<p>@mtrosemom I haven’t heard of them. Both of mine took driving from the same local place. The instructor there is great. DS17 is taking it now and has about 2 more weeks of classroom time. Hopefully someone else can be of more help.</p>
<p>Hello class of 2017 parents – I’m glad to see a thread already here. The CC forums helped me greatly with my 2011 D1 (especially since her high school was bad with college prep).</p>
<p>My D2 is class of 2017 (and S3 class of 2018!). She is high functioning autistic and has come a long way since she could barely speak in kindergarten. Her high school (different from D1) is an engineering focus school and she really likes the engineering program. She has already told me that she wants to be an electrical engineer with a focus on renewable energy. (Much more focused at this age than the rest of the family!)</p>
<p>She is doing about half pre-IB classes freshman and sophomore year, but is not going to do the IB program. Later she will have to choose between IB classes and AP classes. If anyone has input about the differences, I’d love to hear them.</p>
<p>She is also driving, though doesn’t have her license yet. She is 16 already since she was held back a year in elementary school. I’m hoping she can start driving herself to school some time next school year since her school is pretty far away (chosen for the engineering focus).</p>
<p>It’s great to see all the other 2017 parents here. I feel more prepared than last time, but I’m sure I will still get overwhelmed as the time for real college prep gets closer.</p>
<p>Hello, snoozn! Welcome back to CC forum!</p>
<p>I have a question about SAT subject test. My D2 is taking AP World History next year, so at the end of the year, she will be taking AP test. What about SAT? Many people suggest that you should take the SAT subject test as soon as you finish that subject. But isn’t it too early? </p>
<p>My D2 has a clear first choice of college she wants to attend. Should she send the score to that college already even though the college application will be still far away or should she hold off sending until the end of junior year?</p>
<p>Thanks for your advise!</p>
<p>@HiToWaMom Hi, my class of 17 son just got his SAT subject test scores back for Math II and Physics. He did well, so taking SAT Subjects as a sophomore is not necessarily too early. Taking the SAT subject test in World History at the end of AP World is the appropriate time to take it. She wouldn’t want to wait a year and then try to remember all that detail. </p>
<p>Note that the AP tests and the SAT Subject tests don’t align perfectly, so she should probably get one of those prep books with practice tests both to get a feel for the subject matter differences and the timing (much less time than the AP test). Also, you might want to look at the percentiles for various SAT Subject tests (<a href=“http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/SAT-Subject-Tests-Percentile-Ranks-2013.pdf)–but”>http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/SAT-Subject-Tests-Percentile-Ranks-2013.pdf)–but</a> ignore the language percentiles unless she is a native speaker of some non-English language. </p>
<p>Almost all colleges require a maximum of 2 SAT subject tests, so you may just want to pick the 2 where she is most likely to score the highest. (Most homeschoolers need to take more SAT Subject tests, however.)</p>
<p>Oh, and I would wait until she sees the score to send it to her first choice college. She may end up scoring better in 2 other subjects. The College Board does have Score Choice for SAT Subject tests, so when you get to the point of sending scores as a senior, she can choose which scores to send (for most colleges that don’t disallow Score Choice). </p>
<p>Thank you, Ynotgo. </p>
<p>Gee, your son already took the test?? Wow. OK, so it’s not too early to take the subject test at the end of sophomore year. How about actually sending the score? Should we hold off to see which subjects are the highest and then send? I would like to take advantage of the “you can send to four schools for free!!” thingy, if possible. But that means I have to send it in sophomore year and that sounds bit too early thing to do. What do you think?</p>
<p>Ynotgo, sorry, I responded before your last comment was posted!!</p>
<p>@HiToWaMom I would hold off in sending any scores until at least the spring/summer before Senior year. I don’t know if schools keep profiles on kids for that long, and they might wonder why your child isn’t sending an application for the next school year if they receive test scores. Also, your D should have her school list started (or done if she knows what she wants in a school) by the time you send scores. We sent D15’s SAT score from this past May using the 4 free score sends you get, but by the time the schools received the score she was “offically” a senior. S17 will probably take the Math II test next spring and might take the physics subject test, but we won’t send any scores. I may also have him take the general SAT test early before they change the test structure, and if he does well he won’t have to take it again after they change the test.</p>
<p>@mtrosemom I’d agree on holding off and also on perhaps having him take the SAT fall of junior year because of the test changes. I’m still wondering whether there is any value in taking a practice PSAT in 10th grade since the PSAT will be changed when they are in 11th.</p>
<p>Also, do you know from experience with your D15 whether the score reports sent as part of the “4 free” include SATs, SAT subject tests, and AP tests? Or, will we need to send some of those separately?</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your input regarding when to send the score. Seems like it’s better to hold off until summer before senior year. Thanks!</p>
<p>I totally forgot about the SAT structure change!!! </p>
<p>@Ynotgo I know that S’s school has all 10th graders take the PSAT so that they get experience sitting a test and learning how to time the test sections properly. Also, I can’t believe that all of the material on the 2015 PSAT will be revamped, so there should be some value in taking the test in 2014, if only to boost confidence.</p>
<p>As far as the 4 free test scores, I believe that they are for the test that is currently being taken only, but I am not positive. There is a 2 week window after the test is taken to designate schools (scores are not reported for 3 weeks), so using them can be risky if your child isn’t sure if they did well or is an uneven test taker. For D15, we knew that we were going to send the to the Natl Merit Corp to confirm her PSAT score (she is in the running for NMF). We also know that a couple of the schools on her list were not as reachy as others, and she was comfortable coming out of the SAT test to send the score unseen. The SAT II test she just took we were not sure we should send them sight unseen, so we didn’t use the free scores. She didn’t really study for the tests and the $12 per school didn’t seen expensive enough to risk sending low scores.</p>
<p>@mtrosemom Thanks! S’s school historically has all 10th graders take the ACT Plan (now the ACT Aspire–so many changes for this cohort!) on the same day that the 11th graders all take the PSAT. So, if you want to take a practice PSAT, you have to take it at some other school that has the Saturday test date. His GC recommended that he do a practice PSAT, since NMF is a possibility, so he probably will.</p>
<p>I skimmed these recent posts quickly, but wanted to clarify for anyone who may not be aware.</p>
<p>The PSAT that our class of '17 students will take this Oct will be the ‘current’ format SAT. The PSAT that they will take fall of their Jr year, their NMSQT, will be a new format. However, the SAT administered in Oct, Nov, Dec & Jan of their Jr year will be the old format. The new format SAT will be administered March of their Jr year. That schedule dovetails with the way we all took the PSAT & SAT back in our day: PSAT fall of Jr year, SAT May of Jr year and Oct of Sr year, Achievement tests Dec of Sr year. So while it does make sense for the class of '17’s PSAT to be the new format in anticipation of the spring of their Jr year new format SAT, it is frustrating that this will be their NMSQT. At least the playing field will be level!</p>
<p>I haven’t bothered to read this yet as the changes are still a year off, but here is CB’s latest release about the new exam:<a href=“How the PSAT/NMSQT Is Structured – SAT Suite | College Board”>https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/redesigned-psat-nmsqt/compare-tests</a></p>
<p>I agree with all who suggest to not send scores until summer before Sr year. Assuming a college does not require all scores, it can be convenient to suppress a subject test score while sending a more competitive score from same test date. Also, CB charges one fee to send as many SAT sittings and Subject Test sittings while I believe the ACT charges for the report from each test date.</p>
<p>I’m not totally in agreement with waiting to send the SAT until summer before SR. year. I think it really depends on the score that the kid gets. The reason I say that is DS13 took the SAT and ACT fall of junior year and sent them off then. Because he did that there were a couple schools that sent him letters with a code to use when he applied that #1. made it so he didn’t have to pay an application fee and/or #2. stated as long as his grades were in line with his scores he was automatically accepted. anyway it saved us some money…</p>
<p>@MichiganGeorgia – not disagreeing with your statement but wanted to add that my son received unsolicited ‘free’ apps to several schools w/o submitting his SAT scores. Some of the mailers went as far as to print a code at the bottom of the letter indicating that letter was sent based on PSAT score. (I found that amusing….buried in the tiny print that looks like computer jargon at the bottom of the page.)</p>
<p>A couple of this free app schools are ones he might not have considered, so the marketing was effective.</p>
<p>Yes, S17 is already getting email and postcards from UofChicago, and he didn’t submit scores. He may have forgotten to check a “don’t send me spam yet” box. He has decided that he is starting a “pile” of college stuff, which so far is 2 postcards.</p>
<p>@CT1417 - Yes DS13 got a lot of those also however the ones I was talking about were colleges that he sent the scores to. One in particular was Clemson which not only waved the app fee and guaranteed admission assuming he applied by a certain date. While he decide to go to Georgia Tech instead it was nice not to have to pay the app fee. </p>
<p>@Ynotgo - If your S17 is going to keep all the stuff from now until he graduates high school he is going to need a couple of 30 gallon trash bags.:)</p>
<p>Yes, it’s kind of cute how little clue he has about how much stuff there will be.</p>
<p>Years ago (too many to admit), I got guaranteed admission and scholarship letters from colleges I’d never even heard of (because I wasn’t into football). I ended up going to one of them, so I guess it works for the colleges.</p>
<p>S is going to a half-day camp for the next two weeks where he will tear down and then build a computer that he will get to take home. The camp is in the city where I work which is not the city we live in. The lucky boy gets to come to work with me for an hour or so, then go to the non-profit that is holding the camp and volunteer with them until camp (3 to 3.5 hours), and then go to camp. I sure hope he likes it because he has 9 day to go after this. Oh, and I work near the local DMV office, so I will be “forcing” him to take the test for his drivers permit. He hasn’t been in a hurry to get it, but I would like him to get some driving practice in before school starts!</p>
<p>@mtrosemom, start driving practice before school starts is a good idea.
DD is in the last week of driver’s ed. Recently, she always seem to bug us to let her drive wherever we go. </p>