How much effect would a DE stats class likely have on ACT math or science?

[KarenNC]

We're trying to decide whether to have our daughter take one more ACT in the early fall of her senior year or to let it ride and pick a different test to meet state requirements. She's applying to several mid-range colleges, not highly selective ones, because those are the ones in which she is most interested and most likely to get good merit aid. Based on the info available on collegedata.com, she is already in what looks like the top 10% or so of scores for those schools. 

 

The only areas in which she really has much room for likely improvement are math and science. Math is her weakest area and I'm concerned her composite (currently a 32) may go down on a fall test since she finished her alg/geo sequence in April and will just be starting DE statistics in late August. She'd have to bring up math, science, or a combination at least 3 points in order to improve a super-scored composite over the one she already has (at least a couple of the schools she likes super-score the ACT). With her science already a 31, I'm doubtful that's likely to increase a lot, and we're thrilled she scored as highly as she did on math last time, so not expecting any substantial positive change in this section.

 

Test dates are in mid-September and late October and she will be trying to apply early action as much as possible, so mid-September would be the most likely for that, but it will conflict with a good opportunity in her major extracurricular. The October one may be too late for scholarship applications to some of the schools. She'd be happy to be done with the ACT and just do something simple to meet the state requirements, but isn't stressed at the idea of taking it again.

 

So, to sum up:

1) Would a (potential) drop in composite on a single test look really bad and potentially hurt scholarship chances more than trying for a possible increase in a subsection might help?

2) How likely is a 3 point rise in math or science scores at that level after only a few weeks of a DE stats class?

 

[EKS]

2) How likely is a 3 point rise in math or science scores at that level after only a few weeks of a DE stats class?

 

Not likely at all, IMO.

[katilac]

The ACT math section is algebra, geometry, and a touch of trig. Stats will not help her - she needs to look at her practice tests and see if she can pin down what she got wrong. 

 

I don't think a drop in score will cause great harm, but it's much harder to raise an already-high score. If she's in the top 10% at several schools on her short list, and a higher score doesn't lead to a guaranteed higher amount, I'd probably call it a day. 

 

If she does take it again, she needs to use ACT prep books to practice the very specific math covered on the test. 

[teachermom2834]

Not likely at all, IMO.

Agreed. Sad to say but my kids maxed out their math early in high school. While they continued to improve the other three sections the math stayed fairly steady even as they progressed through the courses. Very frustrating. IMO, stats isn't going to make much, if any difference. Targeted ACT practice would be a better approach.

[KarenNC]

The ACT math section is algebra, geometry, and a touch of trig. Stats will not help her - she needs to look at her practice tests and see if she can pin down what she got wrong. 

 

I don't think a drop in score will cause great harm, but it's much harder to raise an already-high score. If she's in the top 10% at several schools on her short list, and a higher score doesn't lead to a guaranteed higher amount, I'd probably call it a day. 

 

If she does take it again, she needs to use ACT prep books to practice the very specific math covered on the test. 

 

That was my thought as well. She did a lot of targeted practice with prep books, etc to get her math up to where it is. None of the schools has a guaranteed scholarship tied to a particular composite score and she is well within the parameters for consideration for even the top scholarships.

 

I think it's time to go with what she has and let her focus her efforts on writing the best essays she can and doing well in her DE classes rather than spending more time on test prep.

 

Thanks all for the confirmation.

[Pegasus]

 

 

I think it's time to go with what she has and let her focus her efforts on writing the best essays she can and doing well in her DE classes rather than spending more time on test prep.

 

 

:iagree: I agree with this.  Keep in mind that raising the score even a point or two is much more difficult the higher the score already is.  We had DD re-take the ACT in April because she only needed one more point in her composite score to reach the next level of many school scholarships.  She actually got small improvements in Reading, English, and Math. Yeah!  However, she had an insanely high Science score on the first ACT and that score dropped enough with the second ACT that she walked away with the same exact composite score. *sigh*  I really think the Science score especially is prone to wild swings.

[Julie of KY]

Agree with the above. Even a full year of stats is unlikely to do much to her math score.

[regentrude]

Agree with pp. Not likely to make any difference.