Hi Sherpa, et al.
My daughter is currently a Sophomore in a rigorous well known private school which ranks nationally in the top 5%. Because she is training 5 nights a week at her fencing club, she felt that she wasn’t able to take any honors classes. However, she has been getting good grades over all.
She is in her last year as Cadet and continues to do well in terms of her cadet ranking, now rated A and stands within the top 10, both rolling and team points, hoping to make the US National Team this year for the World Championship. She has medaled at the SN cadet as well as European Cadet event. She hasn’t yet focused much on Junior points, she is on the list but not high on the list yet. We’re hoping to improve that as well by trying to do well on junior and senior events during the second half of her Sophomore year. The way things are going, if she continues to progress along at her current status, by the middle of her junior year, we’re hoping that she will be at least in the top 20 of junior (especially after the age phase out) and somewhere on the senior list.
Her ultimate goal is being recruited at a Div 1 elite school, preferably the HYP/C.
The question we have is how important are taking rigorous courses in high school, especially if attending a private school that is known to be very hard grader. Do the coaches take into consideration the type (private vs public) school, when evaluating the academic index? As mentioned, she is a Sophomore now, but in her junior year, she will plan to take one AP course and an honor class. However since she will plan to compete in several international Junior World cups and all Senior and Junior NACs, increasing her school work load may not be a good idea for her.
Also is it true that we can email coaches in the beginning of his junior year?