SAT sadness

[LadderdaddyO]

We've just received the scores for the SATs and my daughter is disappointed. 1100 combined for math and c.r.(Average score for not the average student!!) Everything else is on track for her application but with these scores I don't think she'll be competitive. I guess my question is what her score needs to be to be competitive? I've seen the average scores for the past classes but are SAT scores a deal breaker. She is preparing for the next test.

 

[J Collins]

she can retake the test.... my daughter took the SAT 3 or 4 times, and the ACT 4 or 5 times.... ACT tends to transfer to high numbers

 

[Mindy G]

Retake, retake, retake the scores should improve they plateau try a targeted tutor or the ACT my daughter was much more competitive on the ACT my son was the same percentile. Remember there is much more to a competitive candidate then an SAT/ACT score.

 

[shellz]

We've just received the scores for the SATs and my daughter is disappointed. 1100 combined for math and c.r.(Average score for not the average student!!) Everything else is on track for her application but with these scores I don't think she'll be competitive. I guess my question is what her score needs to be to be competitive? I've seen the average scores for the past classes but are SAT scores a deal breaker. She is preparing for the next test.

Don't despair. My son's scores were similar to your daughters and after a re-take they were much closer to the average. My daughter did a 5 week intensive SAT prep (cha-ching, but worth it with her educational goals) and improved 270 points or so. We felt the shorter, more intensive prep right before the exam was the best fit for her. She had friends that did months of prep, and the results were not any better. In fact, some were worse due to test prep burnout!

Good luck. I am sure she will do better next time....most do!

 

[dtkdarnoc]

SAT work

Kid did the Online Course and the Book that College Board sells to score very well first time he took it. Ended up taking 3x, never did as well as when the online course was fresh in his mind.

Really helped to have the good scores in earlier as opposed to later - or that was our perception. Had no problem motivating him to do the online work as it was specifically for his goal of AFA.

Tks

 

[mnolan]

SAT scores

All the above mentioned suggestions are good but please keep in mind that, (I realize I am not completely correct heer, but lets think generalities ), half of the accepted cadets have SAT/ACT scores above the average, and half have scores below the average.

Nobody wants to hear that their kid has a "below average" score, but in life 1/2 of everybody is below average!

And once you get into the academy or any other college, your SAT/ACT score means nothing. So keep trying to raise it, but don't give up just because it's "below average".

 

[Luigi59]

I've seen the average scores for the past classes but are SAT scores a deal breaker.

All the above mentioned suggestions are good but please keep in mind that, (I realize I am not completely correct heer, but lets think generalities ), half of the accepted cadets have SAT/ACT scores above the average, and half have scores below the average.

Nobody wants to hear that their kid has a "below average" score, but in life 1/2 of everybody is below average!

Another way of looking at the SAT scores is by looking at the "25th through 75th percentile" of scores from the USCGA Class of 2012.

• 25th percentile Verbal SAT = 570
• 75th percentile Verbal SAT = 660
  
  
• 25th percentile Math SAT = 600
• 75th percentile Math SAT = 680

I believe this means (correct me if I'm wrong, mnolan):

• only 25% of the class had a Verbal SAT score of less than 570 (75% had a higher score), 25% of the class had a Verbal SAT higher than 660 (75% had a lower score), and 50% of the class scored between 570 and 660 Verbal.
  
  The median SAT Verbal score was 617.
  
  
• only 25% of the class had a Math SAT score of less than 600 (75% had a higher score), 25% of the class had a Math SAT higher than 680 (75% had a lower score), and 50% of the class scored between 600 and 680 Verbal.
  
  The median SAT Math score was 639.

And once you get into the academy or any other college, your SAT/ACT score means nothing.

Yep - only GPA (gold star), PFE (blue star), and military bearing (silver star) scores matter at USCGA.

 

[Packerfan735]

if you live up north this may be harder or more unheard of, but try the ACT... i dont even want to mention either one of my two SAT scores (your daughter did better than i both times) but i never liked the SAT anyway.. i took the ACT and did better on that... im not sure about the CGA but i know that the AFA takes the highest subscores so even though my highest composite was a 28, my subscores were 31, 30, 31, 29.. long story short.. try the ACT

 

[LadderdaddyO]

Thanks for the encouragement. Hey, if it was easy everyone would get in.

 

[Packerfan735]

well im not saying its easy... i took it 9 times!! but hey.. $400 spent on testing is WELL worth the $400,000 scholarship!

 

[aznarkarus]

Definitely take the ACT. It is extremely straightforward compared to the SAT.

Good luck to you!