<p>For the second time today, I’ll second your motion on SAT study for the areas most difficult. This is what we’ve encouraged our S to do. He’s done one full scale practice test, a number of minis, and will do one more full scale prior to March 14.</p>
<p>Our prodding the S on the SAT prep and linear algebra is for a good reason. After looking at USC, he seems to have truly settled on it as one of the places he’d like to see himself admitted. If that happens, he could go there tuition free since H is on faculty, so this is huge. Our pocketbook will be blessed if this happens, however, we’re also encouraging him to look at other options as well.</p>
<p>The main lynchpin now to make this a reasonable goal is a good SAT score. His GPA is above the range, inclusive of plenty of APs across the board and the linear algebra (and MV calc next year.) He can burnish his ECs this summer with a lab internship and definitely put himself in the zone.</p>
<p>He’s in the driver’s seat here and I think he knows it.</p>
<p>Agree with LIMom – if he has one area that’s notceably lower than the others, do some practice on just those sections, and look at the test prep book for practice exercises and lessons on how to attack them. Alternative: if he needs a slighlty higher score in one section to qualify for a particular major/scholarship, so the same directed approach there.</p>
<p>Worked really well for S2 in math – he’s more of a social sciences/English guy.</p>
<p>That assumes he wants to get with a program – I can relate to that w/teenage boys, too!</p>
<p>I was about to post on here that I never resorted to bribes before this…but then I remembered: When D2 was 5 years old, I signed her up for biddy soccer. At the first practice the coach said something encouraging to her, and D2 sat down and started crying. Me: “What’s wrong?”
D2: “He’s looking at me!”</p>
<p>D2 went through a phase where she did not like people looking at her. So she didn’t want to play soccer, because when she was on the field people would look at her. I told her she never had to sign up for soccer again, but she did have to finish the season. We got through the season with little bribes each week…“if you go into the game every time coach asks you to, we’ll stop for ice cream on the way home” (or some other small reward). The funny thing is, she now plays club and HS soccer and loves it.</p>
<p>So hopefully the little bribe of punching more holes in her ears will be enough to entice her do the SAT prep.</p>
<p>Findaplace, the “driver’s seat” is an excellent one. That’s exactly what we want from D. Just turn the key and drive already! Our hope for SAT score is to be right around where she was with her sophomore PSAT, which was lower than the junior PSAT because she wasn’t in the mood. She’s done several full-length prep tests had two of the sections where we expected and then one substantially lower. Then the next time, another section lower. Same answer “I didn’t feel like killing myself on a prep test.” Fine. But I’d like to see her take the actual test seriously.</p>
<p>Yup, that’s what he’s doing. He’s using the CB online prep. Each night he needs about 20 - 30 mins to complete a lesson and/or a quiz. Every 10th day he does a full test. Stress hasn’t been an issue for the last 2 weeks because he’s in the gap between sports. All his afternoons have been free. </p>
<p>Yes, 3/3/09 is Square Root Day. This year only. The next one isn’t until 4/4/16. Got the pattern?</p>
<p>Being the geeky mom that I am, I cut carrots into squares and put them in my son’s lunch, but didn’t tell him. He thought it was odd to have squares instead of carrot sticks, but didn’t get the reference until he came home & I told him. <em>forehead slap</em></p>
<p>DougBetsy – it sounds like your S and my D2 were seperated at birth! I’m sensing in your posts some of the frustration that I have been living. Our SAT prep program is similar…just 20-30 minutes a day; but D2 insists she just doesn’t have time. And she had a two-week window between sports, so her afternoons were free!</p>
<p>When I pointed out that she easily wastes 20 minutes a day watching TV or on Facebook, I get the old eyeroll. In our case what it really comes down to is that I like to get things done ahead of time, D2 is a live-in-the-moment, do-it-at-the-last-minute kind of kid. The March 14 SAT scores will be telling…either I worried for nothing, or she gets a wake-up call!</p>
<p>Math supposedly is the “easiest” score to improve as it’s a matter of learning the formulas, etc. Good luck. I am so glad ds is out of the SAT biz until the fall thanks to a reasonable January score.</p>
<p>For what it is worth - I was totally stuck on one portion of the GMAT exams years ago. Went to the library and checked out an old GMAT study guide that had an explanation that clicked. I think that sometimes switching to a different teaching method will lead to a breakthrough - perhaps your son might benefit from an SAT book or from a different website?</p>
<p>I think DH, who’s a math prof and who’s birthday is today, was distracted when I first told him this since he gave me a blank stare, as if to say, “Huh?” I’ll see if math whiz S gets it when he comes home from school, unless he’s worn out from swim practice. He was thrilled to find the other day that he gained 5 lbs but I honestly think our scale is on the fritz. Leave it to the athlete kids to be happy with weight gains!</p>
<p>Ok – off-hand question here. Does anyone know: when a student takes 3 SAT IIs in one day, can they chose the order to take them? I can’t remember how it worked for D.</p>
<p>S will be taking US History, Math 2 and Chemistry. Not sure how he would rank them – get the worst one out of the way first? Do your strongest subject first?</p>
<p>DougBetsy: I admit I have only read a couple of the last pages here, so this may have already been suggested, have you thought about the ACT instead of more SAT? Most schools take the ACT and some kids just seem to handle it a little better than the SAT (and vice versa).</p>
<p>I wondered the same thing, BengalMom. And if you take multiple tests, even under Score Choice, do you have to send all test scores from the same sitting? Ds has taken Math II but is undecided about what to do for the second one …</p>
<p>BengalMom - not 100% sure, but I imagine the kids are able to take the tests in any order they choose. </p>
<p>Youdon’tsay - good question - I just assumed they could choose which test scores to send, but I never looked into it. I’m hoping that won’t be an issue, and that all the scores will be ones she’ll be happy to send.</p>