ACT Extended Time Dilemma

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
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<p>Hello all!</p>

<p>This is my first time posting on college confidential, and I am really looking for advice and guidance on my current situation. </p>

<p>All my life I have had severe anxiety and minute OCD. My anxiety when I was younger was so bad that in grade school I had a 504 Plan (I think that's what it's called...) in the state of New Jersey. Instead of going to school, I would have a teacher come to my house and teach me the material my peers were learning, and this went on for about 5 years. I was taking Zoloft and Clonazepam for about 5-6 years, and I recently went off of it last year. At first I felt great, but now I have been having symptoms arise again (heart palpitations, acid reflux) and have been put on something new for my anxiety similar to Prozac. So, needless-to-say, I have an extensive history with this problem. For the night before taking a standardized test, I get hardly any sleep at all; I always get sick right before the test, etc. I have never really had such bad time constraints for tests except for my AP Stat class, where we would be given a mock AP exam like test every month which I would never finish on time because I would get anxious and obsess over free-response questions (My lowest overall grade in my High School Career was from stats). Mental illness also runs rampant through my family if they consider family medical history a factor. My grandmother has schizophrenia, my brother has extreme anxiety and is agoraphobic, and my mother has extreme anxiety as well (I'm not looking for pity at all. I'm just trying to give a holistic view of my history to achieve the best responses).</p>

<p>I took the ACT in June, receiving a composite of 30 (29E,35M,29R,26S). This is a great score; there is no doubt about this. However, I know that I can do better if I had more time, reducing my anxiety and allowing me to act on my obsessively compulsive traits (Have extreme difficulty skipping problems and coming back to them, etc.). When I took a practice test from the red book while taking my time, I scored a 34 composite!!! I was wondering if any of you feel that my situation would merit extended time on the ACT and if I would be granted it. Also, how long would it, on average, take to be granted extended time? </p>

<p>On a side note, I was also wondering how you feel about people getting extended time... I feel that I have never tried to apply for it before even though I had taken the SAT on multiple occasions because I don't want to be a special exception or admit that I'm different. I would feel like if I got into a great college like I cheated or had a crutch or wasn't worthy... these thoughts don't end up being fleeting notions though. I think about them all day and all night until something else for me to stress over happens. So maybe that type of thinking is simply due to my Anxiety/OCD aswell? But this is my future, and I don't want to make a foolish choice due to such convictions if my situation does warrant special accommodations. </p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to read this. It's really driving me crazy. </p>

<p>Should I even bother attempting extended time?</p>

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<p>This is a tough one. From ACT’s website:</p>

<p>**"Psychiatric Disorders—Mood or Anxiety Disorders or Serious and Persistent Mental Illness: Documentation of psychiatric disorders generally includes: **</p>

<p>-A review of the family history
-Age of onset and the course of the illness
-Psychological tests used (if any)
-The history of treatment for the disorder. Note: If the treatment includes medication, please provide evidence of continuing problems that, despite the benefits of medication, make test accommodations necessary for access to this examination.</p>

<p>Please be specific as to how the disorder interferes with the person’s ability to take a timed standardized test. Due to the variable nature of these conditions, documentation of a psychiatric disorder must be current (within the past year)."</p>

<p>Unless you have a very convincing reason for going off the medication, my guess is that ACT would just advise that you use them for the test, as they WERE working. You’re more informed on the subject than I am, though, so read through the list and see if you meet all the criteria.</p>

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<p>Alright, thank you for your input!</p>

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<p>If extra time will help u then go for it ! Having a 504 plan will help your case. In order to qaulify you need to still have your 504 plan or IEP plan still in place or else you will just be denied. You have a history which will sirve to ur benefit. You will also need additional testing such as time test vs untimed test. I took the Woodcook Johnson along with the DSMV to demonstarte the need for additonal time. I also got letters from my teachers and a neurologist stating the need for additonal time , as well as sending in my 504 plan and I got approved from the CB. When applying for the ACT I sent in all the above info plus the acceptance letter from the college board to make a really strong case. When I applied for extra time on the SAT it took 7 weeks. If u were not approved for the SAT then chances are that you will be denied on the ACT because they are the tougher of the two. It is extremly hard to get accomidations becuase you already got such a great score r u sure its worth it ? ( not saying that you shouldnt have it .) Having recieved extra time my self for anxiety and auditory and visual processing disorders I feel that it is fair. If the test by the psycholigst indicate that a person works twice as slow as someone else then I think it is fair that they be given double time. Why should a one legged person have to run a marathon in the same amount of time as a two legged person ? By the way , I would hesitate to ask peoples opioins on extra time you will get alot of ignorant anwsers that extra time needs to be done away with. On a side note , I would nto worry about feeling guilty about applying for extra time. If u trurly do not need exteneded time u will certianly be denied instantly due to all the stringet requirements. For many people getting exteneded time on the SAT takes up to 3 appeals. It took my 2 .So my advise for u is to make ur case apply , and if u get denied then thats ur anwser that u did not need accomidations and be proud of the score that u orginally got. Good luck and congrats on ur ACT score !</p>

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<p>I have the same delima. I was diagnosed with panic disorder and take medication. I asked my doctor if he thought extra time would be possible and he said it’s an absolute. He said the medication I take affects my brains speed, to keep it simple. He wrote a letter to ACT saying that it is necessary for me to have extended time because of my DSMV diagnosis. I also sent in the patient history which has my family medical history, medications I take, causes of the medication, and also the reason as to why extended time would be necessary (panic sets in, can’t finish test, etc.). Is that good?</p>

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<p>^ My doctor said he wrote letters like that for other patients and it has worked before.</p>

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<p>U will need d.r notes to reive extra time. If u recieve extra time at ur scool thru an IEP or a 504 then u stand a good chance of extra time wihtout extra time at ur scool I would say that ur chances go down.</p>

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<p>yeah thats what i figured, but this was just diagnosed within the past couple months so there was no previous record of it, my guidance counselor i’m sure will mark off that measures will be taken now that this has happened</p>

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<p>^The ACT will look down on that fact that u do not have a 504 or IEP. I got denied for extened time on the SAT for not having a 504 plan on file at scool. So I had my teachers write me letters/ teacher survey to the CB stating that they had been giving me informal accomidations and that without extra time I had failed all test. The letters were effective and after I showed them to my counselor she was finally concerned enough to give me a 504 plan. So when I applied to the CB with doctors note and teacher letters , 504 plan I was granted time and a half ! my suggestion for u is to do the same and try applying to the cb first cuz I have heard that they are easeir to get accomidations on plus if u have completed teacher surveys from the college board they should make for a strong case with the ACT . This wk I’m applying for extra time on the ACT and I’m sending the college board surveys that my teachers filled out stating the use for exteneded time as well as the Cb aproval letter, Im hoping that I can get approved. Good Luck !</p>

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<p>thank you so much for the info. how long did it take for you to get back the college board acceptance?</p>

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<p>^ it took 7 wks for the cb to approve me. So apply early , to allow time for them to review and to have to appeal if they deny ur extended time application</p>

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<p>I registered for the september ACT a few weeks ago and then submitted my application for extended time which required an admission ticket from the website. When I looked for my ticket again today, this message was up</p>

<p>“Your admission ticket will be available after your test center assignment has been confirmed.
Come back to print your admission ticket at least 10 days before your test date.”</p>

<p>does this mean that they are accomidating my extended time request? i have never seen this before</p>

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<p>I don’t think that means you got the extended time approved. In order to get the extended time approved from the ACT, the ACT will send you a separate letter for the approval. It usually takes up to 3 weeks for them to come up with a decision. What was your reason for extended time? It is very hard to get ACT approved for the extended time. As to the reason why the website asked you to print out your ticket, it was because there were a few changes in the test sites assignments. I got the same message when I was trying to print out my son’s tickets.</p>