My son is a Junior in HS and took the SAT twice. Once in October, when he received 670 in english and 750 in Math and once again last week at school, mainly to try to improve his english section score and to also take the essay (the Oct one was without the essay).
We have a tutor that comes now and then and she wants him to take the ACT too. However, in my opinion, it doesn’t make sense. If he got more than 700 in English for the last week’s SAT, we are all set. If he didn’t get a better score last week, I also don’t want him taking the SAT or ACT again. The reason is, he doesn’t study much anyway. We had the tutor but he only just solves the one test right before the tutor comes, so it’s not like he would study more for another round.
Therefore, whether or not he did better in the last week’s SAT, I think we are done with the SAT and I really don’t see a point in preparing for the ACT.
The plan is to go to Purdue for CS. I know the average for Purdue CS is 1450, but how long are we going to keep going for the extra 30 points? And why take the ACT?
Any advice how to proceed?
If say the SAT score brought the english part over 700, why take the ACT?
If the SAT didn't go over 700 for the English, why keep going unless he studies more?
I pretty much want to stop paying the tutor, and not sure if she wants him to take the ACT so we keep paying her. It’s not cheap.
If your son isn’t putting in the time to study and practice, you are wasting your money.
Just be clear that he knows that Purdue CS has gotten extremely competitive and the stats of admitted students go up every year, while the acceptance rate goes down.
Yes, some students do better on one test. Usually, kids who do less well on the SAT math section do better on the ACT. The material is easier but you need to work quickly (which also favors kids willing to practice. ) If you aren’t happy with the SAT scores, it definitely could be worthwhile to try a practice ACT although your son doesn’t necessarily sound like the kid who would find it a better test.
Since Purdue superscores the highest sections of the SAT then if your son scores at least 700 on the English part he should stop. Because his total score would be 1450, which equates with a 33 on the ACT on the concordance table for 2018-19. And with that SAT (and equivalent type ACT score) he would be competitive for large merit aid under the holistic formula that Purdue uses. If he doesn’t score at least 700, it may be worth it to try the ACT—the Princeton Reciew gives a free diagnostic test and he could see how he scores on a practice test. IF he does great then he can try for the September ACT. If he scores meh and /or he doesn’t feel better taking it than the SAT, then he doesn’t need to take it. He could try one more time for the SAT without a tutor. Use his notes from his prior tutor sessions. All the lessons will have sunk in and you may be pleasantly surprised that he does better.
Thank you everyone! He didn’t do much better on the second SAT, he only increased his English score from 670 to 680, so now he has a total of 1430. But he refuses to try again or take the ACT. I guess that solves the dilemma. He sat down with the SAT tutor and me and bascially fired her himself. Told her he’s done with standardized testing and he isn’t willing to study any more, he has better things to do (some extracuricullars he’s obsessed with).
As long as he’s good with the fact that he will need safety schools that he’d be happy to attend in case Purdue does not work out, then that was a fine decision.
Off topic but this has to be the biggest reason you see so many high scores today vs. a generation ago. If you got a 1400 when I was in HS (early 80’s), you were a rock star. Now it’s the minimum to get into a higher end school and nowhere near competitive to get to the top 20.
When learning of the high scores, I used to think “well the test must be easier”. Don’t know if that’s the case. Kids aren’t smarter either (although they’re exposed to more today). So what is it?
It’s all the tutoring and multiple test sittings. In HS, I literally didn’t know one kid who received tutoring for the SAT (never even heard of the ACT back then - in MA). My own S increased significantly after tutoring (following his second sitting we bought in to the whole tutoring thing and it certainly worked - something like 70 points after 5 or 6 sessions)… Now we’re doing the same for D. Seems very artificial. The schools must know this is going on. Would be interesting if they got a read on the first result and weighed that as sort of a natural ability and then factored in the growth - maybe they do. I can see why so many schools have moved to Test Optional or lessened the weighting of testing on admissions. Seems like you many could tutor up to outstanding scores with the proper resources. That’s a whole additional topic.
Bottom line - I know my kids. I know they’re strengths. They’re not their test scores. Kind of a phony system.
Probably a combination of “the test is easier” (to get a high score on due to the recentering, whether or not the questions are actually easier) and increased preparation and multiple tries.