<p>The best that I can recall from previous discussions, the conventional wisdom from CCers is to wait until seeing the scores before having them sent to colleges. However, I can't recall the pros and cons discussed before, and trying to do a search on "SAT scores" reaps an abundance of riches (too many to wade through).</p>
<p>So here's our situation...my daughter is taking the SATs tomorrow and has requested that her scores be sent to four colleges. I know it's only $9 to send the scores later, but as my husband continues to be unemployed, every little bit saved is a help. Additional considerations: I rather doubt my daughter will be interested in taking the SATs a second time, unless she totally bombs on them. We live in ACT country, so even finding a place that offers the SATs is problematic (tomorrow we have to drive over an hour just to get to the high school where they're being given). If her history from 7th and 8th grade holds up, she will be stronger on the ACTs anyway. Her college search is NOT going to include any uber-selective schools, and if her PSATs are a valid indicator, she's likely to be in at least the ballpark for the schools she's listed on her SAT ticket. BUT, we also know from past history that her test scores are usually somewhat disappointing; she has a tendency to freeze up. And we ended up not requesting any accomodation for her, so it's quite possible that after four hours of filling in miniscule little bubbles, the RA in her hands will leave her in so much pain that she's not at her best by the end.</p>
<p>We have until May 16th to add/delete/change the schools. What do you think...send the scores or wait?</p>
<p>I'm not a parent, but I'll put my two cents in. If your daughter probably won't be taking any more SAT or SAT II tests, I would take advantage of the four free score reports and send them to schools. If she does well tomorrow, then the scores will work in her favor during the admissions process and you won't have to pay fore for score reports later on. The College Board fees start adding up fast, so I would take advantage of every free report that you get. If she doesn't do as well as she hopes, you still have the ACT. Most colleges that take both tests say that they will consider the higher of the two scores and use that for admissions, so the not-so-great SAT score can be made up for my a better ACT score.</p>
<p>also, if you send them to colleges, they will reply with brochures and the works (so many pretty papers :) and enough to make your child feel special). if the scores aren't stellar, just retake and send them again. Like tanman said, they'll see all the scores anyway.</p>
<p>When my daughter took the SAT in March when the new SAT was an unknown, she sent the scores to the 4 least selective colleges on her list. Now that she's taking the SAT2s, she's sending them to the more selective colleges. One reason is because the lesser selective colleges don't require SAT2s. Now she knows how she did on the SAT, and it will be included in the score report with the SAT2s to the more selective colleges.</p>
<p>mezzomom - It's difficult to offer counsel without knowing your specific situation. If you're confident she'll score well then by all means send them in. But if you're unsure as to whether she'll do better on SAT or ACT then you may prefer to wait. My D#1 tests well. Using the four "free ones" worked out nicely. D#2 does not test well and may end up applying to schools that don't even require SAT/ACT. Obviously we will want to see all her scores before sending any.</p>
<p>By the way, cost should not even be a consideration here. College Application fees, CSS/Profile fees, and your EFC dwarf the potential $36 savings of the four "free ones".</p>
<p>I agree with fireflyscout - the freebies should not go to the reaches. If she does better on the ACT, that can be sent in its place. And if she is even as I write nailing the wretched thing (fingers crossed) you will only need to send the results to the pickier schools, not everybody. It's not the most economically efficient method, but a think a reasonable compromise. BTW, of the 4 schools on my son's march SAT score report last year - he only applied to two. So the landscape may change!</p>
<p>NewHope33, your comment raises another question for me. All of the schools my daughter is listing accept either the new SAT or the ACT with writing (which she'll be taking in June). In general, if a school accepts both, what does this mean in practical terms if there is a clear difference in the level of achievement on the tests? For example, if her SAT scores were in the 1800-1900 range but her ACT composite was 33+ (I'm just making these numbers up for the sake of discussion), is this a significant difference that the schools would find anomolous? How do colleges deal with differences in the scores between the SAT and the ACT? And can one take the claims of "accepting" either test result at face value, or is there a way of finding out if a school has a clear preference between the two?</p>
<p>Mezzomom, there have been a couple of CC threads discussing the writing section of the new SAT and how colleges will use it. Suffice to say that "the jury is still out." What I read into these threads is that formula driven schools will be using the writing score with prejudice, and that many private schools will be ignoring it until there is some general consensus of its validity (or lack thereof). Bon chance!</p>
<p>As to your direct question "if a school accepts both, what does this mean in practical terms if there is a clear difference in the level of achievement on the tests?" I think the best response might be "Consider submitting scores that put your D in the most favorable light." In other words, standardized test scores are principally useful as an indicator of academic potential --- they become meaningless the first day of classes. You may (correctly) infer from this that I advocate submitting ACT or SAT rather than both. I don't recall any threads touting be benefits of submitting LOTS of test scores, especially if the results are contradictory. One decent set should suffice.</p>
<p>PS, You might want to read the (very long) "A is for Admission" thread. I believe some of this was touched on there.</p>
<p>Thanks to all. Now that my daughter is home from the marathon called the SATs, we've had a chance to consider her options in light of her sense of how things went (not scientific but the best we'll have before the scores are released). She decided she wants to send her scores to 3 or her original 4 schools; the one school that is reach-y but also one of her favorites is coming off and will be replaced with another reach-y but not-so-favorite school. It's a plan that works for her, because it leaves her any number of options...and spares her "potential humiliation" (her words!) with [this week's] number one school.</p>
<p>From a strictly Mom point of view, I was relieved when she reported that the arthritis in her hands did not present a huge problem...although she had some difficulty walking afterwards because her knees were so sore from sitting so long. But she wasn't sure that was the arthritis, since she saw a lot of kids moving stiffly after the test!</p>
<p>Fireflyscout sets for a great strategy for making use of those 4 free SAT report. Wish I had had the benefit of his/her knowledge last year when I needed it.</p>
<p>As for not wanting to take the SAT again, I have seen enough examples of kids who did noticably better the second time around (first time, they took it cold; 2nd time, they prepared better and were less nervous) that I always recommend a second taking.</p>