Parents of the HS Class of 2016 (Part 1)

Parents Forum Class of 20xx Community
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<p>@Mysonsdad I don’t have any firsthand experience with Kaplan but I have looked into several SAT programs. We found a local program (More than a Teacher) that offered a good basic course with unlimited free proctored testing and and group tutoring after practice tests included in the cost which was $599 we got a sibling discount so $499 for a 6 week course. The course is taught from the CB Blue book and the book along with practice tests and handouts were included in the price of the class. You could also retake any section of all of the class at no charge.</p>

<p>I know you said that you don’t have any test prep in your area and this particular program is local for me, I’m just offering it for comparison. The price for the Kaplan prep seems high unless it’s individualized instruction. Has your son taken a practice test yet? In my ongoing quest to find the best most efficient test prep resources I’ve learned that there is a distinct difference between resources geared to bringing up a low score to a good score (2000+) and resources that are geared to bring a good score to a great score (2300+). The class I mentioned was geared to get kids up to a good score not a great score so maybe if the Kaplan program is individualized and is geared to get 2300+ it might be worth it but gut feel is that you are paying for a name but to some extent I believe you generally get what you pay for.</p>

<p>We tried several inexpensive on-line SAT prep programs:</p>

<p>The College Board on-line program turns out that it is exactly the same as the blue and you are just paying for 10 extra practice tests.</p>

<p>Aleks.com for SAT math only we were already using this for a different subject so their was no additional cost and have used Aleks successfully for years but D reported with disdain, “it was not helpful.” </p>

<p>I thought Shmoop.com was going to be great but I was so wrong! There were so many mistakes in the program it was very frustrating to use.</p>

<p>We are using PrepScholar.com and so far (its only been a few days) d has deemed it to be “a good program” it’s $399 has a five day free trial and a money back guarantee if your score does not increase by 240 or you reach a score of 2300. The so far the program has been spot on in targeting my D’s weaker areas but most importantly she feels she is getting something out of the program. You may want to give Prep Scholar a try, it’s less expensive and no driving:-)</p>

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<p>We’re doing SmartPrep, they guarantee 4 points on the ACT; D16 got a 27 as an unprepped sophomore so if it works, terrific. </p>

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<p>@asleepatthewheel, any word from your Atlanta-bound son? I hope the transition to college goes smoothly for him. I grew up in Atlanta, and have thought about both Emory and Ga Tech for D16 (somewhat blasphemy, as husband is Univ of Ga grad.) </p>

<p>This thread certainly has taken off since I last popped in! Interesting to read about everyone. Some good suggestions for SAT prep, and I popped over to PrepScholar to check that out, so thanks for mentioning it.</p>

<p>As far as APUSH, I am of the opinion that the history classes are extremely challenging…talk about a broad topic! D16 is doing US History this year, but no plans to take AP exam on that one. She’s got AP Music Theory/Biology/English Lang planned for now, regular US History, Mandarin, Orchestra at the local high school, and will do Calc 3, probably at the university in the spring. She did Calc 2 over the summer, so taking this semester off math to focus on PSAT/SAT. (I’ve probably said this before, but I forget what I have shared where, haha.) We homeschool, so course availability is a matter of what we can locate and she chooses to take on.</p>

<p>Re: location, we have been in Alaska for 13 years (plus 3 years in the early 90s). Our in-state university options are okay, depending on what one is interested in studying, but we assume that D16 will go out of state. My D13 is at University of Washington (though studying in Turkey first semester this year.)</p>

<p>Busy week ahead. School starts locally, so orchestra class begns; cross country season has started, with one race under the belt. Figure skating prep for the regionals comp in full swing. The pieces have fallen into place for scheduling the various music lessons, language tutor, and her preferred volunteer gigs. My youngest is actually going to public school this year, purely because she wants to see if school is really as fun as it looks on the Disney Channel :wink: First time I have had an elementary student in a public school, so, wow, exciting! :slight_smile: Actually, I do think she will enjoy it.</p>

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<p>@AKFirefly you are brave! we homeschool until high school (but willing to homeschool through high school based on kids choice) There is no way I could go from homeschool to PS in elementary here!</p>

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<p>I was trying to find SAT dates for 2015-16 year, but they are not up yet. I know that SAT will change in 2016. I was not able to find any dates past June of 2015. Just want to see what would be available in the fall of senior year if we need to retake any tests.</p>

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<p>@seal16 – Now you’re really getting me worried. Looking up SAT dates more than a year ahead? I think that you can assume that they’ll be offered in the same months in the fall of 2015 as they are this fall. . . . Look on the bright side: By then your daughter will be all done with APUSH!!</p>

<p>@AKFirefly – Thanks. S14 got himself to Atlanta just fine. Didn’t leave his wallet or cell phone in the seat pocket in front of him. Amazing. He took MARTA to meet up with my sister (who lives there). She’ll drop him off at Emory tomorrow morning for his four-day outdoor outing. . . . . . I made a good friend on the Class of 2014 thread. She and her husband went to Emory. Their daughter started at UGA this past week. Went through sorority rush over the weekend. My guess is that there are a lot of mixed marriages/families in Georgia, mixing Emory, UGA, and Georgia Tech. Everyone seems to be surviving.
Complicating the cross-country move, my wife’s mother had a heart attack last Friday, and is critically ill in a CCU in New Brunswick, Canada. My wife is there now, and it’s looking quite dire. Her mom (in her 80’s) has been disabled with heart disease for years, and this was not unexpected. But of course it’s still pretty awful. I doubt that my wife will make it to Atlanta in time for move-in on Saturday morning. S16 and I will get Ben moved in, but he’ll miss his mom’s love, support, and her ‘touch’ in terms of getting him settled in. Life frequently doesn’t go exactly as scripted.</p>

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<p>@Asleep-Barely keeping up with my reading as things are crazy around here, but I was thinking of your S '14 and his start at Emory as well. Just had to sign in long enough to say I am so sorry to hear about your family issues. I think life rarely goes as planned and it stinks that your wife will probably not make it to Atlanta, but no doubt it will go a long way toward making it better for her, knowing that you and your younger son will have it all under control. And how comforting to have family in the Atlanta area. Hang in there!</p>

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<p>Asleepatthewheel I am so sorry to hear about your MIL. It really is a lot for all of you to handle right now. </p>

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<p>@Asleepatthewheel sorry for your loss</p>

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<p>Hope you MIL recovers quickly. </p>

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<p>Apparently reading comprehension was not my skill today. Yikes. Sorry asleepatthewheel </p>

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<p>@asleepatthewheel - that is very sad about your MIL and it’s so good that you and your other DS can help. I bet your wife feels terrible also, being torn between the generations like that, so please send our thoughts to her, too.</p>

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<p>@AsleepAtTheWheel so sorry to read about your MIL </p>

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<p>@AsleepAtTheWheel‌ - sorry to hear about your MIL’s attack. Hope she recovers soon. It must be so hard for your wife - dealing with her mom at the same time the first baby is headed to college. Very emotional time.</p>

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<p>@AsleepAtTheWheel : I’m sorry to hear you’re having to go through all that! How are your sons handling it? Have they been close with their grandmother? That would make the change to dorm living a bit stressful, poor guy.</p>

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<p>@AsleepAtTheWheel : I am sorry to hear what your and your family are going through. Wishing your family well.</p>

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<p>Everyone,</p>

<p>Thanks for the kind words. My wife’s mother died in the early morning hours. My wife and one of her sisters (the less crazy one) were at her bedside. This is never easy, but her mom has been going downhill for years, has been severely limited and sedentary due to her heart disease, and was as ‘ready’ as anyone could be. My wife never expected that she’d have the time to get there and to be with her at the end, and that piece was a blessing.<br>
She will not be able to get to Atlanta in time to move S14 into his Emory dorm room. S16 and I, together with my sister who lives down there, will get it done. </p>

<p>All the support here is touching. Over the next couple of years we’ll be going through this whole college admission/choice thing together, but there will be unrelated and unanticipated events for many of us along the way. Cliche as it sounds, we do have a community here, where we are all pulling for each other and for all of our kids. It’s heartening.</p>

<p>On that note, I don’t want this event to cast a pall on the thread, and to make all of the stuff we typically discuss seem trivial. So, thanks in advance for condolences, which I know are genuine. You don’t have to post them here. Let’s just move on. Thanks.</p>

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<p>Sorry to hear about your loss, and thank you for the rest of your post.</p>

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<p>@3scoutsmom, well, for sure it is a bit of an identity crisis! I’ve been educating an elementary aged kid of one sort or another since 1999, so it’s pretty weird to send her off. I do know she is quite academically well prepared, and socially adept as well, so hopefully the school doesn’t mess that up :wink: We’ll see how it goes, and she can always return home. I anticipate her quite enjoying herself though.</p>

<p>@asleepatthewheel, I am so sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. I know this is very tough all around for your wife in particular. Yes, very true about the curves life tosses at us. Happy that your son has enough help to get on with his college move-in. Nice to have all the family support! He’s going to have a great year, and perhaps develop a love for grits and sausage gravy ;-)</p>

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<p>On another note, school starts here tomorrow, so we are officially in full swing, I suppose. I went ahead and registered D16 for the PSAT, in the course of getting her a parking pass and working out other small details for her one class there. I’ve got an aquarium habitat for pill bugs sitting on my kitchen counter in advance of a planned biology lab. (Not actually the most disgusting thing to live on our counter in the name of homeschooling :slight_smile: )</p>