<p>What an excellent question, worrywart, and I frankly don't know if the list of schools to which scores are sent later in the process are available in the general information that is sent to each school. I would think not, but can't be sure. Intuitively, I would think that the schools listed on the SAT test form would be entered into the CollegeBoard database along with all of the other demographic data the student chooses to provide at that time, and, therefore is part of the data that colleges may purchase from the Board. I would think that it would be too time intensive for CollegeBoard employees to input individual college names into the general database each time a score is requested. Of course, I could easily be wrong. Does anyone know?</p>
<p>I've never heard of schools finding out from the score reports where all a student has applied. That's why they like to ask in applications and interviews. But I always heard it is best to refrain from answering at all. That's what my kids did.</p>
<p>I think you would have a real privacy issue if they reported information the release of which had not been authorized.</p>
<p>EDAD, I agree with you. Getting into selective schools does involve much more than just test scores. My d is a competitive dancer who has been dancing since she was five. Her dedication and discipline are evident in this activity and the fact that she takes demanding courses, has a high GPA and is also involved in community service helped to overcome her weaker SAT scores. Someone else said that there is no perfect package and that is very true. While test scores serve as a good starting point in weeding out applications they are not the the only thing that makes an outstanding student. Schools want well-rounded young adults that will make a contribution to the college community.</p>
<p>Schools want well-rounded students--true to some extent, some bias against all work/no play/no community service applicants.</p>
<p>BUT, what they really want is a well-rounded student body--so there is room for a variety of types--music specialists, atheletes, math whizzes etc. who will help to create an interesting community on campus.</p>
<p>I would think that universities (that are sooooo worried about their own stats, rankings, etc) would want to get the "the best" athletes, math whizzes, musicians, etc that they can get without regard to how much time they devoted to a variety of e.c's and community services in high school. </p>
<p>I know that some musicians have little or no time to devote to "other things" because their school work, practices and performances take all their time. (I really doubt any university would deny offering an athletic scholarship to the top athletes simply because "they didn't do enough volunteering at the local boys/girls clubs). Frankly, I think it all sounds like a bunch of "feel good" stuff that colleges put out but they really want the best so they can push up their rankings in USNews, etc. </p>
<p>After all, when I think of all the "top people" in various fields -- medicine, research, music, etc -- does anyone REALLY care how much time they spent on ec's and community service while they were in high school??? Should they have been prevented from reaching their success simply because they were "all work and no play" during their teen years? Many such successful people can benefit others and their communities so much more once they reach their success (such as many successful benefactors).</p>
<p>I would hate to think that the future cures for various cancers lie in the heads of people who had excellent stats but didn't have enough ec's and therefore were denied access to the best schools. Frankly, I doubt that most of the cures from various serious diseases and other discoveries have come from "well-rounded" people -- those cures and discoveries come from very focused and obsessed people who don't have time for ec's, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, there's a legend about a Math whiz who applied to MIT and wrote this essay--Why do you want to go to MIT?</p>
<p>'Cause I want to do math.</p>
<p>He was accepted with full scholarship.</p>
<p>"What an excellent question, worrywart, and I frankly don't know if the list of schools to which scores are sent later in the process are available in the general information that is sent to each school."</p>
<p>I do not think this happens on the College Board reporting. However, the schools one lists on the FAFSA is visible to all schools receiving the report. Obviously, limited to the available space on each report. </p>
<p>Since most people apply for financial aid, there is no real reason to try to muddy the waters about applying to other schools.</p>
<p>"Yes, there's a legend about a Math whiz who applied to MIT and wrote this essay--Why do you want to go to MIT?</p>
<p>'Cause I want to do math.</p>
<p>He was accepted with full scholarship."</p>
<p>I am not sure when MIT stopped offering full scholarships, but that story would be rather impossible today: </p>
<p>As you are probably aware, MIT (as well as HYP) offers all of its own funding on the basis of need only. Many of our students arrive with some merit-based funding, but it is small (relative to the total cost of an MIT education) and comes from outside sources </p>
<p>Okay. Switching focuses here. Parents of juniors - make sure you have paid-off vehicles that will survive through your kid's college years. No car payments means more available cash to pay tuition out-of-pocket, and (if you qualify for need-based financial aid) less cash assets. In our case, when DD was a junior in HS we traded-in the old vehicles (one was poorly built 7 year-old van that needed a new transmission, the other was a cheap 6 year-old pickup with bad gas mileage), and purchased a new van and a used little sedan. Since they are reliable models (one little Toyota, one Honda), they should survive through the end of both kid's undergraduate years. One will be 9, and one 10 years-old by the time both kids finish their undergraduate education. I don't know how people make mortgage payments, car payments, credit car payments etc while paying for college. I'm sure some financial planners will disagree with our strategies. We prefer to pay cash as we go and have only mortgage debt - with the result that we have no savings to speak of!</p>
<p>Set up a seperate college email address so that you are sure to receive important information from colleges that your S or D is interested in, as well as important fafsa/SAR information. It can easily be missed or deleted.</p>
<p>anxious & northeastmom: good advice. thanks</p>
<p>MIT occasionally calls need-based financial aid money a "scholarship." It's confused me too until I figured out it wasn't really a merit-based scholarship.</p>
<p>Hey Senior parents.</p>
<p>Suppose you plan on taking the SAT test several times. when the scores are reported to the schools that you have listed, do those school's just receive the scores from that test, or do they receive the scores from all the tests taken so far? If schools receive all scores taken so far, should you only pay for the additional schools to receive scores on the last time you plan on taking the test. (Why pay extra on earlier tests if the schools will receive those scores with later test results. </p>
<p>Or does Collegeboard only send all test scores to a school during the application process when transcripts and tests scores are requested?</p>
<p>I would only pay for additional schools the last time. All scores get sent to the college when you request scores sent (at least that's the way I understand it)</p>
<p>When you request scores, all scores generated up to that point get sent. Later scores do not.</p>
<p>You cannot specify only scores from particular test dates, unlike the ACT.</p>
<p>Senior parents: Do you think that Juniors who take the SAT typically score lower than seniors. If so, by how many points?</p>
<p>I've read that seniors can improve, even without any additional classes or tutoring, based on development and maturity. I've heard it can be about 100 points difference (based on old SAT). That obviously won't be the case for everyone.</p>
<p>jlauer, I've been mulling over the same decision for my child. The odds of his improving his score (as noted on his score report) makes me wonder whether he has more to lose than to gain.</p>
<p>Both of mine improved 100+ between May of jr year and October of sr year. My youngest will definitely take it in the fall of his sr year.</p>
<p>schools usually will look at the best scores - even if from different sittings - ie, if you score higher on verbal spring of jr. year, and higher on math in fall of senior year, they will pick those two scores - rather than looking at the verbal and math from the same seating.<br>
there is usually no downside risk to taking the sat more than once.
it makes sense -- it lets schools advertise the highest sats scores for those they admit.
but check the policy of any school you are considering - most will be very clear about their policy in this regard.
the biggest factor in improving score is familiarity with exam and working on weak areas - so often scores improve on a second taking - but if the student prepared and did practice exams, and worked on areas they need to, before the first taking, this is not necessarily the case.</p>