<p>I don’t have any advice, but some encouragement regarding the math issue. I did very well on the ACT despite having a middle school math level at the time. For me, taking practice tests was what helped most-- I hadn’t taken many tests that worked the way the english and science sections worked, so it helped to be very familiar with the types of questions asked and to be in tune with what the different phrases that would appear in the questions usually meant. I pretty much bombed math but scored near perfect in all the other sections so I still got a good score, and on a retake I managed to do quite well even on the math section.</p>
<p>Someone else mentioned Mills College, and I would like to second that. I went there many moons ago, and it was a great place. She can still hang out in Berkley (there is a free shuttle from the campus), and can take a few classes their as well. It has a great art department and small classes.</p>
<p>A visual arts student, who is very verbal, bad at math, and doesn’t test well (even in classroom situations), is a student who needs to trot down to the guidance office and set up a meeting with the school psychologist for formal screening for learning disabilities. Three items that should be looked at to start with are Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Executive Function. The screening might come up with other items instead or as well. Even if the LD screening demonstrates conclusively that all is within a normal range, this student should have a meeting with the LD resource staff to help sort out her own best learning strategies.</p>
<p>I have a kid like this. Fortunately, we knew that the ACT/PSAT/SAT would all be huge challenges for her, so didn’t plan on any testing of that type until she’d made her college list. As luck would have it, her major is offered at our local CC (and the program is excellent) which uses its own tests for Math and English placement. Although she’s taken AP exams, she still has never faced an ACT/PSAT/SAT, and will never have to. </p>
<p>If your child is interested in an Art major, her portfolio will be much more important for admissions than any standardized exam score.</p>
<p>I was going to post a recommendation that she be tested for LD, but happymom did it better and faster.</p>