<p>If the school work, studying for the SATs and the sport are all too much for your son can you/he let one go? He doesn’t have to take the SATs this year. He could take them next fall after studying during the summer. Or maybe the sport can be just for fun and not something he has to be the best at? I also wonder, if grades have always come so easy to him if he isn’t mad/frustrated about the “low” scores on the PSAT and SAT 2. Kids that are used to everything coming easy don’t like the new feeling that they have to work for a grade so they sometimes choose to give up instead with the excuse that they aren’t interested in it.</p>
<p>Tomorrow, in the middle of exam week, is a snow day here. I’m not sure how they are going to make the day up. Son is doing pretty well in classes. Some of the teachers get behind entering grades online, which leaves us somewhat clueless about what the final class grade will be in a couple of classes. He has done great in his AP Human Geography class. He loves the teacher and has kept an A+ all semester. He is also doing very well in his AP Computer Science class. He is the only non senior in the class and currently has an A-. </p>
<p>DS has already lined up a summer job at scout camp in the trading post. He wants to study business so this job is right up his alley. He worked there last year as a volunteer and loved it. He will do the same job this year for a little bit of money. It doesn’t pay well but he gets to be away from home 6 days a week (overnight) for about 8 weeks of the summer so it is great to him.</p>
<p>Ahhhh, the potential! While my son is not top of the class, everything does come pretty easily to him. I recently asked him how much effort (actually opening a book and studying before a test) he puts into school on a scale of 1-10 and he replied with something like “I don’t know… maybe a 2.” It can be very frustrating to see a quarter or semester grade fall from an A or A- into the B (B+) range because he didn’t do his homework… on several occasions. I keep telling him that he’s going to have to study in college, but I don’t think he believes me. While I don’t think he has ivy aspirations, he does think that he’ll get into any college he applies to (isn’t he adorable? ). He’s been taking the ACT once every year since 6th grade and I’m not going to lie, I was a little disappointed that his score only went up 1 point from the previous year (mind you, he’s already 3 points higher than MY senior year score!). NOT because I was disappointed with the score, but because he has never once put in ANY prep time. His theory is “Why should I when it doesn’t count yet?” Couldn’t get him to take the PSAT for the life of me. But he reassured me that he’ll prep a bit (I believe he said a week before the test) for the one this October. I asked him how he’s going to get all 8 practice tests that I currently have done in one week! LOL</p>
<p>As far as sports, my son has played football since he was 5. Suddenly in 8th grade, he doesn’t want to play anymore. “Why? What happened?” I asked. He claims nothing and when prodded with “But ALL of your friends play… why wouldn’t you want to play too?” he says “So. If all if my friends jumped off a bridge, should I do that too?” (You saw THAT coming, didn’t you? Haha)</p>
<p>So when I read your post, Mysonsdad, I felt your pain. It’s so frustrating to see the potential with them seemingly to not really care. All I can do is pray that on some level he hears what I’m saying and that one day that light bulb will go off. I will try to continue to encourage (without too much pressure) as I anxiously await the day that he brushes off the dust from the first PSAT practice test… ;)</p>
<p>okay…so, I’m going to be the one in the bunch who admits this: my son is very bright…but, he got a 140 on the PSAT in the sophmore year… just saying…(and on the standardized state tests he’s in the above average ranges)
let’s see what happens over the next 2 1/2 years. His light bulb is also not on…but, it has a lot more work to do!!! :)</p>
<p>@drmom - you actually make me feel better about my son’s score on the PSAT this year --he got better than 140 but in the 400s on the writing so nothing to write home about. And I don’t see any great hope of him getting that score up to NMSF or commended scholar status. I can’t see him prepping much himself next year and was considering a tutor (which we did for his sister). I am thinking at this point that if we go the tutor route, we should just focus on the ACT - DS’s PLAN score seems much better than PSAT (although the writing is still low) and I am guessing that he is more suited to that test.</p>
<p>DS is a very strong student, is taking the hardest courses and getting As – stronger academic record than DD13 – but he has almost no ECs so far, just two sports (one of which he can’t stand and is dropping this year) and he is in band (though it’s a class not really an EC) and takes private music lessons. Basically all he does with his time is study, play sports, play video games with his friends, practice his tuba for the required 30 min per day and read (strictly fantasy as far as genre) for pleasure. We’ll see if he gets interested in getting involved in a club or two but so far he just hasn’t found anything particularly compelling to pursue. And I really hate to push him to do something just to build a resume for college. Sigh.</p>
<p>momofzag…do we have twins??? My son is similar, just substitute trumpet for tuba! but video games/ fantasy books… add ADD to my sons’ mix, and …</p>
<p>DD got a 154 on the PSAT. No desire to study and do better next year. She’s about 30 pts higher than last year so she thinks that’s perfect! Big sigh.</p>
<p>Semester ends Monday–exams pushed back a day due to heavy snow and low wind chills. She’s on track for all A’s and a B in English. Still mostly winging it and doing little work in a mix of honors and regular classes. Likes what she likes and not interested in what she doesn’t. But, without the A in English she will lose her FB page for the next semester. (I only allow her B’s in math, because she truly has to work in that class.) She is very capable of A’s in everything. If she puts in some effort…</p>
<p>It has taken me a while (first I had to get rid of a corrupted cookie in my browser to get in at all!) but I think I’m starting to get the hang of the new CC. Contrary to most others I kind of like it. I’m enjoying having my bookmarks on the left and the notifications at the top. And for some reason I’m compelled to join this thread for the first time. I’ve mainly been focussed on my S14 who is waiting on decisions right now, but now that my S16 is starting to get post-PSAT recruiting mail I guess his time has come, too. </p>
<p>Ok gang is your DD or DS 16’ getting alot of mail–and in it they want you take a online “interactive” quiz, from colleges.<br>
Well, I can tell what colleges will not get a second look from DS " why, would I take a quiz mom? Do they not know I already do that on a daily basis at school! Yup I really do not what they ( advertisers) were think when they thought this up :-? </p>
<p>Haven’t heard if S is getting email from schools as yet. But talking of quizzes, has anyone had any luck with the career aptitude quizzes? S is a good student, but currently doesn’t have a clue as to what he might want to do. I was going to suggest some test online that might help him think of some careers, some majors. Any pointers appreciated.</p>
<p>My kid hasn’t told me of quizzes, but he is getting emails and then snail mail “from the same schools…don’t they know I’ve already seen their email???”. I would love to know of a good “career” type quiz to take. I think if DS had more of a clear idea of “real” jobs he could do with his interests, it would help to motivate him…in all directions</p>
<p>My marketing-savvy S immediately rejects those cookie-cutter recruiting messages – he would not deign to explore any school with such lame techniques. But he is paying more attention to them than my S14 who never even opened the messages. And I’m hoping he’ll be more engaged in the searching process. Probably because we’ve already dragged him to a bunch of schools.</p>
<p>Definitely, a lot of mail and a lot of email, and yes, from the same places For schools that are even tangentially on our “list” I am having DS sign up for whatever list/quiz/etc. they are pushing.</p>
<p>It is quite possible the reason is that your son has not put down his email address when he took the test or did not flag that he wants to hear from them.</p>
<p>@Mysonsdad Or his email address was illegible. My S14 had all the junk email after the SAT going to an address with a “1” instead of a lowercase “L”.</p>
<p>MySonsDad:my S did pretty poorly on the PSAT…and he’s getting mail…so, I would assume that either your S did not sign up, or you will end up with one big pile pretty soon!! :)</p>
). He’s been taking the ACT once every year since 6th grade and I’m not going to lie, I was a little disappointed that his score only went up 1 point from the previous year (mind you, he’s already 3 points higher than MY senior year score!). NOT because I was disappointed with the score, but because he has never once put in ANY prep time. His theory is “Why should I when it doesn’t count yet?” Couldn’t get him to take the PSAT for the life of me. But he reassured me that he’ll prep a bit (I believe he said a week before the test) for the one this October. I asked him how he’s going to get all 8 practice tests that I currently have done in one week! LOL</p>