College Board Issue

Parents Forum
1

<p>I took the SAT II on December 2nd. I show up early, am first in line, I turn in my ticket. The lady in charge tells me to ?go home, they don?t have the test materials? We?ll work it out next week. She turns to speak to the next student and in shell shock I walk to my car. Then I get the bright idea to go to a nearby HS that might honor my ticket and take the test there. </p>

<p>I get to the closest school, no SAT there that day. I call my house to get map quest help so I can head to a third school in order to beg my way in using the original ticket.
Long story short, my Dad goes up to the original test center school to get something in writing that I will be able to take the test elsewhere, and that I was not AWOL so he can meet me at a new test center and prove I am eligible to take the test. Long story short, I get a call from my Dad, saying come back, come back, they found the test! There was a miscommunication!</p>

<p>So I race back to the original test center, they toss me in a room and I take the test. Today I got my test score back and it is crap. 600 on a stupid Spanish test when my other scores are 750 math, 760 CR, 710 W single sitting and my other SAT II is 720. I thought I had my game face back on but I guess I was just rushed and flustered. Bottom line I flubbed the test.</p>

<p>I need to turn this junky score in to UVa and I am worried it will hurt my chances. I?m instate. GPA 3.95, Full IB, great ec?s strong recs. Now I feel concerned. I did report this to College Board and got a case number to prove there was a problem but the score is the score.</p>

<p>Is there a way to communicate the situation to UVa? I feel like they probably hear a million sob stories and I don?t want to be another one. Any suggestions on how to deal with something like this?</p>

<p>How much do SAT II?s factor in?</p>

2

<p>Barrett, see my response to your post in the UVa forum.</p>

3

<p>There must be a way to let UVa know what the circumstances were. And I'm sure this could have had an effect on your scores, but it's also kind of a leap to assume that just because you had decent SAT and SAT II scores, your Spanish score would have been in the same range. It's a different test on a different subject! You can probably assume it would have been better than 600, but you can't assume it would have been in the 700s.</p>

4

<p>you will find that language SAT scores are very skewed because of native speakers and the curve...so your score may be valid even without the flustering</p>

5

<p>How do you KNOW you flubbed it? Did you take CB's practice tests and score 750+ each time? If your practice test was 650, then a 600 is definitely within statistical reason. </p>

<p>IMO, unless you are a native speaker or are are currently taking AP Span, a 600 is a fine score. Indeed, one of the founders of PR even tells our local kids do NOT take a language Subject test unless you are in AP or are a native speaker.</p>

6

<p>My daughter took Honors Spanish III, skipped IV, and took the SAT subject test 3 months into AP Spanish V. She said the test was much more difficult than she expected it to be, and harder than the practice tests. The vocabulary was very challenging. She got a 690. And is really happy with it. </p>

<p>And yes, native speakers do "wreck" the curve! But I also hear that admissions departments take note of that.</p>

7

<p>Yes, this is a lesson in the 'life isn't fair' category.</p>

<p>Can you take it again in January, to bring up the score?</p>