D got deferred by her REA today - I think by the time the decision comes, she wouldn’t care as much about being denied. Again, really happy she applied to that safety…
@typiCAmom Sorry for the bad news. Hopefully she’s happy with her other choices.
@washugrad Congratulations on Reed! Those donuts are addictive!
Ah - I don’t have that one, just Fed Ex. I guess no one with USPS informed delivery had let either CC or reddit know that Reed had sent out their ED packages.
Re USPS informed delivery, for years people on the USC (California) threads have said even if they had informed delivery, they couldn’t see in advance that the acceptance boxes were coming - one poster there says it’s because the school has to opt in to allow that to be done and that USC apparently didn’t. So don’t assume you will always be able to see every item coming via USPS even if you have informed delivery.
@CAtransplant according to the USPS, it isn’t possible for a sender to opt out of informed delivery.
@milgymfam oh really? That’s interesting - that’s what one of the major posters on the USC threads has been saying is the case for years, that they have to agree to it. I wonder how USC has managed to slide under the radar for years then? I recently signed up for informed delivery and sometimes I get the email that shows some pieces of mail but then says “you have a piece of mail we have no photo of” or something like that so I dunno!
re: usps informed delivery
Don’t know anything about opting out, but not every envelope is scanned. Standard letter-size envelopes do get scanned, but larger ones usually don’t — there’s a placeholder that says there’s and item with no image. Packages also aren’t scanned, but you do get a tracking number and can sometimes tell where it’s from.
@washugrad Congrats!!
@typiCAmom
Stanford defers a very small percentage of its REA applicants, while rejecting the majority. We knew of a student who were deferred in EA round and got in in RD a few years ago, so in a way, your DD must have a pretty good application. Good luck.
@bigmacbeth I just saw on Reddit that people are getting Pomona decisions in case your friend hadn’t gotten the word yet.
I’m curious as to those who had their kids do test prep (SAT). What did your kids do? Did you find it helpful?
My eldest (DS20) is naturally a good tester and didn’t do any test prep. Didn’t even repeat a test. His brother and sister (twins 2022) are not quite as good testing and I’m thinking test prep could be helpful. But curious if anyone has found it actually does help.
Thanks!
@momofmanytoo lol now there is an idea!
It really depends on the kid. We tried a group prep class class for my oldest and it was a waste of money. They gave general pointers but didn’t delve into the areas where he needed help. We tried one on one (more expensive) and it was very helpful.
My best advice is practice, practice, practice. Think of it as preparing for a marathon. It isn’t about sprinting but is about endurance. Feeling comfortable with the pace of the test is 3/4 of the battle. Commit to taking entire practice tests in one sitting rather than working on sections individually.
Regarding test prep - S19 and S20 used different programs. S19 used group big name online classes and S20 used 1:1 skype tutor. Neither improved with those programs. Practice tests using OFFICIAL tests and reviewing each incorrect problem is what helped both turn the corner. While my info is focused on the ACT, my oldest found the same technique worked for the SAT. Youngest opted out of SAT.
S19: first practice test was 31 and ended up with a 36
S20: first practice test was a 32 and ended up with a 35 (so close to a 36 with a 35.25 but did not want to retake obviously)
S20 also tutored his friend for the ACT using official practice tests. She went from a 24 on the September ACT to a 29 on the October ACT.
What we found most helpful for both was some exposure to each test and then choosing one to focus upon. Both of mine preferred the ACT. Kaplan (I think) did a free mini test day at our HS that helped my DS16 choose. He did all other prep on his own. My DS20 preferred to sit for a real test of both, chose the ACT and then worked on specific areas through Kahn Academy + 3 sessions with a private tutor to go over materials and test strategies.
Thanks! Very helpful! Where do we find official practice tests?
@mtemmd
D19 & D20 did test prep, starting with PSAT, then SAT. We did it because they did not have much experience with standardized testing (they weren’t in public school). When they took the SSAT for HS, I didn’t feel their scores reflected their abilities.
The prep we used were weekly local classes, grouped by ability, based on an initial assessment. The biggest thing it helped with was ensuring they were working through practice tests over a period of a few weeks. We did find it useful, since I honestly don’t think my kids would have done the prep on their own. I suspect it also helped them get a handful more questions correct on each section. But online prep may have done that, too.
If your kids are the kind that have the discipline to practice, practice, practice, then they may not need a class or tutoring.
@mtemmd
College board publish official test books for SAT (the blue book), it contains 8 real tests, I guess ACT has something similar (we only did SAT). DS20 used the blue book for his SAT (and PSAT) preps. You can get it free from Khan academy but since the actual test is on paper, we got the book for him.
For both S19 and D20, we using the released test ACT grind of practice, practice, and practice and did not pay for test prep.
S19 got just about the average of his later practice tests the first go around (34), retook it for “fun” and was on the cusp of a 34.5 but it rounded back down to a 34.
D20 didn’t first subscribe to my grind and was not happy with her first take. She became a believer thereafter and also got a 34 second time around.