creekland Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My son is... not to get accepted, but to (hopefully) improve his scholarship consideration. His SAT scores were decent - decent enough to be in the top quarter of students at the schools he wants to go to, but he tests better (in practice) with the ACT so we're hoping to be top of the top there. With the economy the way it is, merit aid would so nice... and I'm sure it's going to be competitive. That said... I'll be so glad when it's all over! Best of luck to anyone else out there taking it tomorrow... May the students all have their brains in good working order with no distractions or other issues... I gotta go see now if there's an ACT code he needs or not. I'm not as familiar with that test as everyone does SAT around here. He's even having to drive to the next town over just to get to a school where it's offered... which is better than other test date options where it would have been an hour drive (or more) away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Good luck to your son. Just a cautionary note: the optional writing portion of the test comes at the end. If your son is anything like mine, he'll be starving by the time that rolls around. See if the site where he is taking the test allows the students a snack break. This can make a world of difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Good luck to your son. Just a cautionary note: the optional writing portion of the test comes at the end. If your son is anything like mine, he'll be starving by the time that rolls around. See if the site where he is taking the test allows the students a snack break. This can make a world of difference! Wow! I didn't know that - dd has only done the SAT, where the (required) writing section is the first thing every time. Her brain would be a mush bucket if she had to write an essay at the end.:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Good luck to your son. Just a cautionary note: the optional writing portion of the test comes at the end. If your son is anything like mine, he'll be starving by the time that rolls around. See if the site where he is taking the test allows the students a snack break. This can make a world of difference! We noticed that this morning... he has to be there at 8am and doesn't get out till after 1pm. This testing site doesn't allow food or drinks. I told him to eat a good breakfast... maybe I'll send him with snacks in the car so he can eat something before having to drive home. I'm hoping he'll have enough adrenaline flowing for the test that he won't notice being hungry - till he's done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My oldest is taking it for the first time tomorrow. He seems very confident after doing a lot of practice material but I'm guessing he may be in for a reality check. He's only beginning his junior year so he has lots of time to improve upon this score. I didn't sign him up for the written portion this time (the college he's interested in doesn't require it). I'm nervous about it just because it seems like the first "real" test of the success of our homeschooling journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My dd17 is taking it for the first time tomorrow. She has already taken the SAT twice and has done well, but one nursing program she is applying to requires the ACT. On her practice ACT, which she took yesterday, she made in the 30's for every section but science. Science was in the low 20's. We'll see what happens tomorrow... Leanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Dd#2 is taking it for 1st time. I don't have any expectations as she's not prepared herself for it. We're not sending the scores to anyone, but I'm hoping it will at least make the whole process "real" to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 We noticed that this morning... he has to be there at 8am and doesn't get out till after 1pm. This testing site doesn't allow food or drinks. I told him to eat a good breakfast... maybe I'll send him with snacks in the car so he can eat something before having to drive home. I'm hoping he'll have enough adrenaline flowing for the test that he won't notice being hungry - till he's done. My son wore cargo pants to the ACT and put a few power bars in the pockets. He went into the bathroom between sections and downed a bar in one of the stalls. I can't believe they expect the kids to go for 5 hours without a snack, especially the rapidly growing boys. Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Best wishes to those taking the test tomorrow! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 DS2 is taking it tomorrow for the first time. Not taking the writing portion. He's struggling to fall asleep as I write. I've tried to downplay this, telling him it's just a practice run but he's still worked up. He's only a junior so there is plenty of time to take it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 It's tomorrow now - best wishes to all! I envy those of you for whom this isn't so important. For us, at one of the colleges my son's applied to, this means the minimum difference of $8500/year... He is really close to it with the SAT and hoping to make it with the ACT. On practice tests he makes it consistently . I guess in Nov we'll know... Thanks for the suggestions of power bars. I have some peanut butter crackers he can put in his pocket if they allow eating on breaks... It's bound to be better than nothing - and better than having something in the car that he can't get to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I am sitting here reading these boards trying to take my mind off of my dd taking the ACT this very minute. What did I forget to send with her? Did she need her ss number? A school code? Did the new batteries that I put in her calculator actually work? Arrrggg!!! This sitting and waiting business is so HARD. DD is 17yo and a senior this year. She took the ACT last fall and did reasonably well on it. However, there is one college she is seriously looking at that we simply can NOT afford, and so she is re-taking ACT today, after quite a bit of math prep this time, in hopes of really raising her score to be in scholarship consideration. And I fear that although she is very prepared, her first scores were very accurate in where she is actually *at* right now.....and I hope she isn't too disappointed if her scores don't jump (as she is hoping) dramatically. She is my last student. My baby. It's so hard to let her go and do all of this senior-stuff. I'm going to be a mental mess until she comes home this afternoon. Oh, and she took a protein bar and a bottle of water in her purse which she will scarf down in the restroom during the ONE potty-break. That is totally insane. She ate one slice of pizza yesterday afternoon and then nothing else all night long because she was afraid of needing to use the restroom during this test!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 DD just called. She's on her way home. It's over and we can relax. No more ACT or SAT for her. :party: I'm going to go make her some soup, and maybe even some cookies... Have a great afternoon with your dc! Leanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmosis Mom Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Dd also had the test this morning and has almost every weekend booked for the next 6 weeks with tests...Nothing like cramming. Right now she is cozied up iwth a good book after having eaten a good bowl of ice-cream... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 We're done too - and my son thinks he did very well. Let's hope he's right! Thanks again for the recommendation to take along a snack. He enjoyed his packages of peanut butter crackers on the two breaks! We're done till spring at this point... then middle son will probably take the SAT for the first time (sophomore) and youngest son needs some sort of testing for our state - I might just sign him up for our state test since it's free. I feel like I can breathe again - and maybe I'll sleep tonight without dreaming that I overslept and he missed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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