SAT scores - to report, or not to report?

[Anonymous]

We were told that someone other than the admissions counselor pulls the highest scores (for super scoring schools) so they only consider those. I am not sure how true that is.

I have also heard that some Test Prep companies make an artificially difficult practice test (taken at the beginning), so it later looks like they have raised your kid's score tremendously. This was told to me by an industry insider. Make sure that any practice test your kids takes is a whole SAT (i.e. using real, maybe past, questions). Not something that the prep company says is similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some schools require that you send all SAT scores.
https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/professionals/sat-score-use-practices-participating-institutions.pdf

OP here, thanks for this advice. I looked at the list, and though I don't know where she will apply yet, the schools she is likely to consider all take the highest scores in each section for each time you take it.


BUT.......... I just realized - what if she scores well on one section this time, and another section next time. She'll need to send both score reports! Ugh! People - what about this dilemma?

Yes she'd need to send both reports. The schools that super score expect this, and will combine them in their deicsions.

Remember that colleges want their incoming classes to have high average SAT / ACT scores. So most will work with the student to make sure their 'highest' score is taken into account, even if it is from two sittings.

It does get expensive.

But agree -- don't send the reports now.

[Anonymous]

ACT scores can be deleted, so that there is no record of the score...but be extra sure you don’t want to use any of those scores to super score before you request a delete.

[Anonymous]

Don't send. She didn't prep.

Now, going forward, talk to her about the money. If the $15 matters to you, she needs to know that and not waste any. If it doesn't matter, then don't send and just pay later.

[Anonymous]

No dilemma if she took the time to PREP! Don't mean to scare you, but it's March. My kids were done with testing at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No dilemma if she took the time to PREP! Don't mean to scare you, but it's March. My kids were done with testing at this point.

There is still plenty of time for a junior to prep and take the test again. But maybe figure out what the "prep" will be now...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No dilemma if she took the time to PREP! Don't mean to scare you, but it's March. My kids were done with testing at this point.

OP here. There is a late August SAT test and also a July ACT. Isn't that enough time?

[Anonymous]

No dilemma if she took the time to PREP! Don't mean to scare you, but it's March. My kids were done with testing at this point.


OP here. There is a late August SAT test and also a July ACT. Isn't that enough time?

Yes. There is still enough time. It is nice to have a firm score by the summer so you can make a reasonable college list, but it's not absolutely necessary.

If she really takes both tests completely cold and then preps, there is a good chance that her scores in all sections will improve next time. You likely won't need super scoring. The concern about cheating accusations is worth noting. I can understand not prepping (my current junior didn't) but see if she will at least take a timed practice test (from Khan Academy, from the official ACT booklet). That will probably boost her baseline score a bit just by ensuring she's familiar with the tests. It might be too late for the SAT, but have her do it for the ACT.

If she's a strong student who did worse than expected on her PSAT, the ACT may be the better test for her anyway. (Both of my kids did better on the ACT and neither one prepped for it at all).

[Anonymous]

I have read the ACT cheating allegations page. It seems like only a handful of students, and after a dramatic jump in scores. If you go from a 26 to a 29, no one bats an eye, but if you go from a 20 to a 30, it is a red flag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dilemma if she took the time to PREP! Don't mean to scare you, but it's March. My kids were done with testing at this point.

OP here. There is a late August SAT test and also a July ACT. Isn't that enough time?

There's plenty of time. No worries, OP. There's even an October SAT and ACT. Most colleges will take this late of a test.

[Anonymous]

If your child wants to apply ED, the Sept / Oct ACTs am SATs are cutting it a bit close.

[Anonymous]

I had ds (10th grade) take a practice SAT test without any prep on khan academy to see whether he needed to take a Kaplan course this summer. Based on his results (770 verbal and 740 math) I feel like it is not necessary. He is aiming high ito college selection but I cannot justify paying hundreds of dollars to improve his score by 20-40 points. I might buy him a Kaplan book

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dilemma if she took the time to PREP! Don't mean to scare you, but it's March. My kids were done with testing at this point.

OP here. There is a late August SAT test and also a July ACT. Isn't that enough time?[/quote

Once you take a test, it takes a few weeks to get your scores. This dates are published on the testing sites. The common application is released in July. Without scores, how do you know where to apply? Without scores, how do you know what colleges to consider and visit? Using the March test as a "practice" is risky.

[Anonymous]

Once you take a test, it takes a few weeks to get your scores. This dates are published on the testing sites. The common application is released in July. Without scores, how do you know where to apply? Without scores, how do you know what colleges to consider and visit? Using the March test as a "practice" is risky.

There are also SATs and ACTs in June, which is after March.

The Common App is released in July, but who is submitting it in July? A student can fill out the basic info and work on the general essay before they know where they are applying. High schools are certainly not sending rec letters and transcripts in the middle of July - they collect all of the students' application deadlines at the beginning of the school year and prioritize their work based on those dates.

My junior did his testing in the fall (I knew he would never prep and through he might as well get it over with) but there is not "right" or "wrong" way to do it and taking the first test in March is not "risky" or reason for alarm. Even though he is done with testing, I don't expect him to have a college list finalized by July - he's not interested in the college search process yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:15 here: The cheating is alarming. What generally happens is these kids take these tests 2,3,4 times and see a bump in their scores. Most take a prep class at some point, and of course see a bump of 8-10 points in the ACT, or a couple of hundred points in their SAT. This is what flags them in the system. And the system is rigged: no one ever wins the appeal. They cancel the score and ask you to take it again to "validate" your score. Many students were screwed because it was their Senior year and applying for colleges.

Well, this is scary. You would expect that a kid who took the SAT after only having taken Algebra 1 and Geometry, for instance, would get a pretty substantial bump in their score after successfully completing Algebra 2 and maybe even a prep class. Right?

With so many kids apparently getting 1400+ scores these days, a kid earning sub 1400 would probably be inclined to make additional attempts to score better. The difference between a 1300 and a 1400 is roughly 10 questions (?).