<p>So you suggest May for World SAT, huh? I agree about AP classes being a complete joke in the last month. Last year after the Govmt AP test, they basically just watched movies.</p>
<p>D is only taking 2 SATIIs and only because Barnard requires them (her uber-reach and desire). None of the other schools we looked at seem to require any. However, D’s list is ever changing and until I get some test scores back from SAT I as well as a naviance password, we are shooting blind anyway.</p>
<p>She just might end up taking an SATII in the fall when her college list is firmer.</p>
<p>CountingDown - FYI about the Spanish SAT II - it’s one of those tests where the scores come back surprisingly low. Not sure why, but it’s definitely true. Not sure what his other options are, but just thought I’d let you know.</p>
<p>Mathmom - like your S, my D will still be preparing for the NYS Regents exams in June, so she’s definitely better off taking the SAT IIs in June. BTW, do you know if AP Physics B prepares them for the SAT II?</p>
<p>I <em>wish</em> World Hist was offered in May – S1 took it in June of junior year and he was off at a huge programming competition two time zones away when he had to take it. Doing it in May would have yielded the results he wanted.</p>
<p>LI, yeah, I know FL SAT-IIs run low. Just not sure what else will work for him short of spending a chunk of the summer preparing for the Bio (E or M). Don’t think that will happen! His IB Extended Essay is due the first week of school (agh!!!), there’s football, app essays, etc. Guess we’ll see how the grades and SAT scores go before determining if this is a school he ought to have on his list.</p>
<p>I am happy with the prep D has done up to now, and whatever score she gets will be fine. TIP- if you sign up and pay for only one SAT 2 you can add on more on the day but if you sign up for 2 or 3 and decide you want to take fewer, no refund. Based on the calendar (ie tests like World not offered each time, and listening) you can even switch the one you take from the one you signed up for.</p>
<p>D originally signed up for Latin SAT2 last June (another one only given twice) and after doing the practice test from the CB book she decided to skip the test. She has been working on vocab, which was the weak part, this year and took a practice test last weekend with a 100 pt gain. But it wasn’t a real CB test so we aren’t putting much stock in that. Just hoping for the best, she’ll probably do the other practice and continue some vocab before Sat. And like MANY others have said, she has a commitment the night before.</p>
<p>She is also prepping for ACT the following week and is getting good vibes on that so far.</p>
<p>QM and LIMOM- D did the musical last year, and although she liked performing in it, the time sink was not to her liking, including the amount of time needing to sit around when you are waiting for your part, the last nights during the school week the week of the performances, and had decided not to audition this year. She may give it one last go next year as a Senior when the grades are not as important. She is in the concert choir and select choir so that gives her a musical outlet.</p>
<p>May/June dates- we had originally thought SAT I in May and SAT IIs in June. Part might depend if she wants to retake Latin. The May dates fall right after APs and the June dates are in the middle of finals for us. She is hoping to ace the ACT next week and then we won’t have to worry about SAT I. I think the June date would have more potential study time, since classes will be over and only the finals, and will not have finals in her AP classes or non-full year classes, so only 3 finals.</p>
<p>Whichever date, she plans to take USH and Math2 and possibly one more</p>
<p>Perhaps the Spanish SAT II scores are reflective of the fact that the native speakers are the ones getting the higher marks.</p>
<p>My DS will probably pass on Spanish SAT II even though he attended a Spanish/Japanese immersion elementary school, and in June focus on Physics SAT II (another subject test with a more forgiving curve) and possibly US History. He bagged Math 2 SAT II at the end of his sophomore year (seems ages ago now.)</p>
<p>Meanwhile, after I contacted the Asst Vice Principal regarding the snafu on the truancies, the VP (who I haven’t met yet) said it sounded like my S is in good hands. </p>
<p>FindAPlace - the same thing (truancies) happened to my D in 9th grade math. It was so silly - and it got straightened out even before I got involved (I just checked to make sure). Glad your S’s situation was resolved easily as well.</p>
<p>I was thinking that might be the case, as far as the Spanish SAT II, but it seems that the same is true for French and some of the other foreign language exams. Cool that you S attended a Spanish/Japanese immersion school when he was younger - did he retain much?</p>
<p>jackief - sounds like our kids just take on too many things! </p>
<p>I’m sure your D will do fine on her SAT II this weekend. My D’s been sick all week, and she’s really looking wiped out, so I’m not going to have big hopes for the SAT this weekend. Hopefully, she’ll be improved by next Sat’s ACT.</p>
<p>CD - I understand your dilemma. Your S has taken a bio class already, right? If my D were in the same situation, I would probably encourage her to take a practice test in each subject to see how she did on them before having her take the Spanish exam. I know the bio test isn’t especially easy, but all the kids we know who took it did reasonably well.</p>
<p>LIMomof@ - I’m pretty sure that because Physics B covers more topics it’s a better fit. My son had taken Regents physics, but it had been a couple of years. I don’t think even as it was he had to do that much review - but then it’s his second strongest subject.</p>
<p>H just came back from Juniors college night at S’s school. During Q&A time the college counselor told a parent if a kid has high tests scores and low GPA, colleges will think the kid is under performing. On the other hand, a high GPA and low test scores are signs the HS is not challenging enough.
I don’t believe colleges will solely associate low test scores with the HS. How about the kids who are not good at taking tests ?
What do you think?
BTW the counselor has 15 years experience and she is very good at her job.</p>
<p>My S was lucky. At the middle school, he was allowed to take his social studies in Spanish, so he didn’t have to use up his elective for Spanish (they’ve since changed it since the HS teachers said the students weren’t getting enough grammar that away and the 8th grade teachers really wanted to teach about the US Constitution in English.)</p>
<p>Anyway, he got a 5 last May in AP Spanish Language so he was pleased. He also seems quite comfortable when visiting Spanish speaking countries. It was so neat that when we visited Malaga, Spain that we were able to hook up again with his first grade teacher, who was wonderful.</p>
<p>S is not the most avid reader, so the thought of taking AP English Lit AND AP Spanish Lit next year makes him shudder, so he’ll probably forgo the Spanish. He might have done it this year, except for the need to get the visual/performing arts class checked off for the UC requirement …</p>
<p>I think if many kids from the same school have high GPAs and low test scores they can assume the high school is not very good, but a single student? I don’t think so. An admissions counselor (from Yale) told us at college night a few years ago, “SAT scores count less than you fear and more than we like to admit.” For what that’s worth. :)</p>
<p>I agree with what mathmom said - about the high GPAs/low test scores. LOL at the quote from the Yale admissions counselor.</p>
<p>FindAPlace - congrats to your S on scoring a 5 on his Spanish Lang AP. D won’t be taking that until next year. Your S must be quite fluent in Spanish if he was able to learn his middle school social studies in that language. I think learning the US Constitution should be taught in English because the language is so important, so I can understand why the school made that change.</p>
<p>LIMOM congrats on your D’s math psat score of 80! Do you think she is in range for NMSF for NY? (don’t feel you need to answer if you don’t care to) And to anyone else who has posted scores, which I may have missed. </p>
<p>Youdon’tsay- if you start an A- parents thread, I’ll hang out there with you, as well as here of course.</p>
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