<p>:) 
:)</p>
<p>LuckyBoy is thrilled with his SAT scores. One and done, baby! He beat his target Cr+M score by 120 points! The happiness on his face filled the house :)</p>
<p>mamom, S joins your S with a 790 CR. Shocked was I :D</p>
<p>KLucky, My initial reaction after seeing the 790 CR was wow! Followed by he couldn’t have gotten one additional problem right? Assuming one more correct would have earned him an 800. I am backed to Wow and leaving the what ifs behind.</p>
<p>S got USH score this am and is HAPPY especially considering they didn’t get into the 20th century in class prior to the test. That was all he took though, he decided he wasn’t ready to take Eng or Math. Since he only needs two he’s got to take Math. I assume Math 1 was easier, but he said he might consider Math 2 as being more recent? Math is not his strong suit. Mamom- where do you see the curves? and my S is in the high SAT lower GPA boat. That gpa is causing an issue on many fronts, particularly since his school doesn’t weight. The highest gpa at S’s school is a 94, so no grade inflation there.</p>
<p>Here is a site on the SAT and it has some info on the “curve” (raw vs scaled score) for several years. </p>
<p>[SAT</a> Facts and FAQs](<a href=“SAT Facts and FAQs”>SAT Facts and FAQs)</p>
<p>I have seen references to how the curve is easier for some subject tests than others but haven’t found anything definitive yet.</p>
<p>One post on cc says these are the lowest raw scores to get 800.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-subject-tests-preparation/375768-sat-subject-test-curves.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-subject-tests-preparation/375768-sat-subject-test-curves.html</a></p>
<p>Taken from post # 10
Math 1: 49/50
Math 2: 44/50
Bio E: 77/80
Bio M: 77/80
Chem: 82/85
Physics: 59/75
US History: 79/90
World History: 78/95
Lit: 59/61
Korean: 78/80
Chinese: 80/85 </p>
<p>College Board has this info.<br>
[SAT</a> Data Tables](<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/sat/data-tables]SAT”>SAT Suite of Assessments - College Board Research)</p>
<p>to be honest none of this info is helping me with what subject tests S should take. I guess he will have to take some practice tests and see how he does.</p>
<p>More info on the Math test found on the saprknotes site
[SparkNotes:</a> SAT Subject Test: Math Level 2: Which SAT II Subject Tests to Take](<a href=“SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides”>SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides)</p>
<p>Battle of the Test Curves. The two tests are scored by very different curves. The Level IIC test is scored on a much more liberal curve: you can miss six or seven questions at the IIC level and still achieve a score of 800. On the IC test, however, you would probably need to answer all the questions correctly to get a perfect score. In another example, if you wanted to get a 600 on either test, you would need around 20 correct answers on the IIC test and 33 on the IC test. Some students who have a math background that suggests they should take the Math IIC see that the IC is a less difficult test and think that they can get a marvelous score on the IC while their score on the IIC will only be average. But if you get tripped up by just one or two questions on the Math IC, your score will not be the impressive showstopper that you might expect.</p>
<p>Starting to plan visits to schools in Chicago and Pittsburgh…asked H is he wanted to come along since he’s lived in both cities…OMG, now it’s turning into the Go See All the Places Daddy Lived and Worked Tour 2010…Gotta nip that in the bud or D will return from Chicago saying it’s the most boring city on Earth…</p>
<p>Son also got his SATs today and we couldn’t be happier–he raised ALL 3 of his scores, and now has a 1500 combined on the math/CR AND he raised his writing too!! On all three together he raised his scores 120 points–from very good to extremely good.</p>
<p>Llike Mamom, we too, now have a bigger gulf between the grades and teh SAT, but we’ll also take what we can get!</p>
<p>What I’m most happy about is that my husband and I counseled him to study over the summer and take the test in October; not just a month after his other scores, and he was adamant about takiing it in May; he knew April wasn’t his best score especially in Math and he was right!</p>
<p>We are flip-flopped on most of you it seems. S2’s GPA is quite good. His first stab at the SAT’s were respectable…2040 (and an easy lock on his match school), however he didn’t reach the math score he wanted. Based on his engineering major, he’ll take another go at it. He takes the ACT next month.</p>
<p>Congrats on all of the May SAT scores!</p>
<p>We’re in the blueiguana camp, great gpa and ‘foot in the door’ SATs. But it’ll have to do, just one more Subject test in June to wrap it up and move on to a final list and essays!</p>
<p>My S did well-he got a 710 CR and 690 Math for the 1400 that seems to be an important number-and a 720 in writing for a total of 2120-an increase of 120 points since he took it in December. He studied on his own by doing practice tests for CR and Math-didn’t study at all for the Writing section-and his CR/Math went from 1290 to 1400.</p>
<p>I got an email solicitation to spend $1,600 for five hours of coaching guaranteed to increase his scores-do people really do this-well they must-but is it worth it?</p>
<p>I wonder if he should even retake it-those seem like perfectly good scores. </p>
<p>He has very good grades and good EC and community service-in line I think with what a good student and citizen should have but nothing spectacular.</p>
<p>I would love to pick the brain of an admission counselor at one of the “elite” schools to get a feel for when they think enough is enough.</p>
<p>Pepper03 - If he studies by himself and improve 120 points, I don’t think there is necessary to spend 1,600 for coach. If he wants to re-take the test, just spend more time during the summer, he will be fine ! Actually, 2120 is a very good score. It’s really up to him.</p>
<p>I’m so happy to see everybody has their wonderful scores !!!</p>
<p>I just called college board, they said something wrong with D’s test, they are pulling out the file and will e-mail back to me within 7 days. They said scores may be released later for reasons that include a late receipt of answer sheets, missing information on your answer sheet or information that is inconsistent with your registration information, or other uncommon conditions that flag your test for more attention. </p>
<p>D called me everybody in her class already got their score, she is the only one didn’t. I don’t know what happened but nothing we can do, just wait !</p>
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</p>
<p>Chances are he probably doesn’t need prep classes if he can get that score. Also, if he’s thinking of applying to reach schools where many applicants have sky high score (well, even more sky high that your S’s), it may be worth retaking. With the practice of superscoring by colleges, even just increasing one section can help. The decision is up to your S, considering if he thinks it’s worth it and how much he’s willing to study.</p>
<p>flyinglandbird…well that stinks. I hope you/your D don’t have to wait til the end of the month.</p>
<p>pepper03 - I would think your S could increase his scores without spending all that money. College Board shows some results on this page about 3/4 of the way down, they call it “coaching”.<br>
[SAT</a> Data Tables](<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/sat/data-tables]SAT”>SAT Suite of Assessments - College Board Research)</p>
<p>I like the xiggi method. Do some untimed problems, concentrate on what you got wrong and figure out why. </p>
<p>Missypie - we will be making a trip to Pitts sometime this summer. CMU was the initial reason for the visit and we will probably still visit CMU, but with S’s falling grades it is becoming more of a reach every day. Sonow we are going ther to see U Pitts and Duquesne. I love Chicago, we visited last June. I’ll bet the
“Go See All the Places Daddy Lived and Worked Tour 2010” would be fun, if you have the time.</p>
<p>Yeah flying-that stinks to have to wait.</p>
<p>I was just curious what the thoughts were on coaching. I can’t believe they can actually get 1,600 for five hours but people must pay that. Thanks for the link mamom-nice to see it doesn’t really work. </p>
<p>I am very happy with those scores and if it was me I’d be done! I ordered the QAS for him so he can see what he got wrong and if he wants to retake them he can. I was more curious to see if others here had experience with this type of thing than I was interested in paying for it!</p>
<p>We might go out to Pittsburgh too this summer, to see UPitt. It doesn’t really fit all of S’s criteria but it would be nice for him to have a rolling admission school.</p>
<p>LuckyYoungest (d 10yo) is angling for a visit somewhere “down south.” Her bestest of bestest friend moved to Atlanta a year ago March (we saw them last June on our way back from WDW). She was wondering what colleges might be around there… :)</p>
<p>S finally got that list of schools from his GC. Interesting mix. He did listen to S’s criteria but added some that don’t fit all/most. The list (not The List, you understand 
) is Cornell, NYU (haha, they gap), UConn, Duke, Georgetown, George Washington, UNC, Penn, Rutgers, UVa, George Mason, UMaryland, Yale, Case Western Reserve, and Dartmouth. Overlaps with The Big List are Cornell, GWU, George Mason and Dartmouth (with reservations). Interesting.</p>
<p>S looked at Naviance today, since he has true SAT scores now instead of predicted scores based on PSATs. I think that was the first time he seriously looked at the scattergrams :)</p>
<p>I’m going to miss his school after next year. I almost (but only almost) wish that one of our girls was a boy so I could send another kid there!</p>
<p>About a year ago my niece announced a July 2010 wedding date. She’s away in a great graduate program and just got a job at that school. I haven’t heard a word about the wedding, so asked my sister if the wedding was still on. She replied that it isn’t *off, *but that graduation isn’t until mid-June and they haven’t done a thing and she doesn’t think they can pull off a wedding in a month…</p>
<p>Why does this matter? I’m ready to buy plane tickets for the Chicago-Pittsburgh trip. I guess as long as our trip is earlier than the original date, it’s unlikley that there will be a conflict. I love that dear niece is not being a bridezilla, but a little bit of planning and structure would be appreciated by this side of the family!</p>
<p>I’m still sick as could be. I’ve actually gotten worse since the last time I posted here. I’m going to go to the hospital today if I don’t see any improvement.</p>
<p>CIA, Sorry you are feeling so horrible. Here’s hoping that you don’t really have to go to the hospital and get better quick!</p>
<p>We just got mail from both Pitt and Duquesne a couple of days ago inviting son to summer events. Pitt had several options and Duquesne had one special event on June 13 [Special</a> Events](<a href=“404”>404) Unfortunately, that’s the Sunday before finals and I don’t know if we want to drive all the way out there and back. Pitt’s events are several different dates that seem more do-able but if we drive out to Pittsburgh, I want to visit BOTH colleges.</p>
<p>kathiep, are you in eastern PA? Are there other schools worth seeing between the metro Philly area and Pittsburgh? Our S is NOT interested in Penn State. And all those eastern PS LACs are daytrips for us.</p>
<p>I might be the one schlepping the boy out to visit Pitt, as it might be easier to leave the girls home with H. If we do a southern schools trip, we’d need to save the time off for H so we could maybe swing a few days in WDW Mama needs her happy place!</p>
<p>Junior prom tonight Preprom here at 6:30. LuckyBoy has to pick up GF (30 min drive…) before. Have to get the food, finish mulching the front yard, clean the house (kids will do most once home from school), and make the corsages! Work, what’s work?</p>
<p>And I thought it would be a good idea to have a garage sale tomorrow morning :eek: , hopefully attracting traffic from the adjacent neighborhood’s community sale. I had everything ready for our neighborhood’s sale last month but had a daylong conflict, so I really don’t have THAT much work, just making signs, posting a craigslist ad, and sticking the stuff out. H and LuckyYoungest really like running sales so I’ll let them at it :D</p>