<p>sxm2872 - I would definitely recommend sitting down with your D - earlier, rather than later, just so she isn’t taken by surprise later. We have already had that talk with our D. She isn’t happy about it, but she understands - it’s just hard for her because finances are not a problem for most of her friends.</p>
<p>Hi BengalMom,
One of my 10th graders is signed up to take the Chem SAT 2 as well as the US History SAT2, and the other is just taking the US History. Our high school teaches US History in 10th grade, and that should be enough of a background for them to score reasonably well on that exam. The son who is taking the Chem SAT 2 is a very strong chem student. I have always been told that the time to take the Math II (c) is at the conclusion of Pre-Calc. The point of getting started with these tests now in June of sophomore year is that they will probably want to use June of their junior year to take more SAT 2’s. The regular SAT’s can be taken junior year January/March/May. I am basing some of my thinking on what worked for my older son, who attended the same independent school. It’s very strong academically and he was ready for the SAT 2’s at the conclusion of each corresponding high school class.</p>
<p>momof3sons,
My older D took the MathII test after AP Calculus, at end of jr. year. Poor girl – that spring she took 3 SAT IIs, the full SAT and the ACT as well as 3 AP tests! Guess she could have done some the year before. My 10th grade son had a poor teacher for Pre-Calc this year (she had never taught it before), so I think he’ll wait till next year, again after AP Calc, to take the SAT II. We never knew that you could take these tests before taking AP classes.
Do you know if you can take the SAT IIs more than once, as you can with the SAT?</p>
<p>Yes, BengalMom, you can take the SAT 2’s more than once. If you’re willing to pay, the College Board is willing to take your $$. 
I was actually thinking that if my boys took the U.S. History SAT 2 and weren’t thrilled with their scores, but ended up taking AP US History at some point, they could re-take the test. Same thing with Chem and AP Chem. Hoping that won’t be necessary, of course. The colleges do see what year you have taken each of the tests and I’m sure they realize that some of them are being taken by freshmen.</p>
<p>Hi need2Breath, we’re in a similar situation as you regarding aid: But paying full freight at current private (and many OOS public universities) colleges annual rates, especially with 2 or more children, is a tremendous strain, particularly if you’re trying to provide for yours and your spouses eventual retirement. This may end up eliminating some of the LACs from D2’s visit list. I remember a couple of years back when D1 was starting her college search, her GC kept insisting that money issues shouldn’t stop her from applying to any school, regardless of income, and that “…if a school really likes you, they’ll help you get there, financially…” Umm, not quite…we soon found out, or I guess one or two schools that she applied to just weren’t that into her. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>
That’s what Mathson did (minus the ACT) since no one reminded me that he could have done Math II the year before. It was a busy May and June, but I think in some ways easier just to get it all out of the way at once.</p>
<p>I am probably the parent substitute/ co-parent for the 120 sophomores on my caseload (large high school with 4 small learning communities) This will be my first group that I have from all the way from freshmen through senior year, so they are my babies. While we did not talk about specific colleges, we started the talk last year in 9th grade. I wrote a lot of recommendation letters for bridge programs, STEP programs, double discovery, college now, summer programs, etc. I am very fortunate that I was invited to the programming meeting for my kids next year, so I did have input based on where my kids are what to offer for them next year especially in the sciences, math, etc. As a SLC, were are doing distributed counseling so I have already had my meetings with teachers concerning placing students, in AP/ honors classes next year. Met with a lot of my parents last night and today at parent teacher conferences and we have follow up meetings in May.</p>
<p>Crazy woman here; I am actually going to teach 15 periods next year because I be breaking my current sophomores into small groups of 10-12 students next year and we will run a junior seminiar for the whole year that will be based on compiling list (bottoms up), the whole FA process, review of the FAFSA/CSS profile: financial aid calculators, etc. </p>
<p>I am also implementing a 2 year peer leadership class with some of my students as juniors where they will teach small groups of freshmen advisory. Right now, I am looking to turn my junior seminar into a senior institute and it has been a while since I have written so many lesson plans. I am really excited about working with this group of kids.</p>
<p>So thanks parents, I hear you and your concerns and we are trying to make this work. Wish me luck.</p>
<p>sybbie, I wish you luck! You have taken on an amazing project! Your district has found a very knowledgeable person to take this on.
I wouldn’t be organized to know even where to begin. Heck, my H and I get confused with some of those Fafsa and Css profile questions, so we certainly would not be fit to help anyone else. Sometimes I think it takes an accountant to fill out those forms. As far as all of those other programs (step, bridge, etc.), it must have taken you hours of research.</p>
<p>sybbie–Good luck! The programs that you are pursuing with your students are impressive. The students and families with your school district are really fortunate.</p>
<p>northeastmom–I’m so not looking forward to filling out those forms again. The FAFSA was bad enough, but the CSS/Profile literally gave me a headache.</p>
<p>Hello! I have lurked on CC for years but I guess the time has come to (sort of) step out of the shadows and say I also have a 10th grader (dd). I’m not sure how much of a poster I will be (trying to do the respect the privarcy thing for my dd) but I will be quietly lurking a lot more this years then previously. </p>
<p>I did want to add my 2 cents about college talk. I noticed that after the PSAT/PLAN results came, a lot of people I knew who also have 10th graders suddenly were constantly asking each other “Where is your dd/ds going to college.” The questions were always asked in a way that you could tell the parent was ready to trump you with a bigger and better college name. We’ve decided from now on, the correct answer to this question for my dd is “The University of What’s Happening Now”.</p>
<p>Welcome, QuietLurkingMom (love the name!) You will probably find that you can “disguise” a lot about your dd with a little careful editing, and thus will be able to gather in the collective wisdom of this board. Add to the “University of What’s Happening Now,” the “College of I Don’t Have a Clue.”</p>
<p>sybbie-major kudos to you for undertaking this task to benefit so many! You don’t particularly see any relevance for sleep, right? ;)</p>
<p>As you may guess from my screen name, D is a soccer player. Apparently some of the colleges have “showcases” where some of the college coaches watch the kids play. Last week D was asked by her soccer coach whether she had any idea of what colleges she may be interested in.</p>
<p>Her answer, " No, but my Mom might"… :o</p>
<p>(I guess I will have to be more subtle in my suggestions hence forth. ;))</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, Momof3sons. I might do that as the process heats up. I am flabbergasted at the amount of information some parents want to know about other kids high school/college plans. Not even dd’s grandparents ask for details!</p>
<p>Coming from the other end of the spectrum from the OP…many kids in my girls’ Junior class haven’t really even begun thinking about college yet. Like zoozermom’s post most will go to one of 4 State Us within 4 hours or or one of the CCs within that same distance. There are some who have “dreams” to go somewhere else but who haven’t really started the process. College discussion rarely happens here outside of Senior year. </p>
<p>So glad I found CC as I am sure it will prove to open more doors.</p>
<p>Welcome to QuietLurkingMom. You are right - some people can be nosy. Of course some people might be sincerely interested and others might just be making conversation. It’s hard to know who wants to share and who wants to keep things private. College talk is big around here - it starts in middle school - so I think it’s a natural progression from is your child in the accelerated math program (in middle school), to is your kid taking Honors/AP courses (in early high school years), to where is your S/D applying to college. People may not even realize they’re prying.</p>
<p>Sybbie - Wow - that’s some task you have undertaken - good luck with it. I’m sure you’ll do an amazing job for your kids! Congratulations.</p>
<p>Hi NE Mom- I guess this post caught my eye cause I saw your name and I realized that we’re not posting to the same threads anymore.
–as d # is graduating this May and d # 2 will be graduating college in 2010. </p>
<p>but regarding this discussion. maybe it’s just luck or I was totally oblivious to it- but college obsession isn’t too strong out here in my Long Island neighborhood. The reality is that probably 70 % or more of the local HS graduating class goes to a SUNY, Hofstra, Adelphi (or local L I college) or a few popular state U’s like Maryland, Delaware, UConn.<br>
so I am really not surprised to hear HS kids say I’m going to Rutgers (or SUNY Bing) and be content with the decision.</p>
<p>Look- we all post on college confidential, so we are probably alot more aware and involved than the “average” parent. So I guess my attitude is if a kid or family is happy with Rutgers, SUNY, U Delaware or other similar schools why should I have them doubt their decision??</p>
<p>My younger kid is attending SUNY Cortland. She’s a sport management major and Cortland has a pretty good program. Looking back - she absolutely made the right choice. </p>
<p>Just wanted to pass on some info re: SUNY’s (as I noticed some posters wanted more info about SUNY schools).</p>
<p>There are 3 upcoming SUNY college nights (for you New Jersey and Pa folks)
5/19 at the Saddle Brook Marriott
and 5/21 at SUNY Binghamton (I guess that works if you are in the Scranton area). Also in NYC at Armory on 5/20. There will be representatives from many of the Suny campuses at these college nights including Bing and New Paltz. </p>
<p>you can go to the Suny.edu website and register.<br>
click on “Future Students” and info on the college nights should appear.<br>
I am sure a more savvy computer literate person can link it up.</p>
<p>Good luck to you guys. Trust me- all this college admission stuff really does become a blur once your kid is a college freshman.</p>
<p>Hi Sybbie- very impressed with the work you’re doing. Not yet going through law school admission with d # 1- she’s looking for a job and will probably apply to LS in the fall. Good thing she wasn’t looking at I-banking jobs at Bear Stearns.</p>
<p>Marny, Great to hear from you again! Are you aware that the Sunys now have their one header under the list of colleges under “college general”? I am sure that lots of prospies would love to learn from you and your D’s experiences at Cortland.</p>
<p>Thanks for your well wishes, and your support for all of us! Glad that you opened up this thread and said hi. It’s good to hear from you! LS in the fall sounds wonderful!</p>
<p>I was at a luncheon today. I was sitting around with about 10 adults. I mentioned the names of some LACs because one person who was there teaches at college in NYC, so the topic came up.
Nobody recognized the name of one school, including the college professor. It is simply amazing, and I thought that my H found it depressing. He turned to me and asked me not to study every obscure college in the US! Here are a couple of examples: I inquired about whether he heard anything about the College of Wooster, and he said, oh, I visited Clark (in Worcester)! I mentioned Ohio and Illinois Wesleyan and he only knew about Wesleyan in Ct., but he thought it was in Massachusetts (made me feel slightly better).</p>
<p>bumping, I don’t know if this affects others but the college board is eliminating AP tests in Latin Lit and French Lit after next year.</p>
<p>D is one of 2 who will be able to take Latin Lit next year and then Virgil afterwards. Usually the sequence is reversed in her school (not so much for subject matter I don’t think, just that kids in Latin Lit are already used to the AP pace and experience…) Latin teach wasn’t are of the cancellations, I hope D has relayed this news to her one friend in French so she could also consider it for class selection.</p>
<p>Another question for those of your more experienced… D will be taking one maybe two SAT II tests in June. I’ve heard that you can add another test on on the exam day. How does this work exactly? Do they bill the credit card you used to register? Any other authorization needed? She will take Latin but hasn’t studied for Chem yet, there are some topics she needs to study. Would like to delay commitment if we can.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Hi jackief, I cut and pasted this for you from the Collegeboard web site FAQ’s</p>
<p>"I signed up for one (or two) Subject Test(s), and now I want to add another one (or two). What should I do?</p>
<p>If you are testing at a test center and want to add one or two Subject Tests (other than a Language Test with Listening) you do not have to contact us. The Subject Tests books contain all the Subject Tests given on that date. If you want to take a listening test (offered only in November), you must contact us by the late registration date. Students testing outside the United States must contact us by the regular registration date. You will be sent a bill for any additional test(s) you take."</p>
<p>momof3sons, thank you, I hadn’t found that in the SATII section of the site, I took some of your phrases and was able to google them to find the exact FAQ.</p>