My high school sophomore is very motivated to start preparing for the SAT since receiving a promising PSAT score a few months ago. We have a strong tutor who recommended she take the OLD SAT and be done by Jan of 2016 which is the last time it will be offered. My concern is will colleges still want to see the new one and if so is it a waste of time? Does anyone have any information on what colleges will look for with this class that is going to have the option of taking both the old and new SAT?
I haven’t heard any specifics, but historically colleges have taken any SAT score taken 9th grade or later. I’d say there is a good chance that most schools will accept the old one for your kid. Now… I think it is hard for a sophomore to get a truly great score (and I had one kid who had great talent search scores in middle school, but I still think she would have had trouble achieving the final score she did before junior year). But given the uncertainty about the new test, if your kid is motivated to study and take it, I’d probably have them do it. I’d probably have my kid also study for and take the ACT junior year, and I might stay away from the new SAT altogether for the first year if I could (I am just glad I don’t have a kid in the mix during this transition period, and feel for those of you that do!).
@intparent thanks I think you are right to stay away from the new SAT. Her tutor says it will be a debacle. My daughter will not take the SAT until fall of her junior year, a little early but kids definitely do that. Then once she is done in Jan 2016 if she isn’t satisfied she still has time to change focus to the ACT which is what my other daughter did and ended up doing much better on the ACT. But my younger one shows more promise on the SAT but you really never know until you take the tests. Thanks for your input!
Each college gets to determine for itself whether and how long it will accept a discontinued test. In the past, including when College Board changed to the the three section SAT in 2005, Colleges almost universally continued to accept the old test for between four to five years after any particular test was taken. The five year period is actually one suggested by College Board which says its tests should be considered good for five years but thereafter the scores no longer can be relied upon to accurately represent the ability of the student. You can very likely assume a test taken while in high school this year or in Jan 2016 will be accepted for admission when the student applies in 2016 for entry class of 2017 or the next year.
Thanks @drusba that’s the most precise information I am yet to receive and makes me feel better about my daughter taking the old SAT early junior year. Thanks so much!