Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment another SAT question

I am curious what people have done about their child's SAT scores from <9th grade? When I spoke to them on the phone they said that if I want them to stay on the record I had to let them know before June. If I ask them to keep them on record, that is it they stay. I can not change my mind later and have them removed. I am trying to think of the pros and cons of both decision and would love to know what others think and/or have done.

Yes I can keep the CTY ones but not sure about ones not done through CTY? I am not sure why it would be a bad thing to leave them on other than if she does not go up in score. What are other reasons to purge them?

Or maybe they go down?

I would purge the scores unless either subtest is over 700. Colleges aren't at all impressed by getting 'pretty good' scores at a young age - they just don't see things that way in general. Of course every college is unique.

Strangely, doing things with those high scores, such as attending CTY summer camp, does impress colleges. So, from what I hear, then thing to do is to use those early high scores in some way that can be listed as an accomplishment on the application.

Hope that Helps,
Grinity

I also don't see too much point of keeping the score. If the 7th grade' score is very good (above 700), then the final score in Junior year better be fantastic. Otherwise the admission officer may say that this kid got 2150 in 7th grade, 4 years later, he only improve 100 points.

Thank-you! I've made my decision, they can go away. I will need a copy of them as we are going to try for a college class next semester. The college rule is 9th and above but a teacher can do a waiver for younger. Its so funny that she maybe able to take a college class but we have to really fight to get a high school class.... the system is bizarre! Thank-you again for the replies!

Here's the College Board's compilation of the way various colleges use the SAT scores in college admissions:

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-score-use-practices-list.pdf

It looks like there are two main themes.
1) Some colleges consider the highest scores in each subsection across all administrations of the test ("superscoring").
2) Some colleges consider the highest additive scores from a single administration of the test.

The document lists specific colleges and their policies, although I suppose that might be subject to change.
I don't see any college saying they average the scores.

I have heard an admissions director at an elite university say that, above a certain "threshold", small variations in SAT scores make very little difference - for those applicants above a certain level, other factors such as grades, recommendations, extracurriculars, essays, etc, are the deciding factors.

Another thought - I would bet that a kid who scores very highly in middle school would score about the same or better as a sophomore or junior in high school.

Hope that helps.

Hi Twomoose,

The college board document actually indicates that there are 5 posibilities, plus some of schools that won't tell you.

1) Highest Section Scores Across Test Dates � Version 1
2) Highest Section Scores Across Test Dates � Version 2
3) Single Highest Test Date � Version 1
4) Single Highest Test Date � Version 2
5) All SAT Scores Required for Review

The document explains what it means for each.

Very clear? good. On top of that, you can also suppress some bad scores if the school does not demand all scores.

Yes, Chenchaun. I realize all the possibilities. I was trying to distill the document into two main themes, for the sake of those who did not care to read it. My main point was - no college says that they average the scores, which may be a concern to those with lower-than-they-would-like subtests from SATs taken before high school. Some colleges ask for all scores, but "consider" (whatever that means) the highest scores as explained in the various combinations above.

I also wanted to add - I looked at several selective colleges' websites regarding SATs. One college (Harvard) specifically said they don't suggest taking the test more than, IIRC, two times, only because the scores don't seem to increase much more after several administrations.

I was trying to address questions that have been raised so far in this thread. Sorry to over-simplify.

The SAT does have an option for "Score Choice" - meaning, if the college does not specify to send all scores, you may send only scores you want to send. Confused yet?

Average SAT scores of admitted applicants at the most selective schools are higher than they were say 20 years ago. I wonder how much of this increase is due to students taking the exams and "score choice". There was also the SAT recentering in 1995. Have SAT II (subject test) scores gone up as much as SAT I scores?