In our state, some driving schools are authorized to administer the on-the-road driving test which you take before you get your license. So we went with a driving school that 1 of our neighbors recommended and that’s what they offer as 1 of the options. The driving school’s test was about 90 min on the road, which was way longer than the 15 min thing I went through when I was 16.
D24 doesn’t actually have her license yet. DH is taking her to the DMV to get that tomorrow. The driving school posts the score to the DMV’s web portal. So we now just fill out the license application and then go there to get her license issued.
The driving school has been great. Totally worth it given the accident that D24 had w/DH (D24 was driving) back in late January of this year when she crashed into another car while making a left hand turn. She’s a much more confident driver now, doesn’t panic or freak out like she was for a long time, and is a very safe driver.
And in a year from now when YDD is 15 1/2, we’ll start this all over again!
I think anyone who has kids who are planning to apply to highly competitive schools (my own kiddo is one) has to be ready for the likelihood of rejection. With acceptance rates so low - even in ED - odds aren’t good for any student unless they are hooked (recruited athlete, child of donor etc). My S22 has some friends that are seniors this year and he has heard through the grapevine that there have been a ton of deferrals or rejections at top schools.
ACT in the books! Anyone else get scores back yesterday? My kid now wants to take the SATs and submit both but I’m trying to convince him to invest the time in something else.
On a separate note, his APUSH class is really behind where they are supposed to be by this point in the year and he’s planning on just studying on his own. We’ve been told that AP test scores matter for credit/placement but not really admissions but this doesn’t make sense to me. Can anyone confirm? If the scores do matter, any suggestions on inexpensive resources for self-study?
Agreed. If you’re an unhooked applicant applying to one of these low acceptance rate schools, you should just give it your best shot and have plan B ready. It’s not helpful to pay attention to the actual acceptance rates - they’re irrelevant.
This is my understanding, as well. Taking an AP class demonstrates rigor, the grade achieved in the class matters, too, but the exam score does not (except for determining credits after admission).
Yes. I always want to caution parents who are looking at these schools
(and remind myself) that there is a lottery element to admissions if you aren’t hooked. Lots of wonderful students are left out every year. Also, you need to have a realistic set of matches (meaning, not just schools that are almost as hard to get into as the Ivies) and, most of all, some good safeties.
D24 received her ACT scores yesterday, a composite 34. She will also be National Merit Commended. So, all that is done. She will likely apply to six schools of which she has decided on three. Tomorrow she takes her road test. She and S22 want to do international travel together. So, we sent them to Disney World for Christmas. They got back yesterday. No major travel issues.
I think the answer is “it depends.” It depends on:
what schools you’re applying to
how hard (or not) it is to get accepted at that school
are you vying for any competitive scholarships?
what’s the make up of the student body at your high school? In other words, do all of the other applicants to College X from your HS also take AP USH? And what scores, on average, do they get?
what major(s) are you applying for and how hard is it to get admitted to that specific college with that specific major?
For example, if you’re applying for a tippy top school (like, top 20 ranked college/university), you should probably assume that those schools will ASSUME that if you’re taking the AP class, that you’re also taking the AP exam AND getting a good score on it.
As for inexpensive resources for self-study, buy a study guide book off of Amazon and use Khan Academy.
Agree with this. Top schools want to see AP scores in line with the grade you got in the course (i.e. a 4 or 5 if you got an A). At many schools you need a “4” or better to get credit. Also, I believe kids enrolled in AP classes have access to study guides through the college board.
Each year it seems the acceptance rates go down but it also seems the number of kids who apply to highly rejective schools goes up. My S will probably ED to one and apply to others if he doesn’t get in but only because if his “spike” of music. There will be multiple matches and safeties because the hard part seems to be those. Figuring out where to apply if the reach doesn’t work. What is worth paying full price for and what isn’t.
Our school only starts AP in junior year and my older one only took 3. This one is taking 2 as a Junior and will take more next year. I am not really impressed with the need or role for these classes. His APUSH class is basically reading the text and a weekly test on the material. He is doing well and the school has excellent results on the ap test but there is none of the excitement and conversation that were the crux of prior honors history classes. I guess that is why our school has this curriculum.
I hear you. S24 has got a very ambitious list going and I’ve told him he really a) needs to cut it down and b) get a few schools on there that are more realistic. Hard to tell what is truly a match these days if you aren’t going ED at that particular school - as he will likely use his ED for a reach school it will make determining realistic matches that much harder.
Especially for small school like Williams, the chance for unhooked students would be much lower than its 27% ED acceptance rate. In fact, I think there is only slight, if any, advantage in ED vs RD.
For high stat kids, they would have better chance in ED to bigger schools like Cornell and UPENN.
When my daughter applied to the top schools, AP scores were not required/asked/submitted during admission (She had 5’s all the way through and would have gladly supplied them).
Glancing through posts on CC over the years I’ve read that if you don’t submit your AP scores to top schools it can raise some eyebrows. Perhaps my assumption is wrong.
fwiw my oldest was admitted to 4 top 20 schools and didn’t submit any AP or IB test scores. She didn’t have any hooks so it was all GPA, ACT, and essays. I remember being told at Georgia Tech that sending AP scores can help make up for a bad class grade but otherwise they don’t look at them.
What is the weather doing where you are? We are in MA on the coast and we have 65 MPH winds, driving rain and almost 60 degrees out. Temps are plummeting into the 20’s during rush hour tonight and everything is supposed to flash freeze. Very grateful we are not traveling for the holidays. Safe travels to all and Happy Holidays!
That would be a good example - if there were problems early during the year, and you’re disappointed with the AP class grades on your transcript, but then pulled it together by the time of the AP exams and walked out with 5s - then those will “add” to the overall picture, and I would submit them where possible.
Otherwise, your GPA and the AP class grades will stand on their own regardless if you take the AP exams.
At our school, taking AP exams was mandatory, and as a further incentive they were taken instead of “finals” in AP classes. But even if they couldn’t be used towards her eventual major, they helped my daughter with fulfilling several general education requirements!
So, instead of juggling her calendar to try to fit in a bunch of 101 classes, possibly losing out on taking other classes/professors she really, really wanted to take - her schedule freed up, giving her extra time slots for those classes she was hoping to get into.
We’re in AZ. Low tomorrow morning is going to be 44, high of 68 and Christmas Day it’ll be 71! I am very grateful this year that we’re not going anywhere for Christmas.