<p>Our school system allows 2 electives each year for 7th-10th graders. So for the last 2 years, one elective was used for foreign language, one for orchestra. Now 9th grade is looming and S isn’t so sure he wants to continue orchestra. We went to Open House at the high school and visited various electives. I think he should start Latin (in addition to his current foreign language) as his 2nd elective. He thinks he wants to be a MechE or architect so we went to look at the CAD class offered through the Industrial Arts and the Computer Graphics offered by the Fine Arts Dept. We also looked at Marketing since his sister liked International Marketing when she was a sr. He really liked that as well.</p>
<p>Will “selective” schools look askance at a Industrial Arts or a Business track class (this would have been designated tech-voc in my day)? His core subject are all Honors and he is on track to take Calculus as a jr.</p>
<p>Motherdear, if your school or school district has some graduation requirements (fine arts, health, life fitness, etc.) it would be wise for your son to be over with them after 9th grade. Another point is that a year of fine arts is required by the UCs, and I’ve seen so many posters on the Admissions forum bumming about not having any classes that would satisfy this requirement.</p>
<p>“Will “selective” schools look askance at a Industrial Arts or a Business track class?”</p>
<p>Not at all. Especially if he is considering MechE or Architecture, a CAD class would be exactly in line with his interests. There’s nothing wrong with Computer Graphics or Marketing, either. (DS had several good friends who took DECA and are now in very selective colleges).</p>
<p>I’d encourage him to keep his current foreign language, but use the other elective for whatever interests him. Colleges like to see kids with a variety of interests, and the rest of his schedule is certainly challenging enough.</p>
<p>My S is definitely continuing his current foreign language as did my D when she added Latin. DECA was wonderful. My D was very involved in DECA the year she took Int’l Mktg. Our schools require that kids be enrolled in a specific elective if they want to do a certain club ie Marketing/DECA , Business track class/FBLA, Yearbook or Journalism class and academic band for Marching Band. </p>
<p>Our school system requires a year of Fine OR Industrial Arts so orchestra, computer graphics, or CAD will count. Not so sure about marketing…</p>
<p>One of my S’s favorite classes in high school was graphic arts. The teacher of that class is the one he goes back to say hello to. He took her class to fulfill one of the technical arts requirements.</p>
<p>WIll the CAD or computer graphics class still be okay if he DOESN’T go engineering/architecture? He’s in 8th grade so the likelihood of changing his mind is definitely possible.</p>
<p>Motherdear, I would not be too concerned with class elections in the 9th grade, since for some colleges 9th grade classes do not even count towards gpa calculations. Let him do whatever he wants, just make sure he is on track to pursue the most rigorous curriculum in 10-12th grades.</p>
<p>Both my kids are engineering-oriented and both took (in my S’s case, is taking) Engineering Projects their junior year, along with Calc and various other academic classes. My D, now a freshman, was accepted everywhere she applied, including a couple of schools that make cc’ers salivate, so it definitely didn’t hurt her applications. Also, it was 1st period and was a wonderful way to ease into the school day. I say that there lots of classes that he’ll have to take, so he should have at least one a semester that he really WANTS to take, whatever that is.</p>
<p>It’s been my experience (from the limited sample of my high school classmates) that having an elective class that’s really an elective–not just another academic class–can improve performance in core academic classes. Variety is a good thing, as is following one’s interests. Don’t worry about it.</p>