<p>My daughter brought up her SAT score by almost 200 points by taking a Skype class…it was money well spent.</p>
<p>My daughter brought up her SAT score by 190 points by attending an SAT bootcamp for 1 weekend.</p>
<p>Just got my daughter’s second set of SAT scores and she still needs to up them by at least 100 points! She is scheduled to take it again June 7th. I have her working with a tutor now…praying this will be the last one she has to take! Trying to drill it into her head that those points could amount to 40-50K over 4 years with some merit aid out there! I’m with you @evilqueen it’s so frustrating! Do they have the June 7th date in your area? I have the same concerns you do about getting it done before the fall. </p>
<p>She will be taking a class for sure and also trying the ACT in practice form to see if its a better fit. We can relax a little about the timing @MTRaleighmom, many of the schools seem to allow you to schedule the audition so long as the application is started. They would like everything in by the time of the audition but that is no problem.
She will not be ready to take the test again until fall, after pre-screen season, and that seems to work ok. </p>
<p>I didn’t know that! That makes me breathe a little easier! </p>
<p>^^^evilqueen has a specific list of schools that she actually asked the question to. @MTRaleighmom, be sure YOUR list of schools also says the same thing, U Mich for example that started the prescreen a couple of years ago did require that the prescreen application was complete including test scores and all of the recommendations, transcripts etc. when you applied. At least then… that was for the class applying for 2012 admittance. Things could have changed but I would not go by any CC mom’s say so whose research was specific to the schools her daughter is applying to. Ask the same questions for your own schools before you breathe a little easier. </p>
<p>As always good advice from @halflokum!</p>
<p>Good luck, Evil Queen!! Hang in there!</p>
<p>Thanks @halflokum! If I have learned nothing else so far, it is to read every detail!</p>
<p>Testing is such a challenge. My darling son took the ACT on the regular date April 12, but had his test voided for having an ‘illegal calculator’. (I was sure it was OK, mom!!!) So, was scheduled on the re-take day, which was smack dab in the middle of show week for the musical. Yay. Not thrilled with his score. So, we signed up for the June 14th test, which was to be after school ended. BUT, we are now making up snow days, so the ACT falls on the weekend before finals. We can’t win. Bleh! </p>
<p>This is definitely going to be a roller coaster ride. It is our jobs as parents to keep it together for our kids (I type this trying to remind myself LOL). Thanks everyone for being here!!!</p>
<p>Evilqueen my wife is a college counselor and always advises students to take the ACT as well as SAT. Some students do better on the ACT especially if they are more math/science types. My D did significantly better on the ACT as an example (32) and that got her more scholarship offers than her SAT would have.</p>
<p>I registered D for the ACT on June 14. Hopefully it will be a better fit than the SAT. At least we will know which test to do try again if that is required :)</p>
<p>Best wishes for your D and you @evilqueen 
my S is taking the ACT on 6/14 too!</p>
<p>Holding good thoughts for your S as well @tmygirl!</p>
<p>One thing to consider with the acceptances is that many of the same students are accepting the same students which will skew any of these numbers that you compile.</p>
<p>tmygirl - The beauty of the CC family is I could act cool and calm around son, and then come here and let it rip! </p>
<p>A little perspective around those ACT and SAT scores. </p>
<p>There is no doubt that higher ACT and SAT scores will help with options. High test scores, along with strong grades, will do two things: 1) Broaden the number of schools your child can apply to; and 2) Increase likelihood of merit scholarships at schools where those academics place your child among the upper end of that school’s applicants.</p>
<p>As far as broadening the schools your child can apply to, yes, it would help, but there are many MT programs at schools that are not particularly academically competitive. Even if your child is academically “average,” there are still so many options! In some ways, having exceptional grades and scores can be limiting in its own way because you may eliminate the less academically challenging schools. </p>
<p>I would never scoff at the benefit of guaranteed merit scholarships based on grades and test scores. If your child did not achieve the result required to make a school financially feasible, and you will not qualify for financial aid, adjust the schools on your list! Accept it and move one. There are some programs that offer great talent scholarships, but if you needed the academic part and it isn’t there, just don’t apply there. There are some schools/programs that offer in-state tuition to out-of-state students…Texas State…University of Utah. There are some of you lucky to live in states with state schools that have great programs, or in a state that has reciprocity with one of those programs. Take advantage of it. And even with mediocre scores and grades, my daughter qualified for merit aid at many of the schools she applied to.</p>
<p>The key is to accept it, and make adjustments. Especially those of you with kids about to become Seniors. Sure, test again, but take some of their pressure away by telling them to let it go when it is over. Know your child. My child is bright, but is not a great test taker, and because she would much prefer to take classes in her major than anything else, doesn’t always work hard in those other classes. She would not be happy in a very challenging academic environment. In fact, I don’t know if she could get through college. We knew that about our child going in and, knowing how hard it is to get accepted into MT programs, didn’t want to make the academic piece of it an additional barrier. She applied to a couple of academic reach schools. She was waitlisted at one and rejected from another. We will never know if her grades played a factor in whether the program would have accepted her or not. Not fun!</p>
<p>(MTRaleighMom - what do you mean that your D must increase her SAT score by at least 100 points?) </p>
<p>Thank you so much for this note @shaun0203. I needed to hear that and feel that my D is the same in many ways. She is bright and hard-working but not great at standardized tests. We do not have any of the academic MT schools on the list because that is not who she is. In fact it is frustrating because people always tell her she is aiming too low and that isn’t it at all. She just knows what she wants and doesn’t want and she wants all theater all the time. I just want to be able to pay for it :)</p>
<p>A college’s academic strength may be important as far as “branding” or name recognition, but look at the curriculum of programs you are considering. In many programs, your child may have 1-2 classes per semester with the general population of the school, and sometimes not even that. At those types of schools, the academic reputation is fairly immaterial to the actual classes your child will be taking.</p>