Buffy's SAT Score

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

How in the world did Buffy score so high on the SATs? Buffy was never a good student. She admits to being a bad tester, hates history, and had to get tutored, which all contributed to her bad grades.

I know we've discussed this topic before, but I wanted to give the newbies a chance to weigh-in. What are your thoughts?

 

[The Chosen]

Not a newbie, but...

I never took the SAT (in the Midwest we do the ACT) but my understanding of it is that it's an aptitude test? So like, designed to measure your ability in certain areas, not necessarily your knowledge...which is the ACT's purpose. At any rate, Buffy's obviously a really intelligent individual -- I think if she had the time and/or the desire, she could have done really well in high school.

Also, as for Buffy's hatred for certain subjects, I don't think that things like history are included on most college-entry exams. I know there are things called subject tests, but they aren't part of the main, required SAT...thing.

Could be wrong! But I've also always wondered about her score, too.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Me, a newbie? To those who joined in '02 I guess I am.
Not that I know what SAT's are, now RSA's and O level's?

Was Buffy part of a choir, but kept forgetting the words so she kept singing: dumb, dumb dumb, dumb, dumb..... I guess she believed what she sang.

Maybe Faith had 'a quiet chat' to Buffy's high school teachers.

 

[Lyri]

Not a noob either, but I don't ever remember discussing this.

There are some people out there who do test well, yet they can't seem to get their heads around homework or participating in class - or even showing up, like Buffy. And there are those who attend every class, take part, and hand all the homework in on time, and yet utterly fail at tests because they panic - like me, lol.

Considering Buffy's reaction to her results and how she sees it as her ticket out of Sunnydale, she might have already thought about this subconsciously, and this made her study and cram harder, doing better on her tests. We did see Buffy studying with Giles in the cemetery while patrolling, so it's possible she did more of this that we just never see. Some people do better when they cram, rather than people like Willow, who study all year and seem to retain everything they've been taught.

So, yeah, I think it's perfectly reasonable to believe Buffy's score.

 

[EVIL UU]

Buffy has very good memory and besides, this whole silly valley girl cheerleader thing is mostly an act, deep down Buffy's a smart chick.

 

[The Bronze]

After a quick google search it looks like these SAT tests in America are like CAT test or IQ tests in the UK. If I'm right then the general idea of these is to assess your key skills (reading, writing, mathematics, problem solving etc.). They test more for natural understanding and intelligence rather than specific subject testing which is all about how much information you can remember from your lessons.

So what I take from this is that Buffy is naturally clever but struggles at school for reasons other than capability. I'd say mainly lack of time in class and doing homework due to those pesky demons and a lack of interest.

 

[SlayerPrincess]

She's not stupid, she's just not a very good student. This actually used to happen to me in high school a lot. I would not go to class but still past the tests.

 

[Blaze]

What everyone else already said! Plus didn't Oz do really well on it but then failed a year/decided to retake some course? I don't know I might be thinking of something else lol

I'm not American (so I really know nothing of the SAT), but if it's like and IQ type test, those really tests your general intelligence, and Buffy is a smart girl.

 

[Kean]

Plus, we see Buffy studying for SAT's quite a lot. She clearly was trying to do well.

 

[NY State of Mind]

Its not that crazy. I've scored high on those tests and a few similar ones. I would be placed in advanced classes and get awards then the next year I'd fail classes even have to repeat. Then go right back to being advanced and then be trouble again lol. Its deeper then intelligence. My life, home, focus, boredom, attitude, etc all played roles at how I performed. School was never taken seriously to me...so if something was going on then my participation was limited. And thats what we see with Buffy since shes busy worrying about saving the world. School is pushed on the back burner, but it doesn't mean she lacks the ability and skill

 

[brinkster130]

Buffy was a poor student because she didn't put any effort or time into class work and homework; she focused more on slaying and having a social life. She probably put a little effort into taking her SAT's.

Plus, like others have said, the grades you get in your high school courses don't really translate into how well you'd do on a test like that.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Nice answers everyone!

However, many of you are wrong about the SAT. The SAT does test academic skills - not intelligence or aptitude - and is used to determine entrance into US universities. So, it would have tested Buffy on general subjects such as math and history.

I agree completely that Buffy is a incredibly smart girl - just not book-smart in the traditional academic sense. However, we see when she does apply herself - like in Prof. Walsh's class - she can excel.

How much did she really study though, [MENTION=6332]Lyri[/MENTION]? We see her trying to blow off her studying to go to the Bronze, and also failing miserably to focus when Giles is tutoring her in the graveyard. I guess it's possible she did study off-screen, but I got the feeling that they were trying to emphasize how much Buffy wasn't really putting much effort into studying - it was more Willow and Giles encouraging her to do so.

I say it was magical intervention that got her that score. There's just no way with her grades and shoddy study habits she could have believably gotten a score like that - and above Willow's? Ms. Overachiever? Really?

 

[The Chosen]

I say it was magical intervention that got her that score. There's just no way with her grades and shoddy study habits she could have believably gotten a score like that - and above Willow's? Ms. Overachiever? Really?

Did she get a better score than Willow? I don't remember that.

At any rate, again, grades/study habits/performance in high school really don't always correlate with standardized test scores. They can, but it's not always the case.

 

[NY State of Mind]

I scored high on the SATs and never studied or prepared. I only remember Math, Reading, Writing. If History was there it was something you likely had to read and then answer questions after which falls into reading comprehesion really. Its multiple choice and if you don't know the answer then its best you leave it blank if I remember correctly. I scored High in Math and Reading. My Writing was average. I'm shocked it was even that good 😛 Its an academic test but a lot can also be placed on problem solving and reasoning skills which is different from a specific course that you likely had to study the topic for the week, etc

 

[Kean]

Did she get a better score than Willow? I don't remember that.

At any rate, again, grades/study habits/performance in high school really don't always correlate with standardized test scores. They can, but it's not always the case.

It was never said that she done better than Willow. We saw Willow being disappointed with her her score by her own standards but it was never implied or stated that Buffy did better than her.

 

[OFAWB]

Standardized tests are a funny thing. My immediate family members all took the SAT when the maximum score was 1600. My parents and my sister scored in the high 1400s, while my brother scored a 1550! (Talk about high expectations.) I took the test when the maximum score was 2400, and scored a 1960 (the equivalent of about 1300 in the old system). Had I gone to a better school with better teachers and more focus on secular studies instead of religious studies, I probably would have gotten a score in the 2100s or higher. But I often blank out during tests.

I found Buffy's SAT score surprising when I first watched the episode, but now I'm not so surprised. Perhaps she was having a good day and scored well as a result. She's obviously quite an intelligent person, even if she generally doesn't test well. It's possible she got lucky, had a good day, studied really hard at home...

A lot of teenagers I talk to now don't even take the SAT. Hasn't it been mostly replaced with the ACT?

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Did she get a better score than Willow? I don't remember that.

That's the impression I got. Willow looks at Buffy's score and looks visibly upset.

 

[Moscow Watcher]

I try to rationalize Buffy's SAT score that way: Buffy always works better under stress. Extreme situation elates and mobilizes her.

(I'd love to ask Joss about it. Looks like it was him who unofficially wrote that episode)

 

[AnthonyCordova]

I'm a newbie! When I saw the episode, I was surprised. I remember the old SAT scoring system from when I was in High School (which coincidentally was almost exactly at the same time as the scooby gang were in high school! I was watching other television at the time though 🙁 ) and Buffy's score was really impressive. A little too impressive if you ask me. Sure, she could have studied a lot more off camera, and yes, I will concede that I think that Buffy is a really smart girl, but there are many different kinds of smart people and my impression of Buffy is that she isn't school/test smart.

Yes, the SAT test now is kind of an aptitude test in a certain respect (less so in my time) but, let's be real, if you didn't learn much in your algebra or trigonometry or grammar classes, you will not do exceedingly well on the test. Because algebra and trigonometry and grammar and things like that will be on the test (especially the SAT I recall taking). No avoiding it. It's not the kind of thing that someone just natively smart who struggled in class will score really high on in most cases (and like I said, I don't think Buffy is smart in that kind of bookish/test smart/mathematical etc way.) And Buffy's score was kind of high. Taking into consideration her study problems, lack of consistent involvement in class, etc. my view is that her score would have been a little bit more realistic if it had been 100-130 points or so lower(?). Still something she could be proud of and good enough to get her into college. That's my opinion.

 

[thetopher]

Honestly, I'm not sure how much Buffy actually thinks of herself.
She doesn't really think she's that smart. (In Faith, Hope And Tricks' she asks if they give you credit just for speaking English for her makeup test), and yet she passes all her make-up tests and studies hard.
But she also doesn't think she's that pretty, compared to some other high school girls. (I mean, come on this is SMG were talking about...just about most guys Buffy spends time with end up crushing on her- Xander, Angel, Spike, Riley...)
I think, when it comes to things other than slaying,the girl just doesn't know her own worth. 🙂

I also remember that she pretty much florishes in college, (?) becoming a very decent student (again surprising herself) and making Willow academically jealous- albeit briefly.