yours are probably expired, so if the college absolutely requires them then you'd have to take the SAT again.
You should consider community college. It is a great option, it saves a ton of money, provides decent education, and most community colleges have transfer programs.
Statistically speaking, you should only not answer a question if you can't eliminate at least one answer. People are far too scared of the 1/4 point "penalty" for answering a question incorrectly. This penalty is not there because the test makers are sadistic bastards; it's there to eliminate any advantage gained via random guessing. If you can eliminate at least one answer, you should absolutely guess. If you can't eliminate any of the answer choices, move on and don't waste time.
As far as slowing down goes, this is also decent general advice on the math section. On the Critical Reading, however, the reading questions do NOT come in order of difficulty. You should do your best to finish the CR sections, as you have no way of knowing where the easy questions are. Practice tests to work on your time management pay off big here - you need to know when you're spending too much time on a question.
The writing skills section is sort of unusual in that it's broken up into 3 parts that each act like a mini-section. If you get stuck on some of the hard questions at the end of each part, skip to the next. Also, don't freak out about the "No Error" answer choice - it's no more common and no less common the other choices (approx. 1 out of every 5 questions).
To prepare: Buy the official Collegeboard SAT Study Guide. It's typically available at your local giant bookstore, too. The first half of the book is essentially useless, but there are 8 practice tests in there.
If you'd like, send me a PM - we can set up a Skype/Vent session at some point, and I'll answer any questions you have and give you some tips for half an hour or so.
This is a good point. You mentioned that you were in CT so I'll use that state as the example. For some reason, Southern actually accepts less community college credit than some of the private schools. I have no idea why but there it is. Another thing to keep in mind about the SATs and doing well enough to get into the State schools: If you intend to go to UConn, it's actually harder to get into than most schools in the country (even though it's a State university). How times have changed. When I went off to college, UConn was a dump.
Get down a strategy and practice it. I mean, everything from when you're filling out bubbles, to how you're eliminating questions, and everything, so that it becomes automatic. For example, I would circle all the answers on a page and then fill out the bubbles for that page at once before i went to the next page so I wouldn't skip a question by accident. Don't be afraid to skip questions though...
But yeah, practice and retake it. The SATs are, sadly, things that can be practiced the shit out of so that people who prepare enough can do quite well.
Thanks, I'm going to sign up for the Nov. SATs tommorow, and start looking at practice books.
It's funny you mention UConn, since there are posters for that school all over my high school.
For Connecticut, is there any specific benefit for going to college in-state? I know some state colleges (i guess not UConn) have tuitions that are cheaper for state resisdents (typing this out this seems like a lie, and wish i could recall where i heard that).
A lot of schools don't count the writing portion. Apparently they don't think there's enough data yet that high SAT writing scores have a correlation with success at writing college essays. Depending on the school, the writing portion may be as important as the other two or it may not matter at all. This is up to date as of about 6 months ago, when I applied to school.
This is all true. For the reading section, the best bet is to figure out what kinds of questions YOU are good at and focus your energy on those first.
I was trying to be succinct and let him get a book, but I guess I can throw some more stuff in here.
One way to twist your thinking to SAT-think is to realize that it is always easier to find wrong answers than right ones. The wrong ones will always be definitely wrong for a specific reason, while the right ones won't always sound very right. It often helps to underline or circle what makes an answer wrong, so you can cross it out without hesitation.
For the sentence completions, don't plug in the answer choices and go by how they sound. Ignore the answer choices completely, fill in your own word, then match your word to the answer choice that is closest in meaning.
For the reading comp section, there are a few general types of questions: vocab, fetch and figure it out. The vocab ones are pretty self-explanatory: they give you a word, you tell them what it means in context. For those, do the same thing as for a sentence completion: pretend it's a blank, fill in your own word, and match your word to the answer that is closest in meaning. The fetch questions make you go back to the passage and paraphrase something, i.e. say what it means. Try to answer in your own words (BRIEFLY) and match your answer to the ones they provide. The others tend to be catch-all stuff like "what is the author trying to say" or "with which of these statements would the author agree" and basically you just go back to the text and look for something that paraphrases one of the answer choices. Do these questions last because they take the longest.
Fun tip: the specific questions (vocab and fetch) are presented in the order they occur in the passage, so the answer to question 2 will probably be between the answers for questions 1 and 3.
Funt tip #2: NEVER go with an answer choice that is almost identical to something you read, because it will be different in a subtle way that makes it wrong. The right answer will always be paraphrased from the text. This is actually good because it means the answer must ALWAYS be in the text somewhere. But, as previously mentioned, it's easier to find the wrong answers than the right ones because they will always contradict the text in some way.
Just looking around google, I found several websites:
This is an info page for Connecticut CC students who want to transfer to a four-year university in-state. On the page itself are a couple links to Connecticut universities that have transfer agreements and what they are.
Everybody is different, and some people really need/want the full four-year university experience. However, if you are somewhat serious about your education and know for the most part that you are going to school specifically to learn something and pick up a degree, then the CC-transfer option is hard to beat. My SAT score was not requested from the university I transferred to, and just browsing around on those websites I posted, it is not necessary for Connecticut universities if you have 45 credits (about 3 semesters of full-time classes) under your belt at the time of your application. What you will have to do is do well at your CC, which I found extremely easy but can become a bit hard if you're working full-time too. Just like any higher education, community college requires you to have the self-motivation to go to class and manage your time effectively (a surprisingly difficult task for many freshmen).
I dunno...personally I think standardized tests are not the greatest thing on earth - an opinion which thankfully is mitigated by the fact that there's almost always a way to get where you want to be without worrying about them.
In terms of financing, definitely apply to FAFSA and ask around about loans. I know people have said to avoid private loans, but sometimes the cost of the school exceeds that of what the government may provide. In that case, it's your judgement whether or not you think the school that you will attend will give you a good enough job to pay the loans back. If you have the drive to succeed and work hard, then taking private loans shouldn't be a concern (although they do hurt - trust me!)
Community college is an option for many people, and could be for you. However, if you have heavy ambition, and are in a position with help from financial aid, parents, loans, and school to attend a university - then go for that. I would seriously recommend taking these concerns to a college counselor at your high school. They are the single most important link between you and colleges and every free moment you have not studying should be sucking up to them (sycophant - there's a vocab word for you). With their support (assuming you are able to get them fighting for you), extracurricular activities, part time jobs, interviews, and teacher recs, there is a good chance that you can direct admissions' 'focus' away from a mediocre SAT score and average grades. Push your good attributes hard and downplay the bad - common sense yes, but in practice it's hard