If you took the SATS in middle school (before 9th grade), what was your score then and now? How many points can a student realistically improve?
My S took it once in 7th grade (for CTY) and once in 11th grade. Both times with no prep other than doing a few practice tests. His score was improved by about 60 points based on the CB concordance table (his 7th grade score was on the old SAT 2400 scale).
I got a 1280 in 8th grade and a 1540 in March 2018.
My kid took the ACT but went up the equivalent of about 380 SAT points from 8th to 11th with almost no prep at all.
1280 in 8th grade? Wow. Which math were you doing in 9th grade? I am assuming you were done with Algebra 1, 2 and Geometry when you tested in 8th.
“My kid took the ACT but went up the equivalent of about 380 SAT points from 8th to 11th with almost no prep at all.” Was there a reason there was no prep at all?
With prep, I’m trying to figure out how much of an increase is realistic. If you have tips on increasing Verbal score, please share your thoughts and insight. I believe Math is easier to improve.
My kid went up about 400 points from 7th grade to 11th. She did prep in 11th grade using Khan Academy online. And yes, math saw the biggest gains.
Old old scores for D for what they’re worth:
2003 490 Math 580 Verbal
[fall of 7th grade testing for CDB application; no prep; could hardly get the tween to read the sample questions]
2005 550 Math 630 Verbal
[spring of 8th grade; can’t remember why; read a prep book this time & had a great math teacher]
2008 770 Math 800 Reading 800 Writing 12 Essay
[junior year; the real thing; prep & tutoring focused on math]
At least 1/2, and likely more, of the material required for an SAT is not taught until high school. So there is a very good chance that you could increase your score by hundreds of points without doing anything but taking your required math, English, and science classes in High School.
In simpler words: your SAT scores in 8th grade tell you nothing at all about how well you will do in 11th grade.
Put your efforts into doing your school work, not into wasting time taking tests for which you will not be prepared for a few years yet.
My kid increased her scores by 250 from fall semester 10th grade to spring 11th grade with no prep, no tutoring, and little studying for the SAT. Had she taken the SAT in 8th grade for whatever reason, it would most likely have been more than 350 points or more improvement.
My student is a late bloomer who will be taking Geometry in 9th grade. More than half of the other students will be in Algebra II in 9th which makes us feel disadvantaged even before high school starts. The SAT scores in 8th grade were horrible - 900 combined. My older students who left for their respective colleges scored near perfect on their SATS and were not late bloomers. They were high performers starting in elementary school. I don’t know how best to help my late bloomer. Any advice from experienced individuals would be incredibly helpful.
I tutor these tests. Don’t predict anything based on middle school scores. Students learn so much in high school. The SAT mainly tests skills learned in school. Students aren’t relevantly the same students in 11th grade that they were in 8th grade (think of how much a student changes between 5th grade and 8th grade). I wouldn’t worry at all if I were you. I am not even sure why your student took the SAT already–seems pretty pointless unless applying to some program.
@TheSATTeacher My student tested to enter a program which did not end in qualification. It is true what you wrote. The growth/maturity that occurred between 5th and 8th was remarkable. Almost a different student in terms seriousness, organization, communication skills and so forth. When do you suggest is a good time to get crackin’ on SAT prep? Do you think the current level of math will hurt my student’s outcome? Older students finished with higher level math. I feel like I’m in new territory.
Here are the math classes commonly offered in HS.
Algebra I (sounds like your student has already taken this).
Algebra II (essential for succeeding on the SAT)
Geometry (important for doing well on the SAT)
Pre-Calculus, which is often divided up into the following:
College Algebra (essential for doing well on the SAT)
Trigonometry (relatively unimportant for the SAT)
Calculus, Statistics, etc. (unimportant for SAT)
To do really well on the SAT, a student generally has to get through College Algebra or at least most of it (some of the later topics like logarithms aren’t tested on the SAT). Schools might mean many different things by Algebra II. At some schools, students will cover many of the topics in College Algebra in Algebra II, albeit in less depth. Sometimes, this is enough to do well on the SAT. Generally, though, students do much better if they have had the reinforcement of College Algebra. Since most students take the SAT in 11th grade, it is most advisable to take College Algebra before then. However, if a student is taking College Algebra in 11th grade, that will often be fine as the SAT can be taken towards the end of 11th grade, during the summer after 11th grade, or even during the beginning of 12th grade.
That being said, putting the SAT aside, more selective colleges like to see that students have taken the most challenging classes available to them. For this reason, it may be helpful to see if your student can take Algebra II this year with her/his peers. Perhaps your student can take Geometry this summer or even concurrently this coming year with Algebra II.
Of the core HS math classes, Geometry is the most peripheral. Taking Geometry is not a prerequisite for other math classes (though you need to know a little for trig). It is its own, isolated thing far off to the side. A student can do perfectly well in Algebra II without ever having taken Geometry. Indeed, many high schools have students take Geometry after Algebra II. All the other classes follow a clear progression and build off of each other. Geometry doesn’t. Additionally, Geometry covers less material than the other math classes listed and is less essential for future math success. For these reason, if there is a math class to do on the side, Geometry is it.
With regards to the other sections of the SAT, I wouldn’t worry too much now. Building vocab is always helpful. That can be started now. Reading a lot is probably the most important thing. Make sure your student reads plenty and reads a variety of things–fiction and non-fiction. If he/she reads things he/she enjoys that is best, because then she/he will read more.
Hope this helps. If you have any questions on what I said, let me know.
Well, I improved my score by 130 points after studying just 1 month. If you study even longer, I’m sure you can increase it by more.