Okay so i’m sixteen years old and a sophomore. I’m homeschooled and my parents are making me take the ACT this year. I’m so nervous because all my friends tell me its really hard. My friend who is a junior took it and got a 20. He’s one of the smartest people I know. Money is hard so I need to get a good score on the ACT to try to get a scholarship. Also how many times can you take the ACT a year? Are you only allowed to take it once? Or as many times as you want?

Im going into 9th and im starting to worry about this stuff…my parents were born in india and are no help cuz they have less clue then i do on how this stuff works?! I have figured out a lot by looking at other ppl who asked questions but i still have some…
1) What are the best books to study for the SAT I …if i want to be a neurologist which SAT II should i really take?
2) IF anyone has taken SAT prep courses at Kaplan or the such do u think it helped any? is it worth it?
3) Are there any free sites i can practice on?
4) If i take the PSAT in 9th grade and completely suck, then will colleges ignore me? is it better to not take it…or is it truly only practice and helps out on the REAL PSAT?
5) Anything else that u think is important to know?

plz help me out..i really have no1 to ask and well..i havent met my Counsler for highskool yet but if the middle skool ones were anything to go by they wont help, to racist…

Okay so, I’m a thirteen year old girl my parents and I moved from Russia when I was 7.

Anyway, i’m going into eight grade this year and my parents don’t let me do anything:

I was hanging out with my BFF yesterday, (she lives 8 blocks away from my house, and we live in a small neighborhood where there are rarely any crimes, and her parents are best friends with my parents, and her parents are SUPER strict just like mine) so anyway while we were playing frisbee in the park next to her house, she wanted me to sleep over (we never had a sleep over together and we’ve known each other for 4 years, our parents introduced us) so she asks her mom and she says okay. I ask my mom and she says no. This is the conversation:

Me: Hey mom, can i maybe sleep over Alex’s house (she’s a girl)
Mom; NO NO NO!
Me: Why not, we don’t have anything in the morning, and her mom says it’s okay I promise to listen and do eve–
Mom: NO! No sleepovers, you have enough fun! What’s the point of a sleep over anyway? They are stupid and worthless. What ere you gonna do anyway?
Me: Mom, please, we never had one, we were hoping to watch a movie, her parents are gonna be home, and I promise to call, and—
Mom: NO WAY! You can watch a movie now or next week, but no sleep overs! Plus you have your tutoring class tomorrow!
Me: But why my tutoring class is at 4:30 PM and–
Mom: You didn’t do any chores or your tutor hw! I said NO. End of conversation. (I finished my chores and did my hw 2 DAYS AGO!)
Me: But I finished my–
Mom: I SAID NO!!!
Me: *sigh* Okay.

* I did not use any sarcasm during the conversation.

This is really weird, I’ve had sleep overs with other friends, those who live like an hour away by car, and even on school nights! And with friends whose parents she barely knows. But she never lets me have a sleepover with Alex.

Alex’s parents are also super strict and never let her ever have a sleepover, they will only let me sleepover because our parents are close friends. Alex is 13, she is a goody-goody two shoes kind of girl who would never do anything out of line (just like me, our parents would kill us if we snuck out, or did something against the "rules"). She is trustworthy, she lives 15 min away from my house (by foot) and her parents are gonna be home during the night. And we hang out all the time around town when our parents are away (with permission of course).

Here’s another thing: My parents are obsessed with grades.
Both parents when to some fancy shmansy university in Russia and they brought me here and it is so horrible.

- I’m not allowed to get any grade lower than a A- (once I got a B on a French Pop Quiz and I got grounded and got my computer and TV time taken away for two weeks)

- If I do get lower than A- I get the "I’m never gonna get into a good high school, college, and going to spend my life working as a garbage woman for the rest of my life and other crap" lecture.

- They make me do a tutoring class each week to prepare for the ISEE, which is a test kind of like the SAT except for high school. AND they said I have to do an hour a day of studying from this ISEE prep book.

- My dad forced me to get 10 french books from my french teacher so I don’t forget the language. (We went to Canada for the beginning of summer, I spoke nothing BUT french, they don’t even speak french! I had to translate everything for them, they even quizzed me on every single word, during vacation!)

- Just a few days ago my mom was saying good night and started ranting on how I did nothing with my summer, how I didn’t study, how I have nothing to put on my college application, and how I’m just lazy and sit around doing nothing all day! (I did swim practice, tae-kwon-do, voice class, test prep, test studying, french reading, we went to Canada, Cape Cod!)

- Everyday they say: Did you read your French books, did you do your Tae-kwon-do practice, did you study, did you do your hw?

1 I finished my french books 2 months ago!

2. I finish my homework the day I get it!

3. I study every stinkin day, it’s summer, jeez!

4. I practice tae-kwon-do when my parents go to work, or my mom goes shopping in NYC, and they don’t believe me when I say I did practice. But I can’t practice when we’re not home because our apartment is too small, and even though they know nothing about karate, they will try to but in and correct and watch my every move!

Oh, and here comes the worst part, they watch over like hawks over everything I eat!

When I was little they used to sometimes buy me oreos, goldfish crackers, and even a milky way bar if i was good!

Now, they stopped buying ice cream, they buy flax seed oil trailmix oatmeal cookies (I’d rather eat garbage). They say it’s too much sugar and chemicals.

They used to say that I should eat fruits instead. So I started eating fruit, and they now stopped buying a lot of fruit because "fruit has too much sugar" WTFH?

Once I took a handful of raisins
Once I took a handful of raisins (me trying to be healthy so my parents get off my back) and my mom tells me to put half of them back because raisins have too much sugar!

They are obsessed with healthy, they made me quit drinking cow milk, eating cheese, white bread, cookies, ice cream, chocolate, coffee, and meat.

1. I’m not lactose-intolerant (NO ONE IN MY FAMILY IS!)

2. I don’t have food allergies (I know, I’ve had a blood test and the doctor says I have no food allergies)

3. I’m 13, 5 foot 3.5 inch and 100 pounds, my BMI is 18. I take sports all year round!

I know they want me to be healthy, but they practically let me have no candy or anything like they used to. My grandma has Diabetes (the kind were you can’t eat a lot of sugar) but my parents don’t have it, and no one else in my family does.

I’m always jealous of my friends cause their parents are relaxed and don’t limit their food, or make them study in the summer, or hover over them 24/7.

Oh, and my mom always compl
Oh, and my mom always complains about how much money I cost for clothes and braces.

1. My mom is the one who makes me shop at Hollister and A&F and AE and Aero. (Yes, she! I say, why can’t we go to Kholes or something or macy’s to save money and buy more!?) She says that those stores have better quality. I like the clothes, but the perfumes make me GAG.

2. She complains about how I have to wear braces, and the reason I can’t get them of is my teeth are slow so my 12 year old molars have grown in, If a had them, my braces would be off. I don’t control my teeth! It’s not my fault! And when she complains about how much money they cost, I see her online everyday buying a Prada or Coach bags or shoes everyday!

I know I’m lucky because they buy me lots of stuff, and we are lucky because we have a lot of money, but it seems like they can use it as an excuse for being so strict about everything else.

Side notes:

They bought me college application books when I was 12 that tell you how t
They bought me college application books when I was 12 that tell you how to get into college.

I go to the best school in my area (It’s a small private school for gifted children) and they still complain about how I’m stupid and will never get into college. They also say I have no idea what I want to do in life, and I should already know my whole life plan about college and stuff. I want to be doctor, and I want to go to McGill college in Canada (And move to another country away from THEM)

2. I’m only allowed to go out with friends once a week. If I ask to go out more (even if I have done every chore and worksheet and it fits into my schedule) they will say no because "I’ve already had too much fun for a week"
Is that even possible? Can someone PLEASE explain what that even means? Cause I sure don’t. It’s like they want to keep me in all day, but then complain about how I don’t do anything?

WTF?

Ps. Don’t tell me to talk to them, I tried. If I tried once to have a grown up coversa

I have been diagnosed with ADD but my parents dont want me to take medication. i got a 28 composite ACT the first time around, but I can tell you that my largest problem was focus. I feel that if I were actually able to concentrate then I could do ALOT better.

I am going to be taking the SAT II math, chemistry, and maybe physics. I am aspiring to become a pharmacist. All throughout my high school career I have been a good student, I have received all As in my classes and I did especially well in Chemistry, Algebra I and II, and Geometry (which I received a 99% average). But I am afraid that I may have forgotten most of Geometry (since I took it in such a short period of time at a summer class covering a years worth of geometry in 5 weeks) and some formulas in Chemistry. I am pretty sure I will do fine in physics because I am great with formulas and math so I am considering taking the Physics II test. I really want to get a 2000+ score, now I know that is not a walk in the park and it requires months of prepping. What is the best way to prep? Should I get a tutor or take prep classes? My parents don’t mind the money and really are pressuring me to get a high score and I am afraid that me forgetting much of geometry might ruin that. I catch on really quickly and I can remember stuff so I think private tutoring of predatory classes might help. Which would help me better to receive my scores? Oh and I am also taking English of course but I always did well with english.

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my friend wrote this but doesnt think it is good for her age. how old do you think the person who wrote it is? and do you think it is good? constructive critism would be nice and sorry it is so long.

The walk home from school that day seemed unbearably long. I tried to tell myself it was because of the freezing weather, but I knew it was the thought of hearing John’s big news. I hoped the news was that he and Erika had finally broken up even though he would never be so excited about that. When I arrived home, fingers numb and toes frozen, the familiar smell of warm dinner greeted me. My mom was home from work early and had began preparing dinner. It was John’s favorite, chicken and cheesy potatoes. I rushed up to my room, avoiding the repetitive after school conversation my mom and I have daily. I started working on my homework when the doorbell rang. Downstairs, I could hear John’s low voice addressing our parents. "Lindsay, John is here," my mom called up to me. I rushed downstairs to see my older brother and our parents relaxing in the living room while dinner was finishing. I was glad to see no sign of Erika for the first time in months. "Maybe I was right, maybe they did break up," I thought. John and I were only four years apart and we had been best friends up until he left for college last fall. Before he moved out and met his girlfriend Erika, we did everything together. He took me to all kinds of places like movies and sporting events. He was also one of the few people I could tell anything to and it seemed like Erika replaced me when he left. About ten minutes into our conversation, a shiny blue car pulled into the driveway. To my disappointment, it was Erika. The second John saw the car, he ran to the door to invite her inside. "Sorry I am late, I got caught at work late today," Erika explained, "and hi Lindsay. How is school going?" "Good," I replied as I faked a smile. Dinner was done and we all sat down at the table and got ready to eat. "It smells delicious mom," John yelled into the kitchen as the last minute preparations were finished. Time passed in silence when dad finally asked, "So what’s the big news John?" John looked over at Erika and she pushed her long brown hair behind her ear. Erika smiled as John announced "We are getting married." "Wow," mom began "I am so happy for you two." I began chocking on a piece of chicken and mom directed me to take a drink. After calming down, I said "Yeah, me too." John replied with a disbelieving look on his dark, tanned face. "Honest," I added in hoping the family would trust that I was telling the truth. I wasn’t happy for them at all. Inside, I just wanted to tell everyone I don’t want my only brother to get married and have his own family and forget about us. I knew I had to be supportive though, just like he was always supportive of me. Everyone had finished eating while my plate was half full. I guess I wasn’t very hungry after such thrilling news. I asked to be excused from dinner and went back upstairs to my room. It was impossible to concentrate on homework when thoughts of loosing my brother and best friend to some girl kept crossing through my mind. I gave up on the homework and sat on my bed when suddenly Erika called for me. Walking down the stairs once again, I noticed all the attention in the room was on me. I took a seat in the nearest chair and Erika began talking to me. "I know you and John are very close," she started "and I just wanted to let you know that we are going to try to include you as much as we can." I quietly replied with a quite "Really?" "Yes," Erika continued, "and we were wondering if you would like to be a bridesmaid in the wedding." I began to think that maybe this whole thing wouldn’t be nearly as bad as I thought it would be. "I would love to," I replied back with a smile and this time it was a real smile.

I’m in 10th grade…..my parents said its going to be harder to get into a UC college/university. I want to know the requirements for some of the colleges, like UC Irvine, US San Diego, UC Santa Barbara. In 9th grade..i got bad grades, in first semester, i got 3 c’s 2 b’s and 1 a. In second semester i got 4 c’s and 2 b’s. In 10th grade, first semester i got 3 a’s and 3 b’s. Second semester i’m probably going to get 4 a’s and 2 b’s. My moms putting me in an SAT prep course. My goal is to score at least 1850 minimum, and 2200 max. I want to know what i will need to do to get into one of the colleges i listed above. I havent decided on a major yet, but i’m thinking of being a doctor or something with business/economics. Maybe engineering also. Please give me as much information as possible, i’ll give 10 points to person with best answer.

I live in Texas, I’m ranked 3rd in my class, and I have a GPA well above 4.0 (I take many AP classes)

I want to be a doctor, and I haven’t decided what area I would like to specialize in (maybe neurology, maybe pediatrics) I volunteer a LOT at a local pediatric clinic and at the local hospital.

Recently, my parents have been concerned with my PSAT score that I got in 10th grade…I made a 182 but I still got into my school’s PSAT course because of that score… (I’m enrolled at a SAT prep course and aiming for a 220+)

I’m concerned because I’ve taken AP World History (made a 5 on it) and AP Spanish (made a 4) and I’ve talked to everyone, and they all say getting into a college/med school is going to be tough…and I don’t have the requirements it takes.

I’m taking AP Chemistry, and AP Biology in the next two years.

My question is: What more can I do, that will bolster my chances of getting into a respectable college with a good pre med program? Also, what colleges, in Texas preferably, would be best for me?

Thanks!

My friend has a little brother who is supposedly "special." But she does not think he is. Her parents have extremely high expectations for all their kids and her little brother was born with one of his vocal cords damaged so her father wanted him put in special education because his voice was really different. She said that her dad was embarrased by his son and told him every time they went in to get a check-up on his progress that he needed to "act stupid" so he could get benefits. He’s 17 now and since his parents have really delayed his progress, he’s only at a second grade level. He accidentally told my friend what their parents were doing and my friend is furious. She says she thinks it’s wrong for them to have exploited her brother just for money. My friend says her brother is not slow. She’s seen him work before and the only different thing about him is his voice. She wants to start tutoring him in many subjects and try to get him caught up because he would like to go to college. Is it okay for her to tutor him even though she’s not really an expert?? She’s in college. Can she have her brother re-tested after the tutoring to see if he really is "special"?? We’re all a bit confused…she confronted her parents and they don’t really care…they just keep saying that everyone will get to use the money that comes…