I began standardized test prep after the summer after Sophomore year. My tutor instantly referred me to the ACT test, citing that it was easier than SAT and its essay and so on. So, I took the test (4 times total) and the only score that was high was English (34). So I decided to register for the November SAT, to see if it was worth it. I did well (found it easier actually) for the first one but not really where I wanted it to be. I tried today’s SAT and struggled a bit (I’m not confident that I got the score where I want it to be). I did study. I wanted to take subject tests to make it more competitive but I couldn’t because I had to re register for the regular one. I don’t want to come off as ungrateful, but I am so angry with my tutor. Yes, I am aware that basically both test cover the similar, if not, the same material yet I was more comfortable with an SAT. Do I have a right to be angry?
Nope.
I’m just a 16 year old who definitely doesn’t have a ton of wisdom but I think that you do have a right to be angry… for the most part. Your tutor shouldn’t have immediately pointed you to the ACT, and they should have allowed you to explore both and see which one fit – they really did a bad job there. But I think that you made the mistake (and I get that this still isn’t really your fault) of not questioning what your tutor said in the beginning. Ideally, you would have taken a look at the SAT on your own time sooner once you figured out that the ACT was a bit of a struggle for you rather than letting your tutor keep you on the ACT track.
I believe that you do have a right to be angry at the tutor, since after all they were the source of the problem but keep in mind for the future that if you’re unhappy you can and should take action on your own. As Frank Underwood says, “If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table.”
I don’t understand what you’re mad about. The tutor suggested the ACT, you decided it wasn’t a good fit, you “did study” for the SAT, and now you’re upset you didn’t do as well as you hoped on the SAT?
Is it just that you spent too much time trying to improve your ACT score instead of switching? Did the tutor force you to do that?
@bodangles I think that they are having an issue with the fact that they spent so much time on the ACT (because of the tutor) which left them without enough test dates to take the SAT, retake it, AND take the subject tests before application deadlines
I am more upset about having less opportunities to take the SAT because I was directed towards the ACT. I know what university I am aiming for and my first score was not close enough. Today, I felt that I did ok, but not as well (idk we will see eventually).
Sorry for misunderstanding. My first comment still stands, though. Hope you got your goal score today!
You hit the nail on the head exactly! That’s really my point. The November SAT was my first attempt at anything SAT related.
I’m not sure if you can be mad. Some of the onus for deciding which test to take is definitely on you. I kinda feel like you should have realized that you should try the SAT after the second or third ACT Test when you were not getting the results you desired.
C’mon. You took one test 4 times, the other twice, and aren’t happy with your scores. If you can’t get there in two attempts, the SAT wasn’t really a better fit for you. And there is a lot of overlap between studying for them, honestly. My kids took both, neither studied for the ACT, and their scores were fairly comparable between the two tests. You are looking for someone to blame because you aren’t very good at standardized tests. You don’t get even 2 tries at tests in college – students who have to test more than twice on ANY of the standardized tests probably aren’t a good candidate for top schools anyway.
Have you looked at test optional schools?
A more optimal strategy would be to try one of each first, then concentrate on the initially higher one for a retake. However, if you do not get significant improvement over four tries, then your test preparation methods may be ineffective.
How about frustrated?
You have a right to be frustrated … about your struggles with standardized testing.
But don’t blame your tutor. Most kids aren’t lucky enough to have parents who can afford to hire tutors for them.
I began standardized test prep after the summer after Sophomore year.<<<<<<<<<
It really shows you that sometimes all the advantages in the world are not always translated into success. Anger at someone else is the easy way to cope with your own feelings of “insert appropriate adjective”. It is common to feel disappointment.
I did well on the first SAT. It was a high score, much higher than one on an ACT. I just wanted to aim higher. I also want to add that I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, so I had medication for the 1st and 2nd SAT.
I know. I am grateful that I have access to resources. I guess my frustration lies in my lack of knowledge surrounding both tests. She really told me that the ACT was the easier test, so I instinctively followed.
I understand your frustration. However, did you take practice tests for both before deciding on which to start with? Here is am printing an ACT and then a SAT. Once they are done, we will decide which one to concentrate on.
No, my tutor was my regular tutor (mainly math-but we didn’t have consistent sessions) before she became my ACT-centered tutor. She immediately started on ACT prep for me. She explained how it was better and so on. I really didn’t know anything about the two tests so I just followed her.
Being mad isn’t going to get you a better score.
Tutors aren’t there to guarantee you a high score. Your original post, however, suggests that perhaps your tutor wasn’t really up on the revised SAT. Some tutoring companies specialize in one over the other, or at least allocate most of their resources towards one test as opposed to both. So if your tutor misrepresented their expertise with or knowledge of the SAT then yeah, you have a cause to be dissatisfied. However that doesn’t necessarily translate into action. Caveat emptor applies to tutoring as much as anything else. Tutors should be quizzed on how much they know about a particular test, what materials they use, how recent are their practice tests, etc.
Sorry about this, but for top colleges, you have to take charge, not expect a tutor or anyone else to work magic. And you say on another thread that there are 5 B- grades on your transcript.
Best idea is to find the right colleges for you. Learn what they expect, learn how to match yourself.