<p>MommyD: My DD13a is also taking the subject tests 6/2. I doubt she will look at the practice tests even though I advised her too. She also did not prep for the ACT she took in March and made a 32. She also took the SAT this year (first time since 7th grade) without prep and I thought her scores were unimpressive. She wants to take the ACT one more time in the fall because she didn’t do the writing portion (state pays for jrs to take the test one time and does not register them for the writing :-/). I’m hopeful that she can get a few more points but idk if a point or two higher will make any difference in the area of admissions. Seems a little silly to me once you are in the 98th or so percentile. Maybe someone can enlighten me if it matters if you have a 32 vs a 34.</p>
<p>As someone who grew up in the Great State of Texas, I knew several people who went to Southwestern for Undergrad. They had a good experience there and honestly, they were also some of the kindest, most honest and thoughtful folks that I knew.</p>
<p>Mine hasn’t gotten any invites…I think these come from what info they put on their tests when they take them…???..
Only a recruiting letter that she’s not interested in…I’d love some Fee Waivers :)</p>
<p>The ACT without writing doesn’t really count to the A list schools and depending on her writing ability it could drag her score down (sorry to be the bearer of bad news) but it sounds as though she is a top student and she should ace it anyway…over a 32 is a great score 2/3 points higher doesn’t make a difference…but the writing does… that’s why they call it Composite score… but the A List schools look at each category of the ACT…
Can she take it in June again just to get it out of the way?</p>
<p>I Hate all these tests…too much Drama and Stress…the questions here…did you study…did you study…did you study…oy veh…
She’s tired of hearing it …and I’m tired of asking it… :)</p>
<p>I just wanted to clarify. S is not getting applications now. He’s getting emails that say a version of this “Based on your high school profile, I am including you among the students who are eligible to apply with our Priority Application! You will be exempt from our application fee and will have the option to submit a personal statement in place of an essay. Please keep an eye on your inbox, because you’ll receive more information about your priority status as you begin your senior year.”</p>
<p>well, a setback in our house with testing. DD is scheduled to take the ACT (1st tiime) in June. I was really hoping for a good score because it seems like a much better test for her than the SAT. She’s felt more comfortable with the practice tests too. Today she was denied accomodations for the test. She needs extra time for tests because some of the medications she has taken cause processing speed delays, so it takes her longer now to get from A to B. She knows the answer, she just needs more time to pull it out of her head. She also has some neurological issues with handwriting now, so she takes longer to write. (She types notes sometimes in class when it’s bad, but for tests, she “thinks” better if she can write instead of typing.)
ACT denied the request for extended time. They said that because her testing shows that she is still performing in the “average range” without accomodation, they don’t need to provide any. The kid was scoring in the 99th percentile before, and now scores much lower, even with the extra time. Her case manager was stunned - she thought it was a really clear case with plenty of documentation. DD is really upset- apparantly she was crying in her GCs office. :(</p>
<p>@Ama: I’m not in the least worried (thank goodness) about her writing score. If she has an area that she is strongest in, it’s writing. She even edits my husbands papers for his MBA classes. We probably aren’t looking at the so-called top tier schools other than her reach which is Vandy. We probably won’t need those SAT II scores either.</p>
<p>@MommyD: I forgot to answer about school scheduling. We go back to school in mid-August. We have both a week long fall break and spring break. We usually go to the end of May but that’s with built-in snow days. We didn’t have any snow days this year so the year was truncated.</p>
<p>wrldtrlvr - TRINITY U - </p>
<p>We visited Aug 2011. We had just come from SoCal, so tainted, we were not impressed with the landscape, the bell tower or the “extra large” dorms. We WERE impressed with the friendliness and hospitality of the campus! I have never meant folks who were so nice and genuine. Most students we came into contact with were from outside of Texas. The website does a great job showing the campus in a “real” way. </p>
<p>At this stage, it is still on the list of schools, but not so high up that I am sure he’ll apply. If they offered full tuition scholarships, even competitive, I know my son would jump it up on the list. They do not have a sup. essay nor do they have an application fee. </p>
<p>Academically, my son views it as challenging without overload. But, he did not sit in on a class.</p>
<p>Prom Day here – Picking son up from school at 2 for a doctor appointment. A bit stressed as to how to get everything done & to date’s house by 5. Opted for 4 couples to meet the limo at 1 person’s house & then have limo available to drop off kids at home after prom.</p>
<p>Anniezz-
So sorry to hear about the ACT. I have heard that they are beyond strict on who gets accommodations, which unfortunately can hurt students like your D who really need the accommodations to even the playing field. But I am especially surprised in that she has documented physical and neurological issues that are affecting her handwriting. Can you appeal? Do you think she will still take it? This test seems to be mainly about moving quickly, at least that is what DS says…Maybe the counselor can put something about this in her LOR.</p>
<p>Edit-Thanks for the info, Longhaul. If DS ever has a chance to do any college research, probably after the year ends, we will see if he likes it as much as I do.</p>
<p>The writing section of the ACT doesn’t affect the composite score. What happens is that there is a 5th score on the score report called Combined English/Writing. But again, it doesn’t factor into the Composite.</p>
<p>Walker, If you’re not already familiar with the essay portion of the ACT, take a look as it seems they seek a different style of essay from even the SAT. My son is a pretty good writer also. It’s the one thing I can honestly say is his passion and he still managed to get only a 5!</p>
<p>Anniezz: Don’t feel guilty about not paying the outrages fee for the ACT prep, S took a $50 prep that was offered on a Sat. afternoon and got a 34. I think it is ridiculous to make parents pay outrageous fees (no one would have showed up in our town!). I am so sorry ACT didn’t accommodate her! The last thing any of our kids need is MORE stress!</p>
<p>annie, that’s horrible! What’s the appeals process? That’s the kind of thing that burns me up. Here, we have a kid who really needs help and doesn’t get it, but people with lots of money get a doctor to say their kid needs accommodations and get them. Those of us from the 2010 thread can take up our pitchforks and torches, if you like.</p>
<p>ree, that makes more sense. It seemed awfully early to start getting kids to send in actual apps (though I’m sure colleges would be happy to take our money anytime).</p>
<p>Oh, I’ve been meaning to write this for weeks! Ds has been getting lots of e-mails to his personal e-mail account, despite creating a college e-mail account the night before the PSAT and putting the new address, he said, on this year’s PSAT. I didn’t believe him, because he’s gotten no unsolicited e-mail on the new account. Well, part of my job as executive assistant is going through all the college e-mails and determine whether they are keepers or junk. If junk, I’ll go the next step and unsubscribe from the college’s e-mail list. When you do that, you often get a prompt like “Are you SURE you want to unsubscribe from this awesome e-mail list?” Well, one time I did it and up popped “Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from the 2010 PSAT list?” So, that mail really was from the previous year’s PSAT, not the 2011, which makes me think all of the mail is from the old PSAT, on which he used the old e-mail address. Just thought I’d share that.</p>
<p>Ds’s work season is over so not a lot going on this weekend. Actually, scratch that. He has an EOY party for one club and another for a second club. At the first party, he’ll find out whether he was elected to an officer’s position. He’s not confident as guess who forgot to go in at lunch and vote for himself? Doh! Anyway, my goal is to get him to study for his two Subject Tests. Good luck with that, Mom.</p>
<p>Anniezz…That is Terrible that they would do that to your D…I would write them a nasty letter…or better yet get All of Us to sign a petition on her behalf !!!</p>
<p>Walker…OPPS sorry for the wrong info…With her scores, which are GREAT…I wouldn’t even test again…and Vandy should be a shoe-in with a 32… :)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the support. We’re appealling, but from what I’m hearing, I’m not very hopeful that it will be approved for the June test. I don’t think that she’ll take it June without the extra time. - I don’t think that she’d do well enough to submit the score, and it actually cuts against her if we try and get an accomodation for September’s test. As long as she scores in the “average range” (somewhere between a 20 - 23) then the ACT people say that she doesn’t need an accommodation. </p>
<p>On the school calendar - we end 6/20 and go back the tuesday after labor day.</p>
<p>Ah, that makes sense that the college emails are from the 2010 PSAT/PLAN tests - DD missed them last year so she wouldn’t show up.
ok, I feel a little better about that now! LOL</p>
<p>Busy Friday…</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who offered ideas for D14’s 16th B-day present 
As of now, it looks like $$ will be the big winner. The poor girl goes from school uniform to Cheer practice uniform and isn’t much of a shopper…which I really don’t get…LOL</p>
<p>Test Prep: Jr had a private tutor for both SAT and ACT. Only met a few times, but she gave him some great self study exercises to do. I still think he got his 35 on the ACT from the acupuncture needles in his head ;)</p>
<p>So, both kids informed me last night that all of their friends think they will be one of those “break-out” party kids once they go to college. Jr then proceeded to tell us that Harvard and MIT are both known for having some serious party kids. (We are now visiting MIT after Harvard in Aug. Insert eye roll here…)
Apparently he is more “goal driven” then the rest of his friends which is why he “has little to no life”. His focus is to “leave girls for later and get into the right college to acquire currency”. Seriously dude??!!!
But wait…it gets even BETTER!!
D14 followed it up with that she has decided that she may want to “practice” her party “skills” her Sr year so that once she is in College it won’t be such a “shock to her system”. </p>
<p>Of course all of this was followed by them telling my H and I “how lucky we are to have kids like them”. Like I picked them up from Target one day while buying Tide detergent.
I simply have no words…</p>
<p>Anniezz- I’m sorry that you couldn’t get accommodations for your daughter’s ACT test. The hardest part really is the speed of the test. The good news is that if she isn’t happy with her score, there are increasing numbers of great test optional schools. Since she is able to prove her abilities when she is has more time, her transcript and essays may be enough to get her into a great school that is a terrific fit for her.</p>
<p>MD, that made me laugh! Especially practicing her party skills. The conversation with your ds sounds exactly like one that ds2 and I could have had.</p>
<p>Annie, the lack of accommodations definitely is something that the GC should put in her letter. That just burns me up that the ACT is OK with her “average range” score rather than letting her score reflect her true abilities.</p>
<p>Annie, that makes me so mad. I’m so sorry for your D. That’s just wrong. Not sure what you already submitted but I hope your appeal works for you. C-R-A-Z-Y.
Happily, grades matter more than tests, so perhaps the GC can write a good explanation in her letter and her class work and schedule will be what they focus on.
Might be worth her trying to write an essay about what she’s been through, without whining, and explain how she’s working hard to overcome the challenges. Poor kid.</p>
<p>Anniezz, I’m so sorry that ACT wouldn’t accommodate your D - it seems very unfair! I wouldn’t worry about the expensive test prep classes, S12 found that simply by doing the tests on his own and reviewing the incorrect answers he improved his score a lot. </p>
<p>MDMom, that’s so funny! You’ll have to let us know if your D14 practices her party skills before college!</p>
<p>I am mostly a lurker but following stories - I have a D13,S15
MD - that is too funny about practicing party skills - my S15 would been right there! </p>
<p>I have a question - just went to academic awards night and our school gives out “book awards” that are given out by colleges - they always go to juniors and there is usually 6-8 of them - my DD got one and I have no idea where the nomination came from or if it means anything - anyone ever heard of these?</p>