I think the AP and SAT II tests in US History are substantially different. The SAT II is still a test of how much detail yu have memorized. The APUSH exam has been changed to more of a test of being able to interpret primary documents in context and to write short essays given several short documents. So, more a test of having the historical context and overall awareness to be able to comment on historical documents. I’m sure there’s still some memorization, but not as much. I don’t know for sure, of course, since I’m not taking the class. (Though he’s outlining chapter on events and presidents I remember now.)
@Agentninetynine sorry to hear your son was cut from the team. Will he choose another sport or enjoy his free time!
My D had taken 2 subject test last spring and she will take one more in June. Not sure if she will take the ACT again (waiting for score) or the SAT (waiting for that score too from the free school day). If she chooses to take either again, it will probably be in the fall.
No @greeny8. He chose tennis because he enjoyed it. He still plays after school with another friend who was cut. But mostly he’s studying and just enjoying have a bit of free time. Football is where he really excels but we weren’t supportive of him trying out freshman year and by sophomore year, he decided to not go out. His non school EC is really ramping up this time of year, so tennis was difficult to fit in. Blessing in disguise, me thinks. 
A friend of ds is waiting to take his SAT in the fall because he’s concerned about not having enough study time. I think it would be better to take it twice, but I think he’s stressed about it.
@Agentninetynine Sorry to hear he was cut from the team, but I think you are right that it can be a blessing in disguise.
DS was on the frosh-soph volleyball team in 9th, but didn’t make any vball team in 10th. He still loves playing beach volleyball with us old adults, and it will probably be a hobby that sticks with him at an intramurals level and in adulthood. But, he’s not going to be over 5’10" and is in an academic program that makes spring sports very difficult senior year. So, we figured the coaches needed to choose kids who had varsity potential, this being a school that has sent multiple vball players to Stanford and other Pac-12 schools.
The week after he didn’t make the team, he contacted the professor he wanted to do research for and got a tour of the lab and an interview. So, freeing up time for other things can often be great. (See Cal Newport…)
@payn4ward @2muchquan @CT1417 @Ynotgo Thank you for the information! I knew I could count on the parents here to answer my questions. Looks like he will be signed up for more testing fun in June. I checked and the subject tests are being offered then. He’ll have to decide which would be best. I don’t want to get to September and find he needs them for an app in the fall.
@Agentninetynine So sorry to hear about your son being cut from tennis. That stinks.
Re: Superscoring the ACT (back a few pages ago)
There’s also this blog: http://blog.prepscholar.com/colleges-that-superscore-act-complete-list
which includes some of the text from the official policies at various colleges. For several on DS’s list, they don’t necessarily calculate a new composite score, but they do consider the highest subscore in each area (for example for STEMy colleges particularly interested in the Math subscore).
DS is currently scheduled to take the ACT for the 2nd time on June 11. He was scheduled for April 9, but decided to cancel since he hadn’t done any prep since the previous ACT in Feb. I don’t know whether he’ll take it; his Math and English subscores are great, but he could improve a bit on Science and Writing and a lot on the essay. But, essay scoring has been weird this year, so I don’t expect that will be a big problem.
He has 2 good SAT II scores from freshman year. We’d thought about him maybe taking Biology or Literature this year, but I don’t want to add pressure during AP tests and his Multivariable final, so May is out. And, he’ll be in Nevada for a math competition that he loves attending on the June SAT date. So, he’ll stick with his Math II and Physics tests.
@jedwards He should take practice test from the official College Board SAT II book to decide which he can do best on. There aren’t many released actual tests, so the College Board book is supposed to be the most accurate, and they have a book that has one or two of every test. Good idea not to wait until September. I don’t trust the College Board (or the ACT) to get things scored and scores sent with only a month or two leeway.
@2muchquan Some universities don’t have any overall SAT II requirements, but some colleges/majors within the university (often engineering) do have SAT II requirements or “suggestions”. Many of the UCs are like that. (http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/examination-requirement/SAT-subject-tests/) It’s not always obvious on the main admissions website that there are major-specific additional requirements.
Last year AP US History has a lot of Native Indian component, while there was very little on New Deal. D felt that the test was lopsided. FYI.
D has decided not to take any more SAT IIs—she took Bio-E in January and was supposed to take Math 2 last June but she was very ill last spring so skipped it. None of the current schools on her list require/suggest the subject test. American’s website says homeschoolers should have 3 but the admissions people said her APs and uni language classes will substitute 
She says she’ll take her chances if she should apply to a school wanting the tests.
Boo! So far six schools on Ds list are not on the Common App! Have to figure out when these open and what the essays are, and how to get LORs and transcripts there. Double boo!
@2muchquan Even the schools on the Common App will have a number of supplemental essays each.
More for your spreadsheet!
I started a spreadsheet but was going in all different directions. I guess I wasn’t sure whether it was for deciding whether it’s a good school to apply (chances), details on how to apply (dates and essays), or for later when he’s deciding where to attend. Maybe 3 separate spreadsheets? Or is your idea to have a template and then a separate Google Doc for each school? (Hmm, what if I decide to update the template, the individual school Docs don’t update. With a spreadsheet I can add columns.) I love Google Docs too, but there are multiple ways to go with this even within Google Docs.
DS will have the UC app, probably the Cal State app, the Common App, and one other app.
OK you people are frightening me with all this talk of spreadsheets. I cannot recall how we pulled this off for older son. Similar to childbirth: you forget once it is behind you!
I think my problem is that we were very organized early on this time, knocking off one subject test in 9th, one in 10th, and SAT last fall, but now I have lost my enthusiasm.
Spring break college tour was of too many highly selective schools. Must plan summer road trip to slightly less selective and perhaps circle back if any offer on-campus interviews.
Must rally!
@CT1417 said:
I, too, have a DS14. I am even more humbled this time around. 3 years ago, I didn’t know what I don’t know. This time, I know what I don’t know!
@Ynotgo I have a spreadsheet kind of like you described, a mixture of things. Some schools that are of more interest have more of the details filled in. But I started it last July or August, so it’s got some good info, some crap. There are also a lot of schools that we are no longer considering. It has all the financial/COA/NPC/“Possible Merit” info in it. I ‘massage’ this into a list of just the fields I want (gets a tad technical, but I basically only update the original sheet, and the second one updates automatically) to share with my D. Then, from this ‘list’ I link each school listed to a third school-specific Google Doc (like MS Word) where I have more information she is interested in: Distance, weather, majors, mascot :), diversity #s, pluses, minuses, essay prompts, and links to a bunch of stuff…very specific to that particular school. I just started these based on her ‘final’ list. I’m working from top to bottom, so I don’t waste my time on ones we are not going to consider. So far I have done 2 or 3.
I really like the intermediate ‘list’ that I have now. D can drag and re-order the schools based on how she is feeling at the time. It also shows the $, so she is aware of that aspect, and those will automatically update when I re-run all the NPCs following tax season this year…and after they are updated by the schools.
Sorry for boring the wits out of you. This is fun for me though :-B
I think it was the fear of the unknown that caused me to conduct so much research last time and compiled all these notes, as part of my own education. Now I feel like I know ‘everything’ but can’t ramp up to do the work, even though the only work I can possibly do is create some files or spreadsheet. This son may have a much longer process as he won’t be applying ED. Perhaps once I sit down and get organized about things, maybe I will feel better. Right now it seems very daunting.
Nice to know that I will have company along the way for the next 12 months (here on CC). Misery loving company, and all that!
It has been fun this month coordinating visits to my older son’s campus for friends’ children who have been accepted or are applying as Jrs. Older son has been eating well!
@2muchquan —not boring. Sobering, frightening, and eventually I hope it will light a fire under me.
I read almost everything that is posted here but some of it is so far removed from my son’s life that I just gloss over it. Others’ organizational methods are always helpful so no apologies needed!
I create folders and sub-folders and then spend too much time looking for things.
BTW—does anyone know if there is a way to cause the email folders on my iPhone to collapse the way those same folders collapse on my iMac? I have the folders saved to the cloud so they update automatically, but it is a real hassle to scroll down to a folder on the phone when every sub-folder is revealed. (Point driven home during last week’s visits when all hotel info was under T for Travel.)
D has banned me from speaking about college until her school ends next month. Until then, she has an obstacle course of final exams, AP exams, subject tests, and state testing, so college apps are a completely unwelcome topic.
Well, I’m happy to ignore the inevitable for a little longer!
@BusyNapping My D has told me the same thing. It’s so hard to keep quiet though. lol
My D17 is applying to schools in the UK and Ireland, and they are much more interested in AP scores- even possibly preferring them over the ACT/SAT score if the AP is in a subject the student intends to study at the university.
@BusyNapping @itsgettingreal17 since I’m in the thick of it with my D16, my D17 is craving some attention and is constantly talking about college! Funny how things are because I know it would be a different situation if D17 was my only focus she’d tell me to back off.
And regarding spreadsheets, I’ve been old school just using a pen and paper and sticking it in an actual folder. Maybe I’ll do an actual spreadsheet for D17