<p>There is another danger to rely on a late score for school application. There several are cases of test scores got cancelled due to irregularities at test center. Also, scores got withhold and pending verification due to sudden improvement. You don’t want to be trapped in those situation when the final test score is critical for your application near the deadline.</p>
<p>OP is the parent of a junior, so this comment doesn’t apply to her daughter. But, if any sophomore parents are following, March 2016 (spring of junior year) is the first date for the revised SAT. Several sophomore parents here are looking to have our kids take the old SAT before that, even spring of sophomore year if they have completed the relevant math. The 2015 PSAT will be “new”, so taking the old SAT and the new PSAT in the fall of junior year might be difficult to prep for, since no one really knows what will be on the new PSAT/SAT.</p>
<p>Some people have mentioned that it may be easier to prep for the new PSAT and the ACT at the same time, since those might be more similar than the new PSAT and old SAT. (Though, if a kid were to score within range of NMSF on the new PSAT, they would need a confirming old or new SAT score, not an ACT score.)</p>
<p>Being done by junior year is great. But most kids don’t accomplish that.</p>
<p>College board says the majority of kids take the test twice. Also say most kids do better on the second try.</p>
<p>Which means most kids take the tests (as I recommend) junior spring AND senior fall. Fit in the prep time when you can. You have a real test score by junior spring. So you know whether you are Harvard or ag school material.</p>
<p>Harvard ED wants your scores by the end of November. The October SAT scores are available end of October. No time problem either for the September ACT.</p>
<p>But if there’s an earthquake or nuclear bomb exchange, you’ll have issues. Life is risky.</p>
<p>chiming in with yet another experience-- you judge if it’s applicable to your daughter… I believe applications, SAT, ACT…all cost more than they “should” but a few extra tests and a few extra colleges can make a huge difference. For our applicant, and ACT and an SAT junior year, followed by ACT study over the summer, followed by senior Sept ACT and a senior October SAT yielded an additional 7K per year at the college that was the final choice. Our student just grew up at that time. I do believe that two ACTs taken before the end of junior year would not have shown the same point leap (8 point leap in science, 3 point leap in composite ACT score). Studying for the ACT also had a side effect on the second SAT – the two section score jumped from a 1320 to a 1440…which mattered. For us (YMMV) the extra 100$ of testing was well worth it.</p>
<p>I think kids should take an ACT and/or SAT at the beginning of junior year so that they and their parents will have a rough idea of what their situation is (admissions-wise, merit-wise, etc). </p>
<p>At that point, the thinking can be, with more study the scores can bump a bit, but realistically, few kids will go from - say - an ACT 22 to 28+.</p>
<p>My personal opinion is that it is “easier” for an ACT 28 kid to bump to a 31+, then for an ACT 21 kid to bump to a 25…simply because in the latter example the student is often missing some basic foundation.</p>
<p>I don’t like the idea of kids testing “cold”. It’s a waste of a real test.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that the students need to spend HOURS and HOURS practicing before the first test, but from my own experience with many kids, even just taking one practice test and seeing the results from that ONE practice can give kids a “heads up” to avoid “dumb mistakes” or pacing issues.</p>
<p>So, simply having kids take ONE practice test and seeing the results can make a difference with that first test.</p>
<p>For the improvement mentioned above, one may also achieve that if the preparation is started right after sophomore year. The key is to have the test thoroughly prepared. Of course it is nice to have a last minute improved score, but it would be better if that is achieved months earlier as that may change the whole EA/ED plan.</p>
<p>Step 1. Figure out the test that suits you. </p>
<p>For my kids, it was easiest to take two real tests basically cold. It is a waste to prep for that other test you won’t wind up using. We got the ACT for free at school, so the cold SAT cost $49 bucks and a Saturday morning. There are other ways to do this – practice tests, PSAT, PACT, whatev.</p>
<p>Step 2. Prep for the test you like. </p>
<p>Seems to me like this is obviously easier to do in the summer than during the school year. SR/JR summer works just fine. JR/SO works too I guess. Prepping during the summer and school year – even better. Prepping every school year and every summer beginning in kindergarten – the best!! </p>
<p>Step 3. Then take the test for money.</p>
<p>Fall senior year was BANK for my kids. And Thingamajigs kids too. Test scores do improve with age. Test scores do improve with multiple takings. Seems like the reason to do the money test in junior spring is so you can take it for money again in the fall if you blow it, with the opportunity for more prep over the JR/SR summer. In which case the junior spring test becomes a practice test, followed by prep. Which is exactly what I did.</p>
<p>ymmv </p>
<p>I agree that the ideal scenario is getting out of Junior year with test scores you’re happy with. Frees up senior year for applications, visits, etc. My kids took SAT for the first time in Dec. and Jan. respectively (junior year) - they did some prep in advance - For the January test, you can get the actual test back and see the questions you got wrong. My son planned to take SAT again in March - but then got sick and skipped the test. He would not have done well and no one would have appreciated his constant hacking and sneezing. He did ACT in April and June and was very happy with the final score (33). Daughter took SAT twice more, going up each time - the last time substantially (200 pts). I think both benefited from that long “runway” starting w/ a complete practice test in “test-like situation” the summer after sophomore year. If your child is in “accelerated” math, much of the math on the test will also be ‘fresher’ during junior year. By doing SAT in the Dec / Jan / March time frame of junior year you’re also not competing with AP exams in May when it comes to study time. Subject tests can be taken then - and will often dovetail with AP subjects. My two cents.</p>