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I am a mixedbreed , 16 year old girl from Malaysia , and i'm having a lot of trouble with my SATs . Starting in May i will be doing my Advanced Subsidiary exams , which are the first half of my A - Levels , during the same month i am enrolled to do 3 SAT 2 exams , and another three exams in June (which is still during my AS exam period) . As a result of being in a British Education system , i have had to choose subjects from bands for my O - Levels , and was unable to do Additional Mathematics . As a result , i wasn't able to do maths at an Advanced level either , and now i am having to struggle with the mathematics questions on both the SAT1 and 2 .
I have done the SAT1 last year in December and got a Verbal score of 630 and a math score of only 550 , that is without preparation . Obviously a lot of weightage is put on maths , but i go to school from 7 am to 4 30 pm everyday , and with all the work i have to do for a - levels , i have next to no time to study independantly for the sats . Sylabus wise , because of the 18month schedule of a - levels , i have yet to learn about half the things on the chemistry and biology exams as well . I was hoping someone could give me ideas on how to improve my chances on getting into a good university ( my father is a Harvard graduate , and i'd like to get into a school with iv potential ) , and how , if possible , i could improve my test grades .
Any help given would be sincerely appreciated .

By Dave Berry on Tuesday, March 26, 2002 - 08:34 am: Edit

Jasmine, have you considered taking the ACT? There is a test center in Penang.

The ACT may be better suited for you to exhibit your academic skills and abilities than the SAT I. Your SAT I scores don't appear to be that bad, though (without preparation). Even if you have a time problem, a small bit of self-prep might be able to bring your scores up significantly, especially in Math, which is the easier half to improve (IMO).

Here's an excerpt from Harvard's undergraduate admissions instructions for international students:

"Even if you are submitting the results of your school leaving exams (e.g., GCE A levels, International Baccalaureate, etc.), you must submit the results of the SAT I or ACT, and three SAT II Subject Tests by theappropriate deadlines. Students who do not have access to a testing center in their country are the ONLY exceptions to this policy. If you do not have access to a testing center, we will consider other internationally recognized credentials, such as the results of the Graduate Record Examination."

Maybe the ACT would be a reasonable compromise for your situation, Jasmine. Best wishes on your college quest.