<p>I hate asking this question because it feeds into the obsessive dependence today's students have on the college board machine. I'll put this on the SAT board but that's mostly kids talking about their scores. Here goes-</p>
<p>Son takes 3 SATs and last one is the best- M 800, W 740 (11), R 640 (grr)
Also takes 2 SAT IIs this past spring. Wanted to take only one SAT II (science) because he had taken the AP (got a 5) and thought it was good timing. Went ahead and took Math II to "see what it was like" and ended up with a 650. Science went well- 740.</p>
<p>So here's the dilemma, he wants to get into a competitive public OOS. He could send his scores in early, take the October SAT (4th time!) and if the reading score goes up, send it in. Or he could take the October SATII Math and do the same. The SATIIs aren't required for the college, but they're going to see them. Will they hold the 650 against him?</p>
<p>The reading score boggles my mind. He's scored the same EXACT score all three times on the reading while his other scores have moved around. It's frustrating. Reading is something he's good at- he's an A student and got a 4 on AP Lit. He's always done excellent in reading on standardized tests. Why is this test causing him such fits? (Studying vocab hasn't helped- he has and those aren't the questions he misses. Also he's taken all the blue book practice tests and consistently scores in the 630-760 ranges.)</p>
<p>I don't think he should bother with Math 2c. He has an 800 SAT1 math, so a lower SAT2 score isn't as big of a deal. I also think he ought not bother with the SAT1. Critical Reading scores are the ones that rarely improve much. 4 times taking the SAT? Maybe he would be better off taking the ACT in September and seeing if he's more satisfied with that score.</p>
<p>P.S. Does he really need to retake a 1440 SAT for an OOS Public? That's not a bad score at all.</p>
<p>Critical Reading, as its name implies, is about paying very close attention to the text. It's not about vocabulary or being a good reader in the accepted sense of the word. I don't know of strategies to improve critical reading, but perhaps Xiggi or Grammatix can help here. </p>
<p>Taking the ACT is a good idea, too. But, as Jimbob says, 1440 out of 1600 is pretty good.</p>
<p>With critical reading, the big issue for some people is figuring out what the question is asking. Some students may read too much into the question; other students simply need to practice predicting the response to the question. (For example, you know that the answer is never going to be politically incorrect.) His best bet is to use the Xiggi strategy - figure out what he is doing wrong. WHY does he get wrong answers? Also important - why are his correct answers not wrong? Once he can get inside the heads of the test-takers, he'll do better. </p>
<p>Reading, IMO, is a bit subjective - with math, there's one right answer, but reading does involve a bit of getting inside someone's head.</p>
<p>Given the number of times your son has taken the test, I don't think he should retake - unless he want to give the ACT a try. </p>
<p>I think you are really too obsessing too much about test scores. My daughter scored 620 on SAT CR - two sittings. She did better with the ACT (Accepted at Barnard & U. of Chicago). I think there is a problem with the questions on the SAT CR -- one thing I always noticed is that my daughter tends to see different and unusual things in her reading. It's great when we read a novel together, because she sees so much that I might miss -- and of course her teachers love her because she adds so much in class discussions. But it probably makes it difficult to give the "right" answer to questions about a fiction or poetry excerpt that is susceptible of more than one interpretation. I find a lot of CR questions ambiguous -- I mean, typically you are supposed to draw a conclusion about what the author's main point is or what the author is trying to convey. For nonfiction it tends to be rather obvious, but for fiction interpretations can vary.</p>
<p>NO DON'T TAKE ANY MORE TESTS - student should do interesting things the child is interested in to increase his desirablity by the colleges he wishes. EVERYBODY has high scores- you need more... other.</p>
<p>How is he at the low end if the range is 1240-1460 and he has a 1440? I'm not sure about this but I heard that for the colleges to take the highest sections from different tests, you can't take it more than three times.</p>
<p>What other schools is he interested in? You may find the answer to your question by compiling a list of test requirements for all the schools to which he will apply.</p>
<p>BTW, if he is intending to major in math, a 640 Reading score is considered average or better. The 800 SAT Math is a good indicator of his future success. However, for a math major, the SAT II score is more of a problem - a 650 there shows weakness in either preparation or ability. He should consider retaking both his SAT IIs in October if he feels they don't reflect his true level of talent.</p>
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one thing I always noticed is that my daughter tends to see different and unusual things in her reading.
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<p>Exactly: I always tell SAT-takers that the reading comprehension not only requires critical reading, but also critical stupidity. Intelligent people always think too much about a question, which is conducive to incorrect answers. Play dumb, and try to think "normally." The creators of the questions are not doing anything extravagant, so refined critical analysis is entirely inappropriate.</p>