<p>I thought I posted thisAM and realized it was on my iPhone. Sure enough there it is, just didn’t hit “send”. Pre-caffine stooper, what can I say? :o</p>
<p>CT, Thanks for the information on Lehigh. You have the big picture and specifics, I just have some information as it relates to S3. </p>
<p>go2mom - I envy your long-term planning. Everything with everyone in our house is so fluid (read no one has nailed down what they heck they are doing this summer!!) with the exception of me. I’ll be here directing traffic, keeping S3 motivated to start on essays, and necessary damage control (someone in this family always has damage that needs controlling). My in-law’s called pressuring us for a week all five of us could go to the beach (a family tradition trip to the OBX for over 15yrs which the last several have not seen all members of our family). DH sighed and said please make plans best for them and his sister’s family and whoever was available would be there.</p>
<p>Collegefortwins - Safe travels to Bama! It’s a beautiful campus. Many kids do indeed hit the ground and instantly have a connection. I’m sending good vibes for a change in weather. Also hoping you get your son’s itinerary PDQ. It would be nice to have that in-hand. You could probably give a call to the coordinator and politely nudge.</p>
<p>OL - I’d say you get the prize for latest snowfall, but I don’t think it’s any sort of prize. So sorry y’all are being effected by such terrible weather this late in the season! :(</p>
<p>pamayawaa - I agree that 3 subject tests is a lot in one day. I also agree that Math 2 is best prepped for. I believe I’ve said it here before, but IME the students I know who have taken Math 2 the biggest hurdle is time/not finishing so they lose points for unanswered questions, not incorrect answers. Prepping with practice, timed tests goes a long way to getting them ready. S2 raised his score 80pts on the second try. We wouldn’t have bothered as the first score was fine, however as an engineering applicant so many others are submitting with an 800 he really needed to try again (and absolutely knew the first wasn’t his best effort). S3 took a mock APUSH test at school Monday and felt really good about it. He’s anxious to get the score. I’m hoping his Bio teacher is going to start review soon.</p>
<p>Regarding seeing dorms on visits, many of schools we have visited did not show a dorm room for safety reasons. Usually there are plenty of pictures, even floor plans, available online at the schools housing website. I have also found that even if you see a dorm it is most likely not going to be anything like what your student will be assigned to (unless you are on a specific honors tour). Dorms usually vary considerably even on the same campus and are either assigned randomly, by lottery (The student goes online and chooses from what’s available at a certain time based on a lottery. Their lottery may be higher based on when they paid their housing deposit), or students list in order of preference and are then assigned by housing.</p>
<p>go2mom–my son has completed a couple of Lit practice tests from the PR book and says that the tests are challenging but the curve is very kind. I believe he scored around 750 both times even with eight incorrect. Of course, I have no idea if the PR practice tests will be anything like the CB one. He still has to complete the one practice test in the CB book. He is not in honors or AP English and is not a poetry fan, but doesn’t seem to find the passages unbearable and did not need any prior familiarity with the passages.</p>
<p>CollegeforTwins–a friend’s son is at Rhodes and loves it. I imagine it would be a very different experience than Alabama!</p>
<p>I don’t necessarily recommend this but my son didn’t prep for the sat, the math 2 sat or the calc bc ap exam. Keep in mind he’s now a math major so clearly he’s a strong math guy. He did fine on all of them and never opened a book. The chemistry ap exam did kick his butt a bit. But don’t worry - he’s getting his. After a lifetime of never studying and barely doing homework he’s met his match in college. </p>
<p>I suppose there are some motivated kids out there who study this stuff for themselves, and apparently post on CC. Those aren’t my kids. They were dragged kicking and screaming on college tours, through tutoring sessions, etc. If I sat back and just let it organically happen - it wouldn’t have. So don’t get intimidated by the parents who scold other parents for taking charge of this college process. </p>
<p>My son actually admitted that it turned out it was a good thing that I pushed him along the way and did so much research on schools.</p>
<p>I started the college search process for the final time with D2. Her grades are reflective of your average underachiever that is easily distracted and has mastered the art of procrastination. She is by far my most naturally intelligent kid but has just not applied herself. As a result, our options will be limited. We have been looking at colleges for the last week (Marist, University of Cincinnati, Dayton, Xavier and University of Rhode Island so far. Scranton, Susquehanna and St. Josephs in Philadelphia this long weekend. </p>
<p>One issue came up yesterday that I would love to hear some feedback. When we were on the tor of URI yesterday, we were told that the dorm rooms were all coed. In other words, a room for boys next to a room for girls, as opposed to the dorms being coed by building, floor or wing. We were told this was their only option. My daughter immediately said she couldn’t live under that arrangement. When I checked out a few of the other colleges on her list, I found that they also did not segregate the rooms for boys and girls by floor or wing. This is new to me. My son looked at colleges primarily in the Midwest and my daughter looked at schools in the South. Is this common everywhere or primarily the New England states where we live? Any feedback truly appreciated. Thank you.</p>
<p>My nephew graduated from URI and really enjoyed his time there.</p>
<p>Most dorms do the coed by room and my son is on such a floor now. I think it cuts down on the drama of all girls, or all boys. It was my sons preference and he has no regrets. The bathooms are all one sex and they have changing areas outside the showers. Truly no biggie.</p>
<p>I didn’t go to Wesleyan, but when I was in Graduate school all the coolest people had graduated from there, and we returned to campus for some of the awesome cultural events. I love it there and convinced my parents to send my younger brother there. Things went very well for him and I would love to look there except ‘no Engineering’ for my kiddo.</p>
<p>The surrounding area is a bit seedy, but not too bad IMHO. I was in the environs last year for a friend’s guitar showcase alone late at night and it was ‘not great, but fine.’</p>
<p>@eyemamom: Thank you for your response. I would assume that the boys would not have any problems with that arrangement but for girls there could be a concern, whether it is privacy, safety, noise, etc. I have only seen this arrangement once before, I believe Franklin & Marshall, but they also offered an option for single sex floors. It is new to me.</p>
<p>Bobby—we came across that co-ed by room approach at a few schools this week. (The six have all blended.) I was also taken aback. I think co-ed by floor or wing is co-ed enough, and I have boys. All of the schools we saw that offered co-ed by room also offered single sex by wing or floor. I am with you on this one.</p>
<p>@CT1417- Yes, this has become a bit of a complication for us since URI and UMaine were high on her list of possibilities. She has ruled out URI and now doesn’t want to see UMaine. I honestly never even considered this as an issue when we planned out our trips since I was not aware that it was done, at least not at a larger university. I guess I will need to check out the housing arrangements before planning any visits. I appreciate your feedback.</p>
<p>Just chiming in to confirm what blue iguana said about the math2. Her son’s experience mirrored my son’s (hs class 2011). The best math students take that test…kids who apply to college as STEM majors. My son knew all the math but needed to practice a bit to get down the pacing. Like Blue’s son, he ultimately took it twice bc he was applying as a neuroscience major and wanted to get an 800. He didn’t study between the two tests but popped his score up 50 pts. I think it was because he knew he already had a very good score and was more relaxed taking the test the second time.</p>
<p>My S2, a prospective humanities major, will sit for the Lit2 exam and like some of you, we’re trying to decide when he should take it. our high school doesn’t offer any english APs until senior year. he was in honors english this year and did very well on the CR & W portions of the SAT. Still, i took a look at that exam and it’s the SAT Cr on steroids. I may have him wait until the fall to take it, and review the test over the summer.</p>
<p>Re: Rhodes: from what i’ve read of the school, it sounds wonderful. I wish i could get my S2 to look at because it’s one of the few LACs located in a city, and a cool one at that. The only southern schools he’ll consider are Emory and W&M. He’s not preppie, more of a hipster type (wants to major in creative writing & history; future plans: in addition to writing the next best American novel , hopes to write for TV and if all else fails, work on the creative side of advertising), and he doesn’t think he’ll fit in at most southern schools where he thinks the vibe is more traditional. for those of you w/ kids at rhodes or UVa, do you think he’d find his peeps?</p>
<p>***when i just posted this, i realized that there have been several posts since blue’s. i began writing mine and was distracted by a call. not sure if i’ve included stuff above that was addressed by someone else since blue’s post.</p>
<p>Another data point re Math II chiming in here. DS took it in November or December (can’t remember exactly) , scored 760 and is taking it again in May because he wants engineering and needs a top score. He didn’t study or take a prep class and was out at a sports banquet the night before so did not feel he was at his best. </p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions regarding the subject tests. I will definitely make sure she gets online and takes some practice tests. At this point, she is so sick of test-taking that my guess is that she would rather suffer through a three test marathon than have to schedule another date. Mock trial is requiring her to take the AP English make-up test and she will be taking AP Chem the day before they fly to Indianapolis. </p>
<p>Am I correct that the next subject tests are offered in October? </p>
<p>Is the PR study guide book considered the most useful? i’ve picked up the study guides for her AP classes but haven’t even thought about the subject tests.</p>
<p>Glad to see some new faces on the board. It’s really helpful hearing about others’ experiences on tours.</p>
<p>2 more datapoints: My S’14 got 800 on the SAT Math II without studying for it. He took it right as his semester of precalc was finishing up and I guess that was sufficient preparation. His regular SAT Math was 760 (1 wrong) and his ACT math was 34. My S’11 got 770 on the SAT Math II, similarly taking it when he was finishing up precalc. His regular SAT and ACT were almost identical to his brother’s, except that 1 wrong for his sitting of the SAT came out to a 770. So, I guess our school’s precalc curriculum is good prep for the Math II test.</p>
<p>go2mom–don’t know if the PR guides are the best. Just based my purchase on Amazon reviews and posts on the subject test forum here. </p>
<p>Subject tests are offered same dates as SAT 1 except March, but not all tests are offered each of the six dates, so check CB site. World History and may be an exception and perhaps language with listening. CB site has a chart of offered exams by date. If you are asking when next tests are offered, it would be both May & June, and then Oct, Nov & Dec.</p>
<p>Bobby - definitely check out housing in advance if this is an issue. There are some colleges where the bathrooms are co-ed… My guy did NOT want those places, so we sifted. He’s fine at a co-ed by room dorm (same gender bathrooms) as was I back in my college days. I think those are the norms at most places now since colleges have figured out the guys tend to take care of places better when there are girls around. ;)</p>
<p>I do know there are still some colleges with single gender floors or dorms (generally by request). You’ll just have to sift.</p>
<p>@mathmomvt-Thank you for that link. When I called Admissions at UMaine today, they stated that all dorms were coed with no gender specific wings or floors. I will need to get this clarified. </p>
<p>@Creekland-That is interesting that you said that there are still “some” colleges with single gender floors or dorms since that was the norm in my experience. I guess it is more prevalent in certain parts of the country. I appreciate your feedback.</p>
<p>Just registered D for the June 1 SAT (her 2nd time taking the test). Whew–her HS and several surrounding schools were sold out. Luckily, there were a few seats left at a fairly close by HS.</p>
<p>Word to the wise–don’t wait until the last minute to register!</p>
<p>Wow! Sold out this far in advance? SAT isn’t near as popular in our city. DS has not taken it yet (due to lower PSAT scores compared to ACT, he prefers the ACT!). A friend of his took it and said there weren’t near as many people taking the SAT as the ACT. DS is signed up for the May 4th date for SAT II’s. </p>
<p>Referring back up to the SAT II conversation above. My DS is the type that doesn’t have to study the math/sciences that much. History is a totally different subject! Anyway, I will encourage him to review before the Math II and Biology tests, but I’m guessing he won’t even do any additional studying. And he is signed up for 3 in one day … but like I said, he won’t be cramming for them so I imagined it to be similar to taking the one longer test.</p>
<p>As far as the co-ed dorms go, that is a little hard for me to get used to, too. Before starting the search with DS, I just assumed it was like they showed in the old movies - the boys had to be out of the girls dorms by 9pm! haha Not the case! (I never lived in a dorm during college, so I had no idea!) I guess I’d be ok with shared floors, but I just can’t imagine the shared bathrooms. I would think there would still be just a few modest kids around.</p>
<p>Even back in my ancient days at Northwestern, every dorm but one was coed (although by floor). I was in the only single sex dorm my freshman year, affectionately known as the Virgin Vault. I spent summer before high school senior year at a summer program in Boston and dorms were coed then too and this was for high schoolers! </p>
, hopes to write for TV and if all else fails, work on the creative side of advertising), and he doesn’t think he’ll fit in at most southern schools where he thinks the vibe is more traditional. for those of you w/ kids at rhodes or UVa, do you think he’d find his peeps?</p>