The Lighter Side of ReadiStep

Test Preparation
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<p>I always enjoy articles like this one that poke fun at standardized testing: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/fashion/04spy.html?_r=1%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/fashion/04spy.html?_r=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>But, of course, beneath the humor we see yet another parent who, despite her capacity to laugh at herself, is already angsting over her daughter's college process, while the girl is not yet out of middle school. </p>

<p>God grant me the serenity to focus today on my own 6th grade son's beginner-band bake sale and not on his SAT's-to-be!</p>

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<p>True story: S's HS, which has an application process, had an open house, and I fielded a question from a parent with a third-grader. Poor kid.</p>

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<p>I forgot to mention before that, when the test was first widely publicized earlier this fall, I contacted the ReadiStep folks to ask about the scoring system that would be used. My call was never returned. I think that my College Confidential e-mail address might have scared them off ... they figured that, armed with whatever information they gave me, I'd be skewering them publicly.</p>

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<p>An egregious abuse of power! LOL.</p>

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<p>I like to use my "power" (such as it is) for what I consider to be the greater good. (Think Robin Hood ;) )</p>

<p>ReadiStep is in my crosshairs at the moment because I'm in the atypical position of being the mother of a middle-schooler, but I also started middle school myself (more commonly known in those days as "junior high") when JFK was in the White House. So I clearly remember a time when the college admissions process was far simpler and more stress-free.</p>

<p>So I'm particularly sensitive to anything that I feel is inappropriately introducing admissions insanity to kids whose Pokemon cards aren't yet in the basement.</p>