There are a bunch of very wonderful test optional colleges. Look at fairtest.org for the list.
A 1370 is an fine SAT score. There are hundreds of colleges who would very gladly welcome your daughter as a student.
She can retake the SAT…and she can also try the ACT.
And she needs to also keep her mind very open to college options. Even with 1500 on the SAT, those very tippy top schools are never a slam dunk for admissions. They just aren’t.
A 1370 is a great score and nothing to be ashamed of. It’s her first try. Most everyone takes it 2 to 3 times. She can do the free online prep and her score will most likely rise.
I know we feel bad when our kids are dissapointed but we also have to clue them in when they really shouldn’t be. She did great, a little study and she might do greater still. Devastation is not an apporpriate feeling in this instance.
Another one who says try the ACT and then pick one and take a second time. Then STOP and go forth. PLAN + ACT two times for PSAT and SAT two times is plenty of standardized testing.
Start studying on Khan Academy and take the SAT again.
I think you have the right idea already for talking to her. A test score doesn’t define her worth as a human being (and neither does a college acceptance), but still there is a practical value to getting test scores in line with her other academic accomplishments. This is a problem she can solve.
She can definitely do better than that. She should be able to exceed her PSAT score by a decent amount. I’m not saying that to be mean, but to suggest she be confident that she can accomplish what she wants to. I’d think of this as one of those perfectly calibrated lessons: serious enough to get her attention and be a wake up call, not so serious that it really messes things up for her. Point that out to her if it will help her get the right perspective.
I’d have a serious conversation with her about what the most effective approach to prep will be for her: a class, a tutor, self-study with books and/or Khan Academy. Within the parameters of what you can afford, set her up with the resources she needs. And then I’d have her make a plan for prepping, which should include time spent with the CB explanations of the answers on the test she took, so she can see where her weak spots are. FWIW, my son really liked Khan Academy.
I’m sure she’ll be fine and she’ll have learned a valuable lesson about not making unwarranted assumptions.
Some have mentioned the possibility of a tough scoring curve – isn’t the scoring on the SAT absolute, no curve involved?
I agree to have her try the ACT. S19 missed the cutoff for National Merit consideration on his PSAT but scored 35 and then 34 on his 2 ACT attempts.
@fendrock
There is a curve that is already determined before the test date. It is called normalizing but people still refer to it as “curve.” It does not depend on the test takers of the day of the test. For example in March one mistake in math was 790 but two mistake in math was 770. In December one mistake in writing was -30 point (If perfect reading then that was a 770). When the new SAT started two years ago one or two mistakes would produce very high scores but last June that changed and all administrations from last June to this March had curves that dropped the score quite a lot for only one or two mistakes total. I think in June one mistake in math was 770. It is my understanding that the harsh curves mostly affect the high scores and not so much the scores in the middle and it is an attempt to have less high end scores without making the test harder. A student that knows the material very well and has the capacity to score high needs to be very very careful not to make careless mistakes. Some students would do much better with a harder test as they are used to take challenging tests at school and focus in the difficulty of the problems. The mind set of the SAT is different.
@overandup Please focus not just in the score but in the percentage. There are different variations of the test remember. If she scored a 1370 (“low” for her) but she’s in the 90tj percentile then she’s fine absolutely very well.
@overandup
A similar thing happened to my D too. High PSAT and fantastic SAT subject tests. Then last December she took the SAT and got a very meh score. Little higher than your D’s but nowhere near the other scores. She really had nothing to study for and she 100% knew all the material. It was not a single concept that she needed to refresh. She was confused also because the test felt very easy to her and no questions where challenging. The thing she did not realize was that the mind set taking an easy test is not the same to the mind set of taking challenging tests. You really have to be super accurate and not rush. Take your time and double check answers. Don’t be “lazy.” I know it sounds crazy but it is true. The subject tests she took are such that you can leave 1 or 2 questions blank, make 1 or 2 mistakes and still get a 790/800. The PSAT is shorter so it is easier to keep focus. The SAT is a little different. So long story short she practiced at home with the released tests but differently. Every questions she would double check. Reread the question after you answer. She worked not to learn material but checking herself for not making stupid mistakes. March scores are back and she got her high scores. Since your D did well in PSAT I would say take one more SAT test before moving into ACT.
@overandup
What were your D’s sub scores?
My daughter did not prep for psat or sat and her three scores were extremely consistent from 2017 PSAT, to 2018 PSAT, to March 2019 SAT. (EBRW was 700, 710, 720) so I am not sure I buy that curves changed.
Hey there. My D19 scored a 1450 and was accepted to 14 really good schools including an Ivy. Tell your D to just relax, do the Khan prep tests. If her score doesn’t improve move on to the ACT. My experience in this whole thing is that “test scores”are not the only thing colleges look for. She should really work on her writing. The essays are probably more important than the test scores. My D wrote a really unique essay and I think that pushed her over. Looking at various posts here, some children had a beyond excellent academic resume with phenomenal scores and still were not accepted to their top choice schools…imo
I would look at this as a great opportunity. She learned an important lesson very early, before she gets to college, and that is that preparation is the one thing you have absolute control over. This little setback (and that’s all it is) will show her the importance of not going into the next test blind.
And I recommend taking the SAT again, rather than switching to the ACT. Her PSAT scores show that she can do very well on this format, so she should prep and then take the SAT again.
including an Ivy.<<<<<<<<<
Another of your posts mentioned diversity? "D received Diversity acceptance letter today" because that is relevant.
One thing I did have kids do to prep for SAT was to practice taking the test as in a real test situation - same time in the morning, take the same breaks, and same length of time for each section few weekends before the test. I also had them try few snacks between breaks to see which one they liked better (to boost their energy). I think sometimes students get tired toward the end. They may do well to take one section a day, but when they have to do multiple sections in one sitting they may get tired.
In general, PSAT’s are very good predictors for SAT. So I would assume that your D’s was a glitch, and I agree with others who wrote that she should prepare and redo it. She should also, as other have written, do a couple of ACT practice tests and see how she does in them.
The good thing about this is that, if she improves her score by a lot, it will likely not raise any red flags because of her very good PSAT. A 1520 or a 1550 after a 1370 may raise concerns, but likely not if the person got 1460 on the PSAT.
Thanks again, everyone. Her subscores were 740 Math/630 EBRW. She definitely needs to prep more. She’s started on Khan Academy and practice tests.
@am9799 Yes, very similar to what happened to my D. She walked out of the SAT feeling really confident that she did well. Of course, knowing now that she didn’t prep as much as she should have - her EBRW scores reflect that.
@overandup nothing to worry. Encourage your daughter, not to be demoralized, based on just one test score. Some times lack of sleep, anxiety take its toll on SATs, It is hard to prepare for SAT in Jr Year as they have too many heavy subjects. she still has time. I would advise let her complete her school year and prepare dedicate over summer and take August SAT, she should try June SAT also now that she is freshly prepared and know her shortcomings .
Colleges won’t care how many attempts, she should target to get best composite score. What about her ACT ? I know lot of kids got best schools with not so great SAT but with exceptional ACT. Most importantly it looks like now a days colleges are looking more into a well rounded student than just scores. Hope this helps. Good Luck