合理選擇SATII（sorry，英文文章）

PICK YOUR SAT SUBJECT TESTS CAREFULLY!

 

This week we would like to focus on the all important SAT Subject Tests (formally called SAT II's). Why are they so important for top colleges? In short, they help colleges interpret your grades and equalize grading scales from high school to high school. How does an A at school X compare to an A in school Y? Well, if one student scored a 770 on the Bio SAT Subject Test and the other scored a 580, we'd know that the first school had a much "truer" grading scale and that the competition was simply not as strong at school Y. In effect, these scores either show that
a student deserved the high grades he received, or that the school
simply hands out many A's. With that being the case, students
usually have to submit 2-3 SAT Subject Tests at most competitive
colleges.

 

Students should consider very carefully which tests they sign up
for – most students don't even realize that the average test
scores are totally different on every SAT Subject Test! Most
assume that the mean score is 500, but that is not the case.
Take the Math IC and the Math IIC. Many students take the IC
thinking it's "easier," but the average score on a recent test was
588. If you miss a handful of questions, you will not even score
in the 700's! Compare that to the Math IIC - the average score
was recently 659! That means you can get a bunch wrong and
still be in the700's (on a recent test, you could get 7 wrong and
still score a perfect 800). In other words, every test has a
different group of test takers - the kids who take the IIC are a
smaller group, but a stronger group. Take exams like the
Chinese - since almost all the kids who take it actually speak
Chinese, the average has been very high: 752! Here's another 
fact to keep in mind: the percentile scores do not get reported to
colleges, only the grade. Most admissions officers don't differentiate
or even worry about if you 750 was "high" or low for your test.
So thosewho get a 752 on the Chinese test (the highest average
of all the SAT Subject Tests) score only 50%, but the score still
looks strong.

 

The message is, it pays to study the average scores and pick
tests based on your ability and the scoring curve. The average
information is available on the College Board』s web site and is
actually printed on the score reports you receive back after
taking SAT Subject Tests. Use them to your advantage!