Now that we have discussed why you should have your student take the SAT and how to prepare for the SAT, the next step is to REGISTER FOR THE SAT. The next opportunity to take the SAT is March 10, 2018. The regular registration deadline is February 9 which means you need to get registered right now. Some Common Questions/Concerns From Parents When Registering Their Students for the SAT How many times should my teen take the SAT? We recommend students test at least twice, once in the spring of their junior year and once in the fall of their senior year, and no more than four times. 67% of students who test again improve their score the second time. I have heard my student shouldn’t take the test twice in case they don’t do as well. 2 out of 3 students improve their scores when they retake the SAT. And here's more good news: Research shows that students who spend 20 hours on Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy gain an average of 115 points from the PSAT/NMSQT to the SAT. I have heard the SAT is harder if you take it later in the year. The College Board makes sure every version of the SAT is the same level of difficulty. I have heard the SAT is only ...
Why Should My Teen Take the SAT?
These days, there is a lot of pressure to do everything “right” and one group really feeling that pressure is families with kids thinking about college. The choices of which schools to visit, which tests to take, where to apply….it all gets to be TOO MUCH. I hear you, friends, I have been there and as I sit here now, with a Senior in COLLEGE, I do have some advice for those of you just starting this journey. First and foremost-let’s talk about the money. While little Sally and Johnny are worried about what the dorm rooms look like, let’s face it, as parents we are worried about how we are going to pay for it all. My son’s high school counselor suggested he take the ACT and so that’s what he did.What I didn’t realize was that the College Board and SAT connects students/families to over $180 – I think the most recent number now is $220K million in scholarship dollars each year. Who doesn’t need help paying for college? There are other factors about the SAT that I wished I’d known. For instance, did you know there is no penalty for guessing wrong on the SAT? This is a fairly new development within the scoring of the test and is a huge advantage! ...
Listen To Your Gut
It's been a while now since I have written any advice for special needs moms. A lot of that is because my boys are both more than old enough to read and process the things I write and I am sensitive to how they perceive things. But the one thing I know for sure (in the words of Oprah) is that a special needs mom (or ANY parent) HAS to follow their gut. Its the one thing that you were given that is more valuable than any doctor has or any medical book could ever teach. I learned when my youngest (born with spina bifida) was just 4 months old that doctors didn't know everything about him that I did. He needed a shunt (a device that drains extra fluid off the brain) surgery and they kept saying no. They were experimenting, seeing how far they could push the limits. I knew what he needed in my gut and one day that I will never forget I packed him up and demanded they admit him for the surgery. Everyone thought I was nuts. Turns out my little guy who could never open his hands came out of surgery with them open. Right there I got my power and knew if I did nothing else in all of this mess I knew I had to follow my gut. In his almost 17 years there have been thousands of times when ...
Time To Trade-In Those Gift Cards
Now that the holidays are over, let's be honest. Grandma may not quite get you anymore. What you would have loved 5 & 10 years ago...probably not what you are loving now. She loves you. She tries hard. But she just can't seem to get that what you really want is cold, hard cash. Especially if you are in the college crowd. That's OK. Coinstar has an answer to that drawer full of unused gift cards from well meaning Santa's everywhere with their new gift card exchange machines. They sent me the two above to try it out and see how easy it really is. I started by locating a Coinstar Exchange Kiosk on their locator page. Make sure and filter for the exchange kiosks. They are different machines. You want: At my store they were in completely different locations. I put in the two gift cards sent to me by Edelman PR. I was offered $16.25 cash for the Toy's R Us one and $16 for the Applebee's. After accepting the offers, I had to insert my drivers license and a credit card to prove that I was really me before my happy little voucher was produced. Which I took to the counter with my drivers license and exchanged for this: Honestly, this post took me longer to ...
It’s Tough Not To Like the Kyocera Brigadier
Can your iPhone 6 do that? It's OK to admit the answer you are looking for is, UM, NO? Admit it, you probably just winced a bit when I dropped it. It's the stuff tech lovers nightmares are made of. We pay more money for the Otterboxes to protect our precious phones than the phone itself it seems like these days. But, Kyocera and Bear Grylls would like to put to an end to the daily terror of the dreaded "phone drop". They have accomplished that goal with this tough little phone my guys are fighting over, the Kyocera Brigadier Verizon sent us to test out. Oh, and by the way....the phone came up with a tiny chip in the plastic casing of the phone, about the size of a pin head in the above video. The phone itself was unscathed. While the main feature of this phone is pretty obvious: IT'S TOUGHER THAN A HONEY BADGER....There are a few other things that make this a favorite in this house: Street noise is cancelled out. This has been really useful for my husband making calls while downtown. It's got a heavy, sturdy feel and you're not afraid if it takes a tumble. Built in flashlight means not having to use a third party app. The altitude detector has been great while hiking ...