college trig needed? PSAT?

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  • May 12, 2014 at 1:29 pm
    retrofam
    Participant

    My dd just finished 9th grade and decided to attend college in a few years. I am new to college prep homeschooling and have a few questions.

    Does she need to take trigonometry? If she is competing for scholarships will it help to have trig? Need based scholarships should be easy due to our low income. Her plan is to get an elementary education degree online with Liberty University, and then a two year sign language degree online with Troy University. She wants to teach sign language. She does ok with math, but it is not her gifting or top interest.

    Also, Mr. Stobaugh’s SAT prep book says to skip the PSAT, unless her practice tests in prep books are exceptional, because the merit scholarship only goes to the top 1 percent.

    I heard that other scholarships are offered from PSATS from other sources, so now I am not sure. She prefers to skip the PSAT if that’s ok.

    What do you all think?

    May 12, 2014 at 3:11 pm
    Bookworm
    Participant

    Take the PSAT.  If nothing else, it is inexpensive practice for the SAT.  The PSAT covers mostly algebra and geometry.  Nail down that stuff for it.  The practice is invaluable.  Most test prep stuff agrees that your first time in an intense test taking environment is a “giveaway”—you will not do your best.  Find that out on the $15 PSAT and not the much more expensive other tests.  You WILL need to find a  high school that will allow her to take it.  You have to sign up for this one through a school, not the College Board.  My local high school did not allow homeschoolers so we had to travel.

    For the real tests, ,ACT or SAT, you need good thorough understanding of Algebra II material.  There is some trig.  And it will help with some problems.  My take?  It’ll be hard to score above a 740 without it.  (SAT obviously.)  

    I have to encourage you to have her work hard.  I know you think that your income is low enough to qualify for lots of need based aid.  But school policies differ GREATLY.  Some just don’t GIVE much in need-based aid.  I know very, very low income kids (families living on less than $20,000) who had family contributions in the thousands of dollars at some schools, and who were offered mostly loans.  (She will NOT want to take out tons of loans if she wants to go into sign language education.)  In my experience, there is a lot more merit aid out there than non-loan financial aid.

    I’d definitely go ahead and take the PSAT.  Depending on what year (junior or early senior) she takes the SAT, there could be differences anyway (major changes coming up in 2016 to the entire test.)  At the moment, no one really knows what that will look like.

    In the meantime, consider reading The Perfect Score Project.  Your library probably has it.  

    Anyway, schools were made possible for my kids based on their PSAT scores.  Both got full tuition scholarships out of it.  Dumb, dumb, dumb to not give it a shot! 

    May 12, 2014 at 7:43 pm
    retrofam
    Participant

    Thank you! I am so glad I asked.  I will plan the PSAT for October of her Jr. year and SAT at the end of Jr. year. Then SAT spring of senior year.  I am waiting a year for PSAT because she hasn’t done geometry yet.  By spring senior year most of trig. will be done.

    Does this sound good?

    May 13, 2014 at 12:23 am
    Bookworm
    Participant

    Yup.  Do some sort of prep.  I myself like the Princetoon Review books; also the big College Board practice tests are good.

    May 13, 2014 at 4:48 am
    HiddenJewel
    Participant

    It depends on your state if your student has a chance. I am in a smaller population state and my daughter was a NMS Finalist as was another homeschool boy here.

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