Shawneinfl Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 My dd was accepted to her first choice university but she is 4 points shy of the scholarship level we were hoping for. Has anyone made this kind of gain before? It's really the math that is hurting her most. I'm just wondering what kind of effort we should put in - should we enroll her in a course? Some of them are pretty expensive, but worth it if we could get the results. Your experiences are appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 I can't answer your question directly, but has she taken more math since the test? My dd took the ACT as the state required standardized test. She scored well enough as a sophomore to get into the schools she is looking at. But we expect her scores to go up since she thought the math was really hard. She had through Algebra 2 and geometry last year at test time. She is doing pre-calc this year. But if your dd took the ACT this fall for next year, then the additional math course won't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 2, 2011 Author Share Posted December 2, 2011 She is still in Algebra 2 and hasn't completed it yet. There was an 8 point difference between math and English. I have her set up for private math tutoring beginning next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 One of our sons raised his score by 4 points by improving his English score, so it is possible. Regarding ACT prep, purchase lots of ACT prep books from B&N. Have your daughter take a complete test every Saturday morning under the same conditions as the test; i.e. same start time, a short break halfway through, accurately timed sections (I used the stove timer because I could hear it and keep on track). Keep practicing at home until you see the improvement you want. For most students, scores can only be improved by experience and practice, in addition to the proper skill set. Test day is stressful, especially since the stakes are high; practice does make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 I tired two different operators and got the same response of wait for the code that will be with the results that are mailed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Yes, it is possible for some students - especially if the deficit is in math or science. However, it takes practice. The more practice tests or sections she does, the better and quicker she will be at it. It's not possible for all students, so I wouldn't put pressure on it, but I'd definitely try. If her math issue is not understanding the math, McGraw Hill's book tends to be good at explaining WHY the answer is as it is - teaching the math. If her math issue is accuracy with the timing, then Barrons tends to give good tips. Barrons also tends to be a little harder than the actual test (a good thing making the test, itself, seem easier). McGraw Hill tends to be a little easier than the test - not such a good thing, but worth it for their teaching if the context is an issue. Let her work with either (or both) books on a regular basis (one section per day for a few days a week generally works well), then try a practice test or two from the Real ACT guide (real tests) to see if she shows improvement. People often say this is "studying to the test," and I suppose it is, but I've found that kids who do this also learn more than they knew before. ;) They're filling in gaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Yes, it is possible for some students - especially if the deficit is in math or science. However, it takes practice. The more practice tests or sections she does, the better and quicker she will be at it. I had wondered if the OP was asking about raising the math score four points or the composite. The Science portion of the ACT does throw some kids off. Perhaps doing a number of practice tests can help boost the score a point or two in this area alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 4 points is possible. Do what others have said and get study books. Have her test, grade, amd then work through missed problems. By working through what she is missing, she will know what to do on the actual test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 She is still in Algebra 2 and hasn't completed it yet. There was an 8 point difference between math and English. I have her set up for private math tutoring beginning next week. Absolutely! With having done more Algebra 2 and the private tutoring, she should be able to raise her score significantly. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 It is possible but how easy it will be depends on how she did the first test. Between my older dd's first practice test and final real test, she improved 8 points. But most of that improvement was between her first practice test and first real test- that was a jump of five points. Once she had done the test once, she tried the real test a few more times. SHe ended up getting three points higher which gave her a complete tuition scholarship.But it was hard. She did it by mostly improving the reading and the English and then slightly improving the science. I don't think her math ever improved. (Her math was okay -25 but not like her English-33). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in STL Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 When I was in high school, one of my friends raised her score 4 points from a 30 to 34 after taking one of those prep classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnlvr Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Yes. I raised my own ACT more than 4 points by studying and taking a review course. (that was "back in the day"...1988, so hopefully you still can!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 It sounds like it's the composite score which needs to come up 4 points - yes? If that's the case, she should definitely work hard on her math, but she should also work on each of the other areas. As was mentioned, science tends to be one with a lower score, and that can bring the composite score down considerably, so make sure she gets lots of practice. Be careful of which prep books you use as some are much easier than the actual test. I think the ones which make it harder are better - can't remember which one that tends to be. No matter what you use, it's best to have the College Boards prep book as it contains actual tests. You can use these to gauge how she's doing with raising her score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharoninTennessee Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 My daughter raised her score 6 points. Math and science were her weakness, so she brought her score up by focusing on English. The most useful book series we found was Top 50 Skills for Top Scores. They have one for math and one for English, reading, and science. She gained 4 points from those books alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Sharon, I had never heard of the Top 50 Skills books - I will order those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 Amazingly, her science score was not too bad - 24 - and stayed the same on both tests. It would be nice to gain a few points there though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Amazingly, her science score was not too bad - 24 - and stayed the same on both tests. It would be nice to gain a few points there though. I posted here earlier this year in a thread concerning the ACT science section. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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