Egyptian Civilisation Essay Example

Egyptian Civilisation Essay Example Egyptian Civilisation Essay Egyptian Civilisation Essay A civilization can be define as an advanced stage or system of human development characterized by social hierarchy and government, the division of labor and economic specialization, economic organization, settled agriculture, cultural traditions and practices, religion, art and architecture. A region must contain most or all of these characteristics if they are to be considered a civilization. Without these characteristics a society will have no structure and its people will be considered to be in a state of barbarism. The characteristics of a civilization help not only to give a society a sense identity, but a sense of history as well; this ensures that people in the present could look to the pass and know that a group of people existed during a particular period, in a particular region and carried out certain practices that would have distinguished them from other groups existing during their time. The Egyptians were a group of people that established their civilization alon g the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. Egypt is located between Africa and the Middle East and the Egyptian society contained many characteristics that distinguished them as a civilization. In this essay I will discuss some of the major features of the Egyptian civilization from the Early Dynastic period to the Late Intermediate period. The Early Dynastic period was the period which saw the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt into a single kingdom and it consisted of two dynasties. This unification occurred around 3100 BC and ancient Egyptians acknowledged this to be the start of their civilization. It was during this period that government was established in Egypt in the form of kingship. Egyptians believed that a king named Menes was responsible for the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt. However according to archaeological findings, the real historical figure and the last king of the Protodynastic Period was Narmer, the first pharaoh to claim to have united Upper and Lower Egypt. The pharaoh of the Royal Cemetery of Abydos resembled tombstones and contained a pair of carved stone funerary stelae. Prior to the fourth dynasty pharaohs were known by their Horus name and the stelae bore a hieroglyphic called a serekh which served as a representation of the Horus name of the ruler at that time. The Horus name of th e Pharaoh would also be written on serekh panels panel the first of which appeared to be the Narmer Palette. In North Saqquara there existed some elaborately niched mudbricked superstructures. The Saqquara tombs comprised of a superstructure above ground as well as an underground chamber in which the high officials of the north were buried. The Early Dynastic Period brought the development of Egyptian writings from a few signs to a more composite system of several hundred signs. The Old Kingdom was the foundational period of Egyptian civilization; it was during this period that developments in Egyptian architecture, religion and the beginning of hereditary nobility took place. The pharaohs of the Old kingdom had great power and held the monopoly, they granted estates to scribes and officials and made land grants to local cults and temple. They held superiority in all matters and were responsible for law making until their power was diminished and local rulers and priests who challenged their supremacy became more powerful. During the Old Kingdom around 2686BC- 2134BC, Egypt was under a strong central government ruled by Zoser who gained enough power to rule the entire country. Zoser established his court in Memphis and previous rulers occupied positions as governors. Egypt became wealthy and extensive irrigation projects brought the evolution of agriculture and with it an increase in trade. Because of the importance of the Nile River to agricultural success and the power of the pharaohs, Egyptians during this time saw the pharaohs as being responsible for the yearly flooding of the Nile and worshipped them as Gods. The Egyptians scheduled their agriculture in accordance with the cycle of the Nile River and the river was used as their main source of water since there was very little rainfall. The three seasons acknowledged by the Egyptians were Akhet, the season of flooding, Peret, the season of planting and Shemu, the season of harvesting. The Old Kingdom is also known for its pyramids which were used as burial places for pharaohs in Ancient Egypts. The first pyramid was built by Imhotep to house the body of King Zoser, initially it was built as a large tomb but remodeled into a towering pyramid. During the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom Sneferu the initiator the Dynasty was responsible for the construction of at least two pyramids, the Bent and the Red pyramids. His son and successor Khufu later constructed the Great pyramids of Giza on the Giza plateau. In this period the practice of mummification emerged, mummifications were used to preserve the bodies of the pharaohs so that the spirit would return to the body periodically and so assure the kingâ„ ¢s immortality. in an attempt to preserve the body for life in the next world. The pyramids were built during the lifetime of Sneferu, his son Khufu, and his grandson Menkaura and served as long lasting monuments. Immense exploration took place during the old kin gdom, groups were sent to Nubia for mining, Egyptians journeyed to the Phoenician coast by ship to source cedar wood and Nubia was conquered. The fifth dynasty was initiated by Userkhaf and after his supremacy there existed a power struggle. Civil conflict arose which caused the deterioration of the Egyptian government, the situation was compounded by a severe drought which caused the collapse of the Old Kingdom. The First Intermediate period lasted for approximately two hundred years and was a period in which Egypt was not ruled by a single Government. Pharaohs of this time ruled from the end of the sixth dynasty to most of the eleventh dynasty and their power was limited only to their domain. Few monuments exist from this period but the decorated tombs of governors during this period remain as evidence that there was a continuation artistic practices. Burials during the intermediate period were rich and the writing on the tomb was used to depict the independence of the governors and at times also referred to local conflict The most outstanding monument from the First Intermediate Period is the mortuary temple of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II at Deir el-Bahari. The middle kingdom saw reemergence of the pharaohâ„ ¢s supremacy, the expansion of the civilisation and the worsening of labor conditions. Mentuhotep II was the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom and the establisher of the eleventh dynasty. During the reign of Mentuhotep II and other kings Egypt was able to regain its power. dynasty began to consolidate their rule. Mentuhotep II sent armies into Nubia and reconquered them after they had become independent the First Intermediate Period. Armies were sent to Palestine to look after trade relations and ships ventured to Greece, Crete and Syria. A vizier was appointed by the king as the head of civil administration for the country. New projects were initiated and irrigation systems were fixed.Senusret III, a warrior king during the period 1878 BC?  Ã¢â‚¬Å" 1839 BC, constructed forts which served as security for Egyptâ„ ¢s south border. Amenemhat III, a great ruler in the Middle Kingdom encouraged Asiatic settlers to enter the Delta region in order to use their labor for active mining and building campaigns. The Egyptian population began to experience a surplus in food as production levels rose. The Middle Kingdom birthed fresh ideas for art and literature. Gorgeous regal sculptures were created and wooden replicas of houses, soldiers and animals adorned tombs. Pyramids were constructed during this period using cheaper materials. However the inability of weaker kings to deal with powerful immigrants that had settled in the Delta brought the decline of Egypt. During the second intermediate period at around 1700 B.C.E. the Hyksos invaded Egypt and the pharaohs were forced to retreat to Thebes where there were treated as subordinates. The Hyksos who were from West Asia had superior weaponry as well as horse drawn chariots which enabled them to gain control of the Delta and reign over a large part of Egypt. The Hyksos adapted much of the Egyptian culture and many of them portrayed themselves as pharaohs. Salatis was the first king of the Second Intermediate Period, he ruled over Lower and Upper Egypt and the third king, Apophis I, relinquished some of his power to gave some of his power to a branch of the Hyksos family. The reign of the Hyksos, was a significant period of technical improvement which saw the encouragement of arts, crafts and literature. The Second Intermediate period comprised of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventh dynasties and the Hyksos contributed the harness and war chariots to Egyptian civilization. War eventually brok e out between the Egyptians and Hyksos and Egypt emerged victorious. The New Kingdom consisted of the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth dynasty and saw the production of many famous arts, artefacts and architecture. The eighteenth dynasty was one of prosperity and power. Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh reigned during this period; she served with great competence and it was under her that Egyptian trade expanded into Somalia and the Mediterranean. Thutmose III, Hatshepsutâ„ ¢s successor expanded the Eyptian army. He was respected for his imperial policies and was an avid builder. Amenhotep III kept the tradition of building and worked on the temple of Karnak, and later began the temple of Ame-Re at Luxor. Amenhotep IV who later changed his name to Akhenaten introduced the religious system of monotheism to Egypt. Akhenaten believed in Aten who was the representation of a sun disk. The period in which Akhenaten reigned facilitated artistic, architectural and poetic expression. However, the system of monotheism was not popular with the priests that bel ieved in polytheism. Consumed by religious matters Akhenaten lost control of some his provinces and after his death, his successor Tutankhamen returned Egypt to polytheism. Rameses I reigned in Egypt around 1290 BC and was followed by his son Seti I. Seti I ruled the Egyptian Empire for eleven years and constructed a temple complex at Abydos. Ramses II, established major building projects and it was under him that the Egyptian struggle against the Hittites in Syria was resolved calmly. Ramses II, finished the work started by his father at Karnak he also constructed great monuments and the temples such as Abu Simbel. Rameses had many children for his wives and constructed tombs for his sons in the Valley of the Kings. Ramesesâ„ ¢ reign brought great prosperity and tranquility to Egypt and his greatness members of the twentieth dynasty to retain his name. Several battles in the twentieth dynasty under the rule of Rameses the III saw the exhaustion of the Egyptian treasury and the decline of the Egyptian Empire. After his death his sons became pharaohs as Rameses IV, VI and VIII. During this time Egypt was plagued with a series of droughts and after the death of Rameses XI Egypt entered into the third intermediate period. The third intermediate period included four dynasties. Smendes was the first king of this period and served as a vizier of Lower Egypt. He established his capital in Tanis while Upper Egypt was The result of the feeble rule of the last Ramessids was a lapse into the division of the two lands. The first king was Smendes (ruled 1069- 1043BC), a vizier of Lower Egypt, who set up his capital in the Delta city of Tanis. Upper Egypt was ruled from Thebes, where Herihor, who combined the offices of high priest of Amun and vizier of Upper Egypt, was placed as effective king. Unity was briefly restored when his grandson Pinudjem I, who at first reigned as high priest, formally assumed the kingship and ruled at Tanis (1054-1042BC). In his reign, the royal mummies that had been violated and robbed in the Valley of the Kings were rewrapped and reentered in a secret place behind the temple of Hatshepsut, where they were found in modern days. After his death the power fluctuated between Tanis and Thebe sometimes under one king, sometimes under a combination of a king in the north and a high priest in the south. The priests were the real rulers, using the powers of Amun-Ra to deal with all matters. . This period involved 4 dynasties from the twenty-first to the twenty-fourth. The era opens the final millennium of ancient Egyptâ„ ¢s history. Apart from a brief time of unified rule by the Theban priest-king Pinudjem I, it was marked by divisions within, with pharaohs in control only of Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt ruled by hereditary chief priests at Thebe. Thebes had no foreign policy and the pharaohs at Memphis were incapable of firm rule. The international standing of Egypt sank to a low level until the assumption of power by Shoshenq I and the commencement of the twenty-second, or Libyan Dynasty. The Libyans ruled for a century and a half, with their base in the north, until a branch set up a separate kingdom at Thebes, the twenty-third Dynasty, whose succession of five kings co-existed with the parents branch until uprising of Tefnakht at Sais, and the invasion of the Nubians, which brought the era to an end. IDuring the New Kingdom, Egypt kept a large permanent army. Under a series of warrior kings, they soon became the dominant force throughout the near east. Kings from as far away as Syria paid homage to the great pharaoh in Egypt. With gold, copper, ivory, ebony, and slaves pouring into the land, Egypt became richer than ever before. During this period, the 18th dynasty rulers pioneered a new style of royal burial, abandoning the pyramids in favor of less conspicuous tombs in The Valley of the Kings. The Egyptian civilization was openly stratified. Their social hierarchy consisted of a pharaoh or king who head the hierarchy, followed by viezier who was the trusted adviser of the pharaoh then the nobles and high Priests, the officials and scribes, the craftsmen and lastly the slaves, laborers, and peasants. The farmers, who were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, made up the majority of the Egyptian society similar to contemporary societies where the poor are considered to be in the majority. The farmers were subjected to paying tax and their agricultural produce was owned by the state. In Ancient Egypt people from all social classes were treated with equality under the law except the slaves. Both men and women were entitled to property ownership and sale, marriage and divorce as well as the pursuit of legal matters. In the legal system of Egypt was controlled by the pharaohs, they were responsible for passing laws as well as ensuring that justice is carried out. Common sense was used as a measuring rod in determining right from wrong and conflict resolution was preferred to the adherence of a strict set of laws. A local council of elders ruled over minor claims and disputes while critical cases were presided over by the vizier or the pharaoh. Those up for trial were required to represent themselves and swear an oath that they were telling the truth. The accused were sometimes subjected to beatings from the state in an effort to get a confession. All cases were comprehensively documented by the scribes and punishment ranged from fines, exile and facial mutilation for minor crimes to execution by decapitation for more serious crimes. Oracles also played an important part in making legal decisions in the new kingdom. Various duties were distributed to members of the Egyptian civilization. The scribes were among those most versed in reading and writing, therefore their responsibilities included writing letters, keeping recordings as well as military accounts. The scholarly scribes held positions as doctors, engineers and priests. The priests were required to spend three months in the temple where they fulfilled their duties. The medical field in Egypt consisted of positions such as chief medical officers, inspectors, superintendants, and physicians. The doctors possessed great knowledge of herbal remedies as well as surgical techniques. Engineers were knowledgeable in mathematics and architecture and used this knowledge for precision in the building of monuments, pyramids and temples. The high priests and noblemen constituted the government and served as assistants, generals and administrators. The vizier served as the pharaohâ„ ¢s closest advisor. The Old Kingdom was the foundational period of Egyptian civilization; it was during this period that developments in Egyptian architecture, religion and the beginning of hereditary nobility took place. The pharaohs of the Old kingdom had great power and held the monopoly, they granted estates to scribes and officials and made land grants to local cults and temple. They held superiority in all matters and were responsible for law making until their power was diminished and local rulers and priests who challenged their supremacy became more powerful. The middle kingdom saw a reemergence of the pharaohâ„ ¢s supremacy. While this period brought the expansion of the civilisation it also saw the worsening of labor conditions. Amenemhat III, a ruler in the Middle Kingdom encouraged Asiatic settlers to enter the Delta region in order to use their labor for active mining and building campaigns. During the second intermediate period at around 1700 B.C.E. the Hyksos invaded Egypt and the pharaohs were forced to retreat to Thebes where there were treated as subordinates. The Hyksos who were from West Asia adapted much of the Egyptian culture and many of them portrayed themselves as pharaohs. In the New Kingdom from 1550-700 B.C.E, the new kingdom pharaohs arose and overthrew the Hyksos. These pharaohs secured borders and strengthened diplomatic ties. The vizier commanded the treasury in Egyptian society and the economy was well managed. The temples of Egypt served as store houses for wealth and the financial system of Ancient Egypt was one of money bartering in which workers were paid in grains. This took place until the introduction of coinage. Trading was facilitated at standard price. The Egyptianâ„ ¢s obtained commodities that was rare to their society through trade. They were able to obtain gold, incense, timber ebony and ivory through trade with other countries as well as olive oil from Greece. Egyptâ„ ¢s Natural resources included decorative copper, lead ores, gold and semi precious stones which enabled them to have great architecture, art, tools and fashion jewelry. The Egyptian civilization contained settled agriculture. The Nile River which was at the core of Egyptian civilization was considered to be a gift from God to the Egyptian people. The Nile River overflowed its banks annually leaving behind a rich, fertile top soil which was responsible for the Egyptianâ„ ¢s agricultural success. The Egyptians scheduled their agriculture in accordance with the cycle of the Nile River and the river was used as their main source of water since there was very little rainfall. The three seasons acknowledged by the Egyptians were Akhet, the season of flooding, Peret, the season of planting and Shemu, the season of harvesting. The Egyptianâ„ ¢s produced an abundance of food and was the only place in the world to export grain surpluses. The grains produced by the Egyptians included emmer and barley, and their plants were used to make sheets and clothing. Their garden plots comprised of vegetables and fruits such as squashes, lettuce, grapes melons and garlic. They also had an abundant supply of fish, sourced from the Nile River. The most important livestock of the Egyptianâ„ ¢s was the cattle, donkeys and oxen were used to assist in agriculture. The donkey and oxen plowed the fields and compressed seeds into the ground and the ox was used in spiritual rituals. Sheep, goats and pigs were also reared. The villagers were not afforded as luxurious a lifestyle as the wealthy Egyptians. Their villages were compact and their houses made of stones. These houses were so inferior that they deteriorated after time and new houses were usually built on top the rubble. The houses contained little furniture and water for the village was sourced from a well. Wealthy Egyptians had large estates and luxurious homes. They comprised of pools, gardens, servants shrines and tiled floors however they too had limited furniture. The clothing of the Egyptianâ„ ¢s was made from linen and their style was common throughout their classes. Egyptians took great pride in their appearance and used wigs, oils, perfumes and jewelry. The wealthy in their society were privileged to some of the most exquisite jewelry. Women in the Egyptian society were responsible for childcare while the men sought to provide economic stability. At the age of twelve, Egyptian males were circumcised and their heads shaved. The diet of the Egyptians included bread, beer, figs, dates, garlic and onion and it was only during feasts that the lower class was privileged enough to eat meat and drink wine. Music and dance made up a significant part of Egyptâ„ ¢s culture and the harp and flute were popular instruments. The Egyptians activities included board games, juggling, wrestling as well as hunting and boating which were done by the upper class. The Egyptians were polytheistic and believed in the after life. The Egyptians believed in several supernaturally gods who they were required to keep contented through offerings and sacrifices. Deities incessantly arose to prominence, none contradicting the other. Worship was carried on by a priest in cult temples which contained shrines. However, the temples were not used for public worship and only the upper class was allowed to worship at the shrines. The lower class was subjected to private worship in their homes and many of them wore amulets as spiritual guards. In the new kingdom oracles were used as means of direct communication to the Gods. The Egyptians believed that everyone had a shadow a personality or soul, a life source and a name. The heart was considered to be responsible for thought and emotion. They believed that the dead will reunite its life source, with its soul and become the blessed dead existing effectively inn their afterlife. Mummifications were used to prese rve the bodies of the pharaohs so that the spirit would return to the body periodically this assured the kingâ„ ¢s immortality. The pyramids were used to store the bodies of the pharaohâ„ ¢s and their material belongings. They believed that their spirit would either be rewarded or punished and that heaven held no suffering. Egyptian art was created to serve particular purposes. Its accuracy, simplicity and symbolism played an important role in politics and religion. Images were engraved on the walls of the temples and tombs. Artists used stones and wood to make statues and paints were derived from minerals. The lower class had access to funerary arts and clay models used to show the daily life of the Egyptians were displayed in the tombs. The Egyptians used hieroglyphics as their system of writing which incorporated up to five hundred symbols. Initially they were pictorial but then developed into phonetic scripts. They were formal in structure and written on monuments and in tombs and eventually papyrus. The Egyptianâ„ ¢s architecture distinguished them from any other civilization. Dominance of the pharaoh was reiterated through their architecture and the state financed architectural works. The buildings were constructed with simple tools and expert builders exercised immense precision during constru ction. Buildings that were suppose to last forever, were constructed with stones while others especially the homes of the lower class Egyptians were constructed with mud bricks. The greatest architecture of the Egyptians was the Pyramids of Giza and the Temples of Thebes. The Egyptians had one of the greatest civilizations ever known to man and the precision and design of their pyramids still baffle many and seem even more advanced than present time. The Egyptian society embodied all the characteristics that was necessary for them to be considered as a civilization. It contained social hierarchy and government, the division of labor and economic specialization, economic organization, settled agriculture, cultural traditions and practices, religion, art and architecture. Their hieroglyphics made it possible for us to gain incite as to who the Egyptians were and when they existed. They provided for us more information than any other civilization, information that can be seen as reliable since it was written by the Egyptians themselves and represented their daily life. Their achievements not only justify their categorization as a civilization but set a standard for all civilizations that followed. WORKS CITED Asante, Molefi. Culture and Customs of Egypt. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. 2002. David, Rosalie. The Experience of Ancient Egypt. London: Routledge. 2000. Erman, Adolf. Life in Ancient Egypt. London: Macmillan. 1894. Glanville, K. The Legacy of Egypt. Oxford England: Clarendon. 1942. Issawi, Charles. Egypt: An Economic and Social Analysis. London: Oxford University Press. 1947. Little, Tom. Egypt. New York: Frederick A. Praeger. 1958.

Will Colleges Accept the Old SAT for Class of 2017 or 2018 30+ Schools Interviewed

Will Colleges Accept the Old SAT for Class of 2017 or 2018 30+ Schools Interviewed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Image via College Board. The SAT wasrevamped in March 2016 in an effort to make it more modern and accessible. If you’re a current high school student, you’ve probably heard about this change. If you’re a current senior(Class of 2017) or junior(Class of 2018) this raises some questions.What if you tookthe SAT before it changed last spring? Will colleges still accept scores from the "old" SAT? Or will they require you to take the new SAT?This has big implications for how you prep, when you take the tests, and possibly even whether you should switch to the ACT. In this exclusive, first of its kind breakdown, we personally spoke to admissions counselors from dozens of colleges to get some real answers on how they willhandle the transition. Overview: What's In This Guide To get accurate info that's most relevant to you as a student or parent, we posed as a parent and asked college admission officers directly how we should handle the SAT transition for two children: one a risingsenior(Class of 2017) and one a junior(Class of 2018). They did not know I was affiliated with PrepScholar. In most cases I talked to an admissions representative or someone higher up in the office. Also, since we couldn’t call every single school in the US, we will also include a guide to help you find out about the new SAT policy at any school you’re interested in. (Please share this info with us in the comments!) For the purposes of this article, "old SAT" refers to the 2400 version of the SAT that wasadministered up until January2016. The "new SAT" or "redesigned SAT" refers to the redesigned test thatwas first administered in March2016. We will cover some overall trends we noticed before diving into a school-by-school guide. Next, we will outline a guide to help you call admissions offices for schools you're interested in. Trends about Accepting the New SAT Every school we spoke to is accepting both the old and the new SAT for the Class of 2017 (current seniors). This is because the SAT is typically taken during junior year, and for the Class of 2017, the old SAT wasavailable for half of your junior year, and the new SAT for the second half. One caveat to this is that many colleges will not "superscore" between the new and old SAT, since they consider them to be different tests. This means that they won’t automatically look at your highest section scores like they normally do with two different SAT score reports. Keep this in mind if you think you will need to retake the SAT. As far as some colleges are concerned, comparing the old and new SAT is like comparing apples and oranges. In terms of the Class of 2018, colleges fall into two main camps. In the first camp, they will let the Class of 2018 submit scores from the current SAT. As of July 2016, this camp is about three-quarters of schools we interviewed. In the second camp, they haven’t made a decision yet for the Class of 2018 – though some are leaning one way or the other, based on our conversations. This camp has six schools. Finally, there are two schools who have decided not to accept the old SAT for the Class of 2018. Additionally, many colleges cautioned against taking the SAT too early, as they tend to see the highest scores from juniors and older. That means if you’re in the Class of 2018, it would likely make more sense to take the new SAT,unless you are confident your score from the old SAT is stellar. We will continue to monitor college admission websites as policies are updated. The New 2016 SAT: A School-by-School Guide We called the admissions offices at many popular schools to find out their policies – or what they know so far. We also checked to see if they have official policies up on their websites, and will include those where available. Since we couldn’t call every single school, we are also including a guide to getting this info on your own after our list. We contacted and are posting the policies (or what we know so far) from the schools below. We contacted all of the Ivy Leagues, top schools like Stanford and MIT, and other popular colleges and universities from around the country. Barnard College Brigham Young University Brown University Bryn Mawr College Cambridge University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Duke University Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mount Holyoke College New York University Northwestern University Oxford University Pennylsvania State University Princeton University Stanford University University of California Berkeley University of California Los Angeles University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Washington University in St Louis Wellesley College Yale University We organized our list based on the redesigned SAT policy schools are adopting. Again, since every school we spoke to will continue to accept the current SAT for the Class of 2017, we are organizing this list based on the policy for the Class of 2018. We will first look at the schools that are not accepting the old SAT for the Class of 2018. Next, we'll list the schools that will officially be accepting the current SAT for the Class of 2018. Finally, we will go through the schools that have not yet decided on a policy. Class of 2018 Cannot Submit the Current SAT Duke University Duke has decided that, although members of the Class of 2017 may submit either the old or new SAT, members of the Class of 2018 (and younger) must submit the new SAT. Furthermore, if a student in the Class of 2017 submits an old and new SAT score, they will use concordance tables to determine the higher score. Northwestern University Can a student in the Class of 2017 submit scores from the current SAT? â€Å"We’ll definitely still accept his scores.† But will you superscore between the old and new SAT? â€Å"As far as how we’re going to be using the new test, we don’t have a policy yet.† (Northwestern has since posted a policy that clarifies they will not superscore between the old and new SAT.) So what about a student from the Class of 2018 – could they submit scores from the current SAT? I was told last year the policy had not been decided yet. Since then, Northwestern has posted their official policy and it looks like they are not accepting the old SAT for the Class of 2018: "beginning with those seeking to enroll in fall 2018, we will only accept the new SAT." So if you're in the Class of 2018 or later, you have to take the new SAT for Northwestern. Class of 2018 Can Submit the Old SAT Barnard College When I asked about the Class of 2017 last year, the Barnard representative said, â€Å"We will be accepting both tests still.† When I asked about the Class of 2018, I was told they hadn't determined their policy yet. I reached out to the admissions office again via email and learned some good news: the Class of 2018 can also submit the old SAT! "Yes, you may submit results from the old and/or the redesigned SAT. When evaluating applicants, we will consider only the highest testing results reported from one version of the test, not across both versions. In the redesigned version of the SAT, Barnard will not require the writing test. Results from two SAT Subject Tests will no longer be required." Note that Barnard is not superscoring across the old and new SAT, and that they no longer require two SAT subject tests. Brigham Young University BYU has a relatively relaxed, straightforward policy regarding the new SAT. The admissions representative told me, â€Å"We’ll take whatever [SAT score] is highest [for a current senior]. If he gets a better score on the new SAT we’ll accept that.† So not only can you submit either the old or new SAT if you’re in the Class of 2017, BYU will superscore between the two tests. What about for the Class of 2018? â€Å"We’ll still accept the old one [for a current junior]. If he takes it again, it will be whichever one is highest.† So for BYU, you can submit scores from either the old or new SAT up through the Class of 2018. Brown University Image via Wikipedia. When I asked about the SAT transition last year, I was told by an admissions representative, â€Å"We haven’t made a decision yet†¦We’ll be posting it on our website as soon as we’ve decided.† Luckily, Brown has now decided on a policy for the new SAT, and it's very flexible.According to their FAQ page, they "do not have a preference for either the current SAT or the redesigned SAT." So if you're in the Class of 2018, you can definitely submit the old SAT. Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke While looking at some of the Seven Sisters schools (some of the top women-only colleges in the US) we noticed that some of them don’t require standardized testing at all. This is still a fairly rare practice among schools in the US, but it’s interesting to note that for some schools, including Bryn Mawrand Mount Holyoke, sending standardized test scores is optional (exceptions include international and home-schooled students). Since scores are not required, you can send in any standardized scores you do have, including ones from the current SAT. Carnegie Mellon Image via Wikipedia. Carnegie Mellon also falls in the camp that is accepting either the old or the new SAT as long as they were available while the student was in high school. â€Å"If they’re offering both SATs it’s up to them which one to take,† an admissions representative told me. Even for a current junior? â€Å"Yes, as long as they have the choice we will accept either one.† As of October 2015, Carnegie Mellon's standardized testing requirements page doesn't list any information about the new SAT. However, they do note that "Carnegie Mellon would prefer that applicants take these required tests in their junior or senior year." This means that if you're in the Class of 2018 and tookthe oldSAT as a sophomore, Carnegie Mellon prefers (but doesn't require) that you re-take the SAT or ACT as a junior or senior. Columbia University Columbia has a posted policy about the new SAT: "Columbia will continue to accept scores for both versions of the SAT for applicants applying for admission for fall 2017 and fall 2018." That means if you're in the Class of 2018, you're free to take the current SAT. They will continue to accept either version of the SAT through Fall 2018 (which would include current freshmen). That said, they will not superscore between two versions of the test. So if you take both the old and new SAT, they won't automatically look at your highest section scores. Cornell University When I asked about the Class of 2017 and 2018 submitting the current SAT, I was told, â€Å"We would accept whatever test they take during the transition period. Whatever they end up taking we’ll use.† Translation: the Class of 2017 or 2018 can take either version of the SAT. However, the Cornell officer cautioned pretty strongly about taking the SAT too early, in reference to someone in the Class of 2018 fitting in the old SAT: â€Å"I would wait a little while before taking that standardized test because even though we’ll see the highest scores, we’ll have access to all those scores.† So even though Cornell would accept the current version of the SAT through the Class of 2018, make sure you don't take the SAT before you're ready. If you want to read more about how Cornell will compare scores between the old and new SAT, you can check out their new SAT FAQ. Dartmouth College Dartmouth has updated their FAQ page with info about the new SAT. They confirm that they will take the new or old SAT for the Class of 2017 and beyond: "If you are applying for admission to enroll at Dartmouth in the fall of 2017 or later, your results from either the current or the redesigned version of the SAT will be accepted, we do not have a preference." However, Dartmouth is not superscoring between the old and new SAT: "we will consider your highest â€Å"superscored† results from either the current or the redesigned SAT; we will not combine scores from both versions." Howard University If you want to go to Howard, you’re in luck, because they have a very straightforward policy about the new SAT. â€Å"We only consider the math and critical reading scores, so we will superscore between new and old [SAT scores], and consider any tests taken while in high school,† the admissions representative told me when I asked about students in the Class of 2017 and 2018 taking the oldSAT. The bottom line? Both the Class of 2017 and the Class of 2018 can take the old or new SAT and submit it to Howard. Johns Hopkins When asked if Johns Hopkins would accept an old SAT score from a student in the Class of 2017, the admissions representative replied, â€Å"Absolutely.† And when asked about if a student in the Class of 2018 could also submit the old SAT, the representative said, â€Å"He can take it.† So both the Class of 2017 and Class of 2018 can take either version of the SAT and submit it to Johns Hopkins. Their website now says that "For 2017 applicants, Johns Hopkins will accept both the new SAT and old SAT." We emailed the admissions office to clarify the Class of 2018 can still submit the old SAT as well and they replied, "if you take one old test and one new test, we will convert the old math and reading scores into a comparable new score." This presumably means the Class of 2018 is good to go, and furthermore, explains their policy if they get an old and new SAT score: to compare them using concordance tables. New York University Image via Wikipedia. NYU has a policy about the new SAT posted on their admissions website. As stated on their standardized testing page, â€Å"Either [the old SAT or the new SAT] are fine.† Furthermore, I spoke with an admissions representative who clarified this is true for students in both the Class of 2017 and Class of 2018. So feel free to submit either version of the SAT to NYU. Oxford University I was able to send the Oxford Admissions office an email about the redesigned SAT, and asked whether students graduating in 2017 and 2018 would be able to submit scores from the current SAT. â€Å"Yes, we will continue to accept any test taken before the changes are implemented," said the email. "In general we expect a candidate to have achieved their entry qualifications within three years of applying.† So Oxford will continue to accept scores from the current SAT, as long as a student applying took it within the last three years. Princeton University When I asked the Princeton officer about students in the Class of 2017 and the Class of 2018, they said, â€Å"We are accepting either of the two †¦ Your son who’s a sophomorecould still submit his old one though he would probably end up taking the new one due to timing†¦ We’ll accept the old one for as long as it’s valid, which I believe is for five years after the test date.† So Princeton will accept either the Old or New SAT for the Classes of 2017 and 2018 – maybe up to the class of 2020 if they follow the SAT’s five-year score expiration policy. Additionally, Princeton has posted a short answer about the new SAT on their FAQ page: "We will accept either version of the SAT, or the ACT with Writing. We do not have a preference for the â€Å"old† or â€Å"redesigned† SAT. The â€Å"old† SAT, or redesigned SAT with Essay and ACT with Writing are treated equally." So again, Princeton seems ready to accept the old SAT for as long as it's available. Stanford University Will Stanford continue to accept the current SAT for students in the Class of 2017 and Class of 2018? â€Å"We will be taking both tests,† the admissions representative told me. â€Å"We do have a preference for having them take it when they’re a little older, but we will be accepting both tests.† Stanford has now also confirmed on its Testing page that they will accept both the old and new SAT. They require applicants to take all three components of the test (Reading and Writing, Math, and Essay) and caution they will not superscore between the old and new SAT. So even if you’re in the Class of 2018 and take the old SAT, Stanford will accept it. However, heed their advice about taking the test only when you’re ready! University of California Berkeley â€Å"Yeah, we will be accepting both [the old and new SAT],† an admissions representative at Berkeley told me when I asked about students in the Class of 2017 and 2018. â€Å"At this point †¦ as long as you take it before they make that change, we will accept it.† The University of California website now also has a section clarifying that the old SAT is okay for the Class of 2018, but the Class of 2019 and younger must take the new SAT. University of California Los Angeles Image via Wikipedia. UCLA, as a fellow member of the UC system, has the same policy as UC Berkeley, but we did call just to make sure.Whenwe asked if UCLA willswitch over to redesigned SAT only by the time the Class of 2018 is applying, the admissions officer said,â€Å"Nope, we’ll still be accepting [the old SAT].† So, just like Berkeley, you can submit either version of the SAT to UCLA, even if you're in the Class of 2018. Also, UCLA is reminding applicants on their website that if they take the new SAT, to sign up for the essay, which will be optional on the new SAT. University of Chicago Will the University of Chicago accept scores from the current SAT for students in the Class of 2017 or 2018? The admissions representative said, â€Å"We will still accept either test.† The University of Chicago has now clarified on their website that they will accept either the old or new SAT as long as scores are valid. If you are in the Class of 2018 and took the old SAT, your score will still be valid by your senior year and you can use it to apply. However, Chicago will not superscore between the old and new SAT. University of Pennylvania Penn has now posted an official policy about the new SAT which is quite flexible: they will allow the Class of 2018 to submit the old or new SAT. "For students with the option to take either exam, Penn will accept scores from both the current SAT and the redesigned SAT." Additionally, they won't require the essay portion of the new SAT and they will not superscore between the old and new SAT. Vanderbilt University Will Vanderbilt be accepting old SAT scores from students in the Class of 2017 and the Class of 2018? â€Å"Yes, as long as the old SAT was available while the student was in high school, we will accept those scores†¦We will absolutely accept it, if he takes it now.† However, Vanderbilt did caution that they will not be superscoring. â€Å"If you take both the old and the new one, we won’t cross super-score those tests. If you take two old SATs, we will superscore those two, but if you take an old and a new SAT, we won’t superscore between those.† Vanderbilt has now posted this policy on their website. If you scroll down to "A Note Regarding the New SAT," you can see Vanderbilt will continue to accept the old SAT as long as it's available to students, but will not superscore between the old and new tests. Washington University in Saint Louis So how is Washington University in Saint Louis handling the SAT transition? â€Å"We are going to work with the old SAT as it phases out. [We will take it] until it is no longer possible to take the old SAT,† an admissions representative told me. So is this true for a student in the Class of 2018? â€Å"If that’s the score he wants to send and he likes it, then that’s fine.† So for Washington University, you can send either the old or new SAT even if you are in the Class of 2018. But will they superscore between the old and new SAT scores? â€Å"We actually don’t know how we’re going to handle [superscoring] yet because we haven’t seen the new test yet. We would hope to superscore but we have to wait until we know more.† So be aware that if you end up taking the old SAT and the new SAT, Washington University might not automatically look at the highest score from both sittings. As of July 2016, there isn't a policy posted regarding this on their application website, so we'll keep you posted. Wellesley College I had a long conversation with an admissions officer at Wellesley back in June. I was told then, â€Å"We clearly will be taking the old SAT [for the Class of 2017]. I don’t know about [the Class of 2018], as we have no official policy yet.† But now, Wellesley has posted an expanded section about the redesigned SAT on their FAQ page, which affirms that the Class of 2017 can submit either the current or redesigned SAT.The FAQdoessuggest that they are pushing for a transition to the new SAT, "Applicants to Wellesley for 2017 and beyond should take the new test, but can submit scores from the pre-2016 version." We emailed the admissions office at Wellesley and confirmed that someone in the Class of 2018 can still submit the oldSAT, even though the new SAT is preferred: "We would still consider those scores, however, since we often see scores improve dramatically between a student's sophomore year and her senior year, she may want to consider taking them again in the future." So while the Class of 2018 could submit the current SAT to Wellesley, remember you may get a better score on the new SAT (or the ACT!) if you take the test your junior year. Yale Yale has posted a policy for the SAT redesign. They will be accepting the current SAT for the Class of 2018 as well as the Class of 2017. This is in contrast to the original policy they had posted last year, which stated that the Class of 2018 could not submit the current SAT: Yale's first policy for the redesigned SAT. Yale's current policy for the redesigned SAT. So if you're in the Class of 2018, and you've taken or will take the current SAT, you will be able to submit it to Yale. No Clear Policy Yet for the Class of 2018 Cambridge University Cambridge's different colleges have various admissions policies and standards. We got in touch with a few to get a sense of how Cambridge as a whole will handle the transition. This is what we found out. "We accept the qualifications which the applicants have taken and assess them carefully and on an individual basis on academic merit alongside all others applying for the same subject," said an admissions coordinator at Christ's College. Translation? Any standardized test will be looked at, including the current SAT. "I have contacted our Admissions Tutors and the feedback is as follows: ‘Yes: old one is fine,'" said an admissions officer at Churchill College. "The University of Cambridge will probably consider both versions of SAT (a decision will be made later this summer). Please note that we do not accept SATs on their own and they need to be accompanied by Advanced Placement Test or the International Baccalaureate," said an Admissions Officer at Pembroke College. So while some of the colleges seem prepared to accept the current SAT, others are waiting for an official policy to be set. If you're curious about any of the other individual colleges at Cambridge, see a full list here with contact info. Harvard University When I talked to a Harvard representative about how they will handle the SAT transition, I was told, â€Å"For a year or so we will accept both [the old SAT and new SAT].† This means for students in the Class of 2017, who will be juniors when the SAT changes, they could submit either test. When I asked about the Class of 2018, I was told, â€Å"I can’t tell you at this point†¦Probably for up to two years we will accept the old SAT.† Basically, this is a maybe. Indeed, if you look on Harvard’s admission website, you can see the following policy: â€Å"We will accept both the current and the redesigned SAT scores for the foreseeable future. You should submit scores from tests taken in the past three years." Unfortunately the â€Å"foreseeable future† is not terribly specific. If you follow the three year rule, someone in the Class of 2018 could take the old SAT as a sophomore and still have a usable score by their senior year. So it appears that Harvard will accept the old SAT for the Class of 2018, which would put them in line with other Ivy League schools like Brown and Dartmouth. You may want to double check with the admissions office before you assume you can use an old SAT score. MIT So could a current sophomore submit a score form the old SAT? â€Å"We will still be accepting [the old SAT] for the Class of 2017.† What about the Class of 2018? â€Å"That is likely we will as well†¦.We’re still reaching a decision on everything at this point. But we will always accept previously-taken tests.† Translation? If you’re in the Class of 2017, you can submit either version of the SAT. If you’re in the Class of 2018, you can certainly submit a score from the current SAT, but MIT hasn’t decided yet if by that point they will require the redesigned SAT as well from applicants submitting the SAT. As of July 2016, MIT hasn't decided on an official policy. They say on their FAQ page that: "We have not announced our policy and/or requirements for the 2017 admission cycle...For students interested in applying to MIT in 2017, and registering for the new SAT - we will accept all test results regardless of format or our final requirements. We will also accept all test results from exams taken before the new SAT." Penn State Can the Class of 2017 and the Class of 2018 submit scores from the current SAT if they have them? â€Å"As long as we have at least one score†¦We haven’t set a policy but as long as there’s at least one test score that’s all we need,† the Penn State representative told me. What about superscoring between the old and new SAT? â€Å"If [they take] the old and new one, whatever one is better we will accept.† So, tentatively, Penn State not only appears to accept both the old and new SAT up through the Class of 2018, they will also superscore between the old and new. Again, keep an eye out for official policy to go up in the Penn State admissions website, but for now, you can plan to take either version of the SAT. As of July 2016, no additional information has been posted on their website regarding the new SAT. University of Michigan Will the University of Michigan be accepting the current SAT for a student in the Class of 2017? â€Å"We will still accept the old SAT if they take it.† So what about for a student in the class of 2018? â€Å"They haven’t made a final determination on that †¦ we’re probably going to decide this next year, which is when the new SAT will roll out.† The admissions representative did say, â€Å"We will still accept previous scores and take them into consideration.† So while Michigan will certainly look at scores from the old SAT from a student in the Class of 2018, the jury’s still out on whether they will accept that as the official standardized test score, or if they will require the new SAT by then. As of July 2016 their website has not been updated. University of Virginia UVA has decided on a new SATpolicy, for the Class of 2017 at least: they can choose between the old SAT, new SAT, or the ACT when submitting their standardized test scores. However, there is nothing listed about the Class of 2018, so you'll have to wait to find out whether they will accept the current SAT for your class. How to Call Admissions Offices You’re probably wondering about other colleges we didn’t reach out to for this guide. From local state schools to small liberal arts colleges, every school is going to have a policy for the redesigned SAT. So how do you find out for yourself? The first step is to check their website to see if they have posted a policy. Check first their standardized testing page for freshman applicants. If the policy isn't there, take a look at the FAQ section. If they’ve posted a policy for the redesigned SAT, it will likely appear on one of those two pages. Unfortunately, many schools haven’t posted their policies online yet. Many are waiting to learn more about the redesigned SAT before they do so. If that’s the case, you can use our guide here to help you call college admission departments and ask. Even if they don’t have an official policy yet, an admissions officer can give you their best guess, which can help clear things up for you. In many cases, a policy has been decided but just not posted yet, and this is the best way to find out. If you just read the words â€Å"call college admission departments† and started thinking about slinking away, sending an email, or waiting for the official policy – stop! I realize that a lot of high school students are nervous about talking on the phone, and especially nervous about talking to admissions officers. Keep in mind that answering questions is part of the job of an admissions officer. Furthermore, they are really nice and happy to talk to you! Also, in case you're wondering, they’re not secretly taking your name down and writing notes about you. First of all, you don’t have to give your name, but even if you did, they don’t care. Colleges don’t track phone calls (or visits, or emails) by name. Calling an office will not affect your future application one way or the other. Step-by-Step Calling Guide First of all, to get the phone number, search for "[Name of College/University] Admissions Contact Info." This will pull up the page with the contact information, including emails and phone numbers for the admissions office. Dial the number for the admissions office. Here’s what to say to get the info you need. In most cases you’ll get through to an admissions representative first, not a counselor. (The difference is that representatives handle communications and outreach while counselors or officers actually read applications.) Briefly introduce yourself. For example, say, â€Å"I’m a high school student graduating in 2017† or â€Å"I’m the parent of a high school student graduating in 2017." This will help the representative put you in context. Succinctly say why you’re calling, for examples say, â€Å"I have a question about the new 2016 SAT.† At that point the representative will talk to you if they believe they have the answer, or will transfer you to an admissions counselor. Questions to Ask Jury's still out on whether waiting for your crush to text back or gathering the courage to call a college admissions office is more excruciating. First ask, "Are you still accepting the oldSAT for my class, the Class of 2017?" (Or the Class of 2018, as the case may be.) If they say yes, you can reconfirm by asking, "If I tookthe oldSAT before spring 2016 and gota good score, can I apply to your school with this score?" Also, if they say yes, ask, "Will you superscore between the old and new SAT?" You'll want to find out if they will take your highest scores if they take both the old and new SAT. If they will not be superscoring, ask how they will compare your scores if you take both the old and new SAT. If they will not be accepting the oldSAT for your class, ask which standardized tests they will be accepting for your class. It might be they will only accept the redesigned SAT or the ACT. You could also consider asking about SAT versus ACT, and if they would suggest taking the ACT instead. (Most colleges will likely affirm they take both tests equally, and perhaps encourage you to take the ACT during the transition period since it may be simpler.) If you have any other questions about applying or that school's specific application process, be sure to ask. Remember to thank them for their time before signing off. Also, for any school that you call that's not on the current list, leave a comment below so other students will benefit! Closing Words It’s important to put your best foot forward with standardized tests, which is why we spent so much time doing this research. However, it’s also important to remember they’re not the only part of your college applications. Many admissions counselors were eager to remind me over the phone that they use holistic review processes, so your SAT score is not the be-all end-all of your application. While it’s tricky being in the Class of 2017 or 2018 and having to deal with the SAT transition, remember to keep your grades up, take challenging classes, and get involved in things you care about. Finally, keep in mind that you can always take the ACT instead! The vast majority of colleges accept it equally, and the ACT isn’t changing. If you’re stressed about dealing with the redesigned SAT, remember you don’t have to take it! You can take the ACT instead. What’s Next? Read in-depth about the new SAT to understand how it's changing. We have a summary of major changes, and detailed guides to changes on the Reading, Writing, and Math sections, as well as the Essay. So what should you do if you decide to take the new SAT? Check out our study guide for the new SAT. Thinking you should take the ACT instead? Get guides to ACT scoring and ACT timing, and also try a free ACT practice test. If the ACT seems manageable to you, consider taking it instead of the SAT to avoid the transition headache. Want advice for getting into top colleges? Read our exclusive guide about what college admissions officers are actually looking for. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: