SAT, ACT, how much to keep trying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has she worked with a test prep company? More than anything they (at least the good ones do) teach strategies and it can make all the difference. For DD it wasn't the content that was the problem, it was all of the strategies that aren't intuitive. Definitely consider. DD saw a significant score jump after four sessions and two practice tests. It was the best money we spent during the college process. 36 on the ACT in one sitting.

DP .. Sorry to digress, but would you be willing to share the name of this test prep company ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has she worked with a test prep company? More than anything they (at least the good ones do) teach strategies and it can make all the difference. For DD it wasn't the content that was the problem, it was all of the strategies that aren't intuitive. Definitely consider. DD saw a significant score jump after four sessions and two practice tests. It was the best money we spent during the college process. 36 on the ACT in one sitting.

May I ask which company you used? A bit overwhelmed by the options.

DD used Prep Matters. They matched her with a wonderful tutor who was really knowledgeable and supportive.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I’d go with the ACT

[Anonymous]

My DD was in a similar position. She had gotten a 1350. I was happy with that; she wasn’t. She studied very hard — too hard — the summer before her junior year and broke 1500. She got in everywhere she applied but, more than that, she got a full ride (!) at a T10 school. I am convinced that would not have happened without the high SAT score. So doing well on that stupid test can make a huge difference. It’s worth the extra study and cost of prep if she applies herself. It’s worth hundreds of thousands actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD was in a similar position. She had gotten a 1350. I was happy with that; she wasn’t. She studied very hard — too hard — the summer before her junior year and broke 1500. She got in everywhere she applied but, more than that, she got a full ride (!) at a T10 school. I am convinced that would not have happened without the high SAT score. So doing well on that stupid test can make a huge difference. It’s worth the extra study and cost of prep if she applies herself. It’s worth hundreds of thousands actually.

Was this recently? I was under the impression T10 schools don’t give full scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was in a similar position. She had gotten a 1350. I was happy with that; she wasn’t. She studied very hard — too hard — the summer before her junior year and broke 1500. She got in everywhere she applied but, more than that, she got a full ride (!) at a T10 school. I am convinced that would not have happened without the high SAT score. So doing well on that stupid test can make a huge difference. It’s worth the extra study and cost of prep if she applies herself. It’s worth hundreds of thousands actually.

Was this recently? I was under the impression T10 schools don’t give full scholarships.

Duke does.

[Anonymous]

With modest but smart prep, most should be able to break 1450 if not 1500.

[Anonymous]

My kid got a 30 four times, even after taking a test prep class after the second one. Kid seemed smarter than that, so didn’t give up. Took a community college logic class & got a 33 on next ACT & 1480 on next SAT. That got kid into a top 10 university. All it takes is one successful morning to significantly change their life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a 30 four times, even after taking a test prep class after the second one. Kid seemed smarter than that, so didn’t give up. Took a community college logic class & got a 33 on next ACT & 1480 on next SAT. That got kid into a top 10 university. All it takes is one successful morning to significantly change their life.

Honestly that is exactly what is giving me so much anxiety: so much lies in this ONE day testing and as the parent it 100% falls on me to push and push to test and prep more. It's a person's life right there in my hands, based on that one decision. It also seems ridiculous in a way, because your 30 ACT kid and your 33 ACT kid and your 1480 SAT kid are one and the same! It's not like the higher score magically turned them into being fitter for top 10, in terms of abilities. I guess I am just mad at this whole system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was in a similar position. She had gotten a 1350. I was happy with that; she wasn’t. She studied very hard — too hard — the summer before her junior year and broke 1500. She got in everywhere she applied but, more than that, she got a full ride (!) at a T10 school. I am convinced that would not have happened without the high SAT score. So doing well on that stupid test can make a huge difference. It’s worth the extra study and cost of prep if she applies herself. It’s worth hundreds of thousands actually.

Was this recently? I was under the impression T10 schools don’t give full scholarships.

T10 does give full scholarships, but it is entirely need-based. They don't provide any merit scholarships. Duke and Stanford of course do provide athletic scholarships, but maybe only Duke has merit scholarships (but also I believe will provide full need-based aid).

PP is leaving out something important. Duke isn't giving a kid a full-ride merit scholarship because of a 1500 SAT. Either PP's kid was a recruited athlete (doubtful as imagine she would have mentioned that) or had something amazing about her application to get that merit aid or likely falls into an income bracket whereby just getting accepted gets you a full scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With modest but smart prep, most should be able to break 1450 if not 1500.

Stop with making nonsense statements like this. If most could break those levels, then those scores would be in the 50%ile overall. As they are, they are like 1450 is the top 3%ile, and 1500 is I think top 1% (or 2% at worst).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a 30 four times, even after taking a test prep class after the second one. Kid seemed smarter than that, so didn’t give up. Took a community college logic class & got a 33 on next ACT & 1480 on next SAT. That got kid into a top 10 university. All it takes is one successful morning to significantly change their life.

Honestly that is exactly what is giving me so much anxiety: so much lies in this ONE day testing and as the parent it 100% falls on me to push and push to test and prep more. It's a person's life right there in my hands, based on that one decision. It also seems ridiculous in a way, because your 30 ACT kid and your 33 ACT kid and your 1480 SAT kid are one and the same! It's not like the higher score magically turned them into being fitter for top 10, in terms of abilities. I guess I am just mad at this whole system.

You have to know your child and whether it is worth it. +1 on PrepMatters individual tutoring. My child went from 32 on official ACT diagnostic to 36 on one and only real test. Hard work + confidence boost through the individualized prep plan worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a 30 four times, even after taking a test prep class after the second one. Kid seemed smarter than that, so didn’t give up. Took a community college logic class & got a 33 on next ACT & 1480 on next SAT. That got kid into a top 10 university. All it takes is one successful morning to significantly change their life.

Honestly that is exactly what is giving me so much anxiety: so much lies in this ONE day testing and as the parent it 100% falls on me to push and push to test and prep more. It's a person's life right there in my hands, based on that one decision. It also seems ridiculous in a way, because your 30 ACT kid and your 33 ACT kid and your 1480 SAT kid are one and the same! It's not like the higher score magically turned them into being fitter for top 10, in terms of abilities. I guess I am just mad at this whole system.

This is so overly dramatic. A persons life in your hands? NOT EVEN CLOSE.
We need to stop blaming schools for setting things up like this and start blaming parents for buying into the T25 or bust mentality. It’s pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a 30 four times, even after taking a test prep class after the second one. Kid seemed smarter than that, so didn’t give up. Took a community college logic class & got a 33 on next ACT & 1480 on next SAT. That got kid into a top 10 university. All it takes is one successful morning to significantly change their life.

Honestly that is exactly what is giving me so much anxiety: so much lies in this ONE day testing and as the parent it 100% falls on me to push and push to test and prep more. It's a person's life right there in my hands, based on that one decision. It also seems ridiculous in a way, because your 30 ACT kid and your 33 ACT kid and your 1480 SAT kid are one and the same! It's not like the higher score magically turned them into being fitter for top 10, in terms of abilities. I guess I am just mad at this whole system.

That’s just life though. Get over it.

Nothing is ever fair. You won’t ever have a Perfect anything that lasts very long.

And your kid will end up where they are supposed to end up and things will work out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a 30 four times, even after taking a test prep class after the second one. Kid seemed smarter than that, so didn’t give up. Took a community college logic class & got a 33 on next ACT & 1480 on next SAT. That got kid into a top 10 university. All it takes is one successful morning to significantly change their life.

Honestly that is exactly what is giving me so much anxiety: so much lies in this ONE day testing and as the parent it 100% falls on me to push and push to test and prep more. It's a person's life right there in my hands, based on that one decision. It also seems ridiculous in a way, because your 30 ACT kid and your 33 ACT kid and your 1480 SAT kid are one and the same! It's not like the higher score magically turned them into being fitter for top 10, in terms of abilities. I guess I am just mad at this whole system.

Then find schools to apply test optional. There’s still are quite a few for next year.

Sheesh