<p>My son said he thought the math 2 subject test felt just like taking the math sections of the SAT, it just covers some harder material. He took a practice test at home a couple weeks before to prepare. That’s not all that helpful, but it’s all I’ve got!</p>
<p>Thanks all. We don’t know which book we should get to just get some idea what it’s like, and find some practice problems. D’s school is not preparing them well in math. (well science and math in general.)</p>
<p>To get started, HS guidance office should have a Subject Test guide book for free that CB sends around. It has practice questions in all the subject tests. Or you can do the practice online:</p>
<p>[Math</a> 2 - SAT Subject Test Math Level 2 Practice Questions](<a href=“The SAT – SAT Suite | College Board”>The SAT – SAT Suite | College Board)</p>
<p>I think these are the same 28 questions as in Subject Test guide book?</p>
<p>If you want to buy their official practice tests: <a href=“Product listing”>Product listing;
<p>Actually much cheaper from Amazon, but these are the items.</p>
<p>While many of you were dropping your kids off at the SAT we were driving to Pittsburgh to visit Carnegie Mellon. The purpose was to show D a “techie” good school not too far from home and in a “real” city. It probably won’t make the final app list as I explain below, but it was a great day in a fun city anyway:</p>
<p>The info session was fine, decent overview and actually learned a thing I didn’t know - that students apply to up to 3 colleges and rank them in order of preference. I thought D would have to choose one and only one and as a junior having to apply to only eng or cs or sci would be hard. Session was otherwise just OK - mostly a video shown in spurts but covered decent ground in an hour.</p>
<p>Tour…well there were like 60 people in our info session and when we were told the tour guideS would meet us after I assumed we’d be split up into smaller groups like we have been at every other school we’ve visited. Uh, no. Those three guides led us ALL around campus as one huge group and simply took turns speaking at each stop. Though the tour guides were actually engaging and funny, most of the group couldn’t hear them. At other schools we’ve not only been broken into smaller groups but the guides have taken different routes around campus so as not to all arrive at each stop together. Its not a “she’ll never go to CMU” thing but it makes me wonder.</p>
<p>In general, Pitt the city was a bigger hit than I expected form my “need to be in a REAL city” kid and the free city bus pass for students sounded great. Are around campus was cool, Pitt to one side, safe and fun looking area all around. There was a football game going on and hardly anyone was there watching it, but that’s not why D is interested in the school so not a big deal.</p>
<p>The only serious turn-off was that the financial aid brochure makes it very clear that CMU not only doesn’t meet full need but will probably gap everyone and that on top of loans. For that reason it will probably not make the final app list. I’ll do a CC visit report in the next couple of days.</p>
<p>OHMom, Thanks for the “report”. We will definitely visit CM some time soon. There are several programs that’re attractive to both of my kids. </p>
<p>Maxwell, I bought CB’s SAT subject test book. (the one that celesteroberts cited.) It has a couple “official” tests of each subject that we found very helpful. I wish there were more. Princeton review book combines math level 1 and 2. I’ve heard good and bad things about Barrons. But I’d get it anyway, just because there’s not much practice material out there. My D. plans to take the SAT math II in January.</p>
<p>60 people on a tour is way too many! I know you shouldn’t make decision on a school based on how they do their visit days, but poor planning, lack of consideration of visitors, disorganization…those types of things do put questions in your mind. Not to mention the negative affects of trying to see a dorm room, or walking down a hall in a crowd of people.</p>
<p>I have planned a visit this weekend (Veteran’s Day weekend) to 2 schools in Atlanta, but D is saying she doesn’t really want to go. It’s not the schools, it’s just the thinking about college stuff/stress that I think she would rather avoid. She also just wants to sleep and hang out in her pajamas, with an occasional outing with friends. I get that. She’s a teenager, and perhaps takes after me in that respect too…I would usually prefer to just stay home than go and do, but even I get stir crazy and need a break from sitting around the house. I think she does too. I am trying to find out if there will still be fall color to see in the Atlanta area this weekend. I would very much like to see fall foliage. It’s been a couple years. Again it’s that trying to balance not stressing her out or increasing her anxiety, but still getting things done. I’m thinking, if leaves seem likely and she doesn’t have some compelling reason not to go, we will still go.</p>
<p>We are going to see a couple of schools this weekend too. I am just starting DD on the process…I want her to see our state school and a smaller school to get a feel for things. We don’t even know her PSAT scores yet so we cannot get too firm on a list of schools. But I want her to start thinking about it all…</p>
<p>Hi all, Just checking in. We are waaaaay behind with SAT and college visits. D told me over the weekend she wants to try January SAT. This will be her first SAT. She is not showing any interest with college visits so we have not done any. I think she has her mind set for our flagship where her brothers attended and doesn’t see any reason for visiting other schools, spending time she doesn’t have. I honestly don’t know how I feel about this…</p>
<p>You are actually not behind on SAT nor college visits. The normal time to start all that is spring of Junior year. We are just visiting nearby colleges because we have a 5 day weekend and this will give us something to do.</p>
<p>Thank you for the report, OHMomof2! CMU is a maybe on the list and that’s probably going to morph into a no.</p>
<p>FromMD, I feel behind as well. We’ve really only done one formal visit, and it was not really a school she was all that interested in anyway. I’m still trying to figure out where to go for spring break and what schools to see then. At the end of the day, I won’t be surprised if D ends up at one of our state schools and so I wonder if all of this college visiting is even worth it.</p>
<p>shoboemom, there should definitely still be fall foliage around Atlanta. Heck, it might just be starting. I’m in Ohio and things are peaking right now, maybe just slightly past peaking.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the great trip report OHmom. I remember being on a tour with numbers like that once, but that was AFTER we were divided into groups! Nothing like picking a popular week for college visits.</p>
<p>FromMD, you aren’t behind at all. The way I see college visits at this early stage, it’s just to get a feel for different sorts of campuses and to see different schools’ approaches to education: majors, distribution requirements, core curriulum, housing, location, etc. And of course for many of us, it’s important to look at which schools provide what sort of aid. But really, until the junior year grades and scores are in, it’s not clear what will end up on a list.</p>
<p>S2s first SAT will be in Jan and likely a second one in March. April will be ideal for ACT but he has Disney Festival trip that weekend. Dont know when we can schedule ACT for him. His test prep program includes ACT lessons/workshops and practice tests as part of the package so I want him to take advantage of that before he takes the ACT.</p>
<p>Thanks suzy, I’ve been surprised at how hard it is to find current info on leaf color for the area. </p>
<p>From MD, has your D spent some time at the flagship? I think it’s good, if you think the schools will be in the budget, to visit a few of various types and sizes. Once D gets into the search (which I hope she will, eventually) and narrows it down, I just want to be sure there is time for 2nd visits where we would spend more time…she could sit in on classes, maybe spend the night, so to me, visiting now just helps with the narrowing down, and figuring out what to watch for. I can just see this next year flying by and if we don’t visit when I know we have time, I think I may wish we had, but I know it’s not required at this point.<br>
I also just want to see some of these schools. Some of the campuses are beautiful.</p>
<p>Did you all get the email about this from CC?</p>
<p><a href=“https://hobsons.webex.com/mw0307l/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=hobsons&service=6&rnd=0.390865101123143&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhobsons.webex.com%2Fec0606l%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D1398712266%26%26%26%26siteurl%3Dhobsons[/url]”>https://hobsons.webex.com/mw0307l/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=hobsons&service=6&rnd=0.390865101123143&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhobsons.webex.com%2Fec0606l%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D1398712266%26%26%26%26siteurl%3Dhobsons</a></p>
<p>D. has never even looked at ACT. All she did were SATs - general SAT and subjects. Sometimes I feel unsure about that. Are there colleges only accepting ACT scores?</p>
<p>hersandhis, I don’t know of schools that only accept ACT, but some that require the SAT subject area tests, in addition to the SAT, will take the ACT instead. So if you are applying to any of those schools, the ACT can minimize the number of tests you need to take. Also, some kids just prefer the ACT, or like to take both so they can see how they do and then decide which to submit.</p>
<p>At this point in time, all colleges accept both SAT and ACT, and there’s no real preference of one vs. the other. When my D’12 was going through this, I asked a lot of questions because she was applying to some schools in traditionally ACT states, and was told that even for scholarship purposes, in this day and age they just convert the one score to the other. (So if they typically look at ACT scores, they just convert the SAT to ACT scores and vice versa.)</p>
<p>That being said, there are some schools that require SAT Subject exams, even with the ACT. There are other schools that, if you submit ACT scores you don’t have to submit SAT Subject exams, but if you DO submit SAT Subject exam scores, you also have to submit any SAT reasoning exam scores.</p>
<p>In general, if the amount of testing is reasonable (and not over the top) I don’t think it hurts any applicant to submit all of the test scores. Test scores aren’t that influential at the most selective schools (they’re looking for some relatively low level of proficiency) and they really WANT to report the highest scores possible for their accepted/enrolled class. They will give the student the benefit of the doubt.</p>
<p>What I worry about is kids like my D, who do a LOT of ECs but have very little to show for it because they don’t make the cut for the state or national level competitions. Lots of time spent, but nothing to show. How do you represent THAT on an application. This is the kid where the toast always lands butter-side down. (The older one always had the toast land butter-side up.) Sigh.</p>
<p>If anyone needs Math2 materials, PM me your e-mail address and I’ll send stuff.</p>
<p>celeste I’ll PM, thanks!</p>
<p>There’s a PSAT prep thread in which a dad talks about making a shower curtain of SAT words and putting words on the fridge and stuff for reluctant preppers. D is one - I bought her the Direct Hits vocab book and it has been sitting unopened since summer.</p>
<p>I moved it into the bathroom the other day - no dice.</p>
<p>Last night I opened it up and made funny notes in pen next to the first two pages of terms, about 6 word groups and left it on the kitchen table where D gets coffee and sits to eat her egg sandwich in the morning and guess what? A note back from D saying “Mom: I actually read these. Well done!”</p>
<p>So I think I know what to do now…</p>
<p>My kid told me that she only does her SAT and ACT work because it’s assigned. I like the shower curtain idea- I am thinking of making vocabulary sticky notes and putting them all over the house.</p>
<p>Kids where I live generally take both tests 2 or 3 times and hand in their best test(s). My kid goes back and forth between talking about colleges and then seeming completely disinterested and annoyed at me for bringing up the subject. She did say that Muhlenberg is too small, which now means that we can take the small schools off the list- we had 2 or 3.
Thanks for the info OhioMom. Pitt is a great city. Our next round of schools will be during the February break, followed by April and then one or two re-visits during the summer. Unfortunately my kid won’t leave the house when there is a three day weekend or a day off like tomorrow- Election Day. There will be one or two schools that she will apply to without visiting- if they give her decent money we will visit. We get a lot of schools touring the area ie " Rochester in your area" types of visits, but getting her to leave the house during the week is impossible.</p>
<p>IJD what kind of ECs does your D do? My older one did three varsity sports without any competitions etc but the time commitment and dedication was enormous.</p>