About the SAT

Students from anywhere in the world seeking admission to almost all universities in the USA are required to take the SAT.   The test is divided into 10 sections with one of the sections being experimental but students unfortunately do not know which one! The test is also timed.  Students have to write an essay in 25 minutes, do 20 tricky math questions in 25 minutes, read several passages and answer questions about them in 25 minutes.  It is a grueling 5 hours of testing and it is really a survival of the fittest!

The test is divided into 3 categories:

• • Math
  • Critical Reading
  • Writing

Each category is scored out of 800 giving a total perfect score of 2400. The National Average score for the SAT is approximately 1500.  However, the competitive schools like UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSD & the Ivy Leagues have an average score for incoming Freshman much higher. UCLA for example had an average score of 2033 for their admitted applicants for Fall 2011!  

It is how the questions are presented that makes them hard, so it requires advanced reasoning rather than advanced knowledge.”  (Eliot Schraefer, Author of "Hack the SAT").

The SAT is a Reasoning Test.  In math for example students are tested on how well you can think “outside the box”. Universities are looking for divergent thinkers.  SAT math is mostly middle school math with some Algebra 1 and very basic Geometry. Unfortunately the current California High School Curriculum does not prepare students directly for the SAT. Since SAT scores are so important for college admission, more nowadays with current budget cuts limiting admission spots, the teachers of Be College Wise are determined to prepare our students for this very important SAT test.