Parents of the HS Class of 2014 - Page 108

college4many · 07-11-2012, 11:41 AM

I recently ordered and have received a SAT prep book with a title about "Professor Dave." There are not many reviews of this book out there so I sort of took a chance on it. Yesterday I sat down with it and read through part of the section on the subject area that gives my 2014er the most trouble. I have no idea if what I was reading is good advice but there seemed to be a heavy focus on test taking strategies explained in ways a typical teen should be able to relate to. We do have the blue book and another(Princeton, I think) that I have never looked at so I don't know if the Professor Dave book is repeating what is in those books but I thought I'd share... It seems like a book a kid should be able to read and walk away with having gained some good test taking tips.

mathmomvt · 07-11-2012, 11:42 AM

I think the point of the 3/2 programs is that you get a more well-rounded education, more personal attention and smaller class sizes in those first 3 years, and so on. Not the right fit for every engineer (my oldest would have hated it, and I would suspect my 2nd as well, but my youngest might ultimately like something like that) but for some who want more breadth and freedom than a usual engineering degree permits, it may be worthwhile.

blueiguana · 07-11-2012, 12:03 PM

beadymom -

Here is a recent thread discussing 3/2 programs:

What's the scoop on 3+2 programs?

beadymom · 07-11-2012, 12:26 PM

Thanks for the link! I'll keep my eye on that conversation.

blueiguana · 07-11-2012, 12:36 PM

The biggest ding I've read on them is that the kids just don't finish them. I think that is touched on in that thread. Now, certainly with any student that heads into engineering there is a percentage that will change their major no matter where they go to school so some of that is unavoidable and may have happened anyway. I would certainly ask at any school you visit that has a 3/2 program if they have data on the percentage of students that complete the program. I would want to know that.

mspearl · 07-11-2012, 03:02 PM

Thanks 89 and beadymom!

Yes, around here most kids take first act in fall of jr year. Some take in the winter/spring of sophomore year if they are doing dual enrollment at the local community college.

I am sooooo nervous for her to take the ACT, I am not conveying that to her (or at least trying not to) I am not sure she knows how important it is. I think secretly she would love to go to Ohio State like her sister but at this point she would have to go to a regional campus for a year and then transfer...not necesssarily a bad thing especially that it would save us a lot of money.

HighHead · 07-11-2012, 06:08 PM

Interesting comments on the 3/2 programs. S is currently @JHU figuring out whether he wants to be an engineer, so I may be jumping into that conversation later this summer. Right now, I'm just waiting to hear what he has to say after he has been exposed to engineering. Either way, he'll know more about what he is looking for and that, I hope, will light more of a fire under him to do well in school and on the testing.

ecouter11 · 07-11-2012, 06:42 PM

Hey parents. I'm a student but I've been following this thread anyway.

I just had a quick question about the PSAT. My school doesn't offer t and last year, when I asked my counselor about getting it, he said he'd try but it fell through.

This year it's more important for me and I'd really like to take it so I was just wondering if you had any tips on getting my school to cooperate? My mom says she'll talk to admin but I'm not sure what she can do.

Thanks!

mathmomvt · 07-11-2012, 06:50 PM

You can take the PSAT at a different school if yours doesn't offer it. Search here https://psatordering.collegeboard.or...blic/search.do for schools in your area offering it. Good luck!

I just noticed you're in Canada -- that makes things more difficult. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/...outsideus.html addresses students outside the US, but you really need the school to come through for you. Unless you live near enough to the border to take it at a US school that already offers it, or the search turns up another Canadian school near you offering it.

Are you eligible for National Merit? If not, why are you trying to take it?

ecouter11 · 07-11-2012, 07:29 PM

Practice, really. It's less expensive than the SAT and would be a good way to gauge my preparation. I wrote it once and got a 2190 without really prepping. Writing and my poor sleep/eating habits did me in. I slept really late the night before (2 am ish), didn't eat real fast and ran out of gas in section 10 which happens to have the writing questions I am worst at...go figure :-/.

Anyways, I want to rewrite it on the November test date and the PSAT is usually early Oct. so it'd give me a way to check up on my progress. Plus, I have a friend that hails from
Texas who is eligible for NMS, so if our school offers it, it'll be mutually beneficial for both of us.

Thanks for replying btw!

mathmomvt · 07-11-2012, 07:42 PM

In that case, try to find a school that offers it nearby, but if you're not eligible for NMS it's not worth jumping through too many hoops for, in my opinion. You can always buy a book and take multiple practice tests

MImama · 07-12-2012, 01:23 PM

How do you know if you are eligible for NMS before you've taken the PSAT?

mathmomvt · 07-12-2012, 01:36 PM

I was asking ecouter if he was eligible because he's in Canada, and you have to be American to be eligible (since the N = National). Check here for eligibility requirements: National Merit Scholarship Corporation - NMSP Of course you won't know if you've *qualified* until (long after) you've taken the PSAT. I say "long after" because the cutoffs in each state differ each year, and those aren't released until fall of senior year (when you took the test fall of Junior year!)

BamaMomof3 · 07-12-2012, 02:03 PM

D's testing plan is PSAT and SAT this fall and then the ACT in the Spring. Since she was close to the state NMF cut off on her sophomore test, she is spending time this summer preparing for the PSAT.

She took the ACT as a 7th grader so she is familiar with the test format. Will probably spend some time prepping in the winter.

89wahoo · 07-12-2012, 04:12 PM

Is anyone else still (impatiently) awaiting AP scores? S could care less, though if he finds out they've arrived and decides to check the mail, he may squirrel them away if he does not like them. D found out by phone (clearly, impatient like me) but at least we will get TWO envelopes, so I will know they have arrived should he hide them....We are in Virginia. Seems like the rest of the country has them and with no disrespect but really- even Alaska and Hawaii do!