Please explain the early stages of SAT and notifications

Parents Forum
1

<p>DD is a junior and announced a month or so ago that she wanted to change majors which affected her choice of schools. She'll now needs to go outside the state and found about 8 schools she would love to attend, most of them in Florida.</p>

<p>She took her first SAT on Saturday and when I logged in to check to make sure everything was in order, I noticed it said we had 8 days to update the notifications. If we do not update the nofications do we lose the 4 free notification options?</p>

<p>Also, since this was D's first SAT she wasn't confident in her answers, so we are planning to take the test again in June, along with the ACT. When we get the new scores in June, do I resubmit them to the 4 schools or maybe go with 4 other schools on her list? </p>

<p>We want to get the SATs and ACT scores completed before the first wave of applications in the Fall, for scholariship purposes, etc.</p>

2

<p>If she doesn't think she did well, I would not send the tests to colleges, even if its free. You will lose the four free notifications, though.</p>

3

<p>and can they be sent even though we haven't applied yet?</p>

4

<p>yes they can! Many kids start taking the SAT months before they can apply to college. The schools are set up to handle this. We did not send the first scores but will send the second set to four schools that their first set were in range for. I am grateful to the CC community for advising me not to send those scores as the math one was pretty looooowwww</p>

5

<p>Thanks, I'm going to hold back on sending these scores and just send the 2nd scores. We want to compare these first SAT score to her PSAT score to give us an idea how well (hopefully) she did.</p>

6

<p>Another question. When we sign up for the ACT should be include the writing?</p>

7

<p>When you send SAT scores, all prior scores are sent, but they are not updated. Future scores will have to be sent again. </p>

<p>My d only sent her scores once - when she was completely done with testing. She lost a couple of free score reports, but she would have had to send the updated ones anyway.</p>

8

<p>Yes, include the writing. Many schools won't accept the ACT in lieu of SATs if it doesn't include writing.</p>

9

<p>How much do they charge for one score report?</p>

10

<p>I believe it's $9.50 for each report.</p>

11

<p>However, if you have the score report (either SAT or ACT) you select sent to your high school, they will put it on your transcript and you won't have to send it more than once--thus only paying the fee one time. At least that's what we did!</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
However, if you have the score report (either SAT or ACT) you select sent to your high school, they will put it on your transcript and you won't have to send it more than once--thus only paying the fee one time. At least that's what we did!

[/quote]

Not necessarily. Many high schools don't put the scores on your transcript; too much clerical work to do so. Additionally, many colleges (all the ones my d applied to, for example) required the official score reports. Check with your colleges to be sure.</p>

13

<p>My score report strategy was to send the four free reports to the safety schools. If the score gods were benevolent, then we sent reports to the match and reach schools.</p>

14

<p>that's what we are doing too but on the second go around not the first.</p>

15

<p>Even if she's not totally sure of the first test, you could send the freebies to true safeties that don't require SAT subject tests. Every time you take the test, you get more freebies, but the initial recipients won't get updates unless you list them as your selections.</p>

16

<p>
[quote]
However, if you have the score report (either SAT or ACT) you select sent to your high school, they will put it on your transcript and you won't have to send it more than once--thus only paying the fee one time. At least that's what we did!

[/quote]

Every single college my kids ever considered required the scores to be sent directly from the College Board - putting them on the HS transfer would not have helped.</p>

17

<p>Agree with Chevda & nngmm. Just attended a College Admissions Panel at S's school last week -- admissions people from 4 schools and all said they only accept scores sent directly from College Board or ACT.</p>

18

<p>Ok, so if we send the first round of SAT scores to the first 4 colleges on her list (they will pretty much be safeties, although who knows anymore). </p>

<p>Anyway, they won't consider her until we actually send applications in September or October is that correct? If these SAT scores are REALLY bad (i'm thinking worst case scenario) they won't write her off ASAP?</p>

19

<p>No, they won't write her off. They won't even look at her info until the application is complete (including transcripts, letters of recs, scores, etc.)</p>

20

<p>If i decide not to send this round to any of the colleges, but send out the next round of SAT's, will the colleges eventually see the earlier test scores?</p>