Thanks will look into this and other LAC colleges.
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Thanks this is Very helpful. Will create something similar and ask S24 to look into this as he considers colleges.
The regular registration deadline is Friday to sign up for the July ACT. Well, guess what? Thereâs no spots available. Not even a 2 hrâs drive from us. Looks like D24 will be taking it in September. However, they havenât opened registration for that test date yet.
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Anyone hoping to sign their child up for the August SAT should do that ASAP (if you havenât already). Spots are filling up really quickly.
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I wonder if this is normal or just this year. S will have to take it at a place 2 hours from where we live. It is a touristy spot so will go the day before and make it like a mini vacation for the weekend.
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S24 took the sat last august. It was in the town over from ours since our HS does not offer the august sat. Spots filled in June. I think summer tests are less common and fill quickly every year.
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When I discovered this yesterday, at first I was really annoyed. And then thought, âThank goodness for test optional policies.â And THEN I thought about how an under-resourced student would not even be able to CONSIDER driving 2+ hr away for the ACT or SAT. âŠbecause maybe they donât have access to transportation to get them there. Maybe their parent/guardian has to work that day. Maybe THEY have to work that day. Or they canât afford the test fee.
It was a good reality check. Iâm not so annoyed anymore by this. Sheâll take it in Sept. that will give her more time to prep for it. Itâll be fine.
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The August SAT filling up is very normal. Many high schools in certain parts of the country (esp east) are not open yet for the school year and so there tend to be fewer test centers offering the August test date in those areas. Plus, obviously it is a popular test date for seniors looking to get a better score before app deadlines.
October, while also popular, tends to have more availability because there are more test centers offering it.
As for the ACT, I would assume thereâs a similar issue, high school buildings are often not open in July so possibly fewer test centers than during the school year.
On Friday morning, students who sat for the June test will receive their scores. Many of them are waiting on that score to decide whether to sit for the August date (my son is one of them.) So, if you know you want to sit for August, be sure to register before Friday morning.
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Agree I have seen this happen last year where many people cancel after seeing their score and deciding they donât need to retake and you can get availability at that time.
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My D24 took the ACT 3 times- in Feb, April and then last Saturday. 3 different locations, each about 75- 90 minutes from our house in pretty far flung places (none in the metro area we live in). It was a big family commitment to get her to each of these sites, we even stayed in a hotel the night before the first ACT. Realized she sleeps better in her own bed before a big test the next day, so left home at 6:30 am the second two times, for a sure arrival by 8 am. Itâs a lot, and she hopes to have a superscore to submit with a least a couple of her applications. Oh, and we registered for all three tests last September soon after registration opened. Sigh.
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Thatâs too bad. Travelling that far before a test that is long and stressful never helps. My so had to travel 90+ minutes for the first SAT he took last year August and that did mean he woke up at 5:30 am to get to test and it was stressful. The next test he took in october was in 10 minutes away and he was much more relaxed for this.
Hope she gets to a closer place for her next test.
Thanks for the reminder. I just registered D24 for the August SAT.
We have narrowed down our list and I think she may just be applying to 3 schools?!?! We are in a situation where we will be full pay, but she needs a Ph.D. for what she wants to do and is conscious of undergrad costs, so she doesnât need a full ride or anything, but I think we would be considered light chasers of merit. She has a 529 pot to spend more or less how she wishes, but if it runs out before sheâs done costs are on her for grad school.
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Baylor: Her GPA/SAT/rigor put her in the range for merit, honors program, etc. She is also a legacy (which they consider) and her grandmother was faculty. She will almost certainly qualify for the scholarship weekend thing they do.
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Elon: Pretty much the same situation as Baylor, but possibly iffier on their Fellows program.
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Texas Tech: We just found out last week that she is in the top 10% of her class at her small non-ranking private school (Senior class approximately 70 girls) so she is guaranteed acceptance and merit based on the grid. A true safety!
I think the strategy is to apply to these 3 early. Early Action for Baylor/Elon to get in the honors program apps and early to Tech which does rolling admissions. The only reason to do this early is because they also do Honors rolling so she could get waitlisted if she waited until after the holidays.
She has a few other schools she is interested in and may do RD, mostly where she is guaranteed merit, but I think she will be happy at any of these schools. All of them are pretty safetyesque in the broader sense. She was talking about applying to somewhere pretty reachy, but recently said she didnât know if it was worth the application fee and effort to apply to someplace she wouldnât go (for cost reasons, mainly) just to see if she could get in.
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Yes the early wake up is not how youâd want to prepare for a long test. Sheâs decided three times is enough, and I agree with her, but my guess is she will submit scores at a couple places and go TO at the rest.
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S is fighting hard but we see signs of Junioritis creeping in (is that a thing?).
Varsity sport state championship coming up and finals in the same week. Need to make it through the next 1.5 weeks.
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Weâve been fighting junioritis for a few weeks now - as soon as S22 came home from college, S24 decided he should be done too! This is our last week of school, thankfully.
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We are trying to make it through two finals, one paper, junior brag sheets, and a recording session, one more week here too!
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NOTE: This is posted as an uplifting and positive message⊠with a touch of humor. 
Not a criticism of any parent or student. 
Good luck next year! Your kids are lucky to have you and will find their path.
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I love this. 
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Hard to believe its nearly time for them to apply to college! Here in the Midwest, schools have been out for a few weeks now (around Memorial Day is typical) so âseniorâ is finally settling into my vocabulary for D24. She finished junior year strong for her course load but did pick up the first A- of high school and first B+ in her life in AP World and AP Chem. Anxious for scores in a few weeks, it was her World teacherâs first year teaching it and they only got through 3/4 of the curriculum so a 4 would be a miracle.
D24âs college hunt is turning out to be completely unexpectedâŠshe just isnât finding anything she loves and that makes me a little sad because sheâs worked really hard in high school to end up not excited about anywhere. I keep wondering if Iâm missing the âunicornâ school for her. We have plans to go to Chicago for some schools up there and am hopeful one might spark something in her. If anyone has any ideas, Iâm all ears!
She wants to stay within a 5-6hr drive of home so basically Midwest. I cannot get her to consider small LACs even though I really wish she would, sheâs mostly interested in the âmediumâ size schools, of which there arenât as many! She also wants to be in a sorority, and sheâd like a nice little walk-able âdowntownâ area off campus. Sheâs the âaverage excellent applicant.â Top 2% in her class, 34 ACT, 4.8 WGPA, 8 AP/DE classes with 5 APâs next year. Looking at pre-medicine (surgeon) though I think she will eventually move into the physical therapy lane as she realizes she thrives on interpersonal connections.