<p>My junior S. has a 4.0 GPA Currently taking AP Calc and AP Chem. He had taken several practice timed tests and his scores are:
English:21
Math:31
Reading:29
Science:25
Composite 26
His English and writing has never been strong and with practice ACT he can't seem to get those scores increase. He want to go to a school in Ca.(I found out that even Cal state school want a minimum of 24 on ACT english to start taking credit classes. If it's below that you have to take remedial classes. </p>
<p>Have him take the ACT test and see what his scores are. You might also want to consider having him take the SAT as well. If he is a junior, he should be able to take these twice before he applies to college. If his first ACT is a good score, he can stop. Otherwise, he’ll know the area(s) where he might need to work before a retake.</p>
<p>He had tried PSAT his scores are CR 56, M 60 W 51. Same problem. He always had a big discrepancy between his math and E/W skills. Maybe has a slight LD. </p>
<p>After doing so many practice test when he sees no improvement he feels like he is getting nowhere. Do you have any specific books, techniques for the English section. He has practiced on McGraw Hills book. Focus and speed are working agains him. </p>
<p>With his high GPA and excellent work ethic he is very depressed and I’m worried and saddened to see him feel that way.</p>
<p>I think I should have mentioned earlier. We are an immigrant family, although he was born in the US. We don’t speak English at home -when you have a weakness in that area it doesn’t help. Should we accept the fact that he will take remedial classes in college before he starts to take the credit classes? For a really successful student that won’t be an easy adjustment.</p>
<p>I don’t think a 56 to 61 would be considered a “huge discrepancy”. In SAT scores…would translate to 560/610. </p>
<p>My son had a 730 on the CR and a 590 on the math. We never thought of it as anything other than he was never a stellar student in math. He got accepted to a college ranked 60 (well…he was a music major so his audition helped). </p>
<p>DD had the opposite profile…650 on the math and 590 on the verbal. She was a stronger math student…and she got accepted to a masters university ranked 2nd in its region. </p>
<p>Just FYI…both of my kids “translated” PSAT scores were MUCH lower than their actual SAT scores.</p>
<p>I think he’ll have better luck with private colleges - they evaluate applications holistically. Bowdoin and Connecticut College are test optional. Hamilton lets you submit the tests you do best on such as AP’s. Most competitive state schools have minimum cutoffs for SAT, ACT, and GPA, which would make him admissible to only the less competitive UC’s.
If he is LD, you will have trouble getting extra time or other accomodations unless he has been getting them in school all along.</p>
<p>We live in Ca. and he doesn’t want to go out of state. He really liked Cal State San Jose and Chico State. What do you think about his chances for these schools. </p>
<p>I know for a possible LD you need to be getting services at school, which doesn’t apply to us. </p>
<p>Thumper 1, is it generally the trend that actual SAT translated to higher PSAT scores. ??</p>
<p>No I don’t think that is the actual “trend”…but it does happen. I wouldn’t hold much stock in anything but the actual ACT or SAT scores…everything else is guessing. Have your kid take the test and see what happens.</p>
<p>You can’t use PSAT to guess possible SAT scores. My younger son’s SAT was much higher than his PSAT. Definitely have him take the SAT, too.</p>
<p>Have you son take both tests ASAP. Pay the extra (about $15) for the detailed score report. Then, after he takes his tests, he’ll receive the test books in the mail with the answer key with indications as to which ones he got wrong. By studying that, he’ll further become aware of his weak areas.</p>
<p>That said, that English ACT score can surely be raised with some practice or with the help of an ACT tutor. </p>
<p>Your son’s Science Reasoning may also see an improvement with practice. I recall Curmy’s daughter had problems with her SR score a few years ago, and she was able to really increase that score with practice. I remember using her tips to help DS1 improve his lagging SR score.</p>
<p>For ACT practice, I think the practice book put out by ACT is best. The book has something like “From the people who make the REAL ACT” on the front (or something like that.)</p>
<p>I will definitely get that book. Should we wait until spring (which they recommend) to take the first ACT/SAT tests or do it right away and maybe take 2 this year and another one early senior year?</p>
<p>He is into computers, web design. Would you suggest any good public/private schools in northern ca. Being immigrants we don’t have a big circle of people to help us and not growing up here- we don’t have the sense and prior knowledge about what schools are well known.</p>
<p>I can’t describe how much I appreciate your answers. Please give as much info for Ca. anything will be helpful believe me…</p>
<p>The English portion of the ACT is mainly grammar rules. A tutor can raise that score significantly in a short period of time. Pick up a grammar rules book and have him start memorizing the rules!</p>
<p>ACT, as far as I know, is about what you have learnt. As your S is getting As in all his classes, he should have mastered the materials. So, I think it is about test skill and test format. </p>
<p>A tutor should be able to help him very significantly.</p>
<p>If you think your son’s problem is test taking skills, that is one thing. Taking practice tests is always a good thing, anyway…familiarity with the format certainly helps when taking the actual test. </p>
<p>To help your son improve his reading and writing scores…have him read! Not only will this improve his test scores, it will help him succeed in college.</p>
<p>Insist that he read at least one section of the newspaper every day or a newsmagazine every week. Ask him to read one novel (it does not have to be a serious novel…anything he would ENJOY reading would do) every month.</p>
<p>This is no different than improving any other skill…putting, knitting, calculus. Practice makes perfect. If you don’t practice, you don’t improve.</p>
<p>My D who took the ACT and the SAT found that she was pressed for time with the ACT. If your kid is a slow reader, that could really affect how much of the test he actually gets to. So I would try the SAT once.</p>
<p>The above scatterplots might give you an idea about whether San Jose State is within reach of your child. These are Class of 2008 data, and things have gotten a little more competitive, but I would say that his chances at SJS look good. [The 4.0 is weighted or unweighted?]</p>
<p>I would check to see if you can identify the problem areas in the reading and writing portions of the practice tests. Is it lack of knowledge of grammar? Is it reading comprehension? Does he just read too slow to keep up with the test material?</p>
<p>Grammar review with lots of drills are an easy fix for grammar troubles.</p>
<p>Reading comprehension and speed can be helped by doing more reading and more difficult reading. It’s a downward spiraling circle–you don’t do well at reading, so you avoid reading, which means that you don’t do well at reading, etc. </p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with taking a remedial class in college. Obviously, he needs to remedy something. I hope he will swallow his pride and use the class to once and for all fix his reading and writing problems (if they are fixable).</p>
<p>I just have to ask…is an over 500 SAT score something that would trigger “remedial coursework” at a Cal State? That is an average or slightly higher than average national score.</p>
<p>We didn’t do the weighted yet so this is his score from all of his classes 9 through 11 grade (fall semeter included) His AP Calc and AP Chem first sem. grades are A’s. I honestly don’t know how to do the weighted score .</p>
<p>His GPA is not weighted and I don’t know how to do the weighted. 4.0 is his 9 through 11 grade (including fall semester) grades. He got As on AP Calc and AP Chem this fall semester.</p>