Unless Khan Academy self-study pulled out a miracle I don’t think my kid is on NMSF level, so I’m not sweating the PSAT scores. I signed up for the December ACT. However I’ve been unable to upload a picture through the ACT phone app. It crashes every time I log in. Seriously annoying.
@thinkon at least for the AP exam (which is run by the same company), the score release is based on the state from which you check it, not the state you took the test in.
Last year, my daughter wanted her AP score because her friends in AZ had the score, but no one in TX had their score. Then I remembered that, for my employer, I actually VPN into a CT server. So I checked her scores from CT, even though I was physically located in TX.
Turns out that everyone in her TX school ended up using a VPN of one sort or another to check their grades. I’m not sure why they stagger releases considering it’s so easy to falsify your location.
EDIT Now that I think of it, I’m not sure if it was the AP scores or the PSAT scores I had to check via VPN.
@homerdog it’s literally impossible to guess what the cutoff scores are when literally no one has received their scores. Anyone making a guess is full of BS. When you get your score, just estimate that it will be the same as last year.
Son19 signed up for December SAT and ACT.
We’ll see how he does. I’ll keep my fingers crossed he can post up a decent result.
@ninakatarina “I was a crappy student but a great SAT-taker, many years ago when we were chipping our answers into stone blocks… I got into a college that was well above my academic weight range on the strength of great essays and a very good interview and hook.” I think that’s how many of us got in back then. Times sure have changed.
:)) The same with my boys 
I am the one who signs them up for the tests and pay to have the scores sent to colleges. At one point, S17 reset the password as he wanted to use VPN to check his AP scores.
Last year, S19 could not check his score for that reason. Usually I am on top of those, but I was occupied with S17’s college applications and since sophomore PSAT did not matter, I did not check it until late morning (usually I check at 5AM EST from my phone in the bed) and then texted it to S19. He figured he will get it (from me) so did not fret while his friends at school were all talking about their scores. I gave S19 the password, so I assume he will check his SAT this Friday morning.
These days one can check the scores from a smart phone anywhere. It takes less than 30 seconds.
Are they not allowed to use phones at all at school? even during lunch?
That answers the question.
It depends where you check the score. I predict more VPN use by students.
I am hoping for one and done scenario as well. If not but close, then I am thinking of having him take Subject tests in December and redo SAT in March since there are no Subject tests in March. There goes Thanksgiving and Spring break for test prep. >:)
D19 is still undecided about subject tests. She took AP World History last year and we considered doing the history subject test. But she decided that she wasn’t going to do well and she should save her subject test for a different class. She only got a 3 on the AP test, so I guess it was a good decision.
Guess we’ll find out what schools she wants to apply to and whether or not they even want subject tests.
Good plan.
CollegeBoard sells a big blue book with all Subject tests. One can get it, possibly from library, and try them before signing up for a test. AP curriculum/tests do not align well with Subject tests, so one has to prepare for the subject test separately.
S19 is a STEM kid, and science/engineering schools like to see Math II and Chemistry (or Physics) subject test scores.
@payn4ward
She can’t check for two reasons. One is she also doesn’t know the password 
lol
But the other reason is that she doesn’t have a data plan with her current phone and has to rely on the school WiFi which works horribly. She will soon be switching phones and will have data, but she was waiting for the iPhone 8 and she’s been so busy since they came out that she hasn’t gotten to it.
And d will also be doing the Math 2 and chemistry subject tests, just in case she applies to the couple of places she is interested in that require them.
Are you talking about schools like Cal Tech and MIT @payn4ward ? I haven’t seen subject test requirements for engineering majors at public flagships or schools like RPI.
we just did the Math II subject test (waiting results) and will likely do physics as for a long shot S is applying to my Alta mater, Carnegie Mellon. Mostly the tip top schools either require or suggest them.
@eh1234 Carnegie Mellon above is one of them. Virtually no schools “require” the subject tests, but rather recommend them.
@mom2twogirls That was my guess, no password. :))
S17 used his flip phone or slide-out phone until Senior year. 
8 years of no smart phones.
He had a iPod touch (5?) though, and was able to use school Wifi which was pretty good.
And then he chose One Plus 3T with wicked high spec (128 GB and 1080p, etc) at half the cost of an iPhone. My kids all went Android and PC, sorry Jobs.
@payn4ward She has a smartphone but she has republic wireless for service and pays only for unlimited calls and texting. Data is WiFi only and the school WiFi doesn’t work great.
@eh1234 Cornell requires subject tests for engineering majors. We are in NY and typically a few kids go there from our high school each year, so it’s one she may apply to.
Ugh. SAT 2s. Taking Math 2 in Dec. Probably American History in May. I don’t really know why S19 is taking them. We could make our lives easier and just apply to schools that don’t need them but so many of his schools say they will look at them if they are good (“consider” them) so I feel like he should just give it a shot.
On a completely different note, does anyone know anything about Tufts? A friend of mine with a D18 is looking closely at it and our S19 is so much like her daughter. They’ve visited twice and she might do ED. Wondering if I should look more closely for S19. Full price for us, though, so we’d have to consider that. She said the students seem quirky is an academic kind of way and really mature. Curious what else I can find out on CC.
My S is applying for a local enrichment program, and they want a letter of rec from a STEM teacher. My S is incredibly quiet in class, I don’t know what teachers would say other than he gets great grades. I keep telling him to let his teachers get to know him better and to let his personality out in class, but it seems to go against his nature.
I sympathize @4MyKidz because my girls both tend to be very quiet introverts.