I always find this kind of self-analysis via comparisons with others interesting, having done it many times myself.
of course I didn't bother with the SATs at all, and have never even thought to ask another person what they scored on a standardized test they probably took 10-20 years ago, so I think I find all this fretting over these sort of meaningless academic MacGuffins absolutely fascinating...it reminds me of how many people who went to Tier-1 schools manage to slip in what school they went to in conversation several times a day instead of just saying "when I went to college". It's a weird verbal tick that becomes supremely fascinating (and annoying) once you become attuned to it.
When I first moved to the Bay Area, I was surprised by the number of people who would ask what school I went to, or casually drop their school name (I was in my mid/late 20's). When asked what school I went to, I took to responding, "STF U". It seemed like the type to name-drop their Alma mater were least likely to catch on.
I've been reminded of this bizarre habit half a dozen times in the last week, most recently with an accountant, who's nearing his second retirement, who manages to slip in "when I was at MIT" at least twice a day - like nothing else in his entire life gives him the cachet he needs to validate himself.
And then it came up again here yesteday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APV_caBjO60 where Paul Reiche (the guy on the left) manages to slip in that he went to Berkeley every time he talks about his college experience probably 30 years prior. Even weirder, during his time in high school, he spent some time at LHS (Lawrence Hall of Science) and manages to turn that into a Berkely education credit.
Here's a guy who's incredibly accomplished in his own right, I mean he did Star Control and Star control II for goodness sake, and has to turn his time at a k-12 student resource center into a Berkely reference. It's like a weird form of academic credit Tourettes.
By way of comparison, the guy on the right, Fred Ford, manages to not do this and instead actually says "college".
On the flip side, if I ever move out to the Bay Area I'll have to start slipping in random institutes I've been at. "When I was at the Louvre" (I've walked two of the three wings" instead of "some art museums", and "when I studied music at the Music School No. 1 in Yekaterinburg" instead of "listened to a student performance while on vacation", and I'll save my trump card "when I was at Princeton" (I had a business meeting on campus once).
Come to think of it I could mine this sort of pseudo-academic inflation for weeks. Who knew going to the Ontario Science Center when I was 14 could give me so much street cred!
Just a note for hezekiah - you've been hellbanned (as of http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2751543). Not sure why - and from looking at your comment history prior to your ban you seem like a reasonable person, so I thought I'd let you know.
of course I didn't bother with the SATs at all, and have never even thought to ask another person what they scored on a standardized test they probably took 10-20 years ago, so I think I find all this fretting over these sort of meaningless academic MacGuffins absolutely fascinating...it reminds me of how many people who went to Tier-1 schools manage to slip in what school they went to in conversation several times a day instead of just saying "when I went to college". It's a weird verbal tick that becomes supremely fascinating (and annoying) once you become attuned to it.