> > > Well, I received my SAT scores in the mail today, and let's just say that I am not very pleased. At all. I probably did as well/bad as I thought I would, but still...seeing it in print is so much more terrible.
> >
> > Just remember that 1000 is about average, so 1180 is without any doubt a *good* score.
>
> Aha! That answers one of my questions. Would it be possible, however, for someone to provide a description of what this means for all us non-Americans? I'm sure I'm not the only one engaged in head scratching.
>
> winter"confused in Croydon"mute

I'll try! The SAT is the Scholastic Aptitude Test that we poor American high school students have to take in 11th (or 12th) grade and which almost all colleges require you to submit as a kind of indicator of how smart you are (the test company says it's supposed to predict how well you will do in college. Ha.) It's also a matter of pride, especially in honors classes, to be able to brag about how well you did.
Scores in the two sections (math and verbal) range from 200-800, giving a total score range of 400-1600.
While 1180 is indeed above average, there is a lot of pressure (especially in over-achieving school districts like mine) to do really well, so much so that my school offers a year-long course called "SAT Prep." Colleges say that the SAT is not the biggest factor in deciding on admissions, but it still has the reputation of making or breaking your chances of getting into a "good school." Not to mention it's embarrassing when you don't do as well as expected in a subject you thought you'd ace...

Gatsby's "likes the verbal, hates the math" Girl