<p>Son took PSAT in Oct of JR year, SAT in March, 2 Subject test in May,[ as well as 3 AP tests] 2 subject tests in June, and repeated the Sat in Oct of his Sr.year. He took 4 more AP tests in May of his SR year for college credit/ placement.</p>
<p>I just wanted to throw in, that despite much admonition here to finish all testing by end of junior year, that we did not do that and my son applied ED with no problems. He re-took the SAT in fall of his senior year (and threw in an extra SAT II that, as it turns out, he didn’t really need… but could have needed in RD).</p>
<p>The Oct. test date in senior year is no problem with ED, and in many (if not most) colleges the Nov. date works too.</p>
<p>We did three college visit trips. Spring break of junior year, another four-day weekend (of our own creation) in spring of junior year, and a four-day weekend very early in Sept. of senior year. He found his dream school during that Septemeber trip. We also tossed in random individual college visits starting early in his junior year when we were in the vicinity of a college. Not usually that he was so interested in that particular school, but just to get a feel for differences and cast a little bit wider net.</p>
<p>I just finished my senior year and my testing schedule was rather simple
PSAT in Oct(first and only time)
ACT in Feb(first and only time)</p>
<p>it worked for me, as a few of my schools will accept the ACT in lieu of subject tests(ie Wellesley and Pomona)</p>
<p>Don’t over test them unless they’ll NEED SAT IIs</p>
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<p>The main reason for recommending that kids who are applying ED get their testing done as juniors is that if they wait until the fall of senior year and then happen to get sick or have an unresolvable conflict on the test date, that could prevent them from applying ED. Re-taking a test early in senior year, as your son did, is not a problem.</p>
<p>We’re planning to do Jym’s method for our rising Junior son. He took the US History this past June and the PSAT last fall as a sophomore. This fall he’ll take the PSAT and the SAT. We’ve hired a friend of my daughters for private tutoring and hoping that he will do well enough on the SAT to not need to take it again. Junior year is pretty intense and our school district also has a so-called senior project that is done junior year, due in the Spring, and state testing in April so the AP classes get overwhelming at the same time he would normally take a spring SAT. We’ll think about another subject test and re-take the SAT in June closer to the time. We’ve got one college visit scheduled for this summer at PSU and have started to talk about some more that were suggested on a thread I started regarding his potential major.</p>
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True. But kids who are taking 4-5 APs senior year, and, in addition to their normally full schedule, are trying to fill out college apps, are pretty stressed out at that time of the year, and not having to deal with SATs helps quite a bit.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl–I hear you about anxiety over the process–I think I had general free-floating anxiety starting about now and all thru Junior and Senior year for my DS. If you can get testing done in Jr. year, that’s good because come Sr. year, they will be focusing on applications and essays. That being said, mine did take his again early Sr. year because he wanted to improve the math portion (it worked). As Junior year starts, if they are in a remotely competitive HS, all they will hear about is college, so you might be able to back off a bit in terms of talking about it alot. I agree that the decision for ED should be taken seriously, as these guys do change their minds in Sr. year. Are there early action or rolling decision schools they could consider? We visited very few schools–my DS said he wanted to apply first, visit later if he got in. Very contrary to today’s MO of visiting a bunch but it worked out for us. Also remember that your relationship with your kids must survive this process, so try to keep things as pleasant as possible. Visit here, CC, to vent and to see that you’re not the only one.</p>
<p>You parents are awesome!</p>
<p>I had no idea it was the J in me that made me always want to jump the gun. I want to finish my common app NOW. I want to do this or that NOW. I hate having unchecked things on my to do list - I can’t relax, not even if the deadline (or feasible start date) is months away. I can’t contribute anything to this thread, but that was an interesting thing to learn.</p>
<p>I’m an INTJ.</p>
<p>ENFJ here. </p>
<p>I agree that trying to do college apps, senior stuff and prep for the SAT in fall of seniour year is really intense.</p>
<p>Good luck to your s, kathiep!! It worked for us, and it sounds like your s will have a lot onhis plate come spring.</p>
<p>INTJ and that’s me, exactly. I keep thinking … isn’t there SOMETHING I can do? register for something? fill out something? plan a visit? The idea of not knowing until May of your senior year where you’re going would drive me nuts! Don’t you want to know in December so you can plan?</p>
<p>Pizzagirl:</p>
<p>Actually, is there a reason to start planning in December? Planning what? May, June, July, August…</p>
<p>I didn’t find it all so intense once we had a schedule in mind. Just do one thing, then the next. Stay aware of deadlines.</p>
<p>I think junior year for my son was pretty concentrated, but not so much in senior year. One thing about applying ED is that if you’re successful, that’s it. You’re done.</p>
<p>I enjoyed supporting my kids through that whole process.</p>
<p>INFJ, here… but with strong T battling it out with the F. ;)</p>
<p>"isn’t there SOMETHING I can do? "
Take a deep breathe. Seriously. Take the advise of a former helicopter mom [ who also LOVES to plan ahead] and pull back. Your worrying will NOT help your Jr’s if there is all this free-floating anxiety around them. It’s summer. Let it go for a while[ difficult, I know]</p>
<p>Also remember that you are modeling for them how to handle this process. If you are anxious and hovering, they’ll think this is a huge deal with only one right path. Nope, lots of great schools out there and they’ll likely get into one (if they are realistic about safeties).</p>
<p>That’s why I’m venting to you guys and not bringing it up to them :-)</p>
<p>^^ very smart Pizzagirl!</p>
<p>ENFJ here. I’ll tell you what you can do.</p>
<p>Look into SAT tutoring for the fall. If your child is a good tester and may possibly be a “one and done” on the SATs, consider having him take them in December. And if not, that will give him plenty of time to take them again, thus completing the testing by the end of junior year. (You would be surprised at how many kids don’t take the SATs until May, and then have to take them again in senior year…and who wants to do that since you will be sending out your apps in August…lol…)</p>
<p>You might possible want to do the SAT tutoring this summer, because then it may impact your child’s PSAT score and that may make the difference between NMSF and not. (I’m making huge assumptions here, but I’m assuming since you are so anxious to get going, that your child must be a really strong student, tester, or both…)</p>
<p>And…you can certainly visit colleges this summer!</p>
<p>Happy planning!!</p>
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<p>As the parent of a student who applied and was accepted ED, I can tell you that there is really only one significant advantage in terms of planning – you know the climate the student is going to, so you may be able to obtain some seasonal clothing at end-of-season sales. </p>
<p>Other than that, I would be more concerned that the student who knows where they’re going in December might regret it by May. ED is only a good option when the student knows for sure that this will not happen. In my daughter’s case, the school she chose for ED was very similar to all the others on her list and was in a geographic area that she preferred over the others on her list. Thus, she felt (and I agreed) that regrets were unlikely.</p>
<p>Again, this comes to knowing your kid. My DS likes to mull things over and consider his options. He waited til nearly May 1 to decide. My nephew, on the other hand, likes to control what he can and wants things orderly–he did ED. Both are happy and looking forward to their freshmen years–neither can quite understand how the other can operate they way they do.</p>