<p>CCC: The ACT is a little tricky in a different way than the SAT. But with practice, you can get used to the questions. From his first ACT to his second, DS went up 2-3 points in both English and Reading. (25 to 28 on one, 28-30 on the other, can’t remember which)</p>
<p>Note that the writing portion of the ACT is not included in the composite score. I didn’t believe this until last time the ACT scores were posted. On the first day they were available, the site said clearly, in red, that writing scores are not available yet and these are not included in the composite score. I guess like SAT, colleges don’t know what to do with these writing sections yet.</p>
<p>And regarding the science, it is not only about science knowledge; it depends on your reading ability. So it takes practice to get used to reading the questions and knowing what they are looking for.</p>
<p>Both of my kids did better on the ACT than the SAT.</p>
<p>Heat wave over in NY today. Getting some work done this morning and plan to float on a raft in my pool this afternoon. Ahhhhh…</p>
<p>I didn’t push my S too much on the ACT written section since it is not required by many schools and seems somewhat perfunctory at many others. True it is not a part of the composite (thankfully since S’s writing is atrocious and I know he likely lost points due to the readers not being able to decipher his penmanship).</p>
<p>I’ve been reading this thread but not participating. But I’ll introduce myself and my D15. I’m Jewish but my husband isn’t. This thread has been interesting and useful because although my daughter isn’t a practicing Jew (or any religion) she is interested in colleges that are tolerant and diverse. She wouldn’t do well at Baylor, for example. Lol</p>
<p>Her freshman year gpa was 3.22 at a highly ranked public school. If it weren’t for math and science, her gpa would around a 3.6. Oh well … We live in PA. Her dream school is Penn State but her gpa isn’t good enough, at least not yet. Otherwise, she’s interested in larger schools (at least 8000 but 20,000 or more is good too) with the classic college campus/experience. She 'd rather go out of state and be in a new area, but financially I don’t think that’s going to work. Same old story … Too much money for FA, not enough to actually pay OOS tuition. And grades that aren’t high enough for merit.</p>
<p>Momom2: Lol. I could have written the same thing about my DS and writing. </p>
<p>Sanserif: so glad you decided to participate! I was thinking about Penn State today after last night’s terrible news. Still a great school. Definitely blemished though now. A few schools, which you have probably read about here, come to mind for you. Tampa, Hartford, Miami of Ohio. All good with merit aid. You will definitely be able to explore options once you have SAT or ACT scores.</p>
<p>Sanserif, welcome. As you can see from my name, from Pa too. My dd really wanted to go oos, and is, but we did look in state too. I don’t know what part of the state you are from, but if from the Philadelphia area, take a look at Pitt. I know it is an urban school, but it does not feel that way and it has a great personality and pride, and is far away, but in state. Or, on the other hand, if from the west, take a look at Temple. It is urban, but lots of kids from our school go there and love it, even though it is fairly close to home. My dd 3.2 unweighted and 4.1 weighted with very low SATs got into Temple and was even given a merit scholarship. I think it is because the reputation of our public high school is that it is extremely competitive–I would never expected her to get money. Also, if you read through the thread, you will see that Socaldad and his dd worked really hard to show what his dd had to offer and she got in to her first choice, UDel, which while oos, is a better fit financially for many of our friends that a private institution. Penn State is a great school and I think the decision today will help put aside the pain the campus must be going through. Of course, what happened has nothing to do with the quality of the education or the kids going to school there and they should remain proud of their wonderful university. Pm me if you would like any other info.</p>
<p>On the ACT, my son who is not my B student and is terrific at figuring out the strategy of the test, says that the science section is about knowing how to read and interpret graphs, not so much reading in general and not much really on science knowledge, but graphs in particular.</p>
<p>I have to agree with Shawbridge’s S…the ACT science is not about reading, it’s about interpreting graphs. My D1 with a 36 in reading and a 26 in science can vouch for that! D2 will be taking the ACT. She hasn’t done well on the PSAT, has no patience for the reading sections and doesn’t like the questions in general. She did some practice ACT questions and did great. I think the faster pace seems to work better for her as well as the more straightforward questions.</p>
<p>Wow, really great ACT advice from everyone, thank you! Thanks, momjr: I haven’t had a chance to even go on the ACT website yet…</p>
<p>getting ready to go out of town but this information is VERY helpful…</p>
<p>momom2: yeah, my S2 got a 25 in Sophmore year, but like RVM’s S2, we’re hoping we can get it up to a 30. He LOVES to read, but that’s interesting Shawbridge & mdmomfromli about the graphing strategy!</p>
<p>We have been swamped with Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and graduations and now going out of town…I’ll touch back with you guys after July 4th!</p>
<p>Welcome to Sanserif and anyone else new! We’ll begin the ACT practice tests starting in September.</p>
<p>PS: Phillyartmom: Your D may like the attention wearing a boot around Europe! My cousin had one on at a recent Bat Mitzvah and she definitely enjoyed the extra attention! Sorry it had to happen, though, right before a trip like that :(</p>
<p>Ditto the attention on the boot! My DD had to wear a boot on a college tour … Everyone stopped her to ask… It was actually a marching band injury do good conversation with admissions people. One man in particular took an interest in her… And he was the director of admissions! Sadly, this happened at SUNY Albany which was not high on her list at all! But he practically admitted her on the spot!</p>
<p>Phillyartmom, we’re from the Philly area as well. I think Pitt is a good option, too. I’ll have to look up Socaldad’s posts, because I think UDel would be a possibility (although I bet my daughter would think it’s too close because it’s less than an hour away).</p>
<p>Anout Penn State - both my husband and I went there. I agree that the scandal doesn’t have a darn thing to do with PSU’s academic worth or everyday life as a student. We go up there for the Arts Festival a lot and just think it’s a great classic college campus and town. I refuse to let Sandusky, and the people who covered up his crimes, ruin the way I feel about PSU. And I am VERY glad he is spending this beautiful Saturday in jail.</p>
<p>I have a confession I need to get off my chest.</p>
<p>My cousin’s son is 3 weeks older than mine. They live in a different state and, other than his bar mitzvah a few years back, we haven’t really been in contact. However, both her boy and mine are now looking into colleges in the same STEM areas.</p>
<p>Her boy is geekier and smarter than mine. He has taken more advanced classes and made straight A’s. He is looking at higher quality schools for college than mine is.</p>
<p>I will say it - I am jealous. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kid immensely and he has it head and shoulders over my cousin’s boy when it comes to social stuff. But, I bristle when I hear my mom talking to my aunt about what my cousin’s boy has done and what he’s up to. I bear absolutely no ill-will as he is a fine boy and works very hard and my cousin is a wonderful person, too.</p>
<p>So, there, I said it. I wish my boy would have tried harder in school so I could keep up with my cousin better. I hate that I sometimes feel this way. It is only in my irrational moments and I would never share these thoughts with anyone here. But, I childishly want to scream, “My boy is better looking and has a girlfriend!” How ridiculous and juvenile is that?</p>
<p>My boy has done very well and I am very proud of him. But still…</p>
<p>Momom2: I’m glad we are here to listen to you. Unload. That’s what we are here for.</p>
<p>What you are feeling is absolutely normal. But getting good grades and getting into a big name, highly ranked college is only one facet of a student. Think about this: you are not close with this cousin and the son. You have no idea what else is going on their life. Not that you wish any ill will on them, but it’s not all about getting into a particular college. The most important part of your post, I think, is how you ended: “My boy has done very well and I am very proud of him.” Focus on this! </p>
<p>I think all of us with B students know someone (at least one) who we compare our B student to. Even though my DD didn’t do as well as I’d hoped in school, and she sure disappointed me with her test scores (which reflected her lack of effort in preparation), I focused on what a great all-around kid she was. She’s got a good head on her shoulders. I trust her. She will be fine. She’s at a college that is a good fit for her. I’m proud of her for that. </p>
<p>So your jealousy is normal. But focus on the great things about your DS; it will minimize the time you spend wishing he could compete with his cousin.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for all the information on taking the ACT. My D has taken the SAT twice and done pretty well but not blown it out of the water. Improving her score could take her to a better level for merit money but I don’t see the SAT changing or improving that much. So, I’m considering having her prep over the summer for the ACT and taking it in September. I don’t think she will like the idea but it may open up her reach schools in a way that the SAT is not. </p>
<p>I’ll definitely be referring her to the suggestions in this thread! If you have any more ideas or suggestions, please pass them along.</p>
<p>With Penn State, Pitt and Temple continually raising tuition in the face of Gov. Corbett’s budget cuts, the instate public research universities are getting more and more expensive. So- looking at OOS publics and even some privates where your D might get merit money could make sense. Also, instate WestChester University is another one to consider.</p>
<p>My oldest D attends Pitt and if you have any questions about that let me know. Pitt has a more holistic admissions process than Penn State which goes almost purely off of gpa/sat scores. Temple is a match assuming a 3.2 with 1100 SAT.</p>
<p>Some of the OOS choices that get mentioned a lot for B students on this thread are Indiana University at Bloomington, James Madison University, University of Delaware and University of Kansas.</p>
<p>PAmom, thanks for the info! Do you know if JMU or UDel give any need based aid to OOS students? </p>
<p>Phillyartmom, I replied to your PM but I then realized that none of my PMs went through this weekend. I hit submit but there’s nothing in my Sent box. I will try to reply again later. And to the poster who sent me the PM about Baylor, the same thing happened with my reply to you. I’m using my ipad right now, so I will try again later on a computer, just in case that has something to do with it.</p>
<p>Momom2 - I just want to say I get it. I completely am there with you. I have a very similar issue with my m-i-l - who constantly compares and contrasts her grandchildren. Just last week - she was on the phone with S2 - asking him over and over again how his final senior grades were - as she loves to compare him to his cousin - who is a straight A student who graduated 2nd in her class. I wanted to wrestle the phone out of his hand and tell her to mind her business - but S2 handled it beautifully - he told her his grades were fine - he was happy to be done with hs - and that we have a very smart family! He dodged her specific question - remained polite - and was not offended by her never-ending need to determine who is the “best”. </p>
<p>My advice - which I don’t always follow - is to avoid these comparison situations as much as possible - and refrain from releasing too much personal info into the family gossip-sphere. Keep private details private - grades - college applications - college decisions, etc. Opt out of the competition. Every child has their own strengths and weaknesses - enjoy your son’s strengths - encourage him where he needs it - and make a conscious decision to avoid these situations of relatives comparing offspring.</p>
<p>SansSerif - first - welcome - I’m not on here as much as I used to be but it is always great to see new posters.</p>
<p>On the issue of FA at JMU and Delaware - have you done a net price calculator? Now that those are available - that is the best tool to use. My son applied to JMU - and the net price calculator showed us getting very little aid - mainly a Stafford loan. I wasn’t too upset by that as JMU’s starting price - even for OOS - was fairly reasonable - but in the end he withdrew his app after being accepted ED at Elon - so I never got to see the final package. We liked JMU very much - and had Elon not worked out - I think it was his 2nd choice.</p>
<p>Hi Momom2 and others here. I am the mom of kids (not being specific here as not to out myself on a public board) with different school accomplishments- which is why I love this thread. It makes me crazy when people do these comparisons as I would never consider doing this even among my own children. They are all unique and each one has something to contribute in the world. I too have extended family/friends who discuss and compare grades, scores, and colleges. We simply choose not to participate in this, and don’t enjoy being around people who do this. It made me crazy to be compared to my relatives when I was a kid. Your cousin may be proud of her son, but she is seriously undermining your relationship with her, and the kids’ relationships by comparing them. This kind of thing is not worth risking your own son’s self esteem and your relationship with him over. He (and any sibs) IS the greatest kid in the world to you and you don’t have to explain that to anyone.</p>
<p>Oh yes, and Rockvillemom- I am right there with you- we don’t discuss anything personal - grades, scores- among the kids and the grandparents as it gets into a bragging/comparison session over the grandkids. I want them to see the grandkids as the great people they are and not compare them.</p>
<p>@sans serif- we did not qualify for financial aid so I don’t really know how JMU and U Del are for financial aid. U Del offered a $3,500 merit scholarship and JMU offered none. However, JMU’s OOS tuition was cheaper so the net cost would have been the same as U Del.</p>
Thanks, momjr: I haven’t had a chance to even go on the ACT website yet…</p>