<p>So our worst fears were realized. My daughter managed to not vomit on her SAT answer sheet, but she might as well have. She totally and utterly tanked. She went down more than 150 points from the PSAT math and verbal and more than 200 points from where she was on practice tests. She is the worst writer I know and she managed to get an 8 on the essay, which is totally out of character. She is a science girl who takes magnificent notes and records data beautifully, but she doesn't write at all well. We should have cancelled her SAT scores immediately but didn't, and so now the SAT scores will pretty much cancel out her acceptable ACT scores. She had worked so hard to come up with an appropriate college list for herself and now she has to start all over again and I don't know how she will pick herself up. Jeez, I don't even know what to tell her she is so heartbroken and just knows that she is a failure, a dummy and has no future. She told us on SAT day that she was so thirsty (they got no breaks at all) that she couldn't even think straight on the test and just kept picking at her lips and I am kicking myself for not canceling the scores. Arrrrrrgh. Thanks for listening.</p>
<p>By the way, the ACT score was 28 (which is fine for an average kid like her), and the SAT scores are (hold onto your seat): V 470, W 480, M 440.</p>
<p>Is there time for a retake? If so I suggest your daughter warmly embrace the Xiggi method of SAT prep and give it another go. It seems to have worked for a lot of CC members.</p>
<p>I second jrpar's suggestions -- many, many schools accept the ACT (in fact most do). If you send the ACT, you do not have to send the SAT.</p>
<p>you will need to apply only to schools that do not require the SAT II tests (although I am guessing those aren't on you list).</p>
<p>All is not lost! Your daughter is not an idiot!! It is amazing how many kids do better on the ACT -- it is just a different type of test.</p>
<p>Go back through the same college list -- and make sure they all take the ACT and stick with that test. She could even take it again to try and raise it a bit, if needed for admittance or merit aid. With the ACT, she has score choice -- so you can choose to send the top score.</p>
<p>give her a hug -- she will do fine!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>"I second jrpar's suggestions -- many, many schools accept the ACT (in fact most do). If you send the ACT, you do not have to send the SAT."</p>
<p>That's the problem. We didn't cancel the SAT scores so they did, in fact, go to the schools. So they will still see the scores alongside the ACT scores. There's no way to get those SAT scores back.</p>
<p>She has not applied yet, right? When she does, and if she applies to the colleges where the scores were sent, ask that only the ACT be considered.
Consider colleges which do not require board scores.There are many from highly selective to less selective from which she can draw a list.
Please tell your D she is not a failure. One of the most brilliant classmates in college decided against grad school because she broke into a sweat at each exam and she could not face another few years of the same. But as a sophomore, she wrote an essay which the prof, a nationally renowned expert, considered of publishable quality. How many sophomores could produce essays like that? I didn't, but I was the one who went to grad school.
Hug your D and tell her that the SAT format is abominable and that stage fright is not confined to actors.</p>
<p>Schools say that they only look at the top scores; they WANT to only consider top scores, because that's what looks good in the USNWR rankings. So, don't sweat the SAT's, and assume that the adcoms will only look at her ACT scores....but just for safety maybe have your daughter add another "sure thing" college to her list. Have your Guidance Counselor address the issue of test anxiety, etc in his/her report. It might be a good idea for your daughter to retake the ACTs after a little summer study, but I would not suggest she try the SAT's again. I'm sorry her test results were not good, but all is NOT lost. Give her a hug and enjoy the summer!!!! There will be a good college out there for her! :)</p>
<p>"Have your Guidance Counselor address the issue of test anxiety, etc in his/her report. It might be a good idea for your daughter to retake the ACTs after a little summer study, but I would not suggest she try the SAT's again. I'm sorry her test results were not good, but all is NOT lost. Give her a hug and enjoy the summer!!!! There will be a good college out there for her!"</p>
<p>Thank you so much. Your advice was really helpful. May I ask one more question? My daughter is the kid with the 80 year old priest for a GC (the one who had a stroke last year and doesn't support applications to private schools). He will not provide any type of letter or information to colleges, just transcripts. Is there any way around him?</p>
<p>How about one of her teachers? He/She could include the info in her recommendation, as in, "XX is an excellent student in these aspects of class and excels at blah,blah, blah. Her standardized test scores do not reflect this due to blah, blah, blah... but her work is consistently of high standard in these areas... blah, blah.. (You can see why noone is asking me to write their college recs!!!)</p>
<p>Zoosermom--Hang in there. I feel your pain, our son too dropped his SAT score by over 150 points from what his PSAT predicted. His scores were not quite as low as your daughter's but no where near where he wanted them. </p>
<p>My advice is to send in her ACT scores and forget about the SAT scores--don't submit them
She can certainly retake the SAT but for what purpose--you don't have score choice with the SAT so the colleges will see her scores in the 400range anyway</p>
<p>According to our son's college counselor, the ACT is more straightfoward and more fair. Our son will be taking the ACT in June- we are keeping our fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Hi Zooserman- I feel your pain- We were in similar situation last year. D's SAT's were similar to your d's. Her ACT's were considerably better (23 ACT) and your d's is even better than that - so do not fret. Things will be ok. My d hated SAT's - made her head ache and she had no intention of taking it a 2nd time. We relied on her ACT score. Your d's ACT is probably around 1200-1250 old SAT conversion (I used to have the conversion chart) so I think that it is very good.<br>
My d's SAT's went to the SUNY's and two other schools, as I had initially listed 4 schools to have her scores sent to. Most of the other non-SUNY schools never got her SAT scores and only received her ACT score. As my d did not take any SAT II's, there was no need for those schools to receive any info. Even with those scores my d got into 11 out of 12 schools including SUNY Buffalo and Albany- George Mason- Towson-- Temple and a few others. Zooserman- if I remember correctly you are NY state too and your d is interested in environ science (??). I think she'll do fine at all the SUNY's and a lot of similar type schools.
With those SAT scores, your d would have to "jump hoops" to bring them up to the same level as her ACT score. I know some people suggest your d use the Xiggi method and try again.<br>
I am from the point of view that some kids just don't do well on the SAT and no amount of studying is going to make it better. I think your d will do just fine relying on her ACT score. If she wishes, she could take the ACT again in October but her score really is fine. For sanity sake, I would walk away from the SAT!! Good luck.</p>
<p>Marni, thank you so much for sharing your story. I feel a lot more hopeful now. Where did your daughter end up? My daughter is a good student, 3.7 GPA in honors classes, two APs next year, award-winning biology research and good ECs and leadership. She will be taking a full course load next year, skewed to sciences and with no lunch because she has so many classes. The ACT, I think, reflects her abilities, but everything went wrong for the SAT and I should have known better and cancelled. Her top two schools got those scores and I know they're going to consider them. SAT day was her first day of her first job, she got her period, she was hungry and thirsty, and we had prepared her that there would be a couple of short breaks. There were none and she couldn't concentrate at all. Such is life, right?</p>
<p>Zoos, I would concur with the others regarding relying on the ACT and ditching a second try on the SAT. I have seen a lot of kids who scored badly on their first try and go through umpteen hours of tutoring, at incredible expense, only to retake the test and go up 50 points. Big whoop. The emotional toll on the kids, the financial toll on the parents, and the huge hopes...dashed. It is so rarely worth that turmoil for kids who don't test all that well (and plenty of very bright kids don't test well).</p>
<p>I think you've gotten excellent advice re schools and use of ACTs. I can only imagine how disappointed your daughter is, but there is still a great school for her out there, but perhaps one that doesn't require SATs, or looks more closely at ACTs.</p>
<p>Hi! Your d is really ahead of the game. My d is a very decent, hard working kid but falls into the average + student range. Had 89 average (3.3??), no AP's or honors but did take 4 years math, 4 years science (not physics- but forensics & marine bio) 5 years language and 4 eng/his. She decided to go to SUNY Cortland as she plans to major in Sports Management and they do have a good program. Though SUNY Albany/Buffalo are generally stronger schools, they did not have sports management and I think she would do better in the smaller environment of Cortland. I think we "spoke" previously about the Cortland/Duke combined Masters Program in Environ. Science. Did you ever get info about it?? If you are somewhat interested in Cortland, I'll know alot more about the campus come this fall. But so far, everything seems just fine. She'll be going up for freshmen orientation in July.</p>
<p>Thanks again Marni. We are awaiting info on the program and expect it soon.
Would anyone look at daughter's list and give thoughts?</p>
<p>Moravian
Juniata
Castleton
SUNY ESF
SUNY Oneonta
UMass Amherst
Rider
Hunter
St. John's
Albright
York College of PA
Elizabethtown
Monmouth
Misericordia</p>
<p>I can relate. Many moons ago, I had something similar happen with the GMAT. I took it at a college I was totally unfamiliar with. When I walked in the huge lecture hall where it was administered, the first thing I noticed was the presence of all right-handed desks. There must have been 250 people in there, and not one of them was left-handed except for me. I asked the proctor to get me a table-top or left-handed desk. No dice. So I wound up hanging off the edge of the tiny top. It totally broke my concentration.</p>
<p>My score was, predictably, horrid and was sent to the B-schools I had requested. I rescheduled the exam, took it the next time, arrived very early to make sure of the accommodations, and soldiered on (on a table-desk). The score went up over 200 points. The schools saw both scores, and I still got accepted to the MBA programs I applied to.</p>
<p>Your daughter knows she can't do any worse than she already has. As happened in my case, that might take the pressure off. She might want to retake it, maybe even using the experience anecdotally for one of her essays (making lemons into lemonade, etc.). She still has her ACT score anyway. Good luck to her!</p>
<p>For future reference, when my S1 took the SATs and we were very concerned about low scores we listed no schools on the score reporting form when he registered for the SAT. This strategy wasted the free score reports and we had to pay a little extra money to report scores later to selected schools but it kept us in control of the score reporting. </p>
<p>I think there are schools on your list that will overlook your daughter's low scores especially when compared to the rest of her outstanding record.</p>