<p>@Slackermom-Trinity University in San Antonio offers Biology and Psychology. Their merit scholarships start at minimum of SAT/ACT 1150-1210/25-26 and up and GPA 3.5+/90+. They also offer specialized merit scholarships to students with exceptional talents in art, music, theatre or debate. </p>
<p>@ slackermom, you and your DH are so nice for taking the practice tests with your kiddo 
@ conmama,
For amount of pushing for standardized tests, I do push pretty hard. I can’t help it because I’m Asian. I don’t have enough stamina to push for grades, though, since I am a working mom.
For DS PSATs, I made him take many practice tests (maybe 6-8?), but I didn’t physically time him. I would remind him to go over all of the questions that he missed so that he could learn from them, but he resisted and fought me the whole time and I didn’t have the time to go over the ones that he missed.</p>
<p>For ACT, I hired a tutor. DS took approx. 1 practice test per week and I timed him. Then he would meet with the tutor for 2 hours per week, who would go over all of the problems that DS missed and either taught the material or coached him how to not make that mistake again. Tutor also “graded” his full essay each week and 3 other essay outlines. Tutor also gave geometry HW and went over those items since DS background in geometry is spotty. He probably took about 8 practice ACTs over 2 mos.</p>
<p>For ACT prep, check out this website
<a href=“http://bestactprep.org/free-act-prep/#strategies”>http://bestactprep.org/free-act-prep/#strategies</a>
Click on the 5 different subsections of the ACT prep strategies.</p>
<p>@sunnydayfun, Trinity was once on D’s list. I’ll have to see why it was taken off. I like San Antonio, so taking her to and from college will not be too bad. And better, her current scores qualify for merit scholarships. Thanks!</p>
<p>@YoHoYoHo, one of my friends told me she and her daughter took the tests together, making it into a contest. After D did not improve her score from “self-study”, I decided to try out my friend’s method. It’s actually not bad. I get an idea what the kids experience. We’re both Asian as well (but she was born in China while I’m ABC). I haven’t gone the tutor route - yet.</p>
<p>@SlackerMomMD is your DD taking ACT in April or June again? Mine decided that June was better because of finals, prom and spring sports. She will have 2 weeks to really concentrate with nothing else on her plate.<br>
Also, she will have her common application essay finished before school is out–they do this in English it’s their final for the year…they work on the draft for a couple of weeks then submit. One less nagging to do.
Most of her schools on the list do not require additional essays—yeah</p>
<p>@Hoosier96, definitely June. February and March were crazy busy months so D had no time to study for the ACT.</p>
<p>I like how your school deal with college essays. I wish all high schools did that. I got the workbook BunheadMom suggested for D. D liked the way those exercises were short but mindful.</p>
<p>We just got back from visiting Northern Michigan University and UW-Steven’s Point. </p>
<p>Twin 1 said UWSP is his first choice. It has an ugly campus in an average Wisconsin town, but their College of Natural Resources is the largest in North America and it has a nature preserve bordering its campus. His GPA is quite below the average freshman GPA of 3.4, but his current ACT score is slightly above average and he is retaking it. They said they get about 5,000 applicants each year but only accept about 1,500. That scares me. But we just got great news today that Twin 1 was invited back to a local Youth Police Academy as an alumni leader for this summer! Doesn’t pay, but he will now be busy for the summer and it’s an awesome resume builder for a kid who wants to be a conservation officer. He is excited and so are we!</p>
<p>Twin 2 liked Northern Michigan about as much as Bowling Green State University. NMU’s art and design facilities were impressive and the school was nicer than I expected. Pretty campus in a gorgeous area, surrounded by hills, trees and flanked by Lake Superior. Anybody can get into the school and most get OOS money. It’s a good safety school for us. Need to figure out what Twin 2 is going to do over the summer.</p>
<p>@Yohoyoho…I wish I had done that. DS does have limitations academically, so I thought it would be to his benefit to have a private tutor, as she came highly recommended. His SAT’s weren’t any better than his PSAT’s. Now that it’s over with the tutor, I think she was more suited for average/high intelligent students. I think DS needed another way…and although it’s not too late, as there is the Oct. test…I think he’s a bit burnt out. I’m making him take a math practice test or two every weekend until the May SAT and then do some CR passages. Just not enough time for both in a month. She never made him do a complete SAT…and I never made him do any practice ones the whole time. I figured she knew what she was doing…guess not. I’m curious to see how he will fare on the May SAT, now that I’m making him practice and we are going over the wrong answers. Thanks for letting me know what you did.</p>
<p>I actually did a couple of the critical reading passages…holy cow, i feel sorry for them. Plus, i was just sitting at work doing them and I was getting anxious reading them…untimed. I can’t imagine what the kids feel liked when they are timed and have reading comprehension problems (my son’s big weakness). I was reading tips on taking this and tried it myself and I think they work. I’m going to teach them to him today. For instance on his CR, he only 20 R, 26 W, 1 O…something is off. His tutor told him to spend about 8 minutes reading the passage before answering the questions…OMG…he will forget everything he’s read, and trying to even understand it along the way…let alone get the to questions and try to figure them out. anyway, I told him that is NOT the way for him to do it…I didn’t do it like that and I missed maybe 1 or 2 on each passage section. This test is crazy.</p>
<p>I have another question. DS hasn’t really studied much for the ACT…tutor spent time on the SAT. He is to take th ACT next weekend…but really is unprepared. He has never even taked an entire practice test. Since the May SAT is only a month away, I’m wondering if we should just skip the ACT and spend that time studying for the May SAT. I highly doubt that he would do much better on the ACT…probably similar type score. Just wanted your opinions. He’s almost like a deer in the headlights now, so he’ll listen to any recommendations I have and go along.</p>
<p>I really think he should try the ACT it’s straight forward in questions think content over theory. If you have a red book have him do one section at a time with timing. Then review what he got right and wrong. The ACT does not penalize for wrong answers!<br>
I don’t know what type of schools he is planning to apply to…unless its highly selective most just require his best score…you can select which ACT results to send unlike SAT I believe they send them all this allows for super scoring.
If he can get one full test in this weekend he will know how to pace himself. Timing is the biggest issue with ACT</p>
<p>No experience with SAT, but I know my kids benefitted from all the practice ACT tests. Their scores have either improved each time or stayed the same. But what’s the harm in having him take it?</p>
<p>Hmmm. Well, I guess you never know…he might surprise us all and do better on it than the SAT. The reason I was apprehensive is that we have 4 weekends left for the May SAT. The only “harm” I suppose (in taking the ACT)is that it would eat up study time to prepare for the SAT, of which he has the most experience and study time in…and he needs more. At this crunch time, I’m just trying to weight cost/benefit of what to do. </p>
<p>Also, I’m afraid his GPA and scores are going to be limiting where he goes. With a GPA of 3.1 weighted and less than 1000 SAT…well, there are not alot of options. And I’m sure not spending triple the tuition just so he can go to an OOS big university. At this point, I think Ball State is a reach school…IU and Purdue are pretty much out of the running. I’m not sure about Indiana State. I’ve never been there, but I do know the average GPA is lower than his. I’ve read some students reviews and they don’t seem very positive. We are only willing to shell out $20K total, and it will be paid out of pocket. I remember when I applied to IU. Honestly, I think my SAT was about 1000, too! LOL! However, I was in the top 15% of my class and all you had to have was a 2.0 to get in. The pressure on these kids is ridiculous. It’s terrible that the state schools aren’t getting the funding they need from the state and are having to seek monies from the OOS students to run the uni’s.</p>
<p>@conmama,</p>
<p>Was the SAT <1000 out of 1600 (CR + M) or out of 2400 (CR + M + W)? </p>
<p>This is the way that I would do it.
- Have him take a practice ACT under timed conditions THIS WEEKEND. Here is a practice test for you.
<a href=“http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/Preparing-for-the-ACT.pdf”>http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/Preparing-for-the-ACT.pdf</a> - Score it.
- Then compare his ACT with the SAT score of <1000 using this concordance table. I will attach the concordance tables in a future post, depending on if the <1000 was out of 1600 or out of 2400.</p>
<p>Assuming he does the same or better on the practice ACT this weekend, then this is what I would do:
- Reschedule next week’s ACT for May or June (change fee may be around $23)
- Cancel the May SAT (you may lose your testing fee).
Then he will have 8 to 12 weeks to study for the ACT. I would NOT have him take the ACT in 2 weeks from now without studying for it. </p>
<p>BTW, I feel that the reading comprehension on ACT is easier than the reading comprehension on SAT because on the ACT, you often can look in the passage and find the correct answer.</p>
<p>@conmama,
Usually, the best idea is to take a practice test in SAT and ACT under timed conditions and ONLY STUDY FOR ONE TEST. When he takes the practice ACT this weekend under timed conditions, if he is scoring similar to or higher than the SAT, then you should completely abandon the SAT and ONLY study for the ACT. Another warning sign that maybe he should abandon the SAT is the fact that your son did tutoring and scored the same on the SAT (after tutoring) as the PSAT (before tutoring).</p>
<p>However, if he does worse on his practice ACT than his SATs or if he hates the ACT, then I would cancel ACT and ONLY study for SAT.</p>
<p>And I would NOT have him take the official ACT without prepping. You don’t want poor scores to be recorded if possible. Again, take a practice ACT full length under actual timed conditions and pick one way to go…ACT or SAT this spring. Do not let the fact that he has had tutoring in SAT affect your decision. Base you decisions on the scores that he is receiving on both ACT and SAT.</p>
<p>Just want to say that I completely agree with @ YoHoYoHo 100%.</p>
<p>It was under 1000 based on 1600. You have really given me food for thought. His total score out of 2400 was 1370. 410 CR, 460 Math, 500 Writing. Ok…I will have him take the ACT tomorrow. I will definitely need to copy your test, as we don’t have any book. This is so awful…I can’t believe I just let him lose with this tutor without checking up more on his progress. Thank you so much for this help. </p>
<p>Yoho…just finished printing it out. I don’t think I’ll have him do the writing, though since that can’t be graded. He said he actually wants to give it a try tomorrow…so that is a great thing. What is a concordance table?</p>
<p>@conmama
<a href=“http://www.act.org/solutions/college-career-readiness/compare-act-sat/”>http://www.act.org/solutions/college-career-readiness/compare-act-sat/</a></p>
<p>@conmama,
That’s correct. Do not have him take the writing for right now because it is a practice test.
Here is one concordance table that I like to use:</p>
<p>ACT SAT
36 2390
35 2330
34 2250
33 2180
32 2120
31 2060
30 2000
29 1940
28 1880
27 1820
26 1770
25 1710
24 1650
23 1590
22 1530
21 1470
20 1410
19 1350
18 1290
17 1230
16 1170
15 1100
14 1020
13 950
12 870
11 780</p>
<p>So a 1370 on SAT would equate to approx. 19 (out of 36) on ACT. On his practice ACT tomorrow, if he scores 19 of higher, then he should change to ACT and dump the SAT. Or even if he scores close to 19, say 18 or 17, and he likes the feel of the ACT, then again, dump the SAT…meaning cancel his May SAT test and have him prep for ACT only.</p>
<p>To get his composite ACT score, take the average of the 4 scores: Eng, Math, Read, Sci and then round up or down. </p>
<p>For the practice ACT tomorrow, before he takes his first test, tell him that the Sci is easier if he goes to the questions first and then looks through the passage for the answers because the passages can get confusing if he reads them first.</p>
<p>It’s great that he is kind of excited about taking the practice ACT :)</p>
<p>Edited to add: Also, I looked at the concordance table that CT1417 posted which says that based on your kid’s CR+M of 870, that is equivalent to ACT of 18.</p>
<p>As for tutors, I find that my DS does better with male teachers/tutors in general. So if you need a tutor for your kid for the June ACT, consider a male tutor.</p>
<p>@conmama – we were advised that the ACT and the SAT are very different and prepping for both at the same time is not helpful. I think trying a practice ACT and then choosing one test to work on will yield better results. I know some kids can switch back and forth but for many it just complicates things and makes it harder for them. </p>
<p>@Conmama, and anyone else with students working on increasing test scores, here is a portion of a post I made earlier, please do not discount the information, or become overwhelmed by the details, as the process does work.</p>
<p>A good book for your son to read is, ACT for Bad Test Takers. I help inner city kids prepare for college entrance exams through a free program offered through my sorority and brother fraternity.</p>
<p>Try to do the following if possible–yes, it is a lot of work for your child, but you will see increased scores:</p>
<p>Ditch the SAT and work on the ACT, as it is easier to gain points in a short period of time than the SAT</p>
<p>use the Xiggi method of testing–practice test after practice test after practice test. Here is the Xiggi thread: <a href=“Xiggi's SAT prep advice - SAT Preparation - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggis-sat-prep-advice.html</a></p>
<p>Here is an outline of the Xiggi Method: <a href=“http://www.scribd.com/doc/48711714/Xiggi-Advice-CollegeConfidential-s-famous-advice-guy-s-tips”>http://www.scribd.com/doc/48711714/Xiggi-Advice-CollegeConfidential-s-famous-advice-guy-s-tips</a></p>
<p>Study the question types missed and figure out and understand why the test makers came up with said answer.</p>
<p>Please go to the following link to find FOUR free official ACT tests–these are the tests released annually in the fall to students:</p>
<p>There are about 4 real ACTs with answers (not counting duplicate tests with different issue years listed) <a href=“http://www.actquantum.com/releasedacttests/”>http://www.actquantum.com/releasedacttests/</a> This site provides a link to the test PDF and also provides video answers to the math questions</p>
<p>There are 3 ACT prep books out there as well for an additional 9 tests–one current with 5 real ACT tests, and 2 out of print. Do NOT purchase the 2nd edition, as it contains only 3 tests which are identical to the current 3rd edition. Only purchase the following:</p>
<p>Official Guide to the ACT Assessment: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/dp/0156009951?tag=a00b9-20&camp=213761&creative=393545&linkCode=bpl&creativeASIN=0156009951&adid=0AMXS4GM4Y6CPPTVKN7B&&ref-refURL=http://freeacttest.blogspot.com/”>http://www.amazon.com/dp/0156009951?tag=a00b9-20&camp=213761&creative=393545&linkCode=bpl&creativeASIN=0156009951&adid=0AMXS4GM4Y6CPPTVKN7B&&ref-refURL=http://freeacttest.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>Getting into the ACT: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/dp/0156005352?tag=a00b9-20&camp=213761&creative=393545&linkCode=bpl&creativeASIN=0156005352&adid=0M960PMABBJF5B6NZYPW&&ref-refURL=http://freeacttest.blogspot.com/”>http://www.amazon.com/dp/0156005352?tag=a00b9-20&camp=213761&creative=393545&linkCode=bpl&creativeASIN=0156005352&adid=0M960PMABBJF5B6NZYPW&&ref-refURL=http://freeacttest.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>The Real ACT Prep Guide, 3rd edition (current w/5 tests) <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Real-ACT-3rd-Prep-Guide/dp/0768934400/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396094535&sr=1-1&keywords=act”>http://www.amazon.com/Real-ACT-3rd-Prep-Guide/dp/0768934400/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396094535&sr=1-1&keywords=act</a></p>
<p>Actquantum provides the answers to most or all of the math questions in the 3rd edition <a href=“http://www.actquantum.com/realactguide/”>http://www.actquantum.com/realactguide/</a></p>
<p>Princeton Review products are as close to the ACT than the majority of test prep companies. Use the tricks and information within the current Princeton Review prep book along with The ACT for Bad Test Takers.</p>
<p>Work with your son by creating real test taking conditions and having him work on a specific section of the ACT each week. Once he has a satisfactory practice score, more on to the next section. Once each section is reviewed and understood with a minimum satisfactory score, then begin with the Xiggi method. You can search the boards for the method as it is quite popular for those studying the SAT; however, the same methods can be used with an ACT study plan.</p>
<p>The next ACT test months are:</p>
<p>April 2014 with late fee, May 2014, June 2014, September 2014 for most states, and October 2014. You also can sign him up for the December 2014 sitting if he plans to apply RD to any schools with 2/1/15 or later deadlines.</p>
<p>Depending on his test scores, private schools may give enough merit aid to bring the costs down to OOS public tuition for sure. Unless your state participates in a tuition exchange program, a private with merit may cost less than an OOS public school with no merit aid.</p>
<p>I will drum up free online courses or programs like Number2.com <a href=“https://www.number2.com/”>https://www.number2.com/</a> .</p>
<p>An expensive ACT/SAT Math Prep program that works is produced by Chalk Dust Math: <a href=“http://www.chalkdust.com/satrev.html”>http://www.chalkdust.com/satrev.html</a></p>
<p>@conmama, give what I have written a try beginning now and through the summer, and have your son test early fall. Also, I just thought about this, does your son know the differences between the ACT & SAT? This will affect his ACT score if he approaches that test as if he is taking the SAT, especially regarding answering all questions on the ACT & not skipping any question vs. skipping questions on the SAT with partial point penalty of .25 per raw score answer. </p>