Looking at my old high school’s current catalog, it looks like calculus is now the only course with three variants: regular (not honors), AP AB, AP BC (only AP BC existed when I went to high school). Other math courses below calculus level are either regular or honors. Other subjects appear to be the same in having only regular and honors or regular and AP for courses with more than one variant (unless you count foreign language for heritage speakers as another variant).
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Two levels seems to be the most common curricula offering. The HSs that I know that offer three levels of most core courses tend to be large (say 800+ per class), affluent, and public. They also tend to limit AP offerings until jr/sr years.
What do they do for students who reach calculus in math or AP level in foreign language in 10th grade? In a larger high school in an affluent area, that does not seem to be an unheard of situation.
Are the three regular, Honors, AP?
Growing up we had regular and college prep - so I can see AP being a third tier with “Honors” being the old college prep.
I think there’s a distinction to be made between admission reaches and financial reaches.
My own kids applied to some highly selective schools that were almost certain rejections because, if they got in, we knew we could afford them.
You obviously want both. But that can be tough if you don’t live near a community college.
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No, as I said in my post: regular, honors and high honors. AP are at the high honors level, but there are many non-AP high honors classes for a high proportion of all core courses (and some non-core like CS). Specifically for math there is no high honors non-AP calc.
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How about an overall assessment?
| Cost Safety | Cost Likely | Cost Match | Cost Reach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Safety | Safety | Likely | Match | Reach |
| Admission Likely | Likely | Likely | Match | Reach |
| Admission Match | Match | Match | High Match | Reach |
| Admission Reach | Reach | Reach | Reach | High Reach |
(“Cost match” and “cost reach” mean that if a large enough merit scholarship is needed for affordability, and the merit scholarship is a match or reach respectively.)
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They offer MV at the HS (only at the high honors level). It’s not common that a student would go above that, but if so they would need to take a class at CC or 4 year college.
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Yeah that’s a great rubric.
Except for some people a true safety might not exist
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The question was actually about a 10th grade student ready for AP calculus (i.e. finished precalculus in 9th grade) at a high school where students are not allowed to take AP courses before 11th grade. Does such a student need to take a gap year in math due to the high school’s requirement?
Oh sorry, duh. Yes, taking AP Calc AB or BC before 11th that would be an allowed exception!
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Yes, moderate stats, low income in rural Pennsylvania out of commuting range of any college… or any student aiming for an auditioned music major, or (almost*) any nursing major.
*But note the college GPA weed-out requirements in nursing majors.
Yes. Even high stats is iffy, as few of the full-need schools are legit “safeties” for most kids.
Group think question -
When a parent asks for our thoughts on which college their student should attend, and they say they have saved for either of the two options, do you think it is rude to ask whether they are sure about the position they are in to afford it? BTW, it is often not phrased as nicely as this.
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Interestingly, I did that 1x recently with a poster regarding investment banking and their interest. He told me to… and he was a student!
Not sure I follow what it is that you did or what they responded with. Can you clarify?
I questioned a kid and he implied i was rude. Can you imagine how rude it must feel to some parents when CC members challenge their $$?
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Everyone is entitled to make their personal choices about how they spend their money.
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The conversation is starting to sound like criticism launched against specific users. Because Helen Keller can figure out who you’re talking about. So paging @moderators to step in.
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