<p>Mathmomvt - My thoughts as well. I forwarded them on to S3 (obviously without my editorial comment) and let him know these were the ones he needed to keep in mind.</p>
<p>I’m not considering the test prep co. I was just curious if anyone else’s student had taken advantage of the full SAT test online at the college board website and their impression/thoughts on the scoring.</p>
<p>I think it’s a little bit easier than the actual exam. A friend of mine that’s currently at an 8 year med program got ~2320 on it and got a 2280 overall. That might just be because of curving or w/e - I think its still pretty accurate.</p>
<p>Now there’s an idea: I bet we could save a lot of money prepping with our golden retriever. Buddy works for treats.</p>
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<p>I’ll tell you on the 14th when we get real scores back. We were shocked that the essay was somehow “graded” instantly as well. I have my suspicions about this, and they aren’t charitable. But the score he got seemed realistic for him. My DS thought he did a lot worse on the CR section online than he would on a written version of the test because of the online format. I hope he was right. His online practice CR score was considerably lower than his PSAT predicted. we’ll see…</p>
<p>He’s taking the February ACT but on a weird date. He’s taking it with accommodations (extended time for the essay, instead of computer use which was requested for him) and for some reason the counselor was given a month long time range to administer it during, and is busy during the usual ACT February date so she scheduled a different date. So I don’t know if he gets a different version of the test or what. It seems really weird to me that they’re allowed giving it over such a broad range of dates.</p>
<p>And everyone loves golden retrievers. Happiest dog alive–they have to greet everyone they encounter with a happy wag of the tail–and I don’t have one.</p>
<p>Re: practice scores vs. ‘real’ scores. My son did not use the CB on-line test, but he did take a few of the BB practice tests and other real CB tests that the tutor had. (Older copies of the Oct/Jan/May QAS versions that are in circulation.) His score on his second sitting of the SAT was almost exactly the same on each section as one of his last practice tests, so I am now a big believer in those CB Blue Book practice tests. I am sure the tutor taught him plenty of test-taking strategies, but I also think that repetition helped. </p>
<p>I read of students attempting to memorize vocabulary and that seems really challenging, but I suppose not so bad if one starts early enough.</p>
<p>For those of us that were looking for Eagle Scout related scholarship info, I just ran across this:</p>
<p>[Where</a> to find scholarship money for Eagle Scouts Bryan on Scouting](<a href=“http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/02/05/where-to-find-scholarship-money-for-eagle-scouts/]Where”>Where to find scholarship money for Eagle Scouts - Aaron On Scouting)</p>
<p>I didn’t even know CB had online tests available.</p>
<p>S is signed up for the March SAT (and April ACT). He isn’t taking any APs so he doesn’t have any other tests looming besides these. And I don’t think his schools need subject tests.</p>
<p>I ordered the QAS from the Jan SAT (after he took it). I just hope they come before he has to take the March SAT.</p>
<p>So looking forward to Saturday afternoon! D14 had finals two weeks ago, then the SAT test on Jan. 26th, then the ACT this Sat. </p>
<p>The reason she’s taking the two tests so close together is SHE wants a baseline ASAP to know what schools she can seriously consider and visit later this summer. She’s planning on taking the SAT again in June. </p>
<p>She’s a great student, but has to work really hard. We advised her to limit her schedule her junior year to just one AP class and Spanish 4 (plus regular science, math, etc.). While not as challenging as many kids’ classes on this site, it’s worked perfectly for our family and her stress level. She can participate fully in her EC activity that includes teaching for $$$ and travel. We celebrate her achievements and remind her that success in life isn’t dependent upon the college you go to, but what you make of it.</p>
<p>Letters of recommendation for a undeclared applicant: My daughter has had a few teachers tell her they’d be happy to write letters of recommendation for her. Is there a subject teacher that it would be more meaningful coming from for an undeclared major? English teacher, AP teacher, sophomore year, junior year…?</p>
<p>Some colleges are going to want Jr or Sr year and from a core academic subject. I would pick someone who your DD feels she’s had a good relationship with and can write about her academics as well as personally. That’s not always your best grade. If you’ve rocked an A in an AP course but for whatever reason there isn’t a lot of class participation and the teacher is rather dull, leaving you without a very personal relationship that might not be your best recommendation. I hope that makes sense. If the teacher has offered, that’s probably not a concern. :)</p>
<p>Thanks Blue. She had a fantastic relationship with her sophomore year Honors English teacher who she ran into over the summer and the teacher is the one who brought up the recommendation letter. I fear, however, that her class was too early in DD’s academic years. Another teacher she had this year was her College Writing teacher. However, it was a semester class with pass/fail grading, so again, I don’t think that’s quite the level of interaction they will be looking for. She’ll have to reach out to others and see if they are amenable to doing her letters. I’m sure she won’t have a problem, but those are two teachers who seemed excited about doing it and they broached the subject with DD, not the other way around.</p>
<p>"We celebrate her achievements and remind her that success in life isn’t dependent upon the college you go to, but what you make of it. "</p>
<p>Kees4me - that is excellent advice!</p>
<p>There’s so much pressure for these kids to get into the “best school”. I have to remind my daughter over and over again that there are no guarantees in life . Hard work, dedication, and a passion for doing a job well done will almost always trump having gone to a prestigious college. Some of the very best people in my field have no college degree (sales).</p>
<p>Spot on Kees4me. It’s all about what one makes of the time in school, not necessarily where one attends. </p>
<p>The email onslaught continues. Real mail has been fairly light, a few brochures a day, some days there are many. One school in particular must’ve killed a forest. She gets something from them nearly every day.</p>
<p>MomFullofQs - Those may be excellent resources for scholarship LORs if the requirements aren’t as specific! The Jr/Sr academic core is simply what I’ve seen but certainly not all encompassing and there may be schools your DD applies to that these teacher’s LORs would work great for so please just take my words as advise from what I’ve seen previously. That may not be your experience with every school.</p>
<p>Kees4me - What a wonderful message to repeat and remind your student. I agree about the pressure, both external and internal. Both DH and I are meeting with S3 and the GC to see if we can adjust his requested Sr schedule to allow more breathing room. None of us are happy with it. It’s way too overloaded. We’re hoping the GC has some creative solution because DH and I have been unsuccessful in moving S3 in any way. 
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<p>S is taking the ACT this Saturday as well. Hoping he does better on it than he did on his Nov SAT. </p>
<p>So he got a phone call last night from Champlain College in Vermont wanting to send him info. Not anywhere he’s ever even heard of or expressed interest in.Very random!</p>
<p>Good luck to all ACT takers this weekend!</p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago, DS got an e-mail and a follow up phone call from Baylor inviting him to a ‘Baylor Joe’ last Saturday for an hour chat with the admission officer along with a small group of juniors at a local coffee shop. DS went and thought it was well worth his time and trip. About 10-15 students attended. They had coffee/hot cocoa/etc and chatted with the admission officer who is in charge of our area. I thought this was an interesting (and maybe effective) way for colleges to communicate with their target student group.</p>
<p>Reposting, but is the EC short answer gone?</p>
<p>Common Application:
Since many of you are asking: the current short answer question (discuss an activity) will NOT be part of the main application in CA4. Instead, members will choose whether or not to ask this question (or a version of it) on their writing supplements.</p>
<p>Following on ecouter’s post:
And the word count for the main essay will be enforced.</p>
<p>"…but not a word more than the instructions specify. As of August 1, technology will allow the Common Application to enforce word limits for the first time.</p>
<p>In the current system, applicants upload their essays as separate documents, and so they are free to submit 800 or 1,000 words, which plenty do. The new platform will require students to enter their responses into a window. At the 650-word limit, they will be unable to type any more. (The system will also not accept an essay of fewer than 250 words.)</p>
<p>I think we mentioned this earlier, but we all pop in and out at different intervals, another change will be the inability to attach a document to the CA. No more resumes. I know some admissions reps are pretty open about the fact that they are not a fan of any additional documents unless your major requires it (ie a portfolio for architecture). Given the limitations of the previous versions of the CA and the fact that it’s hammered into these kids they must stand out to have a shot, I get the desire to attach a one page resume highlighting leadership, awards, and EC explanations that just don’t fit into tiny text boxes. You work your tail off for four years because its part of your hs experience and you’d like to at least be able to effectively convey what you did. It used to be an option to address your activities, either directly or indirectly, in your essay but now that’s limited unless it fits one of the five topics. S2 struggled w the resume issue. I believe he included it on only one application. I have no idea if S3 would have considered it. Different kid, different applications. My point being, I understand both sides…why adcoms don’t like 20pg additions, and why a student feels the need to add a one page resume. Mute point now.</p>