<p>Our D12 took SAT II in June sitting, after APs because she was thoroughly prepared by studying for the AP and did not have to worry about other May exams. As for SATs, one thing to keep in mind is that taking them earlier, rather than later (provided student has prepared), could be less stressfull because there are plenty of times to retake. You will want to avoid the “high stakes” of taking the test too close to college applications.</p>
<p>How do you decide if the kid is ready to take the test? Is it the math portion of it? If kids learned all the stuff in math, precal/algebra, are they ready?</p>
<p>We decided that my son was NOT ready to take the test when he did a full length, timed practice test and scored 170 points lower in CR than the math. He is going to work on his CR section over the christmas break and take the SAT in January for the first time. Honestly, I don’t think that he will bridge the gap until after he takes a SAT prep class (which he is not willing to do yet). But he can do this between February (when he gets his Jan. results) and June (when he takes his next SAT).</p>
<p>This is where the PSAT is really helpful, even for kids who are not in Commended or NMSF range. It was clear from D’s 10th grade PSAT that CR was her weak spot so she has worked with a tutor this fall - reviewing writing and math, but really focussing on reading. We’ll see if it improved her PSAT any. She’ll take her first SAT in November and depending on the scores, we’ll decide whether she needs to take it again.</p>
<p>SAT IIs are a real issue for us. No AP classes until the junior year so there is no opportunity to piggyback on studying for AP tests prior to this year. Also, very few kids in our HS apply to schools that require SAT IIs so there is no real correlation between the material taught in the upper level classes (including APs) and the material covered in the SAT IIs. So that means a student needs to figure out what hasn’t been covered and self-study. D1 took Math 1 and was on track to take US History until she started reviewing and realized how much material hadn’t been covered in her APUSH class. (Our APUSH can also be taken for college credit granted by a local top-20 LAC, so most kids don’t actually take the APUSH test.)</p>
<p>Anyway, for D1, she ended up not needing SAT IIs for any school she applied to, so it was a moot point. But as of now, it looks like D2 may need them :(</p>
<p>D2 is signed up to take her first SAT in January. She is not taking any SAT II’s as none of the schools she is interested in require them. D1 took SAT II’s and did not need them for any of the schools she applied to. D2 stresses out too much about tests as it is so the fewer the better for her.</p>
<p>There are 5 1/2 days left of the first quarter marking period for my son and the pressure is on. He is going to take the ACT on Saturday, strictly for practice (scores will not go anywhere), but he has not opened a book in prep. He says that he remembers the test from when he took it in 5th grade (talent search)…aargh! He, like many of the 2012 boys here does not put in the extra effort lately. He has a 90% in two of his classes that could, with one bad quiz in the next 6 days, drop to a B/B+ just before the quarter grades go in! Love the kid on the couch.</p>
<p>That is too bad about your son, lazing on the couch. I wish I had a dollar for everytime I asked (told) my youngest to turn off the video games and go read something. I really think the ability to “connect the dots” develops later in some boys. </p>
<p>If you ever come up with the magical elixer, to motivate a male teenager, you will be a millionaire.</p>
<p>We have decided to have a go at the Nov SAT. We will take advantage of the long week off (election and teacher’s convention) to cram! </p>
<p>If the cramming plan works and we can be one and done, I will be very very happy :)</p>
<p>You have a week off in New Jersey in November??? Lucky ducks! We have Thursday, Veteran’s Day, off but back to school on Friday. </p>
<p>My son is not unmotivated 4kidsinarow, he is undriven. He “talks the talk but dosen’t walk the walk”. He has lots of motivation but procratinates.</p>
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<p>seiclan - this just cracked me up! it sounds so much like something my S12 would say!</p>
<p>PinotNoir, I love your screen name. Sometimes a good Pinot Noir can be my best friend…usually at about 5 PM every night!</p>
<p>Yeah, sometimes that kid has me laughing too. Teen boy/man logic just gets to me.</p>
<p>I’ll second that seiclan - one of my favorite times is when I’m in the kitchen cooking dinner with the help of a good glass of wine, with H & the kids coming in & out, chatting for a minute, helping to cook, or talking about the day. on a good day, it doesn’t all devolve into bouncing a basketball through the kitchen or picking on a younger brother!</p>
<p>PRJ: There is no reason to push the SATIIs, Most of the competetive school only require two, so you can wait until junior year and take them after the AP. It is not worth it to take them, until student has prepared. The admissions committee is not going to see them until the fall of senior year, at the earliest. The only benefit to taking them early is if the student took an AP freshman or sophomore year, felt really good about mastering the material and wanted to get a bite at the apple early to maybe take a little pressure off by getting one good score in the bag and not have to schedule it in between SATs, ACTs or state mandated standardized testing, much of which falls junior year. None of that is worth taking an SATII unprepared.</p>
<p>My class of 2008 D’s math sequence finished trig in Jan of her junior year and started calc in Feb, so she took the SAT II/SAT Subject Test in Math 2 then (Jan or Feb; I don’t remember). That was what the kids’ math teacher had suggested, and it was a good idea to “get it over with” 
If you think you might be taking the Math 2 test, it is reasonable to take it as soon as you are done with trig. Not sure whether class of 2012 S will take any SAT II/SAT Subject Tests.</p>
<p>The recommendation on taking the Math 2 SAT 2 on the SAT threads on CC is to take it as soon as you finish with precalculus. If you/your child is not taking precalculus, then they should take the Math level 1 (which only goes up to Algebra 2). This is of course, if you need SAT 2’s at all.</p>
<p>I disagree with the thought that there is no correlation between the SAT II’s and the APs. Both of my daughters have found the multiple choice questions very similar. The subject exams tend to be more “nit picky,” but knowing those facts help them on the AP tests. So, they have always found studying for the SAT II’s in the same subject at the time of the AP is helpful.</p>
<p>I think taking the SAT subject test right after finishing an AP course is a great idea. My older son did this with Chemistry and US History. My junior will be taking US History and Math 2 subject tests this spring. Math 2 because I know some places will use it for Math placement. At my older son’s school they used math AP scores and the Math 2 subject test. The problem my son had was that his orientation was before AP scores came out, so it was nice to have the Math 2 handy.</p>
<p>My older daughter also felt it was a benefit to take her Subject Test exams around the time she wrapped up taking APs or the appropriate “college level” course. She did this with US History, Bio (M) and Chemistry and was very happy with the results. She did not need to take a math Subject Test at the schools she applied to so she didn’t bother with Math 1 or 2.</p>
<p>DD took Math II right after finishing precalc and Chem right after finishing Honors Chem (not AP). That worked well and she’s happy with her scores. She’s planning to take the English subject exam in May and one of the two AP English exams in May as well. I’m hoping that that will be the end of testing (except for AP physics exams at the end of Senior year).</p>
<p>Certain scholarships at our state flagship look like they’re based on the ACT. We’ll need to figure out if it’s worth taking the ACT just for that reason. I’m thinking June, which is after school is out if that’s the case.</p>
<p>What do kids do in summer after junior year? Do they mostly take tests and prepare for applications or can they spend it as they did in previous years?</p>