<p>I am assuming you are serious in your questions and not pulling our legs, but this is getting a little harder to believe as you keep posting. AP scores are not the same as the grade given for an AP class, at least in my experience. Usually the teacher gives a grade and the AP scores are a separate issue. And don't assume she will get a 5 on all of her tests, even if she prepares as much as she can. </p>
<p>Again, assumng you are serious and not pulling our legs, try to keep some perspective on things. The SATs and class rank may seem like the biggest thing on earth right now, but a few years from now she will be worrying about other things and this stuff will seem trivial.</p>
<p>nj could you explain about hand scoring?
My D had really low PSAT scores- but she also has bad/light handwriting and has difficulty tracking so its possible she got off track filling in bubbles-</p>
<p>Hand Scoring/Requests for
Score Verification
Multiple-Choice Hand Score Verification The multiplechoice
sections of all SAT Program tests are machine
scanned. The scanning process is subject to careful and
systematic quality control to ensure accuracy. The following
guidelines are published in our test and practice materials
and are given to all test-takers:
● Use a No. 2 pencil and a soft eraser. Do not use a
pen or mechanical pencil.
● Make sure you fill in the entire circle darkly and
completely.
● If you change your response, erase as completely
as possible.
If a student’s marks conform to the published instructions
for marking the answer sheet, the scanning and scoring
processes, combined with the quality control procedures,
are designed to produce an accurate score. However, if a
student believes the process did not produce an accurate
score, he or she may request a multiple-choice hand score
verification. When hand scoring of a multiple-choice
score is requested, a student’s entire answer sheet will be
manually reviewed—a student cannot request verification
of scores for a single section on the SAT Reasoning Test or
a single Subject Test.
If the student’s marks conform to the published instructions
for marking the answer sheet, but there was an
irregularity in the scanning and/or scoring process, his or
her score may change. In this circumstance, a student’s
adjusted score will be automatically reported and the fee
will be refunded.
IMPORTANT: If a student’s marks did not follow the
published guidelines, his or her scores will not change,
and the fee will not be refunded.
Essay Score Verification For the SAT Reasoning Test, our
normal scoring process includes an independent scoring
of each essay by two qualified readers. If the two readers’
scores differ by more than one point, a scoring director
will score the essay. This automatic validation ensures the
accuracy of the essay scoring process.
If a student chooses to have an essay score verified, we will
investigate whether there was an error made in the technical
processing of the essay scores assigned by essay readers.
IMPORTANT: The verification of essay scores does
not include rereading the essay or an appeal of the
essay score. The score investigation fee will not be
refunded for essays written in pen.
Requesting Score Verification A student can request a
multiple-choice hand score verification or essay score
verification, or both, up to five months after the test date
by calling Customer Service. There is a processing fee
required to cover the costs associated with investigating
your scores. If a student used a fee waiver to pay SAT
registration fees, the processing fee will be reduced. The
reduced fee is available upon request and is provided on
the Request for SAT Score Verification form.
We will mail a letter confirming the results of a multiplechoice
hand scoring or essay score verification within
three to five weeks after a signed request and payment is
received. If a technical error is found in the original scoring
of a student’s answer sheet or your essay, we will notify
the student’s score recipients of the correct scores by letter,
and we will refund the payment in full.
IMPORTANT: Multiple-choice hand score verification
and/or essay score verification may result in
higher or lower scores than the scores first reported.
Adjusted scores are FINAL and will be reported to
all score recipients.</p>
<p>AP scores are not the same as the grade given for an AP class, at least in my experience. Usually the teacher gives a grade and the AP scores are a separate issue. And don't assume she will get a 5 on all of her tests, even if she prepares as much as she can.</p>
<p>Some schools may raise a grade depending on test score- but other schools like Ds don't even weight honors or AP classes, so that wouldn't be applicable.
Also- if the scores don't come out until summer, that is after the grades for end of the year are posted.</p>
<p>Laserbrother, my S was reading at age 4 and has a very high IQ. He did not do well on his SATs. He has a very good HS record - all AP, college high school and honors courses. He is not a good SAT taker! Many students are not.</p>
<p>I think you may be pleasantly surprised when she takes the ACT. If you want to improve the SAT score a lot, have her take a SAT prep course and take it again in the fall. </p>
<p>Try to be supportive, and stifle your "crushed" feelings to her face. It is not the end of the world, and she sounds like a wonderful student.</p>
<p>MOT. first of all, I am not pulling anyone's leg here. </p>
<p>On my D's transcript, her GPA is 4.1xxx because she got a 5 in her first AP last year. Hence I got the idea that one's GPA goes up if one scores 5 on AP classes. </p>
<p>To all, I just called D and we will more than likely request a hand reading. Also, D is a good test taker judging from her 1380 SAT I in 8th grade, her 31 ACT at 10 grade, and 222 PSAT at 11th (evenso I felt both ACT and PSAT were not so great).</p>
<p>Moonmaid, your son should meet my daughter -- my d. was also reading at age 4 and tested with a very high IQ.... and still couldn't do very well on either the SAT or ACT. So they must have very similar minds .......</p>
<p>prefect. her first ACT was actually 1380 with a 710 math. I quoted wrong. </p>
<p>About ACT. D's best friend got a 33 and my first response was "when are you taking it again?". And she is taking it again!!!</p>
<p>At WashU, they said the mid 50% ACT is 30 - 33 and that of SAT is 2000 - 2250. In other words, one may have to get above 33 and or 2250 to have a shot at any merit money.</p>
<p>LB, did your daughter's scores drop below her 8th grade scores? Or is just that they have fallen very short of what you expected based on the PSAT? I just read on another web site that when PSATs are very high, it is very common for the SAT to drop.</p>
<p>I've made this recommendaiton before in another thread, but it's worth repeating here due to the emphasis on the SAT angst. </p>
<p>When my son's first SAT was "less than ideal", I was quite concerned that his SAT performance was inconsistent with his overall ability, and that we might have to re-look the college choices available to him. I called the local Huntingdon Learning center for some ideas. (I am NOT pushing them - they happened to be nearby and convenient.)</p>
<p>We ended up with some private tutoring, but a crucial part of their program was practice SAT tests for diagnostic purposes - my son took about 4 of them - the results of which were broken down by question type and subject matter. It turned out that he was very weak in a few areas which they then focused on . THey also spent time on test strategy. For example, he would get 5 out of 6 right in a given verbal seciton but only 2 out of 5 right on another. He was not understanding the nature of the questions and how to approach them.</p>
<p>Long story short - he improved by 120 points (including 700 or better on verbal and writing sections) overall from the first test to the third (actual SAT), enough to take him from borderline at good schools to relatively highly competitive. It restored some of his options.</p>
<p>In summary, I encourage parents to have their kids take diagnostic SAT tests in advance of the SAT, or in conjunction with a disappointing first effort. It really helps to isolate the problem areas. And it's not very expensive to do. (Also, there tends to he a high correlatin between the PSAT and SAT performance. If your kid does not do as well as expected on the PSAT, don;t hope another year of school will bring a better score - you might want to jump on it right away.) </p>
<p>I empathize with laser's disappointment, but a diagnostic SAT program might have highlighted the shortfall well in advance of the actual test. You only have 3 shots at the SAT, and we (my son and I) wasted one by simply not being prepared for the first time. Some forethought would have put him in a more confident and prepared position going in. When my D is a sophomore we'll start the process alot earlier. Live and learn.</p>
<p>LB -- you might want to have a look at the WashU thread to see the posts by students about admission results. Having an SAT/ACT at a certain level is no guarantee of merit aid; it won't even guarantee admission. </p>
<p>I think you and your daughter will be happier all around if you try to build a search for merit aid based on the numbers she has rather than trying to aim for a certain score on either exam. Especially as she is in the running for National Merit -- if her current SAT isn't high enough for NMF, then I think she should take the SAT again, but there is no hurry. But NM opens up scholarship opportunities at many other colleges if that is a major concern.</p>
<p>LB, a 760 in math is great! The curve on the SAT math is very tight, that score could mean that she missed only 2 or 3 questions. </p>
<p>The 8th grade SAT -- was that taken in 2004? Because between 2004 and 2005 they changed the CR part by eliminating the analogies -- the analogies were the one thing my daughter was really good at. My d. scored the same on CR when she took the SAT in 2004 and again in 2005 (620 both times), but at the time I told her the second score was an improvement, because with the analogies removed she had to do much better on the other parts to get the same score. </p>
<p>So it's possible that is also what happened with your daughter ?</p>
<p>About prep courses, I have no personal experience because my kids both studied on their own using the Real SATs, Barrons, etc. you can buy at any store. Both of them improved quite a bit by preparing on their own. I can't remember how much my son improved, but his final score was close to perfect. My daughter improved 120 points from her test in January of junior year to March of junior year. So preparation, whether on one's own or in a course, is the key in my opinion, not the course in and of itself.</p>
<p>Laserbrother, I know you're not out to win sensitivity contests, but it just so happens that today is a day when a LOT of people's dreams -- kids' and parents' -- actually do get crushed. And not because they may have to take the SAT again. You may or may not experience this next year, but have a heart and don't be overdramatic about a modest disappointment.</p>
<p>Okay, second verse, same as the first . . . </p>
<p>Stop with the "MY" dreams and "we" are taking the SAT. Take a deep breath, take a step back, and realize you may be hurting your daughter far more than helping her. Most folks on this forum would give their right arm to get (or have their child get) a 760 in math. I am sure that you are a caring parent (if you ARE a parent; many here suspect you may be a troll because you are SO "out there" in your warped thinking). but I think you are pushing your daughter FAR too hard for YOUR OWN purposes.</p>
<p>Again, whose life is this? Yours or hers? Let your daughter have more of a hand in charting her own course and stop plotting every move and every exam retake. It just seems like nothing less than perfection will suit you - if you really are a parent- and if you in fact are, you will most likely end up with a "rebellion" on your hands in the future - even if it's years down the road.</p>
<p>I say all this with the best of intentions, but you REALLY have to chill!!!</p>