Early Decision and Testing Timelines
What sort of testing schedule will provide the most comfort for the current junior who plans to apply either Early Decision (“ED”) or Early Action (“EA”)? Let’s take a look at a matrix of colleges that includes ED/EA as well as SAT, subject tests, and/or ACT requirements. Since ED and EA deadlines can be as early as November 1, the November and December SAT test dates often are not available to those who apply ED or EA.
Moreover, SAT subject tests, which are required by many of the top colleges, are given on the same days and times as the SAT, so test takers cannot sit for both the SAT and the subject tests on the same day. Therefore, if a junior who needs to take subject tests sits for his or her initial SAT in May, he or she may have only the June and October SAT administrations to retake the SAT (as nearly everyone does) and attempt to upgrade subject test scores.
We suggest that juniors sit for the SAT at the January or March administration, planning to take the SAT a second time in May and the subject tests in June. Then, the October date in senior year can be used to retake subject tests, take the SAT a third time (more on this below), or just relax. Since 2007, when we started recommending that our juniors begin SAT testing in January or March, many of our students who have done so have put up impressive numbers.
An objection we field again and again is that juniors “haven’t had the math yet.” The fact is that the math on the SAT is 95% arithmetic, simple algebra, and simple geometry; those areas have all been covered by the end of tenth grade.
Another parent concern revolves around how colleges look at multiple SAT scores. The most common practice (remember that each college establishes its own procedure) is to “mix and match” the best “split” scores from various tests. So, for example, if Cathy’s scores on the March SAT are Math 640, Reading 570, and Writing 590, and her scores in May are Math 610, Reading 670, and Writing 660, any college to which she submits her scores is likely to combine the Math 640 from the January test with the Reading 670 and Writing 660 from the May SAT, making her composite score 1970. It’s important to understand why colleges follow this procedure. It’s not to be nice, but rather because colleges submit the score range of admitted students to publications like U.S. News & World Report and Fiske College Guide. USN&WR uses the submitted numbers as part of its college rankings. So, it’s in the college’s best interests to compile each applicant’s best SAT scores. As for any bias against students who sit for the SAT multiple times, we have detected none. In fact, several years ago, one of our students who compiled a 380-point score increase did so by sitting for the SAT four times. She will graduate soon from Williams College.
Please comment or feel free to call us or email if any of this is unclear. The bottom line is that, in our opinion, many students who are planning to apply EA or ED to competitive colleges are at a disadvantage if they wait until May to start their SAT testing.