<p>Good to have the details that texaspg and steveC provided. Colleges may care less about the scores than we think and they tell us so.</p>
<p>The thing to remember is-- the students’ stats become the colleges’ stats. As far as I understand (and please add things I’m missing), SAT or ACT scores are used two ways–
- as a preliminary qualification: those above a certain score are considered further, those below are out of contention.
- as a way of improving the colleges’ statistics, making them appear more competitive and thus more sought after. Which means that scores in the top 25% will add to an applicant’s appeal, and often to the possibility of acceptance/merit aid.</p>
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<p>That’s exactly what I told S–cynical way of looking at it is that schools that offer big merit aid for national merit, SAT/ACT, and GPA are bidding for your numbers. All three of those are reported in the common data set. That’s also why HYP et al, don’t offer merit aid–they don’t need to.</p>
<p>Good Morning. I’m on this train too, but I must be in the seemingly slow-going caboose. At least that’s the way it seems with our '12er. </p>
<p>I like the thread Just smile and nod…smile and nod to help through this long year.</p>
<p>I have pretty much become the interfering mother I never wanted to become. My daughter has a math tutor for standardized tests and I emailed the civil war teacher about extra credit. Blech. But I tell myself I do it for her future…still it feels awkward. My mom never hovered. I remember taking my ap English test having no clue I should have studied, the other kids were sitting in the hall cramming and I was just trying to survive my senior year. Turns out I was the only one that got a 5. Yet graduated with a 2. Something cause I never did homework and forgot to turn in assignments except mayor of castorbridge essays I turned into therapy for my angst.</p>
<p>But I am the mom of the kid who will cram for ap tests and get a 4 because of logic and sentence structure, not really creativity, and it just feels wrong. Like I suck the passion out of her, or think for her. Her life is way too stable and I doubt her passion. Does that make sense? There isn’t that fervor in her writing or her thoughts. She utilizes a thesaurus. But my youngest daughter has edge, and poetry oozing out. But doesn’t care if she gets A’s or C’s. Sigh. I don’t know why this bothers me. Partly cause I might be dysfunctional and am using my oldest to make up for my sins - of which there are too many. And in attempting to create this perfect specimen I feel like I have inhaled her edge. That raw thinking. An independence of thought and real initiative. Either that or my youngest just happens to ne blessed/cursed with the poetry gene.</p>
<p>But I want that for the oldest too and it just isn’t there. Too much perfection and logic I have instilled. Did my hovering kill the artist because sometimes I feel like it did. I am not sure she knows how to answer her thoughts, or identify her passion- but she has become a master of halfheartedly reading and doing what I want for her. And that is awful. And it makes me sad. Like I have traded potential brilliance for generalized convention. And austere intellectualism.</p>
<p>Those are my thoughts and if they make no sense I understand but if you can relate…I hope it doesn’t make you cry like it does me. Awaiting sat scores.</p>
<p>texaspg, I understood it the way SteveC explained it: the colleges see raw scores, not scaled–in other words, they don’t see the details of “how many wrong”. They probably don’t want to see them with all the other data they’re seeing! Anyway, it doesn’t really make any difference in the end. And, yes, DS’ March Math 740 was two wrong. Blew my mind, and convinced him, and me, that he wouldn’t sit again for the test. He’s a pure liberal arts kid so he doesn’t believe it will work against him and I have to agree. Moving on 
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<p>Mspearl: when S was a baby and lost his binky in the middle of the night, he would scream bloody murder until someone got up and put it back in his mouth. When li’l 5th grade D was a baby and lost her binky in the middle of the night, she would probe the immediate area of her mouth, find it, and put it back in herself without making a peep. To this day, S tends to be more high-strung and D tends to be more relaxed. I don’t really follow the whole nature vs. nuture argument but from observation I’m pretty sure there are some aspects of personality that were there at birth or very soon thereafter. I’m sure I’ve impacted them some, but I can’t take all the credit (or accept all the blame as the case may be) for the persons they’re growing into. You shouldn’t either.</p>
<p>In the middle of WWII, my dad left high school to join the navy. Many years later, he got his GED. My mom graduated from a rural high school and went no further. My guidance counselor meant well, but had very little experience beyond sending kids to UT or A&M, so off to College Station I went. I want my kids to be aware that there’s a world outside a 200-mile radius of their house and want them to have opportunities I didn’t have. My life experience has affected my parenting style. Your life experience has affected yours. I think that’s probably true for most if not all of us. </p>
<p>This can be a tough time for parents and kids alike. Hang in there. We’re going to make it. :)</p>
<p>Stevec: thank you. I have been awake for awhile after working 11-7. I am stressed and worried and doubting everything. I need to chill. She will go where she needs to be. I am telling her to read Walt Whitman before the test.</p>
<p>Mathinokc, thank you for the posts about the SAT.
For people who want to learn about how MIT views the SAT read post by the MIT Reps here on CC. Especially those posted after the decisions came out. </p>
<p>Welcome BCRobin!</p>
<p>MsPearl,you are beating yourself up IMO. It’s going to be a long school year next year. Do your best to stay calm. Do you knit,crochet or quilt maybe you can do a blanket for D to take to college. I am glad you can vent here.</p>
<p>Great post SteveC!</p>
<p>SteveC - I saw a 10 page report on collegeboard for the SAT scores and I was under the impression the colleges receive it. Is that not the case? Does your raw format to colleges include SAT essay since this is one of those pieces colleges supposedly collect?</p>
<p>Welcome to the newcomers and the returnees! We are having a bad karma week around here which does not bode well for SAT release tomorrow. DD did not get selected for her first choice English seminar next year - and three of her BFFs did. She was late to school today because of printing problems for her English project handouts. Since it is a group project she was extra-stressed about it. So let’s hope it turns around soon…</p>
<p>Hello wise people- I need advice to help my D - selecting teachers to write recs…GC asked students to pick two on the spot and hand it into office. (We knew it was coming, but both hoped it would be during finals week - a few weeks out.) Some students hedged and asked if they could turn it in a little later - so, it’s got to be done soon. Problem - not sure on that second teacher - I think there is one that will be upset if D doesn’t enroll in her class next year - and D really doesn’t want to after several classes with her. Wants to try a more advanced online class not offered at school, but one they will transfer credit for = I think teacher is very concerned about keeping her numbers/grades up in her classes…I think D should go with another teacher, although one that has only had her one year. Doesn’t know her as well, but she’s done great in that class, too. Think this letter could be more generic. Not sure as this teacher keeps it more close to the vest on feelings about students. Also, should she give teachers an “example” letter re: the advice of a private college admissions counselor? HELP!</p>
<p>acenoneking, I would hedge my bets a bit by having D ask the teacher with the longtime relationship if she could recommend her. If the teacher hedges a bit, best to go with the teacher she has known for one year. Re: the sample letter, we are using an info sheet instead, that is a combination of resume listing classes, ECs and awards, as well as a few Q&As like colleges for application, intended plan of study, intended ECs, as well as a quote or two about S passions, favorite subject, academic strength and weakness and what he considers his greatest hs achievement. The GC uses this form and she normally just plugs in the good quotes if she doesn’t know the kid very well. I don’t know how I would feel if I were an experience teacher and I received a sample letter.</p>
<p>texaspg: The electronic data layout has a field called “SAT Essay ID” and another document describes ordering options for copies of the corresponding essay. I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some colleges don’t bother.</p>
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<p>Agree with steveC. I start not worrying about the whole thing that much. I let the kids get A, B, C, D, or F as long as they do fine at the end of the school year. And everything seems just fine. OTOH I think A&M is a fine school.</p>
<p>lake42ks wrote:
My apologies to all for being yappier than usual today, but if I don’t quickly clarify the above, I fear the Association of Former Students might convene a board of inquiry. ;)</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to imply that my parents and/or guidance counselor did me any harm by steering me toward Texas A&M. I agree that it is a fine school (and thanks for the the shout out, by the way). What I was getting at was, it was the extent of their experience and they were doing the best they knew how. Having seen a little more of the world and having a wider view of higher education, I want my kids to know all their options so they can make informed choices.</p>
<p>SteveC - Don’t tell me an Aggie is not sending his offspring automatically to A&M? I thought they programmed that into you there! I’m a fellow Texan who has also been preaching to her kids that there is more out there than the familiar. So now my oldest is studying in DC and my '12 is looking at schools in the NE. Sigh! Be careful what you wish for and preach!!</p>
<p>I can’t imagine that colleges are reading through to see which questions kids missed on the SAT’s!! I think you’d see a lot of admissions jobs available if that were the case-- what a nightmare!</p>
<p>Mspearl-- you put it very poetically yourself, and I know just what you mean. Sometimes I think D’s general obedience and diligence are her truest flaws, and I wonder what I did to cause them. But you might be surprised with your older D-- there are so many different kinds of edges, who knows what will develop with time? And the ‘edge’ can be something of a curse too. </p>
<p>D will be driving herself home from her concert tonight, for the first time. Right now I’m kind of glad she’s low on ‘edge’!</p>
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<p>“Ordinarily, a 790 CR would be fine, but she didn’t know what “mawkishness” is. I mean, come on. Next.”</p>
<p>^^laughing so hard, Angry Dad! </p>
<p>I just looked at College Board and suddenly they say SAT results will be online May 28th?! I was sure it was the 26th…</p>