<p>There are a lot of summer programs listed here, too: [usummer</a> Pre-college Programs Portal - Programs](<a href=“http://www.usummer.com/programs.html]usummer”>http://www.usummer.com/programs.html)</p>
<p>pugmadkate, that’s great that you have a good GC that you like! It can really help lower the anxiety level to know that you have someone in your corner at college app. time.</p>
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<p>How true that statement is. I feel sometimes like the person who is supposed to be in my corner, is extremely busy trying to trip me up. :(</p>
<p>Well Qmom, you’ve got all your friends in cyberspace here in your corner, backing you up. You are not alone in your quest for solid info.</p>
<p>FWIW, I just noticed that today I moved from Jr Member status to Member, ten months later. I kind of lurked at the beginning and was careful before I posted, hoping my inquiries and answers would be meaningful.</p>
<p>I think my S in right. It’s a tie between College Confidential and Facebook as to which is my new online “obsession” (have you tried writing one of those “25 random things about me” posts on Facebook?) but at least the CC obsession is for a worthy cause.</p>
<p>As my handle indicates, it’s all about Finding A Place (for him) and Finding A Place (of satisfaction) for yours truly.</p>
<p>Congratulations, FindAPlace. </p>
<p>So, do you spend a lot of time on Facebook? I’m a member, but don’t spend much time there. I’m afraid of getting hooked into another online site that will take up even more time.</p>
<p>DougBetsy - thanks for posting that link. I’m sure many will find it helpful.</p>
<p>Queen’s Mom - it’s a shame you have to feel that way about your D’s GC. She should be there to help, not to create more problems. It really sounds like she doesn’t know her job!</p>
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<p>pugmadkate: My husband and I are University of Hartford alumni(In fact, as a student, I was an admissions tour guide. 
) and we both grew up in the Hartford area and visit back there periodically. A few years ago, when D1 started her college search, we did an info. session/campus tour visit to U-Ha, although she ended up not applying there. Hartford’s emphasis, overall tends to be more “pre-professional” as opposed to “learning for the sake of learning”. The Hartt school of music is outstanding. H is an engineering grad. and I’m a business school grad. Most of the students were either from CT, MA, or the NYC metro area of New York and New Jersey. There’s not a lot of “independent” information, or reviews of U. Hartford because, it doesn’t seem to be particularly known (except, maybe, for the music school) outside of the geographic area mentioned above. I don’t know how much stock you place in the USN&WR rankings but, fwiw, U. Hartford is in the “fourth tier” category, which is also probably why it doesn’t have a very high profile. I hope that this helps: Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about Hartford.</p>
<p>For those of us who are on Facebook, there’s a group called College Confidential Parents ([Login</a> | Facebook](<a href=“http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=44916622763]Login”>http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=44916622763)). We have 39 members so far. MomofWildChild is one of the admins. PM me or her if you’d like info about joining.</p>
<p>ETA: I hope that link works. It should take you right to the group, not to a login.</p>
<p>I got a Facebook a couple of years ago to keep in touch with D1 while she was at school. Gradually, I’ve found more and more “adult” out-of-town friends and relatives on it, so it’s been a rather useful tool to reconnect with people, as well as for college search & selection.</p>
<p>Course selection just began at D2’s school. We have a limited number of AP classes, but our HS does offer seniors the option of taking certain classes, at a reduced tuition rate, at one of the local universities, in lieu of an AP class. A while back there was some talk about the HS offering an AP Economics class, but it never panned out. So, it looks like D will take AP English Lit, AP U.S. Govt., AP Bio II, Calculus, and one of the college classes.</p>
<p>Got an answer from the GC regarding most rigorous at our school. She said:</p>
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<p>OK. Fine. </p>
<p>Fast forward a few hours and Son brings home his 12th grade course selections. </p>
<p>AP Psych
AP Euro
AP French
Honors Brit Lit (no AP Lit or Lang, even tho he’s eligible, concurrent with Brit Lit)
Honors Calc (not AP Calc AB, even tho he’s eligible)
Honors Earth Science (1/2 cred Fall)
Honors Space Science (1/2 cred Spring)
Honors Film & Lit (1/2 cred)
Creative Writing (1/2 cred)
Percussion</p>
<p>H and I discussed the schedule last night. Were gonna ask Son to drop 2 of the half-credit courses. Any 2, his pick. In their place wed like him to take Honors Human Anatomy (1 cred). We just think its a better fit for a guy headed to a Psych major. If he protests a lot, well back down. But, I think it would be a worthwhile change.</p>
<p>So, in the end hell graduate with 6 APs, 17.5 honors, 4 arts, and 4.5 electives. Pretty good, and he makes us proud. “Tier 2” by CC standards, but still pretty good for us. 
And, based on what the GC says, Im not expecting most rigorous. Thats OK, too. At least it’s known and understood.</p>
<p>If your child had a choice between an AP or a dual credit class, which one would you suggest that your child takes?</p>
<p>I have a facebook and use it to connect to a bunch of friends from high school and from previous jobs. I am using it more for my social contacts although many people at my current job are friends with each other, I am staying out of that sphere for now, until I would need it after a layoff! I don’t think they need to know the last time I played word twist I also use the groups and events with my Girl Scout troop, get much better response from the HS girls that way.</p>
<p>momofthehill- I looked at the cc fb group before and it looks to be more closed off now wrt the member list. Perhaps I will join it now. Do you find it useful?</p>
<p>DougBetsy- that is a nice general description of most rigorous, has the GC said where your S’s schedule falls into that category or not?</p>
<p>I would pick AP. </p>
<p>IMO, leaving HS to attend a class elsewhere seems to put a kid out of sync with his friends. Transportation can be difficult. Returning for sports practices gets complicated. HS may get a snow day, but college is open. One dual credit course may disrupt 2+ periods of the HS schedule. </p>
<p>I think college credit is great in the summer. But the HS years fly by. I’d hate for S or D to miss something memorable at school because he or she was caught in traffic returning from one college class.</p>
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<p>No. And I don’t think I’ll ask. Doing so really wouldn’t accomplish anything since we’re not inclined to change anything. We’ll find out next year during app season.</p>
<p>DougBetsy - I agree that your S’s GC provided a really good description of the most rigorous curriculum. And I wouldn’t have asked in my D’s case either - that was just something her GC volunteered while we were at the meeting. </p>
<p>Not sure how your S will feel about your request, but it makes sense to me. BTW, that’s a lot of classes - would those 1/2 credit courses be divided between fall and spring? </p>
<p>northeastmom - I tend to agree with DougBetsy’s reasononing in choosing AP over a dual credit class. That doesn’t appear to be an option at D’s school, so it’s not something I’ve had to consider.</p>
<p>DougBetsy and Limomof2 thanks, but I did not clarify enough. The dual credit classes are taught by hs teachers under the direction of a college professor. The classes are in our high school. I guess either way it is a bit of a gamble. You would need to score at least a 3 to have a chance at a college accepting the AP for college credit. In a dual credit course there isn’t an AP exam, but only some colleges accept those credits at their discretion (either a B or C is necessary for the course, but I am not worried about that). We would not know which schools will accept that class for credit in advance, nor would we know where our son will matriculate. There is a list of schools provided that state which schools have accepted the dual credit classes in the past.</p>
<p>DB, yes I agree there is nothing to be gained from asking, I am just too curious sometimes to leave something unknown… I missed your comments in the last paragraph or your original post.</p>
<p>on the DC vs AP choices, are they are same classes (and if so why are there two choices) or are they different classes? Like for instance a social science class outside of the set of AP classes? I would go with whatever class is the most interesting and where the difficulty and teacher choice is the right fit. They both seem like they would be a positive. What is the prevailing preference among his peers?</p>
<p>jackief, lol, there is no prevailing preference bc the kids don’t really talk about it with the exception of one AP to stay away from bc rumor is that the teacher gives a fair number of Fs and Ds. GC told me that this is simply not true. I guess you cannot go entirely on what the kids say. That teacher is just one that lets students know they are in an AP class, and I don’t have a problem with that. We are not even debating that class bc son will take it. The DC and AP credit classes that I am debating are different. The DC is philosophy and the AP option would be a history class (I think he should choose one of them). The other DC is a business course and there really isn’t an AP substitute available. He would really only be taking it to be exposed to a college business class, and possibly get 3 credits for it.</p>
<p>northeastmom - my D’s school offers classes like that as well, but they don’t refer to them as dual credit classes. Sometimes, the kids even have the option of taking one of those classes rather than an AP, even if the AP class is offered. Oh, and they’re offered in other subjects too.</p>
<p>limomof2, well are they eligible for college credit for taking those classes? Which is the better way to go overall, AP or DC?</p>
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Personally, I don’t think this is worth fighting over. He’ll have plenty of time to take anatomy in college. If the other classes have better teachers, or just sound like more fun to him, I don’t really see a problem. I think his schedule sounds fine as is for any major.</p>