<p>10th grade D1 is in trig/precalc this year, so I'd figured she would take the Math II SAT subject test this year in June. I just realized that no, that's the weekend of her younger sister's bat mitzvah. When we were picking the date 3 years ago, we considered finals and APs, and summer programs, even though D1 was just entering 8th grade. Who knew to think about the SAT schedule?</p>
<p>The May date is just prior to APs. She'll have Euro on Friday of the first week, Physics B on Monday of the second week. I don't think she'll jump at the chance to start reviewing for her Math II test right at the same time as prepping for the APs. No choice but to take it in October, darn it. Not the best choice, since she'll really have to review on her own during a more demanding (junior) school year. </p>
<p>Do we have a hitting oneself on the head with exasperation smiley? Because I suspect I'm going to be using it a lot. :)</p>
<p>Have her take the SAT II next year in May or June, when she will have another full year of math "under her belt". Her score will be better than it would be after taking it with only pre calc. Trust me. There is NO reason for her to take it in Oct.</p>
<p>menloparkmom, next year she'll be taking SAT IIs for English and US History for sure, maybe Chem as well, since she'll have those AP classes. I thought getting the Math II off the table earlier would reduce stress for her. Also, I thought conventional wisdom was to take the Math II right after you finish trig, since no calculus was on the test? If she does Chem, that would mean she couldn't take all of those SAT IIs at once in June, and AP testing will kill off the May option. </p>
<p>This was all so much easier when I was in high school!</p>
<p>Mathson took the Math SAT2 as a junior taking calculus. We just forgot to sign up for it the year before. It was no big deal. He skimmed through some review materials, just to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything vital. Why doesn't she take one practice test and see if she could take it this May without studying? You can get several wrong on Math2 and still get an 800.</p>
<p>I'm with you ST (love your screen name!). The SAT should be offered more often IMO. My crew would do it in the summer or even September. The spring is so busy with APs and other year-end activities.</p>
<p>I think mathmom has a good idea, my dd is taking two SAT subjects in May that coincide with her AP's - she figures she'll just study for everything all at once.</p>
<p>D also took the test as a junior in Calculus- no harm, no foul. Take it in October. Her teacher reviewed some of the concepts that appeared on the Math II so it was actually helpful to wait.</p>
<p>"AP testing will kill off the May option." Why? It didn't for my son and others like mathson-
"Mathson took the Math SAT2 as a junior taking calculus. We just forgot to sign up for it the year before. It was no big deal."
Have her schedule 2 SAT II tests in May [they come before the AP tests which she will already be prepping for, so she will be well prepared] and then 2 more in June after she has taken the AP's and the material is still fresh in her mind. They are only an hour long, so taking 2 on a Sat am should be no big deal.
"I thought conventional wisdom was to take the Math II right after you finish trig, since no calculus was on the test?" That is the opinion of some recently, but it makes more sense that she will do better on a test if she knows more math, don't ya think?</p>
<p>
[quote]
That is the opinion of some recently, but it makes more sense that she will do better on a test if she knows more math, don't ya think?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, I don't know...calc is VERY different from pre-calc. Once you are done with trig, you are done with trig. I am not saying it is not doable, but seems like least prepping is required if you have just finished trig.</p>
<p>Slithey - what time is the ceremony? Can she possibly take the test before it? It starts early, you know, and lasts only one hour. Or go with the October date.</p>
<p>Everyone is giving much good food for thought. I'll have to see what D1 (and D1's math teacher) thinks. My concern with taking the SAT tests just prior to AP week is that it takes away from AP study time. I honestly don't know how much of an issue that will be for D1, but clearly I should let her mull it over. </p>
<p>Kelowna, I have done many ridiculously overscheduled things in my life, and I'll do many more, but squeezing in an SAT test for one child on the morning of another child's bat mitzvah would be even over my level of insanity. :) I am half tempted to mention it to the rest of the family, just to see their horrified looks. Seriously, it would be impossible: ceremony starts at 9:30, we have to be there at 9. Saturday isn't even the issue: D1 takes the Sunday tests. Sunday testing the morning after a late night party would also be a bad idea.</p>
<p>Some SAT2s may require a bunch of review. Often the science SAT2s do, because your high school class may not have covered all of the material that will be on the test. The Math 2 test doesn't require that much review for someone who is taking math.</p>
<p>My D's took the Math 2C and US history SAT2s in May of Junior year and a science SAT2 in Oct of senior year. The May testing didn't seem to be a problem since the kids were all boned up on US history in prep for the AP test.</p>
<p>Here's another vote for putting off the math SATII until junior year. Both my kids did that and hit it out of the ball park with no studying, and when I say "no studying" I mean didn't crack a book or even think about the test until they opened the test booklet. For my son in particular the extra year of maturity (ability to work faster and focus longer) made more difference than whether or not the material was fresh in his mind. My d took the history SATII right after taking the AP test and did just fine on it without doing any additional studying. In fact, the only SATII test that I recall them studying for was physics, because their physics class only covered about 60% of what was on the test.</p>
<p>Same here. geek_son took Math IIc while in Calculus; he didn't study for it and he had no trouble with it at all. It's not one of those ridiculously tricky or trivial tests, just thorough -- if your daughter's strong in math and she's had all the material by then, she'll probably do just fine without advance preparation.</p>
<p>I would suggest taking the Math II subject test "for practice" -- that is, with no prep -- in May of this year.</p>
<p>If your daughter's math class prepared her well, she might score high enough, even with no prep, to make taking the test in the fall unnecessary. This happened to my daughter. She took the Math II test "for practice" because she was taking the U.S. History SAT II on that day anyway. She got a 790. You never know.</p>
<p>(Of course, there are people here who would consider a 790 disappointing, but my daughter, who was of the "750 is plenty good enough" persuasion, was not one of them.)</p>
<p>Even if your daughter does not luck out on the May test, taking it and getting her scores will put her in a good position to review and take it again. She will know what specific areas she is strong in, and what areas she needs to study.</p>
<p>In 20 years, which will she (and you) (and the younger sister) remember: that she had a great time at her sister's bat mitzvah or that she got a great score on her SAT II?</p>
<p>
[quote]
How come parents arrange eveything for their child these days?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Because 12 year olds can't get caterers to call them back?</p>
<p>Oh, sorry, my mistake--I thought you were asking about why the bat mitzvah girl wasn't planning her own bat mitzvah. Nevermind!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>The May test this year is a possibility, except that D1 will probably spend the weekend prior to her APs studying for them. But I don't know, I'll have to ask her. I don't dare do that right now, since it's finals week and it would be a mistake for me to ask about anything with an event horizon beyond the next few days. </p>
<p>stradmom, of course she's not going to go take a test on the bat mitzvah weekend. I do, however, think it's pretty funny that the spouse and I were patting ourselves on our backs 3 years ago about what a great job we were doing in anticipating scheduling problems.</p>
As someone who took the MathIIC (800) in the fall of when I took Calc, I disgaree. Calculus is simply unlike any math you've ever taken before, and the boundary between pre-calc/trig and calculus is fairly well-defined. This was a while back, so I don't remember precisely, but there's never any more than a question or two (if that) that involves calc. And often times, a good test taker can work around that. While Chemsitry is related to many biological processes, surely one would not suggest that on delay taking the Bio SATII until after one has taken AP Chem. Similarly, there is virtually nothing in Calc applicable to this testyou don't learn in pre-calc.</p>
<p>As Kelowna noted, Trig can fade pretty fast (the parts of calc which require much trig likely won't be covered by the october test date), and your skills with algebra are sharpest after pre-calc. Waiting does absolutely nothing except allow your skills to decay. Sure, you could review and relearn a lot of concepts next fall, but really, it's an unnecessary expenditure of resources. I'd try to take it in May, or possibly even just turn in from the party early for June?</p>
<p>Son didn't study for the Oct math SAT- said they were reviewing enough in calculus that fall, did not get an 800. The most important person's opinion on when to take the test is your D's. She may feel confident in her ability to do well on several tests in May and should go for it if she wants to. Since she'll be a junior next year she will have several opportunities to take/retake the SAT. Sounds like an excellent student and may be able to handle several exams in a short time frame- 5 AP tests can be done in one May with good results.</p>
<p>I concur with Mathmom in post #4. This is exactly how it worked out for my S. Only difference was that instead of taking after freshman year, he took it at the end of sophomore year. The 800 had him on cloud nine and so nice to have it in the bag.</p>