Many ACT scores came out Thursday and Friday but D’s did not. And what a pain. We wanted those scores back so she could either (a) start studying for the sections that still need a boost or (b) start studying for SAT and seeing if she should switch tests. This is the perfect time to do it since there’s no school or ECs. I’ve been told no more scores are releasing until next Friday so there goes that chance to get some work done this next week. I may just have her start on SAT since she has to take it at school in order to graduate (that’s the deal in IL) so it won’t be a total waste of time.
@CountingDown I think Co College just too crunchy for her. She’s just not that outdoorsy. Think dancer at big midwestern high school - she’s very mainstream. We visited Mac with S19 and he says that’s not a match either. I did think a little about Denver but I think it’s big strength is business and that’s not her thing.
I think studying for the SAT is a good idea since it’s required anyway. The “worst” case scenario is that the ACT comes back with a score that is acceptable…and she is done. All that is lost is a few weeks of SAT studying…which would be overshadowed by an acceptable ACT score. What seems stressful now will eventually be a blip on her radar screen.
My guess is that you want a solid score in hand so that a list/visits can be solidified in the near future. Worst case…the list is solidified in the early summer and she visits schools anyway. Annoying? Yes. Problem that will eventually resolve? Absolutely. You indicated that she wants an experience that is similar to her brother. Remember…she is not her brother.
Wake Forest ED apps come out in June (if I recall correctly). You/she have time to figure out the best strategy as it gets closer to that point, if ED to Wake becomes her first choice.
Sorry @homerdog. I know that’s very frustrating when you are anxiously awaiting scores and they don’t come out when expected. Fingers crossed for scores she is happy about!
@twogirls I’m completely accepting that her journey is not her brother’s. That would be odd if it was. Since the testing part is taking more time for her, though, I just wish we had the test back so she could feel like she can make a plan for further testing. Just like all juniors, when school starts again, she’s swamped. And with basketball season, the dancers have up to four games per week on top of practice so it’s very busy until the end of Feb.
D has a number of friends who are just constantly studying and taking test after test so she’ll just be in that bucket of kids! I’m just a impatient person in general and I’m working on it. And I feel bad for her. She’s obviously over the fact that she won’t be one and done and it’s going to be a grind.
I really didn’t want to make travel plans for spring break until she gets a score in a range that’s useful. The only test she will have back before I need to book is this outstanding test. The Feb 8th ACT will be out by maybe the 20th but spring break flights are expensive and I’d rather book them before then. I’ll just need to make sure that there are some safer schools on her list for that trip so it doesn’t turn out to be a waste. The next SAT isn’t until March and that score will be released in the middle of break.
Your D sounds like a smart girl with good rigor and you know what she is capable of, so don’t think there is a lot of risk with spring break travel plans. At a minimum Wake is test optional and she is already competitive for Elon with the score she has now, so zero risk with planning for those two.
@homerdog it’s a stressful time for sure, but I have confidence that your daughter will emerge as a strong candidate for most of the schools on the current list. I would let her lead the way at this point… in terms of studying and testing (not suggesting that you are not).
Hopefully this ACT score will be released soon.
@twogirls Agreed. I plan on asking her how she’d like to proceed knowing she may not know this score until Friday or later. Giving her the rest of the weekend to relax.
Vassar might be a good fit for her, based on what I’ve read here and elsewhere(not first-hand knowledge):
nice dorms
good food
smaller school (2500)
dance department and a student dance group
lively atmosphere (but no Greek life, so it depends if that’s a dealbreaker)
beautiful campus
not in an isolated rural location but not in a city
good academics but not intense competitive atmosphere
It’s 59% female, 41% male, if that’s an issue.
As to how likely her admission is, that might depend on whether her ACT goes up, but I’d also note that while they have a nice geographical distribution (1/3 mid-Atlantic, 20% West, then about 13% South and New England, and 10% international), Midwest is the least represented at under 8%, so geographical diversity could help her.
Well, got ACT score back. Good news is that English went up to 33 and Reading stayed at 32. Bad news is that Math at 27 and science at 24. My gut says for her to try an SAT this weekend and just see how it goes. Since, for the SAT, EW is half of the test and there is no science I still think there’s a chance she could top this 29 ACT. Her first thought was just to get a tutor for ACT math and science and not move to SAT until after she gets Feb 8th ACT test results back. Her math score went from a 25 to a 27 so she did inch up a bit. Her math practice tests at home rover more around 30-31.
Thoughts? I’ll take a vote. Lol. Should she just focus on this upcoming Feb ACT and wait until we get those results? Or take this practice SAT and see how it goes? Timing isn’t great. First results from Feb 8th ACT come in four days after the deadline to sign up for March SAT. So…if she’s taking March 14th SAT, we have to decide before she gets the results back. Either that, or she doesn’t take her first SAT until the April sitting date at school.
Also, Vassar has a dance department, but not a major, so there’s no issue with nonmajors being shut out of classes. There are elective classes, and an auditioned dance theatre.
https://dance.vassar.edu/about/
And Vassar is in a walkable area with some shops and restaurants:
http://www.hvmag.com/What-to-Do-Near-Vassar-College/
Ok I’ll bite LOL
Your D has taken the ACT twice, yes? Has she gotten a 29 both times? While I do think it is possible…maybe…to go up to a 31…I don’t see those odds as being high (but…who knows). Twice is my limit.
I would start tutoring for the SAT now and have her take it in March. Then she will have three test scores in hand when she visits schools during spring break.
Once she returns from her visits, she will have a better sense of where she wants to go, ED etc…and she can decide which test she wants to try once more before August (or June if she ED’s to Wake Forest).
1 vote for taking a full, timed SAT practice test now. Perhaps she should prep for and take the March SAT no matter what happens with the Feb ACT or the practice SAT result. I have come to believe that good prep can (often but not always) take an otherwise talented student a long way.
I’d switch. Purely based on my son’s experience. I think I’ve already shared, but will share again, my son tried the ACT and just did not like the time pressure. He did dramatically better on the SAT (even beyond what was predicted from in school PSAT. Your daughter’s put a ton of time into studying for the ACT without a lot of gain. I’m guessing it’s just not the right format for her. I think you very much risk over testing burnout and frustration by sticking with the ACT.
@twogirls She got a 26 on her first test. This one is a 29. Reading stayed the same at 32 but English went from 26 to 33 and math and science went up just a bit.
I don’t see a downside to taking a practice SAT this weekend. If she wants to hold off on any SAT studying until after Feb 8th ACT that’s fine. (She’s already signed up for the Feb ACT.) So, take the SAT practice just to see. Then go back to studying for Feb ACT. Then she still has six weeks before March SAT. I think she’s trying to streamline this while I’m just trying to bombard her with options because I think she could be “done” faster if she gives the SAT a try.
Ok…then my thoughts have changed a little bit.
Spend the next few weeks prepping for the February ACT. Take it once more…and that’s it.
Take a timed, practice SAT exam right now. Sign her up for the March 14 exam. Begin prepping for the SAT as soon as the Feb 8th exam is done. If she has it in her to begin a little earlier…that’s fine. That gives her about 5 weeks. Be careful to avoid burnout.
Once she visits schools she will have 1 SAT and 3 ACTs. She can decide in April if she wants to retake the SAT one more time, or if she has an acceptable test score in hand already.
Sign her up for the May SAT once all scores come back, if she wants to retest. I would allow her to drive this process for now…to avoid burnout.
Remember, AP testing is immediately following the May 2nd SAT test date.
Somewhere on line you can find the college board’s research on multiple test taking. As I recall, the conclusion was that an improvement was likely the second time the test was taken, and about equal chances of going down or up by the third sitting.
Definitely look at the AP/IB testing and/or subject tests in May before deciding on additional testing in May/early June.
I agree that it makes sense for her to take a timed practice SAT now - since science is the lowest part of her ACT score, and there’s no science on the SAT, there could be quite a difference there.
And if her practice SAT is even a little better than the ACT, then sign up for the March 14 SAT exam, and she can do Khan Academy targeted studying till then.