Some like to know as soon as Nov or Dec...

Oh & Rootann pointed me to a post at CC relating people's scores with their SI (a bit relative, as it will depend on your exact breakdown of English and Math - but here's what I came up with for those trying to gain NMSF for their state's cut-off. Just a ballpark estimate anyway) In case anyone else like me was wondering as we plan for 11th grade, where it all matters, to see how far a boost up we may need. Others Scores/SI correlation: CA SI 225 / Score 1500 1510 and a 226 SI 220 (1470 - 730+740) 1500, SI 224, California 221 index -1480 (750M/730E) 1480 760 Math, 720 EBRW Selection Index: 220 (1440, SI 217) 1510 - SI 226 1470 (760 math, 710 RW) with a selection index of 218 1470 (720, 750) and NMSC selection index 219 1450 (700 and 750) with 215 S19 studied all summer and got a 1540 on the August SAT and got a 1470 on the PSAT! His SI is 221

thanks for your candor. i agree, i think it can be hard to hear. but i think that we're only hearing about the stellar scores - that the lower-lying fruit aren't posting scores (whether it be PSAT, SAT, SAT II, or AP) b/c they're not scoring perfectly. my 10th grader has a bunch of PS friends, and it's been reassuring to see how they are scoring on the PSAT (10th & 11th graders).

Doesn't matter a whit that you pay taxes to your local school district. It's their whim whether they let you take it there or not. My local PS would not last year - denied us. But after developing a relationship with the HS principal, we were able to get a special exception. But there were many other nearby local HSs and private schools that were happy to accommodate us. Find the school that welcomes you the best. It will be a better experience, taxes or not.

ah got it. thanks!

great link, rootann. of course in california ours is at 222. *rolls eyes* that and NJ & DC some of the highest. ay yi yi! although there are quite a few in the 222 range. what does that equate to in actual number? anybody know? max score is 1520, right. wonder if that means like 1480 or 1500 to reach that 222 mark? guess we'll need to add 12 SI points between 10th & 11th! :lol: :thumbup1:

Thanks ladies. Appreciate it. Any other open & go science alternatives? I prefer some kind of curriculum, rather than just reading for fun. He reads tons already, but for him, it would be better to have a curriculum. Any other suggestions (for science, history or any other elective)? I have The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study bible curriculum... not sure if this is appropriate for a 6th grader. Really would like a science book - as he's got a good brain for science and how things work... Could do online if it's not terribly expensive.

We are also in HSA 2 this year and doing well. We completed HSA 1 in less than a full school year last year and my ds is moving well through HSA 2 this year. I chat with his teacher every couple of weeks during class and she always says he's doing great. We began HS2 in September - and are currently on H2AL8 - so lesson 8. I think having the same teacher every time is key. Having to take time to introduce yourself every single time and having someone try to 'get to know you' every time takes time away from the one-on-one nature. We work hard to have the same instructor and sign up early in the year for the whole school year. You can easily change your schedule yourself - it's really online-friendly. Find 1-3 instructors you've liked this year and go see if you can find whole swatches of availability with said instructors from here until end of year. We are using the same instructor as last year (but we started with 2 others until we found her and like her best). We went a month with a substitute in Oct due to non-availability but also found someone we could have the same 'substitute' the entire 4 weeks.

Congrats!!! Wonderful news on the gold medal!!! We too just got word about my son's bronze medal. It too took longer than we thought (maybe 4-5 weeks) but no clarifications were needed, and we are supposed to hear back from our local congressman for a medal-presentation ceremony. They indicated that could take some time. Working hard on the silver medal now... Congrats again - the gold medal is quite an achievement!

My 6th grader doesn't have enough work to do in the course of his day. He needs more. Currently he's good on: Math Writing Literature Grammar Vocabulary Handwriting Spelling We have science (Ellen McHenry's Elements) and History (SOTW audiotapes) which admittedly we don't get to often enough, as the plan is to combine these across an age spectrum and those other kids are never done. So help me with some ideas for some new and/or independent subjects for him. History, Science, any elective possible. He has the time, he needs the challenge, so it's time to give him more. This would be for open-and-go books, video-based instruction - preferably not live online classes or somesuch, as I'd like to go cheaper still at this young age. But it needs to be independent, without much in the way from me. Thanks!!!

Essay 1 Workshop Compare/Contrast Essay Analytical Essay they give you possible topic ideas, but it's up to you. Essay 2 Workshop Quotation Response Essay - given 6 quotations to choose from Literature Analysis Essay - anything goes

old thread alert! --------------------------------- anyone have any more reviews on so verbose? does it give instruction at all? or mostly assigned essay work - and then feedback?

we're in our 2nd of 2 right now. did essay 1 already, in essay 2. we took them after a 1/2 yr of high school composition 1 last year - and wanted to focus on essays. i am iffy on them. they are good, they give great feedback, but i find them lacking in any instruction to begin with. for each essay workshop, you work on 2 essays total. first week, theses statements for both. then first draft of one, then first of other. then 2 weeks of revisions for each before submitting final draft at end. the feedback is very thorough, and i don't know if it could get any better. very insightful, questioning. light on the work side - especially during essay revision weeks and light on any instruction to begin with. i had heard also they are based on Lively Art but doesn't seem so now. Anyway, he's not asked to read it at all. that said, we need a lit analysis course for next semester. and research paper too. not sure if we stick with WAH or not - as i feel he needs more instruction as to the how before he starts writing. he's got the basic essay writing down - but some of the nuances of lit analysis i feel need more instruction. so i was considering either bravewriter (though expensive) and so verbose (cheap and looks promising) anyway - my 2 cents roadrunner.

no idea on averages. but for us, my ds went up 140 points from 9th to 10th grade and is now in the 99th %. our cutoff in CA is crazy high, like 222 or 223 but i am hopeful with actual SAT prep ahead of 11th grade PSAT, he is maybe in the running. :-)) He went up 20 SI points from 9th to 10th, if I recall his 9th grade SI correctly.

we're not looking for chemistry next year - but maybe another year out... very interested. question - do you plan to have your course align with the topics on the SAT II Chemistry test? :-)) thanks!

My ds shared it with all his PS friends just a bit ago - and it worked for them all. And he discovered he scored higher than all of them. He was so thrilled! ;-)

wapiti's other method worked. took a couple times of pasting in the specific user-id into the URL - but got it. i'm very proud of ds! only 10th grade, but a great boost from last year! ;-) thanks for the tip!!

didn't work for me. we took the nov sat too. :-)) fun trying though.

thanks too!

My 10th grader is currently enrolled in Writeathome's Essay Workshop 2 (taken Essay Workshop 1 earlier this year). We have spring semester left before we enroll in AP Eng Lang for 11th grade. I had planned to take Writeathome's Literary Analysis - as I feel this is his weakest area. He never really learned how to analyze and write analysis on literary works. But he's in his Essay WS 2 and he's currently writing a Lit Analysis paper. But there's no instruction. They give great feedback on first draft, revision, another revision and final draft. But where's the how-to? Do any other (preferably) online programs like Bravewriter offer better instruction - or is that just great feedback after the fact also (but no real instruction)? I see BW offers a couple Literary Analysis for this spring but neither particularly interest me for him (Grapes of Wrath, too close to AP exams) and then Shakespeare's Merchant in Venice - but he's already deep in throes of Roy Speed Shakespeare. They also offer Expository Essay (Rhetorical Critique & Analysis) where he would write a summary/strong response essay & image analysis essay. Any other thoughts?? :-)) We were big fans of IEW 5th-8th grade - so that's where we learned the how-to. So any thoughts? Who's taken Writeathome Literary Analysis or the Essay Workshops - your thoughts? Who's got experience with BW? They are about 2x as expensive as WAH, so more leaning toward WAH...

Well retaking it was a plus all-around. :-)) Start with a thorough Biology class (yay for WTMA Bio!) Then he read through Princeton & Barrons. Combined like chapters, and read 1 chapter in each each Sat/Sun, for a total of 4-5 chapters a weekend. That lasted for about 7 weeks. He read diagnostic Qs at the end of each of the prep book chapters and took the Sparknotes questions if they had it for that chapter. Then the final weekend/week, he took all the practice tests. I think that was 5 total in PR/Barrons, then 2 more in the College Board SAT Subject test book.

Thanks ladies who posted - and all those others who 'liked' my post. I struggled with whether we should bother 'retaking' an SAT II especially when we're past Biology and into Chemistry now... but all's well that ends well. He studied for it last June too (but obviously not as efficiently), but I think he's learned so much in the way of study skills, I think there's a huge learning curve in how to study for these standardized subject tests/AP exams, etc...

I am so happy! My ds who took his first SAT II test last year (Bio) scored in the high 600's and was unsatisfied he didn't score higher, at least breaking 700. Fast forward - he took the Bio test again in Nov after studying for it for 2 months, every weekend (despite heavy courseload of AP Chem etc).... and HE SCORED 70 POINTS HIGHER!! I am so proud of him!!! Thanks for letting me gloat. :-) **So if you're considering whether to retake an SAT II test or not, that's my success story!

what a wonderful ending to your story! i'm so happy to hear 'relief' in your post!! :-) YAY!

2 public HSs and 1 private school all charge just the standard $94 AP exam fee for us. We're in CA. But they only will administer the tests they offer. So if this is a proctoring fee for a test they don't normally offer, then yes, I would expect an extra fee. None of ours offer that service as far as I can tell thus far.