<p>34 is a fine score, but I would want my child to put his best foot forward. Is there some reason the Op doesn’t want that for her D? Retake; but doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow. It might improve.
Try the SAT also- some score better on one than another. Then, send only the best one to colleges. Look at it this way: if kid retakes and gets no better, you’re out only the cost, if score improves chances of admissions and scholarships increase. If the kid doesn’t retake, then you and kid will always wonder- what if she’d scored higher?
Sometimes admissions and/or scholarships can be affected by test scores.</p>
<p>I’ve been to a lot of college information sessions and have found very few things said at these to be interesting.</p>
<p>Most of the time someone asks a question like “is it better to get an A in a regular course or a B in an AP course?” and the AO’s response is invariably “it’s better to get an A in the AP course!” Very clever, very funny, unless, of course, you’re a stressed out high school student (or the parent of one) thinking your world is going to end if you don’t get into your top choice college.</p>
<p>This is the type of mentality that leads someone to tell a student with a 34 ACT, a student who scored in the 99th percentile of all students who took the test, to retake the exam. And so I was so pleasantly and memorably surprised when a Princeton AO told everyone who attended his info session that you should take the SAT/ACT a few times or until you get a score that you’re comfortable with and that is within a range that you feel fairly represents your level - and once you get there you should stop taking tests.</p>
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<p>Then she only needed another quarter point to raise her composite to 35 – almost certainly just one more right answer out of the 200+ total questions.</p>
<p>I certainly would not advocate that she spend a lot of time prepping for a re-take. However, intense test prep might not be necessary.</p>
<p>First, there is a trick to the science section: don’t read the introductory paragraph write-ups unless absolutely necessary. Look at the graphs and try to answer the questions. If any questions are left unanswered, quickly scan the text for that specific information and move on. It is almost impossible to carefully read all the material provided and finish the section in the time allocated. And completely unnecessary.</p>
<p>Second, the grammar section is loaded with questions that all follow the same style: They test grammar rules which often sound correct to the native speaker’s ear (and are often acceptable in conversational English) but do not follow the rules of formal English.</p>
<p>If you read a guide that explains the actual rules and how they work, you should be able to get every answer correct. Plus it’s actually fun reading (aha! experiences galore) AND will provide useful in college writing classes. For a quick summary, download Silverturtle’s guide in the SAT prep section. For a more in-depth guide, I would high recommend The Oxford English Grammar by Sidney Greenbaum, used copies available on Amazon for about 10 bucks plus shipping.</p>
<p>The Greenbaum book should not be taken as a study guide – rather consider it a coffee table or bathroom book to be read in short bursts when curiosity arises. Once you know the actual formal rule, you are unlikely to forget it so there’s no need to cram or review. Have your daughter read what looks interesting over 6 months and then have her decide on whether these two tips were enough to justify retaking the test.</p>
<p>Edit: There’s also a rule-of-thumb for the reading comprehension section: no matter how correct an answer seems, if it contains the smallest incorrect detail, it should be discarded. Pick the least worst answer. These tips come from my younger son who got a perfect score on the ACT twice in a row (the second time required by his school during junior year).</p>