SAT score not commensurate with GPA/ AP scores / academic rigor despite prepping and tutoring

[Anonymous]

This is very similar to my DD’s experience. Top 5% of class in rigorous DMV public charter. 11 APs with mostly 5s (including Calc AB, Bio, Lit, Lang, Apush, stats, etc.). Never got the SAT above 1490 super score. Was very disappointed despite that score being 97/98th percentile (parents were not). Ended up not being an issue for her for many reasons. First, she had narrowed her search to SLACs primarily so she never got swept up in the T20 or bust mindset of most of her academic peers. Also, after visiting a wide range of SLACs, she was a little put off by the prestige choices (had a particularly strong reaction to Swat). Ended up falling in love with one of the “13s”, applied and got in early, and is thriving there now. Probably not the outcome you personally are looking for, but it couldn’t have gone better for our family.

[Anonymous]

1440 is a good score and the score is just one data point. We know people who scored 1500+ (even high 1500’s) who were rejected at T-20’s. Have your daughter try taking the test again and have her consider whether her time might be better spent working on other parts of her profile (activities, essays, keeping up her high grades). Strong Recommendations can also help move the needle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the breakdown in scores? Nearly all schools super score, so if the scores are very lopsided (nearly 800 in one section), just focus entirely on the other section.

770 in Math, 670 in English

So, stop studying Math and focus entirely on English. It literally doesn’t matter if after the next test, she score a 770 in English and a 500 in math…she will tell colleges she scored a 1540.

This!

[Anonymous]

The digital SAT is less consistent for scoring than the old paper SAT.

Try the ACT and also take SAT again later, such as August, to try to bump up that verbal score. Many kids improve verbal after having taken junior year APs, just due to more practice with verbal skills. It's too early to assume that 670 is the best she can do.

[Anonymous]

Try ACT. Some kids are better at ACT than SAT.

[Anonymous]

I think her score is commensurate with her coursework. It’s not as high as some, but it also isn’t eye raising

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is an excellent student taking on the most rigorous classes offered at her DMV private . As a junior, she’s already in AP Calculus BC and AP Lang and excelling in both. Based on the honors list numbers at her school , she’s around the top 10-15% of her class. She took 3 AP classes as a sophomore and scored 5’s on all three.

Here’s the issue: she just can’t seem to do well on the SAT in spite of studying hard for it and having excellent tutors.
She scored a 1460 on the first benchmark blue book practice test with zero prep back in June , so we thought it would be easy to get past the 1500 with some tutoring.
Fast forward 6 months, some 20 tutoring sessions, hours of studying on her own and her December SAT came in at 1440.
Kids at her school who are around her level have mostly scored 1530+.

Granted a 1440 is somewhere around the 96 percentile but it’s not even in the ball park of the schools she was hoping to apply for next year.

She’ll retake the test in the Spring but we are just perplexed at why this is happening. We are also doubtful that her score will go up much in the next 3 months if it hasn’t budged in the last 6 months. How can a student who is clearly capable, prepped so much, not be able to do well on the test?

Has anyone had this experience with their child before ? Would love to hear your thoughts.

No mean comments please.

TIA

Re-read your post and apologize to your daughter. Maybe consider being on her team rather than worrying about how she’ll make you look bad in your mom group.

[Anonymous]

Not everyone can get 1500+
There’s a wall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine too. They will continue with tutoring and keep trying. We aren’t looking at ivys so it will be fine. Worst case test optional.

Anyone who would seriously suggest that a kid with a 1440 should be test optional is an insufferable AH. Why are so many outstanding kids stuck with absolutely horrible parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She’ll retake the test in the Spring but we are just perplexed at why this is happening. We are also doubtful that her score will go up much in the next 3 months if it hasn’t budged in the last 6 months. How can a student who is clearly capable, prepped so much, not be able to do well on the test?

For the majority of kids who prepped or accomondated or superscored, there is a limit to which they can achieve. Prep only makes it happen for achieving your true potential. Once you reach your true potential, excessive prep can do very little extra. When you hear who and who scored from 1450 to 1580 in three months, that is because their true potential is at 1580, prepping certainly helped them achieving that. These are not the norm, but exceptions. You should set your expectation correctly.

[Anonymous]

The blue book practice tests are skewing high right now especially beyond 1450. This is my experience. So a kid who averages 1580 is getting 1530 at most. I think the digital SAT has had some issues in its infancy. Too many high scores. That’s been remedied as of maybe March? but the practice tests still reflect that beginning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think her score is commensurate with her coursework. It’s not as high as some, but it also isn’t eye raising

You are a ghoul.

[Anonymous]

What are the diagnostic tests saying about what types of verbal questions she’s missing? Is she consistently missing the same type of questions? See if you can figure that out and focus on those areas.

[Anonymous]

SAT is indeed partially an IQ test, figuring out the questions and the answers quickly. Often there is an answer that "looks right" in the verbal if you misunderstand the question. Aptitude. Grades are work and perseverance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine too. They will continue with tutoring and keep trying. We aren’t looking at ivys so it will be fine. Worst case test optional.

Anyone who would seriously suggest that a kid with a 1440 should be test optional is an insufferable AH. Why are so many outstanding kids stuck with absolutely horrible parents?

Some schools state that they don’t want to see scores below their middle 50%. It’s not personal.