<p>having a mixed feelings. DD did not do well in the science section - scored only a 30 in that section. </p>
<p>I would have been happy with that score if she studied it at all. As a matter of the fact, we had a big arguement about that before the test date. I practically begged her to study for at leasts a day or two but she 100% refused to do any studying, just like the days before her SAT I earlier this year. </p>
<p>When I gave her the bad news, I think DD sounded like she finally realized it will take some practices to get a decent score. </p>
<p>One more test registration and hope we will get what we want… … Can only hope…</p>
<p>laserbrother, you cannot instill in her internal motivation. It has to come from within. She will have to personally be moved by the consequences of preparing, or not preparing. But that is how kids learn. You cannot live vicariously through your daughter. You will have to let her make choices and suffer the consequences. To be honest, a 30 is not so bad. CC seems to slant our perceptions. You may have to let it go. The more you bug her, the more she may try to take control back and not prepare.</p>
<p>My daughter reacted negatively to nagging, reminding, or whatever you want to call it, to study for standardized tests or work on school work when she was in high school. Eventually I learned to leave her alone, and she did prepare for standardized tests, focus on her class work, and whatever else she was supposed to do. </p>
<p>It may be hard for you to leave her alone, but bothering her will only make her more upset and probably more stubborn about not doing what you are telling her to do.</p>
<p>In any case, as per Marite’s post above, at this point, it is her problem, not your problem. As long as she has access to the books or other materials she needs, the rest is up to her.</p>
<p>marite, she wants a good score too. Just that she thinks she is all that and could get a high score w/o any study. And she is mostly right on other subjects - scoring 35 and 36.</p>
<p>Another anecdote from my family: My son did not prepare the first time he took the SAT 2 in math. He was an excellent math student and thought he could do well without studying. His score was not good enough for the colleges he was aspiring to apply to, and it was a wake-up call to him. He got a Barrons book and studied quite a bit, and when he retook it a few months later, he earned an excellent score. If your daughter is similarly motivated, she can do the same thing as my son did.</p>
<p>What does paying have to do with it? I am confused. Are you saying you will only pay for a college which requires stratospheric scores to be admitted? I am sure your daughter would be admitted to numerous excellent colleges with her current scores along with her grades and other parts of her record.</p>
<p>I am not familiar with the ACT at all, so I looked up the scoring information online. If I understand correctly, a 30 in Science is the 97% percentile, which I consider to be excellent. If you are complaining about this score, I assume she did even better on the other sections! I don’t understand what you are so upset about.</p>
<p>MOT, thank you for sharing your son’s story. That is exactly what I am saying here. I just think DD is capable of doing better and this could be a good thing for her. </p>
<p>BTW, I know even a 30 is at 97%tile and her composite score is in the 99%. With her perfect GPA and other achievements, she should be alright. You think I may be just asking a little bit too much.</p>
<p>PS. If I was ever slightly upset, it was her low science score - below her capability in mine opinion.</p>
<p>she got a 30 for heavens sake, egad, laserbrother, if you expect perfection from your daughter you will be disappointed no matter what she does, and she well knows it</p>
<p>imagine this, that no matter how you do, unless it is perfect, you are seen as a failure</p>
<p>if I was your daughter, I wouldn’t bother either, as nothing would be good enough for you</p>
<p>If a 30 (science) is the lowest of her sections, I would give her some credit. Science is typically the most difficult section for people because it requires a unique approach - I had to skip the reading almost entirely in order to answer the questions in time. If this is only her first attempt, chances are she will do better once she’s mastered the technique to the science section.</p>
<p>CGM, I only expect DD reaching her full potential, not perfection. If she had put in some effort, I would be happy to accept any score she got. </p>
<p>As a matter of the fact, I will take a 35 any day.</p>
<p>The science part of the ACT is different than the SAT’s. It is largely graphing, and really low level science, of which I am sure the schools are aware.
Also, the ACT is looked at as a single score. It is the average of all the sections that schools look at.</p>
<p>LB…well, 99% composite isn’t too shabby now, is it? :)</p>
<p>Lb, one skill that is very valuable in todays world is the ability to let go of perfection. People that have to have all the facts and have to be sure that they are not missing anything hold back progress in todays fast paced world. Employers like people who can think on their feet and make quick, informed decisions even when all the data isn’t in. This is the way most companies work. Also when your daughter gets to college her success will depend on time management and her ability to prioritize what she needs to learn. Sometimes there is not enough time to do all that is expected and she will have to make decisions based on what she sees as important. People who are perfectionists are at a major disadvantage as are their employers. </p>
<p>The “paying for college therfore I should have some imput” remark could go two ways. If you feel that because you are paying for her education, therefore you are entitled to take ownership of all her accomplishments or goals, then I disagree with you. Our children have to make their own way, and are not mere reflections of us or what we want for them. If we help them pay for college, it is still their life.</p>
<p>However, if you mean that financially I am making enormous sacrifices for you to go to a particular school, and I am expecting you put some effort into the process, then I do agree that I would be upset if my D refused to study. My daughter will probably get accepted into our State University. I have told her that if she wants more options (private schools) that I will be willing to put my p/t salary into it (above the cost of the state university)… if she can get some merit aid as well. She really has been working hard and studying towards that goal…the same way that I will be working and sacrificing extra money for vacations/ extra expenses in order to give her other options.</p>
<p>I’ve heard this from many of the kids who have taken the ACT. I always tell kids who are taking the ACT to do some practice tests in the science section to get used to the test format.</p>
<p>“However, if you mean that financially I am making enormous sacrifices for you to go to a particular school, and I am expecting you put some effort into the process,” That is exactly what I meant. </p>
<p>sax, you must be aware of the fact that I don’t decide scholarship. The University does. As I read here on CC, while admission may not put heavy attentions, most of the scholarships are based on test scores. If I have to work hard and save to pay for her college, why can’t I ask her to contribute by putting a little more effort?</p>