Are you having your student take the SAT multiple times, or are you doing limited

[imeverywoman]

attempts at the test?

 

Today, the daughter of a friend (who attends public school) told me she is only planning to take it twice because school will track her scores.

 

This made me wonder if the advice that I had been given a couple of years ago makes sense, that being, to take the test as many times as was possible.

 

I'm reconsidering that advice and considering having my kids practice, practice, practice at home....

 

So, what's your plan?

[Gwen in VA]

"One and done" is our SAT motto.

 

My kids study hard for the SAT, and our expectation is that after all their prep work they will do well enough on the first time to not need to do it again.

[Barb_]

Gwen is of hardier stock than I :lol: I have my kids take it twice. Once in Junior year for a baseline and then in the fall of Senior year. Use the Official SAT prep book put out by the College Board. It used to be called the 10 Real SATs because they use actual old tests. Best place to start.

 

Barb

[Susan C.]

Ds took it twice, only improved his score 10 pts. He felt he was "topped out."

 

I'll let dd take it as many times as she needs to, until she feels she can't do better. She takes her first in June, after junior year. So we don't take them early.

[AngieW in Texas]

2-3 times is plenty. My oldest took it midway through her junior year. She made a solid score, but not anything in range for scholarships. I worked with her on it for a few months, but her scores on the 10 real sats tests didn't improve, so I had her take a prep class. She took the SAT for the 2nd (and last) time in June last year (end of 11th grade) and her score went up just over 200 points from her previous test. That was enough.

 

My middle dd will probably follow the same schedule.

 

ETA:

All of my girls will take the PSAT twice, once in 10th grade and again in 11th grade. My oldest was nowhere near the cutoff score in 10th or 11th grade. My middle dd made last year's cutoff score for our state this year in 10th grade, so I'm going to have her do a prep class this summer. The university she's most likely to go to offers a full complete ride for National Merit scholars.

Edited May 8, 2011 by AngieW in Texas

[creekland]

I had my oldest take both the SAT and ACT once each and considered him done. He had high enough scores to do everything he wanted to do with decent merit aid.

 

Middle son started with the PSAT in fall of 10th grade and scored well. Out of curiosity I had him take the ACT in spring of 10th grade and he pretty much matched oldest son's scores BUT without finishing sections of the test. He then did some prep books over the summer and retook both the PSAT and ACT in fall of his junior year. With the PSAT he just missed the National Merit Semi-Finalist cut off for our state (would have made it in 30 other states based on last year's cut off). With the ACT he scored in the top 1%.

 

HE wanted to see if he could do even better on the ACT (there was still a little bit of room), so he took it again in the spring of his junior year (when most kids take the test) and did, indeed, up his score. He won't be taking the SAT ever. There's no need. He tested well on the PSAT, but better on the ACT, so we're sticking with that.

 

So, he has twice with the PSAT (and I don't regret either) and three times with the ACT, but only one of those being a "normal" time. I'm quite satisfied with that and might use the same route for youngest - though will see if he's better with the SAT or ACT.

 

One BIG plus with the ACT is I'm now finding a couple of high level schools middle son is interested in would require 2 SAT subject tests if he had submitted an SAT score, but accept the ACT without subject tests. It makes me think colleges in general prefer the ACT. They accept either, of course, so my motto is do the one your student is best at.

[MIch elle]

My ds high school recommends taking the SAT multiple times.

[Leonor]

Gwen is of hardier stock than I :lol: I have my kids take it twice. Once in Junior year for a baseline and then in the fall of Senior year. Use the Official SAT prep book put out by the College Board. It used to be called the 10 Real SATs because they use actual old tests. Best place to start.

 

Barb

 

This is what we are doing. He will be taking it in October in time for early admission. He took it in January. He can't take it in June because of Nationals of Speech and Debate. He will prepare in the summer.

[Jane Elliot]

Most of my dc took (or will take) it once.

 

But, the first time my twins took it, everything went wrong--and I mean absolutely everything. Some days/situations are like that, so they took it twice. Their scores improved enough on the second go to qualify them for thousands of dollars in scholarships that they wouldn't have qualified for if we had stopped after one time.

[Brilliant]

My dd took it once, and that's probably what ds will do also.

 

Dd had taken the PSAT once - ds will have taken it 3 times (freshman, sophomore, & junior years). I know the test is a little different, but, I still think it's good preparation for both the content of the test, and the test-taking environment/procedures. It's also way cheaper than the SAT, and it doesn't show up on your "permanent record" like multiple SAT tries do.

[Kareni]

My daughter took the SAT once in March of her junior year. (It was a big test taking year with AP exams, SAT subject tests, the PSAT, and the National Latin exam.) She was content with her score and decided she was done.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[readwithem]

"One and done" is our SAT motto.

 

My kids study hard for the SAT, and our expectation is that after all their prep work they will do well enough on the first time to not need to do it again.

 

My daughter took the SAT once in March of her junior year. (It was a big test taking year with AP exams, SAT subject tests, the PSAT, and the National Latin exam.) She was content with her score and decided she was done.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

This and this. We were aiming for "one and done" and my dd was happy with her score - same as Kareni's dd, she took it in March of her junior year - we also called junior year the year of testing :)

[newbie]

Once, unless she bombs it.

 

First dd took it, checked the colleges she wanted, they accepted her score and she needed no retake. Although it would have upped her scholarship money.