<p>It’s funny how skewed our perceptions can get around here. Out of all the colleges and universities in the US, there aren’t that many that require SAT IIs. If he doesn’t have the grades/rank to be a serious contender for a “highly ranked” college that requires SAT IIs, then why bother? Use your motivation/nagging for ACT or SAT prep.</p>
<p>Case specifically stated 2 years ago that they will accept ACT for SAT + SAT II.</p>
<p>I usually like to explain to my kids about action ==> consequence, hard work (good GPA)==> admit to top schools =>good job. My D1 took everything I said about college in stride. I recently had a similar talk with my D2, a 9th grader. After our talk, she said, “I am doomed! I am not going to be able to get into a good school, no prospect of a good job. This is unbelievable, my life is over at 15, all because of an A- this semester in Bio.” My H pulled me aside to tell me that maybe I should ease off on our D2.</p>
<p>I’d limit my discussion of SAT IIs to this: “No SAT IIs? OK. Then let’s take this, this, this, this and this college off your list.” If there aren’t any colleges that you have to take off the list, he’s fine. If there’s one you take off that he wants, he’ll take the tests.</p>
<p>Struggle over.</p>
<p>I feel for you! I think if your kid doesn’t want to take SAT IIs, that may or may not be his business. But he certainly can’t expect you to pay for a private college or university in that case. If he wants to do the minimum, you can do the minimum. Too many parents are stuck in the position of finding some fourth-tier private school for low-motivation kids at the same price as an Ivy. If he’s not going to be motivated or serious, he can go to community college. There are a lot of decent people at those colleges who have to work for what they get and it might straighten him up and be a little more grateful.</p>
<p>In California all the good students the SATII’s because the UC’s require them, so we didn’t have that fight. The whole strategy was to figure out in advance which SATII’s he could ace with the least amount of work. </p>
<p>There were plenty of other things to argue about, however. I’ve decided that boys are definitely different from girls.</p>
<p>Well, believe it or not, but I think 9th grade is a bit too late. So, I understand your D2’s reaction. I told my D when she was 5 years old and got her very first tiny homework assignment. I actually did not tell her, but rather asked about what was the most important thing in her life. She confidently announced that of course it was her swimming because she just got into competitive swim club and was very proud of it. I replied that she was wrong and it was her tiny homework from kindergarden and we cannot go to practice until it is completed. I also added that if she does her homework all the time, there is no reason, why she would not have the highest grades possible ever in her life. Well, she is a sophmore in college and I have never needed to repeat it. She has decided herself what tests she needed, I made sure that there are not too many. She also graduted #1 in her HS class.</p>
<p>Endicott, I don’t think that’s a fair statement at all. Relatively few schools <em>require</em> the SAT IIs, so it’s not like this kid is going to be limited to Tier IV schools by making this decision. He’s taking other tests. He’s getting good grades and participating in ECs. </p>
<p>My daughter got accepted into 7 good LACs without taking any SAT IIs. These tests are not a dealbreaker unless A) the son has his heart set on a school that requires them or B) you think it’s important to pad the pockets of the testing companies.</p>
<p>OP, are you aware that the cumulative scores for BC was (25/75 %ile) 1240 / 1430. Your son’s SAT I (assume same sub_score) is about 1320, slightly lower than the average. </p>
<p>Sign him up for ACT is a good move because some student do a lot better in ACT than SAT. </p>
<p>Even so it is his call whether to take the test or not, it is our job as parents to get them to understand what their action means to their options.</p>
<p>Thank you again for the insightful comments.</p>
<p>Dad II, his Math/CR score was 1350, a 760 in math and a 590 in CR. He had no prep for that SAT. Between the January and March SATs, he had a few tutoring sessions designed to boost his vocabulary and give him some tips on how to deal with some of the questions in the CR section. He came away in March feeling like he did much better on the CR, although I’m not sure if BC superscores. (Interestingly, he did not feel that he did as well on the math as the first time.) </p>
<p>You’re right, though, BC is a reach for him even if his scores go up significantly because of his grades. He takes the ACT tomorrow.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine we’d be having this conversation if the OP did not see SATII schools in her child’s future. And anyone who reads the transfer board knows that not having taken them in high school is often an issue for a kid who wants to transfer.</p>
<p>I have seen many kids ask parents why they didn’t help them understand the importance of X when their life is not where they want it to be and they need someone to blame. Most 17 years olds have not thought through the consequences of most things, their frontal lobes which impact judgement are not fully formed!</p>
<p>So when I hear parent’s saying they let the kids drive the college process I’m just a little surprised. This is not to say they shouldn’t be fully engaged in it, but we are in a much, much better position to apply good and experienced judgement to this complex process. </p>
<p>To me telling a kid to take a test he didn’t want to bother preparing for was in the same category as eat your vegetables and drink your milk so you can be healthy and strong.</p>
<p>Ready – don’t worry about his lack of prep for the ACT. He’ll get whatever score he gets. If it’s not good enough, he can retake the test in June or in the fall. He’ll have complete control over which ACT scores to report to colleges, so there’s no harm in seeing this as a dry run.</p>
<p>Over the summer you will get a much more clear idea of his college list.</p>
<p>If I were you, I wouldn’t nag – I’d chart. Play the role of secretary and track the colleges he seems interested in – go online to find out each college’s testing requirements and the average score range for each. Put it all together on a spreadsheet that you can print out and give to your son.</p>
<p>From there he will have the information to make his own decisions. Let’s say he gets his ACT scores back and he has a 26: you are going to have a list of some colleges where that score along with his SAT is fine – and the good news is those colleges are generally not the ones that want SAT II. Then there will be some colleges where the test scores of admitted students are much higher. </p>
<p>Your son will have all the information in front of him that he needs to makes decisions in the fall about what additional testing to pursue. </p>
<p>Also, focus on strengths, not weaknesses – your son’s math scores are terrific, and they are going to stand out at a lot of colleges.</p>
<p>I just went to my D2’s college night, and she is in the 9th grade. They went over with us what our kids need to do in the next 3 years, tests to take and required courses. Two Sat IIs are required even if ACT is accepted at some schools. GCs said students often change their mind about which school they want to apply. The last thing you want is to be less competitive because lack of SAT IIs. I think Marian wrote a very good piece about when to take those tests.</p>
<p>When my D1 wanted to slack off her senior spring semester because she was tired. I told her absolutely not, it’s been a long haul, why give up now. As it turned out she needed her grades from that semester to get off the waitlist. I see so many kids on the waitlist this year. The ones that didn’t let senioritis hit them, will be in a much better position. I really see us parents as our kid’s personal trainers. We are there to encourage them when they are want to give up or try to do less. It is still their race, but we are there to help them make it to the finishing line.</p>
<p>Didn’t Curmudgeon’s daughter refuse to take the SAT2’s? And get into Yale?</p>
<p>Yale is one of those school that will take ACT in place of SAT I and II.</p>
<p>To me, the problem is that the kid is being stubborn. It’s a common problem, to be sure, but it is very annoying. If kids are going to dig in their heels and make all kinds of conditions, then I think it’s legitimate to offer a little less than a gold-plated $50,000 a year! That is something that should be earned, not taken by ungrateful little monsters.</p>
<p>Perhaps not the point of the thread, but here’s a list from COMPASS</p>
<p>Not sure if it’s current</p>
<p>[Compass:</a> Admissions Requirements](<a href=“SAT Subject Test Requirements and Recommendations”>SAT Subject Test Requirements and Recommendations)</p>
<p>California Institute of Technology,
Columbia University,
Cornell University,
Dartmouth College,
Franklin Olin College of Engineering,
Georgetown University,
Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges,
Harvey Mudd College,
Haverford College,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
New York University,
Princeton University,
Rice University,
Washington and Lee University,
Webb Institute,
Williams College and
the UC’s ( for now), </p>
<p>seem to require the SAT 2’s, even with the ACT.</p>
<p>Sometimes, the stubborn little monsters just don’t get it, until late in the game. S started to really read the college guides around February of his SENIOR year. I guess if he had found a college he liked better than the one he chose, we would have regrouped.</p>
<p>Lots of venting going on here, which is better than nagging at the kid on the couch.</p>
<p>I totally agree about the lag between when parents get it and when kids get it!</p>
<p>"I totally agree about the lag between when parents get it and when kids get it! "</p>
<p>I agree as well, but the lag get’s less and less life threatening as our kids get older. It’s not like they are running into traffic, or putting bobby pins into electirc outlets ( guess how I know about that…) Sure they will blame us for things…no matter what we do.</p>