Is anyone else feeling strange about JMU no longer requiring SAT/ACT? D has a 4,34 WGPA and JMU is her first choice. She did not do too great on SAT/ACT. Wondering if we should not submit these tests? I don’t want to mess up her chances:/. She applied for Early Decision.
George Washington has also gone test-optional so this whole phenomenon is nothing to feel too weird about. You daughter should be fine with that g.p.a and again I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Though, if she’s really adamant about solidifying her chance of admission she could perhaps retake the SAT? One of the biggest myths is that you cannot study for the SAT…oh would have I loved to know that this piece of advice is simply false. The SAT like other standardized tests such as the LSAT, GMAT and GRE is not necessarily something you can do intuitively well on. Well perhaps with certain sections of the SAT you could, but nonetheless it’s a test you that you can actually study for and improve a lot on and there are tons of preparation books and tutoring companies out there. The thing I’ve noticed about a lot of brilliant test takers is that they’re analytical. Like for example with the GMAT, a lot of people think the sentence correction is about selecting the “right answer” or really just the answer that sounds most correct to the ear. That sort of thinking will get you nowhere on these types tests, SAT included, and there’s a certain way you have to train yourself to look at the test. Another misconception is that just taking a high level math course will prepare you for the math section of the SAT…this is simply not true. The SAT math section is slightly different and it’s hard in a different way. It never hurts to take your daughter to an SAT prep company and have them do an evaluation, but then again with a 4.34 I doubt she’ll have to submit scores. Also, she should not feel discouraged to take multiple attempts because realistically there are a good number of students at Ivy League universities who have gained admission by persistently taking advantage of multiple test attempts. I have a friend who took the LSAT early in her sophomore year and got a bad score. She spent her last two years of college studying arduously for the LSAT and eventually scored in the 99th percentile and gained admission into Yale Law School. But I digress she should be fine. Good Luck!