@chb088
Fwiw, I read on reddit that the usual “curve” is 43=800 for Math II.
@mugglemom, I commend your daughter’s careful and reasoned approach to the college review process. Well-done! I think her time and effort will be well spent and she will reap the rewards very soon.
I hear ya on the ‘here we go!’ sentiment. I kind of feel like our little bubble burst the day we met with our son’s GC (for TWO HOURS) just a few months ago. No clue why but we just assumed he whole college thing would be simple as it was for our older kids. Little did we know that my son and his GC had been plotting for years to mess THAT up for us. Oh no, this time were gonna have to WORK for it. Since then it has been a never ending series of ACT, SAT, SAT II (when did those start being offered?), AP tests, and then actual school tests. Conversations about geographic and financial limits. Learning to zip my mouth as he thinks out loud, trying to figure this all out.
But now…all SAT scores are in the can. Primary essay is done. List is semi-finalized. Summer visits scheduled. Stop, take a breath, and then hit that common app.
This is truly a marathon. But today, as I sit on the porch reading, I hear a strange sound. What is that? Is that a bouncing basketball? Is that my son shooting hoops in the back yard??? OMG, it is! I don’t think he has a had a chance to do that for months. I forgot we even had a hoop. He’s 17. How the heck did he get through all of this and not run away from home?
Yeah, I don’t understand why some people don’t believe what AO’s have to say, but instead think there’s some hidden meaning. Like, “Don’t want” really means “Required if you’re well-off”.
@socaldad2002 Probably the more prudent strategy for subject test-taking would be to take 2-3 exams, and then retake 1-2 of them if the scores are not what is desired. That way your student isn’t spending time studying so many subjects unnecessarily. Still the same issue if applying to schools interested in all scores, but c’est la vie.
Yeah almost there! And while D20 has some fantasies about attending a T20 school, we all feel super fortunate to be in state for UNC. Such a fabulous in state option. That is the main reason I’m not stressed out this go around. Go Tar Heels!
So D just got back from testing and said a girl was throwing up throughout the whole exam. Poor kid but also a big distraction to everyone else taking the test(s). Some things you just cannot plan for…
^^ about comment 5943 - I feel jealous of families living in states with good in-state-public option (it eases in terms of process and financially). State residents like NC, GA, VA, WA, WI, IL, PA, MA are lucky. We are not so lucky - a northeast state with a so-so public univ - everywhere else OOS (stiff competition for majors like CS and have to pay OOS premium).
IL has it’s own issues, like OOS-level-cost for residents; impacted majors; lousy sports teams. 
@cypresspat I took SAT Achievement tests in the 1980’s as they were called then. I think they were required for University of California. I think I took Spanish, Bio and ??? maybe USH?
Yeah, first they were called SAT achievement tests, then SAT IIs, and now subject tests. Been around forever, but on their way out.
@hs2020dad
Also CA and Texas residents have great in state options too. I heard not too great things about PA public schools in terms of affordability, but don’t know whether that is true or not.
I am a teacher and from what I have been told the teacher LOR is supposed to focus on what the student is like in class. We are stressed to not repeat extra curricular etc. I try to focus on their ability to learn, how they handle challenges, how they interact with peers. So is having two math teachers bad? Maybe if they want to study English in college, but otherwise look for a teacher who can speak eloquently about them as a student.
Regarding subject tests, we visited Georgetown and found their insistence on the SAT subject tests very off putting. We asked about substituting APs and they were adamant that it had to be SAT subject tests. To us it seemed like a spend more money ploy and we don’t care ploy, so we were done with Georgetown. She had a 36 ACT at the start of junior year and has a great resume, she didn’t feel the need to do all that extra testing. The few schools that have it as optional we will apply to without them, and if that is what stops her from getting in, we are fine with that. There are plenty of other great schools she is interested in(that might give merit aid!) that don’t require the extra work.
we are midwest; on our third HS student; two different districts (one a top district; the other is a low SES district).
never, not once, has any kid mentioned or been told about taking SAT subject tests. I know NO kid around here who has taken them. It is just not a thing.
If my kids had a super high ACT scores; and were looking at top schools; maybe perhaps the counselors would have mentioned it. . . I only know about those tests through this forum. We just can’t afford top schools with 4 kids; and while I’d like to think I have “average excellent” kids, they wouldn’t probably even be considered.
my older two are at our state school; doing great. Sometimes I wonder if things would be better if we had lived elsewhere, and had that drive for top schools in our culture. I think things are good now; not sure if it would be any better elsewhere.
@makemesmart CA has those good schools, but then you have to deal with impacted majors and lack of housing. Maybe 5 years to graduate…but at least the weather is nice. 
School is wrapping up and D20 will finally have a couple days free before she starts her summer job. Hoping to squeeze in a couple of visits to local, or at least driveable, colleges in the next couple of weeks. And yesterday we booked a trip to the Philadelphia area in mid-June. We’ve never been to Philly, and there are a handful of schools on D20’s list in that area. Our plan is to visit Temple, UPenn, and Lehigh. We’ll also drive by Lafayette, but won’t have time to do the tour. I think it will be a good trip. Even though it’s only 3 schools, it includes a good mix of size, type and accessibility. And they all have the programs she’s looking for.
We still have a lot of work to do to narrow her list, but happy to (hopefully) make some progress.
@momzilla2D That sounds like a great trip. Definitely walk around Lafayette. Its just minutes from Lehigh. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember, is D looking to major in engineering? If she is, do a drive by on Drexel too. It borders Penn, doesn’t have as nice a campus, but everyone I know that goes is very happy with their education and their co-op experiences… I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on them.
@MuggleMom Thank you. Drexel was not on our radar. We’ll definitely take a look while we’re there. Yes, D is looking at engineering. Though she is not 100% sure, so looking for a school that also has Cognitive Science and/or Actuarial Science, in case she changes her mind. Oh, and today she threw in that she may want to minor in musical theater. Just came from her voice recital, where she had me in tears, when she sang “She Used to be Mine”, from Waitress. 
@momzilla2D I love that song! FWIW, when we toured Drexel a few years ago, the engineering tour presentation talked about extra scholarships for those interested in the arts (dance was mentioned). No requirement to minor in it, just participate in an EC. Kinda cool.
If she becomes more sure of engineering, I highly recommend taking a look at Olin College in Needham, Mass. Certainly not for everyone but unquestionably an amazing school. Definitely worth a look.
@Octagon S17 took 4 SAT subject tests - two were science, and probably redundant, but he was taking AP too, so it was basically his time and some $ to CB. 5-6 seems excessive unless a few were to replace lower scoring tests. S20 took 3 - math, a science and a language.
@MA2012 Thanks for the feedback. It would be easy for my S20 to take another subject test in chemistry since he did very well in the course - just trying to decide if it is worth it at all. He will probably stick with the 3 that he took since he did well in them.