Parents of the High School Class of 2017/College 2021

[sksjasams]

My son had one topic when he wrote his NHS essay last year. They didn't have 5 items to choose from though. Maybe the essay portion varies by school? He had a fair amount of service hours, nothing outstanding, and he got in.

Actually every school determines their own application/admission process. DS was admitted in February. He needed to have at least 100 service hours, create his "college resume", have at least 3.5 cum gpa, and write an essay about one of the greatest achievements in his life.

 

[robinb]

We haven't gotten DD's in the mail yet but I was able to see them online weeks ago.

Is anyone working on National Honor Society? School sent home a paper but it says to write your essay about the following 5 items and we're wondering if she is supposed to address all of those items or just pick one or two. The guidance counselor hasn't been in so she needs to remember to email him. She really doesn't have any community service to speak of, so I don't know how important that will be.

My DD didn't sign up online so we couldn't see them in advance. My DD is also not NHS material, so we don't have to jump though those hoops.

 

[Poohforyou]

We had some good college visits over spring break. We have a few other schools nearby to look at. Dd's list is at 6. Now it's time to gear up for AP exams.

 

[bjscheel]

Well we had our first college visit planned for next Saturday. The school website said music contest was 4/9, but apparently it's 4/16, so she can't do music contest and the visit. DD17 would rather go to the visit, but she is singing a duet with DD14, and DD14 really wants to still do that. But contest is 1.5 hours away, so they'll be gone 6am to 6pm and miss their cousin's prom walk-in. And their choir teacher doesn't play their accompaniment right. So DD17 is unhappy about the whole thing, but I feel she should follow through on what she signed up for and I guess the college visit can happen another time.

If I would drive to contest I could take them home earlier but it's far away and in an unfamiliar city so I don't particularly want to go. They would rather have me accompany them on their song! If it were closer and somewhere I knew I would be more inclined to have them ask if I could play for them.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Took DS for his first college visit this past weekend.
Everyone in my friends family have attended this college, including her oldest daughter.

Friends oldest daughter and her boyfriend currently attend so they took us on a completely thorough tour. Seeing places the school tour would never have taken us.
DS wasnt sold on the school before this weekend , now its at the top of his list.

 

[lucky978]

Has anyone had any success with career aptitude tests? Looking for those survey types of questionnaires that then spit out different career paths based on your strengths and weaknesses/likes and dislikes.

 

[IDoDis]

Has anyone had any success with career aptitude tests? Looking for those survey types of questionnaires that then spit out different career paths based on your strengths and weaknesses/likes and dislikes.

My friend's daughter had to take a career test when she was in high school as part of a class requirement. Her results showed that she should be a bus driver!!! She was so bummed because she had no idea what she wanted to do career-wise. She ended up doing two years of college (still undecided on a major) with lots of fluff classes (yoga, sign language, etc.) and then dropped out. Presently, she is an assistant manager at an Old Navy store.

 

[robinb]

Well, I finally pried my DD's ACT score out of her and it was pretty ugly. *sigh* she'll retake it in June but she tells me she 'doesn't have time' to study for it between AP exams and finals. I told her I wasn't going to waste my money on the test unless she studies. Grrrr.

 

[PlutoPony]

Well, I finally pried my DD's ACT score out of her and it was pretty ugly. *sigh* she'll retake it in June but she tells me she 'doesn't have time' to study for it between AP exams and finals. I told her I wasn't going to waste my money on the test unless she studies. Grrrr.

Some schools are getting away from using test scores in admissions or are at least not putting as much weight on them now. Might be worth talking to your daughter's guidance counselor about which schools fall into that category in your area. Also dig through the Common Data Set for schools she's interested in and see where they put test scores in their list of things they look at for acceptance (it's C7 in the CDS).

 

[aprilgail]

My friend's daughter had to take a career test when she was in high school as part of a class requirement. Her results showed that she should be a bus driver!!! She was so bummed because she had no idea what she wanted to do career-wise. She ended up doing two years of college (still undecided on a major) with lots of fluff classes (yoga, sign language, etc.) and then dropped out. Presently, she is an assistant manager at an Old Navy store.

My daughter had to take one in her class and it came back as "teacher"- we had such a big laugh over that- my daughter can't stand children, no patience at all for them, I would pity any kid that would have her as a teacher!

Well, I finally pried my DD's ACT score out of her and it was pretty ugly. *sigh* she'll retake it in June but she tells me she 'doesn't have time' to study for it between AP exams and finals. I told her I wasn't going to waste my money on the test unless she studies. Grrrr.

I have a monthly bill all year to either college board or ACT it seems. Signed up for the June ACT before the scores for the last one were even out because they fill up so quick here that unless you sign up early you get blocked out. Got her ACT score for the last one last week and I think she did better on the ACT than on the SAT- this past ACT she got a 32- she takes another SAT next Saturday and then another ACT in June- hopefully that will be the end of those!

 

[Poohforyou]

Some schools are getting away from using test scores in admissions or are at least not putting as much weight on them now. Might be worth talking to your daughter's guidance counselor about which schools fall into that category in your area. Also dig through the Common Data Set for schools she's interested in and see where they put test scores in their list of things they look at for acceptance (it's C7 in the CDS).

There are about 850 schools that are test optional. A few are on my dd's list but she actually did well on the SAT. I hope her good scores benefit her but I get that many kids don't test well. Just Google test optional schools.

 

[teller80]

There are about 850 schools that are test optional. A few are on my dd's list but she actually did well on the SAT. I hope her good scores benefit her but I get that many kids don't test well. Just Google test optional schools.

According to this article on NPR, the number one reason schools go test optional is to reject more applicants thereby lowering their admit rate (US News uses this stat to rank). The colleges know that only students who score well will submit them.

 

[robinb]

I have a monthly bill all year to either college board or ACT it seems. Signed up for the June ACT before the scores for the last one were even out because they fill up so quick here that unless you sign up early you get blocked out. Got her ACT score for the last one last week and I think she did better on the ACT than on the SAT- this past ACT she got a 32- she takes another SAT next Saturday and then another ACT in June- hopefully that will be the end of those!

That's a GREAT increase!! What did she do to being her score up so much?

 

[aprilgail]

That's a GREAT increase!! What did she do to being her score up so much?

She said the ACT was so much easier than the SAT- that ACT was her first one she took.

 

[littlejimmy]

My friend's daughter had to take a career test when she was in high school as part of a class requirement. Her results showed that she should be a bus driver!!! She was so bummed because she had no idea what she wanted to do career-wise. She ended up doing two years of college (still undecided on a major) with lots of fluff classes (yoga, sign language, etc.) and then dropped out. Presently, she is an assistant manager at an Old Navy store.

sounds like that career test result may actually have been a stretch for her.

 

[AustinTink]

There are about 850 schools that are test optional. A few are on my dd's list but she actually did well on the SAT. I hope her good scores benefit her but I get that many kids don't test well. Just Google test optional schools.

Surprised to see The University of Texas on there. We were hoping my son's test grades would be what gets him in there. He dropped the ball in his classes this semester and is going to be leaning heavily on SAT/ACT scores to get him into his dream schools.

 

[lucky978]

Sounds like the career/personality tests aren't that great. It's just so hard to guide her when she has no idea what she wants to do. That's why we are just telling her to pick a school that have a few options that she thinks she may be interested in. That way if she decides to change her major she doesn't have to change schools as well.

My girls (twins) are taking the SAT exam this Saturday and then will start studying for the ACT. I've been paying for them to have a private tutor because neither of them are very good at test taking at all. They've been spending all their time so far on SAT. Now they have to start preparing for ACT. Ugh!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

DD took the new SAT in March and the ACT in April. She won't get the SAT scores back until June. She felt like she bombed the SAT. Her ACT scores came back last week. She did ok for taking it cold and she felt pretty good about it right after the test. I think we'll put her in an ACT prep course over the summer. She needs to get her score up by 3 or 4 points to make sure she gets into her first choice school.

 

[aprilgail]

DD took the new SAT in March and the ACT in April. She won't get the SAT scores back until June. She felt like she bombed the SAT. Her ACT scores came back last week. She did ok for taking it cold and she felt pretty good about it right after the test. I think we'll put her in an ACT prep course over the summer. She needs to get her score up by 3 or 4 points to make sure she gets into her first choice school.

My daughter took that SAT in March too they are supposed to have the results May 10th.

 

[lucky978]

DD took the new SAT in March and the ACT in April. She won't get the SAT scores back until June. She felt like she bombed the SAT. Her ACT scores came back last week. She did ok for taking it cold and she felt pretty good about it right after the test. I think we'll put her in an ACT prep course over the summer. She needs to get her score up by 3 or 4 points to make sure she gets into her first choice school.

I think we will do something similar. Have them take both the SAT and ACT. Whichever they do better in...have them retake in the fall.