Parents of the HS Class of 2012 - Original - Page 40

Iglooo · 04-18-2010, 09:10 AM

What is math 2C? How do you decide which subject tests to take? My daughter took AP math Algebra/precal this year. Does she take math 2 for SAT subject test?

seiclan · 04-18-2010, 09:17 AM

There are now (the title is different than a few years ago) two SAT math subject tests. The Math 2 test covers algebra, geometry, algebra 2/trig and precalculus. The best time to take this test is immediately after taking Precalculus (before calculus, which is NOT on the test). I am not sure what the Math 1 covers (but I am fairly sure it is not precalculus).

oldfort · 04-18-2010, 09:39 AM

No, my daughter is not taking AP chem, she is taking honors chem. Apparently this is one course that's geared toward Chem SAT II test. They are not encouraged to take Bio Sat II because it is not geared toward Bio SAT II. They do not take any AP courses until Junior year.

seiclan · 04-18-2010, 09:49 AM

OH. My son is also taking Honors/Gifted Chemistry this year. Although he does have the teacher that also teaches the AP Chemistry classes at our school, our students are told to take the subject test only after having had the AP class. I know that it is different in other schools though.

On another note, it has been so quiet in our home these past few days. My son, the youngest of my three children (the girls are away in college), has been away at the state math competition. This was my first taste of being alone in the house with just my husband. It has been .... peaceful. He will be back later today though. Hope the team did well.

Iglooo · 04-18-2010, 10:22 AM

Thank you, seiclan.

MizzBee · 04-19-2010, 11:14 AM

New to the boards with a sophomore at an average public school in Indiana. His schedule next year is as follows:
Honors English
Spanish 3
Medical Interventions (a biomed course honors level)
AP Chemistry
Physics (no AP offered)
Junior GT (gifted interdisciplinary course heavy on critical thinking
Trig/Psychology (both 1 semester classes)
AP US History

While this doesn't seem tough compared to many on this board, I am concerned about the AP US History for him. While I want him to be challenged, the school has a reputation for the students getting an A in the course, but getting 2 or 3 on the AP exam. Since this will not look good to colleges and will not allow him to test out of the lower level history course in college, is it worth it for him to take it?
Right now he is a math and science kid, but we will be applying to several small Lacs (like Wabash and DePauw) he will be taking some intense general ed history courses.

mathinokc · 04-19-2010, 11:18 AM

MizzBee --
What's the alternative history course for him? If his choices are US History or AP US History, then I think it's best to take AP even if he doesn't score well on the exam.

If there's another AP with higher success rates, then maybe he could take that...

He could also do some self-study for the AP US History exam outside of class. There are plenty of study books on the market.

Munira · 04-19-2010, 11:36 AM

Hello Parents

My life and focus is around my Sophmore S who attends a very driven well known private school, takes honors math, english, spanish chem, but can only manage a GPA of 3.7 currently. He can be ranked roughly 40-45 th in his class of 96 very gifted and smart students. His teachers adore him and he has made some good friends.
I pulled him out of a magnet school that had no sports, no extra curricular but where he was the "top" student to put him here so that he could become a "well rounded student" He does do well in drama, speech and plays varsity basketball and tennis but I am going crazy wondering if I did the right thing?
Should I have kept him in public school, where he was not learning enough, but would have ranked in the top five even while playing video games all day? Or let him live with a 3.8 GPA but have the learning experience of a lifetime?
What IS it that colleges want?? Any idea?

Thanks so much!

glido · 04-19-2010, 11:53 AM

Munira: You did the right thing. He will be fine. The colleges he will apply to will know the type of competetive school he is in.

MizzBee · 04-19-2010, 12:23 PM

The only choices are AP US history and regular US history. Thanks for the suggestion. I am going to encourage him to do outside study.

GeekMom63 · 04-19-2010, 01:47 PM

Munira: I think your son is better off being average of the best instead of best of the average. But what does he think?

As far as "what do colleges want", I think your kid should do what he wants (except for playing video games all day) and go to the college that matches him rather than trying to create himself as the perfect college applicant. This strategy could keep him out of the Ivies or get him in, but it will probably lead to growing up and living happier and more fulfilled. The Ivies aren't the only colleges worth having.

geogirl1 · 04-19-2010, 02:25 PM

Hi! I'm new to the board and my first child is in the HS class of 2012. He's a strong student, but tends to find balance by not killing himself academically. He's fine with a 90 to 92 in a class, even if he just spent a little more time preparing, he could get the 94 to 98 in the class. He does have a high GPA b/c his HS includes all classes and they weight the honors and AP classes. This semster he has a 97% GPA, so he's no slouch, however, unweighted with only counting the major 5 classes he has a 3.7 GPA (including freshman yr and this year so far). This is the number I tell him he needs to look at, but b/c his HS only calculates the %, that's what he looks at. However, he is doing all the "right" things by participating in sports, joining clubs, volunteering and is active in two academic competitions. So maybe he's right, in that he doesn't stress too much and is following his own passions. I'm the one who stresses for him, although I try not to share too much!

Currently he is taking (10th grade):

Honors English
AP World History (loves it)
Spanish 3
Honors Chem
Geometry (we moved and switched states - the new state had a different math scequence and my son was not able to be in advanced math due to the differences. He is a strong math student, but not a brilliant math student)

Next year he has signed up for:
AP English
AP US History
AP Bio
AP Enviro Science
Trig/Alg 2
Marine Science
Spanish 4

I have a daughter who is a year younger than my son and is doing well too.

I look forward to "meeting" the members of this board as we begin the journey of seeing our kids begin the college process.

seiclan · 04-19-2010, 03:02 PM

Welcome Geogirl, Mizzbee and Munira!

Apollo6 · 04-19-2010, 09:46 PM

Mizzbee,
Another option would be for your child to take US history over the summer via the Indiana Online Academy as a pre-AP class. They also offer AP econ, English and psych classes. I don't know what their track record is on AP score success but my kids have taken 6 different courses through IOA and we've been very pleased with these courses overall. If your school participates in the consortium, it only costs $50 per course during the summer.

Apollo6 · 04-19-2010, 09:55 PM

Geogirl1, My oldest son is in 2011 and oldest daughter in 2012. I didn't even calculate my son's core gpa until the fall of his junior year so you are ahead of me. Unfortunately, it was then that I discovered that to get a full tuition scholarship at our state flagship, it was necessary to have a 3.8 unweighted core gpa (in addition to a 30 ACT with writing or comparable SAT scores). I wish I had known that sooner. My son is down to the last semester that counts - he can only afford one A- in a core class this semester. All the rest have to be As in order for him to get the scholarship. It makes me ill to think that one class could mean losing a scholarship worth $32K+ over 4 years. So, 3.7 is excellent but 3.8 might mean the difference between a scholarship and none. I wish I'd known this sooner.