| | Yay! Spring is here!
As April begins, here's a summary of what was covered last month:
Class choice for Senior year:- At the end of the day, getting a better GPA is more important than taking a challenging class and not doing well (Russ’ rule: If you can’t get a B+ or higher, don’t take the challenging class).
- Colleges like to see that students have taken the 5 core subjects all four years of high school (math, science, English, history and foreign language).
- Grades and class choice DO still matter Senior year.
- Visiting schools (online vs. in person, summer vs. in session).
- Visit 3 types of schools nearby to you (big/small, public/private, urban/rural)...even if your student has no interest in that particular school, they’ll get a feel for the type of school and can use this to guide future school visits.
- Additionally, visit schools if you’re going to be nearby on a road trip, vacation or visiting family members.
- If you can’t get to campuses during the school week, it’s still good to visit on the weekend or during the summer (though it won’t quite be the same as a school day, it’s better than not visiting at all).
- “Visit” schools online through school websites, YouTube tours, instagram, snapchat, etc...
SAT/ACT preparation, timing & goal- Evaluate your current test results and decide on which test dates are best for you this spring and summer.
- Decide how you want to prepare, on your own, with online tools and/or with formal tutoring
- If you haven't taken a practice ACT go online or to a local tutoring company to get a free practice test to make sure you are focusing your time and money on the right test for you.
- Always, always take the Writing portion of the SAT or ACT, it shouldn't be an option as many colleges like to see that Writing was taken even if they don't use the individual section score as a driver for admissions decisions.
- Make sure you have a goal score. Decide what your goal is and plan, prepare and aim for that goal. Without a goal testing can be an aimless venture.
- If subject tests are needed for the colleges you are considering it is usually best to take them at the same time as your AP exams so schedule them accordingly
- Don't panic! You have several opportunities to take the SAT or ACT this spring, summer and fall. If you don't get the score you were hoping for, re-evaluate your test choice, preparation methods, etc., and adjust them as necessary to put yourself in a better position to perform better next time.
- Don't agree to send scores to colleges (even though 5 schools are free) when you register for your test. Send scores only when you know what they are and that they are where they need to be for admission consideration.
What we’ll be covering this month:
- The importance of choosing a major now….even if you don’t stick with it once you get to college
- How to choose a major...even if you have no idea now
Action items to be aware of in April:
- If your student will be taking the SAT/ACT in May or June, make sure they’ve registered.
- Make sure your student is registered for any AP exams or SAT subject tests coming up at the end of the school year.
- Encourage your child to think about who they’ll ask to write their letters of recommendations at the end of this year, and spend a little extra time once/week getting to know them on a more personal level (i.e. show up to class 5 min early and have a casual conversation every now and then!).
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Best, Russ, Marisa & Debbie |
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