Ugh. DD did very poorly on her SAT Subject Test

[Reefgazer]

So DD did very poorly on the June SAT subject test. What is our best move at this point? Can this score be cancelled or eliminated? Can it just not be sent to colleges? Just let ht score sit and eat the consequences, as is? Should I have her re-take it? Re-taking would be difficult because reviewing for it would cut into her courses next year and degrade the time she could spend on them. I am very surprised at the score; it's about 100 points lower than she was comsistently scoring on ht practice tests, so I have no clue what went so wrong. I do know she was worn down from a heavy schedule last year, but she left the test thinking it was easy and she had done well.

[maize]

I think you can just not report it to colleges.

[Matryoshka]

I just didn't send one dd's subject scores to colleges. They weren't tragically bad, but they weren't anything impressive, and in her case the schools didn't require them, so why send them?

[maize]

I guess it depends on the college:

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-subject-tests/scores/sending-scores/score-choice

[Ann.without.an.e]

DD applied to super selective schools and none of them required all SAT subject test scores. Even ones that wanted all ACT or all SAT scores didn't require all subject test scores and you can literally just check the box of the ones you want to send.

 

Is this your 9th grader (going into 10th?)?  If so, she has lots of time.  Some of the test prep books have easier or more difficult tests than the actual subject test provides.  My dd did the craziest thing.  She prepped for molecular bio, was consistently getting 750+ on practice tests and then last minute - literally sitting in the test room as she opened her book, she decided to take the Ecology version instead  :banghead:   She said that after she did the whole test she flipped through the M questions and realized she'd messed up because she knew almost all of the M problems.  She scored a 690 on the exam.  Frustrating.  She didn't have the heart to retake it.  She just kept the 690, everyone said it would kill her in the college admissions game, but she got into a top 10 school with their highest scholarship.  I keep hearing that subject test scores are such a small part of the application.  Other things hold so much more weight.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Attolia

[RegGuheert]

Can it just not be sent to colleges?

If it has already been sent, then you cannot unsend it.  Did she take advantage of the opportunity to send out all her scores to four schools this time around?

 

Note to self: It might be best to pay the money later in case of this type of "score surprise".

 

[Reefgazer]

We sent no scores because she just finished 9th grade and doesn't know where she wants to apply. She has one school on her radar, and it requires all scores be sent, according to the link above. That's why I was asking what my best course of action was.

If it has already been sent, then you cannot unsend it. Did she take advantage of the opportunity to send out all her scores to four schools this time around?

Note to self: It might be best to pay the money later in case of this type of "score surprise".

Edited July 12, 2017 by reefgazer

[maize]

We sent no scores because she just finished 9th grade and doesn't know where she wants to apply. She has one school on her radar, and it requires all scores be sent, according to the link above. That's why I was

I would contact the school and ask directly whether they require all subject test scores or just all ACT/SAT scores.

[chiguirre]

We sent no scores because she just finished 9th grade and doesn't know where she wants to apply. She has one school on her radar, and it requires all scores be sent, according to the link above. That's why I was

 

In that case, have her take AP Bio or DE Bio later if she's still interested. The will help the college notice that she took it freshman year and that it was only first year bio. She was competing with lots of kids who had taken 2 years of bio so of course she wouldn't do as well as them. If she never wants to see bio again, have her do chem or physics instead after her junior year.  

[Reefgazer]

One of the schools on her radar does require that all scores be sent.  I was wondering how I could minimize the impact of the score.  It was considerable worse than 690.  I don't know what happened; her practice scores indicated a much higher score; otherwise, I would not have had her sit for the exam at all.  I had her sit because I thought it would be a strong score.

I would contact the school and ask directly whether they require all subject test scores or just all ACT/SAT scores.

 

[regentrude]

One of the schools on her radar does require that all scores be sent.  I was wondering how I could minimize the impact of the score.

 

Does the bolded really also refer to the subject tests, and not just to the regular SAT/ACT? I would call to clarify.

I would simply have her retake the test. If needed, send both scores.

 

My DD did one subject test twice, but I cannot remember what we did about the scores.

[mirabillis]

Can she retake it? There's tests in August, October... and many throughout the year. Most report that retaking will boost the score if prep is done, almost always. Some say you can improve 50-100 points with a retake. 

[Reefgazer]

I will have to call and clarify this; perhaps we won't have to send it.

Does the bolded really also refer to the subject tests, and not just to the regular SAT/ACT? I would call to clarify.

I would simply have her retake the test. If needed, send both scores.

 

My DD did one subject test twice, but I cannot remember what we did about the scores.

 

[Reefgazer]

I am loathe to do this because she has a challenging fall ahead and re-study will just put the screws to her for her fall courses.  I am leaning toward dual enrollment as a junior to try and make the score less-relevant.

Can she retake it? There's tests in August, October... and many throughout the year. Most report that retaking will boost the score if prep is done, almost always. Some say you can improve 50-100 points with a retake. 

 

[DocMom]

I am loathe to do this because she has a challenging fall ahead and re-study will just put the screws to her for her fall courses.  I am leaning toward dual enrollment as a junior to try and make the score less-relevant.

 

What if she just burped on the test? Sounds like she has a lot of future subject tests ahead of her. I ask since conquering this test for her would mean giving her the confidence to do better on future ones? And it would maybe help you figure out what you did wrong(if anything), so that she can not make the same mistake on a second test(say chemistry or physics, etc)?

[fastforward]

Following this, because we are in nearly the same boat.  My rising sophomore did badly on both the SAT subject test and the AP test she took this year.  I am thinking of having her retake the SAT subject test; the AP test is just a lost cause.  We are also looking at dual enrollment as a plan B, but that truly wasn't a route I wanted for this child.  

[Arcadia]

I am loathe to do this because she has a challenging fall ahead and re-study will just put the screws to her for her fall courses.

There is an August 26, 2017 test date for SAT Biology subject test if she wants to revise and aim for that date. Registration deadline is July 28, 2017.

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-subject-tests/register/test-dates-deadlines

[mirabillis]

We are retaking one (as a rising soph also) but won't be in town on Aug 26. So will retake on Oct 7. I think the Aug date would have been perfect though, before the new fall classes start.

[JanetC]

First, review our recent discussion about how much subject tests do and don't matter.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/651969-sat-subject-tests-pointless/

 

Most schools require zero subject tests. Those that require them require 2 or so. If your student decides to shoot for schools that require subject tests, they likely need 2 good scores. You could improve on the test you just took, or you could try a different one next year.

 

Be sure to use the actual college board released test in the "phone book" subject test guide. Some subject tests have their own separate book with two released tests as well. Actual released tests give you a better understanding of where you stand.

 

For bio, a disastrously low score might be caused by checking the wrong box for E vs M so go over filling in the bubbles correctly. Also, did she understand about the guessing penalty?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We are retaking one (as a rising soph also) but won't be in town on Aug 26. So will retake on Oct 7. I think the Aug date would have been perfect though, before the new fall classes start.

 

Since registration is online, you could try to do it wherever you are on the Aug 26 date.  

[mirabillis]

We're on an airplane! LOL! (on the 8/26 testing date)

Edited July 17, 2017 by mirabillis

[Reefgazer]

After talking with DD and thinking on it some, we've decided to make this test less relevant by taking a DE bio course at the local university, and following up with other SAT Subject tests if necessary.  I do not want to have her studying for last year's course while trying to focus on her heavy load in the fall, so we will not be taking this one over.  She did understand the guessing penalty, so I have no clue what went wrong.

First, review our recent discussion about how much subject tests do and don't matter.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/651969-sat-subject-tests-pointless/

Most schools require zero subject tests. Those that require them require 2 or so. If your student decides to shoot for schools that require subject tests, they likely need 2 good scores. You could improve on the test you just took, or you could try a different one next year.

Be sure to use the actual college board released test in the "phone book" subject test guide. Some subject tests have their own separate book with two released tests as well. Actual released tests give you a better understanding of where you stand.

For bio, a disastrously low score might be caused by checking the wrong box for E vs M so go over filling in the bubbles correctly. Also, did she understand about the guessing penalty?

 

[Reefgazer]

Yay!  Off you go!  Good luck in fall!

We're on an airplane! LOL!