I need advice.....

[veregudmen]

Hi everyone. 

 

I am posting this on the forum to gain an outside appraisal of my situation, 

I will be applying to colleges predominantly in the States, with max 2-3 outside (Ireland and Hong Kong). My dream college is Georgetown, which mandates 3 SAT II subject tests on top of the traditional SAT. I plan to take the Math II, Chemistry and Literature tests.

 

I took the SAT I in Jan and got 2120, which is lower than what I'd like and so I have to retake. Here is where I currently face a dilemma:

Between now and November 1 (the due date of Georgetown's EA application) there are 3 test dates: May, June and October in which I have to fit 3 SAT IIs and a retake of the SAT I. I was initially planning the SAT I in May, Math iI and Literature in June and Chemistry in October but owing to other work I haven't been able to study for the SAT I, and now I feel registering for it will result in a more or less similar score. This leaves me with the following options:

 

1. May: Math II/Lit, June, SAT I and October, Chem and Lit/Math II 

2. June: SAT I and October: all 3 SAT IIs

3. 2, but with the order reversed

 

2 and 3 seem vastly difficult, as there is no way I can do all 3 in one day by my own assessment, and this leaves me with 1. 

 

Now my confusion is, which of the two should I do in May? I won't have an issue with the difficulty of either test, but I somehow feel less confident about literature as a test, since I wouldn't be able to get in too much practice in April (no, English HL work doesn't count in the least). For math, since I have math HL I would be getting practice at least on the mathematical side of things, and I'm sure I would be able to fit in more time to practice for this test since I have to actually regularly work for math in class, but I worry as to whether I have enough content covered to do it. 

In math so far we have covered:

Functions

Polynomials

Sequences and Series

Induction

Binomial Theorem

Logarithms

Trigonometry

Complex Numbers

and we start calculus in a week. I haven't been able to read through a detailed syllabus of the Math II test but I've seen a basic syllabus and I don't think I've covered every single topic in class. I think I could handle the math itself (I currently teeter on the edge of a 6, and have so far gotten 6,5,5 and 6 in the 4 tests we've had this term) but I still want an outside opinion as to which test I would be best off taking in May. 

 

What would IB Survival, in its infinite wisdom, recommend to this mortal mind of mine?

[flinquinnster]

Hey! I totally understand the feeling of being swamped by SATs and everything else going on, so I'll do my best to try and offer advice.  

 

I would personally say that you could probably get away with doing all 3 SAT subject tests in one day (as long as your test centre allows this - which they should). You get breaks in between, so it's really not too bad. As to how to order it, I would personally say that you should do Maths II when you're feeling the most tired, as you can probably get away with not being in optimal form for it. Out of Chemistry and English, pick which you think will be hardest (depends on your own preference - though I suspect Chemistry will have more content and hence will be harder) and do it when you're most awake - whether that be as your 1st, 2nd or 3rd exam. 

 

I don't know if you've looked through any of the Maths II papers yet, but they are seriously, ridiculously easy. If you are doing Maths HL, you will be more than fine. As far as I know, the only topics not covered in Maths HL which are in SAT (unless they've changed it since 2013) are elliptics and non-linear regressions - both of which can't be learnt very quickly (in under a day) - and actually didn't come up on my exam! You've got a graphics calculator too, which is sweet. Also, even if you haven't done calculus yet, it's fine - Maths II has no calculus. So, even without much study, Maths II can probably be done quite easily.

 

I can't comment on Chemistry, but I think that the Literature exam is also fairly easy in the sense that there's no content so you can't really prepare for it. Just bring in your Paper 1 knowledge from IB English, and read the passages and answer the questions with a clear head. 

 

Again, SAT I is not hard - though it may be different if they've finally dropped writing requirement? In any case, I think that this actually requires a tad more preparation - just reading up and practising the really weird question types and exam formats. I personally only studied for a week or two (not enough, really), but if you can steadily read through advice (SAT official guide is great, and the other big guides - as well as Sparknotes - are not bad either) and do practice spread out (preferably timed), it should be useful.

 

That's why I would suggest doing SAT I in October (option 3). Then again, if you've already left an extra month break, then option 2 should be fine as well.

 

That's my advice anyway. You can go for option 1, but I reckon that that is just stretching out the stress. If you do want to try and maximise your scores, I would even suggest that you give yourself the chance to do SAT IIs twice - as in, you do all 3 subjects in 1 session, your SAT I in another session, and then leave yourself a session at the end to rest any SAT IIs your not happy with. That might be exhausting - so consider whether it's worth doing it given IB/everything else going on - but it would probably maximise your SAT scores.

 

If it's useful, this is my own SAT-sitting experience.

May 2013: SAT I (happy with my score despite not that much study, so I just left it)

June 2013: SAT II Maths II & Latin (happy with maths but not happy with Latin)

December 2013 (wanted to do it after IB exams): retook Latin, took Physics & English as well

 

Of course, you could always consider not doing Early Admissions, but if you're keen on Georgetown I would strongly recommend that you do apply early.

[Pink97]

I'm in a similar situation! I always intended on applying EA to Georgetown but then my parents didn't think it was a good idea..long story short they only told yesterday that they approve and to apply! I was intending on taking my subject tests in November and repeating them in June but now I've only got the June (not possible), October and November test dates. My point is, don't get so panicky. I just read over the Georgetown's testing requirements (https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/firstyear/preparation) and the notice for EA applicants at the bottom is:

 

*Given the Early Action deadline of November 1, the Committee on Admissions recognizes that applicants may not be able to meet the SAT Subject Test requirements. Those candidates are welcome to submit an Early Action application, and the application will be considered complete and reviewed in its entirety. Candidates applying under the Early Action plan who have not yet taken three Subject Tests should still register to take the tests in the event they are deferred from Early Action to Regular Decision. If there are extenuating circumstances which prevent an applicant from submitting three SAT Subject Test scores, the applicant should provide a written explanation to the Committee on Admissions to be included with the application.

 

So, I recommend you take Maths II and Lit in May. And SAT I + Chem + repeat maths and/or Lit  in October. If you're not satisfied with those scores, repeat the tests in November - will definitely be accepted for RD if you get deferred from EA. Just study  a ton during the summer until you get the scores you want rather instead of cramming the week before the tests. Also, definitely take some official practice subject tests under timed conditions just to get a feel for the test format and to ensure that you know your stuff. 

 

Good luck! Hope you get in  

[_joseph]

Just as an FYI you are not allowed to take the SAT I and SAT II subject tests on the same day. Personally, I would recommend taking option number three, because, based on the IB classes you are taking, it seems that taking the subject tests in June would be less stressful than taking the SAT I in June and having to cram the SAT IIs in near the deadline in October. The SAT I shouldn't be that much of a concern, because your total score is already higher than the average (2011)[http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1182], but taking it again would definitely help increase the competitiveness of your application.

 

Below is a list of topics covered on the SAT Math II, so you can see what you know, need to review, learn, etc.

 

Numbers and Operations

Operations, ratio and proportion, complex numbers, counting, elementary number theory, matrices, sequences, series, vectors: Approximately 5-7 questions

Algebra and Functions

Expressions, equations, inequalities, representation and modeling, properties of functions (linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, periodic, piecewise, recursive, parametric): Approximately 19 – 21 questions

Geometry and Measurement

Coordinate (lines, parabolas, circles, ellipses, hyperbolas, symmetry, transformations, polar coordinates): Approximately 5 – 7 questions

Three-dimensional (solids, surface area and volume of cylinders, cones, pyramids, spheres, and prisms along with coordinates in three dimensions): Approximately 2 – 3 questions

Trigonometry: (right triangles, identities, radian measure, law of cosines, law of sines, equations, double angle formulas): Approximately 6 – 8 questions

Data Analysis, Stats, and Probability

Mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, standard deviation, graphs and plots, least squares regression (linear, quadratic, exponential), probability: Approximately 4 questions 

[http://testprep.about.com/od/sat/a/SAT_Math_2_Sub.htm]

 

Take May to study for the subject tests and use the rest of the summer to work on getting a really good score on the SAT I

 

But other things like extracurricular activities and your essays are also important factors for your application, and can certainly make up for a score that isn't amazing (700+, 2100+). 

 

Good Luck!

Edited April 24, 2015 by _joseph