Dec or Feb?

[jdcandydate]

Hi Powerscore,

You guys a lifesaver! I'm a nontraditional student looking to apply to a couple of top 10 schools (UVA & Duke), and several other top20 schools. I've been studying for several months now and have brought my scores up from the 130s (AHHH) to the low 150s at the highest. When I take practice tests I tend to choke and panic knowing that I need to up my score in just a couple weeks. However, I'm still very far away from where I'd need to be to get accepted into my top choice schools. Both schools have told me they prefer the December test for admission, so I am wondering if I should dare to wait for the February test for a better score?

Under normal circumstances I would just give myself an extra term and apply next year, but I would like to start school next fall so I can leave my full-time job this summer.

[Emily Haney-Caron]

Hi jdcandydate,

Congratulations on your score improvement! That is really awesome progress, and clearly means you've been working hard. It sounds like, at this point, test anxiety is really working against you. I think there are a couple of things you should consider:
How much more do you think your score would improve by February? You've already made a really substantial jump, and while it is not unheard of for people to make even more significant progress, it is not common for someone to have more than a twenty point gain. It is different for everyone, though, so think realistically about how much more you might expect to improve with a couple extra months. Generally I'd say that unless you're realistically expecting really significant improvement by February for some reason, it is a bad idea to delay if you're committed to applying this year. The earlier your application is complete, the better chance you have.
Would waiting for February decrease your test anxiety, or increase it? I'm wondering if you might feel just as much pressure either way, which might mean that you don't see a big improvement by waiting.

It's a difficult decision to make, but generally I'd say that if the schools have told you they prefer December, I would trust that, and take December...or think about waiting an additional year to apply.

Good luck!