HELP messed up testing dates and next steps (dilemma situation)

Test Preparation
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Hey everyone! I’m new to College Confidential and this will be my first post :)>-

So i’m stuck in a bit of a dilemma here…I’m a rising senior and I have only taken the SAT reasoning in January this year after studying for 2 months or so and received 1900 :frowning: I then took the reasoning again in March but I ended up cancelling the score because the paper seemed too difficult.

I was then advised to switch to SAT subject tests in May, so I took Math II and got 750. I wanted to improve my score above 770, and plus the fact that I still needed to take physics, I took tests again this June. Since I’m an international student from Canada, our curriculum is almost one year behind that of the States. I tried my best to learn a whole year of physics in just 2 months, and it didn’t go so well–my June SAT physics was 630. And during May after my math II, I focused all my time into prepping for physics that I didn’t even had the chance to go over math. My June math was 620, a 130 point drop from last month…

I know that my statistics are horrible, but in all honesty I’m not a bad student at school. I keep up with my school work and take rigorous courses, and merge myself into ecs. It’s just that my time table for testings this year has been really screwed up. I’m now left with no decision but to either 1) switch to ACT in September and take subject tests in October or 2) take SAT reasoning in October and SAT subject tests in Nov

I want to apply early decision, but I don’t know which school yet since there are so many unknown factors in my profile. I’m looking at the top 30 schools in the States though

I wanted to try taking an ACT practice test under timed circumstances. Without preparation, my initial score is 25. the breakdown was 19 in reading, 31 in math, 23 in science, 26 in english. I was a bit confused about the passages in the reading section since they differed so much from the SAT and didn’t really take the section seriously, resulting in that score of 19.

Don’t know what my next steps are :frowning: I really to choose one of those directions and improve my score DRASTICALLY in order to get a decent test score in a few months, and that’s the vital component of my application profile missing. Any suggestions?

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can anyone help? even a small piece of advice would be greatly appreciated!

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My response was initially half an essay, so I decide to summarize everything I said in numbered points.

  1. Don't forget RD - this will give you a potential of two extra sitting dates (December & January). I understand that you might want to apply EA/ED, but you might have to sacrifice these options if you want maximise your chances.
  2. You're going to have to decide whether to take the SAT/ACT yourself. We can't tell you which one to do, but we can give you advice on how to decide which one to take. Take these factors into consideration:
  3. Which one is more enjoyable (or which one is less painful) - to study for and to sit?
  4. Which one is more compatible with your schedule (School, ECs, etc.)? This isn't just limited to the actual sitting date; consider the study time that you'll have to devote.
  5. Fees/Location of test.
  6. If you're adamant on applying to US universities, then I would recommend that you take the tests that you haven't taken before - i.e. SAT II Subject Tests. Complete all the tests that you need first and then consider retaking. Make sure you study for both the SAT/ACT and the SAT II Subject Test now.
  7. Here's my story in a nutshell - I was in a similar situation two months ago when I first began preparing for the SAT I. After six practice tests, I saw my SAT score only slightly increase (about 50 points, I think). At that point, I considered switching to the ACT. I did not do a ACT practice test, but after glancing at one of the practice tests online, I found that it included a science section and was generally more time-restrictive (especially in the maths section). Although my maths and science skills are better than my English skills, I preferred the SAT simply because it seemed more enjoyable and less stressful. After four more practice tests, I saw my score increase by about 200 points. I scored even higher on my actual SAT test, which was a pleasant surprise. It took me about two weeks of SAT practice to increase my initial practice test score to my final actual score. Please remember that this only one example - this might work for some; this might not work for others. I stuck with the SAT, and it worked for me.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Sorry about any grammatical mistakes or the tone of my response - I was writing this in a hurry. Good luck @MayiqueCynthia!

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@milopenguin thank you so much for the helpful tips! I was thinking that the root of my problems lies in SAT II test scores; if only I had done better in my subject tests i would have been able to continue to study for SAT to prepare for the test in October. But since that’s not the case, I am now strongly considering switching to ACT as I feel much more comfortable with the test format. However, i also realized that it’s not easy to improve the score, and my time is running out.

Do you remember how much points you’ve improved on the ACT before switching to SAT? And also, schools like Georgia Tech requires us to apply as EA before a certain deadline right? In that case, what other factors do you recommend me taking into account?

Thanks so much once again :slight_smile:

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I didn’t take any ACT practice tests at all. I had a look at one of the practice tests online, and from my initial reaction (after skimming through the questions), I decided that it was not the test for me. Remember that the sooner you decide on taking the ACT/SAT, the sooner you can practice.

You mentioned that the ACT sitting date was in September? This is good for you as it allows you to get the main test done and out of the way. Then you can concentrate solely on the SAT II Subject Tests. My advice to you would be take the tests only when you’re ready - I know your schedule is tight, but don’t rush off unprepared and unready. You have plenty of time to prepare for the September ACT (I’m assuming you’re on summer holidays, up in the Northern Hemisphere). You’ll be wanting to break the 30 mark, if you’re aiming for a Top 30 school. If you’re looking at Top 20, it would be ideal to hit the 34 score (or higher). I’m not sure if it’s pragmatic to jump for a 25 to a 34, but these things can happen, so continuing practising.

I’ve never taken an ACT test, but I’ll provide my approach to the SAT I, which might be useful for you as well:

  1. Familiarise yourself with the content (e.g. Maths rules, grammar rules, etc.) - you wouldn’t go into a chemistry exam without knowing what you’re being tested on, so why wouldn’t you do the same for the SAT/ACT?
  2. Now take another practice test - hopefully, you’ll see your scores increase a bit. You can’t expect a too high of a rise, though. At this point, you can set a goal that you think that you can realistically achieve.
  3. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Let’s say you got the scores that you mentioned in your first post. Reading was a major weakness, and the maths section was your strength. Assuming that your goal was a 31, then you would probably want to work on your weakness first. Do reading drills (just use the reading sections from the practice tests) - make sure you know what you’re doing first, though; you don’t want to be aimlessly doing questions just for the sake of doing questions. I’m not sure how similar the reading section of the ACT is to the CR section of the SAT, but the CR section is quite difficult to improve on within 2-3 weeks (my CR score only increased by 60 points). Again, I’m not sure how the ACT scoring operates, but you don’t necessarily have to get the reading score over 30 (the higher, the better!) - your strengths (e.g. maths) might be able to compensate for your weaknesses.
  4. After the reading section, it’s up to you to decide which one you need to work one. I would probably go for the maths section and try to bring this score up to 34+ (this shouldn’t take too much effort, hopefully). However, if you find that your maths score is naturally increasing in your practice tests, then don’t worry about focusing on the maths section. Move on to the other sections.

There are obviously other (and arguably, more important) techniques which I used to improve my SAT, but I don’t have the time nor the space to go through them here. What I can say is this: work smarter. You don’t necessarily need to spend months practising - I worked smart (i.e. found shortcuts to maximise my SAT practice) and saw my score increase by 250 points in about two weeks.

Now SAT II scores. Remember that these scores generally play a small role in your applications. The main test (SAT I/ACT) will ultimately decide whether your application gets looked at (at top universities, at least), however, the SAT II Subject Tests only supplement your excellence in your passions. Are you applying for engineering courses? If yes, then I highly recommend that you get your Math II as close as to 800 as possible. If no, then a 750 will suffice. Physics - get past the 700 mark, ideally 750+ if you’re considering an engineering or a science major. Take these in October, and retake in November, if you need to.

Now, regarding Georgia Tech: get working on your application in August. Don’t start your application (inc. essays) after you finish your testing, otherwise you’ll be running tight on time. The same rule “time rule” applies here as well: if you’re not ready to submit your application (essays, test scores, etc.), then don’t submit them in EA. If you get outright rejected, then you won’t even be able to apply RD. Of course, it’s statistically harder to get in through RD, but you don’t want to be rejected in EA if you weren’t happy with your application. Apply when you’re ready and happy with your application.