<p>I am an upcoming Freshman, and I keep hearing about the new SATs (we will be first or second year to take them)
But my school system is very, very competitive (you do Alg 2 and Geometry in one year for Freshman)</p>
<p>Well my friends have done very well in the SAT, so do I wait for the new SAT, or take it in a year or two?</p>
<p>Everyone’s wondering the same thing. I just got out of Freshman year, so (if all goes according to plan with CB), I’ll be the first class to take the new SAT’s in the Spring of my Junior year. I plan on taking it multiple times before and a few times after the change. Colleges don’t have the data to really make comparisons between the two different SAT’s yet (although there’s not really going to be a big change if you’re aiming for a selective school-you’ll need to do the essay portion anyway).
Some schools (like Princeton) might only look at the new test scores. </p>
<p>However, since your Junior year will only offer the new version, I suggest that you focus on the new because data will be available at that time. </p>
<p>Also, how competitive your school is doesn’t matter to your SAT score or when you should take it. No matter how smart you think you are now, I can guarantee that you will increase your score by Junior year. Take it now if you really want to, but make sure to take it again later on when you’ve reached your maximum potential. </p>
<p>Take a diagnostic test and see how well you do. The new SAT isn’t being implemented until spring 2016, so you still have some time, considering you’re only a rising freshman. Personally, I wouldn’t be comfortable being one of the first groups of students taking a redesigned test as important as the SAT.</p>
<p>You most likely won’t be satisfied with your diagnostic score, but you’ll get a feel for the types of questions on the test. In your case, you can still take the current version of the SAT during winter of your sophomore year - a lot of people are ready by then (albeit with a lot of studying) and end up sending that score to colleges! I also highly recommend taking a practice ACT; if you don’t think you can raise your SAT score much (all the questions you’re getting wrong aren’t a result of careless errors/material you haven’t learned yet, and you really don’t understand why the correct answer is correct even after explanations), then you may just want to stick with the ACT to avoid taking the redesigned SAT.</p>
<p>Also, you’re in 8th grade…your friends need to retake the SAT once they get into high school anyway, because all the scores they received as middle schoolers are wiped out and can’t be sent to colleges.</p>
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I don’t know if the SAT is different, but I took an ACT in seventh grade and the scores are still online and can be sent to places just like the later ones.</p>
<p>@halcyonheather - I’m pretty sure the SAT is different! I took the SAT I in 6th grade for this gifted program and a subject test in 8th grade, and they aren’t available anymore/CB told me that they were wiped out when I called them last year.</p>
<p>I swear this one girl has taken SATs since like 8th grade…like once a year or something. And yes, real SATs not like practice ones. I have no clue why…</p>
<p>Honestly, going ACT during the transition may be the best course. Don’t worry about it for now, you have plenty of time. Do check in next year though, you will have to decide then if you want to bother with the SAT.</p>
<p>If all you want is practice there is always the review books that are helpful! At least take some of them before you start taking the actual SAT. It’s up to you whether you want to take it before the new one comes out, but obviously we don’t know the difficulty of one versus another yet.</p>
<p>I believe any scores you take before high school get automatically erased after a certain time, but you can request them to be sent. It was something like that to get into a few of the private high schools or scholarships. Anyways, if you do take it before HS, keep in mind it is just a practice run and it will be different than your actual score after practice. For instance, I was scared of the SAT for a long time because the first time I took it in eighth grade I scored pretty low. Then by taking it at the beginning of junior year, there was literally like a 600+ point difference. So take your score with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Some of my class took the SAT in the seventh grade, but CollegeBoard isn’t showing the scores anymore. Don’t worry about it; a lot of people are in the same boat. </p>
<p>Quoting my college and career counselor here… she said that for SATs, the scores are only valid for 2 years. The case is different for ACTs. </p>
<p>^Which explains why most people don’t take them (fully prepared) until junior yr or some take subject tests towards the end of sophomore yr. </p>
<p>taking it in middle school is not a bad idea…i took it twice in middle school(once in 6th, once in 8th)…its good practice and it doesnt go on your record</p>
<p>Actually it can go your record if you save. I am saving my 800 math 2 score.</p>