that is what we were also looking…
Thanks a lot @skieurope
How many SAT II kids need to take? If score is good enough SAT Math II, Chemistry and US History is good enough? or do you need more to show proficiency?
Fwiw, the only science course in the catalog at our school that referenced that it prepared students for SAT 2 was AP Chem. This suggests that someone at your school may be able to give you the best advice on this (including guidance on whether prep beyond the class is necessary. ) While the tests cover general subject material, they don’t tie to a specific curriculum to the extent an AP exam does, so it’s a bit more nebulous as to when it’s best to take.
For most colleges, the answer is zero. Top colleges request 2, Georgetown asks for 3. Unless a college specifically requests a particular subject (e.g. engineering programs will often ask for math and either physics or chem), the subjects are the student’s choice. A common misconception is that one needs to show balance by presenting a humanities test and a STEM test. Again, if the college wants something specific, it will tell you - no tea leaf reading is needed.
Personally, I see no value in taking more than 3, if the student is happy with the scores. More does not equal better; this is an example, IMO, of “the thicker the file, the thicker the kid.” Regardless, the college will just look at the top # of scores. The only exception I would make is for a foreign language, as for many colleges, these can be used as placement/exemption from the foreign language graduation requirement.
I’d also add a couple of cautions. Don’t submit a foreign language test for a native language. Don’t submit both math 1 and math 2. Don’t submit both a foreign language test and a foreign language with listening test.
Congrats!
Just wondering? How does it work? When we meet GC first time this year what path we need to follow. Do we wait for GC to tell us their list first based on daughter’s achievement and then we bring up our need based aid or merit based aid? Or they already know it so no need to bring it. Or do we tell upfront school GC that we need her to apply only school where she can get need based aid or merit based aid?
We are gun shy for too much debt, and do not want her to take too much loan as she will accumulate debt for grad school. I mean do we disclose them that she is receiving 90% aid and we want them to recommend them college where she can get need based or merit based aid? Anyone has suggestions, thanks
@infinityprep1234 How I’ve done it up to this point: I went through the Fiske Guide and other resources to make very broad preliminary lists for my children. They did their own research and weeded down or added to the lists. They discussed the lists with their college counselor and weeded down a bit more (this process is ongoing). Because these are boarding schools, there is no necessity for parents to meet with the CC, but I wanted to make sure he agreed with our overall application strategy and discuss a few specific issues, so I met with him at the end of the school year and found it very helpful. I did discuss finances and financial aid issues. You should probably start running Net Price Calculators, if you haven’t. Can you tell I’m spending too much time on CC this morning? Rainy Saturday across the kitchen table from my daughter and her book…
@infinityprep1234 If you need colleges with financial aid/merit aid, I’d make that clear to the college counselor from the start.
In my family’s situation we did not qualify for need based aid but some the schools on the list offered merit aid.
Some people wait for more direction from the counselor for the list but we did exactly what @twinsmama did above using Fiske guide to create a very broad list. That created a starting point of as many as 40-50 schools. Then cross referencing it with online research to see which schools were strong in possible academic areas of interest, starting some visits helped narrow the list down. We actually had a couple opportunities to meet with the college counselor in person (can be done via Skype or phone if you can’t meet in person) as well as communication through email snd Naviance. Student obviously met with counselor several times and submitted a list of about 25 schools early on which counselor sorted into reach, possible, and likely categories allowing the student and us to have further discussions narrowing down the list while ensuring a proper distribution in the various range of selectivity. Counselor convinced student to drop one or two considered to be a “far reach” or basically “no chance in hell”. More visiting and the winnowing continued based on reactions to different schools and settings.
For those visiting in summer, consider visiting right before BS starts up again. Often colleges go back in late August which can provide a small window for seeing colleges with students on campus before your own child needs to be back to school.
@infinityprep1234: In addition to all of the good advice above, the CC office may send out a form for you to complete that asks for your input on all the typical questions with space for any additional concerns you might have. The form we received from Choate was quite lengthy and covered a lot of ground including need for aid and our opinion on what schools we thought our son should or shouldn’t apply to and why. Once completed, our son’s CC sent up a meeting to review. We were remote, so we did it by phone. I posted the form here once. I’ll see if I can find it as it may give some food for thought.
Once the college app process begins in earnest at your child’s school, you will have access to the tools and people you need to get all of your specific questions answered. No worries.
^Yes, at my kids’ school that form was via Naviance. It was helpful to the counselor in knowing what was important to the parents in addition to ongoing conversations with the student.
FWIW, here is the form we received from Choate in '14:
Our work in the college process begins with the best and most important part: getting to know your child. In addition to conversations with your child, we talk with adults on campus who have insights to share–teachers, advisers, coaches, deans, and others. Each of these people have important observations to relay, but probably none as powerful and revealing as those you can give. Please take advantage of this opportunity to help us understand your child better. Stories and specific anecdotes in particular are quite helpful (and enjoyable to read). We appreciate hearing your insights, concerns and questions regarding this important stage in your child’s educational and personal development.
Members of the family may collaborate or respond separately, as you prefer. Please type your responses onto this document and email to your child’s college counselor by February 28, 2014. Thank you for your time and consideration.
(Family detail, including education, employment, degrees of parents/guardians)
Written Responses. Please write as much as you think appropriate.
What do you consider to be your child’s outstanding accomplishments of the past three or four years? Why do you select these as most important?
In what areas has your child shown the most development and growth during the past three or four years?
What are a few of the characteristics you admire most about your child?
If you had to describe your child in a few adjectives, what would they be?
Are there any unusual or personal circumstances that have affected your child’s educational or personal experiences?
Are there any specific considerations you feel strongly about as your child compiles a college list (e.g. geographic location, size, setting, athletic or artistic opportunities, religious affiliation, financial aid)?
Please list the names of any colleges you think are a good fit for your child. Why are these particularly suited? Anywhere but Ohio State.
How might your child handle denial from particular colleges?
(Optional) Please write a brief anecdote about your child that you feel captures one or more of his or her special qualities.
The CC held a meeting for all of her students’ parents over College Counseling weekend where she went over all the testing/date requirements and what we could expect from her and what she expected from us. In our one-on-ones, she went over FA requirements and such. The process was deep and thorough, and we never had questions we couldn’t get answered directly and quickly.
This forum is great for sharing, but your child’s CC will be your bottom-line resource for real answers specific to your child.
@ChoatieMom Was this on the form? Or was this part of your answer? 
I left that in there to see if anyone was paying attention. Good for you! 
(Friends don’t let friends go to Ohio State. Go Blue!)
Our son’s CC got a chuckle out of that. I should have added “or service academies.”
@twinsmama For $0.52, you’re getting ripped off. Try $0.01 at Red Roof Inn.
But that was years ago during a promotion. We went on a college visit last week and stayed in a very sketchy motel. A cat tried to follow us into our room. We had to team up to distract said cat and escape into room.
Thanks everyone with your suggestions, we will discuss it upfront and will instruct daughter about it too as finance is one area where we the parents have say, others area my husband and I are back benchers and non existent, as she has her own way to think and apply to fields whatever she wants to do.
Even as the 3rd SATII for Georgetown?
@infinityprep1234, I totally agree with everyone here that you should be as transparent as possible with the CC. The more info you provide about what you’re looking for and your constraints, the more helpful, he/she will be. Many schools require EA applications in order to be considered for merit. If you’re willing to share with the CC where your FA came out when you run the NPCs for some of your top choice schools (you don’t need to be specific, but you can say XYZ was $10,000 less than ABC), that may also help. Really, they’ve seen it all before! In our experience, the people who do this for a living really want to see the kids happy with the colleges they are attending. It’s a waste of time, energy, and hope to spend time on applications that don’t have a chance of turning into viable options for whatever the reason. You’re being so smart to talk about this with your child upfront while still letting her set the direction.
Correct. It’s like a native English speaker submitting TOEFL. One can certainly submit it as their one over-and-above, so for Georgetown, it would be the 4th.
Here is what some colleges say:
How are the college visits going? I write from a hotel room; both kids have interviews this morning, the first for my son, fourth for my daughter.
@twinsmama…interviews already? Is this for possible ED/EA schools?