Some people know that I’m applying to HISD‘s ACP program. I haven’t told many people, not wanting to jinx my application, having been unemployed for over two years and applying to many, many, many jobs. Everyone I’ve talked to has said I should get accepted automatically, but you never know.

Two monday’s ago I went in to give them the application, but I had not done my TASP tests (I read that portion of the application procedure and promptly filed it under “forget”), and I had failed to get my transcript from HCC for 3 hours of English I took in 1985. If I had not used it on my University of Texas degree, and thus it was on my UT transcript, they wouldn’t have known about it.

So, I went by HCC to get my transcript, easy and free. Checked out the TASP website and applied for the following tuesday. They give them every tuesday and wednesday at UH, but you have to apply 48 hours in advance.

Despite having a test on tuesday morning at 8am, I went to see a concert with Conn. Sigur Ros @ Bayou Place. It was ok and interesting and I’m glad I went, but I wouldn’t go again. After spending a week at SXSW several weeks ago, I was still in the pick-the-band-apart mode, and they had many minor flaws.

So, up at 6:30 the next morning, gone by 7, and it was still only a few minutes before the start that I walked into the TASP room. Full of young pups. It had been a long time since I bubbled in answers for my name and address. It is scheduled for 5 hours, I left a bit under 4. A few people had left before I did, but most were still No. 2 penciling away.

Basically, the test is to prove you can read, write, and do math. It has 3 sections of multiple choice (reading, writing, math), a total of 135, and a brief essay, 300-600 words. My essay was “why should smoking be banned in public places?”.

I got the results back on saturday, which is I guess why they call it the “Quick TASP”. They score 100-300 on each section and 2-8 on the essay. Passing scores are Writing:220, Reading:240, Math:230,270(college-algebra), and unstated for the writing sample.

My scores (drumroll please)…
Reading: 276
Math: 298
Writing: 240
Writing sample: 6

What was odd is that it also has the skill areas within each section broken out and your percentage on each (with the actual number of questions unstated). My writing section said I got 100% on all areas, implying I got all the writing multiple choice right. With a 6 out of 8 writing sample, I got a 240 out of 300 score. Fairly heavy weighting on the sample!

So, now I need to take the whole application back to the HISD intake office and wait for an interview.

-b