<p>My D has not done well on her PSAT tests in 10th or 11th grade, especially in CR and Writing sections. She is taking the SAT in June for the first time, but took the April ACT. She did fairly decent on Math and Science, about what I expected, but only 21 on English and 18 on Reading. Then her essay comes back with a 10. Is that 10 worth anything in admissions? I am guessing not. Her composite is still low, and she'll take again in the fall depending on SAT results.</p>
<p>I'm thinking the composite score is the critical number and the essay is less important. But she has time, so don't panic.</p>
<p>Also, it is very common for a student to do better on one of the SAT/ACT tests and not the other. Reportedly, girls often do better on SAT and boys on ACT, but it can go either way. You should see which one she does better on and focus on that one if it is practical for her target colleges.</p>
<p>When I wrote "she has time" what I should have said is that she has time over the summer to really study for at least one of the two tests, do better, and then apply to colleges. I did not mean to suggest that she could relax...she really can't since she is a junior.</p>