<p>How “research-y” does it need to be? Does your son like to program? What if he worked on the Project Euler problems and agreed to get a certain amount done in each time frame (x in the first quarter, y in the second quarter, z in the third quarter, etc.)? The first ones are pretty easy, but they get harder. There are currently 320 problems, so it’s not like he could run out of stuff to work on.
[Project</a> Euler](<a href=“http://projecteuler.net%5DProject”>http://projecteuler.net)</p>
<p>PN, I think the way to make an independent research project in math worthwhile is to be working with a mentor – perhaps a math prof at a local U. Otherwise there’s an element of the blind leading the blind.</p>
<p>I agree with mathinokc that a CS project may be more approachable, but again, some expert guidance is probably in order. </p>
<p>I will say that D is working on a problem in logic with a local U. prof (whose field is mathematical logic – a bit of a rarity these days). It took her a couple of months of background reading to get to the point of actually working on her problem, and she was not coming in completely cold.</p>
<p>Is anyone taking the SAT this weekend? My D was going to take SAT2 - Chem except she didn’t get around studying much. She said they didn’t cover all in her chemistry class. I wonder if she should cancel the test.</p>
<p>mathinokc - I think the requirements to sign up for an independent research credit are fairly loose. Maybe that’s part of why it makes me nervous - i want to figure out how to make it a cool and educational experience for him, not a lame waste of a credit. At this point he isn’t interested at all in learning programming. i keep thinking that’s a fairly practical and financially rewarding path for a math brained kid, but he’s not interested and is actually pretty articulate at explaining why. It’s actually very nice to see him learning what he likes and doesn’t and finding his path forward based on that.</p>
<p>IJustDrive - the program at the school definitely has them find a mentor. We’re starting to put out feelers. We have some loose connections to a few math profs and will approach them with questions soon.</p>
<p>So, with your D - did you know the prof, or was the relationship created through her high school? Or did you just call the guy out of the blue and ask if he felt like mentoring a high school student? did your D know what she wanted to work on, or did the mentor make suggestions until they picked something?</p>
<p>Hi Igloo! (wave wave) Funny that after two days of no new posts we post at he same time!</p>
<p>Is your D just through half of her year of Chem or did she complete a one semester course? Has she taken a practice test? That would probably give her a good idea about whether or not she’s ready. FYI, if you either cancel it or she just doesn’t show up, it won’t cost you any more than the actual money for the test - it doesn’t show up as a no show or anything when they send reports out to schools. </p>
<p>My 8th grader is taking the SAT Saturday. My neighbor thought I was insane for that! I just figure it’s a good chance to practice the real thing without it showing up on your records later. He took it last year too, and it actually came in handy when i was trying to talk his school into something he wanted to do this year.</p>
<p>Hi Igloo - My son is taking the SAT this Saturday too. It will be his first time but I am not holding out for a “one and done” since he refused any formal prep, saying he wanted to self prep (but never really did anything at all). We have a deal, if his CR score is lower than 650 (and judging from his PSAT it will be), then he gets an SAT tutor for the June SAT. His community service weekend job finishes in early April so it frees up his weekend for the SAT prep. Que sera sera…</p>
<p>He is taking the SAT 2’s in May (the same week as his 5 AP exams) with the idea that he can co-study. He will take the Chemistry and the Physics (although since he did Math 2 last year he only needs one more SAT 2). Whichever is the better score will be sent to the colleges.</p>
<p>What a coincidence! Believe it or not, her school’s chemistry stretches over two years and she is in the middle of the second year, no organic chemistry and something about pressure she mentioned not covered. I am beginning to think something is terribly wrong with their overall science program. They don’t have to teach to the tests but they do have to cover standard material imo. What are good scores for SAT2’s? She took a practice test over the weekend. Somewhat lower than what she wanted in the real test.</p>
<p>He isn’t doing any prep for it, although I might push him to at least look at a test book to remind himself of the format and get into the right frame of mind. With the opportunity to take it again and his PSAT scores, I’m taking a wait and see attitude. Great if it can be one and done but there are certainly no guarantees!</p>
<p>Hi everyone! We had “College night” at school last night, info from various admissions reps etc. The most interesting thing was a college rep who says that a kid who doesn’t take the SAT again early senior year may be viewed as a slacker, unless the early scores were very high! D had planned work hard now, try to break 2000 and then be done (her math is likely to stay around 600 no matter what.) I’d heard from other sources that colleges don’t like to see kids taking multiple SAT’s. Oy!</p>
<p>My 8th grader is taking the SAT on Saturday as well. Our middle school is part of a consortium of school districts that get together for a common, private, middle school only testing site. It’s quite the social scene.</p>
<p>Our DD12 is taking the SAT this Satuday as well She reviewed a few things in a study book last Saturday, but hasn’t done much else. We are trying not to nag, but I will want to see her practice a few sections tonight and tomorrow. She has 4 APs and 3 SAT2s in May, so we would love to see her get this SAT out of the way. There is always October if need be. Best wishes to all of your DDs and DSs for Saturday! We meet with the HS GC next week.</p>
<p>My daughter is also taking the SAT this Saturday. She’s had a cold all week, which has make sleep and mornings hard. I’m hoping she feels better by Saturday.</p>
<p>When he told them that he was their to take the test their replies consisted of a faint “oh”. He got even more satisfaction when he found out from sister later that he outscored them…</p>
<p>I was talking to someone who regularly proctors the tests and found out that contrary to what you would think, the older kids are more intimidated by the 7th and 8th graders than the 7th and 8th graders are by being with the older kids. Made me laugh when I found that out.</p>
<p>When you get all the middle schoolers together, it definitely takes on aspects of a party. They enjoy it to the max (and then often go out for lunch). I’ve never had a middle schooler test with the “big kids” or had my HSer test with middle schoolers, so I can’t speak to that. </p>
<p>Those 8th grade test scores do come in handy.</p>
<p>My D is taking her first SAT this Saturday as well. She did some practice tests over the winter break, and read one of the Direct Hits vocab books. Her scores on practice tests have been decent, as were her PSATs. Not likely to be one and done, but hoping she does well enough to not take it again this year and maybe prep over the summer for a fall retake. March test falls in the middle of spring break, so not a great option. April and May are all about AP tests, and she leaves for a summer program befor the June date. So here is hoping the plan works.</p>
<p>Junior D is taking the SATs on Saturday too…first time, no prep. I am hoping for the best of course, but the results could also serve as a rude wake up call! Based on her list of desirable colleges she will need 650s+ across the board (for our state flagship honors program and good LACs in NE). 700s+ for the reaches on her list. </p>
<p>If she doesn’t obtain these scores on her first sitting she will have a choice to make:</p>
<ol>
<li>build in a formal test prep program into her schedule for a spring re-take OR </li>
<li>she will need to rethink her prospective college list (reaches scratched off, matches become reaches, and down the line!)</li>
</ol>
<p>I know her well. If she truly wants something, she will work very hard to make it happen --her scores will hopefully provide some clarity about what she wants.</p>
<p>As a parent it is hard to wait…and not nag and not push. But It is what I must do.</p>
<p>^^ great analysis, Pathways. It is so hard to wait-- but it is also just fascinating to watch as they come to own the process, learning about themselves all the way.</p>
<p>SATs are not on the radar here. My D has semester finals next week, and a Science Bowl competition all day this Saturday. They are meeting at 6:15am(!) and won’t be back until evening. </p>
<p>One good thing about the Sci Bowl is that the team is all bright kids and they’re mostly in all the same classes. Hopefully they will do some productive studying together in the downtime between competition rounds. But I guess they all have to plan their SATs, etc., around competition dates.</p>
<p>It’s amazing how high kids the reported score are on the SAT subject exams, pretty-much across the board. Must be self-selection – that only kids who think they will do well take optional exams.</p>