<p>D14 will spend the summer prepping for the PSAT and SAT to take this fall. She will most likely take the ACT during the winter or early spring. Giving her next summer and fall to retake if necessary.</p>
<p>My D14 is taking her first stab(not counting the 7th grade sitting) at the ACT in June. Sheāll also take the world history subject test in June as the material will be fresh in her mind from APWH. The plan has been for her to prep for the PSAT over the summer but as her summer is becoming fairly booked, including a 6-7 week jaunt overseas, I can tell this will be a challenge.</p>
<p>I did mention the SAT II in world history to my son. He seemed indifferent toward it. The colleges and universities that hold his interest do not require the SAT II. Still, interests can change, and he may want to take it (if I can convince him). As for the rest of the timetable, I told him that our high school offers the ACT in October and April, so he plans to take it in October. The PSAT is also October, and while he does not have a shot at National Merit, he still may take the test for practice.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Sā14 has been in a very good mood, as his grades continue to be strong. Heās spending every weekend as a youth soccer referee, and he really likes that he is making money! He puts it in the bank, too, which is something I love.</p>
<p>What makes me most proud is the way he handled the order of his class ring. We said that we would give him the same allowance that we had for his older brother (who graduated in '09 when things were less expensive). The difference was his to make up. </p>
<p>He gave me his first two paychecks to cover the cost of that difference.</p>
<p>My S14 took the ACT in April - just received results today. I was very pleased with the results - 33 composite! </p>
<p>He is signed up for an ACT study course the week before the June test and will take it then as well. I was not expecting him to have done as well as he did on his first try - which is why I signed him up for the study course. The school district is offering it for free. If I would have known before I signed him up for the April test that they would be offering the course, I wouldnāt have signed him up for the April test! </p>
<p>Either way, he did great on his first try (other than 7th grade) so the June test is just a bonus - maybe heāll do even better!! :)</p>
<p>Congrats to your S beadymom! One thing not to have to worry about Junior/Senior year!</p>
<p>Thank you, mathmomvt! It is a load off!</p>
<p>DD is also taking the SATII test in WH in June as sheāll already be studying for the AP.</p>
<p>She will be taking the PSAT in the fall and then was planning for her first run a the SAT in March after taking a prep course in the Jan/Feb timeframe. We are not planning any prep for the PSATā¦she took it as a sophmore and again she took a practice one through our local library (in conjunction with a prep course) and her score on that one really jumped upā¦hopefully thatās a good sign, but who knows.</p>
<p>My ideal is for her to take maybe one more SAT after that March one, just to see if she could raise it, and be done. Sheās a pretty high-strung kid with a significant AP course load for next year (and likely Sr year) and Iām not interested in putting her through the ringer taking a high number of shots at the SAT. The same program that offered the above practice PSAT also offers a practice ACT and does an analysis to help gauge which test might be right for your child. Iām already thinking the SAT will be better for her, but Iāll have her do that exercise and perhaps sheāll have a run at the ACT if indications are that it would be better for her.</p>
<p>Hope you all donāt mind me chiming on the ACT vs. SAT debate. I have so many parents and students want to prep for and take both, and I almost always try to talk them out of it. I canāt emphasize enough that the two are VERY different tests, and prepping for one does not do all that much to prep for the other. By doing both, youāre nearly doubling your studentās prep time (not to mention spending double money on courses, tutors, books, etc.) I strongly encourage my students to take a full-length, timed practice test of both, then make a decision about which they prefer. Then, stick with that decision without regret. Of course, I still have plenty of kids want to do both, and I work with them, but Iām always thinking theyāre better off spending the time on something else. This advice is doubly true for my students with ADHD/LD - theyāre going to have to spend a lot of extra time doing the necessary prep for one test, much less two!</p>
<p>The only exception to this rule I fully support is if a kid prefers the ACT, but also has a realistic shot at National Merit with the PSAT. In that case, prepping for both becomes a necessary evil.</p>
<p>Swans - Iām sure I donāt speak for everyone here, but in my experience when a student takes both tests I have found they usually prep quite a bit for whichever format is most prominent in their area and make a solid try. For the format that isnāt as popular they may do light prep in the way of getting familiar with the length of each section, what to expect, take a practice test, etc. If they find they are more comfortable with the other format, and official scores are statistically higher then the first format they may then switch efforts to the second format completely, and test again.</p>
<p>Interesting thought, swans. The advice we were given with S1 was to take both and then if necessary, re-take the one he did better on to improve scores. It turned out that he preferred and did better on the ACT, and didnāt end up having to re-take it. And he did fall into your exception case of needing the SAT for national merit, so I suppose not knowing any better was a wash in his case anyhow 
</p>
<p>Do you tend to find that math/science kids do better with the ACT? Thatās been my subjective impression of the difference between them. (And if so, my S2 may end up falling into the ānecessary evilā case as well.)</p>
<p>@ blueiguana I think youāre right that that frequently happens. In my neck of the woods, itās usually the SAT first. But thatās changing, and the āsecretā of the ACT is getting out for students who are at least considering selective colleges. I would much rather students (and parents) be aware of both before the prep process starts. Thereās no reason to default to what everyone else is taking, just because itās what everyone else is taking 
The main thing is that thereās no need to actually take both tests to decide which one is for you. You can download full length practice tests of both for free and give them both a try without plunking down any cash at all. If after trying both thereās no clear preference, Iām usually inclined to go with the ACT, but thatās case by case of course. </p>
<p>@ mathmomvt I think the answer is probably yes to whether math/science kids do better with the ACT, but there are a lot of caveats to that. For the math section, a lot depends on the depth/type of math instruction theyāre getting in school. The level of math on the ACT is higher than the SAT and is presented in a way very similar to how most kids are getting math in school. Itās straightforward and the only thing that makes it particularly difficult is the time factor. The actual math on the SAT is easier, but it requires a lot more logic and creative thinking, which diverges quite a lot from most high school math courses now. While I think on the whole science kids like the science section, it can sometimes be a real bear for strong science students. Science kids tend to rely too much on what they already know about science to attack that section, rather than just going with the info the test gives them. Conceptually, the science section is a test of graph/chart reading and reading comprehension NOT science (itās counterintuitive, but itās true). In my experience, the dividing line between one test and other is most often the pacing. If you can work at breakneck speed, the ACT is your test. In general, I think the content is much easier on the ACT, and students who can work quickly can do very well. For more methodical students, the SAT is often a better choice since theyāve got a more realistic shot at finishing it, even if the questions are a bit more challenging. </p>
<p>The take home message is to try both, but itās certainly not necessary to do it in an official way. Kids are overwhelmed with classes, homework, ECās, jobs, etc. Adding the burden of prepping for two admissions tests when one will suffice just doesnāt make sense to me for the majority of students.</p>
<p>S will take the AP Physics and BC Calc exams this month, SAT IIās in Physics and Spanish in June, PSAT in October, and SAT in January or March. My only concern is that he wants to retake the Latin SAT II as well since he didnāt like his first score, but I have heard that taking 3 SAT IIās at a sitting is a bad idea, even if the schedule allows for it. Iām hoping he does well enough on the Spanish that he will be satisfied with his foreign language performance, and he will be taking the Latin AP next year, so that should also help offset the earlier score. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>My S1 took 3 SAT IIās in June of his Junior year ā Math II, Chemistry, and Biology. He was in precalculus and AP Biology that semester, so the didnāt really have to study for Math and Biology, but he had to study quite a lot for Chemistry as he had taken honors chem sophomore year and it only covered part of what was on the SAT. But since he only had to study for 1, I donāt think it was a big deal for him to take 3 at once. I donāt think it was a problem for him on the day of the testing, and he did well on all 3 tests (and better than he expected on the chemistry). Those were the only SAT IIs he took. </p>
<p>Which AP Physics is your son taking? Does it align well with the SAT II content? When I looked at this earlier, I thought that the SAT II for physics was broader than either of the Physics C APs. </p>
<p>My Sā14 took Math II in January when he finished precalc. He was thinking of studying for and taking Chemistry subject test in June but that does not seem to be happening.</p>
<p>HighHead, taking 3 SAT subject tests is not nearly as onerous as taking the SAT. Both my kids did it that way. First kid got three perfect scores and was sooo happy to be done forever. Younger son got two great scores and a lousy math score. He knew going in he shouldnāt have taken the math, so the following month he went back took something else and then retook the other two SATs just for fun. :eek: Got similar scores as the first time.</p>
<p>AP Physics B aligns pretty well with the SAT, but if you are in Physics C youāll have to study the missing topics. (Not a problem for my older son - heād covered them a couple of years earlier.) Neither kid did much studying for the SAT subject tests, they were already studying for APs in the same subjects (UPUSH or biology) or knew the material inside out (math for older son). Younger son ended up taking Lit to replace the math and just looked over the review book.</p>
<p>(Just visiting from the college class of 2014) :)</p>
<p>Heās taking the Physics B. His Physics class does not prepare them for APās, but some kids take them anyway (after consultation with the teacher) and thatās where he is. Not sure how I feel about it. D took Honors Physics, then AP Physics (incl. both Physics C tests) in high school and is now finishing introductory physics (at a fairly high math level) in college. Physics B wonāt get S out of anything in college, but I guess it is worthwhile anyway. Not sure.</p>
<p>Iāve been a lurker for long enough. (Perhaps my id shouldāve been PeepingParent:) I just want to say that Iām learning so much from all of you and am so in awe of all your collective knowledge. And I so appreciate your candor and generosity in this incredibly competitive endeavor. Thank you!</p>
<p>Just registered Sā14 for SAT Subject Test. Boy ā deja vu all over again wading through the collegeboard site. Couldnāt print the stupid admissions ticket until I cleaned out my cache. And yes, did not get the closest HS ā I remember once driving over a bridge, 1/2 hour away b/c we registered too late. Dropped off D, got back on the bridge. Ring ring: Mom? I forgot my photo ID. Drove home, got it, drove back, gave it to her, thought Iād kill time doing some lite shopping, but at 7 am, nothing was open. </p>
<p>What we do for these kidsā¦</p>
<p>9 shopping days left til Motherās Dayā¦</p>
<p>@ Portlandia ParentāWELCOME!</p>
<p>Welcome, Portlandia Parent! This is a ride better taken in company, even (as some of us are) if weāre doing it for the second or third time.</p>
<p>Yesterday DS was pretty stressed out about everything going on after yesterdayās academic awards assembly. He has to miss school tomorrow for tennis sectionals and it is the last day of review for APUSH and he will miss an ACT quality core test. It is single elimination and he wants me to drive him back to school if he loses in the morning.</p>
<p>Today he seems better, and says he is prepared. He is kind of putting APUSH ahead of everything else and I donāt want him to get behind.</p>