<p>My son took the SAT last December, at age 12, in order to qualify for a CTY program this summer. If he decides to do a CTY course again next summer, he'll probably take it again next year to increase his chances of getting his first choice course. I know that normally the CB does not retain pre-HS scores, but that they will keep them if asked. I'm wondering what the advantages and disadvantages are of having the scores kept on his record. His scores were quite good for a 12-year-old; does it help with college acceptances if they see early high scores, or do they not notice how old the scores are? I expect that the scores he'll get as a HS junior or senior will be near-perfect.</p>
<p>No, don't bother. First, colleges will not be interested: They will be interested in only his junior or senior year scores. They will want current scores, not scores that are old because the colleges will want information about his recent functioning on tests.</p>
<p>Also, in general the SAT scores go up a total of 100 points a year for students who take the SAT in middle school. This calculation was for the V, M scores on the old SAT, and proved very accurate for both of my sons. My younger son also took the new SAT as a junior, and his score was much higher than his 7th grade SAT would have predicted.</p>
<p>Thanks, NSM. I wish I could stop agonizing over every decision I make on behalf of my sons. I think the first one was whether to have the older one circumcized!</p>
<p>NYMom:</p>
<p>The only reason to ask the CB to preserve middle school SAT scores would be if the student did so well as not wish to take the SAT again. For example, a former schoolmate of my S's took the SAT in 7th grade and scoree 1550. There was no point in her ever retaking it.</p>
<p>Even if a student scored sky high, though, many colleges still will not accept middle school scores. The colleges want recent scores to reflect the students' capabilities as they get ready to go to college. </p>
<p>For instance, psychological problems, drug problems, head injuries could reduce a student's capabilities on the SAT. When I taught college, for instance, I had a student who had had entered the college with a top merit scholarship due to his SAT scores and grades. In college, however, he had had a head injury in a car accident, and his mental capabilities diminished. He was no longer able to do the work of his original major, which was one of the college's most difficult, and he even struggled when he switched majors to journalism because his thinking had become very concrete. He ended up having to switch to one of the easiest majors in the college.</p>
<p>In addition, if a student is a NM or National Achievement semi-finalist, to make finalist they have to submit SAT scores from their junior or senior year.</p>
<p>Marite, His weren't nearly that high - more like 1250, not counting the writing score which was substantially lower than the others. </p>
<p>I'll do nothing and let the scores disappear.</p>
<p>NSM:
The student I mentioned did not take any more SATs--nor was she asked to. She is currently a Rhodes scholar.</p>
<p>1250 is definitely not worth keeping. My son had a 1350 as a 7th grader - which was way over on the right hand side of the bell curve for that age group, but not nearly as well as he scored as a junior. (1560 without the writing). Your child will probably improve alot too.</p>
<p>"No, don't bother. First, colleges will not be interested: They will be interested in only his junior or senior year scores."</p>
<p>The LAST time my d. took the SAT I was as an 8th grader. Of course, she had an 800 verbal, one of 7 in the nation, (and math wasn't far behind), and there wasn't a single college unhappy about accepting the score.</p>
<p>Unbelievable scores, mini! Nice to have the SAT out of the way before HS. Of course, my son thought that taking it was great fun, except for the essay-writing part.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. I'll let the scores go, confident that he will almost certainly do much better in 4 years.</p>
<p>But with the changes different now then they were a couple of years ago- different math, the writing section, etc, I would imagine that new scores would be much more relevent, for instance if a kid took it in 8th grade 3 years ago, and is now a JR...</p>