<p>I wish my kids had put MY email address down instead of theirs. Then i wouldn’t have to keep asking. D has heard from some colleges by snail mail but she doesn’t check her email often. </p>
<p>In fact, when the time comes to apply, checking the emails are very important - case in point, my sr. son came home last night to a letter from one of the colleges he applied to. It was inviting future freshmen to an orientation meeting in our region. He hadn’t received an official acceptance letter by snail mail so I suggested he check his email and lo and behold, there was the congratulatory letter.</p>
<p>My D2012 took an SAT II at the end of last year and has been getting emails, letters and viewbooks since the summer. She has about 40 so far. I don’t think it means much, but it boosts her ego a bit and is a constant reminder that college applications are around the corner.</p>
<p>Guess the child has to do well on the sophomore PSAT’s to recieve the emails, since we having gotten any here. Then again, if it has to do with checking the “interested in getting info” box, my son would not have done that.</p>
<p>I know that my D checked the box about getting emails. She did ok on the psat (compared to some of the brilliant cc kids on here). I think it was an eye opener for her to do some studying before the “real” psat next year. :)</p>
<p>My son says that the PSAT is more difficult than the SAT. While I don’t know if that’s true for everyone, his score was a good predictor of his SAT. If he had only taken the time to study!!! D2012 is more motivated so I hope she’ll do well.</p>
<p>D has rec’d 3 emails this week. (Rutgers, SMU, Elon) It’s actually kinda sweet how she seems glad to be noticed. I guess we’ll enjoy the enthusiasm while it lasts.</p>
<p>What a difference between her and her brother. '10Son never mentioned a single email. And, when the snail mail started to arrive, he was completely disinterested. All he’d care about was whether a letter was signed by a machine or by hand. The machine sigs went in the trash. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I think the emails and the marketing letters are great for gauging which stratum of colleges your child may fit. Of course, some colleges will send out their pamphlets almost indiscriminately, but you know your child better. It is a good way to start a target list.</p>
<p>I seem to recall my oldest taking the PLAN test. I can’t recall if that is a pre ACT. My D has received a few mailings. She doesn’t understand why when she did not check off the box to receive info. So far a Christian school (she is jewish) and a couple of all female schools and one of the Arizona publics. She has still not picked up the PSAT scores. She figures they will send them to her eventually.</p>
<p>lilmom check with your high school. Ours is offering the PLAN this month. The registration is next week, the test is Feb 20th, so you might want to call asap.</p>
<p>Mine has taken the ACT. It’s required for admissions to our state science & math school for juniors & seniors.</p>
<p>You’re right that the ACT and SAT are very different tests. </p>
<p>By the way, there is a sort of “PACT”, but it’s called the PLAN. Here in ACT country, kids take the Explore in 8th grade, the PLAN in 10th grade, and the ACT in 11th/12th. :-)</p>
<p>Those of you whose kids are receiving mail and email… are their scores above your state NM cut-off? And if not, were they above 200, the usual Commended cutoff?</p>
<p>Also, a tip for next year’s test: when D1 took the PSAT as a junior, she created an email account for just college stuff. It was very convenient to have it all in one place and to not have to wade through all of in search of regular emails. (Of course, she didn’t tell me about it, so when her PSAT score was close to the state cutoff, I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t getting any email. That’s actually when I discovered CC where some wise parent suggested she might have a college-only account.)</p>
<p>Small note about the PLAN: It is designed to be curricularly appropriate for 10th graders, while the PSAT is designed to be curricularly appropriate for 11th graders (even though many 10th graders try it).</p>
<p>DS brought home his first semester report card today. He has an unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.96. I am really proud of his efforts toward his learning and schoolwork (and I did tell him so). I just don’t understand why he has no interest yet in the SAT/ACT prep stuff or even the college search process. He is just all about homework, volunteer work, math team and video games. Guess I should be happy that the whole social scene hasn’t really started with him…lots of friends who are girls but he dosen’t seem to be interested in the whole dating thing (like my daughter’s were at the same age).</p>