<p>curmudgeon - Please tell your D congratulations on the math score! </p>
<p>How did she do on reading? If she recognizes that the science section is just reading and math (interpreting graphs and tables), she may be able to relax and ace the science section, too.</p>
<p>Sorry, just one more question. Should my D take the SAT or leave these scores to stand for themselves. None of the schools she's interested in requires the SAT. All accept either ACT or SAT.</p>
<p>Echosensei, as they say in Texas Hold 'Em - Check. The only thing to consider is the need for scholarship dollars, ?Presidential. You may have to look at her school list, what Congressional District you live in, what's the competition, etc. Might be a good question for GC - as far as actual admissions, the only place to go is downhill ;). Her time is better spent on ECs, essays, researching schools.</p>
<p>echosensei -
if it were my kid, I would let the score stand and move on to other things. With the standardized testing out of the way, she will have the time and energy to do a great job on the application itself, and in particular the essays. What's more, some think that submitting your applications early is positive from an admissions standpoint. </p>
<p>Honestly, all sorts of things can go wrong with the testing - the kid gets sick, the kid misbubbles, the kid drinks too much pop and can't concentrate because he has to pee, the kid jumps the gun and turns the page early and gets an irregularity report written up on him, and .... a freak snowstorm occurs and throws off the last test dates. Thank your lucky stars your D is done with all that!</p>
<p>echosensei, you are done. It's over.Stop. Finito. Al fin. Don't even think about it. LOL.</p>
<p>D is very happy, because.......she realizes that if she made a 32 comp, 99th percentile, with a 26 science (shush, don't tell), that a 33-34 is not out of the question since she is a freakin' science nerd. LOL. It is so odd that these kids do poorly in one of their better subjects. She was very happy with her 34 reading, and slightly disappointed with her 31 English but...all in all, not a bad first try since she did exactly zero timed practice tests.</p>
<p>Tanked in this particular instance means in relation to her other scores.</p>
<p>BTW, she has challenged me to answer the cloud/dewpoint thing-y when she gets her test back. I'm praying for a mail strike.</p>
<p>Interestingly enough , and as an aside, CB says a 32 is a 1410-1450 or 96 to 98%, or alternately a 1420 or 97%. But the 99th percentile shown for SAT scores (old test) is a 1480. I understand that they asked test-takers of both tests to tell them their ACT scores, and that is how the chart was derived. Doesn't that seem to favor the CB test just a skosh? Just wondering as I have noted this anomaly before. Shouldn't top 1% of one test, be treated as top 1% of the other? Hell, I'm happy, either way. It's still top 1% of the test she took,how can I complain? I mean, she lives in a hole in the ground and we're supposed to get 'lactracity come summer, I guess she did "finest kind".(Still practicing for Maine.)</p>
<p>As another aside, the PLAN was a 27 (also 99th) with a projected range of 28-32 and her first two elements of the PSAT total to a 143 or 1430 (67CR,76M). I guess this would be considered consistent since she did zero prep and almost zero prep there , also. She's happy. Feels she can do better and is optimistic.</p>
<p>This is all so encouraging. Wild Child is taking ACT in June- only because he read an article in the WSJ which convinced him that he should give it a shot since many kids do better on it than on SAT. He will not prep for any standardized test, and has an SAT score which is good enough (coupled with his sport). I am very curious to see how he does on the ACT.</p>
<p>If only my parents would let me see my scores! Looks like it's going to be quite a while before I'll see my scores. A big congratulations to all who did well though, and I hope I can join your ranks.</p>
<p>Celebrian -
What????</p>
<p>Maybe her parents won't let her use a credit card to charge the fee to see them early on line, and she has to wait for them to come in the mail ??? That's how the SATs used to work (my kids never took the ACT) but now I think it is free to see the SAT scores online.</p>
<p>yay for sats... boo for critical reading... 790 680 split, i think u see my gripe... lol</p>
<p>Celebrian - I'm assuming your problem is that your parents don't want to let you charge $8 to their Visa card???? If that's the barrier, why don't you just give them the $8 cash. I'd be reluctant to pay the 8 bucks too, if scores are coming in a week -- but ACT says the mailed scores come 4-6 weeks after the test....a little too long for me to wait. Maybe your parents aren't aware of how much longer it will be.</p>
<p>or... maybe it's because us students need to learn self control... i.e. not standing up in the middle of health to go check sat scores on the computer and subsequently getting in trouble for being insubordinate... <em>sigh</em> subs... hehe</p>
<p>cujoe169,
oops. You know, I would be a terrible HS student now. I would be in trouble all the time!</p>
<p>Curmudgeon -
I'll bet your D is going to nail the ACT the next time. She's got to be really annoyed at the science sub-score. Sometimes, that's the best incentive.</p>
<p>clearly, curmudgeon ur daughter has the capability to get a 34+... just leave it up to her, i know i hate it when my parents make me study...</p>
<p>If she will study/practice, Curmudge, (and she is the determined kind who will) she should do better. The Eng is HARD, DD asked my opinion of a couple of the questions on one of the practice tests she took, and it was easy to narrow the choices down to 2, but difficult/impossible to choose - subtle, what is the best phrase kind of stuff. The science, again, I think they have to get past the fact that the hard questions are not about science knowledge, they are more about reasoning - takes a little practice and familiarity, like SAT math.</p>
<p>DD did worse the second time in no small part due, to the fact she had gotten in the interim, an equivalent SAT score, both of which were good enough for her. Now I wish she had studied more and gone for the moon, and a Presidential Scholarship, but she ran out of testing opportunities, because of conflicts.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. She's not interested in Cal Tech, so she thinks she'll hold...she had one question that I can't answer. She will likely qualify as a Nat Merit Semifinalist since her selection index is 215 (cutoff was 210 in Michigan last year). If she doesn't take the SAT, will she be a candidate to be a Nat Merit Finalist? And, my question: I know that the SAT has a "no suppress" policy, that is, no SAT score if taken can be suppressed and not sent to schools if one SAT is sent. Does this apply to SAT I and II? I.e., should needs to take some SAT II's since she is considering Yale and Columbia to go with her ACT. If she takes the SAT I to qualify for the Nat Merit Finalist and does not wish to report her SAT I to schools, but only SAT II's, is this possible? I.e., if she reports an SAT II, do the SAT I's automatically go, too?</p>
<p>What's a Presidential scholarship and where do you get info about them?</p>
<p>Echosensei,
Presidential scholarships are given to top scorers in each "political division" in each state - Congressional District, I think. The CollegeBoard might well give you info or a link. There's not a large amount of money involved, given 40K costs, but it has some prestige - awarded too late for college admits though.
If she takes SATIIs, any SAT score will be seen.
Your last question though is interesting, I think Nat'l Merit status depends on GPA and essay, mainly after the NMSQT, but I also think that SAT scores are reported. I would guess that she does not have to take an SAT, but someone else or the GC will know.</p>
<p>echosensei,
she's going to have the take the SAT to confirm for national merit finalist - she needs to do reasonably on this to make finalist status - but not 2400 or anything! Also, good grades. A practice test or two and she should be fine. It is worth it for bragging rights. Some scholarship money is available.</p>
<p>Yes, all SAT scores to date are sent. The only way to game this is to send all schools the scores before taking a risky test or retake, and only sending the results if they improve. </p>
<p>Get the book Real SAT II's - if she takes a test a month or so before the real deal, she will have practiced and have the chance to polish any rough edges. If your D is getting a good education, most of the SAT II work will be done in class. If the school curriculum is lacking, 4-6 weeks gives her enough time to make up for it. My son took the Chemistry test after his final in his honors class - pulled a 790. On the other hand, his initial practice on the Math II was a 670 - so he reviewed the material he needed and pulled a 750 with maybe 15 hours over 3 weeks. Not that much work.</p>
<p>I do have one more tip. If she goes the SAT I/II route, it is kind of a long haul. We had a special part of prep - lox and bagels the morning of the test, and a walk before leaving. Also, my son was careful to get enought sleep for 3-4 days before the test so as not to be in sleep deficit.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>