<p>SlackerMD, glad your H got called back in. That would make me crazy not knowing if I’d have to go to work or not. That whole thing is a mess.</p>
<p>SlackerMomMD - I’m so glad your husband got called back to work! </p>
<p>crepes - sorry about the parakeet. I did have friends once who found (and caught) someone’s cockatiel in their backyard. It had been missing for a few months! </p>
<p>Sending vibes out to all the kids putting in so many hours studying for SAT’s and ACT’s. I hope they can be done with this chapter of their high school lives soon! </p>
<p>S’s ACT scores were up today - he did great. A couple points lower and he would definitely retest, and a point higher he definitely wouldn’t. I think we’ll call it good and he won’t take it again, even though I already signed him up for February. So yay! Our family is done with ACT forever!! Woohoo! :)</p>
<p>Congrats on NHS for your D, keepmecruisin! </p>
<p>Also meant to say earlier - good luck to your D and her softball team Sally22!</p>
<p>Just saw your post PN - YAY for a great ACT score! So jealous that you are done with the ACT forever. I’ve got one behind D15 so I won’t be able to say that for years and years. Sigh.</p>
<p>Pinot…Congrats on your S’s ACT performance!! Like everyone else, we’re looking forward to the day the standardized test monkey is off our kids’ backs. Barring anything unforeseen happening, D2 and S have the PSAT this month and the school mandated ACT in the spring (as part of PLAN testing) and they’ll be done. :)</p>
<p>SlackerMom…Good news on your H being called back to work. Mrs Wolverine completely understands how you feel. My flight schedule is totally unpredictable, but when I’m home for several days in a row I mess up her “routine”.</p>
<p>PN - congrats to your S and glad he’s done with ACT! </p>
<p>D got her ACT scores as well - 35. She decided she will NOT take December SAT because she doesn’t think she will be ready by then. So, after PSAT, we are somewhat done with SAT/ACT for this year unless she changes her mind. I “warned” her this means she will have another hectic summer next year getting ready for various tests. Wanted to make sure she understands she can’t keep kicking the can down the road.</p>
<p>FromMD…Awesome score!! Congrats to your D!!</p>
<p>Whoa - 35? That’s fantastic! If my D got that, we would definitely be DONE.</p>
<p>Thank you. She did a good job guessing the right answers. :)</p>
<p>Yay for Pinot Noir and FromMD’s kids! Hooray for SlackerMom’s dh (and all other govt employees) returning to work! I hope the impasse is starting to budge (no politics here, moderator, just use of SAT vocabulary word). ;)</p>
<p>I amazed at all of the PSAT/SAT/ACT prep your kids are doing! Not only would I have a riot on my hands, but there wouldn’t be enough time to get the homework + practicing done!</p>
<p>In fact, we had the conversation in the car last night about whether she should do a little more PSAT prep next weekend (the SAT being really fresh) and she was the one saying that she’d like to do one more practice exam. Talk about your roll reversal.</p>
<p>Congrats to Pinot and FromMD’s kids!!! That is awesome!</p>
<p>There certainly has to be a reason that so many of our kids do well in the academics/standardized testing/EC arenas.</p>
<p>Is it preparation? Nope.</p>
<p>Hard work and effort? Nope.</p>
<p>The answer is obvious…SUPERIOR PARENTING!!! :)</p>
<p>Progeny better recognize!! (And my kids said I couldn’t be hip and urban)</p>
<p>^^True dat.</p>
<p>Looks like I stumbled into the smart kids thread. </p>
<p>[Timbuk</a> 3 - The Future’s So Bright - YouTube](<a href=“Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright - YouTube”>Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright - YouTube)</p>
<p>Re multiple score submissions to schools that want to see them all. I read an interview with a Yale admissions officer. He said they truly consider the highest score, but are interested in how many tries it took to achieve that score.</p>
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<p>Agreed, but would you please come over an explain that to my child?</p>
<p>How many kids are thinking about an arts supplement? My kid is working on audition pieces for both the cello and trombone, which could work for the supplement. So I suggested he put both in and present himself as king of the bass clef. My wife accompanies him on the piano, and I asked him if he’s worried a school might say, the cello’s ok but we want the pianist.</p>
<p>Congratulations to Pinot Noir and FromMD’s kids on the great ACT scores! What a relief that must be.</p>
<p>Crepes, I’m sorry to hear that Gatsby hasn’t made his way back. I hope you find him or that you hear that he’s made his way to a neighbor. </p>
<p>Slackermom, I’m glad to hear that your H was called back in. </p>
<p>IJD, I’m amazed by all the standardized test prep too. D said that all her friends at school are talking about putting in three hours at a time this week. I’m sure she’ll look at another practice test or two before next week but I don’t think her schoolwork will allow her time to do much more than that. I am sure my H will be fussing about nutrition and sleep though.</p>
<p>Hi all,
First-time poster, my apologies if I am not doing this correctly. Any guidance is much appreciated! Next week my daughter will take the PSAT. Her freshman year she got a 195 (with no prep) and last year she got a 230 (with no prep). She felt very good when she came home that day, she knew she had done well. Yesterday she took a practice test at home and got a 213 (with no prep). I am wondering if there is any meaningful study she can do at this point, and if she should even try to study. We have all come a bit late to the understanding that the PSAT is probably the most high-stakes test she’ll ever take, since she can only take it once and she is within range of being a semi-finalist. But we don’t want to stress her out too much either. She says she doesn’t want to take another practice test and perhaps she will study some vocabulary. We are in Texas and the cutoff this year is 219. When she got the 230, I think that was in large part because she got 80 on the writing portion. Yesterday she missed two in that section. There is a possibility she could take a 2-hr writing review at a prep center on Monday, perhaps that would be wise? Or do we just cross our fingers and hope for the best? Thank you for listening to my jitters, would love to hear any advice/experiences…thank you!</p>
<p>Welcome mom2twotallgirls. 230 is an amazing sophomore score! I’m sure she’ll do fabulously. Is that single practice test the only one she’s taken? Where were her errors, apart from the two in the writing section? Were they due to carelessness or something she didn’t know? If she wants to take the two hour writing prep class and it will give her confidence, I don’t see any harm in doing it. I understand that there are certain tricks to know for the writing section and that it’s the most “coachable” section. But it sounds like she knows what she’s doing. If she doesn’t want to take the class, she might be just as well served by taking practice tests, checking her errors, and learning from them. </p>
<p>I understand your perspective but unless your D is planning on a particular school that will award a lot of money if she’s a NMF, it’s really not a high stakes test. The SAT (and ACT for those who take that test) is far and away the most important test for college admissions purposes. So try not to stress over it. Easier said than done I know. :)</p>
<p>Welcome mom2twotallgirls…I don’t think I would send her to a review for 2 questions wrong. I would have her review the practice test she just took so she sees why she got them wrong and to reinforce the ones she got correct. There could have been external factors during the practice test and don’t underestimate the power of adrenaline and heightened concentration during the actual exam. If I had a kid who had a real shot at NMSF, I would try to keep her as calm and confident as possible. I would have her review the past 2 PSAT’s to keep her focused on the topics but I would not harp on it being the most high-stakes test she’ll ever take. Confidence is key.</p>
<p>Welcome mom2twotallgirls! I understand your concerns. D is within range also and so I’m totally nervous about this test but I don’t think she knows that. (At least I hope not.) At this point, I would let her lead the way. I’d offer the review session and let her decide. Hang in there!</p>