<p>I’m not a huge fan but I think it depends on where the student ends up going to school. Some schools will not take the units as transfer units (defeating the purpose of the course) and others will not place much weight on it for admissions (eliminating the other advantage.) It will give the student a chance to sample the college - and see how they might like going to school there - but on the other hand, my daughter went to a week long soccer camp at Santa Clara - and the experience soured her on the school forever. The dorms they put them in were pretty beat up from the previous year of use - and were the oldest on campus even before the abuse.</p>
<p>I agree with Tokenadult. Going to Harvard Summer School isn’t going to give you an edge in Ivy admissions, but when Columbia offered a program in computer graphics and game programming it seemed like a course tailormade for son’s interests. It was well worth it and he learned a lot. (Interestingly it also convinced him that graphics and game programming was NOT what he wanted to do.) I do think those summer language courses are a great way to learn languages. 40 minutes a day in your average high school class is incredibly inefficient. But I wouldn’t have my kid take a class unless it was something they were excited about.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. I would not make my daughter take anything (that would be impossible anyway). She’s the one who’s excited. I will check out the forum you posted, tokenadult. The classes are at a school she might be interested in, but I am not looking for an edge in. She is just frustrated at only being able to take one language at her school and wants to take either Mandarin or Russian during the summer.</p>
<p>Back to a previous conversation, D’s school just called (recorded message). The PSAT scores are in and available for pick up starting tomorrow. They will not be sending copies home. I haven’t told D yet (she’s still in school) but I am sure she will freak out and not be able to sleep tonight. Maybe I’ll tell her in the morning.</p>
<p>Hi guys, here’s a link to a collegeboard test designed exclusively for us parents! I recommend taking it. Good luck!</p>
<p>[Helicopter</a> Parents Reconsidered](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Stand Out in High School – BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>PS: I think I flunked it.</p>
<p>OK, I took the quizz:</p>
<p>Quiz Results</p>
<p>Get More Involved: The level and nature of your involvement suggest that your child might benefit from more assistance. Consider being more proactive and seeking guidance or help from the college counselors in your child’s high school.</p>
<p>…and my D has told me to back off…</p>
<p>Thanks for posting that test, vicariousparent. Mine said “stay the course,” so I think I’m ok. I’m so much more involved in my kids’ decisions than my parents were in mine, that I was afraid that maybe I was a little too involved.</p>
<p>Queen’s Mom - good luck to your D (and to you) with those PSAT scores. I wonder why they don’t mail them home. Also, do you, or does your D pick up the scores? I’m asking because while I’m sure your D will share her scores with you, there are probably many kids who wouldn’t bother.</p>
<p>QM- when I was a kid I did a summer program and it was a life changing experience for me. It was the first year of a program in MA modeled after a program at St Paul’s School specifically for public/parochial students (ie, to somewhat bridge the advantages that the prep school kids had). Anyway, I took courses, and it was my first exposure to computers which I eventually majored in and still work in the field, but the main things I took from the program where seeing smart/cool kids from throughout the state and not just the kids from my school where being smart wasn’t a social asset, and the self reliance of managing my workload/daily schedule etc. I truly believe this session gave me the most advantage when I entered a top ranked college, since I had had the boarding experience.</p>
<p>Ok. So since I had such a valuable time, I wanted my kids to commit one summer in HS to a similar academic program. Because D1 has this 10 year plan for her progress to camp counselor, she only had the summer between fr/soph year available. There are fewer programs then, and I didn’t want to send her to one less structured on a college campus at this age. She went to Phillips Exeter summer program. She took Mandarin, theater, and physchology, did a sport and some other activities, basically what a boarding school student would experience. She is interested in psych and ended up doing additional studying and took the ap test last year. She continued Mandarin in school. It was not an extensive language program, what she covered in the 6 week course was a couple months in school, but it was good for her to see that she was interested in the language. The psych class had a lot of reading, she wasn’t there for the socializing, she did have a decent amount of work to do. But she she get down to Boston a few times, to the beach, and on some college visits. Her roommate was from France and not compatible (on her phone all night after they shut off the internet and she was a slob) but they learned to get along. So she got out of the program the experiences I wanted.</p>
<p>I totally agree with tokenadult and others in the summer programs forum (this is the reason I joined cc) not to do this to get a leg up in admissions. And many of the brochures we receive seem like very fluffy programs, if they are touting the college’s name and other wrong things which will not make a difference, you can be wary. These programs are expensive and are big money makers for the schools who host them as well as others who sell their names to programs not associated with their school. If you want an intense langugage program, I think summer programs are ideally suited to that. If D didn’t have her life planned out, I think it would be good for her as she wants to take Spanish and doesn’t have room for a 3rd language during the school year. Otherwise, exposure to a subject you don’t get in HS which you might want to pursue. </p>
<p>Will we do it again for D2? Yes, when we know she has the ability to get herself out of bed in the morning. She’s not there yet. We are hoping for a program in two summers where she could take a math class to jump ahead in school.</p>
<p>on the quiz- I wasn’t sure how to answer a couple of the questions, because we are not there yet (for instance the last one, encourage child to apply to colleges, I wasn’t sure if they meant force) So I answered two questions I was unsure on as “no” and got a “get more involved” I think changed them to a “yes” and I got a “stay the course” So at least the CB thinks I am ok :)</p>
<p>For grins, I changed all the answers to “no” except “do you plan to write the essays” and luckily there was a hand-slap for that one :o</p>
<p>I marked 7 yes and 5 no and was told to stay the course. I thought that would make me a helicopter, but guess not. </p>
<p>One of my yesses was “do you plan to suggest colleges?” Of course I will. There’s got to be at least one state school on the list, whether he/we like it or not. :-P</p>
<p>Whew. I got “stay the course”. :)</p>
<p>^^^ Phew is right! :)</p>
<p>I got “stay the course.” Maybe they would have told me to back off if they had asked how often I post on College Confidential. ;)</p>
<p>^^^ We’d all be wearing propeller hats then!</p>
<p>Since we are parents of the class of 2010, we have score choice. </p>
<p>So I retook the test, and if anyone asks, I got ‘stay the course’ too!</p>
<p>LOL, vicariousparent and Youdon’tsay!</p>
<p>D stayed home from school today - for the first time since elementary school! Brought her to the doctor, and now she’s on antibiotics. Hopefully they’ll kick in and she’ll be ok for the SAT this Saturday. She’s sleeping right now, but asked me to wake her up at noon because she’d like to go in this afternoon.</p>
<p>LIMOM, hope your dd feels better soon!</p>
<p>I was signing up S for the January SAT, and it asked whether I wanted the question-and-answer service. This is his first. If we don’t spend the $18 to get it, what will he get? I don’t think he’ll care about every question, etc., but he’ll certainly want to know how many he missed …</p>
<p>Bottom line: Is $18 Q&A service worth the money?</p>
<p>LIMOM- hope she is better soon! My D had her first sick day since elem last year the day before a ski race. She skipped the race because of the school work load, the coaches were NOT HAPPY with her. I wanted her to recover, and not get farther behind leaving early for the race.</p>
<p>(all men, or even mothers of sons, on this thread can skip reading now)</p>
<p>You know how the SAT dates are basically a month apart from each other? Well I had HORRIBLE menstrual cramps growing up. Bent over/stay home sometimes bad. Well wouldn’t you know it but they just happened to coincide with the May SAT date and then again with the June SAT date when I took the then called acheivement tests (SAT 2s) I wonder what my scores would have been if I felt better. Back then people (or at least I) didn’t retake. </p>
<p>If she is really not up to you can can always eat the cost of the test, but even if she is feeling ok but not great, at least you know you have the option of not using those scores.</p>
<p>My D took the SAT in May for the first time and we signed up for the Q&A service. I think it is a good service, well worth the $18. Not just to see the questions you got wrong but also the ones you got right. </p>
<p>Having said that, I have to admit I don’t think my D has looked at the report- yet. The booklet arrived in the summer during her holidays and the SAT was far from her mind. She won’t be taking the SAT again until March. I suppose (hope) she will glance at the QAS report as part of her prep for that exam.</p>
<p>It occurred to me that I am quite sure that if we change our minds and decide to get the Q&A, College Board will be happy to take my $18 at that later date.</p>
<p>Also, I am happy to report that, while I haven’t been discussing colleges at all with DS since taking the PSAT, he’s been coming to me with questions.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your well-wishes for DD. She really looks miserable, poor thing. She just said she thinks she’s going to skip 10th period, so I know she’s feeling awful. She said she still may try to make it in to work on something for one of her ECs tonight, but she may change her mind.</p>
<p>Youdon’tsay - I can’t remember whether I ordered the Q&A when I signed D up for the SAT. I think I did, but I’m not sure. And I’m sure you’re right, and College Board will be happy to take your $18 at a later date, and may even charge you a little extra. Not sure if it’s worth it though - she hasn’t looked at her PSAT booklet yet to see what mistakes she made.</p>
<p>jackief - poor you. </p>
<p>I would have done the same thing, and kept her home from the sports event. It’s more important that they get well - doesn’t make sense to let them run themselves down.</p>