Is it suddenly harder to get high score in SAT or were people always lying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is too bad the College Board doesn't release actual numbers, and not just capacious percentiles.

In the meantime, parents and students somehow think that everyone is getting a 1550. This obviously is a statistical absurdity, but with the internet and social media, absurdity gets more clicks.

This thread is full of batshit crazy idiots that actually think it’s normal to score in the top 1%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is a junior so only recently started taking SAT/ACT. Before we had or own first hand experience, we used to hear everyone got 1560-1590 in their SAT. After the first couple tries, all the so called smart kids at our school only got 1420-1480. Is the scoring tougher now or were people always exaggerating?

Those kids with 1420-1480 will super score a 1500+ after a few tries. Many of my sons friends have 1500+ but it’s their super score.
That said, this is a small group at a tough private school. It’s not common. Except on DCUM.

I wish my DD could take her two 1420s and superscore. But she had a 740/680 and then a 720/700. So a superscore of 1440. She won't take it again because the universe is telling her 1420 is the score she is supposed to have. And her top school doesn't actually superscore and will see her two 1420s. Her practice tests scores were all over the place, so I don't think this was a tell for what score she should have expected.

If Georgetown, they take into account when the various SAT's were taken. That score will not get you into the 10 second reject pile so she has that going for her.

It's not Georgetown, but glad to hear she wouldn't be rejected outright there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is a junior so only recently started taking SAT/ACT. Before we had or own first hand experience, we used to hear everyone got 1560-1590 in their SAT. After the first couple tries, all the so called smart kids at our school only got 1420-1480. Is the scoring tougher now or were people always exaggerating?

Those kids with 1420-1480 will super score a 1500+ after a few tries. Many of my sons friends have 1500+ but it’s their super score.
That said, this is a small group at a tough private school. It’s not common. Except on DCUM.

I wish my DD could take her two 1420s and superscore. But she had a 740/680 and then a 720/700. So a superscore of 1440. She won't take it again because the universe is telling her 1420 is the score she is supposed to have. And her top school doesn't actually superscore and will see her two 1420s. Her practice tests scores were all over the place, so I don't think this was a tell for what score she should have expected.

Where is there a college that does not superscore? Even MIT and Georgetown, which want all scores, say they consider the highest in each section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is a junior so only recently started taking SAT/ACT. Before we had or own first hand experience, we used to hear everyone got 1560-1590 in their SAT. After the first couple tries, all the so called smart kids at our school only got 1420-1480. Is the scoring tougher now or were people always exaggerating?

Those kids with 1420-1480 will super score a 1500+ after a few tries. Many of my sons friends have 1500+ but it’s their super score.
That said, this is a small group at a tough private school. It’s not common. Except on DCUM.

I wish my DD could take her two 1420s and superscore. But she had a 740/680 and then a 720/700. So a superscore of 1440. She won't take it again because the universe is telling her 1420 is the score she is supposed to have. And her top school doesn't actually superscore and will see her two 1420s. Her practice tests scores were all over the place, so I don't think this was a tell for what score she should have expected.

Where is there a college that does not superscore? Even MIT and Georgetown, which want all scores, say they consider the highest in each section.

Wisconsin doesn’t superscore. Nor does UIUC, Iowa, or Minnesota, I assume because those are all ACT states and they don’t want to superscore the ACT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is a junior so only recently started taking SAT/ACT. Before we had or own first hand experience, we used to hear everyone got 1560-1590 in their SAT. After the first couple tries, all the so called smart kids at our school only got 1420-1480. Is the scoring tougher now or were people always exaggerating?

Those kids with 1420-1480 will super score a 1500+ after a few tries. Many of my sons friends have 1500+ but it’s their super score.
That said, this is a small group at a tough private school. It’s not common. Except on DCUM.

I wish my DD could take her two 1420s and superscore. But she had a 740/680 and then a 720/700. So a superscore of 1440. She won't take it again because the universe is telling her 1420 is the score she is supposed to have. And her top school doesn't actually superscore and will see her two 1420s. Her practice tests scores were all over the place, so I don't think this was a tell for what score she should have expected.

Where is there a college that does not superscore? Even MIT and Georgetown, which want all scores, say they consider the highest in each section.

Wisconsin doesn’t superscore. Nor does UIUC, Iowa, or Minnesota, I assume because those are all ACT states and they don’t want to superscore the ACT.

Yes I was referring to WI. They would prefer to see all your scores, but only use the highest score in one sitting for their decision. It's a bit odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is too bad the College Board doesn't release actual numbers, and not just capacious percentiles.

In the meantime, parents and students somehow think that everyone is getting a 1550. This obviously is a statistical absurdity, but with the internet and social media, absurdity gets more clicks.

This thread is full of batshit crazy idiots that actually think it’s normal to score in the top 1%.

LOL

[Anonymous]

On DCUM, there was always a large percentage of parents from magnet schools and other highly rated schools from DMV, and their kids were high achievers from the earliest grades.

These parents were super clued in about what the top universities or the most rigorous majors required. So, for these students getting extremely high scores in SAT/ACT was not something that was impossible. It was a given.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is a junior so only recently started taking SAT/ACT. Before we had or own first hand experience, we used to hear everyone got 1560-1590 in their SAT. After the first couple tries, all the so called smart kids at our school only got 1420-1480. Is the scoring tougher now or were people always exaggerating?

In terms of capabilities and intelligence - your kid is at par with these high achieving kids. It is just the strategy, roadmap, timeline and targeted efforts where your kid is far behind.

BTW - as the mom of two high achievers (for one it was a tough drag, lots of tears, sweat and blood...and the other breezed through these achievements) - I can tell you one secret - SAT/PSAT/ACT are the most formulaic and easy to ace tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 8k kids a year get a 1560+ without superscoring. Pretty shocking.

There are, what, 4 million high school grads per year and just under 2 million SAT test takers?

And yet it feels like 7,999 of their parents post on DCUM.

Some people lie. A girl told DD that she got a 1340 the same day that her mom told me that she got a 1390.

[Anonymous]

I think what is happening is the College board is releasing score percentiles by test and then averaging those to report. My kid took the test twice to superscore into the 1%. His friends, many of whom are Asian, would take it as many times as they had to until they hit 1550 and were preparing for years..literally starting in 8th grade. Two kids took it four to five times. There was a stampede to get to the SAT before it went digital in that group. My kid did digital because he didn’t want to bother traveling and staying in a hotel to take it earlier on paper.

This entire group of kids reports as being over 1550 but that isn’t counting superscore and the numerous retakes. This doesn’t even factor in the cheating rings that are out there.

So what college board is reporting is not what is actually being reported to colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only about 8k kids a year get a 1560+ without superscoring. Pretty shocking.

There are, what, 4 million high school grads per year and just under 2 million SAT test takers?

And yet it feels like 7,999 of their parents post on DCUM.

Some people lie. A girl told DD that she got a 1340 the same day that her mom told me that she got a 1390.

Some modicum of guilt must have been present because at least she didn't round up to 1400.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think what is happening is the College board is releasing score percentiles by test and then averaging those to report. My kid took the test twice to superscore into the 1%. His friends, many of whom are Asian, would take it as many times as they had to until they hit 1550 and were preparing for years..literally starting in 8th grade. Two kids took it four to five times. There was a stampede to get to the SAT before it went digital in that group. My kid did digital because he didn’t want to bother traveling and staying in a hotel to take it earlier on paper.

This entire group of kids reports as being over 1550 but that isn’t counting superscore and the numerous retakes. This doesn’t even factor in the cheating rings that are out there.

So what college board is reporting is not what is actually being reported to colleges.

I thought that I have been around the SAT block...I have never heard this.

[Anonymous]

With over 3M HS juniors and seniors taking these tests each year, we see fewer than 2,000 scores of 1600 on the SAT each year and fewer than 4,000 scores of 36 on the ACT each year (and obviously fewer than even that on a one-and-done basis). Yet if you take what you read here at face value, almost everyone’s kid has “highest” or “tippy top” or whatever scores. When you dive even a little below the surface, you find out how many people actually think a 1530 or 1510 or even 1490 on the SAT (super scores, no less!) is “just as good” as a one-and-done 1600. You’ll also get an earful about how a 34 on the ACT is “just as good” as a one-done 36 with perfect 36 subparts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With over 3M HS juniors and seniors taking these tests each year, we see fewer than 2,000 scores of 1600 on the SAT each year and fewer than 4,000 scores of 36 on the ACT each year (and obviously fewer than even that on a one-and-done basis). Yet if you take what you read here at face value, almost everyone’s kid has “highest” or “tippy top” or whatever scores. When you dive even a little below the surface, you find out how many people actually think a 1530 or 1510 or even 1490 on the SAT (super scores, no less!) is “just as good” as a one-and-done 1600. You’ll also get an earful about how a 34 on the ACT is “just as good” as a one-done 36 with perfect 36 subparts.

A lot of copium…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what is happening is the College board is releasing score percentiles by test and then averaging those to report. My kid took the test twice to superscore into the 1%. His friends, many of whom are Asian, would take it as many times as they had to until they hit 1550 and were preparing for years..literally starting in 8th grade. Two kids took it four to five times. There was a stampede to get to the SAT before it went digital in that group. My kid did digital because he didn’t want to bother traveling and staying in a hotel to take it earlier on paper.

This entire group of kids reports as being over 1550 but that isn’t counting superscore and the numerous retakes. This doesn’t even factor in the cheating rings that are out there.

So what college board is reporting is not what is actually being reported to colleges.

I thought that I have been around the SAT block...I have never heard this.

Yeah, I don’t know how they are doing it with the digital test but it’s a thing within the Chinese community and probably other groups as well.