<p>With more info…the title to this thread is very misleading. The school DOES offer the classes needed.</p>
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<p>TPG, there are plenty of alternatives that bring the horse to the river in Texas. Making the candidates actually take a sip is the hardest part. </p>
<p>[Online</a>, distance, and homeschool K-12 program from Texas Tech University](<a href=“http://www.depts.ttu.edu/uc/k-12/]Online”>http://www.depts.ttu.edu/uc/k-12/)</p>
<p>Below would be a typical smorgasbord of offers in North Texas:</p>
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<p>It is really hard to fathom only taking 4 classes- even if they are AP. Kids here routinely take 6 or 7 classes a semester, regardless of whether they are AP level or not. How will these kids be prepared for the rigor of college with such a schedule? >></p>
<p>Each class period is around 90 minutes on a block schedule, instead of around 60 minutes. You take 4 a semester, then 4 MORE the next semester, for a total of 8 for the year. Things like band, orchestra, choir, some APs may be two semester courses. At one school, this was the block schedule my kids had, though none of the courses there were year-long, except fine arts and they got two credits for those. So my DD took two language course in the same school year, one each semester. </p>
<p>There is also an alternating block, where you have 8 classes for the year, but they alternate days. So there is something like A days and B days. My kids also had this type of schedule at another school. </p>
<p>Under both systems you get can get 8 credits for the year, instead of 6 or 7 under a traditional schedule. Colorado-mom pointed out some drawbacks but the school my kids went to worked it so that if you had, for example, a language one fall, you would have the next language course either that spring, or the next fall at the latest. </p>
<p>To further confuse, there are variations of both. :)</p>
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<p>The students without algebra I on the high school transcript likely fall into two categories:</p>
<ul>
<li>Non-college-bound students at high schools where algebra I is not a high school requirement.</li>
<li>Students advanced by a year or more in the typical college-bound math track (i.e. students seen by their middle schools as good enough in math to start algebra I in middle school).</li>
</ul>
<p>I can see, from a college point of view, one category as being unfavorable (but probably not applying to a four year college as a freshman anyway), but the other category as being favorable.</p>
<p>xiggi - I have not been too happy with Texas Tech credits and so I may be a bit biased. :p</p>
<p>The Texas tech classes have a lot of issues. Many of the teachers won’t turn around grades in time. If you do not complete in 6 months, then you have to pay extra or lose credit. However, the teachers can often take so long to grade something, and you cannot turn in an additional assignment until they grade the last one. Plus, they never give feedback. My experience is old and extremely limited. But I have heard far worse from others. Many people have given up on the Texas Tech classes with the coming of the Texas Virtual Academy.</p>
<p>WHICH…by the way…DOES have AP Physics B, the first semester only, offered this summer. </p>
<p>Also, UT Austin has some online classes. Many districts have online classes. Lots of local schools have summer classes, but I have not found any that fit the description of what we need. Many summer classes and online classes do not go in to advanced levels. </p>
<p>It doesn’t matter. I think we have decided how we are going to handle this. I appreciate everyone’s help and feedback.</p>
<p>How are you going to handle this? It could be helpful to others in a similar situation…if you don’t mind sharing.</p>
<p>thumper1…this is what I have concluded, </p>
<p>If she can fall in love with Rice, she can fall in love with other schools. IF not taking science in her junior year, even though she will have 6 credits of science by the time she graduates (as well as a ton of volunteer work at the environmental center) is going to be THE thing that keeps her out, well, then the school just is not the school for her. She is just going to stay the course she is currently on, and if they don’t like it, then so be it. </p>
<p>My daughter has a lot going for her. If they don’t want her, someone else will. I know that sounds so…relaxed compared to how I sounded previously, but as I spoke to them again today, and I was thinking about what everyone here has said, I started to just think this is such a small small detail in a huge world of things. And if their process is really holistic like they say, it won’t matter.</p>
<p>My daughter is not in science this year because she is advanced and the block system will not allow for juniors to take AP math or science really (along with all the other APs my daughter took this year). She will have 6 credits in science by the time she graduates and 6 in math. She will have 11 APs by the time she graduates (not that it is about the tally marks on the AP exams). She has done extensive volunteer work at both the environmental center, and in other areas. She has interesting ECs. She has excellent recommendations. She has fine test scores. If that is not good enough, then the school won’t be for her. Even if she had the science this year, she still would have had only a small chance of getting in.</p>
<p>Someone will like her. Someone will think she would be a good fit for their school. There is a place for everyone. She is not a robot or just a number, or just a schedule. She has all the required classes, just not taken in the semesters the adcom claims to want to see it in. Maybe that adcom we spoke to doesn’t understand the block system. </p>
<p>I honestly would prefer if she could stay in Texas. But in the end, she might not. Maybe I am just having a hard time believing that her schedule could be such a big issue. I guess we will see after the decisions come out next school year.</p>
<p>Six credits! For what it’s worth, I think she’s a solid candidate if her test scores and rank are there. It doesn’t sound like her number or level of courses should exclude her. But you are right! She’s going to have lots of options and do just fine.</p>
<p>Answering sseamom’s Q: both my kids took Geometry at the HS while they were in 8th grade (1st period math at the HS, then bussed back to the MS for the rest of their classes). It does NOT appear on their HS transcripts.</p>
<p>“Someone will like her.” - Absolutely! She sounds like a fine student and great person.</p>
<p>I like the way you have worked through the situation. There are lots of resources in Parents threads and the specific college threads too as you continue the college research journey. Best of luck!</p>
<p>I am surprised that any representative of Rice would actually make any kind of statement about what classes need to be taken in high school outside of what their recommended curriculum states.</p>
<p>If I had to guess, they probably didn’t understand, and were taken aback that she’s not taking math and science her junior year. If you just look at that on its face, it’s kind of shocking and unusual. Misunderstanding, I think.</p>
<p>Agree with #113, given what Rice has in writing on its web site (see #8).</p>
<p>Cosigned with #113.</p>
<p>I know lots of kids who have applied and been accepted to Rice. Most of them have calculus their senior year (even the engineers) because that’s the norm for the state of Texas (actually the state wants you to have had pre-calc by senior year, so it’s actually accelerated). So I think the admissions rep misunderstood what you were saying, not that you misunderstood what she said.</p>
<p>It is possible if she’s taking it spring of senior year that the rep’s saying that your daughter will be taking it too late for them to consider her calculus grade as part of her admissions decision. Maybe if she’s on the bubble, that’s a consideration. I don’t really know it just seems like there’s a disconnect somewhere.</p>
<p>Finally, I went to Rice and so I’m biased – I think it’s a great school. But there are lots of great schools out there. I hope my kids consider applying there.</p>
<p>If one is not applying for engineering, I am not certain they need Calculus for entry.</p>
<p>UT Austin requires people to have AP Calc AB with a specific grade to start engineering. I don’t see any specific requirements for Rice.</p>
<p>lmkh70 - Good luck - glad you are taking such a calm approach and think you are right to do so. Just to compare educational policies, here in our county (Fl) they did away with block system several years ago. You can take Algebra 1 and Geometry 1 in middle school along with Spanish 1 and 2, and it does count toward your HS credit, and it appears on your HS transcript. My daughter took 2 classes HS math in middle school, was done with required 4 credits, did NOT want to go on and take AP calc or AP stat so dual enrolled and took College Algebra and College Stat in 11th grade, has no math in 12 grade (was advised by HS guidance that it was imperative math was taken in 11/12th grade for college admissions), but is almost done with AA degree, going to state college as freshman, not a mention of no math in 12th grade. Having said that, Fl does have very good alignment between HS, dual enrollment at cc, and state colleges.</p>
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<p>No, it does not. It only requires freshmen to be ready for calculus (although having had calculus before more than satisfies this requirement):
[Calculus</a> Readiness Requirement - Cockrell School of Engineering](<a href=“Undergraduate Admissions”>Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>UCB - that is a requirement to apply. Once you are admitted, you get a letter stating that you need a Calculus AP score to be in engineering school.</p>
<p>No mention of that seems to be present at the UT Austin web sites. One would think that if it were an actual requirement to take calculus in high school, it would be mentioned on the application for admission web sites, so that students who will not be able to do that won’t bother to apply.</p>
<p>In any case, the engineering course plans at UT Austin start at M408C, which is a typical normal first semester freshman calculus course whose only prerequisite is a high enough score on the ALEKS placement test:
[M408C</a> Syllabus](<a href=“http://www.ma.utexas.edu/academics/courses/syllabi/M408C.php]M408C”>http://www.ma.utexas.edu/academics/courses/syllabi/M408C.php)</p>