<li><p>Daughter’s GC (she is a junior) had a meeting and told us that everyone is required to take the SAT twice because when students take it only once he gets calls from the colleges even if the kids scored well because he doesn’t want to have to deal with those calls. Is that true? It makes no sense to me that colleges would care how many times a kid takes the SAT as long as the scores are appropriate.</p></li>
<li><p>Daughter got invited to an open house at Drexel and the invitation said that if a student submitted an app at the open house, the fee is waived. Huh? Aren’t they already set for fall of 2006 and isn’t it too early for fall of 2007?</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Never heard of such a thing.</p></li>
<li><p>Apparently, Drexel still has limited openings for Class of 2010 (fall 2006 enrollment):<br>
<a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/ForStudents/2006SpaceAvailabilityResults.htm[/url]”>http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/ForStudents/2006SpaceAvailabilityResults.htm</a>. It is too early for Class of 2011.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I know a girl who took the SAT once, although this was in 2002, scored a 1510, in the old format, and saw no need to take it again. She was admitted to Notre Dame and a host of other good colleges. I really question the GC’s advice. You could call a college she is interested in to verify that info.</p>
<p>I believe that what Drexel meant is that IF you attend an open house and then later apply, your application fee is waived. Oberlin offered a free application fee if any student applied on the spot, after a tour. The application they showed us was a one page supplement to the rest of the app which asked for EC’s etc.</p>
<p>Hello Zoosermom. As far as I know, there are no official guidelines or even requirements regarding how many number of times a student must take the SAT. At least, I have never seen anything to indicate it on the CB site. Most people seem to agree that twice is a good number and more than four a sign of desperation! Your GC is most likely telling you what he, or your school, requires or rather desires. Since you have to work with your GC within your school system you probably will have to just work out the details with him as tactfully as possible.</p>
<p>I cannot give you any help on your second question except that perhaps Drexel is trying to attract a better applicant pool by offering an edge, that includes a small financial courtesy in the form of a fee waiver, to top prospects.</p>
<p>Good Luck! :)</p>
<p>some schools start recruiting the next class right after the may 1 (they don’t need the entire staff to handle waitlists). This includes summer visitiation programs, and the type of program you mentioned at Drexel. They are basically information session, and are trying to atleast put themselves into your D’s mind for fall 2007.</p>
<p>If Drexel is on her radar, by all means visit. Do the tour, listen to the talk track and use the free application.</p>
<p>zoosermom:</p>
<p>by that logic, a kid scoring 2400 needs a retake? (It defies belief…)</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you for the good advice! I think she will visit Drexel and your explanation makes much more sense. Must have been how it was worded.</p>
<p>The GC has been a GC for 47 years. He is also a priest who had a stroke last year and has some real humdinger rules and opinions. Says the GC of a private school: living in New York State there is no reason for a student to apply to a private college and in good conscience I can’t encourage you in that direction.</p>
<p>Daughter did pretty well on the ACT but had an out of body experience on the SAT, so I’d rather she retake the ACT if anything, but with her anxiety, she is going to get what she’s going to get and so why torture her further? Her college choices seem appropriate based on her ACT scores, ECs, GPA and other aspects of her application. She does not aspire to an elite college but, rather to a small one where she can get a degree in biology to bring home to teach high school. The major victory for her on the SAT was that she didn’t vomit on her test paper.</p>
<p>I’m seeing that some high schools–my D’s among them–have some pretty mystifying “requirements” that are not in fact universal or necessary. I have also learned that some teachers and even guidance counselors are not fully aware of the ins and outs of the college board nor are they always correct about school “policy” vs what is actually required by admissions or by the test admininstrators. If a student is happy with their first SAT scores the added stress of taking it again seems inappropriate. My D assumed that she should take the SAT again after she saw her scores. We soon discovered that she was comparing her math score to that of a friend who is an engineering/math whiz, while she is simply a very solid math student. Her advisor and some other friends convinced her that her scores were very good and that she needn’t take the test again. Her relief was palpable. I think it’s important to make sure where the pressure comes from, whether it comes from internal conviction on your kids’ part or from parents and overanxious g.c.s.</p>
<p>It’s very interesting to know that GCs and teachers may not have all the right information. I am inclined to fight the GC on the SAT rule because my daughter really is better suited to the ACT. At least psychologically because she is a science girl and she feels more comfortable on a test with a science component. She also is interested in a small college away from home and more than likely that fit won’t be a SUNY. Thanks for all the good advice.</p>
<p>“I’m seeing that some high schools–my D’s among them–have some pretty mystifying “requirements” that are not in fact universal or necessary.”</p>
<p>Way back a million years ago when I was in high school my best friend got 750/750. She really didn’t want to take the SATs again, but my (private) school made her. The second time she got 790/710. We had a good laugh about it - and I guess she was better off - esp. if they looked at the best scores.</p>
<p>If she had a great SAT score(for her), I would not take it again. Once is plenty. If she’s taken the SAT and ACT and is very happy with her scores, I wouldn’t put her through the agony. Esp. a child who has test anxiety. Don’t sweat it.</p>
<p>She does not have to submit her SATs to colleges at all - ACT will be enough for most, especially if she is not aiming at the very top. For ACTs she can also choose which scores she wants to submit, so there is no risk in retaking.</p>
<p>Our HS just instituted a policy of requiring sophomores to take the ACT (juniors are already required to take it by state mandate.) Since it’s a public school, I believe their aim is to familiarize students with the test, increase overall scores and thereby avoid the mandates forced on low-scoring schools.</p>
<p>From a private school standpoint, it may be that they want every student to do his or her best, which benefits both the student and the school’s profile. If her SAT score was abysmal and doesn’t reflect her true ability, I would think a retake was in order. I don’t think the ACT gets the same respect as the SAT at many colleges.</p>
<p>You need to decide whether trying to free your daughter from the need to take a meaningless SAT (since she plans to submit only ACT scores) is worth antagonizing the guidance counselor.</p>
<p>Remember, that counselor will be writing a recommendation for your daughter.</p>
<p>High schools often impose rules for the college admissions process on their students, and the students are stuck with those rules. If the “everyone must take the SAT twice” thing is a schoolwide rule, your daughter is probably stuck with it. But if it’s just the one GC’s rule, maybe not.</p>
<p>S took SAT I once. The score report indicated that if he retook it, their stats indicated that the Math score could go up 4 points and and critical reading could go up 9 points. Hardly seemed worth the effort of a second test, as his
first scores were solid (not dazzling).</p>
<p>Anecdotally, a school parent told me that colleges liked to see that a student took the SAT I more than once – perhaps it indicates ambition or persistence or something? Lucky for us, I heard this after the application deadlines, so there was nothing we could do about it anyway.</p>
<p>S was admitted to his top choices, so once worked for us.</p>
<p>However, the previous comment about staying in the GC’s good graces has some validity…(or maybe the GC’s rec would say, “The kid’s great, but the parent has trouble with authority.”)</p>
<p>The point about not alienating the GC is a very good one and may make it all worthwhile since we are already on his bad side because she wants to apply to some private schools.</p>
<p>My daughter took the SAT as a junior and was pleased with the score she received - end of story. She got into her first choice school.My DS took the SAT the spring of his junior year and received a very satisfactory score. He decided to retake it his senior year - and got exactly the same score! If your student is satisfied with her score (on either the SAT or ACT), then I would say not to bother fattening the College Board’s wallets. Same advice goes for SAT II tests - none of my son’s schools required them, his high school transcript was strong, so he spared himself the money and time.</p>
<p>My son took SATs once only, was satisfied with his score, and got into almost every college he applied to. </p>
<p>My D. took SATs twice & the ACT twice, and each time her score was either about the same or slightly less on the second administration - so the re-testing was a waste. I honestly doubt that the colleges care - certainly they won’t with a high scorer.</p>
<p>Based on all this good advice, here’s the plan: I’m going to reach out to the GC and explain her anxiety (Father, you know her and know how sick she gets on standardized tests) and ask if he would allow us to assume the risk of her not taking the test twice. If he is adamant, then she will have to take it and suck it up, although I really don’t see her getting a substantially higher score. Thanks very much everyone.</p>
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<p>What a bizarre rule. I was at a Duke/Georgetown/Penn/Harvard tour event last night, and the officers all agreed that when they see a kid who had 750’s and retakes, they wonder why that kid didn’t have anything better to do on a Saturday morning. Too bad the GC wasn’t at the event!</p>