We don’t take the SAT either. Only ones here who do it’s because of NMSF.
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They could consider prepping through Schoolhouse, which is free and classes are small.
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S25 is going to work with a tutoring company to prepare for PSAT and then take the diagnostic to decide on ACT or SAT. I’m thinking he will test in December, and we will probably stick with that score. He’s a good standardized test taker, so I’m hoping a strong score can offset any deficits in his grades. I think he needs some support and accountability to prepare, so hopefully it will be a good financial investment to work with the prep company.
He should prep for the SAT, not the PSAT. The first will take care of the latter but not necessarily the other way around.
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Your daughter could prep for 1k hours and still be going in cold…unless she’s going to take the test a couple thousand miles south from where she lives!
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Lots of examples of kids for whom (a) it turned out fine with a high score; or (b) it turned out fine with test optional.
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He took the in-school SAT last spring and got a 1300. Not sure how much to expect it to improve as a junior. Especially if he doesn’t prep. 
Maybe this will help you relax 
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To Submit or Not to Submit test scores - lessons for class of '24 - Applying to College - College Confidential Forums
Touché, although November in California doesn’t fit the definition of cold (except to native Californians. I am one, so i feel free to call this out. I did not own a down coat until I was in my twenties—living on the East coast.)
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->->insert rimshot here<-<-
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It seems that at least on the west coast (where we live) most kids are just not submitting scores unless they’re really really high. The “average” goes up every year but if you look at the common data sets, the test submission rates are going down every year for most schools.
S25 is a pretty good test taker, but we’re not planning on submitting his scores unless they’re really strong. D23 was completely test optional and was accepted to great schools (everywhere she applied), her friends were mostly the same.
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S19 has LD, I think he got maybe a 17 on his ACT. Cant remember. 4 yr college was not a true option. He is now living 3 hrs from home while working and paying his bills taking his time to figure out the next steps.
S23 scored a 35 (36 in science) with zero prep. He is headed to Syra cuse in the fall as a music major. I couldnt get him interested in applying for science related careers. He has to find his own path so he chose a school that will give him many options.
D25 will be lucky if she scores a 20 on her ACT. She is our totally average B student who tests poorly. There is no competition or comparisons at all with her siblings. Just not anything that has ever been an issue at our house. All 3 kids are very different.
I understand worrying about money. But my kids never were chasing top schools either.
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After a rough flight experience which involved sleeping in baggage claim in LaGuardia, we are home! Just updating about the Fordham and Barnard tours:
Fordham–we only toured the Lincoln Center campus, because it houses the BFA in dance. (She would likely double major, but would be housed at LC). I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around smaller schools, having gone to a big state school. But it seemed really small to me, and D25 commented on the fact that “there are only four buildings”. We saw an apartment and I got my first taste of “wow, things have improved since I went to school!”. Super nice. It sounds like they’ve recently re-done some of the classrooms, which looked beautiful and updated; classes are clearly small. People from admissions and the tour guide and another student we spoke with were friendly and kind. The campus itself was pretty deserted, which we expected during the summer. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of character to the campus, but it looks modern and really does bleed into the heart of the city–you are next door to everything. I started asking D25 what she liked/didn’t like:
Like: small classes, the fact that the library got quieter as you went up the floors (to her, this meant that people took their studies seriously)
Disliked: “Mom, I don’t want to live in the city.” Ok, then. Unless Alvin Ailey (the dance group) wins her heart in the next year, I can safely say that this is off the list. I suspect she would have liked the Rose Hill campus more, but not enough to make this be a viable option.
Barnard: Just like I’d heard, Barnard has a much more defined campus than other NYC campuses. It’s beautiful–brick, and green, and new buildings that still fit the aesthetic. I can totally see the appeal–the benefits of an LAC coupled with the resources of a big research university. Our tour guide was well-spoken, loved Barnard, and was able to wax poetic on everything from the Maker’s Space to small classes taught by the professor to traditions to clubs with Columbia. D25 Likes: small classes (sense a theme?), classes sounded interesting (tour guide had talked about all sorts of different topics). Dislikes: “Mom, it was fine [and better than Fordham]. I just think that as I get to see other colleges, this one won’t stay on the list.” My take home message is that any school that stresses “the city is our campus” is not for her. I do think NYC’s size is a big component of this; a smaller city might be fine. But it did feel distinctly more removed from the more touristy part of NYC.
Thanks for the help with subways, etc, etc. My favorite part of NYC: sitting at Hudson River Park. I spent hours walking up/down and sitting with coffee on a bench or at a table.
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Thanks for sharing your feedback on the visits. Definitely sounds like she doesn’t want a big city experience!
It would be great if you wanted to share your experiences on this thread, too: Colleges your child crossed off the list after visiting, schools that moved up on the list. Why?
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Thanks for the update. Sorry for having to spend the night at the airport. Great that she was able to see the campuses. Sounds like it’s helping her decide what she’s looking for.
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Will do. I feel like both of these schools get a lot of press here, so wasn’t sure I was giving any new info, but am happy to do so.
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I understand, but different impressions are always helpful, particularly when others can’t visit and are trying to narrow their lists down.
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Is anyone else’s kiddo doing the test digital PSAT through college board and Bluebook on Aug. 12?
D25 is taking the digital PSAT. I thought she said 8/11 but I could be wrong.
I thought everyone had to take the PSAT in October?