US Education System: School, SATs, GPA & More

[p_branes]

Hi,

Im going to be moving to the us soon so could someone please tell me the us education system right from school e.g about the sats what gpa is etc. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Srijan

 

[gump]

In the US, the SAT's are the basic test that you take that the universities look at when you apply. G.P.A. is your grade point average (usually on a 4.0 scale). The scale can be as follows: A= 4.0, B= 3.0, C= 2.0, D= 1.0, and F= 0.0. Hope this helped.

 

[recon]

I'm not American, so what I write below is mostly information that I've gathered from being around this forum.

Since you're 14, you'll most probably be placed in Grade 8, although that would depend on the state you'll be studying in. GPA (Grade Point Average) represents the weighted average of a student's grades. According to a Google search, it can be calculated by "dividing quality points by credit hours". The SATs (Standard Aptitude Test) are taken by almost everyone wanting to get into a university in the US. It uses multiple choice questions to assess verbal and mathematical reasoning ability.

Grade 8 would be middle school in most states. High school comprises of Grades 9 (Freshman), 10 (Sophomore), 11 (Junior) and 12 (Senior).

 

[p_branes]

Thanks for the responses guys one more question when are the sats taken?

 

[gump]

Thanks for the responses guys one more question when are the sats taken?

They are usually taken in your junior or senior year of high school. It's been too long for me to remember when I took it, but I also took the ACT's. It's pretty much like the SAT's, but with a different grading scheme.

 

[recon]

You may take the SATs before your junior year if you're an exceptional student. From what I hear, the SATs are very easy.

 

[rachmaninoff]

They are, in fact (the SAT I tests).

 

[recon]

What about the SAT II tests?

 

[z-component]

Some more information about the SAT:

In March 2005, the SAT will be revised, available for students to take. The old SAT will still be available for a short while. The new SAT is different in that:

A student-written essay was added.
Analogies were eliminated.
Shorter reading passages were added.
New content from third-year college preparatory math is included.
Quantitative comparisons were eliminated.

For more information on the SAT, visit CollegeBoard.

 

[Andromeda321]

- Contrary to popular belief, SAT does not actually officially stand for anything anymore because it is no longer a "Standard Aptitude Test." Kind of funny in a sad sort of way.
- In the standard way you take PSATs (pre SATs, what they use to qualify you for National Merit Scholars, a federal scholarship program) in 10th for practice and 11th in actuality. Math, verbal, and a grammar section.
- SAT I should probably be taken first time in January of 11th grade then however many more times you feel nessecary/ get completely sick of it (your first scores are not hidden but only your best scores are actually considered by universities).
- SAT IIs are hour long tests in various specific academic subjects such as chemistry, history, and more advanced mathematics. You can't hide these scores from colleges either if you mess up and some are rather difficult due to the huge amount of material covered.
- Also, I don't know where you're moving to but if it's anywhere in the middle of the country you won't need to take SATs at all: they're pretty much more of an east coast thing. Everywhere else you also take the ACT which is a test I never took but is apparently much more sane then the SAT on math, verbal, science, history, etc. You can hide these scores should you mess up and most colleges will accept ACT scores instead of SAT ones.
- Someone mentioned that you can take the SAT (and the ACT) earlier on: you probably won't for college though without trying again later. The point of taking them earlier (about your age actually) is to qualify for gifted and talented programs run by various universities which are pretty awesome from what I hear... I was invited but never actually took them because the testing date always fell on my birthday and who's going to take a test then when not required?

 

[p_branes]

Andromeda 321 or anyone: so what test am i likely to do in Colorado?

Thanks

 

[Andromeda321]

In that case you will definitely take the ACT. You might end up taking the SAT, however, because either a college you apply to asks for it or because some kids think they'll do better on the SAT (you can establish this by taking a practice test). And although not required I'd recommend doing the PSAT just to see if you can get scholarship $ out of it.

 

[p_branes]

Thanks a lot everyone, now i have an idea and i won't start school and find out i have an exam the next day and all that.

 

[jai6638]

- Contrary to popular belief, SAT does not actually officially stand for anything anymore because it is no longer a "Standard Aptitude Test." Kind of funny in a sad sort of way.
- In the standard way you take PSATs (pre SATs, what they use to qualify you for National Merit Scholars, a federal scholarship program) in 10th for practice and 11th in actuality. Math, verbal, and a grammar section.
- SAT I should probably be taken first time in January of 11th grade then however many more times you feel nessecary/ get completely sick of it (your first scores are not hidden but only your best scores are actually considered by universities).
- SAT IIs are hour long tests in various specific academic subjects such as chemistry, history, and more advanced mathematics. You can't hide these scores from colleges either if you mess up and some are rather difficult due to the huge amount of material covered.
- Also, I don't know where you're moving to but if it's anywhere in the middle of the country you won't need to take SATs at all: they're pretty much more of an east coast thing. Everywhere else you also take the ACT which is a test I never took but is apparently much more sane then the SAT on math, verbal, science, history, etc. You can hide these scores should you mess up and most colleges will accept ACT scores instead of SAT ones.
- Someone mentioned that you can take the SAT (and the ACT) earlier on: you probably won't for college though without trying again later. The point of taking them earlier (about your age actually) is to qualify for gifted and talented programs run by various universities which are pretty awesome from what I hear... I was invited but never actually took them because the testing date always fell on my birthday and who's going to take a test then when not required?

i thought the SAT II test scores are hidden! i was planning to take it just for the heck of it since i figured i coudnt lose anythin.

oh man :(

 

[jai6638]

Btw for the OP, if u are going to get into a private school here in the US, ur going to have to give ur SSAT's ( its like sat's except its for high/middle schools and not university ) ... www.ssat.org for more info..

cheers

 

[Andromeda321]

i thought the SAT II test scores are hidden! i was planning to take it just for the heck of it since i figured i coudnt lose anythin.

Up until two years ago (or is it three by now?) that was the policy. By now they've changed it for some reason or another... rather annoying because I did SAT II Math IC and got a horrid score because it was a bad day/ had learned the material too long ago. Then I had to fret until I did the Math IIC where I scored a full two hundred points higher. I'm pretty sure the admissions department was scratching their heads over that one!