<p>89wahoo, yes, I have heard the same…literature and historical examples are the best or safest examples to use in the SAT essays. DS always have good ideas and examples but his writing needs improvement. I am just not confident with the scores I assigned him using the SAT rubrics. I would like to find a grader who is experienced with SAT essay grading and has seen many student examples before. Your idea of local test prep company is a good one and I will look into it. Just hope the charges are reasonable.</p>
<p>Thanks all for listening to my venting! DD had her first two exams today. APUSH went well but she didn’t finish the English one - and neither did the other top student in the class! There was some confusion as to how much longer they had. I think one issue was the exams now needed to be mostly short answer and essay and no multiple choice, so the teachers aren’t used to creating those type of exams and may not have had a good feel for how much could be completed in the allotted time.</p>
<p>There was going to be a select choir rehearsal tonight but she emailed the director that she couldn’t make it because she didn’t have a ride (mostly true - the logistics of her going back to school and both of us needing to get to different rehearsals at the same time would be tough). Apparently so many kids told the director that they couldn’t make it that she cancelled 
So now she’s practicing her song for auditions and will have the time to go to rehearsal and work with all the little kids!</p>
<p>She’ll skip her dance class tomorrow night and go to auditions, which will actually take less time than dance so she seems a bit calmer about it all. She said that if she gets a callback on Friday it will only be until 2:15 so we should be able to get going by 3:00. Having produced numerous shows, I can’t imagine only doing 15 minutes of callback but who knows! So we’ll pack up the car with the puppy and all the ski stuff and all of DS’11’s stuff to bring back to college and head up north to visit my brother and family who we haven’t seen since they moved back to New England from Florida 6 months ago! Getting the two puppies together (ours is 14 months and theirs is 8 months) should be interesting!</p>
<p>Good luck to all those studying for the January SAT! We decided to do the March one due to these mid-terms. I chose our SAT tutor because she lives down the street and could meet on DD’s schedule. Since DD’s strength is math, she’s going over that a bit and concentrating on the CR. Still trying to figure out when to get some writing tutoring in!</p>
<p>My son is also taking the January SAT, and also the March one which is only 5 weeks later. These are really the only dates that will work, since he will be taking 2 IB and 4 AP exams in May, and 2-3 SAT II’s in June. The Oct date may conflict with an important family wedding. I wish they would offer a date in late August/early September.</p>
<p>Has anyone else noticed the deluge of college emails today and yesterday? My son took the Oct PSAT and the Dec SAT and I am trying to figure out which one triggered all the emails. Many of them are offering a free guide: “13 Sings You Have Found a Leading University” or “Five Ways to Stand Out…” I am guessing they want to student to click through so that they can engage further.</p>
<p>Was just curious if other '14 PSAT takers are receiving these messages or if they are from the Dec SAT. </p>
<p>Somewhat related…has anyone noticed that schools continue to send mailers encouraging students to visit even after the student has visited, taken the tour and attended the info session? Is this just poor database management or should I worry that they do not have a record of his having been there?</p>
<p>akmom - so glad everything is working out and the stress level is going down! whew!!!</p>
<p>I have a question for the SAT/PSAT pros. Would you say that the SAT would likely score in the same percentile as the PSAT? DS’ ACT percentile is about 5 points higher than his PSAT. We talked and decided that he would just do the ACT one more time, and I’m OK with that because of what I just mentioned.</p>
<p>Needless to say, he’s not taking it 1/26! He will do the ACT in April, then two SAT II’s in May.</p>
<p>yoamogatos–agree with your wish for an early Sept date for the SAT. Strategic scheduling by ACT folks. Bummer about the family wedding conflict. Is it an afternoon event? Could your son take the exam in the wedding town? I know…crazy…but might be the last shot for ED.</p>
<p>Y’all are singing my song!! The lack of a September SAT is a huge pet peeve of mine!!</p>
<p>akmom - Vent away any time! So glad things seems to work themselves to a slower pace and it looks like you will get set on your ski vaca at a decent time Friday. I’ll put in a little boho braid (my version of crossing fingers and toes) for good luck. As 89wahoo can attest, it’s pretty powerful. ;)</p>
<p>BlueIguana is indeed a good luck charm. Stay on her good side!
I wish there was a September SAT too. The kids could actually study in the summer without the added stress of homework and ECs in full swing. Last year there was some private school that was going to offer a couple of weeks of prep and then the test for a few thousand dollars. People had a fit and the idea came to an end. the concept was bad but the SAT earlier than October was good. With regard to subject tests- they aren’t offered every SAT date so plan your tests carefully. D and several others she know had to take both SAT and subject tests in the fall of senior year to raise them and they were sweating whether their EA and ED schools would get the November ones. it wasn’t a lack of planning for them as much as it was misfortune- some found when they added schools over the summer that there were subject tests required which they hadn’t taken, and others just didn’t do well, but if you can avoid fall test pressure your kids will be grateful whether they know it or not! Watch the college sites to see if the ones on your radar have subject tests they require.</p>
<p>
YES! </p>
<p>My son took the Oct PSAT and recently registered for the January SAT and I was wondering which of those triggered the deluge. Guess it was the PSAT. 
</p>
<p>
Would the wedding actually be on the Saturday morning? If not maybe you could arrange for your child to take the SAT in the city you would be visiting.</p>
<p>Definitely agree with wahoo that avoiding the fall tests if at all possible really reduces the stress of that very stressful fall.</p>
<p>CT - my son just told me that he received 15 college emails in his inbox today and the snail mail was also flooded. The only test he has taken since last Feb is the PSAT, so I’m assuming that’s the source of the interest. The only mail we seem to get lately from the schools we have visited is info about attending their summer programs.</p>
<p>Curious about SAT IIs. They aren’t required by any of the colleges we’re looking at, but a few of them say that they will be considered if they “enhance the application.” In that situation, do you think it’s worthwhile to take the tests (hoping of course, that they will actually “enhance” the application) or can we skip them??</p>
<p>Collegefortwins, if you are sure you won’t need the subject tests, I wouldn’t bother. OTOH if your kids are likely to add colleges to the list at the last minute, it’s nice to get them out of the way at the logical times (end of semester when the class was completed).</p>
<p>Agree with Mathmom about taking exams at end of this year if possible. I believe the subject tests are administered on all SAT I dates other than March. (Foreign Language with listening tests may be only November. Have not paid attention to language since that is a weak point in our household.) So, just need to balance spring sports, AP or IB exams, Jr Prom, Finals, SAT I and SAT II. No challenge whatsoever!</p>
<p>In terms of enhancing the application, I think one needs a fairly high score on the subject test in order to enhance the app. SAT IIs are on my ‘to research’ list so others can probably offer you more accurate advice. Here is a link to Subject Test Percentile Ranks:<br>
<a href=“http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/SAT-Subject-Tests-Percentile-Ranks-2012.pdf[/url]”>http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/SAT-Subject-Tests-Percentile-Ranks-2012.pdf</a></p>
<p>The danger in taking a subject test and not scoring well is that some schools require the applicant to submit all scores, including some the applicant might not want the school to consider.</p>
<p>Re: increase mail. I have received a little more e-mail in the past week, but nothing compared to last year’s increase. Seems like last year with the PSAT & PLAN, we were flooded with e-mails. And they were the type you mentioned … click here for the 13 tips of (whatever).</p>
<p>We signed up to tour a school next Monday. We are still receiving e-mails reminding us that the deadline to sign up is coming up! Do they not see that we already have! haha I think it’s just poor database management. That’s a shame! We should be receiving e-mails that say “thanks for signing up - we’ll see you then!”</p>
<p>Re: the October wedding conflict - the happy couple just got engaged and haven’t set a date yet, but are planning for “early Oct” so it’s a definite conflict possibility. It’s 2000 miles away, in my husband’s home town, so we may have to look into taking the SAT at his HS alma mater if my son doesn’t hit his score goal in Jan or March.</p>
<p>He’s received emails from about 10 different schools in the last 2 days; not sure if that constitutes a lot. They must have been from the PSAT, as the Jan SAT will be his first.</p>
<p>My son had me sign him up for the March SAT. He has taken the ACT twice, and is not thrilled with his results. Took the SAT with the JHU program as an eighth grader. My husband reminded him that he really needs to spend a little time prepping for the test so he does well. A few snow days would help! Meanwhile, we’re in Day 2 of exams. He has only one today before going to the academic team district tournament. And although he has a couple of days off with teacher workdays, he has two track meets before the new semester starts next week. He, too, has been getting e-mail/regular mail from various colleges. None seem to excite him all that much. Maybe he’s too consumed with studying? Right.</p>
<p>beadymom - yes re the PSAT/SAT percentiles, although there are many, many stories of kids SAT score rising well above their PSAT if they were new to the format when sitting for the PSAT.</p>
<p>I would recommend taking the SAT Subject Matter tests in June AFTER an AP test in the same subject. It just works out better. The student has already studied for the AP and just needs to brush up a bit and work on timing.</p>
<p>DD was wishing for a snow day here today - rather than her two exams! Not to be in this part of the state although the other nearby Catholic school did have a delay. I’m just glad she made it to school safely in the snow and since she has to be there until 4 for auditions hopefully the snow will have stopped and the roads will be cleared by the time she heads home!</p>
<p>I am hoping for a snow day at some point this winter. I don’t think I will ever outgrow that…</p>
<p>I like snow days, too! Unfortunately we don’t usually get many. And we had a big snow over Christmas break, so that was probably it for the year!</p>
<p>I’m a huge fan of a good snow-in once or twice a year. Last year we had a very mild winter, got some conversational snow, but nothing sled-worthy. Dec '10-Jan '11 we had Snocropolis & Snowmageddon (I forget the order), which many cc’ers will remember well. I’m not asking for a repeat, just a respectable 8-10" that sticks and isn’t followed by freezing rain.</p>