Trying to figure out if D should take the March test or wait for the May test. We feel she will be better prepared by May, but wondering if the March test would be good practice. The March SAT is offered for free at her HS for all juniors. We’re scared that she isn’t ready and won’t do so well and that colleges will see that score. I appreciate any suggestions and wisdom:)
The college only sees what the user self reports and what the College Board sends (and they, in theory, only send what the student requests). Unless a certain college require all scores, one can choose to send selected scores.
Having said that, it is not unheard of that the College Board inadvertently sends all scores (or, more commonly, for the student to mess up the request). Additionally, it is common for high schools to list all standardized tests on transcripts, which they may (or may not) remove on request.
At the end of the day though, I see no point in playing the “hide my scores” game. If a college says they consider the best scores, assume they speak the truth.
Agree, if they say they look at the best scores, you’re fine. Lots of kids see improvement. But whether or not a hs reports all scores is individual policy, not a given.
If anything, what you want to avoid is retaking multiple times, eg, 4 or 5x, which can look obsessed and takes effort away from other valuable activities (and peace of mind.)
Thank you so much.
Does anyone see the benefit of taking the March test in terms of it being an opportunity to practice under testing conditions? I wonder if practice outweighs the possiblity of it destroying confidence if not fully prepared for it. Thanks again.
I can’t speak for your D’s preparedness; she might be more prepared than you or she thinks. However, one should not take the exam just for “practice, IMO” Take it when prepared, or close to prepared, but not just to see how it is.
Agree with @skieurope. While not exactly the same, if you can get access to a classroom (or other institutional setting) on a weekend, maybe your D and some others can sit for a practice test under strictly timed conditions at the same time of day the test is administered if you want to replicate a testing environment. Frankly doing full practice tests and being strict on time anywhere gets you 90% of the way there.
Thanks again so much. I think we will skip March. I will also look into maybe finding someplace where she can take a practice test.
@BKSquared 's advice of doing a simulation is a good one. Best of luck to her.
There are, however, a few schools—Georgetown comes to mind—where they require you to send ALL test scores and not self-select and report only a few.
Indeed there are. And I indicated as such in my first response.
@skieurope— How nicely pedantic of you to point that out. I responded as I did, with a specific example, because your response, “unless a certain college requires” was vague and left open the interpretation that you were speaking hypothetically and not from knowledge of specific identifiable example. There was no need to “correct” my response so as to point out that I may possibly have been redundant. Posters do that all the time on CC—it is hardly a sin.
But, for OP and using the Gtown example: " If an applicant takes the SAT more than once, the admissions committees will consider the highest critical reading score and the highest math score from multiple test sessions when reviewing the application."
It’s one reason it’s good to look into more of what a college tells, get a wide picture.
If she takes it, will she get her scores back before she takes the May SAT? If not, then she won’t get feedback on how she did or what areas to work on. All she will know is if she felt she had time to finish sections.