ACT: disadvantages of waiting until december

Parents Forum
1

<p>Yikes, I’m in a spot. One of my D’s top schools – out of state – is having their big potential applicant fair the same weekend in October as we have scheduled her second ACT. I believe if we rescheduled the test until December we would lose our registration fee, but I’m also wondering if there are any other disadvantages to waiting until December to re-take the test. Suppose she wants to get her applications out early. Is it too late to bother taking the test again since the applications would be already submitted, or do schools make accommodations for test dates occurring after applying?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>What do you mean by “potential applicant fair”? Why do you feel it is so important to attend?</p>

3

<p>You can take the test after applying, and have the score reported to the school. It won’t help much with rolling admissions schools (You have to have all the app materials submitted).
The advantage of taking the test in October is your ability to see the score before sending it (and having a one more shot at it if needed).
From our experience, all those college fairs are totally useless - there is nothing there that isn’t on the admissions website.</p>

4

<p>Register her to take the ACT in the same city of the applicant fair, she would only miss a few hours of the event
You would have to rent a car, pick her up, and return her back to campus after the test
Doable, if you think taking the Oct test is that important</p>

5

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<p>This has been our experience as well. Taking the ACT another time…priceless!</p>

6

<p>Why on earth would the college host an applicant fair the same weekend as one of the most popular standardized tests for seniors? It doesn’t make sense. </p>

<p>I would take the test in October and try for a weekend student visit another time. The boost in scores could mean the difference between getting in or not or merit money, depending upon the school. </p>

<p>Besides, waiting till December for the test. What happens if something comes up? Illness, family emergency, etc. You wouldn’t know the results of the ACT till what, about January 7th or so? Seems like a lot of stress.</p>

7

<p>Toledo, I meant to say a day-long open house thing for potential applicants. The open house is on the Sunday after the ACT, but we live too far away to drive there that day. And, other than the ACT being that day, it’s the only weekend we have free until possibly December, when the weather will be questionable at best.</p>

8

<p>You could change her test location to the city where the open house is being held. There is a fee for changing the test location. Then she would already be able to attend the open house on Sunday.</p>

9

<p>Thanks, Hoosiermom, that would b the perfect solution!</p>

10

<p>Good idea, Batllo and hoosiermom. I know kids who have done this.</p>

11

<p>toledo-thanks for the shout out.</p>

12

<p>Same here, Batlo! Thanks.</p>

13

<p>:) A million years ago, I had to change my SAT location from my hometown in the US to Montreal where we were visiting my sick grandfather and got snowed in by a huge blizzard. Somehow my mom (waaaay pre-internet and cell phone) figured out that I could switch locations. I can’t imagine that I had my ticket with me so I don’t know how she did it. I think I got to the test site by a combination of subway and walking through thigh-deep snow.</p>

<p>okay, sorry to hijack… this just brought back an indelible memory ;)</p>