SAT/ACT advice needed!!

Test Preparation
1

<p>My twin daughters (rising seniors) and I need some advice re the SAT/ACT. Unfortunately, their guidance counselor left several months ago on disability and was not replaced, so I am turning to all of you!</p>

<p>Here are my ds' stats:</p>

<p>D1</p>

<p>PSAT 226</p>

<p>SAT I (old): 730 V
660 M</p>

<p>SAT I (new): 730 CR
720 M
730 W</p>

<p>SAT II: 720 Lit
590 Math 2</p>

<p>ACT: 33 Composite
35 English
29 Math
36 Reading
30 Science</p>

<p>D2</p>

<p>PSAT 236</p>

<p>SAT I (old): 760 V
710 M</p>

<p>SAT I (new): 730 CR
730 M
770 W</p>

<p>SAT II: 770 Lit
670 Math 2</p>

<p>ACT: 33 Composite
36 English
31 Math
36 Reading
28 Science</p>

<p>And here are my questions:</p>

<p>1) Should they submit the ACT or the SAT scores? Do you ever submit both, or do you always submit just one of the tests? If you send in just the ACT scores instead of the SAT I scores, do you still need to send in the SAT II scores?</p>

<p>2) Should they retake the ACT to pull up the scores that are in the 20s? Or is the composite score the most important score?</p>

<p>3) D1 messed up badly the SAT II Math 2, and d2 didn't do so well either. (They probably should have taken Math 1 instead.) Both ds are planning on taking the SAT II US History in the fall and expect to do well on it. When you send in your SAT II scores, can you pick and choose which ones to send in, or do they all go? In other words, can they just send in the SAT II Lit and US History scores, and not the math 2? Should they retake the SAT II Math 2? Or should they take the Math 1 in addition to the US history in the fall?</p>

<p>4) Should they retake SAT I?</p>

<p>For background, they both plan on applying RD to an assortment of highly selective LACs. (They plan on going to different schools, but will figure that out once they see where they get in.) Their projected major is film. Unfortunately, their GPAs are not stellar -- approx. 3.5 or so unweighted -- which doesn't look so good against their SAT/ACT scores. Oh well. However, their high school is a selective "honors" school, with all "enriched/honors" courses.</p>

<p>Whatever help/advice/insights any of you can give us will be most appreciated. Without a guidance counselor to consult, it's a bit tricky to figure out what needs to be done.</p>

<p>Many thanks.</p>

2

<p>Well, both SAT scores are pretty good. But both are lower than their PSATs, so they have the potential to do a little better. If they feel like they did poorly and could get a guaranteed 50+ points higher, then possibly consider retaking.</p>

<p>You can NOT send only some SAT2 or SAT1 scores. All of the scores are sent.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, Flipsta, for your observation and clarification. Retaking the SAT I and II (math 2c) in the fall will probably be a good idea. As for the ACT, forget about a retake, I guess. No?</p>

4

<p>hhmmmm....both could do better on the SAT, so they could retake that.
Their ACTs are ok, but unless you are going to some school in the midwest that likes the ACT more (I think Northwestern would), then forget it and go with the SAT. </p>

<p>Just some stuff I was wondering about:
Is there any sibling rivalry?
How do you manage if one does better than the other?</p>

5

<p>They are identicals and have absolutely no sibling rivalry. Zero. Zilch. Which has always amazed me. One tends to do slightly better more of the time, but they really are very even in their abilities and performance. And their interests are the same, which is not at all surprising given their genetic makeup!</p>