<p>Two girls:DD’s school fields a varsity & JV team as FH is a full participatory sport at her school, so they have a place for everyone to play. Roster is usually 20-24 for both teams combined without anyninjuries. JV is almost never a full team, so the sophomores & juniors usually play afull varsity game & half the JV game. All of the FH players are in excellent shape - they have to be. They usually run some of the weaker teams off the field as they are in game shape immediately. Stick work & passing are keys to their success - head coach played DIII FH & the assistant played for both the Egyptian National Team & Team USA in the Olympics.</p>
<p>Field hockey in our school used to be a " no cuts" sport, but the game has gotten popular lately and kids left soccer because of all the cuts, therefore FH now has cuts. Most kids make one of the teams- usually there are about 5-6 cuts which always makes me feel bad. My daughter has been on JV- hoping to make varsity in August as the team lost 13 seniors. </p>
<p>4cookie these tragedies happen all too often. No child or parent should ever have to go through this. I hope that your community finds the strength to help them cope.</p>
<p>We had a " consultation" with the SAT/ACT tutor yesterday- this brought junior year into reality- ugh. This is a man that the whole community uses and we have known him now for almost 3 years. His schedule is booked solid months in advance. When I told him that I wanted my daughter to start testing in September and October he said that he does not recommend it. He says that juniors should start in December at the earliest - tutoring will begin the first week in Sept. He then went on to state that he had a student who scored a 2400 the first time, and even she was not recommended to test Sept/ Oct. I then told him that my daughter will take practice tests and study all summer, start tutoring at the end of August, and take the October tests. Again he was adamant that she sit for the Dec 7 and 14th tests, so that is the plan. If she needs to go for a second round of testing he will come back for a one session " tune up." He also said that taking too many practice tests is useless- after a certain number it loses its effect. He left my daughter with SAT work to do over the summer, including two tests and some type of vocabulary " joke" book. I asked him a few more questions about the tests ie is the ACT much harder than the PLAN. He says the PLAN test and PSAT are like the minor leagues, while the ACT/SAT are like the majors ( or something like that…). I consider my daughter to be reasonably intelligent- she has maintained an A+ average in 11th grade honors English this entire year- and got a high score on the PLAN- and the SAT words that he threw at her stumped her. In her defense these words were not in context. Once he put the word in a sentence she got it ( an easier task).He looked at me and told me that she is going to need some vocabulary work in order to get the score that she wants. He told me that even the kids who are accepted to Harvard need vocabulary work for the SAT. Another crazy thing in my community is that many kids go to a " special science tutor" about 40 minutes away to get 2-3 sessions of ACT science prep. My daughter did well on the science part of the PLAN and will NOT be tutored for science- it’s enough already with the tutoring LOL. As the saying goes " whatever it is, it is." Unfortunately I live in a community where every kid gets tutored big time- looking forward to moving one day LOL. I asked him when to stop testing ie if a kid gets a 2250 the first time should that kid re- test ( boy i have been on CC way too long). He did not really give me an answer- says it depends on the school and what you are looking for. I told him that we are NOT interested in the Ivy League schools. She will apply to a few schools just under the Ivy ie Emory etc with the biggest concentration of schools below the level of Emory, etc. I have been telling my kids for years that it’s going to be a state school or an OOS with some merit. If you have read this entire post I need to say sorry once again for rambling.</p>
<p>@twogirls, thanks for sharing that info. You’re right, it puts Jr. year in reality. I feel it’s already upon us with summer college visits scheduled and a test prep game plan already in play.</p>
<p>The book he gave us was Vocabulary Cartoons- SAT Word Power.</p>
<p>Twogirls–you may want to talk to another SAT tutor for a different opinion. While my HS suggests that Jrs take the SAT for the first time in Jan of Jr year, I ignored this advice and had him tutored during the summer after soph year with the plan to test Oct & Dec. My reasoning was that our school’s midterms end a day or two before the Jan test date and my son participates in a winter sport that has a VERY rigorous schedule. I knew that SAT prep would fall by the wayside Dec 1 through mid-March. You may want the May & June dates for SAT IIs.</p>
<p>So, if your D will be playing FH, and if the sport runs through early Nov, she may not have a lot of time to prep for the Dec 1st test (don’t know this year’s date but usually the first Sat after Thanksgiving). </p>
<p>Just adding my two cents. My feeling is that LOTS of HS Srs take test in Oct, including those applying ED but that you start seeing Jrs by Dec. I still don’t understand the ‘curve being built in’ thing, so in theory, it should not matter who takes the test when, but I am not certain. Added benefit of prep for Oct is for NM for PSAT. Just my thoughts…</p>
<p>Twogirls,
Interesting post about the test tutors. It seems just when you think you want to step back and ease up on the pressure, you learn what the ‘competition’ is doing and think you’d better step it up. oy.
I’m confused, you mentioned junior year as it that was upcoming, but then said your D did well in 11th grade honors english. I am just trying to match that up to the tutors recommendation that she wait until December to take the SAT…will that be her Junior or Senior year?
I wonder why he was so adamant about taking the test in Dec rather than October. I was thinking that earlier test would be good, close to PSAT (study for both at once) and get that first big test out of the way, get the scores with plenty of time to retest…</p>
<p>@Cookie - So sorry. I hope your D is doing better today and my thoughts and prayers to boy’s family… I know you live just down the road from where we are. The same storm came thru our area Monday afternoon. As people probably know, we are not used to seeing tornado warnings/tornados in D.C. area. By the time the warnings came thru, the storm was passing us. It was very scary. </p>
<p>@twogirls - Thanks for the info. I think “when to take the tests” question has no one-size-fits-all answers - there are too many personal/family variables but I can see some logic in your tutor’s responses based on our experience with S1/S2. Again, this is only my personal views… 1) doing too many practice tests has diminishing return on investment. You get to a point there’s no real increase in scores; 2) you don’t want to start practice exams too early in the summer; and 3) retaking 2250 really depends on the school and what you are looking for. I think it’s a good score for general admission purpose but if you are going after full ride or 1/2 ride (i.e., full tuition), you may want to consider retake (assuming no hooks). I’d avoid late summer exams (kids are not fully up to speed) and late winter exams (overlap with AP studying). Which leaves Fall to Winter months… Again, just my two cents</p>
<p>Re ACT Science - “2-3 sessions” per week? I think 2-3 session per week is overkill but 2-3 sessions (total) may be reasonable.</p>
<p>CT I asked about a curve and he said there is no curve- if I understood correctly he said that everyone can get an 800. I am going to ignore him just a little and have my daughter do his prep work plus some additional over the summer. He will be starting SAT tutoring starting Sept. 3 and he told me that the tutoring will help with the PSAT- he says there is no difference. He used to do PSAT tutoring but he stopped because when you prep for SAT you prep for both. He claims that PSAT books are a marketing ploy and to focus on the SAT. He also said that if for some reason she is ready for the October ACT she can certainly try, but he recommends Dec. He stated that Sept/ Oct is mostly seniors who are trying for that last chance score. My daughter gets home from practices at 4:30 in the fall. She will be doing all her SAT work on the weekends, including Friday evening. I do not want her taking the tests in Jan- Feb- March due to the intensity of her school work. I don’t want her taking the tests in the spring due to AP tests. I really wanted her to get the testing over with in Sept/ Oct before school gets too intense, but that may not happen. The reality is that these kids are busy all year and it’s hard to get the testing in- I am not convinced that there really is a good time! Anyway that is my experience with the tutor- others may have a different experience. We used him with my older daughter and were pleased, so we are back for round 2. My close friend is taking her daughter to a very intense tutoring center that her older one went to and did well ( not one of the popular ones). I asked the tutor about the SAT prep classes that are so common now- he thinks they are fine for certain types of students but not others. He thinks that once you are at a certain level these classes won’t be that much help because they are geared towards the " average" student. Of course he is going to say that because he does private tutoring, so I listen to him and form my own opinions. I also think that on some level different areas may do different things, which is perfectly fine- and not all prep classes are created equal ( just like tutors). In the end they study, do their best, possibly attend a prep class, and hope for some luck. I won’t stress- I know she will attend a college someplace!!</p>
<p>Shoboe- my daughter is finishing her sophomore year but took 11th grade English and math this year. The tutor wants her to take the SAT in Dec of junior year ( this coming December). I agree with you about the Oct testing- not quite sure why he is so against it.
FromMD- 2-3 sessions total not per week LOL. Also he did say not to start doing practice tests too early. He feels that 10 weeks is a sufficient amount of studying. I also agree that the testing schedule is very personal- no right or wrong.
Shoboe- I live in a very competitive community that can make your head spin. That is why these tutors need to be booked 6 months in advance and this is why kids travel 45 minutes just for ACT science tutoring ( we are not ). I tell my daughter not to get wrapped up in it, but it’s difficult as she sees these kids every day. My advice is to study hard and do your best. My daughter will go to a school that is right for her and one that I can pay for. I can’t get roped into the competitive nature of this town and the fact that they are all into " prestige" ( whatever that means) because I am so NOT into that. When we find the perfect mix of fit and affordability, we have hit the jackpot. Junior year will be fun!!! Ha ha</p>
<p>Using your tutor’s logic of taking 10 weeks of prep time is needed, taking October test will put you mid July starting. Maybe he feels mid-July is too early or he doesn’t offer sessions that early??</p>
<p>^It’s probably a combination of both- he probably takes time off in the summer and he thinks it’s a little early and maybe she needs a break. There is a tutoring center here that is supposed to be very very good and they actually do an intensive SAT summer prep, but my daughter works at camp so she can’t do it. I think if she started her studying/tutoring in July she may be ready for the October test… However I must admit that he made me a bit nervous with the SAT vocabulary.</p>
<p>We started this week. I have her on a daily schedule that is not too intense - just a chapter a night plus vocab. She will be busy a couple of weeks during the summer and I don’t want her burdened with prep once school starts. Hopefully closer to the PSAT date, we can just review and take a couple of practice tests.</p>
<p>I have that Vocabulary Cartoons book. It’s actually very good in that my daughter still remembers words she learned it in when we first got it last year. Unfortunately, we stopped looking at it altogether after the first few sets. I added it into her summer routine but only after going through Direct Hits I and II since so many people claim that those are the best collections of words. That’s the trick - none of the words seem to overlap in all the vocab prep sets so you end up having to use more than one. It’s astonishing how many words kids don’t already know.</p>
<p>4CookieMonster - I wanted to add my condolances. I lost a friend when I was in Junior High in a somewhat similar way. He was riding his bike, but he was struck by a car not a tree. It’s a shock for kids to have to deal with such an unexpected tragedy. I hope your daughter is able to recover quickly. That’s a tough situation.</p>
<p>Also wanted to say I was sorry to hear about your D’s friend, 4CookieMonster. I lost a friend of mine at this age in a car accident. It was really rough on everyone (of course the family the most), and hard for kids that age to process. There’s not much you can do except be available if she wants to talk.</p>
<p>Our experience with the tests, which so far is with D13, is that vocab is what separates the ‘men from the boys.’ She took both tests once end of 11th grade in June, as mostly online schooled that year and had a 3 week block of time between AP tests and SAT/ACT to study. Somehow didn’t think about tests earlier. She’s a pretty good tester and studied on her own with Barrons, CB Blue Book, ACT Real test book. </p>
<p>It soon became clear that she was not going to make up her vocab deficiencies in the time allotted. She forced herself to study those lists but way too many words to learn in a couple weeks, and lists not nearly as much fun as practice tests. Vocab is best picked up gradually over many years of reading difficult material and she stopped reading for pleasure in high school, just read assigned stuff. She quickly was able to get up perfect scores on ACT reading and ACT/SAT writing. But the SAT CR is dependent on good vocab. The practice helped her with time management- all important on fast-paced ACT, reviewing already learned math skills, and developing stamina for long tests, getting used to ‘tricky’ nature of SAT questions. </p>
<p>In the end, all her points off were for vocab, except a few for essay. Same for PSAT, all points off for vocab. It just doesn’t yield to last minute prep, unless you happen to have a kid with photo memory. YMMV.</p>
<p>Lesson for us is that this summer, son, who much to my dismay also no longer reads for pleasure, will spend time on vocab. If they don’t address this in his prep class, we’ll study lists at home.</p>
<p>I know kids take these tests several times, but she came out vowing that she wouldn’t repeat them no matter her score. She found them so grueling, mostly because of the broken nature of the test, SAT especially, all those little timed sections, proctors with all their instructions and admonitions. She couldn’t just relax like at home where it’s quiet, no distractions. Subject tests were different, like a regular test. She didn’t mind those.</p>
<p>I see a lot of the self-motivated kids on here talking about trying to learn 50 or more words a day and I am impressed if they an swing it. I have scheduled it so that we are doing 10 words per day every day, including weekends, for the next 3 months. She will certainly already know some of those words already, I dearly hope, so it shouldn’t end up being a lot of words at once. I’m planning on writing some silly vocab quizzes complete with references to Doctor Who, etc to maybe help her with recall. I need to go look and see if Direct Hits has an online review test. There isn’t much in the books.</p>
<p>Which Vocabulary Cartoons book did he recommend. I looked it up and there is Vocabulary Cartoons, or Vocabulary Cartoons II.<br>
I hadn’t heard of those before, or the Direct Hit thing. I got D the Princeton Review book a while back, but I don’t think it’s been opened. 
She is not enthusiastic about studying over the summer, but I think it is the wise move. I am asking her to come up with a plan she can live with. I signed up for the SAT question of the day that Collegeboard will email, so she has those coming in to keep reminding her to study.</p>
<p>D is enrolled in a prep course right now that is supposed to be the best in the area. She got a 209 on her soph yr PSAT. The instructor separated the students based on their scores on a full length SAT he administed the first day. After the first week of instruction they took another SAT prep test, and she got a 2140 (750 CR, 650 M, 710 WR). She looks to be on track, as I suspect it will be easier for her to pull up her math score with additional work, than it would be for verbal. Biggest surprise of all is that she is not complaining about having to take the class.</p>
<p>It sounds like tutoring is very much the common practice these days. This was either more hidden when my older girls were going through high school or it’s more prevalent now. I have to say, I’m really on the fence over the whole thing. I talked to D’s guidance counselor and a tutoring company recommended by a friend. Here’s what I got:</p>
<p>The timing is a very individual thing. It depends on too many variables to come up with a one-size-fits-all date for starting. The GCs at school routinely advise parents that their kids should wait until later in the junior year because their maturity and knowledge will increase during that time. That makes sense. The tutoring company agreed that yes this is generally true. BUT, if your kid (like many here) is already hitting the ceiling of the test, there may be no point in waiting. In that case, timing may be a function of the kid’s schedule and commitments as well as the upcoming spring testing already anticipated. When I went back to the GC with this, he agreed that this was true.</p>
<p>I am not sure D will have tutoring at all or maybe just a session or two in order to get some targeted advice on writing the essay–the only part of the test she really dreads. (Ironic, because writing is probably her strongest area of ability.) I definitely do not like the company that appears to have a contract with the school and offers classes there. The other company whose rep I talked with discouraged me from placing D in classes which would be geared to kids needing a lot more instruction. Hmm. That makes me a bit wary too. Sure, why not play to parental pride and try to sell private tutoring.</p>
<p>Shoboe it’s the blue and white book and on the bottom it says vocabularycartoons.com-he gave her some work to do from that book. He also gave her work from The Official SAT Study Guide with DVD from CollegeBoard. There are 10 official practice tests. He claims that these are real tests. For the ACT he likes The Real ACT Prep Guide with 5 real tests. He says that the first 3 out of the 5 are very old- the last 2 ( numbers 4 and 5) are more recent. He says that tests 1-3 are not really representative of the ACT because the test has changed so much. He does not like PR- thinks they are too easy. He told her to take 2 practice SAT tests but do not check the answers. He wants to review it with her in Sept and discuss any wrong answers, why they are wrong, etc. in the meantime I may give her one practice ACT and one practice SAT just to satisfy my curiosity.</p>