Advise please- 35 on ACT need to take SAT?

Parents Forum
21

<p>Thanks for all the links - I was doing some google searches in the meantime! I had no idea you had to take the SAT for any of that. So my understanding from what I’m reading is that he can be “commended” or a semi-finalist based on just his PSAT scores, but to be a finalist would need to take the SAT? And from the link you posted, not a single one of his 4 schools he’s considering sponsor NM awards. Does that mean that he could still qualify for the $2500 award (is that annual or total?) as long as he took the SAT? Or does going to a school that doesn’t “sponsor” mean that he can’t get that or just that they don’t award any additional money? Thanks again! (and an apology to the OP!).</p>

22

<p>The 2500 is a one-time award (not annual). It does not have to be a participating school.</p>

23

<p>marciemi:</p>

<p>A student is named a semifinalist (or ‘commended’ just below that) based on PSAT scores. Then they fill out the paperwork with GPA/SAT etc and the great majority are then named ‘finalist.’ Finalists qualify for, and <em>may</em> receive one of the following scholarships:</p>

<ol>
<li>National Merit Corp scholarship ($2500): there are not many of these awarded</li>
<li>Corporate sponsored scholarship if the student qualifies for one of these</li>
<li>College sponsored scholarships (as you noted, neither MIT or Caltech participate)</li>
</ol>

<p>Many ‘finalists’ get no money whatsoever but it may be worth trying for #1 (mornings work for your kid) as he sounds exceptional.</p>

24

<p>“1. National Merit Corp scholarship ($2500): there are not many of these awarded”</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/12_MeritSemi.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/12_MeritSemi.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>According to the website above, out of 8,300 NMF, 5,800 receives either corporate-sponsored or college-sponsored scholarships. Then, the rest (2,500 NMF) is getting $2,500 scholarships, so it’s worth to try, IMO.</p>

25

<p>Thanks again! The things you learn here - I just clicked on this thread to offer input to the OP that my son had gotten into some big colleges without having taken the SAT and learned:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>That SAT scores sent include both the SAT 1 and 2 - he’s taken a bunch of SAT 2’s and I would have had no clue that both scores would go to colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>You have to take the SAT to be a NMF. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>You’d think by kid #3 in 3 years going to colleges that I’d know some of these things! If it helps any, son #2 is at MIT now as a freshman and never took the SAT either but his PSAT scores weren’t high enough to worry about. </p>

<p>I did tell my son this last night and recommended maybe he think about taking the SAT and his reply was a flat “um, no!”. We may work on him! Thanks everyone!</p>

26

<p>Modadunn: you can count on one hand (maybe) the schools that REQUIRe SAT II’s along with an ACT though…</p>

<p>This is the biggest “secret” in college admissions…kids, parents and even some GC’s don’t realize that the ACT can be used in many, if not all, cases as “the end of testing”…</p>

<p>Very important to check with each individual school, and even each individual program within each school…</p>

27

<p>If your kid doesn’t hate to test and tests high without a lot of prep then why not take the SAT? This was the case for both my kids and their very high ACT and SAT scores were just a little more heft for applications. OTOH, if your kid hates testing and the 35 was a lucky score on a day the stars aligned, then call it a day.</p>

28

<p>If you look up the conversion tables on the internet, you’ll see that a 35 ACT corresponds to around a 1570 M+CR and a 2340 M+CR+W,</p>

<p>Really, what can be accomplished by taking the SAT at this point?</p>

29

<p>^ Because the ACT and the SAT are very different tests that test for different types of intellectual strength. The ACT is more about content knowledge than the SAT, which is more about reasoning skill. Personally, I think presenting very high scores on both exams is just a little more impressive and unusual than on just one. Again, this is not a big deal and should not be contemplated if paying for the SAT is difficult or the 35 was a fluke for an otherwise lower scorer.</p>

30

<p>^ I have yet to come across any school or school rep that suggests taking both because the tests may be testing different things, and it would enhance your application to take both.</p>

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<p>One and done, baby! Woo hoo! Focus on the required SAT2s - usually just need 2, some kids take 3 - a math, a science and a history. Yeah!!</p>

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<p>My son got a 35 at his sophomore year and we thought he’s done with it. His PSAT qualified him as semi-finalist, so he took SAT last spring and got 2350. He did not study too hard for it. My opinion is worth it to take the SAT to become NMF so he has more options. He sounds like a smart kid and may not take him a lot of energy to get excellent score.</p>

33

<p>From what I’ve read, most students score similarly on both tests, so a high ACT scorer will be a high SAT scorer. My son is one of the less common students who had a markedly better score on one test, in his case the ACT (although admittedly he never prepped for either and the SAT is supposedly a test that prep can have a bigger impact, so maybe if he had once opened that practice test book I bought him…) </p>

<p>Anyway, he’s applied to 6 selective colleges and sent only his ACT score. The colleges that wanted an SATII would take the ACT in lieu of it. I guess we’ll find out in 3 months if his disdain for testing has hurt him.</p>

34

<p>Fine, guys. Save that 50 bucks or whatever it is these days. You know best. And of course college reps are out there telling all the inquiring minds the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And there’s also an Easter Bunny.</p>

<p>It really is somewhat Darwinian, it seems.</p>

35

<p>Please do not feed the SAT beast.</p>

36

<p>A 35 ACT score is fine. My kids didn’t do nearly that well on two takes of the SAT and we did NOT make them take that test again OR the ACT. Know what? They both graduated from very well regarded colleges.</p>

37

<p>I’ve found interesting information the MIT forum
this post
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13047481-post159.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13047481-post159.html&lt;/a&gt;

</p>

<p>and this post from MITChris
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13048325-post161.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13048325-post161.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

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<p>@DrGoogle - well, I’ll just buck that trend and say that I’ve had two kids apply to MIT, neither of whom took the SAT at all and both of whom got admitted. I think trying to figure what that “hidden element” is that gets kids into schools like MIT or Ivies is an exercise in futility and may change from day to day, year to year, or admissions officer to admissions officer!</p>

<p>Edited to add that based on this thread (thanks guys!) I told S12 tonight “guess what? You’re taking the SAT now, like it or not!” ;)</p>

39

<p>^According to MITChris, MIT takes both ACT and SAT. But the CB concordance table is not used as most would hope and he confirmed it. So one would think the 34 ACT is equivalent to 2250 and it is not. Of course college admissions are not all about scores. Your kids must have something else.</p>

40

<p>

According to [MIT</a> Profile - SAT Scores and Admissions Data for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegeprofiles/p/MIT_Profile.htm]MIT”>MIT: Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores), the 75th percentile for SAT is 2330, and for ACT is 35, which is almost exactly what the concordance tables say.</p>

<p>SAT totals are skewed by math, where the 25th percentile is 740, and the 75th percentile is 800. It would be interesting to know the exact percentage that get 800 on the math portion.</p>