<p>Just got word that SAT prep class has been cancelled because there wre not enough sign-ups. Bummer. DS will have to work it on his own at the kitchen table 
He is signed up to take it in Oct.</p>
<p>So far, he is handling JR year fine, but there is a long way to go.</p>
<p>OH How I wish I could only get K2 to take the PSAT seriously…
K2s comment was …it isn’t the real thing…it doesn’t count.</p>
<p>Sigh. Yes grasshopper and yet there is reason to prep even a bit…and your classmates are doing that.</p>
<p>This kid however will likely be very successful…can read people and seems to know how to make a $. May not be a straight line however.
I was talking with a surgeon friend- who owns a controlling share in a large successful practice. We were talking about varying styles in kids and his 2nd born is much like my 2nd born. The MD commented that his younger brother can buy and sell him many times over…even though he seemed to be quite like K2 and this MD’s 2nd.
I keep trying to calm myself with thoughts like that- because it is going to be a long 18 mos or so … :rolleyes:</p>
<p>RE Cheryls… I posted the link. I sent a gift to my mother–who enjoyed them–they were pretty–seasonal shapes. A CCer has sent them to her DD and her DD liked them as well. So that is a review from a college girl and a woman on heavy chemo. </p>
<p>As far as gifts for adults, I use a WineCountry site… can ship a few bottles of wine and food items. Have also used a soup company that will send a basket of different soup mixes (not just bean soups) I like to order online for gifts when I have many to do and they are for relatives far and near. I used to spend a lot of time boxing and shipping myself…and now many have so many “things” that whether it be steaks, wine, soups, cookies…the parents, inlaws etc have said they prefer “consumable” gifts.</p>
<p>fogfog: This is the first time either one of my kids had a coach/sponsor take the SAT/ACT in account before planning something. I think it’s awesome. One of my younger son’s former HS rivals always worries about that. Maybe that’s why the school has National Merit kids as well as a bunch who get into the Ivies each year. It certainly does not hurt.</p>
<p>glido: Sorry to hear about the prep class. My son’s school offers SAT prep in the fall. The problem is that any kid taking AP Calculus cannot take the class. My son had been interested in the class, but he knew that there would be a schedule issue. He would want to improve his reading score if he could. This is the second straight year that this happened at his school. Last year, seven or eight kids in the AP Calculus class wanted the SAT prep class, too, but could not get it. The two teachers who handle the class are concerned that eventually no one will sign up for it and it disappears, which would be a shame.</p>
<p>S’ 14 is working a a referee today for two youth soccer games, then he has some AP homework to do. This should be a fun evening in my house!</p>
<p>^ Wow Momreads…</p>
<p>Your kids hs offers SAT prep as a class!! That is amazing.</p>
<p>Here we have to find a private course offerred outside of the school day…so if kids have any significant ECs os a rigrous sport…it is tough to fit in.</p>
<p>That is a really good idea to offer a class like that!! I like that and may suggest it–though it won’t help k2 since its jr yr and it takes the school awhile to move on anything… :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Speaking of SAT prep, dd’14 had her first session yesterday and I was thrilled at her reaction. It’s 4 hrs straight on a Sunday and she was not too jazzed when I dropped her off, but when I picked her up she was raving about all she learned and how great the instructors are. Good thing, because I took a leap of faith and spent beaucoup bucks on this prep course! Of course, the proof will be in the score!</p>
<p>We’ve resorted to bribery in our house regarding test prep. Yes, it is a new low. 
It goes something like this…“If you take one SAT practice test, you can have the car tonight.” Or there is the student initiated version which goes like this…“I’ll take one SAT practice test if I can have the car tonight.”</p>
<p>D14 took the ACT on Saturday. It was not offered at her HS, but she said there were a lot of seniors from her HS there, plus one other junior. She was pretty nervous before the test, but said it went well except for the science portion. It will be interesting to see the score, which will help her focus on the next round. (Even if she gets a great score, all juniors take the ACT in March.)</p>
<p>I gave her a day to breathe - she will be so happy when I present her with a book so she can prep for the PSAT…</p>
<p>S’14 just called and asked if he could do AP History (in addition to AP English). I was really torn – glad he wanted the challenge, but worried he might do poorly (since he has the learning disability). Is it better to get a C in an AP vs an A or B in a non-AP? I know colleges want to see that you’re challenging yourself, so I told him ok to take AP History.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have yet to hear an admissions person commit themselves on that. Usually they just say, well, it would be best if you could get an A in the AP class, which is not helpful…</p>
<p>My best guess is that either way is fine, and as you say they like to see the kid challenge himself. And maybe he’ll get college credit if he manages a good score on the AP exam, which could allow him to lighten his load freshman year, or just take classes more according to his interests than worrying about filling requirements.</p>
<p>MImama - I wish I could “like” your last line!</p>
<p>DD14 has done very little SAT prep. Her PSAT scores last year were in no way competitive for anything but I’m hoping they’ll at least go up since she hadn’t had Geometry before taking the test (in her school all sophomores take Geometry, some after Algebra I and some after Algebra II, as she did). However, I did find out that the new woman who’s family moved into the house at the end of our street is an SAT tutor! I mentioned that to DD today and she thought that was very convenient! </p>
<p>Now we just have to find some time in her busy schedule to get some practice time in. September is totally crazy but hopefully October thru December will be a bit easier, especially since she’s thinking of not doing her school play and focusing on her leadership and Food Pantry Coordinator positions (plus her new job). </p>
<p>She’ll have to decide this week whether she wants to audition or not. I just know if she doesn’t she’ll be bouncing off the walls again about not being in a show as she was Freshman year when she couldn’t because of soccer! I’ll have her look at it all again tonight. She didn’t like the fall show last year because so many kids were not as serious about it as she is and didn’t come to auditions! One of the short plays she was in was cut from the show because the other two people in it were never at rehearsals - left a real bitter taste in her mouth and was really unfair to her as she only missed one rehearsal at the beginning when she was out of school for a doctor’s appointment.</p>
<p>Hello all,
Just stumbled across this thread and thought I’d ask if anyone has info on colleges that like to recruit (and give merit scholarships) IB diplomas kids. Just started college search for DD and not much to find contrary to what the IB coordinator is selling. We are a brand new IB school, she will be in the second graduating class so I have NO CLUE what she is getting into. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. I can reciprocate with U of Alabama info, DS is soph.</p>
<p>SignalMtn - SMU gives merit scholarships to IB kids according to their scores. Someone else with IB kids will have information on other schools, but I remember reading that on the SMU website.</p>
<p>Classof 2015 - When my older D was a junior she took both AP Lang and APUSH and said that they were complementary classes (some of the reading for Lang helped with history and vice versa). </p>
<p>My 2014 D is very reluctant to do any studying for the PSAT/SAT. She is usually confident and motivated, but is really stressing out about it to the point that she hasn’t done much at all. My older D was a NMF and I think she is feeling pressure to do well.</p>
<p>OK
so I was feeling inspired by you all and your industrious kiddos…
and ordered k2 a psat prep book…
…a “lite” one because frankly that’s about all I can “sell” right now…</p>
<p>:rolleyes:</p>
<p>Hopefully k2 will at the very least spend time understanding the scoring etc…</p>
<p>We had open house at our high school tonight. The AP Lang & Comp teacher shared that past students have seen their ACT and, to a lesser degree, SAT scores skyrocket after taking the course. I have been been thinking it would be nice if my 2014er could get a desirable score(whatever that might be) by Dec/Jan so these tests could be done well in advance of AP testing but now I don’t know… Do you agree it is likely to see an improvement in ACT/SAT cores after AP Lang & Comp?</p>
<p>College4many - I like it!</p>
<p>Well, I think we finally figured out the SAT situation.</p>
<p>She’ll take it in December. And cross our fingers she scores well enough not to have to take it again. And then SAT subject tests in June. </p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
<p>I got her the HUGE Kaplan practice tests book - they killed a lot of trees for that one. She’s typically a fantastic test taker so hopefully the book will help her prep for the PSAT which will prep her for the SAT. So … we’ll see.</p>
<p>We’re headed to Vandy for a weekend visit in October - hopefully it will pique her interest in starting to research potential schools. Because as of right now, every time I ask her if she has any collleges in mind, she turns and walks right out of the room. lol</p>
<p>We would like to sign S2 up for the December SATs, but are waiting on the official word on what competitions his team will be participating in. I looked online and was able to determine where they are located and the dates…of course there are conflicts…and trying to judge the odds of which ones will be chosen. We always have the right as a parent to say ‘school comes first’, this one singular time you will miss something because it is what’s best for you. The problem is he’s part of a team and the only one that does his ‘job’, unlike the rest of the team where there are 2-3 members for each job. They can absorb someone being gone. I would not feel right, nor would he, putting his team at a disadvantage by simply not showing up. So, we wait… </p>
<p>In the meantime S3 is trying to find ways to ‘work smarter, not harder’ on his hw assignments. He loves history, so no skin off his nose if he takes 4 hours to do his APUSH…except he also has hours of APBio, APLit, Spanish 4, etc. to do. If he’s going to get it all done he’s got to find a more efficient way and not simply soak up and enjoy what he’s doing (I am so not kidding here). </p>
<p>The obvious problem being he not only has to get it all done, he has to allow a window for SAT prep in here somewhere… S2 had the gift of time management, although knowing clearly he was headed to e’school didn’t take the AP history sequence, so he didn’t have the extensive hw from those classes. They are all different and you have to adjust.</p>
<p>I went to order S2 the ‘Big Blue Book’ which was the best SAT study guide that S2 used and realized it hasn’t been updated in three years (2009). In fact Amazon was kind enough to pop up and tell me “you ordered this book on December 1, 2009”. I am a little miffed that they haven’t updated the book since then. S2 wrote all over his and obviously used all the practice test forms so I’ll get a new one for S3, but somehow I feel in three years there should be an update.</p>
<p>My junior has been using the SAT Blue Book, after reading it is one of the better resources for at-home prep. We were a little bummed to realize that after practice test #3, you are given a score range(a seemingly large one) instead of a specific score. Has anyone else noticed that?</p>
<p>Are you having your kids write practice essays? I have not had mine do that yet. I know it is important but so far we have only estimated the essay score, taking the 10 earned on the ACT earlier this year and lowering it to an 8(or two fours…however that works) for the SAT because the SAT essay is more difficult. Hmm…is there any truth to that?</p>
<p>The other prep resources we have in our house are Professor Dave’s(both the big book and the essay book that works for ACT and SAT), Princeton Review(a year or two old), and the Kaplan book for PSAT. I also found a mostly untouched PSAT practice test from the 2011 test and the 2011 actual exam. That test booklet was barely written in(ACK!) and should be a good practice tool too.</p>
<p>Oops, forgot the Chung’s math book. My DC is really excited about that one. 
I have now cut myself off from buying test prep resources and have told my high schoolers we have everything in our house or access to it on-line for them to succeed on the SAT and ACT.</p>
<p>I have picked up a couple of the test prep books, but I don’t think they have even been opened yet! He tends to tune me out whenever I suggest opening a book or discussing colleges. </p>
<p>I wish my DS was in “love” with history! He has never struggled before in a class and APUSH is killing him! (History was never one of my favorites, either, so he comes by it naturally!) He is doing great in his math/science courses, though! </p>
<p>He is starting to feel better, but still not running with the xc team while he recuperates. Hope the others that have been sick are starting to feel better, as well.</p>