A little over a month ago, we got Laurent signed up for her ACT exam, which is a requirement if she is to enroll in college this fall. I don’t know how long people usually prepare for these tests, but it probably is longer than a month. And they probably don’t experience the loss and upheaval of a house fire in that same month, either! At any rate, the exam date was June 11th, and so it was that yesterday morning early, my eldest got up and ready, drank the tasty coffee I had prepared for her, gathered her fist-full of brand new sharpened No. 2 pencils and her fancy test-approved calculator, and went off to her testing location at one of the enormous local highschools. Just entering such a place was a novelty to my homeschooler! I got the impression that she was not intimidated, however, either by the place or the test. I love that about her… 😀
Mid-morning I was off to take The Boy to karate, and while driving it suddenly occurred to me that it had been one month since the fire! My goodness, it seems like three… so much has happened in such a short time.
Then, as I pulled into the driveway coming home with The Boy, Paul was just coming outside on his way to go pick up Laurent from her test, so I had him hop in with me and we went together. The test was supposed to end at 1pm, but since they had gotten a late start with signing everyone in, she did not come out until 20 minutes later. Paul and I stood around musing upon the cavernous enormity of the facility while we waited for her to exit the “Math Wing” of the building. At last we saw her coming through the doors in a stream of other young people, looking a little tired, and relieved. I am sure her scores will be more than adequate to ensure a place at the local community college this fall! 😉
The afternoon was booked with two theater friends joining the girls for some gab and game time, and they took a few pictures of that as well. It is lovely to have their friends come to visit, because then, the girls do an extra good job cleaning up before their arrival. 😀
Pauline Holston
12 Jun 2011Hey! I’m so proud of Laurent! She’s a winner! So glad the other girls were here for her to enjoy once that testing was over!
nettie
12 Jun 2011Yep, they had a good time. 🙂
Ann Seeton
16 Jun 2011LOL! I never prepared for the ACT or any other standardized test. I didn’t even prepare for the GRE to get into grad school because my friend made me sign up and go take it before I chickened out. It was better to go cold turkey than to think too hard about it and never take the test. 🙂
My kids, home schooled, were not given any prep. I offered the books and CD’s to the eldest, the kid refused and I said, fine– but you are going to school.
He went off from home school, was told by the Jr college a home school diploma didn’t count, went and took the GED and that was that.
Good for Laurent that she worked so hard!
nettie
17 Jun 2011I am not very familiar with the process since I managed to finagle my way into college by nabbing a music scholarship before I had to take any of the tests, so I don’t know what “normal” is for this kind of thing. I do know that some places (probably more on the east coast) there is enormous competition and the amount of time and even money spent on special tutoring and preparation is much higher than others.