Forum topics - SATs - Do I need them?

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28-Aug-2000 10:21 PM

SATs - Do I need them?

ChrisUK

Hi,

I plan to enter a US university in Fall 2001. Some of the universities' websites do not mention SATs as being neccessary for admission or scholarships. I have not taken SATs, because my parents only made their mind up about letting me go to a US university about 2 weeks ago. If I have straight 'A' grades at GCSE and look like I'm heading for very good grades at A Level, are SATs still necessary? If I need to take them, it'd probably be better if I took a gap year to prepare and take them, plus earn some money, and apply to a US university for Fall 2002 entry. Could I still do this? And why do some universities not care about SATs for international students, so long as they can show that they can do the course, while others strictly adhere to SATs results for determining entrances and scholarships?

Thanks,
Chris Williams
(United Kingdom)

29-Aug-2000 03:47 AM

Re: SATs - Do I need them?

2348

Some schools rely on the ACT as an alternative to the SAT, but the idea is the same. Schools that don't have any entrance exam requirements may not be accredited, and are probably not very well established yet.
Established colleges and universities in the 'States would hold a regional accreditation, which is reviewed once every five or ten years, depending on how well the last review went (in extreme cases an accreditation can be revoked by the review board).

Although accreditation reviews often amount to a dog and pony show intended to impress the committee, there actually are some objective criteria that the committee would reviews, including things like the average SAT or ACT scores of each year's incoming freshman class, etc.

Chances are that you'll do better in the long run if you go to an accredited school, as opposed to something like East Yonkers Clutch & Transmission Institute (which may accept you with a mere pulse, but is not likely to hold a regional accreditation...)

The SAT shouldn't be an especially big deal, by the way. Having just finished school, you're probably better prepared for it now than if you'd be after taking a break for a while. It's basically just Algebra, Geometry, and English. Pick up a practice book and see how you feel about it.

Best wishes.

29-Aug-2000 09:11 PM

Re: SATs - Do I need them?

ChrisUK

Thanks for the advice... now I'll need to find time to do SAT revision during my final year of high school. I suppose it's my own fault for not finding out all the facts sooner... C'est la vie, I guess.

Chris

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