<p>Here's my current predicament:
•I scored a 223 on the PSAT, which is well above the NMSF qualifying score in my state.
•I haven't taken the SAT yet, but I scored a 35 on the ACT.
•To progress to NMF status, I will have to take the SAT before I submit my college applications.
•At least one of my top choice colleges (Stanford) requires submitting all SAT scores.</p>
<p>Now, I'd prefer not to waste too much time preparing for an additional standardized test (I'd rather spend my time on my classwork, essays, ECs, etc.), and I would probably do fine on the SAT, but I'm afraid a weaker score might hurt my chances at colleges that require all test scores. Even though the PSAT predicts a 2200+ SAT score, I'm sure the additional essay component on the SAT will hurt me since I got a 7 on the ACT essay.</p>
<p>What do you think? Should I just take the SAT without preparation and try my best, or should I take a few practice tests to make sure I do well?</p>
<p>Take a couple tests, you want national merit finalist, it opens up a lot of doors. And if affordable, I’d advise getting some tutoring for the essays. </p>
<p>The 35 ACT is great and you’ll be fine as long as you don’t bomb the SAT. I’d recommend taking a few practice tests from the bluebook since getting used to the format will definitely help your score. The PSAT prediction is fine and all but the SAT is almost twice as long and getting used to the timing will be beneficial.</p>
<p>Well, that is a clear choice. If you choose not to prepare, then you have chosen to live with the potentially lower score you might get.</p>
<p>The question to ask is which is more efficient? Study now, and do well. Or not to study, do mediocre, and then have to study and retake? Kind of answers itself.</p>
<p>@awcntdb: Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I feel like you are insinuating that I am too lazy to study for the SAT. The reality is that I would rather spend my time taking MOOCs, studying web development online, or volunteering at the local chess camps. Studying for the SAT doesn’t benefit me outside of the college admissions process.</p>
<p>Also, I expect to score above the NMSF to NMF cutoff (~1960), so my only worry is that a lower score will hurt me in the college admissions process. As long as I score 2000+, I don’t intend to re-take the SAT.</p>
<p>Check when’s the last possible date for NMF, if it’s too late for admissions then great! If not try to really do your best, you definitely want national merit finalist,</p>
<p>The SAT cutoff for qualifying for finalist is a helluva lot lower than the PSAT semifinalist cutoff. In the National Merit forum, it’s been mentioned that the SAT cutoff is somewhere in the 1900’s. </p>
<p>U have until Dec in Senior year to take the SAT, as per the finalist qualification timetable. Since u are consistantly scoring high in your prev testing epidodes, you will probably make the SAT cutoff w/o much trouble.</p>
<p>If you decide not to spend time studying for the test, that has zilch to do with being lazy. In fact, I thought you were building a low-earth orbit rocket ship or something else, which really interests you. No kidding. So your answer does not surprise me.</p>
<p>But, you still have to decide what is more efficient in terms of best use of time. If it were me and I know I wanted a certain minimum score, I would just study, get the score or higher and be done with it. </p>
<p>I think you’ve already been handed some great advice above. I would only add that you can study for the SAT by going out and buying a study guide instead of locking up a ton of time in an SAT study course. My son used the study guides with great success. You’ve obviously got excellent study skills, I think you’ll find that you’d be able to study for the SAT in far less time than you think. You’ll know from the practice tests whether you’re on track to your score goal or not. Actually, I don’t believe you can take the SAT until September at the earliest anyway, so theoretically you could get all the studying done over the summer.</p>
<p>Since scores very rarely fluke in a positive direction, your 35 ACT will cancel out any weaker SAT - you’ll simply get credit for the strongest test. Stanford should not hold any SAT test against you if you have a 35 ACT.</p>
<p>Not sure of the exact strategy here, but you may not be required to send any SAT score to Stanford. I believe there is a thread sometime in the last few months where it was mentioned that if you send any SAT test to Stanford, you have to send all of them, but if you take it and don’t like the results, you don’t have to send it, you can send just the ACT. (If I’m wrong about that, ignore everything in this paragraph.)</p>
<p>Of course, claiming to be a NMF but not sending a score might raise some eyebrows, but you could always call Admissions and ask them pointblank, do I have to send it if I don’t want to send any SAT scores, even if I’m a NMF? And you could also ask them about your scenario, if you’ve got a great ACT, but a weaker SAT, will the SAT be held against you? It’s better than asking a bunch of people on a discussion board that probably don’t know what they’re talking about.</p>
<p>MrMom62 I heard the same thing. If you decide to submit the SAT, then you must submit all SAT scores. But if you choose to send the ACT, then you only have to send all ACT scores. That is what the admissions officer said at Pomona college anyway. I assume it is probably the same, maybe…</p>