Will More Tests Increase Options?
Jasmine was doing some research on college counselors, and found my YouTube Tip of the Week “Do You Need a High Priced College Counselor?“
“My daughter took the SAT twice, receiving 2250 and 2280 (thanks to your excellent tips!) consecutively. Some people have advised her to take the ACT (some saying that her SAT score is still too low for highly selective colleges, others saying that a high ACT score may open doors to additional scholarships depending on where she applies). What do you think?” ~ Jasmine
What a great question! I always suggest that every student tries both the SAT and ACT at home first, before they even start test preparation. That way you can see which test makes your child look the smartest.
Have your child take a sample of each college admission tests.
Sample SAT: https://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-practice-test
Sample ACT: http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/Preparing-for-the-ACT.pdf
Many girls do better on the ACT. If she takes the ACT and improves her percentile score, then she may get more college admission offers with scholarships. If scores on the ACT are higher, then I would absolutely have your child take that test. If scores on the SAT are higher, have your child take that test instead. Colleges often do not have a preference, so as homeschool parents we can choose the test that makes our child look smarter. If you have already taken one of the college admission tests, like the SAT, you can try the other one, the ACT, to see if your child scores better. If you do score better on the ACT, it’s a good idea to switch test preparation for that specific test right away. Taking the second test, IF if makes scores improve, will improve the overall academic package presented to the college, and can improve the chances of admission and scholarships.
It’s best not to study for the SAT and ACT at the same time. The tests each have a different “voice” and ask questions in a slightly different way. So study for one test, then if you decide to take the other test, switch to studying for that particular test.
Jasmine’s daughter has GREAT scores, that would make many homeschoolers celebrate! The best advice is to focus on finding a great college that will appreciate your child and be a great fit for her, where she will enjoy living for four years.
If you would like to talk more, consider the Gold Care Club so I can get to know you, your child, and your situation better before giving advice.
If you haven’t looking into it before, a College Consultant can be very pricey, and average $150/hour or $4000 flat fee, but can be much more in some locations. College consulting is an option for parents of sufficient means, but might be out of reach for many single-income homeschool families. You can pay many thousands of dollars for these special services and it may pay off, or your student may not play their part. There are much lower cost ways available, however, including The HomeScholar Gold Care Club.
