<p>D's second ACT score finally got released today. She scored 25, two points lower than April. Basically, everything dropped a little. I am feeling disappointed and am having my own little reality check. We can send the 27 to her top choices, but the reality is, she has to have her own reality check about what this means. She can get some merit at a couple of in-state schools that she approves of, but it's still up in the air if it'll be enough to make them affordable. </p>
<p>I am not sure if it's worth it to try the ACT again. I personally think she has a case of senioritis and her focus is off this year. Three AP courses too even though I warned her not to do that (I know my kid), a boyfriend, and busy with marching band. She's a bright kid and I think she'll be successful in her pursuits. But, studying for an ACT is probably not realistic even if I insist. </p>
<p>I am just angry too. I feel like she didn't take it seriously when I was urging her to study. And I'm worried if she doesn't figure out this focus thing, she is going to really have trouble in engineering (what she thinks she wants to do). I feel guilty for doubting her in this way. When I think back about myself, I had no idea how hard my major would be. I got there and busted my butt for 4 years. So did her dad. We've told her how hard it will be. I hope she gets it.</p>
<p>Have any of you dealt with this? Do I just need to let everything play itself out? I am insisting on applying to one state safety (both admittance and financial). We need to visit there still. But she qualifies for merit already which appears fairly automatic, and with the small loan she could get, we can afford the remainder (about $10k). I'm sure it feels a bit like a consolation prize, but I personally think it could work for her, and work really well at that. Maybe I'm jumping to do conclusions too soon though. Argh. </p>
<p>i know this feeling…i had to do an adjustment last year after my D’s first SAT score…I thought she’d nail it…instead it was meh. An eye-opener for she and I both.<br>
As far as your current situation, what can you do? Boyfriends have a way of turning kids all over the place…can I ask, what was her reaction to the score? If it was, “whatever” then I think you need to take a similar approach. She sounds smart and personable…she now needs the reality of what schools she’s going to get into. I will say that nobody cuts 17-year-olds slack anymore…when I went to college, lots of kids didn’t straighten out until 20 or 21…if not older. </p>
<p>My kid didn’t break 1250 CR/Math on her SAT. She took the test twice with no change in scores.</p>
<p>She graduated from college just fine…with double majors in bioengineering and biology. We were not chasing merit aid, but she got the McKissick scholarship at University of South Carolina. She did attend that school. Opting instead for Santa Clara University.</p>
<p>That 27 ACT was probably on par with my kid’s SAT.</p>
<p>Did your daughter take the SAT? Some kids just do better on that. </p>
<p>Regardless…if she has schools on her list that she likes, where she will get accepted, and you can pay the bills…all is well.</p>
<p>If she doesn’t want to take it again that’s fine. She just needs to apply to schools that think it’s a fine score. There are lots of them. I don’t think this necessarily means she isn’t cut out for engineering.</p>
<p>What was the breakdown? Maybe from that we can determine whether taking the SAT may be worth it.</p>
<p>Sounds like you are chasing merit and you are concerned that a 27 won’t get as much as you’d like.</p>
<p>Is your D fully satisfied with her financial safety? Is she prepared to go there if the other schools aren’t affordable? </p>
<p>An ACT 27 is about equivalent to a 1220 SAT. If she can get better than that on the SAT, it may be worth several thousand…that may make it worth taking. </p>
<p>A 27 is quite good. It’s only when you come to this site that one feels uneasy or embarrassed. My DD’s friend was one of the valedictorians in her school and got a 23 on her ACT! She refused to take it again. Sounded like she was a really slow test taker. Anyway, she didn’t get into a large public u that she wanted but she did get into her safety–a very nice regional public for engineering. And I notice that her name is in the paper every semester for making dean’s list. </p>
<p>A 27 is good! But I know what you mean. My older daughter is a natural good test taker and scored sky high easily. It was hard for my younger one. That was especially true because where we live…well two of her good friends scored a 36 and another 3 scored a 35( like her sister)! And her sister was way more disappointed than us and let my younger one know it. My younger one did get her score up to a 30 by taking practice tests over and over and over. When she did her sister “nicely” told her " great job. That’s the minimal acceptable score". So if you can get a mean sibling to ride her about her score it might motivate her! Just kidding. Though I actually think that’s what happened to my kid. </p>
<p>Without going into too many details - I know how you feel. When my smart, stubborn D was in high school, I often found myself thinking “That’s a good score - but you can do better! Your GPA is good - but you can do better!” In my brain, nothing was quite “good enough.” Thank goodness I mostly kept this to myself (…I’m not completely clueless…) but I regret each and every time I did let the words slip out of my mouth.</p>
<p>One of the best things I heard on this site was “love the kid on the couch.” If your D really doesn’t want to retake the ACT, then don’t make her - she probably won’t do any better anyway, especially if she doesn’t want to prep for it. A 27 is okay (actually it’s better than okay, but you already know that.) If she doesn’t make it through engineering, that’s okay too - there are other majors/other careers that will be exciting and rewarding (and probably a better fit for her, too.) It’s okay to feel doubt and anger, too; that’s what makes us human (and that’s what makes us parents.)</p>
<p>My own D completely surprised me in college: almost perfect grades in a demanding major and a determined focus on her studies. She’s now working in a career she likes in a city she loves. A lot of time has passed since I sat here worrying about her ACT score and her grades; as it turns out, both worries were way overblown. Good luck to you and your daughter!</p>
<p>Please don’t think a test indicates her ability to follow through and be successful in college. My kid with the lowest test scores has the highest college GPA. Relax, unless there’s something else going on she sounds fine. </p>
<p>@mom2collegekids E 28, M 28, R 26, Sci 25. On second testing, math went to 25 and R all the way down to 20. No writing score yet, though it was an 8 in April. I’m not sure SAT will help. </p>
<p>She has 2 financial safeties, both in state publics, the first of which she likes ok, but is close to home, and is not an admission safety. The other is one she hasn’t even visited yet, but I as her mom think is probably a better fit for many reasons. We are trying to plan a visit soon. There she’s already eligible for significant merit and it’s an admission safety too (their admit rate is over 90%). </p>
<p>Her top in-state private choice has a later decision process, so retaking and getting a higher score could possibly make a difference in possibly ~$4K more per year compared to what she’s eligible for now (which they say is basically automatic after admission), but it’s still pricey and would require significant loans even if we cough up $15K cash per year. She’d need probably a 1400 or 1500 SAT to be eligible for higher merit there. Obviously, she could co-op in a couple of years to help with the last half of college and that would help. I just don’t know if it’s worth it or not. </p>
<p>Also, do they use the GPA at the end of the junior year for decisions in most cases? </p>
<p>I’m with the others. 27 is a great score. That was my daughter’s score on her first and second tries on the ACT. We picked her schools based on that score and she is happy to attend any one of them. It sounds to me like your daughter is in a very good place regarding colleges and aid. </p>
<p>While I would love my child to benefit from my mistakes, I need to realize that D has to make her own mistakes. :)</p>
<p>After the third try, my second d said, “Not again.” I really thought she should retake as just one more point would’ve taken her to the next level in scholarships at most of the places she’d applied, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She had a financial safety that she would have been fine with (as she said, she’d could make herself happy anywhere). And that was that. She ended up at her first choice school because she was accepted for tuition exchange, even with the less than less-than-acceptable-by-CC-standards test score. </p>
<p>27 really is a good score. If the kid is too busy to study before retaking, she probably wouldn’t see the kind of jump she’d need for huge merit anyway. </p>
<p>Does she understand that if she doesn’t study and raise her score it could cost an extra $4,000 a year to go to her top instate private? If you haven’t already I would have a financial talk with her and let her know you are only going to be able to spend x dollars a year. If she understands that her top in-state private choice might be too expensive with her current test score and she is ok with that I would let it go. </p>
<p>How does she have “senioritis” when it’s only october? Between applications, EC’s and her course load, she needs to remain focused and do well particularly this first semester. If she is not likely to put in the effort needed to raise her ACT, then you should just accept the 27 and move on.</p>
<p>My older DD had a ACT 27, and we knew she could raise it the one point. The one point meant $12,000 ($3000/year) automatic merit at her instate school of choice. She took the ACT in Sept and Oct of senior year, and would have taken it again in Dec if she didn’t get the desired score. She did prepare for both Sept and Oct; had a few ind’l tutoring appts before Oct test date to give more insight and preparation. We were able to cancel the Dec test date.</p>
<p>Point out how many hours one would have to work to achieve that $$. </p>
<p>My kid was a glass half empty person and maybe a little low esteem. What a great achievement to be rewarded for the work and effort. Each ACT test has different levels of difficulty in different sections - sometimes it is hit or miss. Also students may take too long on one test section and not finish that section which could hurt score. A lot of variables.</p>
<p>@janniegirl, it looks like your daughter took the Reading in its new format. I know at least two test-takers who said the Reading was different in September. Both mentioned the test asked them to read two passages and compare them (?). That would explain the dramatic decrease in her Reading score. You may want to ask her. Then you may want to call the ACT and ask if the current official ACT study guide accurately reflect the ACT Reading section. </p>
<p>I don’t know if that would change her mind or not.</p>