<p>In about 18 months my first child will be going to college, and I am beginning to gather information. My major concern right now is that she is an honor junior student (3.8 GPA), but for some reason she scored low in her PSAT test. We have noticed she takes her time doing her homework and gets 100s and bonus points. She is very diligent and studious, a very hard worker. However, she scores 70s in her tests. She feels she doesn’t have enough time to finish, and she probably gets nervous too. She scored 600 in the PSAT. While I know that the SAT score doesn’t show everything the students know and their potential, I am very concerned about the impact of a low SAT score may have in her college applications. She wants to study physical therapy, and she is not dreaming of attending the best colleges in the US. However, she wants to apply to several colleges that offer this program. If in deed, she scores low in her SAT, how can this impact her opportunities? Advice from parents and students is greatly appreciated. Thank you.</p>
<p>The first thing you will hear is to have her take the ACT. The tests are different.</p>
<p>Welcome! I’m pretty new myself and have found this place to have a wealth of information. </p>
<p>I’m unclear what a 600 PSAT score is, as the highest PSAT score is 240 with each section going up to 80. Do you mean each of her section scores (V, M, W) on the PSAT were in the 60s, a total of 60, or is it something else?</p>
<p>In any case, if she is unhappy with her SAT score once she takes it, there are quite a number of test-optional schools.(And the number seems to be growing yearly.) If her application is otherwise good, she can choose not to send any SAT scores to those schools, and it would not affect her application. Check out the Colleges that Change Lives schools (that is a book that lists certain smaller, more nurturing schools) and other schools that might offer such an option. Even NYU now will take AP tests (or SAT IIs) instead of SATs, so you could look into that. </p>
<p>Also, as the previous poster said she should try the ACT. It couldn’t hurt to try both to see which gives the higher score.</p>
<p>Also, since you mention he is a diligent student but very slow at test taking, perhaps see if she has any sort of learning disability that is preventing her from being able to process the information as quickly as most people. If evaluated by a psychologist and found to have an LD or attention disorder, perhaps she would qualify for extended time on tests, although the process can take awhile and College Board has specific criteria that you could maybe look into to see if she would in fact qualify or not.</p>
<p>You also could try having her take practice tests (timed) to help her prepare better for the SAT, which maybe can help her feel more confident. And she can take the actual test more than once and use score choice to only send her best scores to colleges.</p>
<p>Here is a website that lists test-optional schools.
[SAT/ACT</a> Optional 4-Year Universities | FairTest](<a href=“http://fairtest.org/university/optional]SAT/ACT”>ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest)</p>
<p>well, more D also wants to be a PT and her PSATs were not great. From what I have read, where someone gets their degree from doesn’t matter much in this field. There are only about 250 accredited programs in PT, and while some schools carry “prestige”, many do not.</p>
<p>I also do not understand test score of 600 for PSAT. </p>
<p>If she is getting 70s for her class tests and only able to pull her grades up to A- through extra credits then I would be careful about sending her to more demanding college. Many colleges like to see a correlation between standarized tests and GPA.</p>
<p>As suggested by others, she may have some sort of LD which makes her a slow test taker (not that she doesn´t understand the material). You may want to get her tested and treated before she goes off to college. She may also be able to get extra time for SAT testing.</p>
<p>I would also spend some money to get a good tutor to prepare her for SAT/ACT. Tutors can prepare her with material she doesn´t know and also help her with strategy on how to take those LONG tests.</p>
<p>My son was in the same boat last year at this time. his PSAT scores were in the 50s and 60s. High class rank and GPA but PSAT scores did not reflect his abilities. Math in particular. We found a tutor/SAT coach from a private company that worked mostly with top students. Once a week, the tutor came over for an hour and went over problems in the SAT blue book and the time saving strategies for the SAT. During the week, I would have S do a section or two of the test, timed. Kids with test anxiety benefit from coaching and practice. His May SAT was much improved for CR and writing (the coach also worked on strategies for the other two sections). His June SAT brought the Math up enough so the super score qualified him for the Flagship honors and a half tuition scholarship. So the $700 investment in coaching yielded $17,000 in acholarships. Also helped in Pre-calc!</p>
<p>For students that read or process slowly, the ACT is nto going to be the answer. The time limit on ACT is much more noticeable, though your student may like that the reading and English sections seem to be more straightforward.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend getting into a SAT/ACT prep class or hire a private tutor. The tips they can learn could also help with test taking in general. Maybe even ask your school GC for referals. The best thing is lots of practice tests (timed). It sounds like your D has test anxiety. Mine suffered from that at a young age on math tests, her teacher at the time gave her extra practice tests and worked with her on tips and relaxing. In 6 months it was much better.</p>
<p>I would also recommend the ACT.</p>
<p>And don’t worry there are lots of test dates. If you child is a Junior sign up for some of the spring tests now!</p>
<p>First off, I’m assuming the poster means around 60 in each section. Also, the poster said she is not planning to attend one of the elite US colleges.</p>
<p>If all that is correct, I’ll point out that those are not “low” scores. Only on here would anybody consider scores above the 80th percentile “low.”
<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools;
<p>I tutored the math section of this test for a couple years and many parents would have been ecstatic (even after forking out a thousand bucks) to have their kid’s scores go up to this level.</p>
<p>I took the SAT in the 1970s and even though my scores were above 700 on each section my dad frequently mentioned that “nobody in our family did very well on standardized tests.” He just thought I was capable of doing better than I did, but It was a bit annoying.</p>
<p>I understand of course that she is likely capable of better given her grades.</p>
<p>As oldfort mentioned, I would be more concerned about the 70s on classrrom exams - if you mean that is her typical grade. It is hard to imagine someone getting a 3.8 GPA if they typically get 70s, but people write on here that grades all depend on homework and projects and the like. It is just hard for me to believe that a student regularly earning mid level Cs on tests gets almost all As for grades… Grades on classroom exams still matter at all unversities. I hope. Find out if she has some general problem there, and the SAT will likely go up as well. Or ACT. Whatever.</p>
<p>I agree with MizzBee that the ACT may present an even more significant time crunch for her. Can you clarify what you mean by a 600 on the PSAT? Are you adding a zero to each section to relate it to the SAT? </p>
<p>My kids improved their SAT over their PSAT scores quite a bit - it’s not unusual for students to have much higher SATs. My D also felt rushed during standardized testing, and with lots of test prep, she resolved the issue. If your D’s issue is mostly timing - she knows the material and does not have test anxiety - she should be able to improve her scores with lots of practice and repetition. She sounds like a very careful student - thorough and thoughtful - all great qualities that are an asset in the long run. Because she is a diligent student, it is very doable. A tutor may help her get organized, and give her important test taking strategies, but many successful SAT takers find that practicing on their own using the Blue Book and online resources is more efficient. </p>
<p>It’s really about doing lots of drills and practice tests - my guess is that you’ll see her speed really improve.</p>
<p>I was not aware there were any undergrad programs in PT. </p>
<p>I suggest she try the ACT as well as be tested for an LD,because that can affect processing time.</p>
<p>" She is very diligent and studious, a very hard worker. However, she scores 70s in her tests. She feels she doesn’t have enough time to finish, and she probably gets nervous too."</p>
<p>This just SCREAMS learning disability to me. I’d start by having her evaluated for processing issues and dyslexia. If it turns out that there are no disabilities, then I’d have her evaluated for test-induced anxiety. Run, do not walk, to the guidance office at her high school and get the evaluation process started. The sooner she knows what is going on, the sooner she can get help with developing the skills that she needs to have to make the best use of her own brain.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>I’m going to disagree here about timed practice tests. I think it is best to start off slow and have your D complete practice sections at her own pace and see if she is getting the answers right…if not, go over the wrong answers. After during untimed practice tests for a while, then jump to the timed tests. I believe this startegy works much better and slowly increases your kid’s confidence.</p>
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<p>There are many 3+3 programs where you can be guaranteed a spot in the graduate DPT program as a freshmen…so basically you don’t have to go through the application process to the graduate program, and you save a year(although summer classes are required)</p>
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<p>I was thinking the same thing. But there does seem to be some truth to this.</p>
<p>My daughter’s PSAT scores were in the low 90th percentile (around low 60s average).
And I thought, “wow, that’s great.”</p>
<p>But when I began to look at the mid-fifty-range for most schools, they’re all in the mid to upper 600s!</p>
<p>As I said in another post, 700 seems to be the new 600.</p>
<p>So, yes, I guess, 80th percentile - based on what schools are looking for - is now actually “bad.”</p>
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I guess it depends on which schools you looked at and what you mean by most.</p>
<p>600 still appears to be around the 80th percentile for SATs (a little lower for Math)
<a href=“http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/SAT-Percentile_Ranks_2011.pdf[/url]”>http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/SAT-Percentile_Ranks_2011.pdf</a></p>
<p>If we assume that most of the kids taking the PSAT end up attending college, and their SAT scores are around the same level as the PSAT scores, the lower 80% have to go somewhere. So there must be schools where their scores are within range. And a lot of them.</p>
<p>I’m not suggesting the OP’s daughter settle for these scores. She can likely do better given her grades. I’m just saying I wouldn’t refer to them as “low”.</p>
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<p>not most schools, highly selective schools. There are many, many wonderful schools with mid 50 much lower.</p>
<p>UIowa mid 50 range is 1060-1260. Nothing wrong with anyone attending a school like that.</p>
<p>I’d be very hesitant to jump on the learning disability bandwagon. The kid has 3.8 and scores at/above the 80%ile on the PSAT. (Reread Bovertine’s post. Only on CC is this “low” or “bad”.) It isn’t like there are only 2 kinds of students in the world, “top” students and those who aren’t because of a learning disability. This student sounds like a hard worker. </p>
<p>Kids from my no-name “lesser” LAC employer get into PT school every single year. In fact, I might even recommend this kind of place for a hard-working kid who doesn’t test so well all the time in the classroom. Smaller classes, more instructor interaction – lots of times teachers at these small schools will really go the extra mile to help a student like that succeed.</p>