I’d like to know people’s thoughts about the new SAT format. My opinion is that I don’t have one yet, so I’m eager to learn what other folks are thinking.
http://www.businessinsider.com/sat-tutor-says-dont-take-the-new-sat-2015-3
College board has been losing their market share to ACT but their response to it is going to backfire at least for short term.
The students will flock to ACT with writing as there exist more ACT prep materials and colleges themselves can compare this year’s ACT scores to previous year’s ACT scores, etc. New SAT has no track record.
Getting high scores in ACT is easier than in SAT (for many but not all.) Several states require all juniors to take ACT for graduation requirements (for statewide assessments) even ones who are NOT going to colleges. Thus the percentile outcomes are much better for college bound kids.
We have been advised to focus on ACT for our Class of 2018 kid, for the reasons outlined in the article and by payn4ward.
Old SAT was more of IQ tests, highly prep-able by learning test tricks and practicing illegally released past exams but not so study-able by simple hardworking. Both ACT and new SAT will reward more for hardworking students. That said, ACT would be more beneficial than new SAT to hardworking students who will take advantage of existing prep materials as there aren’t much for the new SAT.
Specifically, the old SAT was heavy on “random logical reason tricks and esoteric vocabulary” that favor high IQ students over high GPA students.
I wonder what the fallout will be for those students who were likely to have done extremely well on the old SAT.
@twinsmama, my guess is that it won’t matter much for high-iq & high-achieving kids, but will matter a lot for high-iq but low achieving (low gpa) kids. It can hurts student who could get much higher score on old SAT than on ACT.
The handful of students who qualify for NMSF programs by PSAT will have to take the New SAT though.
I’m still considering whether to have my kid take new SAT after having done well on the ACT. Thinking ‘no’ even more now. That would be a big relief not having to prep. Had not thought of the angle @Payin4ward brought up about lack of a track record of the new SAT.
DS (2017) has focused his preparation on and taken the current (old) SAT. He is one of a few juniors at his BS that has employed this strategy. Part of his motivation was that some of the schools (service academies) he will apply to prefer/encourage applicants to take these tests in their junior year. He didn’t want to take the new SAT (for reasons indicated) in the spring of 2016. He concluded that since there were many more practice tests (Blue Book) available for the old SAT, he could better prepare. He has one more crack at the old SAT (January 2016) and then will take the ACT in the spring (if needed). The goal is to be done with these exams by the end of his junior year.
His school did not encourage juniors to sit for the old SAT, but rather counseled them to take the new SAT and ACT in spring 2016.
That’s a good strategy. If a junior (2017) has started studying SAT and expects a decent score, I would highly encourage taking the old SAT. There is one more, final chance on January 23.
If a junior hasn’t looked at the SAT yet or is getting not so good score now, I would say go for the ACT.
The March new SAT scores won’t be released until June (unlike old SAT getting scores back sooner.) No feedback till next two SATs are over. Then the next test is in October which might be the last possible test for some.
Thanks everyone for sharing… (((((deer in headlights look))))
@payn4ward Thanks for that info regarding the new SAT. I did not realize the new SAT score release would take that long. I’ll share this info with DS as it will confirm his strategy was even more cogent.
At the end SAT scores will be normed against brave and confident students who believe that the new SAT will work on their advantage, potentially creating a self-selected group and lowering everybody’s score.
My dd is class of 2017 at our lps on the east coast. The guidance counselors are heavily encouraging the kids to take the new SATs, particularly if they did not start studying for the old one over the summer. So, rather than “brave and confident students” self-selecting, it will be procrastinating or unsure students self-selecting. Additionally, kids that are not on an advanced track for math are encouraged to wait until the end of Junior year to test so that they will have completed Alg 2. These kids will be included in norming the test.
AND, our lps was selected as a field test school. So, Juniors that took the “old” SAT in Oct, Nov or Dec could take the “new” SAT in school on a specific date in Dec. They took the test for free, will receive a $50 gift card, and will receive reportable scores once it is normed. Many kids took advantage of this and went in cold motivated by the sneak peak, “free” money, excused absence from class, no-cost test so money could be reallocated to application fees…
At least in our lps, I think it is a true mix of kids taking the new SAT.
be careful with guidance at lps encouraging the new SAT as the college board is out trying like mad to cut state deals to be official testing mechanism. This recently happened in my New England state as it was abruptly announced that my 8th grader was taking the PSAT 8/9 on top of other state testing—just ridiculous. She had just taken the SSAT the saturday prior and then had to take the PSAT 4 days later! Not saying that’s what’s happened at your lps carpool, just noting to be aware as the college board is doing everything it can to stay relevant financially and otherwise.
@i70sband If DS hasn’t done it yet, go buy Erica Meltzer’s books for Reading and Writing sections. Her books are worth its weight in gold (or antimatter which is more expensive.)
@payn4ward Ha ha. He used them, especially reading. Agree they are the best study guides you can purchase for these sections. Also systematically plowing through the Blue Book tests was essential.
@croissantmiser, I could see that happening. 10th graders at the lps took the PSAT10 in school this year.
My point was really a counter to @jwalche If the schools and guidance counselors are pushing hard for the new SAT, many kids from all academic levels and backgrounds will end up taking it and it will end up normed against a wide range of abilities, not just against a self-selecting group of “brave and confident” students.
DD (11th grade) will most likely stick with her ACT score from fall of this year though.
It looks like some schools will be able to offer an in-school free SAT to all Juniors this spring.
I am curious how this will affect the norming of the test as well. My child is not in the above district, nor has our district made any announcements at all about the new SAT, but I just received an email from the College Board that my 11th grader is registered for an in-school free SAT in March. It is all very interesting…
My son is 2017 and is eagerly awaiting his PSAT score, which I believe will be released on Jan 7. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out as kids evaluate their success on the new PSAT and whether that compels them to try the old SAT.
He took the SAT in November and was pleased with his scores except for the essay. We were also told to take the old SAT because according to several counselors, it will take 8-10 administrations of the new SAT for colleges to really understand the scores. Don’t know if that’s really true but we fell for it!