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Post by maryland on Oct 29, 2015 15:18:26 GMT
I have a high school junior and we are trying to figure out if she should take both SAT tests (old and new) or wait for the new. We were planning to wait and have her take the new test in the spring, but she has heard that the new test is going to be really hard. Not sure if that is true! She is also going to take the ACT.
What are your 11th graders doing about the SAT? |
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 7:45:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2015 15:33:05 GMT
DS will take both old and new.
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Kerri W
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Posts: 3,769 
Location: Kentucky
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Post by Kerri W on Oct 29, 2015 15:37:03 GMT
DS will take both old and new. This was specifically addressed at one of the college visits he went on recently and it was their suggestion to do both.
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Post by utmr on Oct 29, 2015 15:44:51 GMT
Taking old in December and January. Depending on scores, she might take the new version after that.
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AnotherPea
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,968
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Post by AnotherPea on Oct 29, 2015 15:49:34 GMT
Thanks for this thread. I was advised to have dd wait for the new. I'll have her do both now.
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peppermintpatty
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Refupea #1345
Posts: 3,842
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Post by peppermintpatty on Oct 29, 2015 15:50:30 GMT
Old will not count if you take both. If the school superscores then they will only take the new scores. If the only reason for taking it is to get experience, then take the practice tests timed. There is no reason to waste your money on taking the test when the score won't do you any good. The new test comes out in January. You don't need to worry about taking it yet.
My dd took her first one in January of this year, then June and most recently, October. She is done. She was the only junior last year to take it. They don't start until June.
As for the ACT, be advised that it is very hard to increase your score the second time around unless you improve dramatically. ACT scores are a median/mean score so it is harder to bring up the scores. Many of dd's friends who took the ACT have had little to no variation on their scores because of this. The school mentioned this as well. The new SAT won't penalize you like they do now for wrong answers just like the ACT does. Also the trend is that the SAT is mainly an East Coast thing. Most colleges in the rest of the country usually have a much higher percentage of students that take the ACT. My dd was going to do both but decided to just focus on one after she took the SAT. Her practice SAT and ACT exams done at school showed just about the same.
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 29, 2015 15:56:17 GMT
Old will not count if you take both. If the school superscores then they will only take the new scores. If the only reason for taking it is to get experience, then take the practice tests timed. There is no reason to waste your money on taking the test when the score won't do you any good. The new test comes out in January. You don't need to worry about taking it yet. My dd took her first one in January of this year, then June and most recently, October. She is done. She was the only junior last year to take it. They don't start until June. This isn't what we were told. DD was told to take both the old and the new tests. But then, none of the schools she is looking at superscore. The first new test won't be until March. January is the last old test. The new test is supposed to be more like the ACT-less fact memorization and more intuitive testing. |
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peppermintpatty
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Refupea #1345
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Post by peppermintpatty on Oct 29, 2015 16:00:24 GMT
Going through this now, every school that my dd is applying superscores. They all have said that you can choose either but NOT both. It makes sense because you cannot superscore based on two different tests.
It puts all of you at a disadvantage because you don't know what schools your kids are interested in and all 5 of dd's schools superscore. They may not right now but they could decide to do it next year and then you are screwed. More and more schools are going that way. If my kid were a junior, I would not take that chance unless you are okay with your kid taking the SAT 4 times.
I've even seen several school websites that dd isn't applying to that say the same thing.
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peppermintpatty
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1345
Posts: 3,842
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Post by peppermintpatty on Oct 29, 2015 16:04:02 GMT
Old will not count if you take both. If the school superscores then they will only take the new scores. If the only reason for taking it is to get experience, then take the practice tests timed. There is no reason to waste your money on taking the test when the score won't do you any good. The new test comes out in January. You don't need to worry about taking it yet. My dd took her first one in January of this year, then June and most recently, October. She is done. She was the only junior last year to take it. They don't start until June. This isn't what we were told. DD was told to take both the old and the new tests. But then, none of the schools she is looking at superscore. The first new test won't be until March. January is the last old test. The new test is supposed to be more like the ACT-less fact memorization and more intuitive testing. Her choices may change before her senior year and then 2 or 3 times after that. I did look on the CollegeBoard website and they are saying that the schools will be able to compare the two different to make up the whole picture. The question then becomes, will they? All I know is what the schools dd is applying to are saying. When dd was a junior I wanted her to take the SAT as much as possible then I realized that she would get just as much from doing the timed tests at home. I didn't sign her up for classes because Collegeboard has an app that they can do the questions on their phone wherever they are so dd spend her downtime just doing the questions at her own pace. Her friend's grandparents made their grandaughter take SAT class after SAT class for months and months. She took the tests and never really improved from one to the next. I hope that the new SAT will be better because it really doesn't show what you know, it shows how well you can play their game. If you can figure out the game, you can get a great score. |
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tuesdaysgone
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Posts: 4,832
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Oct 29, 2015 16:35:18 GMT
I would not advise taking the new SAT. It is a completely new test and it may take 3 rounds of the test before the scores are calibrated correctly and they work out the kinks. Word is that the new SAT will be more difficult.
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Post by underwatermama on Oct 29, 2015 17:42:25 GMT
He's taken the SAT once and will do it again before it changes to the new test. He will also try the ACT. No new SAT here for him if we can avoid it.
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Post by jenb72 on Oct 29, 2015 18:10:58 GMT
My DD is currently studying for and taking a prep-SAT class to set her up to take the old test in December. I'll be waiting to see how she does on that one before asking her to take the new one.
Jen
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Post by maryland on Oct 30, 2015 0:34:34 GMT
Thanks everyone! Now I need to get her registered for the Dec. and Jan. tests.
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Post by scrapmaven on Oct 30, 2015 0:37:55 GMT
We're doing it in Nov and Dec or Jan. I'll double check about superscores, though.
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ellen
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by ellen on Oct 30, 2015 2:08:36 GMT
As for the ACT, be advised that it is very hard to increase your score the second time around unless you improve dramatically. ACT scores are a median/mean score so it is harder to bring up the scores. Many of dd's friends who took the ACT have had little to no variation on their scores because of this. The school mentioned this as well. The new SAT won't penalize you like they do now for wrong answers just like the ACT does. Also the trend is that the SAT is mainly an East Coast thing. Most colleges in the rest of the country usually have a much higher percentage of students that take the ACT. My dd was going to do both but decided to just focus on one after she took the SAT. Her practice SAT and ACT exams done at school showed just about the same. Interesting. In my daughter's group of friends they all had an increase in their scores the second time they took the ACT. One went from a 24 to a 28 in just two months with really no prep work done in between. My daughter went up 2 points as did her best friend. It bugged my daughter that if she would have had just one more point in any of the four sections she could have rounded up 3. I think it can be very worthwhile for a kid to take it a second time. For my daughter the increase in her score meant thousands of dollars in the merit award she received from her college. We're from the midwest where most kids don't bother with the SAT. |
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Post by SwissArmyBeth on Nov 11, 2015 17:14:18 GMT
Bump for Monica!  |
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Post by Monica* on Nov 11, 2015 17:16:01 GMT
OMG SwissArmyBeth you're awesome and really quick! THANKS!
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Post by littlemama on Nov 11, 2015 17:45:45 GMT
As for the ACT, be advised that it is very hard to increase your score the second time around unless you improve dramatically. ACT scores are a median/mean score so it is harder to bring up the scores. Many of dd's friends who took the ACT have had little to no variation on their scores because of this. The school mentioned this as well. The new SAT won't penalize you like they do now for wrong answers just like the ACT does. Also the trend is that the SAT is mainly an East Coast thing. Most colleges in the rest of the country usually have a much higher percentage of students that take the ACT. My dd was going to do both but decided to just focus on one after she took the SAT. Her practice SAT and ACT exams done at school showed just about the same. Interesting. In my daughter's group of friends they all had an increase in their scores the second time they took the ACT. One went from a 24 to a 28 in just two months with really no prep work done in between. My daughter went up 2 points as did her best friend. It bugged my daughter that if she would have had just one more point in any of the four sections she could have rounded up 3. I think it can be very worthwhile for a kid to take it a second time. For my daughter the increase in her score meant thousands of dollars in the merit award she received from her college. We're from the midwest where most kids don't bother with the SAT. The conventional wisdom is that your score can vary from test to test, but typically only by a point or two. The lower your initial score, the more likely you are to see an increase. The majority of kids whose scores we know changed by one or two points, either up or down. My ds went up 2 points between his first attempt (when he had just finished a severe case of influenza) and his second attempt (as part of our grad requirements. The third time he took it, he went up another point. Of those 3, the first test was the anomaly based on all practice test scores, PLAN test, and the subsequent 2 scores. That last point earned him a full tuition scholarship. |
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scraptag
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Jun 28, 2014 23:03:10 GMT
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Post by scraptag on Nov 11, 2015 17:58:13 GMT
It really seems like you should research the schools your child is planning to apply to.
I just looked at one my daughter is hoping to attend on the West Coast and they say they will take either SAT - prefer the essay version - or the ACT. She is a Junior.
My daughter just took the old SAT and will try again with the new if she needs to. She has done very good on the PSAT, but not quite high enough for Honors College, so she will keep trying if she didn't make this time on the SAT.
I didn't know the SAT was an east coast thing, because everyone I know out here is taking the SAT and very few are taking the ACT, as they view it to be an "East Coast" thing.
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Post by mellyw on Nov 11, 2015 18:10:22 GMT
Interesting. In my daughter's group of friends they all had an increase in their scores the second time they took the ACT. One went from a 24 to a 28 in just two months with really no prep work done in between. My daughter went up 2 points as did her best friend. It bugged my daughter that if she would have had just one more point in any of the four sections she could have rounded up 3. I think it can be very worthwhile for a kid to take it a second time. For my daughter the increase in her score meant thousands of dollars in the merit award she received from her college. We're from the midwest where most kids don't bother with the SAT. The conventional wisdom is that your score can vary from test to test, but typically only by a point or two. The lower your initial score, the more likely you are to see an increase. The majority of kids whose scores we know changed by one or two points, either up or down. My ds went up 2 points between his first attempt (when he had just finished a severe case of influenza) and his second attempt (as part of our grad requirements. The third time he took it, he went up another point. Of those 3, the first test was the anomaly based on all practice test scores, PLAN test, and the subsequent 2 scores. That last point earned him a full tuition scholarship. Hmm... Also haven't found that to be true. My DD tutors for the ACT, extensively. Of course if you have a low first score, it's easier to get a higher score. But, my DD's students see some pretty good results. No doubt, that is with the help of tutoring, especially her tutoring. Not to "toot her horn", but she is damn good at getting students scores up. She knows the tips & techniques to improve. Almost all her tutoring is online right now, so she has students from across the U.S. I know I read not that long ago that the SAT will become the test to take all across the U.S. My DD was originally planning to take the SAT when we lived on the west coast. Then we moved to the mid-west, & people looked at her weird when she mentioned SAT. ETA- I also agree with scraptag, look into what the college of choice wants. Some will say they accept both, but if you do a little digging, you'll find certain college's like one over the other. |
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Post by littlemama on Nov 11, 2015 18:37:12 GMT
The conventional wisdom is that your score can vary from test to test, but typically only by a point or two. The lower your initial score, the more likely you are to see an increase. The majority of kids whose scores we know changed by one or two points, either up or down. My ds went up 2 points between his first attempt (when he had just finished a severe case of influenza) and his second attempt (as part of our grad requirements. The third time he took it, he went up another point. Of those 3, the first test was the anomaly based on all practice test scores, PLAN test, and the subsequent 2 scores. That last point earned him a full tuition scholarship. Hmm... Also haven't found that to be true. My DD tutors for the ACT, extensively. Of course if you have a low first score, it's easier to get a higher score. But, my DD's students see some pretty good results. No doubt, that is with the help of tutoring, especially her tutoring. Not to "toot her horn", but she is damn good at getting students scores up. She knows the tips & techniques to improve. Almost all her tutoring is online right now, so she has students from across the U.S. I know I read not that long ago that the SAT will become the test to take all across the U.S. My DD was originally planning to take the SAT when we lived on the west coast. Then we moved to the mid-west, & people looked at her weird when she mentioned SAT. ETA- I also agree with scraptag, look into what the college of choice wants. Some will say they accept both, but if you do a little digging, you'll find certain college's like one over the other. I cant envision the SAT catching on where I live. The ACT has been the test used since before I went to college. The SAT is the new test being used for state graduation requirements, but the majority of students I know are still planning the ACT for the "real" test. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. |
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ellen
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,508
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Post by ellen on Nov 11, 2015 20:00:37 GMT
Interesting. In my daughter's group of friends they all had an increase in their scores the second time they took the ACT. One went from a 24 to a 28 in just two months with really no prep work done in between. My daughter went up 2 points as did her best friend. It bugged my daughter that if she would have had just one more point in any of the four sections she could have rounded up 3. I think it can be very worthwhile for a kid to take it a second time. For my daughter the increase in her score meant thousands of dollars in the merit award she received from her college. We're from the midwest where most kids don't bother with the SAT. The conventional wisdom is that your score can vary from test to test, but typically only by a point or two. The lower your initial score, the more likely you are to see an increase. The majority of kids whose scores we know changed by one or two points, either up or down. My ds went up 2 points between his first attempt (when he had just finished a severe case of influenza) and his second attempt (as part of our grad requirements. The third time he took it, he went up another point. Of those 3, the first test was the anomaly based on all practice test scores, PLAN test, and the subsequent 2 scores. That last point earned him a full tuition scholarship. My daughter and her friend each had a composite score of 29 the first time they took it and that's pretty good for a first time effort. We encouraged our daughter to retake it because we knew if she superscored a 30, a scholarship at one school would increase by a few thousand dollars. Both girls retook the test and scored a 31 composite. Like I said, my daughter was one section point away from being able to round up to a 32. Her plan score was right on the money with what they predicted she would score. If she would have received the 32 it wouldn't have made a difference in merit awards. She had a score that was going to get her what she wanted and at that point she was done. Sure, she maybe could have eeked out that extra point but it wouldn't have done anything but cost us money and add stress to her life. I do feel like it would have been very difficult to get beyond a 32. |
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