Does anyone know how to tell how many questions my son missed on the sat subject test Math II. He didn’t have his calculator he usually uses and the one I did have in the car couldn’t do all functions that he needed. He is going to retake the test in October but will he get the scores back in time for early decision or will they accept it after November 1st. The school said it accepts the October test. How long does it take to score?
@fun1234 – I do not see a detailed score report - just an overall score online – maybe it comes in the mail?
I see this online re percentiles:
https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/sat/sat-percentile-ranks-subject-tests-2015.pdf
@fun1234 , I am not sure if you can order student answer service for subject test? I remember someone says that Oct testing is good for ED or EA. It usually 3 weeks to score the tests.
I am early to rise (5:30 - 6 am) and late to bed (midnight to 1 am). Should be able to get more done. Usually just waste more time. Lol
I do think Oct. tests are ok for EA apps – counting on that for the Physics test.
@Gator88NE if I’m doing all the work over here I’m totally going to call it “our” college search 
re: SAT scores. S is on a retreat so I don’t know if he’ll bother to check, or if he’d bother to tell me if he did. We would only need it for NMSF so not terribly stressed about it.
@RightCoaster I’m with you on repeating the tests. Two (Sep and Oct) and done for my son this fall.
I will make an exception if; 1) he shows an improvement trend, 2) he is close to the magic number , and 3) he is begging to take it again. But I honestly don’t see this scenario playing out.
Dd is officially finished with testing except for CLEPs! Yay! So glad for her.
QOTD: Which colleges have the best food? Any ones particularly known for having good vegetarian options?
After a few days at ND, D is already burned out on the food. Though good, there’s not enough variety especially for a vegetarian.
We’re also confirmed for the “big MAC.” lol D has decided that ND isn’t the right place for her, which I already knew, for a variety of reasons. Neither are similar type schools. Interestingly, a number of people on CC seem to think the program she is at it is some type of ND diversity recruiting event, but it’s not. The students attending the program are pretty homogenous - upper middle class suburban kids from around the world, with not much racial diversity. D says that the counselors are trying hard to convince her to attend because ND doesn’t have very many non-athlete minorities and they feel alone. That’s why we are going big U for D.
@MotherOfDragons Glad The Rationals had a good college road trip. I love those trips. Even bad college visits leave lasting memories, and can be good.
Davidson also has those kinda sorta interesting eating houses. Not sure how that affects the food quality if you go Greek at Davidson. We toured in spring (I think we did a review back in March or early April) and it came off the list, but not because of the food! I had high hopes going in, but c’est la vie. Something has to go.
EFC I’m like an amalgam of all of you all at different times. Just like D17 re: college visits and the vibe she gets (it’s so random!), I feel the same thing will happen once acceptances come in. Based on a cost, she/we will get a ‘vibe’ as to where to attend. If I’ve done my job, most of the offers should be ones we can afford, EFC be damned.
SAT II: D17 took only one SAT subject test in June: 800 in Math 2. She’ll have Physics in October and will be done. She is a couple points below projected NMSF in our state, so our search has moved on from NM schools. I’m not sure at this point if by some miracle she makes NMSF that we will change the current list. She’s happy with it, other than there being too many choices.
D17 had both Princeton and Barron’s for Math. Used Barron’s more, and thought it was hard. I would go with Barron’s.
@saillakeerie Ha! Same here. Late to bed, kinda early to rise. Waste a ton of time.
How long does it take to get the act results for September?
@fun1234 ACT scores come back really fast. Like 10-14 days for the MC, a little longer if essay.
@itsgettingreal17 I need some help. I must have missed a post, but what is the “big MAC” and “going U”? Not only did I get to sleep late last night, and get up early, but I was up every hour with friggin’ leg cramps (thanks for the tonic water tip…forget who it was. I’ve tried everything).
As for ‘good food’, it seems to change all the time. I know there are ‘best food’ lists, but I wouldn’t trust those either. Vegetarian has to be hard to have a variety over the course of a year. Heck, I think most carnivores are going to say there is not enough variety over that time. Check your list of schools in Reddit to see what the students say. That’s always eye-opening. Niche may help too.
@nw2this in general I don’t think folks are looking for pity on either side of this coin and I think it is wonderful that you are able to meet your EFC. That said, had we given up cable, all trips, all dining out for the last 17 years, it would still not come close to meeting our EFC for even one child with the monies saved just from that. If we had never had cell phones at all, we would still be short on the 4 year EFC for one child though admittedly closer. Out of 4. Each families situation is unique and not necessarily simplistic. We drive our cars until they die and still have a tube tv. It still doesn’t gain us a million dollars in college savings.
Luckily for us, I personally don’t see the value in that kind of money spent on a college education when it is available for half that. There are plenty would would agree and disagree on this and fortunately many options at all price levels.
I suppose it is also lucky that my kids aren’t high enough stat I have to consider the ivy question and whether something is “worth” it or not.
@itsgettingreal17 and @jeepgirl that exactly it. The judging is painful at times. If the government believes we could have saved close to a million dollars for 4 kids, I would like them to show me where it all went. We saved/are able to pay about half of that for the 4 combined and frankly that doesn’t seem like we’ve been all that irresponsible. Then again to me, spending a million dollars to educate the 4 seems ridiculous if they can get a perfectly fine education for half that. It frustrates that it limits the options but it is what it is. I just get frustrated that apparently the fact that I feel frustrated is unjustified and it is all my fault for not saving more so therefore am not entitled to complain.
We have relatively average kids. That means no free rides here, no full tuition awards, maybe half if we are lucky but that will be at inflated to start with tuition schools so simply levels the field.
@acdchai I think to an extent that it true. Those who married early, stayed married, have been stable economically with jobs, housing, relationships, in lower cost of living areas, may have been able to save earlier and consistently than others. It can also depend on family size.
@Gator88NE I agree, for example I don’t need to be told that my child shouldn’t major in xyz, that abc is a better option. The assumption being that you are ignorant and don’t know about abc. Even if you explain upfront, posters will still go there, avoiding the actual question asked with unsolicited advice. If you can wade through it you may well find some great answers and suggestions in there but it can be discouraging when asking a simple questions brings all kinds of input on everything but the question posed. There is also a lot of “tough love” on the financial forum that could be presented quite a bit softer and with more tact at times imho. That said, some are absolutely wonderful.
@MotherOfDragons I love the car dealership analogy. I also officially give up my title of Disney Freak to you. That beats us by a landslide and we go relatively often according to most (not necessarily to me mind you). Historically we have done one bigger family trip a year and sometimes a smaller couples only one. Sometimes we just camped and didn’t go anywhere. We did let our kids go on HS abroad trips that were pricey and skipped the summer trips those years to give them experiences they will never forget and broaden their horizons early. I wouldn’t trade those trips and the memories of them for anything in the world…even Vandy or the like. Yes, it is a choice and one we are ok with, as are the kids. I think the youngest (S19) has the hardest time grasping the idea of limitations but it truly wasn’t an issue with the olders because they’ve been informed all along. S19 lives in his own world at times so it’s going to be a few years of repeating myself and giving him his own spreadsheets to manipulate.
I figure the monies saved on cable/internet yesterday at least cover S17’s app fees and test sending fees with maybe some left over.
@paveyourpath I didn’t comment yesterday but agree the $500 is excessive as spending money only, SD14 gets $400 and that includes all her groceries and utilities for the month, if she has leftover it is hers to spend as she wishes. I love the idea of the bulk of it going towards savings for a downpayment on a condo or house post graduation.
@itsgettingreal17 one of D considerations is the access and frequency of farmers markets. 
D thought about ND as well, it is not officially on the list yet. From what D told me, Duke has one of the top ranking cafeteria. UChicago has free milk shake on certain days and she loves the salad bar at CWRU. Farmers markets at Emory. You can tell that she has done her college research very thoroughly
Big MAC…Big Merit Aid Colleges. Delicious and cheap. Okay, maybe not so delicious.
Awesome news @Mom2aphysicsgeek so happy for her!
Congrats to everyone who received the wished-for scores and hugs to those who did not. I have been on both sides with all my kids.
Need an opinion from you nice folks.
Son was filling out his senior schedule on one of the college apps (can’t remember which one). And it asked the level of each class. The choices are AP/IB, Honors, and Advanced. I’m thinking the college ranks them in that order. He’s taking “Calculus II Advanced Honors”, which is technically not AP but it will prepare him for the Calc BC exam.
Which level would you select for “Calculus II Advanced Honors”? AP/IB, Honors, or Advanced?
I know I’m over thinking it, so please don’t remind me. Thx.
@SincererLove Don’t know if you may have seen this. It came across fake-kids Twitter feed yesterday:
[10 Most Impressive College Farmers Markets](9 US Farmers Markets Every Food Lover Should Visit)
Just now checking in on this board. We are up on a small lake in MN with family. All of the cousins except one are here and they are mostly grown up. D is the last one in high school. Such a great group of kids… All are following different paths but they are working hard and making it work.
Sad news from our hometown: group of four amazing girls (Class of 16) on a mini-road trip and were in a wreck that left one dead. She and her parents should be dorm shopping this weekend, not funeral prepping. I just can’t stop thinking about them.
EFC: catching up a bit on that discussion. We could’ve had the EFC. We thought our dinky $150 a month into the 529 was going to do it. We took a lot of good vacays too and then when grad school and then layoffs hit it just seemed like BOOM… Here we are planning for college and there is no time to catch up. So if we would’ve a) taken our heads out of the sand and b) not had any job hiccups, we would’ve totally had the EFC. Oh well, it’ll end up fine and we can totally cash fund a good portion of school, just not at the EFC they think we have.
Congrats to those with good scores today and to those with generous grandparents! I can’t even fathom a world where one gets more than a $50.00 gift from a grandparent!!!