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Had trouble getting 2016 to appreciate how important it was to study for SAT/ACT.  Still, he scored well on SAT (2000) and ACT (31) first time out.  My sense is that if he studied harder or took a prep course, could bump those scores up a bit.  If we ignore non-baseball college admissions for the moment and focus on baseball only for high academic programs, thoughts on whether increased scores on either/both tests (maybe, 2100 and 32) would make a material baseball decision difference?  (Has a high GPA if that factors.)  I suppose one thought is that even without the extra studying/prep course, there isn't much of a downside to retaking the exams.

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Anything 30 is over is great for the ACT...however most schools will offer more academic money as you go up....so yes, 32 would be better than 31.  There's no hurt in taking it again.  Both my kids did...and improved significantly from the first time to the second.  My daughter went 29-31-32 in 3 attempts....my son went 29-31 in two.  If your son hits  a 32 or more, it will be well worth giving up a Saturday morning.  Can't help you with the SAT as it's not very common here in the Midwest...neither of mine took it...and it was never mentioned by any college my daughter applied to....or any coach/RC that my son talked to.

 

With regard to baseball.....no, it likely won't matter....my son was a 3.5 gpa and a 31....and had some Ivy's show interest

Last edited by Buckeye 2015

There is no downside to taking it again.  Even if they score lower, it wont hurt them.  In fact if they score higher in one section and lower in another it would be helpful.  Most schools now superscore.  Taking the best score in each section and then recalculating the composite score.

 

31 is a great score.  I think its in the top 3% of test takers.  It should get you a decent amount of academic money, unless your looking at Ivy's.

I can't speak to the downside for Admissions. Do any high academic schools penalize you for taking the test 3+ times?

 

In regard to baseball, those marginal improvements can absolutely help. Some HA school coaches must submit their recruiting class with a minimum average SAT/ACT. If the coach rates your son and another recruit similarly on the diamond, and he needs your kid's extra 100 SAT points in order to get a stud RHP through Admissions, you can bet your son wins that spot. Anything that makes the coach's life easier helps your son's chances.

By all means, have him take it/them again.   However, a higher score will not help nearly as much as most people think.  A higher ACT/SAT is more likely to get him more academic money at a private school than a large public university.   A higher GPA will probably help more than a highter SAT/ACT.  But, shoot for both anyway.   

 

Again, I would still retake the test(s), but I wouldn't count the money just yet.  Also, be leery of baseball coaches who tell you "that score/GPA will probably get him tons of academic money."  They're just guessing.  Unless/until you have it in writing from the financial aid office, assume nothing.  When GPA's and test scores start getting really high, some coaches will use that as an excuse to make a lower athletic offer.  Kids shouldn't be penalized for high academics, but it does happen.   

Originally Posted by b i g m a c:

Had trouble getting 2016 to appreciate how important it was to study for SAT/ACT.  Still, he scored well on SAT (2000) and ACT (31) first time out.  My sense is that if he studied harder or took a prep course, could bump those scores up a bit.  If we ignore non-baseball college admissions for the moment and focus on baseball only for high academic programs, thoughts on whether increased scores on either/both tests (maybe, 2100 and 32) would make a material baseball decision difference?  (Has a high GPA if that factors.)  I suppose one thought is that even without the extra studying/prep course, there isn't much of a downside to retaking the exams.

It depends on what your sons goals are.  If he wants to leverage both his academics and baseball skills to get into a school he might not otherwise get into (Stanford, Ivys, Patriot League, NESCAC, others) then I'd absolutely retake the test to get the highest score possible.  My oldest son retook the SAT and scored 150 point higher the second time, and many new doors opened up.  Your son is at that magic threshold as well.  Coaches can pretty much guarantee spots on high academic teams with low admissions rates if your son meets the academic threshold and baseball skills.  But, your son has to want it, and studying for these tests is a grind.   Good luck!

Originally Posted by b i g m a c:

Had trouble getting 2016 to appreciate how important it was to study for SAT/ACT.  Still, he scored well on SAT (2000) and ACT (31) first time out.  My sense is that if he studied harder or took a prep course, could bump those scores up a bit.  If we ignore non-baseball college admissions for the moment and focus on baseball only for high academic programs, thoughts on whether increased scores on either/both tests (maybe, 2100 and 32) would make a material baseball decision difference?  (Has a high GPA if that factors.)  I suppose one thought is that even without the extra studying/prep course, there isn't much of a downside to retaking the exams.

If the max for the ACT is 36 and the SAT is 2400 retaking the tests would be just for bragging rights.   Here is the info from the ACT website on retaking the test.

http://www.actstudent.org/regist/retake.html

 

Some colleges will also superscore the ACT which means the highest subscore from a retake will be used to boost the original ACT score. 

http://www.collegeadmissionspa...eges-superscore-act/

 

 

My son scored a 35 the first time on the ACT and tried for a 36 the next time just for sheets and giggles.  His full ride academic scholarship required a minimum 32 ACT just to apply.

Last edited by lionbaseball

I lived through a great deal of the points raised on this thread during my son's recruiting "voyage." As we got closer to July 1st notification, we saw that academics/test scores really do matter. Was told his SAT's were high enough so he never did take ACT (though he likes science). Saw that his high GPA/TESTS, etc were attractive because a number of D1's have "team GPA requirements." Two D1's had worked the academic money approach(one about 50% and another likely full). This left $$ room for the Pitchers and catchers.  My son decided to go IVY route which is a better all around fit for him academically and style of play.  Coaches who are interested will usually give you benchmarks needed. One Ivy told a top pitcher that he thought a 2000 SAT could get him through the door. With three attempts he reached that number (superscored). Generally students do much better on one or the other (SAT--test preparation, ACT connected more with subject matters taught in school). Way back when I took the SAT my scores raised 160 or so points the second time, as a result of leaving more blank and not so many wild guesses. My best advice is to take the standardized tests early. Regardless of the score, it gives you a guideline. If the scores are super, schools will know earlier that you are a recruitable athlete for their schools, especially if you are looking high academic like IVY, Patriot, Colonial, and NESCAC. Good luck.

I assume it won't hurt. I'm not too up to speed these days on undergrad schools. I know when I was applying to law schools I had to be careful. I made a small mistake. I got a 172 on the LSAT, which is a pretty high score. However, against a lot of advice, I retook. The second score was a 166. Those are both very high scores. However, I found that some schools take your highest score while others average your scores if you take it more than once. With the schools that average it often meant the difference between a full ride and a lot less merit $$.

Originally Posted by MidAtlanticDad:

I can't speak to the downside for Admissions. Do any high academic schools penalize you for taking the test 3+ times?

 

My oldest (not an athlete) said that good schools know whether you report all of the subject tests that you took, or only those that you select to report.  Since you would be more likely to exclude tests that you did not do as well on, those who don't report all are presumably at a disadvantage.  Not sure if they also know when you are reporting the only SAT / ACT that you took or your best of several.

 

I think this all would matter less for an athlete.

 

 

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