This week the New York Post featured a story about a mom who had taken the SAT seven times in an effort to better understand the process of standardized testing and the implications for her own children. It featured the methods she had used to master the test, her failed attempts to attain a perfect score (although she hit an 800 on writing and was in the 99th percentile in reading), and the whopping $10,000 she allegedly spent in the process. Whether or not she actually spent that much, the quest to ace admissions can be an expensive journey if you buy into every opportunity that claims it has the answers.
I wasn't shocked to see this story because I met Debbie Stier, a true SAT detective, last year when I interviewed her on my podcast and for my book COLLEGE BOUND AND GAGGED: How to Help Your Kid Get into a Great College without Losing Your Savings, Your Relationship, or Your Mind. The former publishing house powerhouse had a clear and fascinating mission. She wanted to see what it would take to get a perfect SAT score. That's how her PerfectScoreProject.com was born.Â
Read a few months of Debbie Stier's blogs and it quickly becomes apparent that this isn't an overbearing parent trying to give her kid an edge. Part journalist, investigator, business woman, and parent, Debbie Stier's trying to figure out what piece (if any) of the multi-billion dollar test prep industry will level the playing field for teen test takers including her own children. Over the last year, it's been her full-time job to participate in a process that many parents push on their teens, but never truly understand. And guess what? Times have changed. This isn't your 1979 SAT experience.
Debbie Stier has been up close and personal with the most popular test prep programs. From Kaplan to Kumon, she's been armed for SAT success by the deemed experts. Her meticulous blogging chronicles her lessons, results -- successes and failures, frustration, anxiety, and parent-child bonding. Her son beat her math score. He was thrilled and she couldn't be happier. Mother and son shared some laughs over the SAT. Really? Really! I'd call that -- "Mission accomplished!" So would she.
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Do I think she's crazy? No. While I'd rather have a root canal than sharpen my No. 2 pencils and tackle what she's chosen, I'm fascinated by those who tackle challenges and share information that might help other people.
Is the amount of money and effort she's spent on prep over-the-top ridiculous? I don't think anyone should have to take out a loan to get a college-bound edge, but it's happening in some homes. She has spent money to investigate and analyze standardized test prep in an interesting and personal way. It's her job. No, it's not a randomized scientific study, but her insights are making the test prep industry sit up and take notice.
At this moment, Debbie Stier doesn't have a perfect score, but she understands the score better than most parents. I'm betting her project leads to insights that will help strengthen learning and save families money on their college-bound journeys. Wouldn't that be nice!
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I wish everybody wasn't being told the only path is college.
This statement--that everyone seems to agree to in this thread--is very limited. It's still about individualism, individual performance, self-centeredness. It betrays the fact that everyone is chasing the same thing--uber performance to get money and prestige in whatever form. It suggests in no way that even this enlightened group understands that what matters in the end are relationships and love, not performance and materialism.
Some people test well. Some people don't. Basically it all boils down to this: If you know the material, you know it. If you don't, all of the ($$$) tips and strategies in the world aren't going to help you.
I went to the local state university in physics and then off to grad school. If you have a good state school available, it is not clear that a excellent private school is always a cost effective expense. I will accept that in the current era of state cutbacks, some of the excellent private schools grant enough financial aid to make them more cost effective than the local state school.
I will have both kids go through Running Start to cut the cost of college in half - but this will restrict my kids choices to schools that will grant credit for the college work they have done while in Running Start.
I have tutored students in math and SAT prep for nearly 10 years, have recently created an online SAT course (hardestexamquestions.com) for advanced students, and do believe that in many circumstances SAT prep can benefit students. However, I don't believe that this kind of obsession with SAT prep is helpful or healthy. Hopefully, this woman's journey is also teaching students and families that you need more than SAT prep to reach a high SAT score.
Last December my 14 year old daughter took the ACT + Writing test. She had no time for test prep - she was carrying 6 IB/AP courses. So she spend a few hours familiarizing herself with the exam using the ACT software. She got a 34 overall, with a 36 in reading, a 35 in science, 32's in English and Math, and 10 out of 12 in Writing. She was upset about the Math score, but much of the material is stuff that she no longer actively works with, which slows her down - she is taking Calculus.
She has received an enormous amount of literature and e-mails from colleges and universities. We expect that she will be attending Bellevue College for the next 2 years as a Running Start student and will do her engineering prep work and get her associates by the time she gets her high school diploma.
We expect she will go to the University of Washington in Engineering. While we will consider other options, the deal would have to be fantastically good to beat in-state tuition within bus range. She will want those credits accepted so that she can finish her education is something on the order of 2 years.
I hope your daughter is smarter about this than her parents.
She intends to get her BS Eng 2 years after leaving high school (due to the credits from Running Start). It may take another quarter or two if she does a double major (mechanical engineering + electrical engineering - controls) She will then do a MS Eng (prosthetics) or go to Med School (maybe MD/Ph.D.)
Why waste the time and money repeating material that has already been taken? If the school's aren't willing to consider it, she isn't willing to consider them. By their actions let them be judged.
And yes, a good scientist or engineer never finishes their education. I have a BS in Physics and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering - Materials. I have made my living in computer security for the past 20 years - without ever having taken course work in it.
I think there needs to be more focus on finding a school that is a good fit for you in as many ways as possible, and not trying to push hard to get into a school you may not be happy with as a student.