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Eloquent Conversationalist
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 Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:35 pm
Anyone care explaining to an outsider what an SAT is? I know it's some kind of standardized test, but what does it test? Which subjects? And at what age and why do you take it?
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:40 pm
Oh sure!
In America, every student in high school, who intends to go on to a college or university, has to take the SAT. (For the east coast at least, I think there's an equivalent test for the other coast). It stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Its divided into two major sections, mathematics, and literary. Tests anything from really basic, to really advanced mathematical skills, from pre-algebra up to calculus.
The literary tests for reading comprehension, writing, and vocabulary mostly.
Colleges here in the US ask students to list their score, and each school usually have a minimum you need to achieve in order to get accepted to school. Its one of the major contributing factors to your admission. Along with grades, application essay, if your family attends that school/works there, how much community service/extra curricular activities your perform... the list goes on.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:50 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:06 pm
Wow Tana! That's crazy! What for?
@Mou: To sum up SATs in one word: DOOM
SATs test your math skills, reading comprehension, and writing ability. ACTs also do this. There are also SAT subject tests for like biology or a language.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:08 pm
My girlfriend and I have been planning on moving there for a while; we just finally found a place we wanted to live in is all.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:25 pm
The SATs/ACTs aren't too bad, but I did both with the essay parts included. On the SAT, the essay subject matter was "What is happiness?". On the ACT, the essay subject matter was some political gibberish.
Oh, Italy!
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:42 pm
*laughs* I'm kind of a random person that's talking to you guys. *laughs again* I like Italy. I plan on going there maybe someday. biggrin
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:55 pm
Hm... to take the PSAT's, and study a whole bunch, and have around a one and a million chance of winning scholarships and whatnot...
Or... just let the date pass and just let the SAT's come whenever they come...
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:58 pm
Cigarettes, goldfish, and paper towels.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:02 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:23 pm
I never bothered with the P- tests. The exams in my homeschooling are done the same way, so I was well prepared as far as format goes.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:19 pm
The worst part of the SATs is honestly when they're like "Copy this statement... in cursive" And you're like "What?! I haven't done that since 3rd grade! Ahh...ok...here we go..." *grips pencil in fist and grits teeth.* And you keep shifting your weight trying to get comfortable, and the sweat starts dripping down your face, and you keep having to look at other people's papers to figure out how to write certain letters...and then you realize that your right handed self has been trying to write it with your left hand...(All this is true, except for the right-left hand screw up)
Anyway. Hope you have a great time in Italy Tana! Bienvento!!
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:42 pm
I took the SATs the year before there was a writing requirement. I only encountered essay writing in the PSAT's and those aren't official scores of course...
I was actually kinda bummed that I writing wasn't required, it would probably have helped my score.
Also, I'm not sure about this, but I think they cut the analytical section out the year after I took them. The analytical section that went sort of like this:
Hamburger is to Penguin AS Cardboard is to:
A. Sparkles
B. Einstein's Theory of Relativity
C. Your Mom
D. You're going to fail the SATs
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:13 pm
e) Tree bark. You need at least one sensible answer. The SAT's were not that completely hopeless. Or at least if they were I must have forgotton my experience with it. My scores were decent my first attempt so I never took it again.
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Eloquent Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:38 pm
Good luck with the move, Tana. My lady wants to move to England, and with my mother living there, it would not be TOO hard . . . but I am not sure I like that idea. Kinda rooted here in the States.
As for the SATs, I recall that the highest score possible was a 1600 . . . I got 1100 when I took it way back when- with a perfect split. Mathematics: 550, Literary: 550! eek
EKA sweatdrop I am soooooooooooooooooooooo glad you said that! When I started the test and there was that bit to copy in cursive I about died!!! My handwriting is atrocious, so I use print, and spent like five minutes trying to remember how to make a damned lowercase 'f' in cursive! burning_eyes I almost cheated off of a neighbor's paper before the real test even began! crying
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