Parents of the HS Class of 2012 - Original - Page 104

glido · 10-12-2010, 12:52 PM

Our DD's school recommends each student take both the SAT and the ACT. They schedule the ACT for January of junior year and the SAT for March. Our DD will take each and then decide what to do from there.

seiclan · 10-12-2010, 01:02 PM

FYI - The ACT is given:

ACT Test Dates - 2010-2011

September 11, 2010
October 23, 2010
December 11, 2010
February 12, 2011
April 9, 2011
June 11, 2011

My son (who dosen't believe that he needs any formal test prep) is taking the ACT on October 23rd and the SAT in January....then we will see which test to repeat (hopefully with test prep).

Apollo6 · 10-12-2010, 09:24 PM

Anybody else have teachers' schedule tests in typical junior classes on the same day as*the PSAT? I'm a little irritated that my daughter has spent the last two days stressing out over precal and AP bio tests instead of being able to concentrate on preparing for the high stakes PSAT tomorrow. Given, she's known the date for the PSAT since the summer and I tried to get her to spend time reviewing math for it beginning in June, but I still think that her school should have been more sensitive. Couldn't they have waited until Thursday or Friday to give those tests?

Gwen Fairfax · 10-12-2010, 09:29 PM

I do think its sort of inhumane to give other tests on the same day! How do they expect kids to concentrate for so many hours? But D was just complaining that her school gives the PSAT on Saturday instead of Wednesday, so I think there's no good answer.

mathinokc · 10-12-2010, 09:36 PM

Apollo6 --

That really doesn't make much sense. What do they do about the sections of the class that don't meet due to the PSAT?

jackief · 10-12-2010, 09:56 PM

Apollo- sorry for the conflicts in your D's classes. My D had midterm last week, so several tests/papers then, but not so much this week. She is taking the PSAT tomorrow. She is doing one of the old tests now, I had wanted her to look at it before the night before, but she isn't in contention for NM anyway so it is just review. She doesn't like the format, so hopefully I can get her to look at the ACT format sometime soon and then get her to do think about which test format she prefers.

Good luck to all taking it tomorrow, and also to those on Sat!

We also went on a visit on Monday to WPI who had an open house with a full day of programming. Not sure it will make her list, but she did see aspects that she did and didn't like, so it was very worthwhile in that aspect.

chrissyblu · 10-12-2010, 10:16 PM

My D is not studying for the PSAT. She figured 5 months of studying for the SAT was enough. She just took the SAT on Saturday.

As for the reporting all test scores, I believe that applies for all SAT I scores. You have to report all your SAT I scores to places like Yale. I don't think you have to report all your subject II scores. I think you can select which Subject II scores to send. They don't "superscore" subject tests. They do, however, superscore SAT I scores. That's why places like Yale want all of the SAT I's. They want to see how you did on each tests, even though they will superscore you. But the subject exams are different. You get what you get. So, my D is not sending in her Chem Subject test. She is picking three others... probably WH, US, and English. Please correct me if I'm wrong.... But that was my understanding.

She is still sending all her AP tests, even though she only got a 3 in Chem. Being a History/English person, she is damn proud of that 3.....

chrissyblu · 10-12-2010, 10:20 PM

I just corrected myself. I checked Yale. You have to send all subject tests as well.
Good thing she passed her AP exam.... lol

DougBetsy · 10-13-2010, 07:52 AM

I left the house this morning without realizing it's PSAT day. Completely forgot to wish D good luck. Oh well. Maybe she's better off if she thinks I'm not pre-occupied with it.

Apollo6 · 10-13-2010, 09:33 AM

Does anyone know when PSAT results come in? Our kids' were completely lost in the shuffle sophomore year. It was probably March before I finally found out how they were doing. I'd like to be more proactive this year since 2012 daughter might make the state cut-off.

Mom2M · 10-13-2010, 09:36 AM

Sometime in Dec the PSAT results are at the schools. Our school does not release them until after Winter Break. I don't know if you can access them on the College Board website, I seem to recall needing a code....

Apollo6 · 10-13-2010, 09:36 AM

Jackief - My kids strongly prefer the ACT to the SAT, as well. They wouldn't bother with the latter except for the NMSQT part. I think it depends on whether the student is more skilled verbally or quantitatively. For the former, the ACT is better since it is only 1/4 math v. 1/3 math on the SAT. For my kids the science portion of the ACT is just another reading test.

DougBetsy · 10-13-2010, 09:37 AM

Typically, PSAT results arrive at the high school around the first of December. Guidance offices distribute scores at their convenience. For us, it's usually the last home room before Christmas break. Some schools give them out as soon as they get them. It varies.

PRJ · 10-13-2010, 10:16 AM

For the first time in as long as I can remember, my alarm did not wake me this morning - I woke up to find D standing over me, saying "Mom, I need to get to school early for the PSAT!" Unbelievable - last night I was fussing at her to get enough sleep, remember her calculator, etc etc. Frankly, I have been WAY more focused on her being prepared for the PSAT than she has and then I oversleep?! Oy!

Same situation here with results - they arrive at the HS in December but the Guidance staff is overwhelmed getting college app materials out for Jan 1 deadlines, so they don't distribute the PSAT results until after Winter break.

jackief · 10-13-2010, 11:58 AM

Apollo- my D1 never took the SAT, she preferred the ACT. And I think for an opposite reason than you say, she thought the reading/verbal was more straightforward on the ACT. D2 on the practice she did was by far the weakest in CR, the writing and the math were similar. For math it is remembering the earlier stuff since she is in calc this year. When she has some time in the next few weeks (ha ha) I will have her look at an ACT overview. I will also use the carrot that she might not need subject tests if she uses the ACT.

Our school distributes PSAT results early/mid December.