Hi all,
My daughter will be a sophomore this Fall (August 2022). There are a couple of programs for preparing for SAT/ACT. When do you think she needs to start preparing, please can you share you suggestions. We are aiming for UCs only. She intends to take the PSAT this year and the next year too. I was hoping to enroll her in a summer program but I would be grateful for all your suggestions. Thanks a bunch 
!
If she is only applying to UCs, then donât worry about the SAT at all. The UCs are test blind. This means they donât even look at SAT scoresâŠat all.
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All UCâs and Cal States are permanently test blind. If she plans on adding additional schools to her list since she is only a Sophomore, then I would suggest she prepare for the SAT/ACT during the summer prior to Junior year and consider taking the tests during either Fall/Spring of Junior year.
The UCâs and CSUâs will use SAT/ACT scores for course placement but will not use the scores in their admission review nor for awarding scholarships.
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The UCs (and CSUs) do not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission.
There may be situations where an SAT or ACT score is one of many possible ways to get placement in English or math after enrolling, but there are typically other ways as well (example: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/elwr/requirements/ ).
It really depends. If your daughter is good at standardized tests, smart, a reader, and good at math, and if you are applying to CA public schools, you could consider having her prep hard starting now, for the PSAT, in the hopes of her getting commendation or national merit, since those are awards, and the ONLY way now of letting UC/CSUs know that she has high test scores.
If your daughter is an awful test taker, whose standardized test scores tend to be way below her academic achievement, then itâs a total waste of time to have her prep for the SAT, or take it at all. She can apply test-optional virtually anywhere, not to mention that UCs are test-blind.
If sheâs only applying to UCs, then the only test she should be prepping for is that PSAT. The one she takes in fall of 11th grade is the one that counts for National Merit.
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CSUs do not care about NM or any other PSAT-based status, including before test-blind.
Even before test-blind, UCs did not seem to care that much about standardized tests relative to high school record. So, even if NM or other PSAT-based status is noticed or considered at all (may be ignored since it is only a âscored high enough on the PSATâ marker), it may not have much of an effect.
However, NM or other PSAT-based status may come with large scholarships at some other colleges.
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Only someone sitting on the UCâs admissions committee could definitively say that they would ignore an award that indicates a high score on the PSAT. I am assuming that you donât sit on a UC or CSU admissions committee.
The reason that the California public system went test-blind was that there tends to be an overall racial disparity in scores. After Prop 209 forced the California schools to go race-blind, going test-blind was a way to increase the proportion of Black and Hispanic students admitted to the most selective UC/CSUs.
But thereâs no question that a high score on standardized tests indicates mastery of high school level English and math, something that anyone who teaches college (or even reads the student postings on this website) can tell you is not a given for all students with decent high school GPAs, based upon the need for high school level math classes at colleges, and the poor performance of some students in freshman composition English classes, despite decent high school GPAs. Because of the UC decision to go not only test-optional, but test-blind, the only remaining way to give their admissions committees the very relevant confirmation of mastery that a high test score indicates is an award based upon the PSAT score, since the committees are allowed to consider awards.
So yes, a PSAT score high enough to result in the awarding of commendation or semi-finalist/finalist status is most definitely worth achieving, when applying to the UC/CSUs, probably more so than at any test-optional school.
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@Gumbymom do the test blind UCs use this âback door wayâ to use high test scores?
The UCâs allow submission of test scores so applicants do not need to use a back door method. However,
the submission of test scores are not used in the Comprehensive application review. See quote from the UC application guide below:
Students may submit scores from the ACT or SAT, but UC will not consider such scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships. Scores may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after enrollment.
The UCâs will consider a NM Finalist or Commended if reported in the awards/activities section of the UC application, however it will be considered an academic achievement and since they are test blind will not infer anything regarding test scores since test scores are no longer part of the application review criteria.
Here is an old article on why the UCâs left the NM program: UC Quits National Merit Program
Most UC are âreach schoolsâ for most people because the sheer number of applications. Your child should consider other choices that would cost roughly about the same. If she only wants the West Coast, run the Net Price Calculator for colleges on the West Coast to basically price out colleges sheâs interested in. Based on our own experience, start prepping for the PSAT right after she got the results for her PSAT10. Her PSAT10 is also what the juniors are taking for the National Merit designation. There are still quite a bit of schools that still award very handsomely for NMSF and NMF. However, also based on our own experience, donât believe that the index score she gets for her PSAT10 will be the same as her PSAT in junior year. We made a mistake and failed to prep our son after seeing that he was near maximum on his index score when he took the PSAT10. He came into his PSAT with no prep and failed to make the cutoff score by a smidge. Learning from that experience, we prep him before his school-day SAT using the test strategies from the College Boardâs Official SAT Study Guide. There are literally chapters on testing stategies. One-and-done for us on the SAT front and it didnât cost us anything but the cost of sending scores to colleges when we apply. Recently, Iâve heard that schools allow self-report for SAT/ACT; you only have to send scores when you enroll. Also, donât rule out taking the ACT. People say the ACT has more content coverage for math, is faster in pace, but somehow seems easier and less tricky. There is an Official ACT Study Guide from the ACT org. Again, review the academic contents, study the testing strategies and use them on the full-length practice test. Our kids did that and got top 1% scores. Most kids who take these programs would go through the motion but really donât diligently apply what they learn in class. Regardless of who prep them for these tests, itâs on them to apply what theyâve learned. They have to have a thorough understanding of the subjects and apply the testing strategies taught to them diligently. Good luck to your daughter!
@junebug20 im sure you didnât mean for this reply to be to me as I donât have any kids applying to college. Right?
Itâs for everyone.
I am assuming that you do not either.
Before COVID-19, UCs did not seem to consider SAT or ACT scores to be that important compared to high school record, even when they were required. In particular, there were annual âUC disappointmentâ posts from those whose high SAT or ACT scores did not compensate for lower GPA for UC admission.
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Sorry, I meant to reply to another person. Thanks for alerting me!
See this is what I was thinking about.Back door entries. Even though NMS are not used they are still active in my daughterâs school. It is considered prestigious and I feel like it does impact admissions. Also, what about National Honor Society does that help at all?
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National Honor Society is something just about every higher GPA student has. Itâs not really all that special. I would list it if you donât have any other more important things to list in your activities section. My kid listed it. My second kid wasnât even in NHS and got accepted to a higher ranked school.
Perhaps others will weigh in on whether National Honor Society is something you need to put on your activity list.
Could you please explain what this means?
Perhaps the kids who are national merit finalists apply to colleges out of state. Or private colleges.
It is seen as a badge of merit. Her school put up a display of the students who were finalists on a slide and on its website. I thought it should mean something otherwise why would the school do thisâŠanyways this got me wondering. I am trying to get educated I feel asking and reading is the only way to do it.
National Merit Finalist is a very very nice thing. There are colleges that award scholarships based on this status. That IS worth listing as an award.
National Honor Society not so much so.
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