HI Iam a mom of high schooler in california. Could you all please share info regarding, 1. When is the best time to start coaching for SAT/ACT? 2. Which is the best coaching institutes 3. Are there ny individual/online coaching that you know of ? 4. How to decide what course to choose and the colleges that offer them. 5. How hard is admissions to medical colleges here in US. Your inputs are immensely helpful as I feel like stranded in a ocean with regards to college education. Thank you very much for sharing. rebu.
Hi Rebu, Some thoughts on your questions. These things vary a lot based on many things including kid's plans, personality and also what parents want, hope. Most kids try to complete the last attempt of SAT/ACT by the first semester of junior year (11th grade). Typically, the summer after 10th grade is used to prepare or take coaching. Some take the first attempt in August/early Sept. Some prefer to prepare in summer, and do mock/practice tests till Oct/Nov. There still remains time for 1 or more attempts in Dec or Feb/March. I believe some SAT subject tests are offered only in specific months. Keep those in mind when planning main SAT exam dates. Cannot take both SAT main and subject SAT on the same day. Also, good to plan a little ahead for subject SAT's. Best time to write a subject SAT is right after completing that subject's highest level that child plans to take in high school. Except MATH Level II subject SAT, it is better to take this in the May /June after studying Pre-Calculus (Math Analysis) in school. Usually, there are some well-known ones in each city or area. There are the "institutes" that have many locations and there are one of a kind coaching providers also. Your school counselor will be a good resource. They can tell what are the options given your budget, and what most kids from the school go for. Also, sometimes local coaching providers conduct session in the high school during summer. I recently did a comparison of online prep/coaching providers. Google "online sat/act coaching review". I read about 5 pages that compared many providers. I found prepscholar to be the best. Most important reason - they have non-video format also of the lessons. Having to watch a video even at faster speed is very annoying. New SAT and ACT Preparation Online · PrepScholar Their $399 SAT or ACT package is valid for a year. I like the weekly report they send to parent. Very comprehensive. Kids of my friends have used it too. Kids who are totally different in study habits, interested major, and living in different parts of the U.S., going to public, private, charter schools. Individual coaching - usually not worth the expense unless child is busy and group coaching timings don't work. If child is still totally lost on what she wants to study, can start with eliminating some choices. Maybe, finance or international relations is something she absolutely does not want to consider. Some children totally dislike biology or chemistry or physics. Elimination narrows down choices. Take some time to read major combinations that colleges now offer, such as computational biology. How long is a piece of string? : ) I have no firsthand knowledge. I have heard it is very competitive. Start off by reading websites like collegeconfidential.com. Focus on gathering information, do not get overwhelmed by the accomplishments of other kids, especially on collegeconfidential. A note of caution and friendly advice: Do not make college admissions your project or undertaking. It is your child's. You are there to support her, to guide her, and to be her cheerleader. For example, when researching SAT/ACT coaching, try to at least present the choices to her, and let her choose. Try to keep your opinions to yourself while she is choosing. Show her how to look up coaching options if needed, but don't take over the entire research. That being said, an informed parent is a valuable resource. Based on your questions, I would suggest you spend some hours spread out over days reading collegeconfidential. Their "Ask the Dean" section is a good starting point and the "Dean" is quite funny. Not really a dean, just a parent who answered so many questions people thought she was a dean of a college. Next you could start to read up about medical colleges and what do students keep as back-up options if medical college doesn't happen or student changes mind 2-3 yrs into undergrad. Most important: if that website starts to make you feel hopeless, distraught and you start to bug husband about how difficult it all is going to be, cease reading forthwith. : )
I hope you are asking for yourself. It's hard, but you can do it! Good Luck & Godspeed! Considering the possibility (remote, I know!) that you have plans to mess with your teenager's head by drilling tiny holes in their skull through which to pour your ideas in, be warned that med-school in the United States follows after an undergraduate degree. That is to say it's grad school; unlike the British/Indian system, in which one goes to medical college right after high school. So, it's a long haul in the US, a minimum of five years away for your child. Unless your offspring is highly suggestible or has expressed interest on their own, desist from the trepanning. Otherwise, as one former president warned, he/she might gravitate towards art history simply to spite you. Quelle horreur!
What about this: Complete List: BA/MD and BS/MD Programs in the US Combined programs allow students to earn a bachelor’s degree—either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS)—and then proceed directly into a medical program for a Doctor of Medicine (MD). Since students are already accepted to medical school, they can forgo the typical medical school admissions process near the end of undergrad. Instead of applying separately to medical school, students just go through one major admissions process at the end of high school (or, occasionally, a condensed application process early in college). Programs that ask students to apply after first getting admitted to the college are typically referred to as early assurance programs. ========== These are popular with hs students in my area. Apparently, some uncertainty is reduced with this 7 or 8 year track. I have no clue how true this is. We know who these kids are as they often volunteer at local doctors' offices. A friend got the shock of her life one day when she was sitting on the examination bed, clad waist up in a paper gown : ) : ) when in walked the doctor, followed by a 17 year old holding an iPad. The said yet to start-shaving-regularly 17 year old was a local kid this woman knew since his diaper days. She was not at all amused that he was to witness and record as the doctor poked, prodded and asked my friend to take deep breaths. : ) : ) OP, apologies for the digression. : ) Providing conclusion to the interesting tale: friend told the doctor she wanted only doctor in the room.
Well, yes, but (a) it's still pretty much the same overall time-frame with no foolin' around** along the way, and (b) there are very few such slots compared to the traditional track, and (c) there's no BS/MD/Ph.D. track. I'd say an ambitious student ought to shoot for a full-ride as an undergrad (allowing the parents to focus on accumulating dowry money) and an MSTP for med-school, graduating with no (or little) debt. **Oh, wait! I meant "exploring". Yes, sir, e-x-p-l-o-r-i-n-g - growing up, finding oneself, and suchlike.
Hi all Thank you for the reply. Iam a first gen parent educated in india, Iam trying to understand the way things work here in US and be a useful guide to my son. Your inputs are really valuable and once again thank you for taking your time to reply. I will go thru the websites suggestef by u all. Thanks Revathi
Yes, I guessed. I'm just pulling your leg a little bit, since your son is probably an all-American kid by now, with a mind of his own!
