<p>Advice on my D’s testing schedule would be greatly appreciated and needed. Nobody takes SAT II’s around here so we are in the dark although we can go to Barnes & Noble and buy prep books. For the schools on my D’s “wish list” Reed requires the most SAT 2’s with 3 of your choice. Some of the others require the Math SAT 2 with one other test. My D took the Chemistry SAT2 last May but wasn’t too happy with her score. The March SAT 1 conflicts with the area Latin Convention which my daughter is very involved in so she is planning to do SAT 2’s in May and then retake the SAT 1 in June (she took it in Dec but hopes to increase her math score). My D is concerned about waiting until October for testing since she wants to apply early but it sounds like she may need to take 1 test then. The AP tests my D is taking in May are US His, Calculus BC and English. Thanks for any ideas.</p>
<p>It is very important to look at the curves on the SAT II tests. The Math I test (whatever it’s called, can’t recall at the moment) has an awful curve. The Math II test has a great curve. If you daughter is doing well in Calc BC, she should be able to take the Math II; have her try the test with a practice book. The US History test also has a decent curve. I believe that the Lit test does not, but do check into that.</p>
<p>definitely take the Subject Tests in May that correspond with the AP courses: US History being the obvious. Also consider Math 2 since she can miss ~6 and still earn an 800. But, suggest review over spring break since the math subject tests include basic stuff from Frosh year which many advanced kids tend to forget. Pickup CB’s Real Subject tests (cheaper at Amazon) and have her try a practice test in each subject. In May, go with the ones she feels most comfortable. Note, Lit can be hit or miss, regardless of the kid’s preperation – sometimes a poem is just sooooo obtuse, that even A students are left scratching their heads.</p>
<p>Many kids do take 3 subject tests in the same day, but it could cause fatigue…</p>
<p>Thanks for the great advice. Sounds like she should definitely take Math 2 and history. My D writes poetry but I don’t know if that will help for the lit test. I usually can’t understand her poems either. I’ll order the Real Subject Tests book. Thanks!</p>
<p>I strongly suggest she take all 3 tests in May. Her day will end up being as long as if she took the SAT, tiring but achievable. Reed is very reading and writing intensive and for her to not take the subject test in English, when she is likely to very well in it because she is taking AP English and her interest in writing, would be a big mistake IMO. She is very likely to do well on all three, after taking the corresponding AP classes.</p>
<p>dsultemeier, which AP English are you talking about? According to my son and his pals, AP Lit is much better prep for the SAT II than AP Lang. A prep book would be a good idea if you are talking about Lang rather than Lit.</p>
<p>Midmo–on my daughter’s syllabus it says English Language & Composition. So I am guessing that means she is in Lang? My D generally does very well on anything related to English. Unfortunately her talent is in English but her interest is in math. Would be easier if the two matched up.</p>
<p>That course is Lang, which focuses on writing and the nuances of the English language. Lit is interpretation of readings.</p>
<p>My daughter took SAT II Lit and Math II with no preparation at the end of sophomore year and did very well on both. She chose those two tests because they did not require any subject-specific preparation, like science and history tests do.</p>
<p>So my school forces us to take the AP exam if we took the AP class. I was forced to take a certain AP class with a horrible teacher that I will most likely fail next week. Would it look bad to completely omit that score? I checked out Duke and Yale’s space to put AP/IBs and it’s rather small. Considering I’ll have 11 APs and 6 IBs (I guess 10 APs and 1 IB because the rest will be taken after applications) by the time I’m graduating, would completely not mentioning one of those AP scores make me look like i’m “hiding” something or just that I ran out of space? (the rest of my scores will certainly be better. of the APs i’ve taken so far, i got 5s)</p>
<p>JohnRamboMcCain: First of all, I love the name!</p>
<p>Second, talk to your guidance people. See what they suggest. Sometimes, our people will telephone a particular college to check with admissions. This happen with a student who decided to drop a science class (he had more than enough to graduate) in favor of an elective that teaches him EMT. The young man wants to go into medicine. His university had no problem with him changing classes at the semester break. So talk to your prospective colleges or let guidance do it.</p>
<p>On college apps, would it be better to self report all AP scores with a 2 or 3 here and there (among 4s and 5s) or just not self report any scores?</p>
<p>Our plan here is to self-report whatever there is to report.</p>
<p>Cornell asks for AP scores too:</p>
<p><a href=“http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/firstyear/2008_Freshman_Supplement.pdf[/url]”>http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/firstyear/2008_Freshman_Supplement.pdf</a></p>
<p>bumping this up. Good thread for self studiers (including myself) =D</p>
<p>bump again</p>
<p>S self-reported all of his AP scores to all colleges, wheteher or not they requested same. My feeling is that one should report all the scores. It’s intellectually honest, and better that colleges see that you took the class and the exam, even if you didn’t do as well as you hoped, rather than taking the class and having no exam score to show for it. That raises other questions. Besides, colleges know that you’re not going to get straight As in every course in undergrad. Be willing to show risk-taking.</p>
<p>Update: </p>
<p>The preview of the 2008-2009 Common Application </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ayrecruiting.com/cao/update/CombinedFirstYearForms2009.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ayrecruiting.com/cao/update/CombinedFirstYearForms2009.pdf</a> </p>
<p>suggests that the Common Application from now on will routinely provide space to self-report AP (and IB) test scores. That must be at the request of some Common Application colleges.</p>
<p>^^That line about AP/IB tests was on the 2007-2008 CommonApp, as I recall. D was worried that she had nothing to put in there since her classes were designed to have those tests at the end of senior year. She was very concerned that it would affect her admission, but it did not seem to be a factor at all.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I just checked my printed copy, and, no, those lines were not there before (as also indicated by the highlighting in the 2008-2009 preview). You may be recalling questions that appeared on college-specific supplements last year (which I also have printed copies of), which are the things I knew about when I opened this thread.</p>