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Oh dear. 
My older son’s counselor asked for advice for how to get her kid to like reading as much as my son. (Newborn, so the answer was easy. Read to your kid!)</p>
<p>^^ I read to both of mine, but only one likes to read. Bummer.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with Angrydad at all…</p>
<p>I think he’s er, exaggerating it, frankly. If you know the word solipsism, you darn well better be able to get a high SAT score on the verbal, considering they test on much easier words than that. No one (rightfully so) will believe it was the student’s unless they had exceptional grades in advanced english courses (or Philosophy class), wrote in their spare time, or did very well on the AP test. But if you have none of those, and then toss in the word solipsism? I certainly wouldn’t buy it, and I’d worry if the Adcom officers did. </p>
<p>It may be an assumption, but unless the student explained say, a love of philosophy in that essay, it’s a reasonable one. You also don’t need to use big words to sound smart in an essay. </p>
<p>Looking over my essays, any words that might have been five dollar words were generally in a different language, and translated. (Er, I used Klingon and Chinese; different essays.)</p>
<p>I also mentioned Homo Sapiens Sapiens and used the word ‘hierarchy’ (same essay, mock-science tone) but other than that, my vocabulary was fairly standard. </p>
<p>I’d caution against feeling like you have to use big words in the first place.</p>
<p>“solipsism” isn’t a big word; it’s a specific word. If that’s what you’re talking about, then there is not reason not to use that word. I’m reasonably certain both of my kids knew that word in HS, and I’d be pretty angry if the assumption was made that they didn’t.</p>
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<p>I was just using “big word” in the general sense- “Oh that’s a five dollar word”, you know, not one found in common speech; big or long, or a specific term that you need to know about a ‘higher’ subject to understand. It’s just a common generalization that most or many people don’t use it in every day conversation.</p>
<p>Regardless, that’s why I said, if s/he didn’t expound on a love of philosophy THEN it doesn’t make sense.</p>
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<p>Ha ha!</p>
<p>Yes, I do wonder how accurate people are when they claim they “ALWAYS catch kids who don’t write their own essays,” etc. What if the person writing their essay isn’t such a great writer–would they catch it then? Also, you really can’t know what words a kid will know and which they won’t. Writer Terry Pratchett uses “susurration” all the time (it’s his favorite word, I’ve heard), so if a kid is a fan of his Discworld books, as many kids are, they’re likely to know that word . . . even if they bombed the verbal portion of the SAT.</p>
<p>Yurtle–I still disagree. The “concept” of solipsism is an idea that many a bright young person has played with–the whole “maybe I’m a brain in a vat” speculation. Quite a few could make a point about findng out what the word for that is, without espousing a love of Descarte, Kant, et al.</p>
<p>Er, you don’t need to mention Kant to say you have an interest in philosophy, and have explored solipsism. I think you’re being too literal with me. I just mean, if the word was just tossed in, as a random reference, then of course it would stick out poorly. But if you have a context for it, then it would make sense. So, I think we agree on that point- if someone is exploring the concept of solipsism, then it ought to be assumed they know what the word means. </p>
<p>If it made sense in the context of the essay, I don’t think the adcom officer would’ve been so suspicious- but since neither of us saw that essay, I can’t say for sure.</p>
<p>MDMom said, “I read to both of mine, but only one likes to read. Bummer.”</p>
<p>I read to all of mine, filled the house with books, let them see me reading, and not a single one enjoys reading. As a literature teacher, this really kills me–not because of any effect it may have on SAT scores, but because I want them to love reading. I think that kids have inclinations towards certain subjects and there is little you can do to sway that.</p>
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Of course it doesn’t always work, but at least you’ve tried. I also think it’s important to model reading and probably not have electronica in their early lives. (Though my oldest - a huge reader - also spent huge amounts of time on the computer.)</p>
<p>As for Terry Pratchet readers, I’m willing to be that an avid fan will also have a great SAT CR score. At least sci-fi and fantasy reading had that effect on my kids.</p>
<p>I have tried. I also just changed my facebook status to: “DS’s spring break week has been renamed: Take your Child’s Xbox to Work” week.</p>
<p>Is that 1000 to 1 ratio in California a ratio to all students or to all college bound students?</p>
<p>My son’s public high school in California ( Bay Area ) has 1200 students with NO counselor ! They have an unofficial college coordinator who works in organizing visits by colleges etc. The school counselor’s report for the college is done by the principal, ap, and a group of senior teachers based grades etc. plus a “profile” packet that each kid fills out. Focus is mainly on getting high performing kids into the UCs and others into cal state or comm. college. Roughly 30- 40 kids out of 400 apply for privates. About 100 make it to UCs… probably 20 head for privates.
Having said all that I have started turning other parents towards CC instead of expensive counselors - but the article has one thing right. Junior year is too late to start the process.</p>