Busy teens and standardized testing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously . . . . how did your kids do this. My junior is a competitive athlete, competing year round. Has a TON of homework (all honors/AP classes, and hard ones too). Does some other clubs and community service. Plus, these kids need some down time/friend time.

I do not know how DC is going to find the time to study, much less take any sort of prep class. I know lots of schools are TO but . . . are they really? And some are not.

So how did your kids do this? It's adding an unreasonable amount of stress even trying small times to study. DC would be aiming for the 1450-1500 for the schools that are not TO.

You’re late. Prep the summer before junior year and take in August or September of junior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously . . . . how did your kids do this. My junior is a competitive athlete, competing year round. Has a TON of homework (all honors/AP classes, and hard ones too). Does some other clubs and community service. Plus, these kids need some down time/friend time.

I do not know how DC is going to find the time to study, much less take any sort of prep class. I know lots of schools are TO but . . . are they really? And some are not.

So how did your kids do this? It's adding an unreasonable amount of stress even trying small times to study. DC would be aiming for the 1450-1500 for the schools that are not TO.

You’re late. Prep the summer before junior year and take in August or September of junior year.

This was not possible due to sports recruiting. And fall season starts 7/31, with 2/day practices and events (scrimmages and the like) on weekends. So, late or not, this is where we are. It really was not possible in Aug. Was going to shoot for Dec. but did not want to take the last paper test and then, if needed, take again in a diff format.

Right now, scheduled for every test between now and June to hold spots. But I don't see how there will be enough studying to be done by March. . . . at this rate, it will need to be June. Not what we for sure. DC is a decent standardized test taker but will def need to study to get the desired score range.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t have to be that time-consuming. If he really can’t find 5-10 hours to prep and a day to take the test, maybe he’s spending too much time playing sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously . . . . how did your kids do this. My junior is a competitive athlete, competing year round. Has a TON of homework (all honors/AP classes, and hard ones too). Does some other clubs and community service. Plus, these kids need some down time/friend time.

I do not know how DC is going to find the time to study, much less take any sort of prep class. I know lots of schools are TO but . . . are they really? And some are not.

So how did your kids do this? It's adding an unreasonable amount of stress even trying small times to study. DC would be aiming for the 1450-1500 for the schools that are not TO.

You’re late. Prep the summer before junior year and take in August or September of junior year.

This was not possible due to sports recruiting. And fall season starts 7/31, with 2/day practices and events (scrimmages and the like) on weekends. So, late or not, this is where we are. It really was not possible in Aug. Was going to shoot for Dec. but did not want to take the last paper test and then, if needed, take again in a diff format.

Right now, scheduled for every test between now and June to hold spots. But I don't see how there will be enough studying to be done by March. . . . at this rate, it will need to be June. Not what we for sure. DC is a decent standardized test taker but will def need to study to get the desired score range.

It sounds like sports are more important to your kid than academics- totally fine, not everyone has the same priorities. He’ll still be able to go to college if he wants to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously . . . . how did your kids do this. My junior is a competitive athlete, competing year round. Has a TON of homework (all honors/AP classes, and hard ones too). Does some other clubs and community service. Plus, these kids need some down time/friend time.

I do not know how DC is going to find the time to study, much less take any sort of prep class. I know lots of schools are TO but . . . are they really? And some are not.

So how did your kids do this? It's adding an unreasonable amount of stress even trying small times to study. DC would be aiming for the 1450-1500 for the schools that are not TO.

You’re late. Prep the summer before junior year and take in August or September of junior year.

This was not possible due to sports recruiting. And fall season starts 7/31, with 2/day practices and events (scrimmages and the like) on weekends. So, late or not, this is where we are. It really was not possible in Aug. Was going to shoot for Dec. but did not want to take the last paper test and then, if needed, take again in a diff format.

Right now, scheduled for every test between now and June to hold spots. But I don't see how there will be enough studying to be done by March. . . . at this rate, it will need to be June. Not what we for sure. DC is a decent standardized test taker but will def need to study to get the desired score range.

It sounds like sports are more important to your kid than academics- totally fine, not everyone has the same priorities. He’ll still be able to go to college if he wants to.

Pls don’t go there. That is not the case- grades and other testing are quite good. But this additional requirement is proving a lot. However the recruitment window is small. And coinciding with junior year and testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is a junior and does 1/2 hour of focused khan academy (linked to her practice tests) per day on school breaks only. There’s just no time otherwise. Similar to OP she’s a competitive swimmer in all APs and there is just no time when school is in session.

Is this the free Khan Academy or something you pay for?

It’s all free

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Khan Academy. Fit it in however it works for your dc, whether it’s 1/2 hr twice a week, or Saturday mornings or whatever.

[Anonymous]

My kid's only strength is academics, OP. He got into college solely based on that. So he had to take standardized tests to bolster his profile. He has learning disabilities as well (2e type), and he's slow. Adding tutoring for standardized testing was a burden, but he did it anyway. Got a 35 on his ACT. I think it helped get him a reach acceptance, and helped with offers of merit aid at safeties. He took the safety with merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously . . . . how did your kids do this. My junior is a competitive athlete, competing year round. Has a TON of homework (all honors/AP classes, and hard ones too). Does some other clubs and community service. Plus, these kids need some down time/friend time.

I do not know how DC is going to find the time to study, much less take any sort of prep class. I know lots of schools are TO but . . . are they really? And some are not.

So how did your kids do this? It's adding an unreasonable amount of stress even trying small times to study. DC would be aiming for the 1450-1500 for the schools that are not TO.

You’re late. Prep the summer before junior year and take in August or September of junior year.

This was not possible due to sports recruiting. And fall season starts 7/31, with 2/day practices and events (scrimmages and the like) on weekends. So, late or not, this is where we are. It really was not possible in Aug. Was going to shoot for Dec. but did not want to take the last paper test and then, if needed, take again in a diff format.

Right now, scheduled for every test between now and June to hold spots. But I don't see how there will be enough studying to be done by March. . . . at this rate, it will need to be June. Not what we for sure. DC is a decent standardized test taker but will def need to study to get the desired score range.

It sounds like sports are more important to your kid than academics- totally fine, not everyone has the same priorities. He’ll still be able to go to college if he wants to.

Pls don’t go there. That is not the case- grades and other testing are quite good. But this additional requirement is proving a lot. However the recruitment window is small. And coinciding with junior year and testing.

Test prep classes aren’t a requirement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is a junior and does 1/2 hour of focused khan academy (linked to her practice tests) per day on school breaks only. There’s just no time otherwise. Similar to OP she’s a competitive swimmer in all APs and there is just no time when school is in session.

Or even more simple: mine didn't prep. We tried to make that happen, but no dice. One and done in the high 1400s, so we let it be. Also a competitive swimmer with 5 APs, plus 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My kid's only strength is academics, OP. He got into college solely based on that. So he had to take standardized tests to bolster his profile. He has learning disabilities as well (2e type), and he's slow. Adding tutoring for standardized testing was a burden, but he did it anyway. Got a 35 on his ACT. I think it helped get him a reach acceptance, and helped with offers of merit aid at safeties. He took the safety with merit aid.

Congrats, but how is this answering OP's question about sports practice?

[Anonymous]

I think for recruited athletes, test-optional really means optional.

[Anonymous]

Summer BEFORE junior year did a few prep sessions so wasn’t doing it with HS work. Took it Fall of Junior year before HS really ramped up.

We did this purposely to avoid what you describe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously . . . . how did your kids do this. My junior is a competitive athlete, competing year round. Has a TON of homework (all honors/AP classes, and hard ones too). Does some other clubs and community service. Plus, these kids need some down time/friend time.

I do not know how DC is going to find the time to study, much less take any sort of prep class. I know lots of schools are TO but . . . are they really? And some are not.

So how did your kids do this? It's adding an unreasonable amount of stress even trying small times to study. DC would be aiming for the 1450-1500 for the schools that are not TO.

You’re late. Prep the summer before junior year and take in August or September of junior year.

This was not possible due to sports recruiting. And fall season starts 7/31, with 2/day practices and events (scrimmages and the like) on weekends. So, late or not, this is where we are. It really was not possible in Aug. Was going to shoot for Dec. but did not want to take the last paper test and then, if needed, take again in a diff format.

Right now, scheduled for every test between now and June to hold spots. But I don't see how there will be enough studying to be done by March. . . . at this rate, it will need to be June. Not what we for sure. DC is a decent standardized test taker but will def need to study to get the desired score range.

I don't get it. Is your kid only a D3 recruit or something? If your kid is D1 they certainly just need the minimum score, which is something south of 1450-1500. Even Ivy recruits if truly getting recruited, are fine with lower scores.

I will be honest...if I had a nickel for every parent saying their kid is getting "recruited" because a coach maybe said hello...I would have probably several hundred nickels.

If they are D3 then it still seems like they should be on the coach's target list prior to July of Senior year, so your kid should cut back on the sport somewhat for a month, do a bunch of prep and then take the test in Spring of Junior year at the latest.

[Anonymous]

PP I was wondering the same thing.