General Chat / Aparantly I'm fucking illiterate

Got my ACT scores back today.

oh man, that's a joke.

So I pick up 2-3 points on the English, Math, and Science categories from the last test, and what goes and happens? I bomb the reading section, dropped an amazing 9 points. My composite score went from a 28 the last time to a 27. What the hell is with this? I took an extracuricular class at school for the ACT. I got gipped, they never went over the reading sections. ever.

Two of the articles on the reading section were extremely pretentious. They put the kind of article that I'm the best at at the end, I'm guessing to purposefully screw me in the ass. Oh well, I took a Johnson O'Connor Aptitude test about 4 or 5 weeks ago; it said that I do well on stuff I'm interested in, and shouldn't waste my time with stuff that I'm not (as well as lots of other things), and I guess that can be related to these articles. Either that or it's the fact that I wasted too much time trying to understand the articles by going back and reading over them--heh...

So yeah, tell your scores and stuff, I felt it necessary to vent about them. God, that pisses me off.

Test scores mean nothing. Well not exactly nothing. But they don't really measure intelligence nor do they measure creativity, ambition, common sense, ingenuity, and numerous factors which are at least as important to your standing in society than how well you can answer questions about a few boring paragraphs of nothingness or a few math problems. It's really quite stupid. I can't believe test scores still have any weight on your future success with education. Absolutely ridiculous. But then I guess it does make sense in a way, if the role of formal education is not education so much as enculturation. It's teaching you to want what society expects you to want. It's training you to value certain things and not value others. If you can seperate your own definition of success and personal growth from those society expects of you, then you'll see how meaningless things like test scores really are.

Wise words Ed. If tests meant what I thought they meant 10 years ago, I'd be that schmoe working at McDonalds.

If I got a 30, which would have been more than likely if the reading score stayed the same, I would have gotten a state sponsored scholorship--Bright Flight. It would have given me like 2 or 3 thousand dollars a year. So I have plenty to be mad about as far as that goes.

But on the other hand, you're always right. If I know what I'm going to do with my life, I wouldn't fret over meaningless crap, but I don't, so I need to focus on all sorts of stuff to keep my options open, and I guess this is just a side effect. or something. I know it's all about my own personal growth and ambitions, but since I'm in such a turmoil over that already, this is just another thing to annoyance to come my way.

I've not taken the ACT yet... I'm thinking I'll probably do it in June or so. Like PBob, I'm hoping for a 30 or so...

I did take the new SAT in March and got a 2140... now I'm debating whether I should take it again or not...

well see the thing is, i'm not an especially smart fellow (well maybe i am but i'm too lazy to find out and i don't do my homework) (but but today i got a letter saying i did somehow get into the national honor society) (how about that), but for whatever reason i test well, so my PSATs had good scores, my MCAS (that's the 10th grade test in Massachusetts, ask Steve about how retarded it is) scores were pretty awesome as well, and i'm taking the SATs next month. standardized tests make me look smarter than i really am. and i like that.

i dont know, maybe its genetics or something, but some people test well, some don't. some people are intelligent and show it better outside of tests, and some don't. some people are good at art, some aren't. it's just the way people are--and why it's really stupid that we base so much of our educational experience in America on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT. but it makes me look good so i probably should stop being activist and appreciate it.

well said, bones.

and also, this test preperation is becoming absolutley rediculous, at least around where i live. i mean, i admit that i was tutored privately for my SATs (and it definitley helped a loooot - i got a 2290, so much better than i ever hoped for) but this is getting out of hand. these rich kids pay thousands upon thousands of dollars just to buy some nice SAT scores. the SATs now test as much your natural ability (that's debateable as is) but also your familiarity with the test itself. these kids will practice the test for months or even years just so they can know every little trick and problem type. that's not the point. these SAT tutors are making an outrageous amount of money off of this test prep 'culture' too. it's crazy man.

but then again, i shouldn't complain, because i'm a product of the system. it worked for me, and now i neeeever have to take that fucking test again.

Honestly, you should be so happy with that score. Just be glad you can actually take tests. I pretty much have nervous breakdowns when I take a test of any sort. I'm just a bad test-taker, which doesn't mean I'm stupid. I'm always the last one out of the classroom when I take tests. I understand the stuff, but I just freak out for some reason. But yeah, let's just say my ACT was horrible compared to yours.

Colleges are starting to look at other admissions factors now though. All a 1600 (or 2400) on the SAT shows now, is that you're a robot. And colleges do not want robots.. so factors like essays, teacher recommendations, extra curriculars etc. are starting to really pay off now. I mean, some colleges don't even look at SAT's/ACT's.

i dont know, maybe its genetics or something, but some people test well, some don't. some people are intelligent and show it better outside of tests, and some don't. some people are good at art, some aren't.  it's just the way people are--and why it's really stupid that we base so much of our educational experience in America on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT.  but it makes me look good so i probably should stop being activist and appreciate it.

I do good on tests, but not the right ones. So far I've sucessfully made A's on my Calculus this past semester by only doing about a total of about an hour-hour and a half's work on it a week, and this whole year I've made A's on Chemistry tests--except when the teacher's a douchebag and can't understand the way I do problems and get the right answer (but that's irrelevant)--without ever studying outside of class, ever.

That must suck, Jacko. Some physics tests were like that for me, and they were very much not fun, so I know (to an extent) of what you're talking about.

All a 1600 (or 2400) on the SAT shows now, is that you're a robot.  And colleges do not want robots.. so factors like essays, teacher recommendations, extra curriculars etc. are starting to really pay off now.  I mean, some colleges don't even look at SAT's/ACT's.

In Britain we have to fill out a 'personal statement' on our uni entries, which is basically a run-down of why we want to do the subject we've applied for and what other things we do besides academic work. Some unis interview, too, which gives people who don't like exams that much more chance to impress. But to be honest, a lot of later life will be based on the ability to perservere with things you basically don't want to do - this is what education prepares you for. I'm not gonna get to do what I want until two years time - until then I have to sit through stuff I don't enjoy for over half of my course. Just the way it is, i'm afraid.

well see the thing is, i'm not an especially smart fellow (well maybe i am but i'm too lazy to find out and i don't do my homework) (but but today i got a letter saying i did somehow get into the national honor society) (how about that), but for whatever reason i test well, so my PSATs had good scores, my MCAS (that's the 10th grade test in Massachusetts, ask Steve about how retarded it is) scores were pretty awesome as well, and i'm taking the SATs next month.  standardized tests make me look smarter than i really am.  and i like that.

i dont know, maybe its genetics or something, but some people test well, some don't. some people are intelligent and show it better outside of tests, and some don't. some people are good at art, some aren't.  it's just the way people are--and why it's really stupid that we base so much of our educational experience in America on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT.  but it makes me look good so i probably should stop being activist and appreciate it.

Hello.


1530 on the SATs for me.
I test well...

I am also not a robot, though I aced the verbal with a perfect score.
Its genetics.


Raven-SDI
§

1160 Sats
28 ACTS

Got into a pretty decent school. Getting B's and A's in a school considered to be highly challenging.

Now then the point of what im saying. There are kids who had prefect scores that dont know shit about anything. They are trained to think a certain way, and when college asks them to think outside the box, they fail....miserably.

There are kids who had prefect scores that dont know shit about anything. They are trained to think a certain way, and when college asks them to think outside the box, they fail....miserably.

yeah, pretty much.

1160 Sats
28 ACTS

Got into a pretty decent school. Getting B's and A's in a school considered to be highly challenging.

Now then the point of what im saying. There are kids who had prefect scores that dont know shit about anything. They are trained to think a certain way, and when college asks them to think outside the box, they fail....miserably.

Hello.


They are called lawyers...


Rave
§

which is funny, cuz right now the industry is so saturated that lawyers are having a hard time finding work at all. Higher saturation factor than a CS major in silicon valley.

MCAS (that's the 10th grade test in Massachusetts, ask Steve about how retarded it is)

My God, words cannot even describe it. I got those coming up next month. Prepping for it has been such a bitch. But also, I've taken the PSAT, and I did pretty good. Not sure of the exact score, I just remember it was good. Which is all I care about.

I got a 31 on my ACT after taking the test twice before, and getting a 26 and a 28.

And I did end up qualifying for Bright Flight, I am now getting $2,000 per semsester as long as I keep my grades up.

Penguin, where you going to college? It must be a Missouri school right? I am going to the University of Missouri Rolla for Mechanical Engineering...

no matter what the test score, you're all still failures in my book.

My God, words cannot even describe it. I got those coming up next month. Prepping for it has been such a bitch. But also, I've taken the PSAT, and I did pretty good. Not sure of the exact score, I just remember it was good. Which is all I care about.

take my word on it man. don't freak out. it's simple. and if you get either "advanced" or "proficient" in English and Math, bam, free tuition at any state school. and it's easy to get. MCAS ain't shit unless you're really dumb. and you're an upstanding individual so you'll be alright.

(also, if you take lots of time, i.e. stare at the desk for an hour or two or sleep or whatever, there's no time limit, so you get time out of the rest of your school day! victory is ours!)

I got a 31 on my ACT after taking the test twice before, and getting a 26 and a 28.

And I did end up qualifying for Bright Flight, I am now getting $2,000 per semsester as long as I keep my grades up.

Penguin, where you going to college? It must be a Missouri school right? I am going to the University of Missouri Rolla for Mechanical Engineering...

Most likely Rolla if I get that scholarship, otherwise I might find a fairly cheap school out of state. See, the only problem is that I have no clue if I really want to be an engineer--I know I do well in math and physics, though--and I don't really want to go to a big school either, so um, yeah. That's my biggest dilema.

About those state tests Jelly and Steve... I had to take Map Testing (equivalent to your MCAS) on English and Social Studies over the course of 3 weeks. God, it's so stupid, they could have gotten it done in a day or two, not only that but I wouldn't have had to stay an hour afterschool to finish the goddamned thing if they did it that way. School Administrator Morons. Then they called me into the office to get a consensus from different students and to see if the incentives idea worked. A resounding "Hell No" in my case because I'm one to actually try on all tests given to me.