Dang I am so mad at myself :(

After 3 months of hard preparation and studying...

I don't think its possible for me to get into USAFA anymore even if I still go into the Summer Seminar... When I took the test, I thought it was easy. I don't understand, whenever I practice SAT questions, I usually get them right. When I took the test, I completely failed and got killed.


11/2010
SAT Test
470 Reading
590 Math
470 Writing

05/2011
SAT Test
480 Reading
570 Math
520 Writing

My score went down 10 points. What the f...... My reading went up 10 points thats it. And my math went down 20 points. Math is my strongest subject and I got owned on it. I am soo mad at myself right now

What can I do to improve? I study SAT in general (Math Writing, Crit.) about 1-2 hours a day. The only reason that I can think of why I scored low is

-Me not studying right
-Should not have guessed on the SAT

On the last SAT, any question I did not know I did not answer. I left about 20-30 questions blank (Might be less). On the recent SAT test, I answered all questions I did not know by guessing on about 20-30 questions. Maybe the odds were not in my favor and every question I guessed on, I got wrong which brought my score down about 50 - 100 points per section? I don't know haha. The only reason why I guessed on every question was because my friend answered every question on the SAT and guessed on the ones he didn't know and came out with a 600 + on each section. Were about the same in smarts too.

Any thoughts?

SAT help

For the SAT, it does not always benefit you to answer all the questions. Even if you leave only the last 2-3 blank for each math section; that should help your score. Unless you are absolutely shooting for a perfect score, I would advise to leave the last few on each math section blank. These are the hardest problems, also you will have more time for the previous problems.
Hope this helps.

Also try taking the ACT.

McCoy said:

Also try taking the ACT.

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I really, really recommend this. Both DD and DD did exponentially better on the SAT, as did I back when I applied. USAFA doesn't care which test. They just want excellent scores. One reason is you can guess on the ACT. For example, an excerpt from an ALO-approved study guide:

"Two-Minute Drill (ACT only)

The 2-minute drill is an absolute necessity for students looking to increase their ACT scores. Using the 2 minute drill, you ensure that you have an answer for every question on the test. Students who do not have an answer for every question on the ACT are throwing away valuable points – points that could make a difference in the college admissions process.

Here’s how the 2-minute drill works. Pick your favorite column A, B, C, or D before test day!! Then, two minutes before the end of each ACT section (you’ll know when you’ve reached 2 minutes before the end of the section because you’ll be using a “digital” watch), you fill in all answers you have not completed in that section with your favorite column (A, B, C, or D). It’s important to stick with the same column throughout the test.

This is what will happen. You’ll get 20-25% of the answers correct that you use the 2-minute drill on. This will often increase your score by a full two 2 points on each section of the ACT. For example, a score of 18 will likely increase to 20, and a score of 23 will likely increase to 25."

You can't guess on the SAT.

If you are still reading DO NOT to let the standardized test scores get you down. It is just a roadblock on the road to appointment. You can jump over it! Some people just aren't good at the standardized tests (me, for instance) but did fine at USAFA. So, pick yourself up, prepare, then fight back.

Did you know you can walk in for the June test? Why not try? An extra fee but may be worth it. Best way to study for this one is to buy the official ACT practice test book--the one by the ACT folks themselves--you can a used copy(ies) on Amazon for cheap, and simply take as many tests as you can cram in. They do repeat questions over the years and the stuff will start to look familiar after a while if you do enough years of practice tests.

Last year the AOG posted a nice article about a cadet tennis champ--she admitted she took the SAT/ACT 10 times before getting the scores she needed for admission!!

If this alone won't do it, there is always NWP (Northwestern Prep) after graduation as a free agent. Bringing up test scores is what they DO. May be worth a semester. Kids' scores will go up hundreds of points. For us it was an ACT composite up 5, and math alone was 8 and science 9!!

I sent you a PM

The Academy super scores the ACT (unsure about SAT). This means they take the highest score of each category (Math, Reading, ect.) I took the ACT nine times until my scores were good enough (stupid reading). My advice is take the ACT multiple times, concentrating on one or two subjects for each test. Take an ACT course or get a study guide. Greatly improved my chances of getting in, and once my final reading score was submitted, i was accepted.

matt, I had similar scores:

CR 470
Math 570
Writing 500

The ACT was a better test for me. Don't give up. Continue on and hope for the best. I am not going to lie about how hard doolie year was academically. I took advantage of EI (extra instruction) at every opportunity, studied hard and made dean's list & athletic list for the fall semester. This spring, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I made the SUP's list.

Good Luck

flyerdreamer - Ill take your advice if I can't get an answer on one. Ill probably pick A

damevaako - The ACT deadline has passed Hopefully I can try next year

Packerfan735 - The highest of my scores is like 1590 :/ still average haha

Matt,

Don't sweat it. You still have plenty of time to take the ACT, which I highly recommend. I never took the SAT, but I took the PSAT. After comparing my PSAT and PLAN (a pre-ACT my school made us take) scores, I decided that the ACT was definitely my better option. I had mediocre scores on the PSAT, but managed to get a composite 33 with higher subscores on the ACT.

The next ACT offering is September 10, followed by October 22. The first registration deadline is August 12, and both these tests would submit your scores to the Academy well before the Academy deadline. Give it a try!

The SAT penalizes you for wrong answers and guessing. you are docked .5 for every wrong answer; lose no points for leaving questions blank. you can score higher by only answering questions you are 100% sure of. definetely take the ACT where you do not loose points for guessing. Take an SAT prep class that also includes individual tutoring so you can work on your weaknesses and learn the test taking stragegies you need to know for the SAT.

I am wondering what you are studying? I did many many practice tests in each subject and learned how and why I missed each question on each practice test. This method raised my score about 100 in each category of the SAT. Also, when we say the Academy superscores, they take the highest in each category, not your highest average. So if you got 500, 500, 700 on one test and 500, 700, 500 on another, they would take 500, 700,700

I would def. take the ACT at this point. I know there is one this weekend, so maybe you can be able to do a walk in as others have pointed out. In some areas, ACT are not in big demand compared to the SAT, thus they don't always fill up all of the seats. I know on the east coast, most kids only take the SAT, very few take the ACT, unless they have folks like me who say take both.

The problem you are facing right now is that the AFA states on it's site. A CR/V of 490/24 and below are traditionally deemed non-competitive. That means they may determine not to open the file for you passed the PCQ marker.

As others have stated each test is different and some kids do better on one over another. You never give up until you decide to give up.

Finally, the other reason you want to do both is because most candidates will apply AFROTC as plan B, that means you need these scores for college too. Most state colleges (the flagship ones) for IS students also are going to have a threshold of @1200 -1300 since they also superscore. You need to look not only what the AFA wants/desires, but also your back-up schools. The beauty of the AFA impo, is they understand the test anxiety issue, and many times it is the candidate that has every aspect down pat, but the SAT/ACT is holding them back, thus, they give them prep. Typical colleges don't do that, they see CC's as that option. Thus, if you want direct admittance into your back up school, this will be a factor too.

Good luck, aim high and never give up, you can do it.

The next ACT is June 11.

My bad the SAT is this weekend, and ACT is next. I just have in my mind come Sat. for the next 2 weeks our DS will be taking 1 exam or another.

McCoy said:

Also try taking the ACT.

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Taken within 4 months of each other (my sophomore year):
PSAT math=58, English=54 ACT math=31, English=28

conversions= 580, 540 and 700, 640


It might pay off big time!

Matt...take the test as many times as possible...my daughter took the SAT 4 times and the ACT one time. Don't give up. If this is something you want, just keep working

Do you have Sylvan Learning Centers in your area? They have an SAT prep class which costs about $800, but is well worth it. My son's score came up almost 200pts. My daughter, a sophomore at the time, took the class with her brother because they gave us a discount for two. She took the SAT just for practice when my son took it the second time. She actually got in the middle 600's taking the test "just for fun". The reason is that Sylvan teaches students how to game the test. They also have an ACT class, which my kids did not take.

Luis Saunders said:

That’s a lot of money.

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I get that $800 is real money especially in light of the current recession/depression. However I consider every dime I have spent on my DS in this process to be an investment that has a huge possible return (I think the last number was $415,000 for USAFA). If $800 gets it done, then so be it.