ACT test high - SAT test not as high

Test Preparation
1

Hi,

DS studied for and took the ACT in February and scored a 35. Then he found out that his HS was requiring the SAT for the state-mandated testing. He’s been grudgingly studying for it but has only averaged about a 1440-1480 so far (720-740 for each subject). Unfortunately, the SAT will appear on his collegeboard account, and most of his colleges require him to send ALL of his scores.

Here’s the question: is this SAT score going to look bad compared to a 35 ACT? Will colleges see this in a bad light? Will he need to re-take the SAT to aim for a higher score? He really studied for the ACT and doesn’t have the willpower/motivation to do the same for the SAT - but if it’s really going to look bad, he can get started…

Am I worrying WAYYY too much?

2

Why would the state force him to take the SAT when he clearly took the ACT, which is the equivalent of the SAT? And he did extremely well on the ACT!

Can’t your son just say he’s sick that day and get out of taking the SAT? If the state reschedule his test to a future test, just say he’s sick again.

3

Don’t take the SAT if you are sitting on a 35 and dont need it for National Merit scholarship! He can be sick that day.

What was his PSAT?

4

To follow on @suzyQ7 , if it is possible that his PSAT might be good enough for National Merit, he will need a qualifying score on the SAT to advance to finalist consideration.

I also don’t think that a composite of 1450 on the SAT would look bad. That would be a very good score, although not quite in the same league as the ACT score. If he’s balking about prep, maybe place it in the context of NMF, if applicable.

5

^ I agree with this. A 1450 will NOT look bad. The school will use the higher score.

6

Keep in mind that the new SAT is a different animal than the old test. We actually don’t know what a 1450 total score means yet in terms of percentiles. The curves for the new SAT haven’t been released and won’t be so for at least six more weeks. Hopefully CB will release that information on time and will also release Percentile-Basis concordance tables between the SAT and ACT (or ACT might release them . . . ).

Definitely try to get your son out of the SAT if he doesn’t want to take it now. (or call him in “sick” that day if the administrators aren’t being cooperative). You are correct to worry about a future test potentially hurting his application so don’t fall into that trap of thinking he “has” to take this test. They are required by law to offer it - he may or may not be required to take it, especially if he has a previous exam score which clearly meets the grad standard. (And he’s certainly NOT required to take it that exact day in any case). If it turns out he needs the SAT to vet the PSAT score for NM he can always take it in October. Junior year is hard enough w/o feeling you are being forced to sit a test you don’t want - nor have the motivation - to take.

7

Thanks for the advice. He’s sitting on a 1440 PSAT, which should (probably maybe who-really-knows) qualify him for NMSF in my state. But we were thinking that he would take the qualifying SAT next fall, after he had already sent in the subject test scores to the colleges who care about them, and therefore the SAT score would only be seen by the NMSF people.
I think I might actually give him the choice - it could be a good chance to discuss “want to” versus “have to” versus “ought to”.

8

@Crusoemom not sure if you’ve checked lately but on the National Merit Cutoff thread they are reporting a 209 Selection Index for Commended Scholar. With a 1440 for TS he should clear that hurdle, correct?

We know a NMSF who took the SAT in December one year in order to avoid early action / early decision deadlines. But that’s pushing it given CB’s delays in getting out scores these days! Very glad for the Oct. and Nov. test dates!