Well, maybe not buy her books. I don’t know of any schools who allow students to register for classes before May 1.
@bigmacbeth, I wish I had your certainty. I simply don’t know where my daughter will be in terms of admissions n3xt year and it worries me. Her plan is for this year to apply to 4-5 schools (maybe even fewer) that she’s really excited about at the moment, and they are all high matches, reaches, and lottery. If she gets into a private one of her choice, she’ll take a gap year, go to Spain, work as whatever (possibly even a waitress), master her Spanish, and catch up in age to all the other freshmen. If she doesn’t get into any of the schools, it may even turn into two gap years - a year abroad, and then another year at home to complete another application cycle to new schools, out of state, easier to get into, etc. At first, I was really uneasy about this, nagging her to add a safety school to the list, but then thought to myself - no harm in re-entering the rat race after an extra year, that safety will always be there for her, but having her home for an extra year - just priceless. So I relaxed (almost), still wish I knew already what she’d be doing this summer so I could plan around it.
Our experience with IB is that SL was roughly equivalent to AP but HL was much more in depth and definitely equivalent to college course.
@lkg4answers I was kidding about the books. 
@typiCAmom My D20 will be way easier than D17. She has picked 2 direct entry nursing programs that are affordable, although we’re a little unsure of where the merit will end up. She may add a 3rd after a visit later this year. Then, probably a couple safeties, without direct entry nursing, in case she totally changes her mind from in the next 6-7 months. I hope your D figures things out this cycle. Sounds like the admit+gap year is the best situation. Having to go through the process twice just because she doesn’t want to add a safety seems like a high price to pay. If she adds some matches, maybe she can save herself from having to do it all again! Good luck!
@typiCAmom
Your DD20 might be young for her age, but she seems to be very mature. DS is the youngest in his class and it would be really nice to have him an extra year at home. Though I doubt that will be likely.
@bigmacbeth I would really hope that by this time next year, we would know where DS is going. However, I really want this 12-month to go by slowly!!!
I’m sure this has been discussed before but what are people’s thoughts on taking the essay portion of the SAT? We know D20’s first choice doesn’t require it but her high school is offering free SAT in April with the essay portion so wondering if she should just take it just in case. Did most of your kiddos take the essay?
My 2020 is not taking it. None of the schools of interest require it, and we don’t want to give and extra dime we don’t have to - to the testing companies. Plus, these tests are long enough!
@lkim10 D has the same situation, and since it’s offered she will do it with the essay. While, for now none of her schools require it, her list might change if she decides to apply to reach school. Not sure what the harm is, if it’s offered at her HS.
@bigmacbeth That’s kind of what we were thinking though she is on the fence about taking the SAT at all again but since it is free on a school day I can’t see what harm it is to take it. Though her top school does require she submit all test results so if for some reason it is worse than her first that could maybe look bad? On the good side her top school will super score so even if she does a bit better on one section it will up her score for the school.
@lkim10
We signed up for the essay portion because one of the schools that DS interested in required essay, then they dropped the requirement before the test date. So we opted to not to take the essay on testing day. CB even refunded us the portion for the essay later.
My thinking is, the essay won’t hurt if you got a high score, but I was told that the essay has some rigid format and could be rather subjective, and does not reflect how good the writer is. What concerned me most then was if the test potion was satisfactory but the essay was bad, you don’t have the option to not send in the essay score.
I think the essays for the college apps are lot more important AND the colleges our kids applying to could see the essays and judge themselves.
My two cents.
Btw, the kids who don’t take the essay potion will be taking some non-scored section on testing day, presumably for CB’s future test creation. DS did an additional simple math section, and he didn’t get to leave the test site early.
@makemesmart pretty sure D20 had the experimental section and she did the essay too. So I think everyone gets that extra section.
@momzilla2D
Thank you. I didn’t know that. Then the essay-takers do have a longer test taking time! Wow!
@lkg4answers Last year my daughter got the Patterson scholarship at UKY and had to register for her classes in March during their merit weekend if she wanted to take advantage of the Lewis Honors College perk of early registration. UKY knew she was undecided but advised that we register and said they would refund the deposit if she chose to go elsewhere. She ended up receiving a great package at Kenyon and is happily attending there. It was stressful having to choose all of her classes (and getting pre-med requirements in) on her own with very little advising. There was someone she could call at UKY, but what a completely different experience it was at Kenyon—sitting down with her advisor several times before deciding on a course of action.
.My d20 went ahead and took the SAT with essay. One of the schools she is looking at requires it.
Mine took with essay and with experimental math. It was very long.
@ lkg4answers: “…but what a completely different experience it was at Kenyon—sitting down with her advisor several times before deciding on a course of action.”
Glad to hear that. Son is earnestly looking at Kenyon but when I went to the site to examine the AP conversion information I also began to read their course credit and transfer information and became completely frustrated.
So glad to know that the student-advisor relationship is a healthy, positive experience. I’m going to let it go and have him happily keep it on his list, especially as I hope to get him to visit soon.
Kenyon is such an awesome school I’ve learned from all my exposure to them years ago, but they do speak their own language in terms of credit hours and units.
“Mine took with essay and with experimental math. It was very long.”
This mirrors my son’s experience. Some of his schoolmates were simply flummoxed, and I overheard one boy say of the reading section, “Bro, I didn’t even know what language that was in,” accompanied by the biggest, saddest shrug of shoulders and cast down eyes I think I’ve seen on a school-aged young person.
@Waiting2exhale Yes, Kenyon doesn’t take AP credits as “simply” as say, Kentucky would. The way I looked at it was those AP credits helped get her into a school like Kenyon because course rigor is so high on their list when looking at an applicant. Being pre-med, it did however help her test out of lower level science classes so that she could take organic chemistry freshman year. This opened up opportunities to study abroad her junior year (which she really wanted to do.) Without the AP credits it might not have been possible.
I just posted a new thread about prepping for first interviews with a short list of possible questions, would love your input!