PSAT/SAT timing & pre-calc question

[nancy in nj]

Hi Everyone,

 

My daughter is a rising Junior. Our game plan is to try to prepare hard once for the PSAT & SAT and hopefully, if all goes well, take the SAT only once. Our plan is as follows:

 

October 1: SAT

October 12: PSAT

Nov 6: Not available, big rowing meet

Dec 2: SAT II definitely World History, possibly Math 2 (World History is only given twice a year, Dec & June so taking this takes priority over the regular SAT).

 

Does anyone see any issues with taking the SAT prior to the PSAT? If she happens to qualify for national merit scholar on the PSAT would this require her to take the SAT after the PSAT?

 

We were originally planning to complete the last 1 1/2 chapters of Chalkdust pre-calc left over from last year, take the Math 2 SAT II test in Dec. and then start Calculus. I am now thinking of pushing back this test and spending more time on pre-calc topics (maybe going deeper with AOPS) and having her do Calc next year (BC) to make sure she is really firm on pre-calc before moving on. If it matters, she will probably be a economics or finance major hopefully at a very good school (Duke, Emory, Washington & Lee etc). She may take some advanced math courses in college if she decides to pursue economics at a post grad level.

 

My concerns are two-fold. I understand that there is a fair amount of lower level (below pre-calc) math on the Math 2 SAT II, so would it make more sense to take the test in December while the geometry etc is still fresh from the PSAT/SAT prep?

 

If she takes the time to go deeper with AOPS (say the pre-calc book), what would I call this on the transcript so it doesn't look remedial in nature? Also, she is concurrently doing AP Physics B this year using Kinetic Books, so I assume this would also reinforce the trig. Maybe AOPS would be over-kill?

 

Any advice from those who have BTDT would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks much!

 

Nancy

Edited August 9, 2011 by nancy in nj
typos

[snowbeltmom]

My concerns are two-fold. I understand that there is a fair amount of lower level (below pre-calc) math on the Math 2 SAT II, so would it make more sense to take the test in December while the geometry etc is still fresh from the PSAT/SAT prep?.......

 

Also, she is concurrently doing AP Physics B this year using Kinetic Books, so I assume this would also reinforce the trig.

 

Any advice from those who have BTDT would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks much!

 

Nancy

 

I can't help too much with your questions. However, my oldest took AP physics B last year. There is very little trig used in the course, so your daughter would not get much trig. reinforcement in the physics course.

 

You might want to have your daughter take the math SAT II in December, and if she isn't happy with her score, she could always prep a little more and retake it.

[MomsintheGarden]

If your daughter scores well enough on the PSAT to be a NM Semifinalist, she will be in the 2013 NM competition. Here is a pdf for this past year's (2011) competition. The 2012 pdf is not available yet.

 

http://www.nationalmerit.org/Merit_R&I_Leaflet.pdf

 

This pdf states, that to qualify for the 2011 awarded scholarships, a semifinalist would have to (#7 on the list):

"Take the current SAT® and earn scores that confirm your 2009 PSAT/NMSQT performance. You must take (or have taken) a national administration of the SAT between October 2008 and December 2010.

Also, it is your responsibility to file a request with the College Board SAT Program to have an official report of your SAT scores sent to NMSC (code 0085). See page 2 of this leaflet for detailed information about authorized SAT administrations and score reporting."

 

It looks like your dd's October scheduling of the SAT will work fine as far as timing, because the dates for her will be October 2010 through December 2012. If she feels confident that she will score about 2000+ on the SAT, she can put the NM Corp code on her test so she won't need to do that later.

 

There seems to be a lot going on in her schedule for the fall. At this point the PSAT score is the most important because she can only take this Oct. to qualify. If she is a high energy type who thrives on having a packed calendar, then great. If not, maybe consider having her take the SAT in the spring. That way she can concentrate on prepping for the PSAT now. The PSAT is a bit different from the SAT, so it might be a better to concentrate on one test at a time. OTOH, it would be great to get them both over at once. My children are the "less is more" types so we tend to spread things out if we can. When my dd went through this process, she took the SAT in the spring of her jr year, after her APs.

 

Best wishes for your dd. It sounds like she is very bright and knows where she's going!

 

Blessings,

GardenMom

[nancy in nj]

Thanks!

 

Mom in the Garden: My concern over her schedule is what prompted me to reconsider her math plans for the year! Unfortunately, her schedule will only get worse as the year goes on. A couple of the schools she is looking at (W & L, Davidson) require or recommend 5 SAT II's for homeschoolers, which means taking 2 more SAT II's in May/June (Physics, English & German). In addition to self-studying for AP Physics, she is taking AP Eng. Lang & AP Economics with PA homeschoolers and is planning on 3 AP's (possibly 4 if she does Micro Ec. in addition to Macro). She has already started prepping for the SAT/PSAT and has a few more weeks until her PAH classes start. Hopefully by that time she will be done with her SAT Prep with the exception of doing actual test sections to practice on a daily basis. She will only have 4 classes (3 AP's plus German w/ OSU) until after the 12/3 SAT Date (assuming she prep's for the December Math 2). She got a 5 on her first AP test (Euro) in May, so she is very motivated at the moment!

 

Did I mention that she is also a competitive rower with a fall and spring season which will involve 13 hours of practice weekly from Sept until mid-November plus several weekend meets? At least she has an outlet away from the house/books!