<p>Thanks Apollo6 for the info. I haven’t figured out the whole financial aid issues yet. However, I keep thinking that we will not be eligible for much, if any, except maybe the years that my son and daughter are in school at the same time. Not that we make that much money, but we are middle class and doing fairly well, so I just don’t see tons of money coming our way. We’ve told our kids that we will do whatever we can, but I think we will “only” be able to fund about 25K per year. That’s alot to me! I don’t know if my son will make that magic 3.8 number, especially with the classes he wants to take. My daughter should do it though. She’s much more studious than my son. She works too hard sometimes. </p>
<p>Thanks for the info! I’ll pass it along to my son.</p>
<p>Thanks GeekMom63. I found that site yesterday and ran the numbers. I think we fall into that category where my kids are smart enough to get into some really good schools, but not “smart” enough to expect merit base aid in large quantities. We also make enough money that we don’t qualify for that much aid. Where’s the part of the form that calculates that you live in one of the most expensive parts of the country and therefore your cost of living is through the roof? I ran the 4caster and 9K off of a 50K school bill is still too much money considering that we have 3 kids to pay for. We just need to be realistic about what we can do and what we can’t do. Either they will go to state schools, or they will somehow pick a major/school combination that just wants to help fund their education. </p>
<p>It’ll be fine, I think. I have 3 good, smart and kind kids. We work hard, they work hard - it’s all good!</p>
<p>geogirl1 - don’t be so quick to dismiss private college as an option. I have enough friends who received aid in one form or another where the state school would be roughly the same cost and I would have to bet their in similar financial situations as you. Good income, one or two parents working, expensive neighborhood, 2 or 3 kids, etc. Not saying it will be of equal cost, just saying it very well might be!</p>
<p>geogirl1 - First, welcome. Secondly, I agree with amtc. My son’10 received several merit awards from privates that brought the final cost in line with the state flagship U. </p>
<p>Thanks amtc and DougBetsy. I’m not discounting a private school education. I went to a small LAC and loved it. I would not have liked a big state school as much. When I discuss this with my children, though I just want them to take into consideration what we can and can’t do. I want them to think about it. I don’t want them to have their hearts set on that one private school for 50K, apply and get in, and not be able to attend. I know many parents here feel there is this “one” best fit college for their kids. I feel that each of my kids will do better in a certain type of school; small, large, scienced based, liberal arts, whatever. However, I also feel that your life is what you make it and you need to make the best of whatever situation you are in. In the end, I want them to be happy. Happy whether they go to their first choice school or 5th choice. Being bummed and mopping around because “well I got into ABC college, but couldn’t go. My life is horrible for that one reason and if only I had gone there I would have been able to accomplish XYZ”. Yeah, don’t want to go down that road. </p>
<p>So, they will apply to several colleges that are out of our price range. I just want them to have a bit of perspective going into the process.</p>
<p>Thank you so much Apollo6. I was going to approach our school about that for AP Statistics, so that is a real possibility. My son loves the AP US History teacher, so I will need to tread lightly, but to me it is unacceptable to have no student in years get over a 4.</p>
<p>Some posts ago there was discussion about sophomores in AP Chem. It happens. My D is in AP Chem and is a sophomore. But she is in a 4x4. A 4x4 schedule is when you have 4 classes a semester, and each semester is like a year, so you finish regular chemistry in the first semester (the equivalent of a full year of chemistry) and then in the second semester, you do AP Chem. That’s how these sophomores do AP Chem in their sophomore year.</p>
<p>4X4? Does this work?! I can’t imagine only taking one semester of a foreign language or math and then continuing the following year. I am intrigued. Our local school has block scheduling but it is 4 classes per day alternating days. I don’t think that is ideal for foreign languages either, but it works well for everything else.</p>
<p>Are the classes twice as long? My daughter has all the subjects everyday. At her school, it takes two years to complete advanced science courses. BTW my daughter is taking chemistry at the community college. Do you think she can use PSAT score to replace their assessment test? She doesn’t didn’t take ACT yet.</p>
<p>Yes, at our Block 8 school with 4 courses on alternating days, the classes are twice as long. They actually have more instructional time than they would in a school where the classes meet every day because they save time with fewer pacing periods. </p>
<p>Re. ACT testing, my kids started early with middle school academic talent searches. My 2011 son, 2012 daughter and 2014 son have all figured out that it is easier for them to score higher on the ACT than the SAT. The 2014 son actually started with the EXPLORE test in 3rd grade. He scored high on that one and took it annually until he started the similar ACT in 6th. He was one point short of being invited to the Midwest Academic Talent Search award ceremony this year. Unfortunately, because of the PSAT NMSQT, the younger two will have to study for the SAT as well as the ACT. My oldest will be commended but missed continuing on in the NMSQT competition by 3 points! Painful. I do think familiarity makes the tests easier.</p>
<p>My son has not taken it (or the SAT) yet but now I think that we should look into it. Last weekend my son started a math review with a tutor to review Algebra 1 and Geometry (since he hadn’t had these classes since middle school) in preparation for the June SAT 2 in Math. The tutor and I were talking afterwards and he suggested that my son may do much better on the ACT than the SAT because of his slow reading skills. The tutor said the the reading comp. passages on the ACT were easier/or more interesting than the SAT and so my son may do better (since math and science are already his strong points). </p>
<p>When is the best times to take the ACT? Is the prep the same as the SAT? My girls took the ACT once each and never sent it anywhere so I have very little knowledge about this test.</p>
<p>I just found out that my son’s school plans to change the AP Biology schedule next year so that the class will take four “double periods” per week. It is currently four 1-hour periods. So, they are doubling the class time from four hours to eight hours per week. The teacher says that four hours per week does not give adequate time for labs.</p>
<p>This sounds like a lot of time for one subject. What are the AP Bio schedules in other schools?</p>
<p>The science curriculum at my daughter’s school is a little strange. All advanced sciences are two years long, 5 times a week plus lab. If you son or daughter has double blocks in science, I would think that students there must be strong with good attention span.</p>
<p>About ACT vs SAT, If ACT is better for kids with strong math and sciences but slower reading, would that mean for kids with weaker sciences but stronger reading skills, SAT is better?</p>
<p>Igloo, our daughter has very strong reading skills, good math, strong science. We are considering the ACT for her…she took both the PSAT and the PLAN (pre-ACT) and we were very surprized at the differences in her scores. I’d get a prep book and have your student take a practice test from each and see what happens. </p>
<p>Our AP Biology class is one period, 5 days a week.</p>
<p>Iglooo, there is no science on the SAT. Just math. And I don’t think you can generalize about which test is more advantageous to a student. A student just needs to take both and see how he does. In our son’s case (current senior) we submitted all scores to his schools so they could have a more complete picture of his aptitude.</p>
<p>You will probably find a number of us here who fall into the previouly mentioned testing schedule. My son also started taking the Plan and explore in grade school and moved on to the ACT in middle school. Re-took the ACT as a Freshman (wanted to join his High Schools 30 an above club) and took the PSAT as a Sophmore as a “practice” run for next years PSAT.</p>
<p>You will see plenty of discussion on ACT - VS- SAT and test tutoring and preparation classes. From my perspective you should look at the discussion but only use it a helper as you and “little” Aashad put your plan together. Some kids do better on the ACT some the SAT. Some do well with tutoring or prep classes some don’t need it. My son does better on his own. He prepared himself for the ACT test by taking two timed practice tests before the real ACT sessions and did quite well on each. That won’t work for everyone, but you will also see discussions where the hours and money spent on classes and tutoring really didn’t pay off either.</p>
<p>So the basic message is: Use the information you find here as just what it is, information. Take that knowledge and match it with your family situation to come up with a plan that will best suit you and your child.</p>
<p>Just peeking my head in to say hello. I’ve mostly been on the parent of 2010 thread. I also have a '12 daughter so I thought I’d start lurking around here.</p>
Secondly, I agree with amtc. My son’10 received several merit awards from privates that brought the final cost in line with the state flagship U. </p>