<p>Harvard app arrived here yesterday, too. S2 said the same thing S1 did.</p>
<p>CD:</p>
<p>So glad your story had a happy ending. When I was growing up, we had a Boston Terrier. She was left inside the house one July 4 evening. When we returned, we discovered the lower panel of the closed door to the kitchen was almost shredded. Her poor little claws were down to the nubbins. She must have been totally freaked out.</p>
<p>Harvard app here, too. Maybe H is targeting cc addicts. :D</p>
<p>Took ds to lunch today as per our semesterâs-over ritual and had a GREAT talk about visiting schools this summer. Heâd like to apply to fewer schools than Iâd like him to apply to (duh! he has to do the work), but I said if he applied to just seven schools, which would they be, and itâs exactly what I would have picked. Woohoo! He picked two in-state publics, four in-state/close privates and two OOS wild cards. All that talk about crafting a good list must have sunk in.</p>
<p>YDS - thatâs fabulous! Glad your S is showing such great judgment.</p>
<p>D took a Barronâs practice test for Math II yesterday and âgot ownedâ. So she has finally started studying for Saturday. OTOH, she aced the US History SAT practice test from the blue book. She probably wonât study for that one. Good luck to those taking SATs on Saturday!</p>
<p>Thanks for good wishes on Saturday. Think we will need them down here in FL.</p>
<p>D is taking SAT I for the 2nd time.<br>
She is not uber-smart like many here, but is a solid worker who does all she can to do as well as she can & I canât ask for more than that. 
</p>
<p>School ended last Friday. After taking some time off last weekend, this week is SAT Week. CR score (740) is great, but Math and, unbelieveably to me, Writing, are not-so-fine. </p>
<p>Cross fingers for breaking 600 in Math please!</p>
<p>Not sure what to hope for in Writing. She has always been a very strong writer & scored high on PSAT, but only 650 on 1st attempt at SAT. I was waaaay shocked. She was heading towards being devistated, but I was able to change her focus a bit by showing her that her high CR + fine-for-her Math (550) allowed her to qualify for our state scholarship program (Bright Futures). Once she saw that, she was proud of herself. </p>
<p>So Saturday is SAT I: redux and we shall see. The good news for her is that, with Bright Futures already secured (until our state legislature raids it to keep this ridiculous state afloat), she has that monkey off her back - sheâs already met that need, so hopefully thatâs that pressure off. But she wonât get into the journalism programs she wants to attend with a 650 in writing and the 550 in Math will likely keep her out of schools anyway. </p>
<p>Think happy thoughts to the Math Fairies and the Writing Muse for her on Saturday, OK?!</p>
<p>âBryn Mawr College on Wednesday announced a new âflexibleâ testing policy that will still require some standardized testing of all applicants, but that will make it possible for applicants to bypass the main SAT and ACT test. Up until now, applicants had to either take the main SAT and two SAT subject tests, or the ACT. Now applicants will have a third option, to submit three Advanced Placement or SAT subject exams: one in English, history or languages; one in math or science; and one in a subject of the studentâs choice that is different from the other two.â
[Quick</a> Takes: June 4, 2009 - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=âhttp://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/04/qt#200392]Quickâ>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/04/qt#200392)</p>
<p>I seem to recall seeing a similar shift in testing requirements for another college recently. Was it Hamilton?</p>
<p>
Thatâs really a very good score. My son got an 800 on the PSAT writing and then only a 690 (twice) on the SAT. He went from a 7 to a 9 on the essay, but it didnât help his score. I recommend writing a lot of practice essays, they are very formulaic, but you have to be able to come with something quickly. The grammar questions arenât that bad, but it does help to do practice tests. My son for example made several mistakes missing parallel construction.</p>
<p>Well, after intense looking at the AP Physics study guide and realizing their is a fair amount of stuff in there thatâs not covered for the Subject Test, S has determined the better part of valor is to postpone this test to October (which he has time for) and just do US History this Saturday. Fine with me other than another $20. He already owed Math II last June, so he can afford to do these by onesies.</p>
<p>vp- my D was the opposite. She did well on the Math 2 practice but not as well on USH. She really only needs one more, she will take Math first. I did go out and buy the lame-o CB History prep book to get her one additional practice test.</p>
<p>and good luck vibes to all prepping for SAT Is and SAT IIs. and for the rest of the school year. D is taking her first of three finals as I type, done on Monday.</p>
<p>astromom- yes Hamiltonâs test policy is similar. I think they also want a graded paper.</p>
<p>NYU recently made the same âflexibleâ testing policy, IIRC. Iâm interested to see how the new policy will impact SAT rangesâpresumably they will rise.</p>
<p>Going to Sâs HS Band Concert tonight, always enjoyable⊠At least he gets to see his sister graduate ('09) this year as he has to play in the band. We only get 4 tickets at our HS, probably will take the grandparents, they saw the other two children graduate. </p>
<p>Now is it tacky to go to the Band Concert smelling like insect repellent? This stuff is a combination of citronella & something else so it smells like citronella & black licorice to me. Funny thing is, it actually works!</p>
<p>well, if itâs an indoor concert it might seem kind of strange, but insect repellent seems entirely appropriate outdoors.</p>
<p>list of colleges for seniors has been posted. It is a bit interesting this year. Cornell had 2 and no other ivies, so that is down a bit from other years. One to Rice and Claremont McKenna, first times for those. A large group to RPI and several in clumps to some OOS publics. Very few to our instate. </p>
<p>Several to top LACs and a few to specialty schools (art schools, military academy) which is consistent with other years.</p>
<p>SLUMOM - have fun at your Sâs concert tonight. D finished her concerts last week.</p>
<p>Jackief - Iâm glad you mentioned the graded paper. Not sure whether D is going to need one, but I have to remember to tell her to make sure she has one or two that sheâd be willing to submit, just in case.</p>
<p>yes a graded paper is something good to set aside before purging all the stuff from the year. D likes to shred some documents from some classes which were not her favoritesâŠ</p>
<p>SLUMOM- have fun at the concert, and weâve already discussed how D2 will not take one of our graduation tickets next year (I think we get four also) because she will be singing in the chorus. Thumbs up for that.</p>
<p>regarding graduation tickets - do you only get 4 total tickets and no one else from your family can attend the event or is it 4 for a special seating area and everyone else can sit in the bleachers? Our school also gives 4 tickets, but that is just for the chairs set-up on the floor. Everyone else can sit in the bleachers without a ticket.</p>
<p>Fortunately H will be giving S1 his diploma next year so we will get seats in the front row (I think we can get tickets for grandparents in the front row as well. S2 will be in the band and wonât need a ticket.) At least Hâs huge time commitment to the school board for the last several years had one little perk.</p>
<p>Mom2010grad:</p>
<p>That will be something special for your husband to hand your S his diploma, as a member of the school board. Iâm saddened my S will miss my friend on the School Board (president this year) by one year. Sheâs put in two solid tours of duty and decided not to run for re-election. As it is, this year is tough, tough, tough due to funding cuts in CA.</p>
<p>Purging papers? My S just grabs the growing pile from the year, shoves it into a folder and then into his desk drawer. I have no clue how he finds things during the school year but he claims he can. Since heâs never turned in anything late, how can I argue?</p>
<p>After finishing his final for linear algebra, he asked if he could chuck the textbook (it was a cheap used one I got from Abe Books on the Internet.) We said no and reminded him he might need to refer to it, doing his summer research internship. He said, âOh.â This morning, I remember there was also a separate study guide as well, so perhaps Iâll let him do his ritual cleansing with this.</p>