OK. I've got a few questions about SAT scores. We got my son's score last night and I know it's good (1250), but I don't really know what to compare it to. I want him to take it again in the fall and he says he's done. We'll argue that point some time this summer or early fall.

Can anyone give me any guidance, please?

Here is a link to the the ones who make the test. Good luck. College Board

I think it's an excellent score. It can't hurt to redo as there is less pressure the second time. However, many people score lower the second time. You should be celebrating! Good for him!

You should urge him to take it again--maybe twice.

Why? Significant scholarships are available from many private schools that are anxious to "buy" some excellent performers. Strong students like your son will challenge classmates who are not the best learners (but whose parents are willing to pay full price!)

How do you sell this idea? Make one of these appear in the driveway if a scholarship takes you off the financial hook.

Richard - that's similar to my car. I drive a red 2003 Civic Coupe EX. His has my former - 1997 Honda Civic 4-Door. He absolutely loves it.

Actually, he can be motivated. He wants to go to college and do well, so that's a definite plus. His been to Purdue to look at the campus and a week from tomorrow we go to IU. I'm curious to see if he can do better. He took this test the day after a horrible migraine.

OK, if you can't use a new ride as your "signing bonus", how about taking him on one of these to celebrate an SAT score above 1350?

Looks great - as long as I got to go with him.

I have two children in the thick of this entrance game now. The school I wanted my oldest to attend requires a 1350 for consideration. So, I would recommend taking it again.

Wow! Out of curiosity Don, what school is that? Jared is really only looking for a state school, but I still want him to put his best foot forward.

Skittles:

Rice in Houston, it is the best school in Texas. Kids really do have skulls full of mush. We live 5 miles from Texas A&M so does he want to attend here? No !, he wants to go to Texas over in Austin. I say, shoot, if you go away you are going to Rice. If I'm paying, I get some input where. After all, this guy is going to support me in my old age (Lord willin').

Don, Don, Don! Did YOU want to live at home with mom & dad and commute to college? Where's the fun in that?

Admission to Rice is very selective. A close friend in high school got a perfect score on the ACT exam and was turned down because they were not involved in enough outside activities. Well-rounded is extremely important at top universities along with high test scores.

Taking the test more than once will result in an average score. If the second score comes in at 1350, 1300 will be what is reported as a combined average. Unless something has changed...

I thought the highest score was reported.

When I was taking the SAT in the mid 90's (yes I'm young), you could take it as often as you wanted; then they would take your highest math score and add it with your highest verbal score to get your total

That's the way I remember it when my daughters took the SAT a few years ago.

I took it in the late 80's and (at that time) the average was reported. Looks like things have changed. Or maybe it was just for the colleges I applied to.

For me today, my ACT and SAT scores are meaningless because they are so far in my past.

Does that person really want the interviewee's (sp) ACT scores?!?!? Dang...

I look at high school applications every year (scholarships). They report each test seperately on SAT. While they may have a combined score somewhere out there, the actual forms that are in scholarship packages show when and how high each testing score was. I remember because I was looking at one student who'd improved significantly because I wanted to ask (during the interview) why they'd had such a dramatic change.

I was going to say if he scored 1250, he's eligible for Mensa - but they don't take SAT scores anymore for some reason. Not unless it was taken before 1/31/94....

Dawnie, did it show the dates the test was taken? My son took the SAT for the first time when he was in 7th grade and the ACT in eighth grade. He is in the gifted and talented program and they are highly encouraged to take it. They take the tets again when they are juniors. This could explain the difference in scores.

Yes it did show dates. This particular child lost a parent during one of their test score periods (hence the very low score). We figured it out by reading their bio and then seeing the score and date at that coincided with each other.