<p>Some of my D's classmates are taking the SAT this weekend. I didn't sign her up, though. Is it important to take it now? Should she take it in April? As I recall, my college S took it sometime in middle school, but I don't think it was especially helpful. Any advice on testing, yea or nay?</p>
<p>Signing up to test because they were invited too through a special program identifying students? Like say Northwestern or Johns Hopkins? The programs are useful to many students and offer some good opportunities.</p>
<p>My son first took it in 6th or 7th grade, but that was as part of the Midwest Talent Search, i.e., it was recommended by his school. Otherwise, we wouldn't have pushed him at such an early age.</p>
<p>Many students take it in 7th grade to qualify for one of the summer "talent programs." I believe you can also qualify in 8th grade. Is that why they're taking it? If not, I see no reason at all to take the SAT this early. If they want to practice then buy the CB Blue Book and practice. I vote no on such early testing.</p>
<p>Same here because it gave entry into one of the Talent Search summer programs at a nearby university.</p>
<p>Qualifying for CTY or other acceleration program also gives access to distance learning..........such as math through Stanford.</p>
<p>I remember when the head of the middle school called me in to talk- D was in 6th grade and she was on a scholarship that permitted her to attend otherwise we couldn't have even considered it.
IT was her first year, and all I could think about was- something had happened and she wouldn't be able to attend the next year. :(
but what it was - was she did very well on the standardized tests and they wanted her to participate in the CTY talent search
what a relief
I did have her take SAT in 7th grade- mainly because her best friend was taking them in 6th gd & because it was a total no stress opportunity to take it( she also liked tests- otherwise I wouldn't have considered it- I haven't had my 10th grader even take the PSAT)
But as far as I can tell, for many students it doesn't have bearing on where they eventually go to college, and while it can qualify them for special programs, if there are other opportunities for gifted students in your area, then I wouldn't worry about it.</p>
<p>3 of my 4 children took it in 7th or 8th grade; #4 is taking it this weekend (ID'd by Midwest Talent Search.) It's an interesting exercise. Since they added the essay I was considering 4th child not doing it--no point in overstressing the little guy--but he wanted to take it and enjoyed the challenge of the practice tests. It's no worse than doing a Power of the Pen essay followed by a morning of standardized tests. None of my children ever used the results to take distance learning, though they could have. Fortunately we're in a very good school district that meets their academic needs extremely well. I think it's good to take the SAT early enough to remove the fear some kids have of it. Though come to think of it, none of my children took the PSAT until Junior year, and none did any prep work. See? No fear.</p>
<p>One advantage of taking the SAT in 8th grade is that it doesn't count for college admission -- it won't be reported by College Board when applying to college ('though it can be used for entrance into gifted and talented programs like CTY). As long as the student doesn't get too worked up about the SAT I see no problem with taking it in 8th grade. Having taken this type of test once before should lessen any jitters about taking the PSAT and SAT for real in 11th - 12th grade.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that scores tend to go up significantly each year, so by the time your child is taking it for "real" in junior and senior years, it is highly likely they'll have a very different score. </p>
<p>I had a friend who had her son take the SAT for "practice" not a talent program in 8th grade and she was so depressed about his scores that she started really coming down hard on him about not being "smart enough" to get into college. From freshman year on, she had him prepping with SAT test books and by junior year he was pretty burnt out and had a terrible attitude about the whole thing. In my opinion, she did more harm than good. Just a cautionary tale. :) No child will fall behind if they DON'T take the SAT's in 8th grade.</p>
<p>I couldn't believe my scores didn't go up as much as I thought they would:</p>
<p>7th grade - 1110
End of 11th grade - 1280</p>
<p>At least my ACT = 1480 :) </p>
<p>I took the SAT in 7th grade to do the TAG program at SMU - look into it, it was a lot of fun.</p>
<p>This is coming from a high school senior who took it in the spring of 8th grade. I say take it, but only if she likes tests. I took it without studying and did a lot better than I thought I would, and it really boosted my confidence going into high school. Good luck!</p>
<p>I took it when I was 11 and 12 out of CTY Talent Search. It was really easy. I just went in with a couple classmates who were taking it, did the questions, left, and forgot about it. I didn't know who to really interpret my scores when I got them, and I never used CTY all that much, though some of my friends did. My friends and I all got around the same scores. The geometry section is tough because kids haven't taken the class yet. She definitely doesn't need to take the test. If she wants to, then there's also no harm. Just tell her that she probably won't know a lot of it, and that she isn't expected to finish sections or get many questions correct. Tell her that it's OK to leave questions blank. If she takes it, it needs to be stress-free. For your information, as I remember with my friends and I, most of us were in the 1050-range in seventh grade (I think I had a 1060?) and 100-150 points higher in eighth (high 1100s, low 1200s?). As you can see, I don't even remember my own scores! It's definitely not a big deal.</p>
<p>But CTY is a GREAT program - the summer three-week programs are like a mini-college experience, and the courses are wonderful. My son went twice in middle school and thoroughly enjoyed both the academics and the daily life of dorms, dining halls, activities, and special programs.</p>
<p>D took to and qualified for Duke Talent Search. She attended a wonderful seminar sponsored by Duke at Wake Forest and did her a world of good.</p>
<p>My youngest S had to take the ACT in 5th grade to enroll in a summer university program. I was not thrilled with the idea; I thought this was really pushing it.</p>
<p>lkf725, most of the 8th (and 7th) graders taking the SAT this weekend were INVITED to do so because of high scores on other standardized tests (California Achievement, in my D's case), SSAT, etc. Scoring well then qualifies them to be considered for various colleges' programs for the young. Through this program, my D participated in a midwest university's talent search and had a wonderful summer program in genetics. The second year she took the SAT in middle school (8th grade), she had one of the top scores in our state and was awarded a savings bond. So, if your D was invited to take it, by all means, go ahead. BUT, do it in a no pressure, who cares about the results way. These scores MEAN nothing in the long run and a child should NOT feel that they have failed in any way even if they don't do well. Remember that some kids prep for weeks and months to take these in high school.!</p>
<p>Our school isn't that great, and very bad about disseminating information. My D in is the gifted program, scores in the necessary range on standardized tests and is a straight A student. From what I understand, her disorganized homeroom teacher didn't pass out the forms, the gifted teacher wasn't responsible for it, and our guidance counselors have tasks identifiable to no one. She really should have taken the test, but I don't know what I can do at this late date. She probably wouldn't want to go away for a three week class anyway, so maybe it doesn't matter that much. I'm just mad that the choice was taken from me. The joys of public school....</p>
<p>Duke TIP has a procedure to apply to their program even if you have missed the testing date. Here's a link. <a href="http://www.tip.duke.edu/talent_searches/grade_7/tip_option.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.tip.duke.edu/talent_searches/grade_7/tip_option.html</a></p>
<p>You can still apply even if you're not in their 16 state area. I assume similar programs (JHU, etc.) also have a process to apply outside of this one chance in 7th grade.</p>
<p>My son attended 2 Duke TIP summer programs. He would have gone back last summer but went to Governor's school instead (free!). TIP was a great academic and social experience for him.</p>
<p>Thanks over30, I'll look into it!</p>