<p>Interested in hearing what math your kids will be taking next year. S’14 (with the learning disability) is taking geometry (he took Algebra this year) but D’11 is telling me he’ll be way behind when it comes to the math portion of the SAT. She was surprised he hadn’t taken geometry earlier. He’s in Honors math (which is one step above the lowest level of math offered). </p>
<p>Not sure what I can do at this point (unless he can teach himself geometry before the test or hope he gets enough in the school year before Jan SAT).</p>
<p>Welcome PennMom – we’ll be doing the same – visiting late August before our school starts so we can see some “real” students on the campus. AvonHSDad is right – you can revisit those schools you really like later too or do an overnight.</p>
<p>My S’14 is taking Calc AB as a Junior next year, but I don’t think it’s going to help him with the SAT Math portion. (I’m hoping it will help him on the SAT 2 B though!) I see ‘SAT 1 Math’ as it’s own seperate area of study. I think taking the practice tests will be more helpful than anything else. I know that there are a few Geometry and Alg 2 level questions, but I think it’s possible to get a pretty good score without them if makes sure to get the basics covered-cold. </p>
<p>If your son gets extra time on tests at school, be sure to at least try and get the extra time for the SAT.</p>
<p>Also - Welcome @PennMom!
Do you have a list of colleges your daughter might be interested in? A spreadsheet or Naviance Account or Website that lets you personalize a list? There are questionares that allow you to input preferences and get a list of colleges to look at.</p>
<p>Seems to me that with those scores and in that Geographical location, I’d like to visit-
Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, Robert E. Cook Honors College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Havaford, Penn State and Princeton to get an idea of what various campuses are like before heading up North. </p>
<p>Does your D’14 have an idea of what she would like to study? I think it’s normal not to have any idea at this point, but some kids seem to ‘know.’</p>
<p>Thanks for being so welcoming. (And sorry about double post, my computer had frozen and thought post had been lost.) I will look more into visiting colleges in late August. DS college move in is August 30 and classes don’t start till after Labor Day, but sounds like maybe other schools will be starting earlier. My D doesn’t go back to high school until after Labor Day, so that would be a good time for us.
ParentSparkle, She’s thinking about engineering, is very math/science inclined. She has mentioned some interest in looking at smallish schools, also has mentioned some interest in Princeton but has witnessed some good friends with excellent stats not get in. I do have access to Navience but haven’t used much. I’ll try, thanks for the tip. And, FWIW, D just took the Math 2 in June after pre-calc because teacher told all the kids that that was the math it focused on.<br>
Class of 2015, our school’s standard math progression is Algebra 1 (9th) Geometry (10th) Algebra 2 (11th). They also have students who are one year and two years advanced. I don’t know what the SAT math goes too.<br>
Good Luck to everyone in this process and thanks again for being so welcoming and for the advice.</p>
<p>Just wanted to answer everyone’s math questions re: the SAT. The highest level math is a very small number of Algebra II level questions. Most are Algebra I and Geometry with a few lower level questions mixed in. The subject tests are a different story, but for the general test, it’s not complicated stuff.</p>
<p>@Classof2015 The geometry on the SAT isn’t complicated end of semester stuff, so your son will almost certainly cover everything he’d need for the test by mid-year. So no worries! He may want to consider taking the test in January while that content is still fresh - AND it’s a time of year kids often don’t have as many commitments so can devote time to preparing. FYI, if your son’s planning to apply for accommodations, get the process started ASAP. I’m an SAT tutor who primarily works with ADHD/LD kids, and my experience these days is that more often than not kids get turned down the first time they apply (although of course I don’t know anything about your son’s specific situation - every kid is different).</p>
<p>S '14 has been enjoying his summer college courses at Ole Miss. He finished Comp Sci I and Philosophy Intro to Logic and is now taking Comp Sci II and Macroeconomics. He is the only high school student in his courses this session. He’s enjoying his college courses so much that I am feeling a little guilty about our plan for him to come back from China after next year’s exchange year and do two more years of high school in order to graduate from our state boarding school for gifted juniors and seniors instead of just going back to our crummy local school and doing one more year. I feel very torn. I’m sure his admissions prospects will be better if he graduates from a school with a better reputation but I regret that he can’t just go there one year. Obviously he’s ready for college work and his ACT is a 34 and superscores to a 35 composite for those schools that would do that. Ugh, this parenting business! You just can’t help feeling guilty no matter what you do.</p>
<p>Did any parents call for ap test results this morning. </p>
<p>I asked ds if he thought that it was worth it to spend 8.00 on test results.
He said no way and then made me promise no to open his mail when it comes later this month.</p>
<p>I feel for you Apollo6 - and want to encourage you to just let things be for now. By the time he returns from China so much will have changed that he may be all ready to start down a new path you haven’t even thought of so far. Lots of folks think that undergraduate from a prestigious institution is sort of a waste, and to go to the state flagship U and save prestigious for graduate school. Could he start Flagship U when he returns home from China?</p>
<p>I suspect that the social/emotional fit may be better at the more competitive school. In the end I think you can let your S decide what is the most important to him. Social is important. Academics are important. Sometimes there isn’t any way to really satisfy both - that’s just reality.</p>
<p>On the other hand, maybe the State boarding school will be just as advanced as his current college classes? Maybe he can go there for a year and then go to a competitive college without ‘diploma in hand?’ Maybe he can ‘homeschool’ when he returns for a year by doing local college classes as a ‘dual-enrolled’ high school student and apply for competitive colleges during that year? </p>
<p>Anyway, I have no doubt that when he returns, more mature and experienced, you and he will be able to figure out a way to find a ‘least-worst option.’ You will. I promise.</p>
<p>Thank you, PS. I’m going to try not to worry about it for now. He couldn’t go to our state flagship without a high school diploma but Ole Miss would be happy to take him if he really wanted to go directly to college when he gets back.</p>
<p>Happymom, I’ll admit that I couldn’t wait. I get sucked in every year. At least this year I only had one kid taking them so only $8. The aforementioned son got 4s in everything: Spanish lang, Eng lang, stats, U.S. govt, stats and micro econ. I was very impressed by the Spanish score - it’s not easy to get a 4 or 5 if you aren’t a native speaker - but I am even more pleased that he is able to communicate in Spanish with his Venezuelan roommate at his summer program. I did remind him that he should encourage his buddy to speak English and he should speak English to him since the young man is in country to learn English. </p>
<p>I hope other members of this group had good results.</p>
<p>While I am curious about my 2014er’s AP score(only one this year and only her second ever…took APHG in 9th grade), I have been told she will be the first to see her score when she returns home in August from a language study program. I will respect that as it was her work, not mine. ;)</p>
<p>Apollo6: Good luck to your son and you as you figure out the right school environment for him upon his return from his overseas trip. That sounds like a tough decision. I’ve heard kids maturely significantly after they study abroad. While the GT boarding school sounds like a great option for GT kids in your state, he may have emotionally outgrown high school by the time he returns. My 2014 child, who has been bit by travel bug, started asking to be done with high school in 9th grade and our high school has a large AP menu, Project-Lead-the-Way, the PSEO option where high schoolers can go to college in 11th and 12th grade instead of high school yet still participate in the extra curricular aspects of high school, and courses called “College in the Schools” where the kids earn credit from our state flagship which is a reputable university. There is something about these globally minded kids where they feel like they are being held back from the whole world when they are at home. ;)</p>
<p>Thanks all for feedback on geometry for S’14. Thanks too to swans004 – yes, we did get the priceless “extra time” document from College Board. </p>
<p>S got chosen for a mentoring program for incoming freshmen – yay! He did an essay and an interview. Now he’ll have another EC (besides Call of Duty Black Ops…)</p>
<p>HappyMom, my D13 wanted to call and I asked S14 if he did as well but he said no. D got hers and the mail can bring his in time. I feel like I should be talking more about colleges with him but with a senior in the house, she’s getting the (unwanted and avoided as often as she can) attention. By the time he gets into college I’m going to be grey.</p>
<p>I got back last night from dropping DD off at her summer program (Univ. of New Hampshire)… We arrived early with about 15 other kids who flew in. We arrived, checked in, were escorted to her dorm room to unpack… hot as all get out in that room! Thank God we remembered her fan(which we almost forgot on the train)…within 5 minutes of unpacking, she announced that she was going downstairs to “socialize with the others” and I had the pleasure of unpacking her 2 large suitcases of clothing in a 90 degree room alone. LOL To be honest, I didn’t mind. I was starting to miss her already.</p>
<p>I arrived back downstairs sweaty and drained to find her playing beach volleyball with her new found friends, having a blast. I headed to the hotel, which was better than expected and weny back to campus Monday morning for the “opening events”. Her roomate arrived from LA, most kids were from the NH, MA area. A few from NYC, one young women flew in from Iman, Jordan. I was surprised that so many were from CA. </p>
<p>Nice group of kids, the program looks solid and I am sure she will make life long friends…and she will learn so much! </p>
<p>I can’t remember who asked about it, but no we did not call to get AP scores. I asked if she wanted to call before she departed on her month long trip, but she was not interested. She says she can wait til her teacher emails the scores in a few weeks. I think I am far more interested than she is.</p>
<p>NewHavenMom, It is great that your daughter fits in so easily. My kids are a little shy.</p>
<p>No APs for my 2014D, but we’re waiting for my just graduated S to get his results. We’ll wait for the results in the mail. He took 3 exams, but is only hoping to get credit for one of these. He took 5 AP classes altogether, but looks like he’ll only be able to use 2 credits. (His school doesn’t give credit for 2 of his AP classes and he was advised to not use credit in classes in his major.)</p>
<p>Good luck to your D at her summer program NHCTM. It sounds like something she will enjoy and will be a great educational opportunity. Win-win! :)</p>
<p>No AP scores here yet. We will wait for snail-mail. If I remember correctly from my older son they seem to arrive around the 10th or so. We are hopeful as S14 did quite well on the corresponding SAT2 he took in June. Most universities will only take a 5 in WH so it’s all or nothing.</p>
<p>We just got back from a wonderful holiday with extended family where we were ‘off the grid’. Very nice not to have anyone beeping, buzzing, texting, tweeting, or otherwise for over a week!! The sole exception was my DH who is “fortunate” enough to have a crackberry with satellite coverage. As long as I didn’t notice…</p>
<p>I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far! I’m sitting in New Mexico (beautiful weather!) waiting for my son to finish his 12-day scouting hike at Philmont. </p>
<p>No AP scores for us, only one class offered for sophomores last year and my son did not take it. I was happy with DS’s ACT score - up one more point from his April test. I believe we’re finished - unless he applies to schools that need writing. Maybe he can take the SAT to get the writing score. :)</p>
<p>NewHaven - sounds like you’re D will have a great time! Already mingling is a good sign! </p>
<p>BlueIguana - Love family time! Especially without outside distractions!!</p>
<p>I’ve been lurking on the High School 2013 thread as a way to see what we’ll be going through over the next year! I recognize a couple of names that have kids in both 13 & 14! Won’t be long and we’ll all be headed to the basement for drinks in this group, too! :)</p>
<p>Still hoping to get some college visits in this summer. Maybe we can visit some nearby schools to get an idea of what to look for and what questions to ask.</p>
<p>Have your 2014 kids prepped for the ACTs they have taken or taken it without prep to get a baseline?</p>
<p>My child took it this spring with no prep to get a baseline score. The score is fine…around the 90th percentile according to some on-line sources…but she would like it to be higher. Finding prep time is not going to be easy once the junior year starts but it needs to happen.</p>
<p>There is likely more than one issue behind the score she got but the timing is a problem for her. She failed to complete three of the four sections, including one section she claims to have guessed on the last 14 questions because time was about up. Yikes. Do you think a kid can see significant improvement just by being able to finish the test?</p>
<p>college4many, I think time management can make a big difference in standardized test scores. If you can afford it, possibly a class one or two sessions with a tutor who specializes in test prep could make a big difference. They are good at teaching the tricks of taking a time pressured test like that. My '14 hasn’t taken the SAT or ACT yet, but my '11 did a couple of tutoring sessions and I think they really helped. (We did not have him take it cold for a baseline though, so I can’t quantify how much difference it made.)</p>
<p>FWIW we had our D13 take the October SAT thinking if she did well (or reasonably well) we would avoid making her do a prep class given her sports nc AP load junior year. Best decision ever as she didn’t score here she needed to be and we found a very good prep class which brought her up 300 points. It was a 6 month one, one night a week. So very glad we didn’t wait until April to see what happened. She’s ok for almost everywhere and her straight As may cover the slight lack in scores for her reach so this summer is devoted to doing things like college apps (at least that’s my plan), a few summer camps at colleges she is considering, and working camps for her sport. S14 isn’t so pleased by this discovery as I found a 9 month version of the same class. Maybe he can go up 400 points!</p>