Can you superscore old SAT scores?

[JeanM]

DS just got his SAT scores from the October test and was a little disappointed in his scores. To be honest, his reading score was higher when he took it in 8th grade. He thinks he can superscore his 8th grade test. I'm going to have him ask his top choice school if they will do that, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with superscoring old scores. I'm guessing that he won't be able to use scores that old.

 

Now we wait for the PSAT scores...

Edited November 24, 2015 by JeanM

[JeanM]

I'm not sure that YOU superscore anything; that is something the schools themselves may opt to do. You just report your test scores to the schools and they do with them what they want. Some schools do superscore, but some do not.

 

Eta: I would report both sets of scores to the schools.

 

You're right, I phrased that badly. This is mostly me telling ds that he really can't count on schools using a score that old, and ds really not wanting to re-take the SAT.

[justasque]

You're right, I phrased that badly. This is mostly me telling ds that he really can't count on schools using a score that old, and ds really not wanting to re-take the SAT.

 

I'm not clear what grade your ds is in now, but I would be concerned that even if he would be allowed to tell it, the story told by "his reading score was higher when he took it in 8th grade" is not a story that would benefit your ds.  (I'm assuming here that there was no intervening TBI or other issue that could put the scores in a different light/context.)  I would encourage your ds to retake the SAT (with some prep effort towards upping the reading score).  He might also want to try the ACT.  Standardized tests are no fun, and they effectively suck up a whole Saturday.  It is what it is.  You can, of course, go nuts on re-takes, which isn't good emotionally and tends to have diminishing returns..  So, yes, there is a time to accept one's score and call it quits, but I'd advise your ds that he isn't quite there yet. 

[JeanM]

I'm not clear what grade your ds is in now, but I would be concerned that even if he would be allowed to tell it, the story told by "his reading score was higher when he took it in 8th grade" is not a story that would benefit your ds.  (I'm assuming here that there was no intervening TBI or other issue that could put the scores in a different light/context.)  I would encourage your ds to retake the SAT (with some prep effort towards upping the reading score).  He might also want to try the ACT.  Standardized tests are no fun, and they effectively suck up a whole Saturday.  It is what it is.  You can, of course, go nuts on re-takes, which isn't good emotionally and tends to have diminishing returns..  So, yes, there is a time to accept one's score and call it quits, but I'd advise your ds that he isn't quite there yet. 

 

He's a junior now. I really don't think his reading skills have gone down, it's more like he's overthinking the questions. 

 

We just talked about trying the ACT. I think that's an excellent idea, thanks. He's going to try a practice test and see how it goes.

 

We're also going to see how his PSAT scores look - since that is more similar to the new SAT. If he did better on the PSAT that he took in October than the SAT he took in November, he may wait and take the new SAT next spring.

 

ETA: His reading score did go down by 90 points, but his writing and math both went up significantly. So his total score is higher than it was in 8th grade.

Edited November 24, 2015 by JeanM

[Tsuga]

I agree that he should prep for reading and retake the test. It is unusual to go down so much and suggests an error or fluke in one of the two results.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Did he request that College Board keep his 8th grade scores?  Typically they will delete scores prior to high school.  I also agree with a previous poster that trying to use scores that old is probably does not reflect positively on the student. When schools superscore I think they are expecting to use junior and fall semester senior year scores.  

[mckive6]

JeanM, my daughter took the SAT in 7th grade, and now in 12th, her reading score went down some too.  We had the same thought you did, that she is overthinking the questions.  The first time she took it with no prepping before the test, and didn't really know what to expect. She's taking it one more time, and doing lots of practice questions first.

 

 

[JeanM]

Did he request that College Board keep his 8th grade scores?  Typically they will delete scores prior to high school.  I also agree with a previous poster that trying to use scores that old is probably does not reflect positively on the student. When schools superscore I think they are expecting to use junior and fall semester senior year scores.  

 

Yes, fortunately (or unfortunately) we did request to keep his 8th grade scores. He used them to get access to a community college class, so it was worth while. And I also agree that the old score probably isn't helping him. What he thinks is another story...

[JeanM]

JeanM, my daughter took the SAT in 7th grade, and now in 12th, her reading score went down some too.  We had the same thought you did, that she is overthinking the questions.  The first time she took it with no prepping before the test, and didn't really know what to expect. She's taking it one more time, and doing lots of practice questions first.

 

Wow, that sounds exactly like my ds. The 1st time he did zero prep. This time he mostly prepped for math and writing. And his math and writing scores are both more than 100 points higher than his 7th grade scores. He did two practice tests for reading and he seemed to be scoring on target, so he wasn't too worried about it.

 

[justasque]

Yes, fortunately (or unfortunately) we did request to keep his 8th grade scores. He used them to get access to a community college class, so it was worth while. And I also agree that the old score probably isn't helping him. What he thinks is another story...

 

Perhaps, then the best approach is to have him ask an admission counselor, either on the phone or (probably better) in person at a campus open house or info session (ideally with you hearing the question/answer at the same time, so there's no confusion over what they said, and you can ask a clarification or follow-up question if needed).  That way, the answer is coming from an authority from the school in question, and is likely to give you both a better sense of how to proceed.  (If he's reluctant to ask, then you can ask, but the idea is that the answer comes from the school, not from you.)

[JeanM]

Perhaps, then the best approach is to have him ask an admission counselor, either on the phone or (probably better) in person at a campus open house or info session (ideally with you hearing the question/answer at the same time, so there's no confusion over what they said, and you can ask a clarification or follow-up question if needed).  That way, the answer is coming from an authority from the school in question, and is likely to give you both a better sense of how to proceed.  (If he's reluctant to ask, then you can ask, but the idea is that the answer comes from the school, not from you.)

 

Exactly what I told him! Thanks for the backup.