Whether to submit new SAT score

anne99

anne99

Parent, Class of 2021 USNA
5-Year Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
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DS is a 2nd time applicant. He came home in October to take the SAT one more time to see if he could increase the critical reading score. It goes like this:

Old SAT best scores - CR660 and Ma710
New format SAT scores - Reading 680 and Ma670.
Converted to old SAT CR640 and Ma660

He was going to send these scores in to USNA if his reading had improved. Is there any reason why he should send these new scores in since they really didn't improve?
 
anne99 said:
DS is a 2nd time applicant. He came home in October to take the SAT one more time to see if he could increase the critical reading score. It goes like this:

Old SAT best scores - CR660 and Ma710
New format SAT scores - Reading 680 and Ma670.
Converted to old SAT CR640 and Ma660

He was going to send these scores in to USNA if his reading had improved. Is there any reason why he should send these new scores in since they really didn't improve?
Click to expand...

My DS is a first time applicant. How do you know he wasn't accepted last year based on his SAT scores? Were you told that was the reason?
I'm curious as we are going through the same process with scores lower than those. He has plans A-Z in place but USNA is his fist choice. He is actually hoping for Prep. Any advice is appreciated and good luck to your DS!
 
USNA counts only your highest score (superscores). If there's any chance they're higher in either discipline, then send them b/c it won't hurt. If you're sure (sounds like you are) that they're lower across the board, then there is no benefit to sending them. Also, I find it hard to believe that a 660 CR was your DS' issue. If he's taking English and history in college and getting As, that will overcome any (perceived) issues with critical reading.
 
No, SAT scores were not a major issue in his prior application. The advice given to him by an admissions officer after having gone through his application was to simply max out everything he possibly could. The reading portion of the SAT was something DS really want to raise. Math was fine. No one thing jumped out at the officer, so DS is just hitting all the bases he can.
 
Yeah, for a lot of terrific candidates, it's really a numbers game. Same "problem" Harvard and Stanford and all the rest have . . . too many great "kids" for far too few places. BTW, if he's not done so, he should really try to max out the CFA -- especially pushups, crunches and the mile.
 
usna1985 said:
BTW, if he's not done so, he should really try to max out the CFA -- especially pushups, crunches and the mile.
Click to expand...
That's his next step. The basketball throw and the mile are where he's looking to improve. Thanks for the input.
 
As mentioned, if the scores are higher in one area than a previously taken test, then you will want to send them in as the USNA does superscore. My DS took them 3 times in hopes of raising his too. Overall, his third attempt had a higher overall score than the other two, but if matched with his first attempt the score goes up 50 points overall through superscoring (CR700, 660M). As far as his CFA went, it could have done better in some areas. As a runner, his upper body is not as strong as his lower half. He scored well in the shuttle run with a 7.33 and a 5:40 in the mile run. We'll see where that takes him. We haven't heard back from the USNA as to whether a retake is in order. We are in wait mode right now. He's meeting with all 3 MOC's in the next two weeks. Other than that, we wait and listen to the crickets :)
 
My DD's scores only went up 30 points but she still sent them in. I guess any increase is better then no increase. To be honest, I wonder how she's still in the running as she has low overall scores. Math 630 and reading 570. Something in her application is keeping her going, thank goodness.
 
I don't believe there has been any official correlation between the old SAT and new SAT scores since College Board redesigned the test. Class of 2020 would have been the last group to have the old scores. 2021 candidates may have both scores depending on when they tested, but it's no good to compare old version SAT scores to new version SAT scores. When you look at all the academy profile pages, it has the old version SAT scores, so it doesn't really indicate what the new set of SAT numbers will be like. ACT has remained the same over this same time period, so looking at those number longitudinally may be a better indicator, but SAT has virtually reset once they redesigned the test. As best I can tell, as a high school principal, the new SAT scores are seemly lower overall, but don't take that to the bank. That's only based on limited observations, and nothing I've officially seen.

For what it's worth, DD has taken both SAT & ACT, and has a preference for ACT. Take both and see which ever works for your advantage. SA's will super score both, so take it and retake it...but they're not going to super score between the old SAT and the new SAT...those two tests aren't comparable.
 
He's pretty happy with his ACT scores that have been submitted to USNA. Collegeboard has an SAT score converter on their website, so that's what he's going by to compare.
 
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