Help! Do test dates matter?

[Anonymous]

My DS just settled on his #1 college choice (better late than never) and realized that Carnegie Mellon requires a Math Subject Matter test to apply. He can take the test in December, but will it look bad to CM when they see that he took the test so late, relatively speaking?

[Anonymous]

^^^^

[Anonymous]

No it won't look bad.

[Anonymous]

Not at all.

[Anonymous]

What's bad is that your son should have taken this test right after finishing pre calc when the material was fresh. A teacher or guidance counselor should have pointed this out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's bad is that your son should have taken this test right after finishing pre calc when the material was fresh. A teacher or guidance counselor should have pointed this out.

How would a teacher or counselor have known that this student would become interested in a college that required subject tests? Most schools don't require any subject tests. That one is really on the student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's bad is that your son should have taken this test right after finishing pre calc when the material was fresh. A teacher or guidance counselor should have pointed this out.

How would a teacher or counselor have known that this student would become interested in a college that required subject tests? Most schools don't require any subject tests. That one is really on the student.

If the student takes pre-calc in 10th grade, you can't expect them to have any of this on their radar. A teacher/counselor/parent needs to step in.

The good schools effectively require the test. If a kid is possibly on an engineering track, the test should be taken. You can take the test in June with virtually no preparation and worry later whether the college to which they apply will require it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's bad is that your son should have taken this test right after finishing pre calc when the material was fresh. A teacher or guidance counselor should have pointed this out.

How would a teacher or counselor have known that this student would become interested in a college that required subject tests? Most schools don't require any subject tests. That one is really on the student.

If the student takes pre-calc in 10th grade, you can't expect them to have any of this on their radar. A teacher/counselor/parent needs to step in.

The good schools effectively require the test. If a kid is possibly on an engineering track, the test should be taken. You can take the test in June with virtually no preparation and worry later whether the college to which they apply will require it.

NP here with a side note question...

My dd is in 10th and in IB Math SL1

When should she take the math subject SAT?

[Anonymous]

Not familiar with IB but right after algebra before calculus is ideal while topics are fresh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not familiar with IB but right after algebra before calculus is ideal while topics are fresh.

IB math SL I is usually taken after algebra 2/trig. It covers advanced algebra, functions, stats, vectors, etc and ends with calculus

[Anonymous]

Have your daughter talk to her SL1 teacher about whether she is prepared for the SAT math test before she takes it. The IB math class content and how it is taught/applied doesn't necessarily coincide with what is on the test. My daughter's teacher gave her a subject test workbook and she worked with her after school for a few weeks going over the concepts more comprehensively than they did in class. This sufficed and she did really well on it.

Just as a note, most of the SAT subject tests do not mesh well with the IB curriculum/content, which we just discovered this year. You should have your daughter touch base with her instructors about the best way to prepare. An example is IB LIT , which primarily covers foreign/international authors in class, while the SAT Eng subject test covered primarily American authors. Just plan ahead and ask questions so that she can prepare a little and she should do fine! Good luck!