SAT score improvement?

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robinhood17

USMA Cadet
5-Year Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
210
Hi, how does admissions view taking the SAT a few times?
my first scores were:
CR-580
M-510
W-580

and my new scores are
CR-620
M-550
W-580

I finally have my critical reading where i want it...but i am having a hard time getting those other scores into range. What can I do? Has anyone faced this problem? I am determined to get there... is it looked poorly upon to take the test multiple times? Thanks!
 
I had the same problem last year. My first score was 1610. I took the test one more time to see if I can make an improvement without outside help and eneded up with a 1640... (still below average for USAFA as I heard). I took SAT classes, which if you can't afford they have scholarships for and ended up paying less than $100 for the class because the scholarship covered the rest. I took it a third time and I got the scores that I wanted.

Hope that helps! Good luck :)
 
Take, take, and retake! Find which test (ACT or SAT) is YOUR best. USAFA doesn't care which test. They don't care how many times it takes you. They just want excellent scores.

I did better on the ACT, as did my own kids. (USAFA candidates) 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 :biggrin: 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 over there. 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!!
 
What I did to raise my math score (from 640 to 750) was just take practice tests over and over and make sure I understood every detail of every question I missed on the practice tests. This really helped me get familiar with the format and saved time because instead of having to think about what the question was asking, I was able to recognize it as a type of math question from the practice tests I did
 
A suggestion

Long ago I took the LSAT and got a mediocre score. (The LSAT is just a glorified SAT.) So, I decided to take it again. However, in addition to studying, I obtained four complete sample tests. One the Monday, Tues, Wed and Thursday preceding the Saturday test, I took mock tests with time limits, etc. I saw my scores improve each night. I don't recall the actual numbers, but it was something like 610, 625, 630, 645. When I took the official test on Saturday, my score was 680. This was something like 100 points higher than the first time I took it. I attribute it to the practice tests that I took those four successive nights.
 
I would try to take the ACT. SAT and ACT are different. The AFA will take the best superscore. They don't mix and match the best M from the SAT and the best V from ACT to make one new score. They will take the best ACT score put through their comparison, and if the SAT is better they take the SAT, if the ACT is better they use the ACT.

The CR is actually still low for the AFA. I believe the avg cadet is over 650, and probably even higher this yr., so you should still work on that. If I recall correctly the avg SAT score for incoming is now @1350 for the AFA. The avg for AFROTC scholarship is 1260.

Try the ACT in the fall. You will still have time to get those scores in for the AFA, and many MOCs allow the scores to be electronically sent to them. Thus, if you take the Sept ACT and SAT, they will be there by October. Most MOCs do not close submissions for noms until Mid-October.

As others have stated do practice tests, over and over again. Many times it is just one type of question/area that is the real problem, so once you understand where you are going wrong, you should be able to target it and rectify the issue. Your SAT results show the questions you messed up, so look at the past results...for all you know you might do great on formulas, but bad on theories.
 
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