My daughter is a junior and a hard worker. She takes all AP and honors courses and has an weighted average of about
96. She was just inducted into the National Honor Society. We’ve been creating a college list with safeties and reaches, but since getting her SAT score today, I feel like I need to throw it all out the window and completely reevaluate what is realistic.
She had about a 180 on her PSATs - not great but not horrible. She’s been working with a very experienced, highly regarded tutor these past two months and her scores on practice tests were always between 650-700 per section. She took the March test and thought she did okay. She said she only left a few math questions blank - otherwise, had time to finish everything.
She came to us this morning crying and really shocked - she scored only 1690 - 500 on CR, 590 Math and 600 Writing. This is a pretty low score : based on her PSAT score prior to being tutored, we would have expected maybe 1800, but after working so diligently for almost 3 months with the tutor, she really had higher expectations.
I know some kids don’t test well, and we weren’t expecting 2200’s, but I too feel am surprised by this result, though we are putting on a supportive front. I have a hard time telling her that she can pull up her score when she takes it again in May because we really don’t know what she could have done differently, and it isn’t like it was just in one section, it was basically all three. We will know more when the test details come out in about a week and when we hear back from the tutor.
The sad part is how much she is questioning her intelligence right now and totally doubting herself now.This has totally shaken her belief in herself and her ability to get into a good school.
Anyone deal with this or have any words of wisdom? I guess we will look at schools that are SAT optional and I’m going to sign her up for the ACT as well, to see if she does better on it but I’m kinda speechless. And this is my younger child - went through the whole college hunting scene just two years ago with my other child.
Thanks for letting me vent!
With such a difference between the PSAT and the SAT, the first thought is to try the ACT.
Second thought is - what was the prep in the days before and night before, as well as that morning? People don’t realize that sitting through a several hour test is taxing, and kids who play sports or have a lot of ECs can wear themselves down, and refuse to “take a break” so they can be rested mind and body for taking a standardized test.
And yes, SAT optional schools are good to look at.
If you don’t know what went wrong, I am feeling like analyzing that week and the day of the test might give some information.
not too carby dinner the night before, balanced
enough sleep but not too much
high protein low carb breakfast
I would also consider a “dry run” on a full test under “test conditions” - a Saturday morning, same start and finish time, same expected physical and mental prep. Taking practice exams short of a full exam might not be a great predictor.
Good luck - some people are just better test takers than others!
My older daughter’s SAT scores weren’t in line with her GPA - she’s a nervous test taker and overthinks the questions, and so she never did as well as she hoped on the SAT.
My future stepson took a prep class where they basically practiced taking a portion of the SAT every other week with tutoring to address his weaknesses in between. He brought his score up significantly.
I am SO sorry- I know she must be feeling horrible right now. I have no way of knowing what went wrong but I do know that standardized testing does NOT measure intelligence and is not necessarily indicative of how much knowledge an individual has accumulated. Unfortunately many schools still use it to gauge success- that seems like it may be slowly on the way out- but until it is no longer used, your D has to deal with it. I second the suggestion to have her try the ACT. Some kids just connect with that testing method better. My son thought it was easier, but it just depends on the kid. Make sure she does some practice tests- if I remember, the science section is not so much about your knowledge of science but about your ability to interpret charts, graphs, and data (unless it has changed). Tell her to put this behind her and move on- she still has time.
Have you talked to her tutor? The tutor might/should have some ideas.
The thing that disturbed me most about your story is that your daughter was 150 points below her practice tests in CR and thought she did fine. Anyone can blow a test, but usually the person knows something was off.
You probably notice, too, that her M and CR scores were perfectly consistent with her PSAT. You are entitled to be disappointed by that after months of tutoring and somewhat higher practice scores, but you can’t really be shocked by it.
Take a deep breath (this for both you and your daughter). You have plenty of time for Plan B.
More and more schools are going test optional so take a look at those schools -- Bowdoin, Wesleyan, etc.
I have a few friends whose kids switched to ACT after similar results. It is a much more straightforward test and it may be that it matches up with your daughter's strengths better than SAT which involves a bit of gamesmanship.
As a previous poster noted, practice tests should be done under testing conditions. We are fortunate to live a few blocks from a test prep center and my daughter took a lot of practice tests there which were timed and proctored.
You have time. I know a lot of kids who were still taking ACT in the fall of their senior year and still applied ED.
My son had similar SAT scores the first time around. His math never went above 600…but his verbal was 730 on the second try. Both scores were around 500 the first time. He prepped well for that second test…and felt a lot more confident going in…said the first time, he wasn’t really sure about the test…period.
DD had 590 and 640…for a 1230 CR/Math score. Her score the second time was ten points different than the first. We did not encourage a third time!
Both kids got accepted to their first choice colleges.
The difference between her PSAT and her SAT, makes me think that test fatigue may be a factor. The ACT isn’t much better in that regard, actually a little worse since the sections are longer.
I can echo what uesmom said; the ACT is more straightforward than the SAT, and more aligned with what is being taught in school. The SAT is deliberately tricky.
I think you get the answer sheets from college board and then the tutor can go over the questions and the answers to see where she went wrong. Perhaps she did something wrong on the scoring, but a 500 on CR suggests problems on more than one section. Sorry about this, but it will work out.
She still has time to retry the SAT and retry the ACT before the summer. That will still leave time in the fall for more retries in the fall if desired, as well as allowing going into the summer with enough score data to make better reach/match/safety assessments for schools and scholarships when making the application list.
Can she try an old released SAT under test conditions for practice, assess what the main problem is, and focus preparation on that issue? Same with an old released ACT.
First let me agree with many of the outstanding suggestions already posted. Maybe the ACT is her best test. Rest and proper nutrition is of great value. No question being comfortable with the format of the test boosts results. But my thoughts are that possibly she is just stressed out about the whole thing, and who wouldn’t be? After all the tutoring, the hopes, and expectations it’s hard not to feel pressure. Fortunately, my D is super cool under pressure (unlike her dad.) I have often thought about what it would be like if things were different and we were both higher strung??
Do everything you can to dial down the pressure and expectation. relax and let your D take the ACT. Anyone can have a bad day. Burn and bury the disappointing test results and have some Ice Cream. Life is too precious, and dreams too valuable to allow one test to limit you or your child.
I agree about talking to the tutor about what happened. And she should give the ACT practice tests a go and see what she gets there.
However, I have one child who just could not do it when it came to these tests. He scored barely 1500 on the SAT1 despite working on them for a year. His ACT score was not much higher as an equivalence. His grades were very good, and he took rigorous courses. He got into Northeastern and UMD CP as spring admits, UDel, Penn State Colleg Park, UB, Fordham, Duquesne, Iona, Pitt, Fairfield, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Holy Cross–the latter going the Fairtest route. He was only rejected from one school, Villanova. Got money from Fairfield, Iona , Duquesne, it worked out, IMO.
Have her take the ACT and then re-take whichever test looks most promising.
While that test prep can be great for some students, I think it kills instinct in some otherwise high performing kids. D took the SAT in 7th grade for a talent search and had a score many high schoolers would be thrilled with. PSATS too… great scores. We weren’t really concerned come junior year but her school highly recommended some test prep for all students. She started feeling like she’d better do it. She had a bunch in school and then took a course and all it did was wind her up about it. She kept second guessing herself and her official SAT sitting reflected it. So, we sent her to the ACT with no prep at all and she scored closer to where we’d had anticipated. Shen then did some of her own practice in areas she felt she could improve… spent an hour with a math tutor to refresh a few things. Then retook the ACT and got the score she wanted. She didn’t bother to re-take the SAT.
Self-doubt and anxiety mess with a lot of kids in this arena. Even if they “feel” like they did OK… often they are more feeling that they did “what they were supposed too” instead of tuning into what they instinctively would have done.
It is terrible that our kids have to go through this. So stressful. I recommend that you (mom) read The Perfect Score Project by Debbie Stier (and/or listen to it on audio). Not that long - you can be through it in a day or two and thereafter you may be able to formulate an approach for where you want to go from here. It will provide you with both resources you may not have used AND valuable perspective.
A point to emphasize - so many kids get fixated on finishing as fast as possible they may not take adequate time to get the answer right. Without doubt they know the right answer in a non-pressure situation. But it is pounded into their heads that they have to finish finish finish at lightning speed. Possibly it would help to tell her to slow down and not just focus on the clock. It leads to misinterpretation and falling into the traps in the questions. The easy questions are first. Take the time to get those right and it’s more than half the battle.
Learn the (math) information. But practice CR, W, M with timed tests. Even if you have to do it section by section on different days. Get through as many of the practice tests in the blue book as you can. Study every wrong answer until you fully understand why it is wrong. May even be able to do this part without a tutor.
It is probably not a good idea to overwhelm her with all kinds of books, resources from all directions now.
She can take the SAT at many locations that are NOT her own high school. Would this help reduce stress? Not having to see anyone she knows may allow her to better focus and calm the nerves. Find out about the test situation (full size desks? very helpful - see Debbie Stier).
Other resources I have read say it is a positive sign to colleges that a student PERSISTED in working hard to raise the score. And contrary to fear or rumor - they do only care about the highest score. May want to emphasize this to your daughter. It will be a feather in her cap to colleges to show a constructive, positive response to adversity. She can do it. (Out of the box but listen to/read Think and Grow Rich - it’s about highly successful people who have overcome adversity. It may be centering to hear this. I would recommend many similar books on an ongoing basis when she has the time. Who Moved My Cheese. Also - investigate Testmasters.) Envision this scenario: a positive interview where she brags on herself about how she took this feedback, formulated a plan and improved the situation. Isn’t this one of the best life skills to be able to demonstrate to colleges? She will show colleges she has gumption and smarts. Tell her to envision how impressive that will be.
Plan a BIG reward for her to marshall the guts to face this, work hard, and simply take the test again no matter the result. Something fun that she knows about and really wants. Is there a pricey pair of athletic shoes she wants? An expensive prom dress? A phone? A tablet? How about one or more of those things. Something fun that you all feel HAPPY about when you anticipate it. A well-deserved reward for the effort not the result.
And roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches with her. You can both take practice tests together. The camaraderie may help her. And you will get a keen idea of how she is doing when you have also struggled through the same question.
If you aren’t looking for financial aid…look at the test optional schools. There are many fine colleges,that don’t require the ACT or SAT for admissions. However, read carefully, because some of these test optional schools do require scores for financial aid consideration, particularly merit aid.
Do a google search for Fairtest. You will find the list of test optional schools there.
And also, her 500 or so scores on the SAT will still gain her admission to any number of colleges. You know that not everyone has scores above 600 or 700 on each section of the SAT, and they still find colleges.
One more thought. I would try taking the test 2 more times.
Consider the next test the “getting back in the game” test. Perhaps even take it with a deliberate plan ahead of time to cancel scores thereafter. This will be the test where she gets her sea legs back in the testing environment. Certainly make it a best best effort. But also consider it essentially a practice test for the next attempt - which will be her “Go for the Gold” effort. Of course, she could come out of the second test feeling good about it. And in that case, get the scores.