Thanks @doschicos , we will look carefully.
DS’s AP Bio teacher doesn’t want the kids testing for Bio subject test in May since they will be in full prep mode for the AP exam the following week (or so, can’t remember the dates.) The June date is problematic so he will need to test in Aug. We are trying to decide if the Math II subject test should be taken in May or Aug. AND when should the first actual SAT be taken? So much testing!
How do you decide which schools to look at so early with only PSAT scores and a GPA from 1.5 years? We would love to start in March but don’t have a good feel for the right “level” of school.
I’m having S2 take a few subject tests as appropriate so he’ll have 2-3 before applying. S1 was done with all standardized testing by May of 11th grade. That left time fall of senior year if necessary. But it was nice for him to just focus on applications senior fall.
I was also finished by junior year, and I can’t emphasize enough how much not having this sword of Damocles hanging over me meant. Again, different strategies for different students.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the “one test on this date and one test on that date strategy.” Take 2 or 3 on the same date and get them over with. For the naysayers who complain that it’s too hard to prep for 2 tests simultaneously, welcome to the multi-tasking real world. Once you get to college, you may have 2 finals on the same day and no opportunity to reschedule.
I won’t get into the erroneous belief that one needs AP Bio (or chem/physics) to take the Subject Test, it’s minimal additional prep if a student is already preparing for one.
“I won’t get into the erroneous belief that one needs AP Bio (or chem/physics) to take the Subject Test, it’s minimal additional prep if a student is already preparing for one.”
DS never took regular Bio, just went right to AP Bio, so he may have some extra prep to do to cover so breadth not included in AP but tested on the subject test.
I do see your point about just scheduling two on one day.
You guys are cracking me up. Perhaps I need to revise my parenting philosophy from benign neglect to utter abandonment. I had absolutely no clue which tests needed to be taken by whom, for what, or when. I thought that was part of what we were paying the BS for and just assumed ChoatieKid knew what the colleges he was applying to required and was doing whatever he needed to. I guess he did; he did get into a few of them. I’m not knocking any of you, just SMH that it didn’t occur to me to get involved in the testing process at all and it still worked out. (I know, I know, some of you are shaking YOUR heads and thinking, “Well, ChoatieMom, perhaps if you’d been a bit more attentive, perhaps your kid would not be in the military right now, and perhaps you are right.)
Not SMH at all. I’m coming off launching a kid from public school in to college. If I wasn’t on top of it, no one would be. Parents sort of found other parents and shared information so that we were prepared. By the time guidance shared info (If they shared info) it was too late and often wrong. Honestly, DS would do fine without my involvement but I am, apparently, finding it hard to 100% trust the process.
That’s a valid point in that situation. Personally it still would not deter me from taking the test in May or June, although I understand the June date is an issue for him.
That’s OK, neither did skimom and skidad.
Complicating our search is AppleKid’s continued desire to be a varsity athlete in college, so we are looking for schools that are both an athletic and academic match. From everything I’ve heard from families that have gone through, or are going through the recruiting process, an early start is key to finding the best matches (at least for kids that aren’t phenoms in their sport, which AppleKid most certainly is not). One of the goals of the early visits is to get AppleKid to think about what sorts of attributes are desirable in a school, as well as what factors actually don’t matter that much. We also hope to have the kid see that there are several schools that could provide a great experience, and therefore try to keep the kid from developing “crushes” on schools which may not ultimately be realistic. I imagine that would be applicable even if AppleKid wasn’t looking to be recruited. In fact, NOT having the athletic piece would stress me out more because that would open up a far broader range of school possibilities.
While I’ve heard that PA has a great CC office, the process won’t ramp up until next school year. For athletes, that seems a little late for my comfort, especially since being at boarding school and training nearly year-round in 3 sports doesn’t leave much free time for visits to the far reaches of the country. I know there are plenty of folks who feel differently, but visits are absolutely necessary for DH and me to feel comfortable sending our kid, and our checks (especially those!) to any institution.
As usual, so much great info from this group. Thank you. K2 will be fine. And thanks to @ChoatieMom , who always puts everything into perspective 
@GMC2918 --not sure if I mentioned this here before, but Compass Test Prep has a downloadable PDF all about testing, with a fantastic grid on which colleges are looking for what type/how many SAT Subject tests, reporting, etc.
@itcannotbetrue That is very helpful - like 90 pdf pages of helpful! Thanks!
Thanks @itcannotbetrue!!! Neither of my kids test well, so starting early and having that piece planned out will (hopefully) minimize anxiety.
Another thank you to @itcannotbetrue! We’re in the same boat as @AppleNotFar, having to start the process earlier because of hopes to play the sport at the collegiate level.
Please note that, unlike the rest of academia, which seems to evolve at glacial speed, requirements for college admissions tend to change with every application cycle at some colleges. So while secondary sources, like the above, are a good starting point, you should verify that the information is current via each target college’s website/admissions office.
Yes, agreed @skieurope. I do believe they update it yearly.
Probably. But not always up-to-the-minute. Again, it’s always better to verify with the source.
I liked it for the timing suggestions.
I thought it odd to receive an email today about an info session location change from a college we’re visiting soon that didn’t blind copy the recipients. Based on just the email addresses I saw there’s at least 7 other boarding schools that will have a visitor on the day we go. Makes me kind of wish that AppleKid’s “college-only” email wasn’t quite so revealing!
Well, you should write back to the college about the gaffe.