<p>I really have no idea where to begin here. I haven't heard from our school's gc yet, so I went ahead and signed my son up for an SATII on Nov. 7. He is a junior and this was the only date for the language w/listening before his senior year. When do people generally begin taking all of these tests? I know his school expects the kids to take the SAT 3 times and they also take the ACT. Then, of course there are the SATII's and AP exams. I feel like if he isn't taking a test on every possible date, he won't fit them all in!!</p>
<p>The general recommendation is to take the SAT II after the class that most matches the particular SAT II test. For example, my son took AP chem last year as a sophomore, so he took the Chem Sat II last June. Not sure about the language with listening tests – is only offered once a year? If so, then I guess now would be a good time to take it. But if he’s taking the language this year, his score next fall should be higher, and you might want to have him retake.</p>
<pre><code>Traditionally, many students have waited until spring of their junior year to take the SATs for the first time. However, if a kid wants to retake it, the timing can get complicated because of all the other testing that goes on in spring of junior year (APs, SAT IIs), and some kids want to apply EA or ED in the fall of senior year. Because of that some juniors are opting to start earlier. There’s a recent discussion of this by other parents of juniors in the parents forum: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/491386-high-school-class-2011-college-class-2015-a.html (see the posts on the last several pages).
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<p>keylyme-</p>
<p>I recognize your screen name from the Recruited Athlete subforum, so I assume your son is an athlete.</p>
<p>For our kids, we sat down at the beginning of junior year with a master calendar of athletic competition dates, school vacations, and PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP test dates, and developed a test schedule for the year, with the goal of being done with SAT I and ACT testing in the winter in time for unofficial college visits in the spring. We’ve found it is very helpful to bring a brief academic and sports resume to share with coaches on visits before the official athletic recruiting period, and interested coaches will be happy to let you know if the scores are OK. It really helps the coaches to know if the prospects they are talking to are admitable.</p>
<p>We like the May date for the SAT Subject Tests because it corresponds well with AP tests. Planning ahead to get everything done by May is nice, because it leaves the June SAT and ACT dates open for a do-over if needed.</p>
<p>We just recently sat down and laid out my daughter’s junior year testing schedule (Oct. PSAT, Dec. 5 SAT I, Dec. 12 ACT, May 1 SATIIs) which allows for test prep over Thanksgiving break, avoids athletic conflicts, yields early score results, and leaves the June dates open for repeats if she needs them. There is always fall of senior year, too, if needed.</p>
<p>I don’t understand your son’s school’s expectation of three attempts at the SAT I. Not that there is anything wrong with re-takes, but I think it is better to plan to fit prep time into the schedule, prepare adequately, and aim for “one and done.”</p>
<p>Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>Sherpa…Thank you so much…we will have to get that spreadsheet going! I don’t know if his school insists that everyone take the SAT three times; they told me that was the norm. My son’s advisor is hiring an SAT tutor for him and his other advisees, so hopefully he will be well-prepared and not have to do all three.</p>
<p>SDMom…He is taking Spanish 4 this semester (his school does block scheduling so he will be done in December). It seemed like a good time to do the language w/listening because he will be doing AP Spanish second semester and a different language as a senior.</p>
<p>“He is taking Spanish 4 this semester (his school does block scheduling so he will be done in December). It seemed like a good time to do the language w/listening because he will be doing AP Spanish second semester”
If the Spanish language with listening is also given in June, then that would be a better time to take that subject test, as he will have even more Spanish under his "belt"by then.</p>
<p>I think it’s only offered in November, so if he waits until next November, he will have been away from a formal Spanish class for 5 months.</p>
<p>Yes, the language w/ listening tests are only offered in November.</p>
<p>Its a shame its only offered in November, because I do think having the additional instruction will help. If this is an SAT II he really wants to take, then I don’t think you have a choice – have him take it this November, and if he’s unhappy with the score and wants to improve it, try a retake next November. Alternatively, look to see what other classes he is taking that would dovetail nicely with taking a May or June SAT II.</p>
<p>Ok, I don’t know anything about the Spanish tests, except that the non-listening language tests are offered in Oct, Jan, Mar, May, & June.That indicates to me that FAR more students take the non-listening tests than the listening in Nov. [more supply because of more demand] Is there that much of a benefit or more weight or credibility given to taking the listening tests vrs non listening? Based on what I have know about college admissions [and I do know a lot], I don’t think the adcoms will take much if any notice of the type of language test. All they do is look to see how many subject tests were taken in which subjects and check the subject test scores to confirm the GPA/ rigor of the classes taken. And most colleges will only give language credit for the AP language test, which I’m assuming he will take in May? If your S is planning on being a language major, then perhaps taking the Nov test might be required by some of the colleges he is thinking of applying to. If not, then you should seriously consider having him wait and take the test in May or June, when his score will in all probabality be higher because of having taken 6 months more Spanish in the more demanding, rigorous AP class…</p>
<p>He can take the Spanish subject test without listening on any SAT date. </p>
<p>My dd is leaning toward doing this, because she thinks listening is not her strength. In her AP Spanish class she feels that she is stronger in writing and grammar than the native speakers of Spanish, who haven’t had much academic Spanish, and that the native speakers are much stronger in listening and speaking. She feels that she’ll do much better at a non-November test date.</p>
<p>If your son is a native speaker of Spanish, he might want to do it this year in November, or check the early admission deadlines to see if he can fit it in next year. Just remember that many of the students taking that test are finishing their 5th year of Spanish their junior year, or are native speakers. I don’t want to be alarmist, but I think the curve on those language subject tests can be really tough.</p>
<p>I find it odd that a school recommends 3 SATs plus the ACT. If the first SAT is excellent, he’s done, and can enjoy his Saturdays! If not, he can decide if he wants to try the ACT, or strategically study the parts of the SAT he found difficult and take it again.</p>
<p>I feel for these kids-I’m 50 and still don’t enjoy having to set an alarm and get up early on a Saturday!</p>
<p>I don’t know if they do this for all students; I know they like all students to take both the SAT and ACT because one might be a better test for a particular individual. I don’t think they’d have you re-take if you did really well, but it is a private college-prep school, so they will have them keep trying to get the highest possible scores.</p>
<p>I’ll let him try this first SATII just to get his feet wet. I don’t know what others he will even take; he really doesn’t know what he is interested in yet.</p>
<p>I want to add that I have read in the past that the Spanish listening test has a MEAN curve to it and is very hard to get a high score unless you speak Spanish at home- it is geared toward native Spanish speaking students.</p>
<p>I agree with taking the SATII after your son takes the course.</p>
<p>I took Precal as a freshmen so I took it right after the course; unfortunately, I got like a 730? I think so I studied over the summer and while taking Calc BC soph year I learned to use my calculator way more efficiently (my teacher was awesome). I ended up getting a 800 in like November.</p>
<p>I also took Bio AP and World AP sophomore year and I took the corresponding SATIIs. If I had taken it like a year after or even a summer after I would have scored WAY less than I did (800 and a 770). </p>
<p>For SAT Reasoning I guess it’s just as early as possible.</p>
<p>So he’s taking calc AB now and honor’s chem…SAT II’s in these at end of semester? Next semester will be APUSH…so history then. How many do you take anyway??? As many as you can and submit the best?</p>
<p>The Math Level 2 only goes through Pre-Calculus. So he should take that as soon as possible, no need to wait until he’s finished Calculus.
If he wants to use his November reservation and add Math he can or he can do Math instead of Spanish. It’s pretty easy to add, drop, or change subjects after you have already registered for the test date.
Most schools only require 2. I think that there are 3 schools that require 3. It’s been a while since I checked this, but I believe they are Harvard, Princeton, and Georgetown. A few tech schools require 1 math, 1 science. Most schools take any two tests.</p>
<p>I think Princeton dropped the requirement for 3 and only require 2 now. </p>
<p>The thing is, OP, recently I’ve been reading a lot of threads about how people can take the ACT and forgo BOTH SAT Reasoning AND SAT Subject Tests. It might be a route to consider, but I’m not sure if you’re application would be considered as highly, as, say, someone who did the SAT route.</p>
<p>OP, if your S is aiming “high”, he should go beyond the minimum # of “suggested” subject test scores if he wants to be competitive. For the most selective colleges- top 40, “recommended” should always be read as “required” .4 tests over a range of subjects- F. language, math, science or history and english language is all he should ever need to take. So yes, after Apush take US history, and I agree he should take Math II in Nov, which will “get his feet wet” as you mentioned earlier, without shaking his confidence in his ability to do well on these tests. Instead of Spanish listening in Nov, I advise that he take Spanish non listening some time in the spring. I would not recommend chemistry until he takes AP Chem. He should take English Lang subject test too.</p>
<p>Start with the SAT in junior year.
Unless you desperately need to, try not to take any past november, or december at the latest of your senior year.</p>
<p>Take SAT IIs after you take the AP class for that subject.
If you’re not taking an AP, take it after you have studied A LOT, or taken the class closest to that one.</p>