SAT Blog | Sanli Education HK #1 SAT SSAT ACT Debate

SAT takes a big bite out of the ACT Numbers

The ACT has been outpacing the SAT in the U.S. in recent years.

Check this graph we put together:

However, this past month, Michigan announced they are replacing the ACT in their schools as a High School requirement.

Well, at least for 3 years, Michigan will now persuade their students they need to be more proficient at the SAT. Interestingly enough, the NEW SAT is to change in March of 2016.

SAT 改革效應

自2012年，報考ACT的學生已經超越SAT，成為很多美國著名大學入學考試的首選。

然而在1月份，密歇根州宣布該州份學院將使用SAT成績取代ACT成績作入學評核標準。現在密歇根州的學生必須更精通SAT迎接新標準，而有趣的是，新SAT將在2016年三月實行。

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What Bill Gates Regrets not doing

If you haven’t heard of Reddit’s AMA, you wouldn’t be alone. The bookmark website has a section which invites celebrities and high profile names along with more regular “Joes” and “Janes” from around the world to be “asked anything.” AMA stands for “Ask Me Anything.” Recently, the richest man in the world did his 3rd Reddit AMA. In the first question I saw, he responded to the question:

Hi Bill, my question: Is there anything in life that you regret doing or not doing?

His response:

I feel pretty stupid that I don’t know any foreign languages. I took Latin and Greek in High School and got A’s and I guess it helps my vocabulary but I wish I knew French or Arabic or Chinese. I keep hoping to get time to study one of these – probably French because it is the easiest. I did Duolingo for awhile but didn’t keep it up. Mark Zuckerberg amazingly learned Mandarin and did a Q&A with Chinese students – incredible.

While I realize many of you here in Hong Kong learn English as a second language or “foreign language” to some, I would encourage you to be even one step better: take another language under your belt and take it seriously.

Many years later, you won’t regret it … like Bill Gates did.

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Upper Level SSAT Percentile Ranks Chart – 8th Grade Girls – Top End

It’s might be a bit confusing as to what a student needs to accomplish in order to score high on the SSAT Exam.

For thousands, if not tens to hundreds of thousands of students throughout the world studying for the exam, you have to wait until you finish the SSAT and get your scores before you find out you are a 93% Percentile or a 99% Percentile or maybe even a 50% Percentile. However, when you’re aiming for a Top U.S. Boarding School or even many other International Boarding Schools that accept the scores for their admissions, you don’t know exactly out of the 60 Verbal Questions or the 50 Quantitative (Math) Questions or the 40 Reading Questions you need to get correct.

We’ve decided to break it down here for you so that you can see how many raw questions you need to correctly answer in order to obtain he estimated scaled score. With the total scaled score, you will be able to define potentially what “SSAT Percentile” you will land within and potentially determine what type of Boarding Schools you might be able to qualify for:

99% or higher SSAT Scaled Scores

Combined Scaled Scores from 2295 to 2400*
Verbal (V): 791 or higher – to figure out the number of “raw points” you need to score, please refer to the chart below
- For example, an 8th grade female student taking the SSAT could have answered 51 correct, 4 wrong and left 6 blank on the Verbal to obtain the above score
Quantitative (Math or ‘Q’): 794 or higher
- For example, an 8th grade female student taking the SSAT could have scored approximately 46 correct, but would have had to omit 4 of them or so to obtain these marks
Reading (R): 761 or higher
- For example, an 8th grade female student taking the SSAT could have have approximately 38 correct and missed two to obtain these estimated marks

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SAT WORD OF THE DAY – SUFFUSE

suffuse – (v) gradually spread through or over.

定義 : 遍佈

synonyms – permeate, spread over, spread throughout, cover, bathe, pervade, wash, saturate, imbue, fill, load, charge, impregnate, inform, steep, colour

*note: all definitions, synonyms or otherwise provided for the aforementioned words were found on google’s definition engine or another online dictionary of reputable quality. These words and their meanings were solely provided for reference and as supplements to any efforts in learning about the words. All learning from the terms should be verified by the user to validate the authenticity or use in one’s particular purposes.

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SAT WORD OF THE DAY – RAPPROCHEMENT

rapprochement -(n) (especially in international affairs) an establishment or resumption of harmonious relations.

定義 : 和解

*note: all definitions, synonyms or otherwise provided for the aforementioned words were found on google’s definition engine or another online dictionary of reputable quality. These words and their meanings were solely provided for reference and as supplements to any efforts in learning about the words. All learning from the terms should be verified by the user to validate the authenticity or use in one’s particular purposes.

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The Last SAT for Early Admissions Applications

Harvard University Early Admissions SAT Deadline

November SAT’s

However, they state on their admissions timeline page:

Early Action applicants: We request that you submit your standardized tests by the end of October. However, you are still eligible to apply using the November series as they should reach us in time for consideration.

Yale University Early Admissions SAT Deadline

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SAT WORD OF THE DAY – PLEBEIAN

plebeian – (n)a commoner.

定義 : 平民

synonyms – proletarian, commoner, common person, man/woman/person in the street, working-class person, worker, working person

*note: all definitions, synonyms or otherwise provided for the aforementioned words were found on google’s definition engine or another online dictionary of reputable quality. These words and their meanings were solely provided for reference and as supplements to any efforts in learning about the words. All learning from the terms should be verified by the user to validate the authenticity or use in one’s particular purposes.

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SAT Test Dates for 2015-2016

If you search for “Test Dates” for the SAT for next year, you will typically get the College Board’s website Test Dates that are remaining for 2014-2015. So, you’ll see there are exams for March (which isn’t even available here Internationally), May (2nd) and June (6th) respectively for this year. However, how about next year?

SAT Exam Dates for 2015-2016

In the link here, you will see last year’s announcement of this year’s Exam Dates for the SAT. In the last part of the SAT Test Dates 2014-15 .pdf, you’ll see a column for “2015-2016” and it will be clearly labeled “anticipated”, but they are:

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2015 Top Boarding School List by Business Insider

Courtesy of Business Insider

Another list comes out about the top private schools in the United States which provide room and board at a cost. Compared to our Top U.S. Boarding Schools – Co-ed List, there are a number of similarities. We wonder if Business Insider took a look at our results which started in 2013. While we pulled out some single sex schools from our list, there are number of “boys only” and “girls only” education options here in the Top 50. There are also a good number of schools we don’t profile as well since we limit it to just 25 in our published edition.

If you do come in for a visit, we have definitely a number of other schools that are prized and Business Insider profiles a few here. Thanks to the publication which culls together a number of sources like we do for their interesting list. Their methodology as they state is basically “[they] factored in each school’s endowment, acceptance rate, and average SAT scores, as reported by BoardingSchoolReview.com. [They] weighed each of those criteria equally to rank the schools.”

1. Philips Exeter Academy – Exeter, New Hampshire

Average SAT score: 2107*

Endowment: $1,150 million

For the 19% of applicants accepted, Phillips Exeter Academy offers small class sizes — typically around 12 students — and hundreds of courses across a variety of subjects, including anthropology and computer science. Students can also take part in numerous study abroad and internship opportunities.

*Data from Phillips Exeter Academy

2. Philips Academy Andover – Andover, Massachusetts

Average SAT score: 2076

Endowment: $800 million

Phillips Academy Andover accepts a mere 13% of applicants. Last year 92 students — nearly one-third of the 2013 graduating class — went on to Ivy League colleges.

3. Groton School – Groton, Massachusetts

Courtesy of Groton School

Average SAT score: 2104

Endowment: $361 million

Groton has a 94% success rate for students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams. The school has a 12% acceptance rate, and offers small class sizes, usually around 13 students.

4. St. Paul’s School – Concord, New Hampshire

St. Paul’s School Office of Admission/Facebook

Average SAT score: 2028

Endowment: $483 million

Students at St. Paul’s can choose from over 50 advanced or AP classes across numerous disciplines, including chemistry, Japanese, and art. The school accepts 15% of applicants.

5. Deerfield Academy – Deerfield, Massachusetts

Deerfield Academy/Facebook

Average SAT score: 2000

Endowment: $492 million

One of the oldest schools on this list — founded in 1797 — Deerfield has a 15% acceptance rate, and offers college-level courses in all subjects. One hundred percent of Deerfield graduates go on to attend four-year colleges and universities.

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SAT WORD OF THE DAY – MACHINATION

machination – (n)a plot or scheme.

定義 : 陰謀

synonyms – schemes, plotting, plots, intrigues, conspiracies, designs, plans, devices, ploys, ruses, tricks, wiles, stratagems, tactics, manoeuvres, manoeuvring, contrivances, expedients

*note: all definitions, synonyms or otherwise provided for the aforementioned words were found on google’s definition engine or another online dictionary of reputable quality. These words and their meanings were solely provided for reference and as supplements to any efforts in learning about the words. All learning from the terms should be verified by the user to validate the authenticity or use in one’s particular purposes.

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