Regents Examinations: What Are They?

Wassup! I'm a little confused about what exactly are regents exams. I know they're more of a New York thing but how do they affect my overall high school experience and college admissions?

Hey there! Regents Examinations, often simply called "Regents," are a set of standardized tests designed by the New York State Department of Education. They're specifically meant for high school students in the state of New York. These exams cover a wide range of subjects from Algebra to US History to Living Environment (Biology). Typically, NY students are required to pass these exams to graduate from high school.

When it comes to your overall high school experience, Regents exams can provide a uniform measure of what you've learned in a given subject, and they often play a role in your class's curriculum, which will be aimed to help you do well on these tests.

As for college admissions, they could be relevant if you're applying within New York state as in-state schools might be more familiar with them. However, colleges outside of NY state might not give these scores much, if any, consideration simply because they are not as familiar with them. Remember, your overall academic performance, GPA, SAT/ACT scores, extracurricular involvements, and essays carry much more significant weight during the application review process.

In short, Regents are more about helping you graduate from your NY high school than they are a direct influence on college admissions. But doing well on them shows mastery of content, so it's still to your benefit to take them seriously.