Thoughts on help for the SAT/ACT for a smart student who is struggling with these tests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Kid got 5s on Calc BC, AP Bio, AP English literature, AP Spanish Language. Took Physics C this year and feels like it was also a 5.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is with the ACT and SAT. The kids feels that it is a timing thing--he/she feels that the APs give far more time for the required material.

It shouldn't be that surprising. Look at the percentage of students getting 5's on these tests:
Calc BC- 42%
AP English Lit- 15%
AP Spanish - 24%
Physics C- 31%
AP Bio- 14%

If you said 5's in AP English Language or APUSH that is more impressive since only around 10% get 5's on those tests.

Those AP scores correlate to a SAT score of 1410 which is the 97th percentile rank of nationally representative group (derived from a research study of U.S. students in 11th and 12th grade and are weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades, regardless of whether they typically take the SAT.) and the 94th percentile for user group (based on the actual scores of students who took the SAT in the past three school years.)

Why do you think your child should score higher? Your child isn't struggling on the SAT despite you paying thousands of dollars for prep. Your child is a hard worker who is smart and studious but probably not super clever and able to see every pattern or trick.

OP here. I have not spent thousands of dollars on prep.

Geez people. You read my post and fill in the blanks with whatever made-up sh$%t you want to fit your own narrative.

No I never said my kids were in private--they're not (like one poster posted). No they don't have multiple Bs--they don't (like another one made up). No, we didn't pay thousands on prep (i paid nothing close to this).

For the love of God. Read for comprehension.

Thank you all who actually read my posts and gave kind advice without fillling in the blanks and making up crap.

I wasn’t counting just 30 hours of SAT paid prep, I am counting all the prep/tutoring you paid for over the years. You just don’t like the answer about being smart in different ways. There is a limit of how far you are going to get even studying for the SAT. You say you think there is a math issue when your child has gotten a 5 in BC Calc. Not everyone can score in the top 2 percent of test takers no matter how much prep. It doesn’t mean that 98% of the population has a leaning disability. It doesn’t mean your child won’t be successful. Even though you think you aren’t expressing disapproval that your daughter didn’t score higher guarantee your daughter feels your disapproval and is getting the message there is something wrong with her.

OP here. For the love of everything holy. Stop completely making Sh$%T up to fit your narrative. My kids have never had a tutor for ANYTHING before the current SAT tutoring which I pay something like $25/hour for because it's online (I'm not sure the exact hourly rate as I mentioned-- I bought a package).

I am not planning on getting a neuropsychology exam as I was clear in my original post ("it's too late to pursue anything"). None of the subsequent Neuropsych stuff comes from me. I do think it's unusual to have to read every passage 3 times to understand it. But again, we are not pursuing anything.

It's the day after the test results are out and I haven't even mentioned the SAT to the kids and I won't until they bring them up. I know the scores because I have access to their college board accounts because we have them and all college stuff under specific emails (as advised by a college counselor) with a password we all know. I spend all of yesterday with them and all of today and we haven't talked about anything college, SAT or grade related and we won't.

This website is like playing whisper-down-the-alley. I say one thing and as the posts go on things get increasingly distorted and I'm now being treated like someone who is grossly treating her twins differently and paying thousands of dollars for tutors for years in all subjects while they get Bs in a private school as I scheme on how to get them a neuropsych exam done in time to get extra time for the next exams. NONE of which is true or came from me and was made up by other posters who are getting their jollies out in inventing a narrative of me as a terrible helicopter mother.

Thank you so much for all who left kind and helpful comments and there were many of you. i am now stepping away.

[Anonymous]

Go test optional or test blind for child #2. The other elements of the application will help demonstrate their strengths.

I agree with PPs that ACT was made for a very fast processing speed, but if your second child is struggling also with SAT, I'd just focus on test optional or test blind colleges for now. There are plenty of excellent ones!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Kid got 5s on Calc BC, AP Bio, AP English literature, AP Spanish Language. Took Physics C this year and feels like it was also a 5.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is with the ACT and SAT. The kids feels that it is a timing thing--he/she feels that the APs give far more time for the required material.

It shouldn't be that surprising. Look at the percentage of students getting 5's on these tests:
Calc BC- 42%
AP English Lit- 15%
AP Spanish - 24%
Physics C- 31%
AP Bio- 14%

If you said 5's in AP English Language or APUSH that is more impressive since only around 10% get 5's on those tests.

Those AP scores correlate to a SAT score of 1410 which is the 97th percentile rank of nationally representative group (derived from a research study of U.S. students in 11th and 12th grade and are weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades, regardless of whether they typically take the SAT.) and the 94th percentile for user group (based on the actual scores of students who took the SAT in the past three school years.)

Why do you think your child should score higher? Your child isn't struggling on the SAT despite you paying thousands of dollars for prep. Your child is a hard worker who is smart and studious but probably not super clever and able to see every pattern or trick.

OP here. I have not spent thousands of dollars on prep.

Geez people. You read my post and fill in the blanks with whatever made-up sh$%t you want to fit your own narrative.

No I never said my kids were in private--they're not (like one poster posted). No they don't have multiple Bs--they don't (like another one made up). No, we didn't pay thousands on prep (i paid nothing close to this).

For the love of God. Read for comprehension.

Thank you all who actually read my posts and gave kind advice without fillling in the blanks and making up crap.

I wasn’t counting just 30 hours of SAT paid prep, I am counting all the prep/tutoring you paid for over the years. You just don’t like the answer about being smart in different ways. There is a limit of how far you are going to get even studying for the SAT. You say you think there is a math issue when your child has gotten a 5 in BC Calc. Not everyone can score in the top 2 percent of test takers no matter how much prep. It doesn’t mean that 98% of the population has a leaning disability. It doesn’t mean your child won’t be successful. Even though you think you aren’t expressing disapproval that your daughter didn’t score higher guarantee your daughter feels your disapproval and is getting the message there is something wrong with her.

OP here. For the love of everything holy. Stop completely making Sh$%T up to fit your narrative. My kids have never had a tutor for ANYTHING before the current SAT tutoring which I pay something like $25/hour for because it's online (I'm not sure the exact hourly rate as I mentioned-- I bought a package).

I am not planning on getting a neuropsychology exam as I was clear in my original post ("it's too late to pursue anything"). None of the subsequent Neuropsych stuff comes from me. I do think it's unusual to have to read every passage 3 times to understand it. But again, we are not pursuing anything.

It's the day after the test results are out and I haven't even mentioned the SAT to the kids and I won't until they bring them up. I know the scores because I have access to their college board accounts because we have them and all college stuff under specific emails (as advised by a college counselor) with a password we all know. I spend all of yesterday with them and all of today and we haven't talked about anything college, SAT or grade related and we won't.

This website is like playing whisper-down-the-alley. I say one thing and as the posts go on things get increasingly distorted and I'm now being treated like someone who is grossly treating her twins differently and paying thousands of dollars for tutors for years in all subjects while they get Bs in a private school as I scheme on how to get them a neuropsych exam done in time to get extra time for the next exams. NONE of which is true or came from me and was made up by other posters who are getting their jollies out in inventing a narrative of me as a terrible helicopter mother.

Thank you so much for all who left kind and helpful comments and there were many of you. i am now stepping away.

Oh dear, but we know you will be back. We recognize your posts… even if you attempt to disguise yourself with made up facts. Unfortunately, the made up facts don’t make logical sense and then people question and you get defensive then angry.

See you in about a week or so. Maybe sooner?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go test optional or test blind for child #2. The other elements of the application will help demonstrate their strengths.

I agree with PPs that ACT was made for a very fast processing speed, but if your second child is struggling also with SAT, I'd just focus on test optional or test blind colleges for now. There are plenty of excellent ones!

Again, is scoring in the top 5 percent of test-takers "struggling"? I would like to know what OP and PPs scored on their SAT. Getting 5s on AP exams does not equate to being destined for a perfect SAT score

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Kid got 5s on Calc BC, AP Bio, AP English literature, AP Spanish Language. Took Physics C this year and feels like it was also a 5.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is with the ACT and SAT. The kids feels that it is a timing thing--he/she feels that the APs give far more time for the required material.

Your child took all those AP tests as a sophomore and got 5s in all of them? Wow! I would just submit all of those scores and go test optional for SAT/ACT. Truly exceptional student.

Excellent catch PP. Something is off here. I would love to know where a sophomore is taking all those AP’s - and getting 5’s. Calc BC? Lit? As a sophomore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shame on you, OP, for thinking there's something wrong with a child whose test scores are vastly above the national average. You're literally saying she's learning disabled because she's not in the top 1%. That test means NOTHING in the scope of future success. Her scores will get her into a vast number of quality schools. The best she can do is get away from her parents who unfairly compare her to her golden twin. The only thing that needs fixing here is you.

OP's post is so absurd, it might be a troll post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Kid got 5s on Calc BC, AP Bio, AP English literature, AP Spanish Language. Took Physics C this year and feels like it was also a 5.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is with the ACT and SAT. The kids feels that it is a timing thing--he/she feels that the APs give far more time for the required material.

Your child took all those AP tests as a sophomore and got 5s in all of them? Wow! I would just submit all of those scores and go test optional for SAT/ACT. Truly exceptional student.

Excellent catch PP. Something is off here. I would love to know where a sophomore is taking all those AP’s - and getting 5’s. Calc BC? Lit? As a sophomore?

At a public school with rigorous grading no less. And don’t forget OP has never done any tutoring or prep like AOPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Kid got 5s on Calc BC, AP Bio, AP English literature, AP Spanish Language. Took Physics C this year and feels like it was also a 5.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is with the ACT and SAT. The kids feels that it is a timing thing--he/she feels that the APs give far more time for the required material.

Your child took all those AP tests as a sophomore and got 5s in all of them? Wow! I would just submit all of those scores and go test optional for SAT/ACT. Truly exceptional student.

Excellent catch PP. Something is off here. I would love to know where a sophomore is taking all those AP’s - and getting 5’s. Calc BC? Lit? As a sophomore?

No way this is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Kid got 5s on Calc BC, AP Bio, AP English literature, AP Spanish Language. Took Physics C this year and feels like it was also a 5.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is with the ACT and SAT. The kids feels that it is a timing thing--he/she feels that the APs give far more time for the required material.

It shouldn't be that surprising. Look at the percentage of students getting 5's on these tests:
Calc BC- 42%
AP English Lit- 15%
AP Spanish - 24%
Physics C- 31%
AP Bio- 14%

If you said 5's in AP English Language or APUSH that is more impressive since only around 10% get 5's on those tests.

Those AP scores correlate to a SAT score of 1410 which is the 97th percentile rank of nationally representative group (derived from a research study of U.S. students in 11th and 12th grade and are weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades, regardless of whether they typically take the SAT.) and the 94th percentile for user group (based on the actual scores of students who took the SAT in the past three school years.)

Why do you think your child should score higher? Your child isn't struggling on the SAT despite you paying thousands of dollars for prep. Your child is a hard worker who is smart and studious but probably not super clever and able to see every pattern or trick.

OP here. I have not spent thousands of dollars on prep.

Geez people. You read my post and fill in the blanks with whatever made-up sh$%t you want to fit your own narrative.

No I never said my kids were in private--they're not (like one poster posted). No they don't have multiple Bs--they don't (like another one made up). No, we didn't pay thousands on prep (i paid nothing close to this).

For the love of God. Read for comprehension.

Thank you all who actually read my posts and gave kind advice without fillling in the blanks and making up crap.

I wasn’t counting just 30 hours of SAT paid prep, I am counting all the prep/tutoring you paid for over the years. You just don’t like the answer about being smart in different ways. There is a limit of how far you are going to get even studying for the SAT. You say you think there is a math issue when your child has gotten a 5 in BC Calc. Not everyone can score in the top 2 percent of test takers no matter how much prep. It doesn’t mean that 98% of the population has a leaning disability. It doesn’t mean your child won’t be successful. Even though you think you aren’t expressing disapproval that your daughter didn’t score higher guarantee your daughter feels your disapproval and is getting the message there is something wrong with her.

OP here. For the love of everything holy. Stop completely making Sh$%T up to fit your narrative. My kids have never had a tutor for ANYTHING before the current SAT tutoring which I pay something like $25/hour for because it's online (I'm not sure the exact hourly rate as I mentioned-- I bought a package).

I am not planning on getting a neuropsychology exam as I was clear in my original post ("it's too late to pursue anything"). None of the subsequent Neuropsych stuff comes from me. I do think it's unusual to have to read every passage 3 times to understand it. But again, we are not pursuing anything.

It's the day after the test results are out and I haven't even mentioned the SAT to the kids and I won't until they bring them up. I know the scores because I have access to their college board accounts because we have them and all college stuff under specific emails (as advised by a college counselor) with a password we all know. I spend all of yesterday with them and all of today and we haven't talked about anything college, SAT or grade related and we won't.

This website is like playing whisper-down-the-alley. I say one thing and as the posts go on things get increasingly distorted and I'm now being treated like someone who is grossly treating her twins differently and paying thousands of dollars for tutors for years in all subjects while they get Bs in a private school as I scheme on how to get them a neuropsych exam done in time to get extra time for the next exams. NONE of which is true or came from me and was made up by other posters who are getting their jollies out in inventing a narrative of me as a terrible helicopter mother.

Thank you so much for all who left kind and helpful comments and there were many of you. i am now stepping away.

Bravo!
There’s one unhinged lunatic isolated mother who LIVES to invent stuff. Her kids aren’t even in college anymore.

Just ignore and carry on.

GL to your kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Kid got 5s on Calc BC, AP Bio, AP English literature, AP Spanish Language. Took Physics C this year and feels like it was also a 5.

I'm not sure what the disconnect is with the ACT and SAT. The kids feels that it is a timing thing--he/she feels that the APs give far more time for the required material.

It shouldn't be that surprising. Look at the percentage of students getting 5's on these tests:
Calc BC- 42%
AP English Lit- 15%
AP Spanish - 24%
Physics C- 31%
AP Bio- 14%

If you said 5's in AP English Language or APUSH that is more impressive since only around 10% get 5's on those tests.

Those AP scores correlate to a SAT score of 1410 which is the 97th percentile rank of nationally representative group (derived from a research study of U.S. students in 11th and 12th grade and are weighted to represent all U.S. students in those grades, regardless of whether they typically take the SAT.) and the 94th percentile for user group (based on the actual scores of students who took the SAT in the past three school years.)

Why do you think your child should score higher? Your child isn't struggling on the SAT despite you paying thousands of dollars for prep. Your child is a hard worker who is smart and studious but probably not super clever and able to see every pattern or trick.

OP here. I have not spent thousands of dollars on prep.

Geez people. You read my post and fill in the blanks with whatever made-up sh$%t you want to fit your own narrative.

No I never said my kids were in private--they're not (like one poster posted). No they don't have multiple Bs--they don't (like another one made up). No, we didn't pay thousands on prep (i paid nothing close to this).

For the love of God. Read for comprehension.

Thank you all who actually read my posts and gave kind advice without fillling in the blanks and making up crap.

I wasn’t counting just 30 hours of SAT paid prep, I am counting all the prep/tutoring you paid for over the years. You just don’t like the answer about being smart in different ways. There is a limit of how far you are going to get even studying for the SAT. You say you think there is a math issue when your child has gotten a 5 in BC Calc. Not everyone can score in the top 2 percent of test takers no matter how much prep. It doesn’t mean that 98% of the population has a leaning disability. It doesn’t mean your child won’t be successful. Even though you think you aren’t expressing disapproval that your daughter didn’t score higher guarantee your daughter feels your disapproval and is getting the message there is something wrong with her.

OP here. For the love of everything holy. Stop completely making Sh$%T up to fit your narrative. My kids have never had a tutor for ANYTHING before the current SAT tutoring which I pay something like $25/hour for because it's online (I'm not sure the exact hourly rate as I mentioned-- I bought a package).

I am not planning on getting a neuropsychology exam as I was clear in my original post ("it's too late to pursue anything"). None of the subsequent Neuropsych stuff comes from me. I do think it's unusual to have to read every passage 3 times to understand it. But again, we are not pursuing anything.

It's the day after the test results are out and I haven't even mentioned the SAT to the kids and I won't until they bring them up. I know the scores because I have access to their college board accounts because we have them and all college stuff under specific emails (as advised by a college counselor) with a password we all know. I spend all of yesterday with them and all of today and we haven't talked about anything college, SAT or grade related and we won't.

This website is like playing whisper-down-the-alley. I say one thing and as the posts go on things get increasingly distorted and I'm now being treated like someone who is grossly treating her twins differently and paying thousands of dollars for tutors for years in all subjects while they get Bs in a private school as I scheme on how to get them a neuropsych exam done in time to get extra time for the next exams. NONE of which is true or came from me and was made up by other posters who are getting their jollies out in inventing a narrative of me as a terrible helicopter mother.

Thank you so much for all who left kind and helpful comments and there were many of you. i am now stepping away.

Oh dear, but we know you will be back. We recognize your posts… even if you attempt to disguise yourself with made up facts. Unfortunately, the made up facts don’t make logical sense and then people question and you get defensive then angry.

See you in about a week or so. Maybe sooner?

Get a life.
Step away and try and talk to some humans tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Look into a new tutor that will do 1-1. My DC used Arborbridge (I'm sure there are others), which had him take a practice test and did a free analysis of his weaknesses and what he needed to focus on. With about 12 hours of 1-1 tutoring, he raised his score from a 31 to a 34. He focused on math mostly, and spent about 2 hours each on English (grammar) and Science, but the tutoring is very focused on the specific types of questions that the kid is missing within those topics, as well. He did maybe 3 additional timed practice tests with them, and they refined the approach each time. His English score went from 30 to 35, for example (it was mostly stuff he knew, but learning what the questions were looking for was an immense help).

Agree that SAT is better for a kid that is not a fast reader, but the tutoring approach is the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have twins.
They both do equally well at a rigorous school that is very stingy with As.
One is in harder classes (physics C, multivariate, etc).

The one in the easier classes takes standardized tests extremely well. NO PREP. First try ACT 35. First try SAT 1540/
The one in the harder classes just really struggles with the ACT/SAT. Scores have been 1410 and now 1360. ACT was 27.
He/she has done fine on AP exams (all 5). There is something about the SAT/ACT that he/she cannot perform on.
He/she has done extensive prep (several hours a week doing problems for months).

We're realizing that this kid probably has some sort of undiagnosed learning issue (too late for this now).
He/she can't read at the speed needed for the passages (even the short ones on the digital SAT). Has to read
things 2 and 3 times to focus. Also having issues with the math although it's less clear what.
Where would you go from here?
They're not going to apply to Ivies but we were hoping for reasonably competitive schools.
If not applying test optional, is there some way to do intensive prep?

It's so frustrating because on a daily basis these kids perform the same or if anything the second one is a stronger student in harder classes and able to grasp more abstract concepts.

Thoughts on what to do about prep?

could be ADD ... math is still about reading pretty fast, they get 1 min/problem

There is no way that a kid could keep up with advanced math high school math classes and have undiagnosed ADD or slow processing.

This could not be more false.

[Anonymous]

A 1360 and 27 are still good scores.

[Anonymous]

This is a troll people. Shes not coming back. Shes been caught.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a troll people. Shes not coming back. Shes been caught.

This is why I keep coming back to DCUM - because the posters on this site are so clever. Multiple posters come together to investigate claims and when something doesn’t add up the person is called out on it.

There are occasions in real life where someone is absolutely not telling the truth either at work or in a social setting like with a neighbor and it is too impolite to call them out even when it is blatantly obvious that they are making up stuff and/or not telling the truth.

It could be the poster made up some details so their identity is concealed, now got caught, and thinks multiple posters are being harsh. But with college admissions details matter.