<p>I believe many private use combined ACT when they get them. Since one has an option of only sending one set of scores, many choose sending the highest score only, thinking the "optics" of the higher score is better. </p>
<p>Eagle79: I made that same point on the other thread. Using 2005 numbers I calculated roughly 1500 plus students at Michigan had SAT's from about 1430 to 1600 range (without the multiple sittings differential).</p>
<p>Ohhhhh I get it now. The "boost" comes from the combination of scores from different tests.</p>
<p>Is there a thread which lists the schools which allow the combining of scores from different sittings?</p>
<p>jl:</p>
<p>Most colleges mix and match SAT scores from different sittings bcos it is to THEIR benefit to do so -- it raises their published stats. From reading cc over the past year, I've only heard of one college (WashU) that will mix and match ACT scores from different sittings.</p>
<p>I don't have a source, but i expected the boost to be about 25 points. I'm surprised at all of these other kids with no benefit, same as my son.</p>
<p>The lack of a boost from using different testing dates may be due to the kids taking the SAT in the junior and senior year. If they take the test one last time during the fall of senior year, they are likely to be at their peak performance -- at least that's how it seemed to work for my son.</p>
<p>Mix & match over single sitting:
CR+M: +10
CR+M+W: +20
Reading and writing both up 10 points on the second try, but he missed a question on the math which dropped his score there by 30 points, for a net decline of 10 for the second "single sitting" score. All in all, it wasn't worth the cost of a 17 year old's Saturday morning, as far as I'm concerned...</p>
<p>bluebayou: I have heard that some colleges do this, I'm just wondering where I can find out if the colleges that my son is interested in does it, too. Do schools put it on their websites that they mix scores? (I wonder why most schools don't mix ACT scores. )</p>
<p>jlauer95, It may be because those taking the ACT already benefit from score choice. You can elect to send or not to send any individual testing result, as opposed to the SATs, where all tests up until that date are reported.</p>
<p>While it is true one can send the best score from one sitting, one cannot send the best component scores to make a multi-sitting composite. If I recall correctly, 4 out of the 9 schools S applied to last year indicated they combined ACT component scores to produce the best overall ACT score. One can find out by calling and asking them.</p>
<p>"The lack of a boost from using different testing dates may be due to the kids taking the SAT in the junior and senior year. If they take the test one last time during the fall of senior year, they are likely to be at their peak performance -- at least that's how it seemed to work for my son."</p>
<p>My son's were both junior year, three months apart. I attribute the boost on both sides to Paying Attention the second time!</p>
<p>I can see how Garland's theory would work, but for my S it was more in line with SJmom2329, plus that factor that once a great score is achieved, the testing stops, so this tends to make the last test into the best test.</p>
<p>The "old" (obviously only two sections) in 6th grade, the "new" in 8th, for a "friend," led to a change in both sections (not in the same direction ;) ), so this test-taker would fare best by the choose-your-test-date method used at Harvard, etc. The advantage of that method for this test-taker is +40. </p>
<p>The most decisive difference between an Ivy League student and a student at a good state university like Michigan or Cal isn't test scores anyway, but the achievement level reached in extracurricular activities.</p>
<p>The rationale given by schools that allow mixing and matching is the fundamental rationale for allowing anyone to test more than once--because anyone can have a bad day. It doesn't look like mix-and-match really boosts a college's stats very much, and at least all applicants to a given college are on the same footing as against all other applicants.</p>
<p>M +90, V +90</p>
<p>D took the SAT three times. First time was Fall/Junior. Improvement due to maturity, practice, and PR coaching.</p>
<p>D took it twice, first time Oct. of Junior, second time January of Junior.
M +10, V +100, for the same reasons cited by TD.</p>
<p>S followed the same schedule, gained 10 on his V, but M and W remained exactly the same.</p>
<p>To those who have seen improvements in later sittings in any or all areas:</p>
<p>Do you attribute your increase(s) to:
1) age/maturity (junior year vs. senior year)
2) Doing more practice tests
3) Other ____________</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>What is PR coaching?</p>
<p>jlauer: Flashcards. For my daughter the big difference came down to working on the predictable list of vocabulary. My son is just as good at math as she is, but is cockier and more careless; he got an excellent math score, but the ones he got wrong were the easy questions. It was just carelessness, and you can't teach to that, as evidenced by the fact that he got the same exact math score when he took it again. A willing student can definitely tweak the verbal score. I think it's tougher to tweak the math.</p>
<p>Both SAT's (old style) junior year, both SAT II writing's senior year:</p>
<p>M + V = 20 (math went down 20 second time, verbal went up 80)
WR = 110</p>
<p>Practice helped on the SAT I. </p>
<p>The first sitting of the SAT II Writing suffered from a) having drunk coffee and mountain dew beforehand and b) not listening to his mother about how to game the essay. Ahem. The two SAT II's were taken a month apart.</p>