<p>RVM: You’ve gotten good advice about the teacher recs. My D2 is another one who doesn’t like to participate in class. I’ve been hearing about that at every conference since elementary school. In high school, she chose to take a mix of GT, honors and regular classes and did well in all of them, but she really stood out in the easier classes. She ended up asking her junior trig teacher for a recommendation, and that teacher wrote a glowing recommendation about what strong student and classroom leader she was. As Mdmom suggests, she also got a rec from her journalism/10th grade English teacher. I know that the people usually recommend asking a teacher from an advanced class, but I think that the most important this is to ask a teacher that really knows the student. The suggestion of getting an additional rec from the BBYO advisor is a great idea also.</p>
<p>It is absolutely not necessary to ask a teacher from spring of junior year. Some schools do ask for junior or senior year in general, or from particular subjects, but spring is not a requirement. </p>
<p>D used her 10th grade math teacher because she felt he just knew her and understood her the best, and he was a really wonderful person who would write a thoughtful letter - even though her 11th grade math teacher liked her and she did better in that class. I think her English teacher who wrote her rec is from spring of junior year, but if she’d been in the fall instead D definitely still would have asked her.</p>
<p>Yes - the BBYO idea is a good one - may pursue that. </p>
<p>The other thought that comes to mind is that kids do need to learn how to promote themselves - how to sell themselves, etc. Whether it is a college interview, job interview - or establishing a rapport with a hs teacher or college professor. So - while his tendency is to be quiet - I think it would help him to push out of his comfort zone a bit and be a little more vocal. I’m just glad that none of his colleges require interviews.</p>
<p>Ok - know it is not a good idea to compare siblings - so I am just sharing. Had an interesting conversation yesterday - ran into one of S1’s teachers outside of school - he had him for AP English in the fall of junior year - so that would have been the fall of 2007. Not only did the teacher remember S1 - he remembered his love of sports and specific conversations they had had regarding sports writers and a specific type of analysis of baseball statistics! And I just have to contrast that with S2 - who seems to make little or no impression on his teachers - other than being a quiet kid who likes to sit in the back of the class if allowed to do so. It’s just a little frustrating. I know - “love the kid on the couch” and I do. I’m just venting.</p>
<p>RVM:</p>
<p>I can relate. My boys have never been in the same school except for this one year. They went to separate elementary schools because of districiting changes, never overlapped in middle and now have senior & freshman in h.s.</p>
<p>My older one is much more outgoing, sports oriented… the younger one more shy, quieter, not as studious…but the teachers have been gracious enough to point out some of S2’s funny characteristics! Things I didn’t even know about! </p>
<p>I think my younger one is like that because the older one has always monoploized my attention, until a few years back, when I pushed back, in order to let the 2nd one be heard. S2 will come into his own more when S1 leaves the house, I can tell.</p>
<p>RVM, CherryHill, momjr, emmybet, mdmomfromli & others: Do your children take many honors classes? Momjr: What’s GT? We have regular, honors & AP classes that start in the junior year. My S2 has a weighted GPA of 3.8 and unweighted GPA of 3.2 as a freshman. Since my older S was off the charts, I just want to make sure S2 is falling in the realm of average to above average. 3 honors as a freshman, probably two as a sophomore. Thanks!</p>
<p>RVM, teachers tend to remember the exceptional students. That can mean exceptionally good…or exceptionally PITA. :)</p>
<p>Slithey - very true. I’m assuming S1 falls into the former category. </p>
<p>chocchip - S2 is taking 2 honors classes and 1 AP this year - same model for next year. My feeling is I want him to have some rigor in his schedule - and to be challenged to an extent - but not overwhelmed. He really struggled in honors English and Precalc in the fall - but finished the semester with very solid B’s in both - actually almost an A in English - quite surprisingly. </p>
<p>chocchip - the dynamics of our 2 sons sound very parallel. That’s why BBYO has been so great for S2 - shining in something his older brother did not do. He told me last night not to worry about the teacher recs - he has 100% confidence that it will be fine. He told me that he really does not worry about anything - as he has already found that things have a way of working out. If I did not recall the birth I think I would do a DNA test!</p>
<p>Rockvillemom - love your sons attitude! My girls tell me I worry enough for the both of them, so they don’t have to worry. They also have the attitude that things will work out. </p>
<p>chocchip - my D1 is more of an A- student. This year (jr.) she is taking 3 AP’s (one a double period) and 1 honors class. D2 who is a freshman and will probably be a A/A- student is taking 4 honors classes. Next year D1 has signed up for 3 AP’s (again 1 a double period) and 1 honors class, D2 has signed up for 5 honors classes.</p>
<p>Previously, some kids took an AP class soph. year. D1 did, D2 won’t. However, they are now recommending the incomming 9th graders take AP NSL. Crazy in my opinion!</p>
<p>Yeah, we moms have the “worried” thing down pat.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback. I always wonder if my S2 should have started with more honors as a freshman as I feel as if it’s hard to increase them each year, maybe I’m wrong?</p>
<p>Also, my S2 feels as if some of his classes that are not honors are a “joke” since he can tell the difference between the smarter kids and the ones who slack off. He just finished a history project (non-honors) that he had to do with three other boys that looked juvenile when finished. Had he been in the honors class, he would have been paired with three kids who would have worked harder to make the project more presentable.</p>
<p>Yet, on the other hand, having two honors in Math & Science next year will allow him to really concentrate on those challenging classes while hopefully continuing to do well in the non-honors…it’s really a balance! I’ll see what his teachers say about pushing him up to any additional honors, otherwise we’ll just stick with the two. I guess my rationale is that since I know already he’s interested in Mech. eng. & robotics, then I’ll continue to push the math & science…hope the stratedgy pays off!</p>
<p>mdmomfromli: Let us know when your D1 hears from her favorite school! Hope she gets accepted. 
We have a cousin (female) there now who just loves it!</p>
<p>chocchip - My D1 is a Junior now. It is next year at this time that I will be eating my kishkes out! But I’ll take the good wishes and hold them for next year!</p>
<p>Sounds like all these kids are doing great! You ladies are awfully hard on yourselves.</p>
<p><passes around=“” cups=“” of=“” virtual=“” chamomile=“” tea=“”></passes></p>
<p>Choc: Our county has AP, GT and honors classes. GT is Gifted and Talented, and the classes are harder than honors classes. For some strange reason, they offer both AP, GT and honors for English and Social studies, but no honors classes in math and science. My duaghter was a year above grade level in math and science, but she took the regular versions of the class. She took a mix of GT and honors in her other subjects. She is taking 3AP’s senior year. Top students at our school take all GT and AP classes, so her schedule was rigorous, but not the MOST rigorous it could be. </p>
<p>I was worried that this would hurt hurt her admission chances, which is what originally attracted me to this thread. Even though she has a high unweighted GPA, we did not consider her a candidate for the most selective schools. She did have good results with acceptances to Pitt, Northeastern and BU. She liked the balance in her schedule and liked taking classes that weren’t overly stressful. She is doing very well in her AP classes this year, so I think her confidence has grown. I think it’s important to find a balance where the student is challenged, but can still do well.</p>
<p>Mdmom: Oh, she’s a JUNIOR, got it!! :) Wow, why did I think she had already applied? Maybe because I was so entrenched with apps. this year myself…how many schools is she applying to? </p>
<p>RVM: My S2 has totally different EC’s and interests than S1 did. I guess that’s what keeps motherhood interesting!</p>
<p>Thanks for the expalnation, momjr.</p>
<p>So, honors, then GT, then AP, in that order?</p>
<p>That is actually great. We have no middle choice. It’s either regular or honors, and the honors is a big step up. LOTS more expected of them. Wish we had a “middle” choice.</p>
<p>In looking at the Northeastern info. yesterday, I have a feeling we will not apply, or if we do, that would be a “reach” school for him. Again, because of the size of the school, that could be a deterrent. I have a feeling that smaller might be better. They have been overwhelmed with applications from fabulous students…also, we’ll have to see how the city atmosphere plays out. Wentworth Insitute of technology is very close to Northeastern, a techy school for “B” students, with a much smaller student population…we’ll look into that as well. They may share the same Hillel…I’ll look into that too!</p>
<p>Thanks for your feedback!</p>
<p>Yes, it really does depend on the HS, the kid, the peer group, etc., etc., etc.</p>
<p>At our school, each department decides for itself how to level its classes. Interestingly, it’s about the opposite to the one described above! English and Social Studies have no levels. But there is AP Lit, USH and Gov at the end. Sciences have regular, honors and AP, and kids can skip right into AP if they want to. Math doesn’t have leveled classes, but you can accelerate, and many kids do in 8th grade and sometimes again if they’re quick at math. We have AP Calc and Stats.</p>
<p>My B+ (lately A-) student did take the rigorous class whenever she could. She was bored to death in the unleveled English and Social Studies classes (her strength), and challenged in the math and science classes (she did honors gen sci in 9th, honors Bio in 10th, AP Bio in 11th, and honors Chem in 12th; math was the usual fast track ending with AP Calc this year). Her only C was in the honors sci in 9th, half because of her younger-sibling-freakout and half because the teacher really is a jerk. But she would have been bored in the regular 9th grade science, and she’d rather be with capable kids if possible. </p>
<p>I don’t know what her weighted GPA is - right now she has an UW 3.65 including all of her arts and other non-academic classes, maybe more like a 3.3 academically. Maybe a third of those classes should be weighted, but I wouldn’t know how much because our HS doesn’t do it, and she has a mixture of honors, AP and accelerated classes. We’re just going with the 3.65, and if they notice that she has lots of As in non-academics and lots more Bs in math and science, then they notice. </p>
<p>This has been the challenge in her college search, and commonly for the 3.X kid, in thinking about where she should lie on their spectrum of students. She doesn’t want to be at the bottom, but she doesn’t need to be at the top, either. She wants people to inspire her, but she doesn’t always judge that by what kind of grades they get. So she’s used a mixture of school reputation, statistics, vibe and quality of programs to make her list, and I guess she’ll do the same when she’s choosing among acceptances.</p>
<p>I guess in the long run as she chose her classes in HS she decided she’d rather be frustrated than bored. I will say (as holliesue has also) that a lighter load this year has been a great help. She has been working very hard on finding a level of stress and a working schedule that is healthy and successful for her. That is equally important, in my opinion.</p>
<p>We take mostly advanced classes and a few honors/ap classes. I worry that its not enough now for the Marylands, BU’s and PennStates; for that matter Rutgers. With the rigor of students now applying to the Public Honor’s, isn’t it safe to assume that other students get bumped out of what was once the typical admission loop?</p>
<p>^^only if your school offers those classes to most students…it’s still the “most rigorous” your school offers criteria in most cases…I repeat, in most cases, but not all…definitely for the schools you mention though…</p>
<p>if this is true, this is a change, though, from previous years; it used to be all about the UW GPA for publics; and some of them even unweighted the transcripts (so that if you were in AP’s/honors you’d lose out)…and they didn’t all have a “rigor” category…</p>
<p>on another note:</p>
<p>there are some top 20 schools that don’t care if your school only allows kids to take AP’s by jumping through hoops; they compare you to the applicants who can take oodles of AP’s in multiple semesters a year…</p>
<p>cherryhillmom- that is what happened here in the Florida public universities. They call it the trickle down effect. With colleges becoming so cost prohibitive and the economy in a bit of a slump, many of our best and brightest who in the past would leave the state for the top 30 schools are now staying instate. Fifteen years ago a child could get into the University of Florida with a B average and an SAT of 1150. Today, my friend’s son who is in the top 5% at our high school but has only a 28 ACT is biting his nails waiting to see if he made it into UF (decision’s come out February 11th).</p>
<p>seiclan: just curious ,though, as an observer; </p>
<p>how have the Florida public high schools reacted to this change? are you seeing more kids in honors/AP classes and more grade inflation to compensate?..or, in other words, is the “old “B” student” now an “A” student.???</p>
<p>We are definitely seeing more kids in honors and AP classes (that do not belong there), especially this year. This past year the county decided that the kids need to be challanging themselves more and changed the course progression requirements and prerequisites to accomodate this. They are actively pushing the AP classes. My son was recommended to take 7 AP classes this year as a junior (he took 5) and I had to sign a parent preference form to move him down to honors in two classes! Despite this, no grade inflation here. Just seeing a lot more kids with B’s and C’s in AP classes, but, since AP is weighted up, the weighted GPA’s are better!</p>
<p>Florida public universities use only weighted GPA’s for admissions btw. They weight each honors class up a half a point and each AP class up by 1 point. They knock off pluses and minuses though. So a B- is the same as a B+, 3.0 in a regular class, 3.5 in an honors class and 4.0 in an AP class.</p>