<p>My son gets great grades (4.65 weighted GPA) and takes challenging classes like AP Calc and AP Physics as a junior, and he’s in the top 5-10%. Unfortunately, his SAT’s aren’t great due to being a slow reader (1860). I’m hearing that more schools aren’t paying as much attention to the tests as much as grades, curriculum, etc? I’m wondering how his tests scores will affect admission and scholarships? He’s not applying to select schools but I hate for test scores to hurt him when he’s worked so hard.</p>
<p>You can go to the college board website and check out the information. It will tell you how much weightage each individual school gives to test scores, and other factors. (Most Important, Very Important, Important, Considered, Not Considered) [For</a> example, my enrolled college considers standardized testing scores as important.](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>Schools have different policies–usually state schools will be more focused on the numbers. So your family may want to consider test-optional schools such as Bates in ME. I’m sure your S will be wanted by a good school, tests aren’t everything.</p>
<p>Thanks, I’ll look into that.</p>
<p>How has he done with his AP tests? Has he been tested to see if his slow reading is caused by dyslexia or a processing speed disorder? Or , in other words, is he smarter than his SAT scores would suggest?</p>
<p>He won’t get the scores until July but he felt good about them. Yes, he has been tested for reading. No dyslexia and his comprehension was the highest in his grade. He just reads very methodically, word for word. He’s one of those people who’s very math-oriented rather than verbal.</p>
<p>“Schools That Do Not Use SAT or ACT Scores for Admitting Substantial Numbers of Students Into Bachelor Degree Programs”</p>
<p>[Optional</a> List | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional]Optional”>ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest)</p>
<p>Your son appears to be a very intelligent and motivated young man. Why isn’t he applying to select schools? Many selective schools would be very interested in your son and his SAT scores are not terrible. He probably will not receive much from state schools because they are driven by scores but the more competitive schools look at the complete picture. A student with your sons motivation does not belong at a school where he is at the top of the heap-he will be bored.</p>
<p>Your son is going to succeed in life. Obviously, no standardised test would predict that, which only proves their limitations.</p>
<p>I absolutely agree with everyone! S1, who just finished his first year at Skidmore had lower S.A.T. scores than S2. At college, he hit the ground running and has a very good G.P.A. He loves college! Don’t worry about the S.A.T.'s, colleges are looking at the whole student, not just one test. I bet your son excels at whatever college he goes to!</p>
<p>Not everyone wants to go to a select school.</p>
<p>Northcarolinamom, slightly OT, but have you ever enrolled your son in programs to increase his reading speed? I have a D who is very smart, gets great grades but is just a slow reader. She gets by but courses in the future which require a great deal of reading will kill her. She talks of law school but I know she could never keep up with the reading. All the comercial programs out there seem disreputable.</p>
<p>How much does your son read? I know it may not be this simple, but I grew to be a very, very fast reader from practice. Albeit I was much younger.</p>
<p>Has he tried the ACT? Even though the time constraints are a little worse on the ACT, he may actually do better if he does that well in school. Two of my sons best friends scored in the 1800’s on the SAT but scored 32 and 33 on the ACT.</p>
<p>PM me if you get a chance. I have another thought for you.</p>
<p>An 1860 still sticks him pretty well in the top 15% of test takers, and I would think that a higher GPA than SAT score would be better than the other way around in the eyes of an admissions person. There really aren’t many schools that he’s going to have to mark off of his list because of his scores. If he’s not applying to select schools, depending on your definition, I’d be rather shocked if he didn’t get in.</p>
<p>I agree - try the ACT. My daughter, also a good student, is sort of a slow reader and she didn’t like her SAT score - and the low score of her three SAT sections was in reading. When she tried the ACT, she did very well. As momof2ky described, the ACT time constraints didn’t seem to hurt her.</p>