<p>D is taking the SAT again to try and improve the essay. The last time, it was really short and she knew it was awful. She had trouble getting started. </p>
<p>Since the essay is first, if she knows she bombed it afterwards, is there any reason that she couldn't just leave the room and go cancel the test without sitting through the other 4 hours?</p>
<p>sorry but no, if ur daughter knows that she might bomb she should really use the time from now until the sat to practice. Good luck!</p>
<p>Well yeah, that’s pretty obvious. She’s been practicing, but still struggles a bit. </p>
<p>I was asking about the rules. I don’t know them, but many people here do.</p>
<p>CRD, I think she can do that. [How</a> to Survive the SAT (and ACT) - Jay Brody - Google Books](<a href=“How to Survive the SAT (and ACT) - Jay Brody - Google Books”>How to Survive the SAT (and ACT) - Jay Brody - Google Books)</p>
<p>She has until the Wednesday following the test date to cancel her scores. I’m not sure what the procedure for cancelling at the test center would be, but I don’t think they can force her to sit there for four hours! She can always just leave and request to cancel the scores when she gets home. She might want to ask the proctor when she arrives what to do. I know of instances where students got sick on test day (and the rest of the kids had to sit there with vomit on the floor for hours…yes, really), and I’m certain the sick kid didn’t hang around for the rest of the test :)</p>
<p>However, I’m not really sure why she’d want to do that, unless the only reason she’s taking the test is to bring her writing score up. Most schools superscore, so she’d be giving up an opportunity to kick butt on math or reading (and wasting the fee).</p>
<p>Just encourage her to practice writing as many essays as she can between now and test day. Feeling prepared is the best thing for curing frazzled nerves and doing her best. I tell my students not to make the essay (or any of the test) into a bigger deal than it is. Good luck to her!</p>
<p>Thanks for your help. </p>
<p>She’s been practicing the writing and feels ready and confident this time, but her first writing was so bad, I think it made her anxious the whole time. So while I don’t expect it to happen again, I just wanted to make sure that she knows that she doesn’t have to sit there if she’s only going to have to take it again anyway. </p>
<p>I think just knowing that she’d be able to leave will be a great relief and allow her to relax and focus so that she doesn’t have to leave. </p>
<p>Does that make any sense?</p>
<p>As far as the money, compared to what college is going to cost, in the big picture, wasting an SAT fee is not going to change our lives, LOL!</p>
<p>Awww. Poor kid. The SAT is just a stress nightmare, and one bad experience makes the next one worse! Just tell her that if she gets in there and blanks on examples for her essay that it’s perfectly OK to make them up (or talk about her dog or family or Glee or whatever). As long as it’s relevant, it doesn’t have to be academic or pithy. One of the best essays a student wrote for me was all about fairy tales…wish I could remember what the prompt was! It’s also great that the essay is first to she’s not going to sit in dread of it for a couple of hours.</p>
<p>And yes, having some control over the situation makes a huge difference in mindset. Knowing you make the decision to do it or not helps. And just knowing you’re uber-prepared puts you in the driver’s seat, too. The SAT is just a test…it’s not personally out to get her :)</p>
<p>Totally true about the money! Glad you’re in a position to give her that freedom. She’ll be fine. Hang in there.</p>
<p>Ok, she survived. Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>How does she feel she did?</p>