Do most students aiming for selective (meaning non-open-admission) colleges take the SAT and/or ACT in junior or senior year?
Taking them in junior year has the advantage of having the scores in the summer to help assess what colleges are realistic to apply to, and allows for a retry in senior year if desired, but do most students in “ordinary” high schools actually do that these days? “Ordinary” high schools are those where typical percentages of graduates go on to selective colleges, which include the full range of selectivity, not just the top end, as opposed to the academically elite magnet schools, prep schools, public schools in high-parental-education areas, etc. that seem to be the most common here.
I took my SAT junior year, but a few people will take it sophomore year. The reason is that the summer before (for me, the summer right after soph year) is much less busy than later summers, so students have more time to study! However, the students that I know at my HS are on the top-end, for lack of a better term (IB diploma candidates), and I don’t know how the “ordinary” students perform or when they take the SAT.
I think my public high school is fairly ordinary, but it is a magnet school.
My son had only one chance to take the ACT w/Writing, SAT, and SAT IIs. It was this fall, his senior year. There was little time to prepare and none of it included a test prep school or anything more than free online study materials. He’s applying to top tier schools who will view him as more than a test score, as well as some match and safeties.
So, at least 1/2 are taking it twice, once in their junior year. That gets us into the ballpark of how many are taking it their junior year (over 1/2).
Edit: About 3.3 million seniors will graduate from high school this year (3.0 million from public schools), while about 1.7 million students took the SAT in 2014.
Judging from my robotics team members (there is a range of students), the “ordinary” student tends to take the SAT the spring of junior year. The higher achieving student is more aware of possible application requirements and start taking SAT subject tests June of sophomore year (if they have completed pre-calc and an AP science), then the SAT fall of junior year. Most students, regardless of level, want to be done by June of their junior year but many will retake fall of their senior year.
Since the applications open August 1 (Common App and ApplyTexas for Texas schools) most kids here have them done by end of Junior year which means starting to test in early to mid Junior year. The local test prep center really emphasizes this and even the kids who don’t go to that center heed the advice.
Because surrounding OOS flagships offer merit aid based on scores, a lot of kids test through mid senior year to increase their merit offers. A few points can equate to a lot of money.
Better idea to take in junior year, especially for rolling admission big state schools, or for early decision. Also, if a kid get sick or has a bad day in October of senior year, they would then be late for some kinds of admissions. Also, the scores from an October senior year test date may not come out until after the registration date for the November test date.
Most kids here take SAT in March of junior year so they have time to re-take if needed.
OTOH, if a kid only needs the test result to check off a box at a school that is not very selective and is reasonably good at standardized tests, waiting until senior year may make sense. Some schools have admission deadlines in later January so taking November or even December SAT may be OK for them.
S is a Junior. He did some prep this last summer and took the ACT in September to get a baseline score. He did really well so that is what we will submit next year for college apps. He did take the PSAT with is class this Fall, so if he gets a qualifying score he will have to sit for the SAT to confirm, but otherwise he is done. Although I do think some of the schools he is looking at still recommend 2 SAT subject tests in addition to the ACT.
My homeschool senior started taking ACT in April of junior year, then again in June, and took one more in early September.
The homeschool families I have known have been all over the board on this issue. Some are really on the ball and get started fairly early junior year (or sooner with subject tests); some do it early fall senior year. Some just hear about it in October senior year.
If I had it to do over I’d start just a bit earlier and do some more tests.
I’m the odd one out here, my kids take the SAT March of sophomore year and then again in Oct of Junior year. They have the most time to prep the summer between Sophomore and Junior year and can combine prep for PSAT and SAT, it’s also nice to be done early.
Our guidance counselor recommends taking both SAT and ACT junior year and retaking the better senior year. Students are encouraged to take subject test the same year they take the AP exam for that subject.
My kids targeted getting all their testing done junior year (4 test dates: 2 tries at SAT, one ACT, and one subject test date). Both wanted another shot at subject tests, which they did in the fall. But the bulk of the testing which told them which schools made sense was done in junior year. I think all students should try to do this; you can’t finalize your application list until you have test scores.
Don’t wait until the last minute to start. Also for most kids, preparation is needed. Many aiming for selective colleges take ACT, SAT and subject tests. Repeaters are common. The counselors in my kids high school encouraged kids to retest until they got the score range that the kid was aiming for or until time ran out (which I believe was January of senior year for regular decision at that time.)
Remember that if subject tests are needed, these must be fit into the schedule of testing. Can’t do it all in one day. Also may not want to take 2 or three subject tests in one day. Also remember AP testing timing so that the testing is not overwhelming.
Hopefully your kid won’t need a lot of retakes, but in the event it is needed, plan it out. Good luck.
Our district pays for gifted/honors kids taking the ACT/SAT in middle school. I shake my head when I see recommendations to wait until junior year to take these tests.
