<p>Thanks for the encouraging post. It brings me great satisfaction to know that as an 8th grader he has survived the test and he explained it as being “mediumish-easy”. He was smiling confidently as he walked out, with both of us knowing that at least the SAT will not be a road block to a bright college future. I am most concerned with HS grades as he knows he can waltz through his accelerated classes in middle school, but I think he is in for a rude awakening in the near future, especially with AP courses. I will guide him through HS to the best of my ability, but, at some point he has to become his own man.</p>
<p>To goodbetterbest, your daughter is very talented in her own right. 640 in math halfway through Algebra 1 with no Geometry exposure, wow! CR score is also quite amazing for a 7th grader, she is headed for 2300+ territory in a few short years. I would guarantee it. She just needs to get a better handle on the grammar rules and the Writing section will be a “snap”. My son typically finishes the Writing multiple choice section in about half the given time, because he knows all the grammar rules.</p>
<p>To WatchfulEye, Thank you for your advice. I learned a lot by reading CC. Do you mind if I ask what will be your son’s course selection for 9th grade? My daughter will take Algebra II, Pre-AP Biology, Pre-AP Chemistry, Pre-AP English, Dual Credit Spanish, PE and AP Human Geography. I am a little worried these courses may be too heavy for her.</p>
<p>alright this is making me depressed. I scored a 1920 as a junior and felt pretty solid about it although my 31 ACT is much better. :((</p>
<p>31 ACT is pretty good. I assume you will retake SAT, right?</p>
<p>Algebra II, Accelerated Science (Biology), French, Accelerated World History (elective), Football, and accelerated English. Your daughter’s seems more rigorous especially, Algebra II, Chem and Biology concurrently.</p>
<p>She is very strong in math (or maybe their math course is easy, since she got almost perfect scores in Algebra I and Geometry). I suggested her to take each science course 2 years in high school (she will do pre-AP, then AP for Biology, Chemistry and Physics). I think she will have solid foundation in Science and it maybe easier when she takes AP in the second year. Has anybody tried this, is it workable?</p>
<p>To me 8th grade seems way to early to study for SAT or fret over scores. High scores are most useful with good GPA. Now is the time to encourage good study habits, as you have been doing, before the courseload rampus up. Then do PSAT starting in 10th grade (or maybe 9th if allowed at your school). The 11th grade one is the one that counts.</p>
<p>Colorado, I agree wholeheartedly, I am the “only” one fretting over his SAT scores. As an 8th grader he could care less, he just tolerated his Dad for 10-15 hours or so over a few weeks time. SAT is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is good to know as a parent that one piece has a predictable outcome. We will start working on the EC game plan and build focus for his grades in HS.</p>
<p>My brother got 800m/400cr/460w (on SAT in 7th grade January) and 80m/47cr/47w (on PSAT in 8th grade). I had his PSAT score in 10th grade.</p>
<p>If he took the test through talent search you will get back some test interpretation information. If not you can Google. It is generally advised that students not prepare for out of level testing so as to get more accurate results. Given your son has taken five practice exams he’s put in a lot more prep than the vast majority of 7th or 8th graders who take the exams so I would view his scores within that context.</p>
<p>You should accelerate your child in math if he/she has an aptitude for it, and feel like they are bored or being held back for some reason. Certainly not for the SAT. The SAT is basic Algebra I and Geometry. Completing MVC in the 6th grade is unnecessary. </p>
<p>Frankly, unless your child is extremely bored, I see Geometry in the 8th grade as perfectly acceptable. You will still be able to complete MVC or ODE while still in high school.</p>
<p>D2 scored 2000 on the SAT as an 8th grader with almost no studing (1 practice test, and she looked over some math prep for an hour or two). She is now a 9th grader. However, there is a lot more to getting into an Ivy than just the SAT score, as others have already pointed out. Grades are more important. </p>
<p>Having been down this road once (D1 is a soph in college), I can see that D2 is not very likely to end up at an Ivy for a variety of reasons. And I am not sure she would be happiest there anyway even if she did get in. I am aware that Ivy admission is a possiblity for her… but I am not willing to make high school a “forced march” to all As and ECs that she is doing for the sake of the admission rather than for her own pleasure and growth. I am making sure she understands what it takes to get into the top schools, and we have done one visit to a top college she would like to attend, and we will do another in the spring of sophomore year. There are a lot of excellent colleges that are not Ivies and may be a better match for her. </p>
<p>Don’t fret too much… it is more important for you to have a loving, solid relationship with your son than get him into an Ivy at the expense of that relationship. And high school is a marathon, not a sprint. Your son will tune you out if you nag him now, and when you really need to give a push (say, junior year and application time), he won’t tune back in.</p>
<p>I suggest trying to find the right level class in school for your child espec in math. Neither being bored or buried is ideal. </p>
<p>Our son was accelerated by skipping seventh grade math which in his school was a repeat of sixth grade. He then took pre-calc in summer school before tenth grade. He is currently a rising senior and will be taking Further Math and IB Math HL having already taken AP Statistics, AP Calc AB & BC. While he enjoys these classes, he is not particularly challenged and easily aces tests and got perfect or near perfect SAT and ACT scores. </p>
<p>We enriched his math knowledge and kept him challenged by finding after school and summer programs for him. For five years he went to IMACS which is a fabulous after school math and computer enrichment program. He also went to MathZoom to meet other math kids like him (many who were actually way more advanced) and to hone his math competition skills. He has been on school math teams since seventh grade and will be the President of his team next year. These enrichment programs were very important because he had the opportunity to think and push himself, something he did not do in class in school.</p>
<p>If your child gets a state award for the SAT (which I believe is 550 and above per section for 7th graders) then your child is roughly in the top 1% for his age indicating that that child should score in the top 1% as a junior or senior (2200 is the lowest 99%ile composite). If your child qualifies for SET, they will probably score even better as a junior or senior.</p>
<p>@watchful</p>
<p>Have you received the packet for JHU CTY Distance Learning? I’m a CTY alum and I attended the camp for all four years. If he doesn’t want to do the camp, the distance learning is also terrific and a great way to accelerate or enrich studies. </p>
<p>I am graduating from NYU next year and I still meet CTY students throughout my life. I also wrote about CTY in my college applications.</p>
<p>If your son has very good scores, you might look at the Davidson Institute’s THINK summer program for him. My D2 is going this summer.</p>
<p>I would concentrate more on taking that X Box stick away from him more often 
Seriously, if he does not have good study skills in HS, great test scores aren’t going to help. If you read this board carefully, you will see that having a high GPA in rigorous curriculum and so, so test scores is more important than a so, so GPA in regular classes and fabulous test scores.</p>
<p>If he has an aptitude for math I would also suggest accelerating him, althought he is at a point when acceleration in math is becoming more and more difficult. Maybe a summer course?</p>
<p>I am also sending you a PM.</p>
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<p>Finding a balance is ideal.</p>
<p>I would think over 2000 is excellent. It seems to me your S may score over 2100. His SAT should be at Ivy level later in high school.</p>
<p>Is he going high school next year? If so, you will have to keep on him every day about his homework because missing assignment can cause his GPA. I have been very busy watching my S. He is the best in his class even with all classmates one grade above him, but forgets homework very frequently.</p>