<p>So DD has ACT of 36 which unfortunately doesn't include writing and is going to take SAT late this month. What is the best tactic with regard to the 4 free SAT score reports:</p>
<p>1) send to 4 different schools than the ACT just in case they're not as good - specifically look for school who really would rather the SAT over the ACT
2) send to same 4 schools as ACT cause it won't matter and then she'll have the writing score
3) send to 3 different schools than the ACT plus to NM since she will definitely qualify for that
4) send to 3 of the same schools as ACT plus NM
5) send to NM only
6) don't send to anyone.</p>
<p>Thoughts before we screw something else up?</p>
<p>First off, it depends on whether her “list” includes schools that require the ACT+W. If so, then she’ll likely have to take it again, with writing, unless she scores a 2350 SAT. Colleges that require the Writing score will not mix and match SAT & ACT scores, if that’s what you are asking. They will not take the 36, for example, and add in her SAT-W score. It’s the highest of ACT+W OR SAT.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d only send the SAT scores to NM corp, and would forgo the free score reports until you see the her SAT scores.</p>
<p>By contrast, I never throw away the free score reports. If your earlier thread has helped you identify some target colleges, send SAT scores to some subset of those that makes sense to you. </p>
<p>One way to form a subset of colleges to which to send a score report is to consider which colleges like “demonstrated interest,” as some colleges plainly do and others do not. Another way to do that is to send junior year (or earlier) score reports to colleges with an early action admission round, so that they have scores in hand when you apply, and so that scores aren’t “wasted” on colleges that you may never apply to if the early round results are good enough. If you have identified a “safety” college already, send SAT scores if that college doesn’t already have sufficient ACT scores. There are lots of ways to make this choice. </p>
<p>I should reemphasize that colleges say over and over and over that they consider a student’s BEST scores, so there is little downside to deciding where to report, if the student will surely apply there, before the scores are known. And the betting man would say that a student who has already received a 36 on the ACT will probably do just fine on the new three-section SAT.</p>
<p>I’d feel pretty confident that a kid with a 36 ACT and NM level scores on the PSAT has very little to worry about with sending scores.</p>
<p>My junior daughter didn’t send any scores with her SAT1 but will be using the four free reports with an SAT subject test later this month. If your daughter is planning to take subject tests she could wait and send everything with those later on. </p>
<p>What do schools do with scores from non-seniors? Do they open a file or is it all just in a big computer file somewhere? Is it a way of showing interest?</p>
<p>I agree with Token and MomOFour, there’s not much down side to sending the free score reports for a kid with her testing record. My D sent her earlier scores (Jan of Jr year) to safeties and schools where showing interest was important. And yes, the schools do start a file as soon as they get information from your child. I can’t say for sure that it helps in showing interest, but it couldn’t hurt. My D did receive a postcard from UWisconsin-Madison saying: “We got your scores…and they’re GREAT!” She really appreciated that and it got her pumped for doing her applications.</p>
<p>Thanks all. I guess we’re really hoping for a decent merit award and I don’t want to cause any second thoughts by sending scores that aren’t as good. </p>
<p>The schools don’t seem to care if the scores come from juniors or seniors. They know what graduation year the student is I believe and they will find the scores when you apply. She didn’t want to have to take these tests her senior year and just wanted to get it all over with. We just never really thought about the writing test when we signed her up and she really doesn’t want to take it again unless she has to. She already sent her scores to Case, CMU, UChicago, Brandeis but only UChicago will use ACT without writing (oh well). If nothing else it should put her on all of their radar screens so nothing really lost.</p>
<p>Tokenadult, I feel much better having seen your comment that colleges look at the best of the scores (of course what they say and do may be two different things). So that way if she retook the ACT and fell a bit it wouldn’t be a complete disaster.</p>
<p>I guess we’ll change the SAT score report to go to NM plus 3 others to show interest (still have 2 weeks to figure out who those will be and next weekend we’re off to Vanderbilt to check that out so they may be one). Since we haven’t figured out who the safety is yet, it’s hard to make it one of the 3. She will not consider OSU which would definitely be a safety. Truthfully I really don’t blame her. We looked at OSU very hard for my S who is much more able to deal with that type of atmosphere and in the end he didn’t want to go there either.</p>
<p>DS also used those free reports to telescope interest to schools he was considering. Some schools don’t care about demonstrated interest, but he had several to whom it did matter. It got him on their mailing lists and like Entomom’s D, got him some personalized mail.</p>
<p>The only time we sent reports to every school was after DS took his final SAT subject exam this fall. We didn’t wait to see the score first. We probably could have saved a few bucks by waiting to send scores to the RD list until EA results came in (there was some drop/add in late December), but there is sanity and completion in just sending out the darned things and not having to worry about it any more.</p>
<p>If your D’s list is still pretty broad, I’d send the SAT scores to NM plus three schools that like demonstrated interest who don’t already have the ACT scores. Check the NM site for instructions, though – we weren’t asked to send scores to NM until fall of senior year. I don’t know if they want juniors sending in SAT scores now.</p>
<p>Might it make more sense to take the ACT again, this time with writing?</p>
<p>Also, a student of your daughter’s caliber should be thinking about SAT Subject Tests. Some colleges require them, even if the student took the ACT with writing. She will need to look at the individual Web sites of colleges she is interested in to see whether these tests are required.</p>
<p>Right. She can’t advance from NMSF to NMF without an SAT I score. But she has until December 2008 to take it for NMF qualification. Why not suggest that she retake the ACT first, given her obvious comfort and skill with that test? If she can repeat the 36 (or even get a 35) she’s done (except for SAT Subject Tests, required in addition to the ACT at some selective schools). She can take the SAT I way down the pike for NMF purposes, when there will be less pressure; I think the qualifying score this year was a 2000.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Take the ACT again, with writing. Unless your daughter is terrible at writing, her score is likely to be good. She can then send both of her ACT scores to colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>Take any SAT Subject Tests that are needed for the schools your daughter will apply to. Send them to the appropriate colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>Then, and only then, take the SAT for NM purposes. If the score is good, send it to colleges.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The rationale here is that if you send any SAT score (whether regular SAT or Subject Test) to a college, the College Board sends every score they have, including those from previous administrations of the test. If your daughter takes the SAT first and then takes the Subject Tests, all of the colleges to which she reports her Subject Test scores will see that SAT score, whether she likes it or not. If you do it in the order suggested above, this will not happen.</p>
<p>Tokenadult: I think there is a peculiar pressure that 36 scorers feel to keep that record untarnished. It means that any score less than a perfect 2400 on the SAT I will diminish the value of the 36 – just a bit. And let’s face it, there’s no guarantee that a kid who gets a perfect score on the ACT will also get a perfect score on the SAT I. (Nor is there any guarantee that a 2400 scorer can get a 36 on the ACT.) Getting a perfect score on either test is a combination of smarts, test-taking skills, and a good day. For that reason, for 36 ACT kids who need the SAT I to qualify for NMF, there’s value in waiting to take the SAT I until after ACT and SAT II scores have been submitted to colleges. I agree with the strategy Marian proposes.</p>
<p>I like Marian’s strategy too - it means that the student has a little less pressure. Also, if possible, take the SAT subject test one or two at a time.</p>
I think it’s more important to take the SAT subject tests when the material is freshest - i.e. in May or June of the course that already covers the material. Then you don’t have to do much if any additional prep. I admit my son is a good test taker, but he took 3 exams on the same day and couldn’t have gotten better scores. He was happy to get them all over at once.</p>
<p>I also agree with Marian. Once she gets the ACT with writing and it’s great, send that everywhere. SAT 2 scores (taken when material is freshest) should be sent after you see them to those schools that REQUIRE them. Then take SAT. If SAT scores are also great you can decide if you want to send them too. The schools that indicate that they have no preference really don’t have a preference. And congrats on d’s prior performance -she should be commended</p>
<p>Wow, thanks all for the advice. Need to discuss with my daughter since she’s already signed up for the SAT but it makes lots of sense. Obviously she’s going to have to retake the ACT but she loves that test (took it in 7th grade and scored a 30 with a 36 in reading then so I would really doubt the score would change much). She’ll plan to take some subject tests at the end of this year when she finishes AP bio, AP Chem, AP hist, AP calc AB, and AP Eng lit if they’re required (we’ve got to get that list of colleges narrowed down).</p>
<p>Thanks again. I had a feeling we weren’t looking at this from various different angles and I was definitely right. Our guidance counselors are overloaded and truly useless. They’re fine for the masses but not helpful for her (and her specific guidance counselor is in this job for the first year).</p>
<p>“SAT 2 scores (taken when material is freshest) should be sent after you see them to those schools that REQUIRE them.”</p>
<p>Agree with taking SAT IIs when the material is freshest and not taking more than two at a time. However, if those scores are excellent, I would send them even to colleges (such as Yale) that say they require only the ACT. It just can’t hurt.</p>
<p>Sharon – No college that asks for SAT IIs requires more than 3 of them, and most require only 2. So your D should choose 3 to take – perhaps one science, Math IIC, and either history or lit. If she’s looking towards engineering, some schools will have specific SATII requirements.</p>