SATs. Remember those? Compliments of the College Board, SATs bring us one competitive step closer to the you-you-you-gotta-be-kidding-me indenture inducing university of your choice. Looked at tuition for almost any college lately? Can you spell I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y ???
Yes, it’s SATurday. Four hours of teen torture for millions of students across the country, including my 16-year old. Then we’ll be looking at data: what is a good SAT score, college admission requirements for the schools of his choice…
How do you make sense of the scores?
It was bad enough when it was 800 points for Math and 800 points for Verbal, so you interpreted results on a basis of 1600. Now with a writing component (I still don’t understand), the total is 2400 points.
You’d think these clever academics would be able to come up with something that is a multiple of 10, no?? A total of 1,000 points? or 2,000 points? According to the Princeton Review, the national average is 1500 out of 2400. But there’s a strategy to taking these tests, and while the Princeton Review’s 3 SAT tips address assessing questions based on difficulty, process of elimination, and practice – that’s only the beginning.
Strategy, strategy – and big business
SAT preparation is an entire cottage industry, or should I say McMansion industry? Costly texts and courses are abundant – like the class my son has been attending the past 6 weeks. Did I do the right thing insisting he do this, and adding to my Mount St. Helen of debt?
My son is tired. His regular coursework is heavy; SAT prep added 12 hours/week to his load. Will it even do any good?
Pressed, stressed, and crazy competition
Our kids are pressed and stressed to the max. Mine is. How did we get here?
Competitive kids and competitive parents are a reality; it’s a competitive world. But something is out of wack. We want them to pursue their passions – sports, music, art, academic fields they enjoy. But at what cost? How much competition is good preparation for life, but not destructive experience for adolescence?
Worries and words
As for college, gone are the days when a smart kid with good grades, a solid application, and participation in band is a viable candidate for a good school. Gone, too, are college funds, and many academic scholarships. And loans? What kid wouldn’t run screaming into the night at the thought of $200,000 in debt before graduate school?
Just do your best, I say. And don’t worry too much.
He nods, and doesn’t look back, clutching his calculator, his registration slip, and his Number 2 pencils as my single parent guilt kicks in again. If only, if only, if only. If only the stakes weren’t so high. If only we had more options than academic scholarships. If only I hadn’t been so naive when I signed that child support agreement all those years ago, just another time I broke my “never assume” rule, and will probably regret it for the rest of my life. I just don’t want my children paying for my mistakes, in more ways than one, for the rest of theirs.
© D A Wolf
Okay, I’m going to be contrary again. What about NOT going to college? Or, at least, not going right away? What about living life a little? Or, maybe working and getting a sense of the value of money? Let’s face it, college is now sort of like high school for previous generations. A so-called Liberal Arts education gets you NOWHERE, especially nowadays and, I suspect, for many years to come. I have two boys. One is totally academically inclined and motivated and will likely go the 4-year college route, direct from high school. The other is lazy, a goof-off, but a terrifically talented musician. Every other word out of his mouth about school is “it’s stupid.” Okay, rather than force him, I will let him learn by going out in the world and checking out the options himself. BUT, if he wants to drive he has to have a “B” average. If he doesn’t, it’s not my problem and he knows it. Thankfully, its motivating him to get said “B” average solely for that reason, though he hasn’t succeeded yet and therefore hasn’t even gotten his permit yet. He’s set his goals on maybe attending a community college and/or trying to make it in rock ‘n’ roll. The bottom line of my comment and response to your blog is that it’s all gotten out of hand. What happened to non college prep courses that trained kids for blue-collar professions? You know, most plumbers make a darn good living? Anyway, I could go on forever on this topic and I haven’t even touched on the brainwashing that goes on at most so-called elite universities to our kids. So funny, that “we” pay so much to send them to schools that tell them their parent’s religion is stupid, their country is horrible, and most of the values they grew up with are wrong. What a good value for our money!
I think Bruce has a good point. I was miserable in college and didn’t get out of it what I should have. Most young people are too unformed yet to make an informed assessment of their educational needs and desires.
On the other hand, the SAT and college is a fact of many a young person’s life, for many reasons. I’d recommend a new prep method that takes less time, costs less, and builds core thinking skills rather than test taking skills.
Last year, scientists from the Universities of Michigan and Bern recorded increases in fluid intelligence (problem-solving ability) with an intensive period of working memory training. In 19 sessions the participants increased their fluid intelligence by more than 40% compared to a control group. Perfect for the SAT.
Martin
I went to college because I was supposed to, not because I wanted to. The percentage of kids who went to college from my high school was something like 90%. To not go to college would have been shameful — so I went. Looking back on it I think college was fun, but hardly educational. Most of the people I know who are very successful either didn’t go to college at all or own businesses completely unrelated to what they studied in school. I had a double major in Spanish and History yet I spent years as the owner of a martial arts studio. My wife got her Law degree yet was a construction project manager and COO of an internet marketing agency.
The SAT’s are good for only one thing, and that is getting into a top school. But, top schools are only worth while if the kid plans to work for someone else after graduation. With a plan and a little creativity they can make much more money by working for themselves, and that requires learning in its own right, just not the kind of learning that an SAT can help with. For instance, to be an engineer or a lawyer then school is a must, but to be a business owner or successful internet marketer, college is just not needed at all.
I wouldn’t sweat the SAT’s. Even with an average score it’s no problem getting into a state school and state schools offer excellent educations for those who take advantage of them. I went to OU which is one of the cheapest state schools in the country yet offers a world class education.
Those were my two cents. 🙂
I know how you feel. There is no money to save for college for the girls. On the other hand, we’re supposed to worry about our own retirement first. There are other options for college than for old age. There are student loans and financial aid. Not the ideal way, I agree, but I’ve already resigned myself to it. Some day, I’ll tell the girls!