US college prep

[titiPT]

Hey there.
I'm looking for someone from the US who's planning on starting his college application this fall, because i am aswell.

I'd like to have some info on how much your high-school courses prepare you for the SAT/SAT subject tests, i'm very curious about that. Here in portugal most of the stuff which appear on these tests is 12th grade stuff, and i'm going to have to study it in advance.

I'm doing subject tests math2 and physics.

(yes, offtopic threads sometimes have a purpose)

[Viper]

As I told you on IRC, it really depends on your teacher/class. In general, if you are taking an AP class then you will probably be very well prepared for a subject test. The SAT itself will more be a benchmark on your aptitude to learn in the future and what you can do in reasoning/logic, as well as applying the concepts you have learned throughout your high school curriculum.

For me, I took the SAT early at the age of 12 through a special program (not an official test but more of a practice for gifted students) and scored 2000 out of the 2400 possible points. Yes, thats high :D

As for how I felt about the tests:

SAT was easy, all I needed to know was easy math and the vocabulary I mostly knew. I;m taking Latin next year and on so I hope to score even higher when I take the test for real (my 3rd time XD) as a junior.

I've only taken the SAT subject test in Molecular Biology and whilst I haven't received my scores yet, it felt like it went well.

[Impakt'd]

Take all AP courses and absolutely try your hardest - it'll pay off, I promise. I was applying/getting accepted a few months ago this time last year. You will love yourself for getting rid of all those pre-requisite courses.

I took the SAT twice, my two part score was 1420 and my three part was 2200, if I remember it all correctly.

If you don't get a 2345654 on that or the ACT on your first try, don't worry - it's not an IQ test, it doesn't make you smarter or dumber than those who scored higher or lower. Work on your English comprehension as you're not a native speaker (and neither am I). Hopefully, your mind works like mine when dissecting words and making associations, making the English part EXTREMELY easy.

Make your essay long. There is proven correlation between longer essays and higher grades on that portion.

I hope you too AP Physics and Calculus BC, because that made my SAT II's lolworthy. I (obviously) took the SAT II for Spanish and I trolled it with a perfect score, I suggest you do the same, haha.

I only really studied the morning of the test, so lol. It varies.

For point of reference, I'm double majoring in Computer Science and Linguistics

Cheers/good luck/u ma nigga

[V-Man]

In my state, the teaching quality is gauged by SAT scores, so teaching is very much geared toward that. My class all got fairly high SAT marks.

[titiPT]

I won't be taking any course, i'm studying by my own during my summer holidays. It's not going to be easy, but i'm extremely motivated. I'm hoping for 2400 and a double 800 on the SAT/SATsubject tests, so i'm guessing i'm going to have to study hard.

Any advice concerning college essays/the TOEFL exam?

Thanks for the replies :)

[Impakt'd]

I won't be taking any course, i'm studying by my own during my summer holidays. It's not going to be easy, but i'm extremely motivated. I'm hoping for 2400 and a double 800 on the SAT/SATsubject tests, so i'm guessing i'm going to have to study hard.

Any advice concerning college essays/the TOEFL exam?

Thanks for the replies :)

Well... lol. That's nearly impossible, but I suppose everyone's hoping for perfect scores on everything, right? Haha. Just study a few hours a day on the SAT preps and such and you'll be fine.

College essays: Short and sweet, introduce rich language without sounding like a pseudo-intellectual and you should be okay. Didn't have to deal with the TOEFL, luckily :3 Judging by your posts, I think you should be okay.

Where do you want to get into?

Also, I didn't know you were a girl, lol

[titiPT]

Also, I didn't know you were a girl, lol

,_____________________________________________________________________,
I'm not ma nigga, lol

I know it's impossible (well, at least it's extremely hard), but i'm prepared to study heavily :D

What kind of questions normaly feature in the essays colleges ask applicants to write?

I'm going to apply to those which are the best, and which provide financial assistant. MIT, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Stanford.. Yes, i know, it's a very long shot. But it's where i want to get in ;D

[V-Man]

Well, nice knowing you. Have fun working your bum off and be sure to come back when you graduate! ;_;

[#M|A#Wolf]

Don't forget Oxford!11!11

[Viper]

I'm a rising junior, but I hope to be able to apply and get in to most Ivy's.

[JamJamTheCalcMan]

Take as many AP and Dual Enrollment courses as you can! I knocked out almost my entire Freshman Year of college while in high school. At most colleges and universities, general education courses are packed with kids! They are alot easier and you may receive alot more from them if you take some local courses in your high school or a community college.
Now don't take this the wrong way, but in the event that the Ivy League colleges of your choice don't follow through, you may end up screwed. It doesn't hurt to snoop around on some other college's sites and use them as backups. I had several backups in the event that the main college of choice didn't accept me. I was lucky however, and did not have to resort to my backups, and i'm sure you can make it as well. this is just a precautionary measure. it never hurts to have backup plans!
good luck in all of your endeavors! :D

[titiPT]

Take as many AP and Dual Enrollment courses as you can!

This is Portugal, we don't have that here ;D

Well, nice knowing you. Have fun working your bum off and be sure to come back when you graduate! ;_;

I'll never leave you V-Man, you'll always need a V-tit <3

Don't forget Oxford!11!11

I considered Oxford and Cambridge, but in the UK it's much harder to request financial aid/gain a scholarship..

[SiL3nT]

It's really hard to get a scholarship at Harvard :/

I hope you've spared some money ;D

GL!

[Impakt'd]

Financial aid and and admissions is gonna cradle is balls because he's foreign. My valedictorian didn't get into any Ivies last year, but the 18th ranked person got into Harvard because, partially, she was a girl and she was originally from Romania lol

[titiPT]

Only about 6 colleges offer need based financial aid to foreign students, so that drastically limits my choice.. My backup is staying in portugal ;)

[Impakt'd]

From the Ivies, perhaps? lol

[titiPT]

Yeah, basically just Ivies.

[Cemer]

I'll never leave you V-Man, you'll always need a V-tit <3

That sounds so friggin awkward.