Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy SAT Scores

Here are my son's scores for the SAT he took January 2007 as an eleven year old sixth grader:
Reading - 600
Math - 680
Writing - 590
No practicing before the test other than reading the info booklet.
I understand that this opens him a way to every summer/distant ed program offered in the US. Other than that, I can't compare it (heard about a sixth grader though who got a perfect 800 in math last year).
Would you care to share your kid's scores?
Ania

Ania -
If he took it through a talent search, there should be a graff showing how he did compared to the other 6th grade kids that took them this year. If not, call the talent search and ask. If you note where the mean of the gifted pack lies, then you can compare your son to other gifted kids. If he's a standard deviation or so above the mean, that is significant enough to explain why he may not thrive in tyical programs aimed at gifted kids.

I reccomend that he take them again before his 13th birthday to see if he can qualify for Hopkins's SET, over 700 in either math or reading.

My DS10 hasn't taken the SATs yet, I showed him a prep book last year and he didn't even recognise the vocabulary!

Best Wishes,
Trinity

Wow Ania,

Your son earned very impressive scores. Wow!

No scores to share here. My son just took the Explore for the first time (we are awaiting results to see if he qualifies for a summer math class through Belin-Blank) and my daughter hasn�t taken an above level test yet. I just received info for the ACT and for the SAT. I would like my daughter to practice with one or both.

Do you have a suggestion as to which might be best for a MG 12 year old? I don�t necessarily expect scores that are off the chart, but I am certain it would be a good learning opportunity.

Diana

Hi Ania,

Those are amazing scores, especially for an 11-yr old! My son took both SATs and ACTs last year as an 11 yr yr old and scored 570 M, 540 R, 540 W on the SATs, which impressed me. He is grade-accelerated, so his scores last year were compared to 7th graders, and were high enough to qualify for any of their courses/programs (except THINK, but you have to be 12 to do that). The different talent searches you're enrolled with send an interpretative booklet--for Duke's TIP, my son was in the 95-96% for SATs, 99% for ACTs--so I imagine, your son will be that one outlier on the top of the chart (still listed as 99%). Johns Hopkin's report was the most interesting because they had a population of something like 30,000 kids take the SAT--I've misplaced it for now (I'm hoping I didnt accidentally throw it away).

Anyway, my son's taking the tests again this year, since it's the last time he can take them without them counting--his slate will be wiped clean when he takes the tests in high school for college applications. He just took the ACTs last weekend and SATs will be in March.

The best thing to come out of taking the tests was his going to Rocky Mountain Talent Search Summer Institute last summer. Ania, didn't you say your son went to RMTS last year? Or was that someone else? Anyway, my son LOVED it and plans to go back again this summer (they're reorganizing the institute and have a new director). He also gets solicitations from fancy prep schools around the country to apply for merit scholarships. I love looking through the brochures, but my son isn't remotely interested in leaving home at 12.

Ania,

Your son's score is very impressive, especially on math side. I would echo Trinity's suggestion that he does it again before age 13. He has real good chance to get at least math score to be over 700. With that he will qualify for CTY SET (study of exceptional talent). It is a quite exclusive club (so exclusive that few people know it or care about it). But there are some perks with joining SET (free magazines, newsletters, bragging rights, etc). The rumour says that some top universities even track these SET kids. Not sure how true it is.

If you want to know more about SET, check it out.

http://www.jhu.edu/~gifted/set/index.html

Cym,
Yes, he went to Denver for a Summer Institute and he also loved it! We do not know yet if he will be going againg this year, they do not have the info out yet as to the new terms. Last year my son could only attend commuter option becasue of his age, now they have gotten rid of this one and are doing only residential, at least that is how I understod it. We are also thinking about Reno, but UofU is offering some summer courses for gifted so we will probably make our minds a little later into the spring.
I did not know that you can test for different talent searches. I thought that you had to stick with your regional one. Will have to check this one out. My son would love to receive offers from fancy schools!
As for SET, we were already planning for him to be taking SAT/ ACT pretty much every year from now on. I know that he does have a chance in math, but I have always been surprised at his english scores, since we do not speak english at home at all.
Ania

Hi Ania,

I think entering the other talent searches might be a waste of money. The thing to know is that their summer programs are open to your son as well because his scores qualify. This gives you/him many, many choices (Johns Hopkins offers summer classes at many different campuses, including Hawaii; Duke TIP also offers many campuses, including Ireland). Will your son be 12 this summer? I think THINK and Johns Hopkins both require that as the minimum age.

I've been trying to persuade my son to try Duke's summer institute. My husband and I both went there as undergrads and I thought it would be a new experience for my son. My son says he wants to go back to RMTS this summer and try Duke another time. The other programs are bigger (each campus is bigger than the one session offered by RMTS). I want each kid to try something a little out of their comfort zone each summer (kind of a personal challenge). Last year it was RMTS (now RMTS is comfortable) and this summer he'll try Outward Bound.

You're lucky to live near a university that offers programs for gifted students. My community doesn't offer that and even if it did, I think I'd want a more regional draw...I want him to meet people from all over the world, or at least the west.

Do you have other kids?

Cym

Hi Cym:
Yes, I have a nine year old girl, currently in 4th grade. While she is the top student in her class, her test scores are not even remotely close to my son's .

Ok, I have been researching different summer programs. RMTS is really slow in posting their information and their web site is so outdated, don't you think? Duke looks really good, plus they have two different programs so my son would qualify to attend the one for top scorers. I also really like the selection they are offering. But.... there are lots of buts....

Last summer because of RMTS and our six week long trip to Europe, my son was not able to attend scout camp with his troop, which he really needs / wants to do this summer. He also missed the violin camp (www.intermountainsuzukistringinstitute.com) that gives him motivation for the entire year of violin studies (and the added bonus is that my daughter attends as well). In our little city there is also an excellent Astro Camp (www.astrocamputah.org) which he attended two summers ago and loved and really wants to do again.
And as I have indicated Uof U will offer some summer classes for
advanced learners.

So I am thinking about skipping gifted institute this summer. Next year he will be done with 7th grade and therefore all of the options will be open to him, based even on his 6th grade SAT scores. While my son has no anxiety about going to an away camp, I think that next year he will be even more mature and more responsible (when he attended Astro Camp after completing 4th grade, he came back home after 5 days with a backpack full of clean t-shirts, underwear and socks - he did shower but did not see the need to change his clothes :-)So this is what I am thinking as of today, which might change in a few days of course.
There are so many different options for a camp experience. When he is in 9th grade I will probably encourage him to apply to PROMYS, which is 6 weeks long ! Which won't leave much time for a family camping trip, a must each summer. This year we are planning to go back to the Canadian Rockies - Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise.
Ania

Hi Ania,

Summer choices/planning is overwhelming to me. Trying to coordinate all their schedules and our family time is difficult for me and I completely understand your being torn between so many great choices. I wouldn't rush into the Duke or RMTS summer institute, especially since you have plenty of other options. I would love to have so much available locally.

The RMTS has shorter residential options for younger grades that I would love my other sons to try it but it doesn't fit. Oh well, maybe they'll get to try it next year or the year after that. No hurry. My kids seem to entertain themselves with a box of supplies from hobby lobby and free time...though I do try to engage them in available summer programs for new experiences.

Wow--your Canadian camping trip sounds amazing. Our camping is usually local (NM or CO)--though one of my most memorable camping trips in my 20s was in Utah.

Cym

Delbows:
I have heard that ACT is easier than SAT from a dad who does A LOT with his daughter. She is a sixth grader this year and she did both ACT and SAT. ACT is shorter: does not have an essay and those trial questions.
Ania

Thanks Ania.

We'll get her tested on the ACT this summer or in the fall.

Here's a link to the Duke TIP results page:
http://www.tip.duke.edu/resources/parents_students/interpreting_SAT-ACT_scores.html

SAT is reasoning and ACT is achievement. If they haven't been introduced to the material, they may not score well on the achievement, but can still score high on reasoning. If they have worked hard (high achiever) but don't have innate ability, they may score higher on ACT. I believe that's why literature relates SAT scores to IQ (rather than ACT scores).

Cym