Junior Year In High School

ScrapHappy · ‎03-28-2010

My daughter is a junior this year. She's an excellent student, all A's and 1 B last year. I know that that a lot is coming up in preparation for her Senior year and applying to colleges. She has taken the PSAT once in her sophmore year and her score needs improving but we also recognize she hasn't had some of those classes yet when she took the PSAT. I'm hoping that those parents who have recently gone thru this can give some direction and advice about when she should take the PSAT again and when should see be taking SAT"S? From what I could gather so far, she can take the PSAT as many times as she wants...for practice. But how many times can she take the SAT's? They all count. Also am I supposed to go to collegeboard.com to sign up when and where to take these tests? Someone told me you need to schedule 30 days in advance? Her high school got all new counselors this school year, all the other ones left. So, from the emails that come out from the principal, they are not up and running yet.

ThinkingOutLoud · ‎05-01-2020

I just heard the other day that many colleges don't even require the SAT's any more so I'd look at what's needed for the colleges she's interested in and go from there.

CrazyKittyLvr2 · ‎05-11-2013

Nope. When your number is up............it's up. Dead, period.

They aren't going to put "she never ate a carb" on my tombstone.

Bri369 · ‎11-03-2018

She can take the SAT's as many times as she wants. They're only given on certain dates throughout the year and there are deadlines. I believe the latest she can take the SAT is in December of her senior year. Go to www.sat.org and sign up. She can designate what test she wants to submit to the school when she applies.

FiddleDeeDee · ‎03-06-2020

@ScrapHappy Been there, done that and have a junior right now so starting it again,loll. In a nutshell, it depends.

You can take the PSAT if you want but many, we have found, don't bother. It was not part of sophomore year last year at our HS and isn't being pushed this year either; it depends on your school. Many students will take a study course or prepare with online courses for the SAT's. If your daughter is interested in early enrollment at the college of her choice, check with your county for SAT dates or go online to sign up. There is a fee each time you take the test so many parents will only do it once; you can take the SAT as often as you like. Also, check with the college to see if the require it. You only turn in your best score so, they don't actually all count; the colleges aren't going to see them. As for scheduling....as long as there are slots open and you submit the fee, you can get in 1 day before the test.

I will tell you this: we don't put much faith into the SAT's. Our sons know that you can attend community college for the first 2 years, save money, receive the SAME education as the 4 year college and the SAT's mean nothing to enter; therefore, DON'T STRESS about the SAT's. Doesn't mean a CC is on the agenda, it just helps with removing the stress and often assists in the student relaxing and doing better. Best of luck to you and your daughter!

"Coming to ya from Florida"

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@ScrapHappy wrote:
My daughter is a junior this year. She's an excellent student, all A's and 1 B last year. I know that that a lot is coming up in preparation for her Senior year and applying to colleges. She has taken the PSAT once in her sophmore year and her score needs improving but we also recognize she hasn't had some of those classes yet when she took the PSAT. I'm hoping that those parents who have recently gone thru this can give some direction and advice about when she should take the PSAT again and when should see be taking SAT"S? From what I could gather so far, she can take the PSAT as many times as she wants...for practice. But how many times can she take the SAT's? They all count. Also am I supposed to go to collegeboard.com to sign up when and where to take these tests? Someone told me you need to schedule 30 days in advance? Her high school got all new counselors this school year, all the other ones left. So, from the emails that come out from the principal, they are not up and running yet.

@ScrapHappy Encourage your daughter to check with the administrators, teachers and others at her school for advice. THE most important thing you can give her are the skills to get information for herself. She will need that above all else. So whether they have answers or not, encourage her to make those personal contacts.

Of all the education I got at college, learning that is what helped me most in life.

Wsmom · ‎03-09-2010

@Sooner wrote:
@ScrapHappy wrote:
My daughter is a junior this year. She's an excellent student, all A's and 1 B last year. I know that that a lot is coming up in preparation for her Senior year and applying to colleges. She has taken the PSAT once in her sophmore year and her score needs improving but we also recognize she hasn't had some of those classes yet when she took the PSAT. I'm hoping that those parents who have recently gone thru this can give some direction and advice about when she should take the PSAT again and when should see be taking SAT"S? From what I could gather so far, she can take the PSAT as many times as she wants...for practice. But how many times can she take the SAT's? They all count. Also am I supposed to go to collegeboard.com to sign up when and where to take these tests? Someone told me you need to schedule 30 days in advance? Her high school got all new counselors this school year, all the other ones left. So, from the emails that come out from the principal, they are not up and running yet.
@ScrapHappy Encourage your daughter to check with the administrators, teachers and others at her school for advice. THE most important thing you can give her are the skills to get information for herself. She will need that above all else. So whether they have answers or not, encourage her to make those personal contacts.

Of all the education I got at college, learning that is what helped me most in life.

ICAM. You can also do your own checking and following up, but this is the time for her to be doing these things, especially signing herself up. You won't be with her in college to do these things and sign up for her. Also if she forgets something she needs for school kind of thing. Once they learn if they forgot it they don't get it is the last time they forget it. This is the time to learn, when she still has you as the safety net, so she is prepared when she goes off to college.

Good luck with all! Such fun times and they go way, way too fast!!!!!!!

Q-Checker · ‎05-09-2010

Yes -- I totally agree! If your daughter is bright enough to get high grades, she is capable of learning how to seek information. It is part of growing up! Doing it for her is, in my opinion, halting her development of the adult skills she will need to navigate this world. In this cyberspace world, it should be well within her reach to do her own research even if her school cannot be of much help. I am sure that you do not do her homework for her, so just think of this as more of HE.R homework.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

@ScrapHappy

I've been in your position and totally understand the point of your post, but if your daughter wants a college education as much as you want her to have one, I urge you to start now putting the responsibility of keeping up with testing schedules, etc. on her shoulders. She needs to follow this process, and the many more that's coming next, on her own, or she will not be ready to face her freshman year of college.

As the secretary to the Dean of Housing at a local college years ago, I dealt with a large number of tearful students in their first weeks of college who were ill prepared to handle student life on campus. We always had students who withdrew within the first 3 weeks due to being homesick, but we also lost a good number of students who could not grasp the concept of a class routine without parental guidance and push.

My years in that job certainly helped me prepare my daughter for college; I was insistent she had to stay local for the first 2 years, but she loved this school so much she had no interest in transferring later on.

ScrapHappy · ‎03-28-2010

@RedTop wrote:
@ScrapHappy
I've been in your position and totally understand the point of your post, but if your daughter wants a college education as much as you want her to have one, I urge you to start now putting the responsibility of keeping up with testing schedules, etc. on her shoulders. She needs to follow this process, and the many more that's coming next, on her own, or she will not be ready to face her freshman year of college.

As the secretary to the Dean of Housing at a local college years ago, I dealt with a large number of tearful students in their first weeks of college who were ill prepared to handle student life on campus. We always had students who withdrew within the first 3 weeks due to being homesick, but we also lost a good number of students who could not grasp the concept of a class routine without parental guidance and push.

My years in that job certainly helped me prepare my daughter for college; I was insistent she had to stay local for the first 2 years, but she loved this school so much she had no interest in transferring later on.

I have had this conversation many times with my daughter. I tell her often that each grade in school is teaching you to get to the next level. I believe as her mom, it's my responsibility too and I feel I am failing. She is an excellent student, excellent grades. It's common sense (for me anyway) and the ways of life she just doesn't get. There are no 2 year colleges in our area. I've thought of that too.