<p>Akmom, sorry to hear about S11. I hope he’s turned the corner and there is good news ahead.</p>
<p>Just checked S14’s scores. He’s not going to be happy. Needs a retake. It is better than the psat but not as good as his later practice scores. :(</p>
<p>He so wanted to be done. </p>
<p>sent from my smartphone with my fat fingers</p>
<p>I’m hoping your DS11 is better soon.</p>
<p>We started trying at 6am, but got the error message until 9am. I texted S '14, but now he’s asleep -</p>
<p>SAT scores 730R/740M/750W The writing is a huge win - up 120 points! the Reading is an impressive gain, 50 points in 2 months -I think that the tutoring helped, but still not what I think he’s capable of. With superscoring the temptation is to have him take it again in June and study vocabulary while he waits. BUT</p>
<p>he has APs in May and will need to take SAT 2 subject tests in May or June.
Or wait until October 5 for the SAT 1 again (why no SAT in the summer or September?) here’s the link for next years dates
<a href=“The SAT – SAT Suite | College Board”>The SAT – SAT Suite | College Board;
I’m guessing October 5 scores will be back by the end of October, in time for ED, but that seems like such a long time to wait. S and I were joking about my time table for his college apps:
Aug 1 - Common Apps open
Aug 2 - Hit ‘send’</p>
<p>LOL - I was planning to give him until at least Aug 10! I mean, if the college list is completed, and the essay prompts are out now, and the recommendations are asked for now, that just leaves the individualized questions for the various schools - and does anyone really want to spend more than 10 days on that? I am perhaps being unreasonable?</p>
<p>Good scores, but I was really hoping for 750 across the board and for him to be done with it. I feel like a ‘bad mom’ for being unsatisfied, but his practice tests were coming out higher - at leasts the ones he told me about. I actually am hoping to be cheered up, so anyone who wants to send hugs it will be appreciated.</p>
<p>((the lip))
PS</p>
<p>Update: S '14 is so pleased with his progress, he’s awake and enjoying a celebration breakfast!!! I’m cheerful now. Smiles, PS</p>
<p>PS - Those are great scores! 
S3 is actually doing SAT2’s in May and another SAT in June (hopefully the last). He raised, and exceeded/met goals in CR & M but must have been asleep during the W portion, lol! No worries. For the June test he can do light review for CR, touch on the things he missed for M, and really focus on W. No SAT in September is a pet peeve of mine as well!</p>
<p>The October SAT has to be designated to be sent to the schools before the test is taken for it to get there in time (i.e., blindly and I believe this negates score choice, someone else may know). You can not wait to see the scores 20 days later determine best combination via score choice, and get them there on time even if done the same day or rush. This has to do with the way the schools receive scores, not college board. For a better explanation, here’s a link to a blog from a college admin, Dean J @ UVa :</p>
<p>[Notes</a> from Peabody: The UVA Application Process: The Timing of SAT Score Reports](<a href=“http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-timing-of-sat-score-reports.html]Notes”>Notes from Peabody: The UVA Application Process: The Timing of SAT Score Reports)</p>
<p>She notes that the October test dates only get there in time if the school is designated prior to the test.</p>
<p>Just curious to hear what everyone thinks :)</p>
<p>That’s gonna depend on the kid. both of my DS’s were stronger on the ACT than the SAT. For them they just needed a SAT that would be “good enough” for NMF if they made NMSF. For DS2 I told him he should retake the ACT if he didn’t get at least a 34 (corresponds approximately to 1490–1530 SAT M+CR) and he pulled a 35 so he’s done. We really thought he’d be in the 33-34 range so the 35 was a nice surprise! (While strongest in Math IRL, he “only” got 34 on the ACT math section – DS1 did the same oddly enough.) His SAT is 2160 total (1440 M+CR I think) but he will just use the ACT. Current “dilemma” is whether to make him study for and take a SAT II science the spring, or to just drop the schools that require it. He really “should” do it to keep his options open, but he isn’t taking a science class that makes it easy, so he’s been dragging his feet.</p>
<p>Parent of 2 older kids here. From our experience, with our DCs and their friends, almost everyone is doing better on practice testing than the actuals! The real test has added stress, it’s long, etc. Secondly, almost everyone goes up at least a little from jr. spring to sr. fall because they are older/have more schooling/more standardized test under their belt. ParentSparkle, I understand the drive, but there will not be much difference for college apps bet. a 730 and 750–there’s too many other factors at play. Enjoy your kid’s achievement.</p>
<p>Way to go, ParentSparkle! I bet the whole Sparkle family is happy (and relieved!)</p>
<p>I finally got in and got S’s scores. He won’t be taking it again (scores didn’t improve much from the Jan test). He’ll focus on ACT in April then probably again in June.</p>
<p>mathmomvt, I can’t think of any situation where kids needed SATIIs WITH ACTs. Its usually SAT + SATIIs or ACT. Check around because it might help solve the dilemna.</p>
<p>Unfortunately a few schools on his radar really do require SAT IIs even with the ACT. 1 math (which he has) and 1 science for engineering. But I think mostly reaches at this point, and maybe reaches he’s willing to let go of.</p>
<p>Thanks math mom! Trying to decide whether to move on with life after getting 1st sitting scores today or if a re-take is necessary. I think they are really good but after reading so much CC it seems anything less than 2400 is taking a risk. 
The question is whether it is worth the stress and time spent on this one test, time that could go to so many other things (i.e. APs and SAT II-ha!) I think DS will concentrate on the ACT next(and 4AP tests and 3 SATIIs) and decide on whether to retake SAT I in fall? Does that sound reasonable? WHen is the latest that you can take SATII and I for apps?</p>
<p>I understand the “anything less than 2400 is a risk” mindset. With DS1 we agonized over whether he should retake a 35 ACT because he “only” got 34 on math and was applying for engineering. But I think for the same schools that you might want to present perfect scores, they will also “discount” your scores if it took several tries to get them. Once you get to a certain point, I would say that obsessing over the extra few points is not worth it compared with everything else you could be concentrating on. </p>
<p>Generally only the first SAT date senior is early enough (especially if you have any early apps), so you couldn’t retake both SATI and SAT II senior year. And as Blue stated, you have to send the scores “blind” if taken senior year. (For non-early apps, you may be able to do the 2nd SAT test date too for some schools, again if sent blind.) It’s great if you can be “done” by the end of Junior year as senior year there are enough other stressors.</p>
<p>erlanger - any chance you are in Chattanooga TN? I was just there at erlanger hospital.</p>
<p>D completely shocked us - miss latin, critical reading, math struggling her entire life - scored 100 points higher on her math. </p>
<p>She’s got some major test anxiety, and standardized tests are not her thing. She’s been getting tutored and I’m starting to see real improvement. However, it seems something goes up, the other goes down.</p>
<p>I think we’re going to continue alternating act/sat for the rest of the year and if/when he hits the threshold on either, she can be done.</p>
<p>Sparkle–Our GC LORs would not be available during the summer. The GCs work on the letters during the summer, but I think they touch base with the students after the start of Sr year to see if there is any new info to include. But, I would guess there is nothing to keep you from submitting the app w/o the GC’s LOR. I haven’t gotten that far in the process yet!</p>
<p>Congrats sparkle!!</p>
<p>We did the Williams tour today. Absolutely beautiful location … but not the school for my DD. Too small and like she jokingly said when we got in the car “Sorry Williams, you lost me at the PE requirement.” </p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>This trip has been pretty successful from the point of view that she really has a grip (as do I) on what she wants in a school. </p>
<p>We’re headed to Cornell tomorrow.</p>
<p>And we’ve heard some good news and not so good news from Ivy Day … one friend got into both Dartmouth & Penn (as well as Duke & Northwestern) and one got painful no’s from several. Tough day that I will NOT be looking forward to next year.</p>
<p>Sorry to tell her, Cornell has a PE requirement as well. (Not to mention the implied PE requirement of getting around a huge hilly campus.) Definitely not too small though :)</p>
<p>As heard from the adjoining hotel room “Nooooooooooooo!”</p>
<p>Can you tell she’s not a recruited athlete? Lol!</p>
<p>They do have lots of fun PE classes at Cornell (and some that don’t actually require any physical activity – more like health classes). My DS took classical fencing (which he didn’t love) and juggling (which he did).</p>
<p>PS - congrats on the scores. DD’s were OK for a base as this was her first testing and she basically had no prep time. She needs to gain 250 to 350 points. Shockingly, the writing was her high score. She is taking two subject tests in May and the SAT again in June. The ACT is scheduled for April. After we have the ACT back we can then focus on which test she will spend the majority of her time on this summer. DS-11 focused on the ACT and was able to raise his score from a 29 to a 34 with ten weeks of prep work with a weekly tutor. We hope that DD can have a similar increase in scores. If the scores do not improve we will be modifying her college list with more of the slightly less selective schools.</p>
<p>Heading offline on spring break vacation tomorrow. Be back online in a week or so. Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates.</p>
<p>We’re at a dilemma about whether or not to retake the SAT. Youngest definitely doesn’t want to. He ended up with an 1870 (1270 M/CR) which is enough to get into the schools he wants to attend with some merit aid, but when I plug numbers in, a couple of schools will up the merit aid for just 70 points more. I say it’s worth trying as he is capable - esp if he were to prep. He rolls his eyes and feels it’s useless to do so. I’m thinking of aiming him toward June anyway - when many of his peers will be taking it for the first time. There’s no guarantee we’re going to be able to afford his top two choices and a better score could help him elsewhere.</p>
<p>At his high school, 1870 will be among the top scores so the peer pressure from there wondering why he’d retake certainly isn’t helpful.</p>
<p>My middle son was one of those chasing for perfection (on the ACT). He made it with portions, but not the whole thing (so close…). Hopefully the sting of not making it has worn off and I won’t need to pay for therapy later. </p>
<p>If only I could combine the motivation/attitudes of the two. </p>
<p>We’ve never needed SAT II tests. Even my top stat guy had no interest in any Ivies and wasn’t headed toward majors that required them at other schools. The one school that wanted them that he could have interest in (Emory) he opted to drop instead and didn’t even want to tour when we were in Atlanta. He had a couple AP and DE grades which sufficed at other schools.</p>
<p>I have no feelings of “missing out” on either SAT II or Ivy waiting experiences, but good luck to those of you who are going to be in those races.</p>
<p>Now I’m back to pondering our own dilemma…</p>