ACT Prep

[Southernmiss]

Everyone is drinking the kool-aid! My child is special, they must get into this school or that, they need to have an edge etc. Take a step back people. Parents are putting waaaaay to much pressure on their children to achieve. We are losing family time as parents continue to push....more extra curriculars, more volunteering, more classes to make test scores higher! It really is just so sad

Have you seen the cost of college these days? I'm not ashamed to say our kids take the ACT several times to improve their scores.

Oldest ds graduated With the school actually paying him. He's now working on his master's also with the school paying him. Due to test scores 2nd son is in his 2nd year. We've only paid $3000. I'd say the effort of studying and retaking the ACT has saved us over $60,000.

Very much worth it to us.

 

[pfp258]

yes I do know how much a college education is as my husband and I are paying for both our daughters college education. Oldest just graduated debt free and has her first teaching job. The other daughter is a junior and will also graduate with no debt. My girls did well enough on their ACT to easily get into a state school which we could afford. They didn't need and weren't offered a fancy, out of state college. We didn't need to spend time and money and therefore lose our family time in order to

My kids each only took it once, so we are less elite than you I guess. One was an Econ major and has a high paying job for a consulting company, the other 2 were/are computer science majors, one has a high paying job and the last already has a job with a 6 figure income lined up when she graduates in a year. Around here special ed teachers are more plentiful than jobs.

 

[pfp258]

The reason my girls took it twice was because their high school required it. How wonderful that your children all have high paying jobs-even a six figure income. My husband and I are thrilled that our oldest chose teaching as a career. She is working in a diverse school in a low income city, very different then where she grew up. She is making a difference in this world. The daughter still in school and studying special education makes a difference in children's lives by volunteering with those that have special needs. In the Midwest special education teachers are not more plentiful than jobs requiring their very special skill sets. Our family values don't see teaching as some sort of throwaway career..... You are right they may not make as much money as your children, but they both love their chosen field and make a difference in the lives of others each and every day. My husband and I couldn't be prouder!

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Our kids never did the prep, but they took the ACT multiple times starting in 6th grade (as part of a talent search). Each year, their scores jumped. I think familiarity with the process and environment made a huge difference, as the pressure was off.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

The reason my girls took it twice was because their high school required it. How wonderful that your children all have high paying jobs-even a six figure income. My husband and I are thrilled that our oldest chose teaching as a career. She is working in a diverse school in a low income city, very different then where she grew up. She is making a difference in this world. The daughter still in school and studying special education makes a difference in children's lives by volunteering with those that have special needs. In the Midwest special education teachers are not more plentiful than jobs requiring their very special skill sets. Our family values don't see teaching as some sort of throwaway career..... You are right they may not make as much money as your children, but they both love their chosen field and make a difference in the lives of others each and every day. My husband and I couldn't be prouder!

It's wonderful that your children have chosen careers that you are proud of, and all teachers make a difference each and every day. However, a child choosing a higher paying career or choosing to attend a private school or wanting to get into a school that is more competitive than their state school doesn't mean that they don't want to make a difference. Choosing not to be a teacher doesn't mean teaching is viewed as a throwaway career. A child who wants to go to med school or study engineering or make beautiful art or music is no less valuable to society than our finest teachers. For many kids, achieving a higher score means the difference in attending their first choice school or attending another. It also means the difference between being able to pay for their dream school and not. I'm not sure why anyone would have a problem with a child who chooses to go after their goals, even if they are different from your goals. Choosing a lower paying job isn't superior, just as choosing a higher paying job isn't superior. I'm sure most parents encourage their children to choose a career that excites them and betters the world - there are many careers that accomplish that.

DD17 hasn't done any organized prep classes, but she understands that she has more options with a higher score, so she has done some work on her own. It hasn't impacted our family time at all, and DH and I have enjoyed watching her evaluate both college choices and plans for the future. I fully expect she will make a difference each and every day even if she chooses not to become a teacher. It has less to do with the profession and more to do with the person.

 

[Southernmiss]

And for our kids the ACT was their ticket to university versus community college and working extra jobs for all of us to put them into state schools, that would take away from family time. The in state schools have been very good for our first 2. We have. 2 more on their way. Dh and I are products of working our way through school in the 80s. It wasn't easy, glad we did it. But if our kids can go to school by doing well on a test, why not?

For the record,dh and I have worked service jobs to make a difference- he worked for our state now our fed govt. I worked part time and now full time for our church to be home for our kids. We fully get family time and making a difference, but it doesn't pay for today's college tuition.

 

[BeckyV]

See next post. I tried unsucessfully to delete this one.

 

[BeckyV]

I bought two books Up Your Score and The Real ACT Red Book from Amazon. After researching Collegetalk blog, these were the 2 books that the students and parents recommended that helped them the most. I also read the reviews on Amazon. The first is written by students who made perfect scores on the ACT and has some humor so it keeps the students engaged. The second book contains actual retIred ACT Tests which have the same format as the current test. It also contains info about scoring and explains why the answers are correct or wrong. My son said these helped him a lot. He took the ACT three times and improved from a 28 to 32 and only used these books for about six weeks. The 32 was our goal. He found out what he was answering incorrectly which really raised his score. He studied a subject section from Up Your Score and then a day or so later would take the same subject test from the ACT Red Book. The Red Book contains three tests although he only needed to take one before moving on to the next subject. A lot of the information presented he had learned a few years prior and had forgotten. It's hard to remember math from the eighth grade. He also learned great time management from Up Your Score which is important on the ACT. The 32 on ACT really increased the amount of scholarships he received.