<p>Hi, I'm back... a few weeks ago I popped in here all in a panic -- our daughter had done very well on the PSAT and options now seemed to be wider, beyond our very minimalist plans for community college transferring to 4-year college. We are lower middle income. It had never really crossed our minds she might go somewhere nice, and are pretty mentally unprepared for the whole process. </p>
<p>She has since taken the SATII Chem, Literature and Bio tests and done very well, from 700-790. She will be taking the SAT itself come March. </p>
<p>She has been attending community college since 14 and has accumulated approx. 46-47 credits, mostly in bios and chems. </p>
<p>Now that she may be applying to "reach" schools, we see the need to "document" her abilities with the SATII's and that seems reasonable enough. But we are still unsure if she needs to take the AP tests -- since she has already had college-level classes, wouldn't the AP's be redundant in proving her abilities? They are such long, grueling tests, I hate to put her through them if she doesn't need to. Does she? </p>
<p>We want her to be able to walk into any admissions interview and say: Look. This is what I can do.</p>
<p>Does she mind testing? Does she enjoy testing? Do you have the $87 or so for each test? Do you know if you can sign up for AP exams for this May? For some schools and districts, it might be too late.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that you <em>need</em> AP exams if you have community college credits; OTOH, I think it’s not a bad idea to take AP exams and double up, as it were; or, her AP exams could compliment her community college classes.</p>
<p>I only have personal experience to share (son did about 55 community college units with some audited university courses; as well, he took 6 AP exams) and I honestly don’t know what tipped admissions in his favor.</p>
<p>Since I didn’t know where my son would be going, I knew that some schools would take AP credits but not CC credits, so I thought it best for him to do both.</p>
<p>In the end, ironically enough, his AP credits were almost worthless (except for Calc B/C) while his CC transferred to MIT. But, this is because he had two 4s on the exams. If he had gotten all 5s, he would have gotten some sort of benefit out of 5/6 of his APs.</p>
<p>So, my advice to anyone considering top schools: study and earn 5s. :-)</p>
<p>Thanks, sbjdorlo. I think you are probably the one who has come closest to the confusing situation we are in and your experience helps. Thanks for sharing it. </p>
<p>She tests well but doesn’t particularly enjoy it. Since she was raised without test anxiety we have been able to approach it in a low key way, but now she’s worried because the stakes seem higher. The cost of the AP’s is a significant factor. She could take another 3 SAT II’s in May/June for about the price of one AP. However, I’m thinking an AP government and or history would get her out of having to take a class with information she already knows, at a much higher price, and so might be worth it. </p>
<p>I think what I am really worried about at this point, is… us. Her parents. Don’t get me wrong, we have a lively intellectual life here, art, literature, science – we’re not gap-toothed rubes. But we don’t know what we don’t know about how the other half lives… and expects… and/or takes for granted. I feel totally out of my depth. And I’m scared. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>Heck, my dh is a driver who didn’t go to college and I’m a dancer and former elem. teacher, and we have a son at MIT. It all seems to work out ok when you have kids like your daughter who are gifted and motivated. :-)</p>
<p>You’re just on a steep learning curve as I was. Taking more subject tests might be good, too, and maybe taking a couple of AP exams in subjects that she enjoys and that are in the discipline of her potential major might be an excellent idea.</p>
<p>Given your financial constraints, might your daughter qualify for some sort of break on price of the AP exams? Your local school might let you bring in taxes and such to prove this.</p>
<p>We’re middle income (headed for lower middle because of the new health care laws) and didn’t qualify for a break from the cost of testing but did receive amazingly generous need-based aid at all the schools. If you can invest a little up front, it might be worth it. </p>
<p>No need to fear. You’re being pro-active. And, finding the right fit of school for your D should help, as well. If you’re careful about crafting a list of schools (and the list might not be finalized until December! LOL), your D should do just fine.</p>
<p>When I dropped my son off at MIT, I knew he had chosen well. He fit very well there. His well off friends have been kind and generous. I’m sure your D will have excellent choices, as well, and will find kind people where she goes, regardless of how much money they have. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>It does, in the way you’ve answered an unstated question. I admit, from having had a wealthy frat-boy co-worker (as I worked my way through school) who sneered at us clueless grinds who actually did the work rather than just turning in papers and studying tests pulled from his fraternity files, and having worked professionally in an environment where someone could say a $600 purse was a “good investment” with a straight face, that I am somewhat “classist.” I have met and worked with many people who really judge others’ personal value by the expense of their watch, car or home. I find that kind of person repulsive, and don’t want my daughter to aspire to be that type of person because that is the kind by which she is surrounded in school. If that happened to my wonderful daughter, <em>then</em> I would feel like a failure. I am glad your son has found good people…</p>
<p>And as if someone were reading over my shoulder, today in the mail we get a letter from Questbridge, which I knew to be A Good Thing from this forum. (We are getting all kinds of scammy, sketchy, expensive program offers now and I might have well tossed it in the garbage with the rest of them.) I could hardly read it, as I had tears in my eyes. It said from her College Board info she might qualify for a scholarship and introduced us to what amounts to a hand-holding program about applying to top colleges – something we really, really need. Even that she might be eligible for expense-paid trips to the colleges! My daughter had talked about visiting some this summer and I didn’t have the heart to tell her, well, <em>that’s</em> not going to happen. I mean, the whole idea that she could even go to one of those places (and even, which ones? We have no clue) seemed so ridiculous, I couldn’t see actually driving out to see them. What would be the point? To show her what she could never have? </p>
<p>So it’s a good day. I am still very concerned that we will miss deadlines we don’t even know about, like for the AP’s. We didn’t even know what SAT II’s were a month ago! </p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, and even more for the steadying hand. :-)</p>
<p>I personally don’t think that both APs and SATIIs are necessary. They each serve a purpose, but I think heavily doubling up on both is overkill as long as she does really well on the SAT and/or ACT (take both!). Keep researching the purpose and benefits of each and also look at Admissions websites of a few schools to get a better idea of what they require. You can also find other threads on this subject in other areas of CC. The best thing you can do at this point is to keep researching and learning about the process. Your library should have some good books on college admissions and how to go about choosing a college. Admissions departments are now much more familiar with homeschoolers. You don’t have to have everything a student at a traditional school has. She just needs to showcase what she’s done in a positive light. I will also add that the ability to write excellent admissions and scholarship type essays that show her personality and “voice” will be as important as good test scores. If she hasn’t practiced many of those, it might be a good time to start working on that. Again - check the library for books in that department.</p>
<p>SAT IIs and APs serve two different purposes and are definitely NOT interchangeable. SAT IIs show mastery of high-school level work, and are often required for college applications. They are taken before the application cycle is complete and are used to determine admission. APs show mastery of college level work. Many people take APs only in junior and senior year, and the college decisions have all been made by the time of taking the senior-year AP tests. It’s true that occasionally, a high score in a foreign language SAT II can give placement in college foreign language classes, and it’s also true that colleges want to see that a high school student has challenged himself and one way to do that is through AP courses. But for the most part, SAT IIs are necessary for admission and APs are useful for later credit.</p>
<p>"She has been attending community college since 14 and has accumulated approx. 46-47 credits, mostly in bios and chems. "</p>
<p>I would not bother with the APs. If her grades at cc are excellent and her SAT scores are excellent, and she brings other things to the table (ec’s, good recommendations, etc.), she should be very attractive to most schools. I don’t know what your “reach” schools are, and I don’t pretend to know what they would want. It always helps to talk with someone in the admissions office of a college you’re looking into or at least scour their website for admissions recommendations for homeschoolers, etc.</p>
I admit, from having had a wealthy frat-boy co-worker (as I worked my way through school) who sneered at us clueless grinds who actually did the work rather than just turning in papers and studying tests pulled from his fraternity files, and having worked professionally in an environment where someone could say a $600 purse was a “good investment” with a straight face, that I am somewhat “classist.” I have met and worked with many people who really judge others’ personal value by the expense of their watch, car or home. I find that kind of person repulsive, and don’t want my daughter to aspire to be that type of person because that is the kind by which she is surrounded in school. If that happened to my wonderful daughter, <em>then</em> I would feel like a failure. I am glad your son has found good people…</p>