My D, not a strong test taker, improved 6 points with practice and multiple test attempts.
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On the practice tests, was there any specific type of question or issue (e.g. running out of time) that she had difficulty with? If so, then perhaps focused preparation on that type of question or issue may be a good value for the time spent on preparation, compared to more generalized preparation.
But if she is not that interested in schools other than UCs and CSUs, then SAT and ACT scores may not be of value in admissions at all, although high enough ACT English or English + Writing may help for English course placement at UCs, if she does not have sufficiently high AP or IB English scores, according to Entry Level Writing Requirement | University of California .
Freshman admission by discipline | University of California may help estimate chances at UCs by HS GPA (weighted-capped UC recalculation) and type of major.
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I canât emphasize this one enough. My kids did not get much grammar/punctuation/usage instruction in school, so this is where the tutor spent a lot of time with my kid, and his English score went up dramatically.
Two other tips: my kid had geometry in middle school, so it was pretty rusty when he took the ACT, and he needed a bit of reviewâdonât take the âeasierâ/earlier stuff for granted. Also, itâs tempting to focus on mastering the hardest math questions, but my kidâs tutor had him drill the easy math questions to get through them as quickly as possible so that he had more time to work on the harder questions.
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This is an important point. Some kids testing now were still in virtual learning mode for prealgebra, algebra, geometry and may have some holes in their math foundation, or even as far back as something minor from elementary math. This is where a good one-on-one tutor can come in handy, for a quick review.
So, definitely see if you can determine what types of questions are being missed.
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Agree with this. My kid went the SAT route, but took PSAT with no prep and did better on the âharderâ sections than geometry. That told them where to focus for the actual SAT.
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As a test prep tutor, tutoring is definitely very effective. If your child is already at 29, I suspect with tutoring she could probably get up to around 32 without too much difficulty. I also agree with your rationale about applying test optional or not.
Obviously test scores are not submitted for any UCs, and yes, if sheâs going to apply to a Claremont coolege, she probably wants at least 32. If she wants to apply to colleges that wonât be test optional next year, she is probably a good candidate for tutoring.
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My kid went up three points on the ACT by focusing on the lowest 2 sections and taking practice tests in those areas over and over again. She noticed it took a lot of practice tests to âmove upâ another point, but it was definitely doable. Much of the ACT is about pacing and speed and becoming very familiar with it.
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I think youâve gotten varied perspectives on the issue. I think she should be informed about the testing policies and practices at schools of interest, what the family budget is, etc. And then, I would leave it up to her. If she is interested in studying and trying to get a higher score to improve her odds of admission at highly rejective colleges or for greater merit aid, then sure. If not, however, then I definitely would not push for trying to get a higher score (and a 29 ACT with good grades will get merit aid at a number of colleges in the U.S.).
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Yes the math is the major issue. That was her lowest section score by far. There are definitely holes after a year and a quarter online back in early middle school and then a really poor 8th grade algebra teacher. And then after that, in geometry she had such low math confidence that she just did the minimum to get a good grade, but was not invested in the learning. Thankfully, she has had an amazing algebra II teacher this year who has been life changing and really upped her confidence as a mathematician. But itâs still a lot of catch up. She missed simple algebra I questions on the practice test.
If a tutor is a possibility, that is probably the most efficient way to fill these holes. Alternatively, something like Khan Academy could be worth the time. Outside of testing and admissions, it is worth filling holes for a proper educational foundation.
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That was the case with my daughter as well- math was her lowest score. She really connected with her algebra II teacher as well so she just took the math portion of the ACT over and over and would bring in the results to her math teacher and go over what she got wrong and then retake additional practice tests, etc. This worked well for her. But again, your daughter has to be motivated to do that.
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Thatâs a great idea. And yes, I agree about the motivation. Right now she seems motivated so we will see if she is still motivated in September.
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Maybe she can really capitalize on her current momentum and do a lot of math section practice tests over the summer. Individual sections are short, so itâs doable. I wonder if her teacher would do any âtutoringâ with her over the summer (going over her practice test items that she gets wrong), for a fee? Might be worth it for your daughter to ask!