DS can’t get past 1490 on the SAT’s. Any recommendations ?

[Anonymous]

Send him to trade school. No hope at being a professional and thus no point in going to college. Save your money.

[Anonymous]

If he does not get over 1500, you can go test optional at top schools.
1500 is a key threshold for top schools; ideally, you would want to be at or over the average for the reported SAT score.
With our DCs, it helped to start taking the real test, and to say "there is always another shot, every month, so do your best and realize no one test matters much." We said this to take off the pressure, and all of them took it a couple of times, and improved a lot to mid-1500s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a rising junior and an excellent student at his school. He already took honors precalc as a sophomore and achieved a near perfect score in that class. He’s aiming at a few T20 schools and knows that’s it’s almost a must to get over 1500 on the SAT.

He’s taken 4 practice SATs over the summer and his score is ranging between a 1450 and a 1490, almost equally split between Math and English. He’s already taken several sessions with a tutor he likes at a reputable testing place in the area. The tests aren’t revealing any particular areas of weakness.

If your child was in a similar position , what has helped the most? More practice tests? Changing tutors? Simply more studying ?

Me personally, I'd have my kid focus on their essays and doing well in school. I'd also seriously consider why they are so obsessed with T20 schools. I'd put much more effort into finding great Targets to apply to. Because that is likely where they belong (I say this as parent of a kid with a 1480/790 Math/8AP/3.96UW student). They didn't get into any T25. They were Deferred then rejected at a T10, Rejected at a T20, WL at T30, 1st year abroad at NEU and accepted everywhere else with great merit. Attending a school that was ranked ~ low 30s when they started (but USNWR regrouping means privates went down in ranking and large state U went up when class sizes no longer matter, and the other changes). They got into a great school, are excelling there. Were a TA starting spring of Soph year, continued junior and now into senior year, been doing research for a full year and did it over the summer as well. Tops of their class (have a 3.95+ in their major courses). They landed where they should be. And they have plenty of smart cohorts....everyone they know was "WL/Spring start/Fall soph start" at 1+ T30 schools (most have it for several). They are surrounded by "kids all qualified for T25 schools but who didnt' win the lottery".

[Anonymous]

Leave him alone.

[Anonymous]

If he wants to retake he should keep practicing. Use free sites using official test banks like https://cognivo.xyz/

[Anonymous]

Congratulate him?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he does not get over 1500, you can go test optional at top schools.
1500 is a key threshold for top schools; ideally, you would want to be at or over the average for the reported SAT score.
With our DCs, it helped to start taking the real test, and to say "there is always another shot, every month, so do your best and realize no one test matters much." We said this to take off the pressure, and all of them took it a couple of times, and improved a lot to mid-1500s.

Wrong. Do not go test optional with a 1490 anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Uc. Should be able to get in. Or go test optional Vanderbilt.

[Anonymous]

Omg you actually have no idea what his real score is. He needs to take the test.
A quick search here reveals that the blue book tests are not particularly accurate - some kids do much better, some much worse.

Have your kid take the test and then come back here for strategies if necessary.

[Anonymous]

Mine took it 3 times. Didn’t break 1500,
1490 last one with a 1530 superscore with 770 in Maths.
He plans to just let it rest at that.

[Anonymous]

PP
1490 Sophomore year is excellent.

[Anonymous]

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/797509.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 1490 is a great score!! People’s sense of what’s a good score has become so messed up with all the re-centering, superscoring and the high number of kids scoring 1500+. Your kid will be fine. There’s no different between a 1480 and a 1520.

If there is no difference between a 1520 and 1570;
Andif there is no difference between a 1480 and 1520;
Andif there is no difference between a 1420 and 1480;
And if there is no difference between a 1320 and 1420;
Andif there is no differences between a 1220 and 1320;
Then it follows that 1220 is equal to 1570 in its significance .
QED

[Anonymous]

I say this in all seriousness. TikTok is a great resource. There are some SAT tutors who break down the hardest types of questions and explain them. Before this last test, the college board released 300 new practice questions, which apparently means some will be on this fall’s test with different particulars. Through TikTok, my kid was able to get free access to a bank of these questions, organized by subject and difficulty. All he had to do was join a particular SAT tutor’s email list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If there is no difference between a 1520 and 1570;
Andif there is no difference between a 1480 and 1520;
...

Agree with your rhetorical math "proof." While there is little difference between 1550 and 1590, below 1550 there is. Ask t20 schools if they prefer to report a middle 50th range of 1510–1560, or 1490–1560? Admitting an applicant with a 1490 is going to make the latter more likely, contributing to making the schools appear academically weaker, which they don't want.