<p>I expect he can get at least B on physics. It will be good for him to move to AP physics in high school and attend physics bowl/club. He may have no room to place physics in public high school schedule.</p>
<p>Why would he have no schedule room to take physics in high school without needing summer classes?</p>
<p>A typical high school schedule will have the following each year:</p>
<p>English
math
science
foreign language
history or social studies
art, music, misc<em>, or elective
PE, misc</em>, or elective</p>
<p>*misc high school graduation requirements like health</p>
<p>Such a schedule allows for the three core sciences, plus an advanced on of his choice as the fourth science. If he wants even more, he can choose science in the electives.</p>
<p>“He may have no room to place physics in public high school schedule.”</p>
<p>what? ??
OP,
AP Physics, can be done at a public HS just as well as at a private HS. The rigor of his classes and his GPA are what is important, NOT where he went to HS. </p>
<p>Many kids select:
- bio, chem, AP bio, AP chem or
- bio, chem, AP physics, AP bio/AP chem</p>
<p>So it is normal that there is no space for physics and either one of AP bio/AP chem</p>
<p>Lots of students apparently fear and avoid physics, so they deliberately leave it out of their schedules. It is not because they have no schedule space for it.</p>
<p>It is a great idea that BASIS offers bio/chem/physics from grade 5-12, especially they are concurrent in grade 5-8. to make student can daily access all 3 courses in middle school. I believe they will cover all STEM class requirements of high school. Then easily move student to AP courses: bio/chem/physics. </p>
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<p>No, the OP is correct. The way the highest track in public schools often plays out is that there is only room for two of the three major science AP’s (physics, chem, or bio), unless you want to take two of these at the same time. I wouldn’t advise taking two of these simultaneously, and the scheduling may be impossible.</p>
<p>If you take a summer class in chem or bio, they may allow you to skip straight to the AP. That’s what they did for me. You’re probably better off doing that in bio than chem. </p>
<p>I took a physics class for fun in the summer after I had taken algebra 2. Physics is hard to do without basic trig, but if you have that, you’ll be ok.</p>
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<p>But is it really necessary to take advanced or AP in all three of them, as opposed to regular in all three plus advanced or AP in one or two of them?</p>
<p>^I think it is really important. There is a world of difference between AP and the honors version. </p>
<p>They may be able to work it out with the high school, assuming they are not very rigid.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t have put my math-y kid here. It sounds too rigid and test driven. I am uneasy about the lack of detail about the post Calculus classes, too. Are you sure they will come up with advanced math classes for after Calculus? I wonder if they slow down the acceleration for that reason.</p>
<p>FWIW my math-y kid took through BC Cal as a junior and had room in his schedule for three science APs, Chem, Bio and Physics C. He had to skip Physics B due to scheduling conflicts, so went into C without it. I don’t think his experience was unusual. His cohort took three or four AP sciences. Our high school is big, but not super high achieving or special. </p>
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<p>Some high schools use the AP physics B syllabus as their honors physics course.</p>
<p>In any case, students liking science typically tend to favor physical sciences (preferring AP or advanced in physics and/or chemistry) or biological science (preferring AP or advanced in biology and/or chemistry). A few may be interested enough in all three, but taking the third AP or advanced science as one of the academic electives should fit into the schedule.</p>
<p>
Basis has bio, chem & physics in grades 6-8. Your son would start in 8 and miss most of it anyway.</p>
<p>It is true. But I don’t think it is good idea to replace AP physics B (now it is AP physics 1 and 2 in 2 yrs) with AP physics C. AP physics 1 and 2 cover more subjects than AP physics C. It is importance to use 1-2 years to really understand basic physics concepts with algebra. So ideally it needs at least 3 years physics education.</p>
<p>I have another kid. He is in 4th grade</p>
<p>Well all school systems are different. This is the way it worked in our house:</p>
<p>Son 1 (the comp sci guy) slightly higher CTY math score, much higher reading and writing
7th grade - Algebra 1 (special dispensation to start early)
8th grade - high school biology (standard advanced track in our school system)
- geometry
9th grade - non-honors physic (AP physics B and honors both had schedule conflicts as did honors Chemistry which most honors kids took.), Algebra 2
summer after 9th - 3 week CTY fast pace Chem (to get him back taking science on a schedule that worked with peers) he spent the rest of the summer doing various computer projects
10th grade - AP Bio, Precalc
11th grade - AP Physics C, AP Calc BC
12th grade - AP Chem, Linear Algebra</p>
<p>Son 2 (history kid) much lower CTY math score similar reading and writing<br>
8th grade - high school biology, algebra 1
9th grade - honors chem, geometry
10th grade - physics, Algebra 2 (honors was a conflict)
11th grade - AP Bio, PreCalc
12th grade - AP Physics C, AP Calc BC (I think he had A- in math, B+ in physics when he was applying)</p>
<p>Son 1 was considered more advanced than normal in STEM in our school, Son 2 somewhat advanced - he could have taken Calc AB or AP Statistics. Kids who want to take APs in all three sciences have to double up - or take AP Physics B in 10th grade.</p>
<p>In our school AP Physics B and honors physics were so similar they got rid of honors physics. I think that what the college board has done with their AP physics curriculum is really, really dumb. In my experience kids can do a year of basic physics in a year - there’s no need to make it a two year curriculum crowding out room for other courses. (Including say fun electives.)</p>
<p>Thanks to share your great experience. </p>
<p>What does your son think? Is he excited about the challenge? </p>
<p>Both of my kids fit the curriculum nicely - both took AP Calc BC in freshman year and are STEM oriented, but neither had any interest in attending a magnet school (this is what we call here). They are interested in lots of other subjects/things that also take time to do well. I had a bit of disappointment when S declined the magnet school offer but later on realized that he was happy, well-rounded and took the time to find his favorite area.</p>
<p>He likes STEM but maybe not this school.
Riverview: Did your kids take placement test in this magnet school? Did they self-study geometry/algebra2/pre-calculus? </p>
<p>Yes. Their math sequence is Algebra 1(5th grade), geometry, algebra 2, pre calc. No self study. Our school district is quite resourceful and for a few years, they had school buses taking them from one school to another midday each day. In hindsight, I wish my Ddidn’t accelerate that much as she is a sensitive child and felt uncomfortable mingling with older kids. She did well in classes but felt she had less time with her ongrade friends. My S was fine and enjoyed it, but he also knew that he didn’t want to specialize in high school so he chose our local HS.</p>