embarassing/infuriating situation

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>I just found out that my S has been cheating while going through the BB tests (following along with answers online) for the past 6 months. Right now I could rip his head off!</p>

<p>However, I still expect him to support me when I get old, so I am still invested in him learning and preparing as best he can for the PSAT in Oct. (he will be a jr.) and the SAT in the spring 2012. Many of the schools we have identified for him will depend on whether he can get a NMF qualifying score.</p>

<p>So, his soph yr he scored 179. Of course I have no idea how much he might have learned, if he learned anything at all, while going through the motions the last 6 months. Right now he is taking a complete test, sans computer, so I can know better where he stands. I will get a new BB since the current copy has been written in, and we already have the CB online supplemental tests printed off.</p>

<p>I am asking for input from you all with regard to studying and prep strategies for the next couple of months. Currently I am in punishment mode, but I know I need to be realistic with regard to his prep. Not counting camps and days out of town, we have about 13 weeks to work with before the PSAT. I am planning on him devoting 2-3 hours per day to prep (partly to make up for the last 6 months he wasted - and also as punishment). But clearly there aren't enough tests to do one every day. I am going to have him spend some of that time reading and would love to hear input from CCers about possible books to read, too. Right now I have Walden, Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks (kid likes music), and the Einstein biography (kid has physics next year and I found the bio interesting). I would love to have him read Ayn Rand, but I don't think he would appreciate it at this point.</p>

<p>Thanks for any input.</p>

2

<p>Study vocab lists, read articles (Newspapers, Economist, medical journals, science magazines, etc.), and be sure to go over ALL your/his answers after and learn why each question was right or wrong.</p>

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<p>I would focus on one section, and just be like, “You’re gonna get an 800 on this section”. In my experience, SAT studying becomes a lot more fun when you say you want to get an 800 on something. For some reason, studying to me seems more fun when you are just trying to eliminate all your wrong answers.</p>

<p>I would start with writing. On the PSAT, there is only one 30 minute writing section (I think), and on the SAT there are two multiple-choice sections that add up to 35 minutes total, broken down into a 25 and 10 minute section. Just do a single writing section (25 mins) or a complete writing section (35 mins) each day or whatever. Writing is the easiest thing to study for. Once he realizes he can improve, it will make studying for CR and M easier.</p>

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<p>The fact that you have been MAKING him take practice tests is ridicilous. He is in highschool, he probably has some ideas what he wants to do after high school.</p>

<p>If he wanted to go to a big school, he would prepare himself and without cheating and stuff. That’s really not cool. If my parents were trying to do something like that, oh my…</p>

5

<p>I think it’s great that you caught him and that you are so proactive in helping him. I teach SAT courses and see the opposite situation all the time. Parents sign their student up for a class and then expect their work to be done–and their child to score in the 2000s. It really is a group effort and the more encouragement they get from home, the better they do.</p>

<p>I just wrote a detailed 12 week self-study plan for just the Blue Book and am waiting on our web people to post it. As soon as it’s up, I’ll send you a link. It will fit in nicely with your schedule.</p>

<p>As for classic novels to read, the College Board actually has a reading list here: [great</a> books - book search, top 100 books](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Stay Motivated – BigFuture | College Board). We asked our instructors to choose the most interesting stories off that list here: <a href=“http://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/content/Suggested%20Reading%20List.pdf[/url]”>http://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/content/Suggested%20Reading%20List.pdf&lt;/a&gt;. Note that most of them have movie versions, which is always a good motivator.</p>

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<p>@SATwriter, can you send me that link as well?</p>

7

<p>Thanks soooo much. This is very valuable and I really appreciate the input.</p>

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<p>hey incase you are falling short of official collegeboard prep material, just pm me your email id and i’ll send you some previously administered SAT exams.</p>

9

<p>“Many of the schools we have identified for him will depend on whether he can get a NMF qualifying score.”</p>

<p>You need to lay off and let HIM make his own decisions for colleges he wants to go to…you can force him to do anything you want, but it’s not going to make him more motivated…If he has a great SAT score, so what? When he gets to college, if he doesn’t have motivation, he won’t do well, and guess who’s fault that’ll be? YOURS, for pushing something onto him that he doesnt really want.</p>

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<p>Could I also get the link for that study plan please?</p>

11

<p>If he is cheating on practice tests, then he is not motivated at all to learn. Don’t force it.</p>

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<p>This kind of cheating is more common than you think. From your point of view, his SAT scores are the problem. From his point of view, his mom wanting him to do this work is the problem. Guess which one he solved?</p>

<p>One thing that might help would be to compile a list of the schools where his current scores would give him a good chance at admission. Then maybe visit some of them and some others that he would not yet be in the running for. If he would already be happy with the schools he can get into, then he is right – his scores are not a problem. But if HE wants to go to a more competitve school, that might change the motivational equation.</p>

13

<p>You’re a shrew. Parents like you are truly the scum of the earth. I’ll probably be banned from this website for this post, but the fact that you take it upon yourself to “identify colleges” for your son, and to force him into studying for this test that he clearly has no interest in is shameful. And we’re not even speaking of the SAT. This is the PSAT we’re talking about. Get a grip, tiger mom.</p>

14

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<p>You have a terrible attitude.</p>

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<p>Um, PSAT results play no role in admission to more selective colleges unless your family needs NMF scholarships to pay the cost. If that’s the case, the schools that offer substantial NMF scholarships aren’t that selective. You may have an incorrect perception about how strongly the PSAT is weighted in admissions, but I can’t make that call unless I know more about what you mean.</p>

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<p>You’d be surprised what people can learn by seeing the answer before doing the problem.</p>

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<p>…Wow.</p>

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<p>Of these three, I have only read Walden, and if you force your son to read that novel, he will hate you even more.</p>

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<p>If you really want him to read something to help his SAT score, I would recommend you have him read magazines like TIME and Newsweek and newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the LA Times. Those sources contain articles that are much easier to read and more similar to CR passages on the SAT.</p>

<p>Ultimately, I get the feeling from your OP that everything about your son’s SAT prep revolves around you and what you want. Preparing for college cannot be a unilateral decision forced upon your son; that will only alienate him and create more tension between you and him. Ultimately, he may even reject reasonable ideas from you because you seem to be wanting to force him into a prep plan that’s simply ridiculous. You need to instill an internal motivation in your son, letting him know the purpose of college, identifying a dream school with him, and telling him what he needs to get into that school. I understand your frustration with your son, but your “plan” seems to stem more from revenge than it does from a desire to actually help your son.</p>

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<p>^I agree with 314159265 :)</p>

16

<p>I didn’t read anything except the first few sentence. One question…</p>

<p>Why would your son feel the need to cheat on something (a practice test) that has no value whatsoever?</p>

17

<p>^Because he isn’t motivated for it and is being forced to do it. That’s horrible that you’re imposing your will like that on your son and it just demotivates him more. The time will come when he realizes college is important and he will want to study on his own. The more you try to “educate” your son about college or the SAT the more he will reject it.</p>

18

<p>Yeah. I’d advise you to back off and let him take the reins of his education more, or at least try to involve him in some way.</p>

19

<p>This is the exact kind of attitude I despise. I understand you want your son to succeed. Who doesn’t? But when I read “I want to rip his head off!”, all I thought of was that you are a tiger mom.
Why on earth would you want to rip your son’s head off? If you feel that way, just keep it to yourself. Don’t post it here; people will not like you. Just say, “I’m a little angry”. Is that so hard?</p>

<p>You would really be surprised how much people can learn by looking at the answers before they solve the problem. Of course continuing with that attitude is inadvisable, but when you’re learning and unsure of your answers, looking at the answers is a effective way. At least it was for me. If your son thinks by doing so, he can get good scores, then just LET HIM PLEASE.
I’m not against parents guiding their children. It’s natural. But the way you talk seems to me like you’re forcing him to do all this so he can support you when you become old. Just let him do the work, while you just ask him lightly, “How’s everything going?”. I’m sure your son will feel better. If you, by guiding him, think that looking at the answers isn’t going to help him, just tell him in a natural calm way. </p>

<p>I’ve met a bunch of parents who just force their children to study “their way”, which is apparently cramming and cramming. But kids nowadays have their own methods. Let your kid decide what’s best for him, and when you sense that his method isn’t working, tell him! </p>

<p>Thank goodness I wasn’t born to tiger parents. My parents were calm and collected; they let me take the reins, and when they sensed something was wrong, told me. But being the perfectionist that I am, I think it was me who kept pushing me to do better. It was my parents who just watched from the distance, guiding me.</p>

<p>By the way, where are you from? I hope I haven’t offended you. I’m just pointing out an error in your parenting style. Your son will probably not benefit from all this stress; he has enough stress already. Boys are more likely to get angry at their parents when they force their sons to do what they don’t want to do.</p>

<p>Also, if you are beginning to hate me for pointing out an error (which you really shouldn’t be), let me just say that I got a 2390 (Math: 790, Reading: 800, Writing:800). So please don’t say, “Well what do you know?”</p>

<p>Again, I sincerely hope I haven’t offended you.</p>