The SAT Reasoning test is the foundation of your application,and studying for the SAT is your most likely place to start. You have probably heard about it by now:how scary,difficult and impossible it is. That is why I will write down some of facts that might help you prepare it;I would recommend checking out the Wikipedia article about it,because you may discover some information you might not have found elsewhere.
It was formerly known as an acronym for Scholastic Aptitude Test (today it is just SAT,and doesn’t stand for anything special). It was intended to be the basic assessment tool for prospective college students,so it had to measure their ability to comprehend and study in all professional fields possible. Also,it had to be equally suitable to all of the high school students taking up very different classes in very different schooling systems all across the USA. Because it had to be of such a broad scope,this “aptitude”test was really an intelligence test,since it seemed to be the only logical choice that could give the most equal chances to all students. Since the College Board put it through several major makeovers,today it is no longer an intelligence test,but is upgraded to a really sophisticated tool to measure somebody’s comprehension of written text and understanding unfamiliar content –the fundament to studying efficiently,among other skills needed for the SAT. When you browse through question types in Critical Reading or Writing,you can notice that what textbooks recognize as “needed skills”or “question types”actually do evaluate one’s readiness to study in college successfully. The most important thing before you even start practicing is that you accept that SAT is not just an English language test,like CAE. It is not in any way intended for or adjusted to non-native speakers,and that is probably the only disadvantage you get compared to an American. The thing is,there are several other things SAT measures except the language,and be sure to use them to your advantage,such as using your intelligence,linking unfamiliar concepts,answering specifically what you are asked about,evaluating true and false statements,determining the meaning by the “sound”of a word,ability to use advanced vocabulary…when you look into the question types,you will see that fundamentally Americans have same odds as you do of getting the right answer,and that the fact they are native speakers doesn’t help them that much.
You may have heard that colleges have greater tolerance for lousy SATs for international students,but I can only disagree in my experience. To get the basic guidelines,look at the average values for your target colleges (on College Board),and consider the bottom values as your requirements –the minimum values you must meet. Always aim for going past that;you find that for Reading and Writing sections,gaining more will be generally hard,and for Math section it will be fairly easy. And for the mathematicians out there,the 800 on Math section will not redeem for a 450 on Critical Reading,because the sections are regarded separately. In general,if you can go past 2000 points,it is a good score you can be comfortable with for any premium college. Knowing test results of my peers,2000 proved to be a high score. Let me demonstrate it on a popular,highly selective college choice:
Average student aim for
SAT Critical Reading:680 –770 710
SAT Math:680 –780 780
SAT Writing:690 –770 700
As you can see,these figures are really hard to meet. I mean,having 700 points on Critical Reading is insane for a non-native speaker,right? Well,for these Great colleges,you really have to do your best and cross your fingers to succeed,and hope that the best score you have meets their average score. You never know (for certain) if they find you interesting. The thing is,your extracurricular activities and SAT2 will speak more to your advantage,but you have to make your SAT Reasoning scores at least meet their bottom-average published on the College Board website.
Think about your SAT strategy for a while. Sure you’ve read about “SAT Strategies”in your textbooks,but try to customize to your own needs. Since you are probably familiar with your weaknesses in English,think about ways to improve it functionally-wise. The best way to study for SAT is to practice,practice,and practice again. And when you do,think outside the box –the questions are not just posted in plain English,they are more like logical problems,and you are best off approaching them that way.
Sincerely,
Milica Stankovic
Matemati?ka Gimnazija,Beograd
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