take sat II biology after community college biology class???

[hsmomstef]

My son will be taking a biology course next semester at the local community college. It is a good community college and the course includes a lab. He is in 9th grade (homeschooled -- that's why we are going this route) and not too keen on science. We decided that a class with a lecture and lab would be the way to go to learn this material (he wasn't real interested in studying this on his own).

The class is called "Science of Biology" and it is NOT college biology I (this will be his first biology class) but the teacher and community college both described it as a class that is "much more than first year high school biology". The book they are using is Biology by Mader.

Here is my question -- we are looking ahead and plan on having him take several SAT II subject tests. Would this be enough biology for him to do well on the test? do most kids take it after a first year biology course?

I know he would need to study the prep books and make sure he covered the correct information, but I want to make sure I am not setting him up for failure.

thanks for any help!

[bluebayou]

Since we don't know the school or the cours material, it's really hard to advise. But, I would recommend purchasing the Collegeboard Subject Test book, and have him take the bio test (as practice) when he completes his course. Then, you'll have better knowedge on where he stands.

fwiw: Subject Tests are designed to be taken after a HS college prep class, but many kids take them during AP time, so a student taking AP Bio will take the bio subject test.

Another thought: take a look at some college websites that your son might be interested in to see if the cc course would qualify as a lab science for admission purposes -- not all classes so qualify.

[hsmomstef]

thanks -- I was warned that some materials may not be covered in class that will be on the subject test and we will try to identify what those are and self-study them.

As far as using the course as a lab science -- if you mean for transfer purposes, the class will transfer to most of the colleges he is looking at for a safety, but we are not too worried about that -- he plans on taking whatever courses the college requires and we are aware that transferring college credits taken during high school is rather tricky (and virtually impossible for the very selective schools).