<p>All quiet on the front huh :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Sent D off this morning to camp for her EC. After that she’ll have one week to finish all her summer homework and hopefully finish most of the Common App before her EC starts almost full time (28 hours a week.)</p>
<p>Yes, I think the season of nail-biting is fast approaching. D knows she’s supposed to work on college apps during the day, between her evening rehearsals Sun-Thurs, for the next month. But today she said she’s already been invited to 1, 2, 3 daytime fun outings … well, that’s OK. She’ll get it done. But Monday she WILL open the Common App and get it started. Then Tuesday she can go to the water park …</p>
<p>Big frustration came this week when the HS GC called to say that they switched the one section of AP Gov to conflict with Yearbook. Hm. D really wants to do Yearbook - she loves the teacher, likes the kids this year, and really would get a kick out of it, even though it’s a “fluff” class. She has two choices - do Yearbook on her off time (which the teacher would surely let her do, since she knows her) or switch to regular Gov. She doesn’t like any of the Gov teachers, including AP, but wants the AP because of rigor, and the least of the evils, etc. (although her APUSH score will get her SS elective credit at many of her schools, and another SS elective credit isn’t really all that necessary). Yet regular Gov is only 1 semester, vs the whole year of AP (and she has to take the whole year, the way the course is designed, to be able to graduate) … a big dilemma. She’ll talk to the GC tomorrow morning and figure it out. I’ll let her decide. But I foresee many such junctures this year … senior year is full of frustrations and irritations. A time to be lived through, in many ways.</p>
<p>Had her big photo shoot today. It actually was fun - really with an excellent professional photographer (and I mean professional - she does models, including a couple who were on that reality show, we found out), also a makeup and hair artist, who taught her a lot about working with the camera, really a very interesting and exciting process. It wasn’t really necessary, and of course more expensive than the basic photos, but it was something we worked out (she’s given up some other things this year). She also needed good headshots for her theater work and applications, and we’ll have some tremendous ones from this. Nice pics of the saxophone, too!</p>
<p>language packet, math packet, book for English, book for AP Euro and then a new book arrived donated by some group as suggested reading- and they are supposed to be working on essays. Of course none of it is started, but give me a break- that is a lot of stuff to be working on</p>
<p>EmmyBet I feel your pain!</p>
<p>We have had a call from the GC twice about scheduling issues too–
kiddo was going to take Mod Euro AP–
uh–
well all of the other APs are only offered for one class per day–
and that left no opportunity for Mod Euro AP—when Ap Physics, AP Calc Bc etc was all put into the day…
Then kiddo made a second choice–
and we got news a few weeks later that there is a faculty crisis and that 2 single semester Honors courses are not available…
sooooo what to do?
Kiddo is now taking an elective for fall semester–unweighted–and then some one semester AP course in the spring…I complained to the GC that this affects the GPA, course rigor etc and that kiddo has kinda gotten scr3wed here…twice–which she didn’t appreciate</p>
<p>The problem at our little school is with the schedule–there were so few choices left for kiddo as it is…
we are sooo not pleased and DH spoke with the Dean about how this affects kiddo’s Sr schedule, “rigor” of courseload etc
and how it really isn’t possible to take AP is all subjects Sr yr if there are some classes only offered for one section etc —</p>
<p>sooo frustrating—!!!</p>
<p>I appreciate when HS’s only have one section and there are only so many hours in the day. I don’t know why the whole school seems to have been turned upside down, though. At our school it’s AP or regular, and regular can be horrifyingly bad. At least there is a GC at the school at times during the summer.</p>
<p>I’m deciding not to sweat the rigor if it just can’t happen - D is not trying for the highest level schools, although of course it’s always good. At this point we just want her to have a decent senior year, one that will work. Hopefully she’ll enjoy it. Hopefully it’ll look all right. I just don’t get why, when the kids pick their classes in February, and things work in June before they leave, in July/August there have to be these huge messes. I’m not aware of any major staff shifts or anything that would make it make sense.</p>
<p>I do think that from a small HS it will be acceptable to schools if every class is not an AP, if that’s any comfort to you, fog. Actually at our HS they don’t offer enough APs anyway, unless you take multiple math and science (nooooo way for this D). D1 took 4 total, and got into a plenty competitive school. D2 was trying for 5 (they only started AP Gov since D1 left, and regular Gov was absolutely her most loathed class. Taking regular US Gov after APUSH? Made for major crankiness). </p>
<p>She’ll have to deal with this while I’m at work tomorrow - a lesson in independence. Not her only chance, but the GC urged her to call in the morning when she’s there.</p>
<p>BUT - no work over the summer from our school, at least.</p>
<p>Surely college admissions officers understand that, in a small school, some APs will be offered only one period. My daughter and I have had to meet with guidance counselors every year to make her schedule work–but they have been very understanding and helpful. As it now stands, it looks like four of her eight class periods will be math and science for her senior year, and a fifth will be AP computer science.</p>
<p>Emmybet…we had almost the same situation. Our conflict was with yearbook and AP Macro/Micro. Our school is on the block schedule but this year the yearbook teacher wanted yearbook to be an everyday class so it really messes up D’s schedule. But she really wants to be sports editor so we went down to Honors Econ (a semester course) and then added Sociology as an elective. There was still an issue on her schedule when I went to pick it up last week but GC hasn’t called me back, I am sure they are swamped because there were so many of my D’s friends who schedules were blank because of AP conflicts.</p>
<p>I’m glad we all have this wonderful support here, but sorry so many people have the same troubles! </p>
<p>Our HS offers only these APs: Calc (AB), Lit, USH, Gov, Spanish, Psych, Music Theory (kind of - it’s usually an independent study), Bio, Chem and sometimes Physics. I’m not sure about Stats. She’s taken USH and Bio already, will take Calc and Lit. She’s in honors Chem (can’t jump into AP and wouldn’t). Spanish, Physics, Music Theory and probably Psych are all out, for various reasons. So if she can’t take Gov, that’ll just have to be it for APs. She’ll take 1 sem of Econ to graduate (just a regular class). </p>
<p>Otherwise she is very involved in the arts, will take 2 hours of Choir (advanced and an independent study with the teacher), at least one sem of studio art and really would like to take this sem of Yearbook. Just about everything she takes is offered just one hour - maybe Lit has a couple of sections, possibly Chem. But it does get harder year after year. </p>
<p>And I’ll let her make this decision - a step in learning to make what she wants work out. She’s solved problems with her GC in the past very efficiently, and I don’t want to interfere. If she hadn’t been in the shower when the GC called the other day, I wouldn’t be as involved as I am now.</p>
<p>Emmybet, I think your student could study and take the AP govt exam fairly easily while taking the regular government course if desired. My 2012 daughter self studied the AP govt exam as a sophomore simply because the subject interested her. She just studied an AP prep book. She scored well. She was only disappointed that she’d memorized more landmark cases than necessary for the test. I know self-studying APs isn’t for everyone (my 2011 son would never do it), but many CC kids do it.</p>
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<p>Our '11 took German, for which there was always just one section. Ditto choir and drill team. So a full one half of her classes were only offered once. After freshman year, choir had to go, so she could keep up her foreign language.</p>
<p>Younger D will have similar issues, but we are glad that her language is Spanish. We’ve told her that she really can’t switch if she wants to say in choir.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion Apollo - for my D, it’s not about the exam (they’re not her forte - not that kind of CC kid), but the classroom experience. I’ll let you all know how it turns out … if the resolution is interesting, anyway.</p>
<p>missy - my D gave up Spanish for choir (and art), once she’d gotten 3 years done. Colleges have to know that these choices get made. Presumably she can portray them as strengths, which I believe they are - following what is important and meaningful to you as a person, with the time available. And we’re not talking about trying to get into schools where people are 4.0/35 ACT/ECs 24/7/Eagle Scout/National Champion, etc. all at once. She has neither the energy nor the inclination. I’m not sweating it, really, just hope she can find a solution she likes.</p>
<p>D does not have her schedule yet for senior year! A change from last year - they had their junior year schedules before the end of sophomore year - yes, there was some tweaking, but at least they had a semblance of a schedule. This year, nothing! She has requested several AP classes and GC told her that there was no way she was getting all that she wanted. Not sure what will have to give.</p>
<p>To add to this, every single class (AP or not) has summer homework. She’s been working on the homework for all the classes - and she might not even get some of these!</p>
<p>She really wanted to take orchestra which is usually another big pain in scheduling, but due to a change in teachers, she is not that keen on this anymore. She will still have to find a way to fit in credits for the arts in order to graduate - but if she drops orchestra, scheduling might be a tad bit easier - although less enjoyable for her. Good lesson in making hard decisions.</p>
<p>With regard to the issue of not being able to take a previously-scheduled AP level class because of scheduling conflicts, we were faced with the same issue. D had signed up for an AP-level science class, and that conflicted with the AP English class she wanted. The only other science class that was available with her schedule was a regular level one and that was a concern both because of it being a little less than optimal content-wise, and potential impact on rigor of courses and weighted GPA. Our GC asked where D was thinkking about applying, and when she told him some of the small LAC’s on her list, he said he would prepare and have her submit a note explaining the situation (that no higher level science classes were available with her schedule) with her applications, and that those schools would understand and appreciate the note and the situation. Just something to consider for those in the same boat.</p>
<p>My D faced her Senior year scheduling quandary this spring. The math class she wanted conflicted with an English seminar that was very important to her. She wound up deciding to take the math course at our local CC. It has been a lot of work this summer but its turned out to be a good thing. Not only will she get to take the seminar and have NO math her Senior year (a dream for a humanities/arts kid) but she is learning a lot in the course and its giving her a boost in her self-confidence after struggling with math
2nd semester last year. A nice way to finish her math career (unless she winds up at a school with a math requirement).</p>
<p>I’m glad we knew about the conflict in the spring. It would be rough finding out about it now without the fall back of a summer course. There are still a couple scheduling glitches to work out but nothing that is critical.</p>
<p>About the Common App- Totally coincidentally D has a week of daytime free time starting Monday. The plan is to dive in and start the applications, work on essays, etc.</p>
<p>Just registered D for the Sept ACT, hopefully the last test!!! I know its the last to be considered for admission but I guess if she had to she could take something again for scholarship purposes.</p>
<p>My D is also registered, strictly to try to get more merit aid at her #1 choice.</p>
<p>Friends, Romans, Countrymen—</p>
<p>When do we have to start our hw–the FAFSA and CSS Profile-- Is that only available after Jan 1–or is there anything else we should be doing between now and then?</p>
<p>Fogfog- not really just make sure you go through the form slowly, then you will need your 2010 returns to update the info in the spring…not fun :(</p>
<p>What we found out was that every school want some different and/or have their own additional form to fill out </p>
<p>All this info get usually updated on their website in the fall…this is when a spreadsheet comes handy :)</p>
<p>Thanks again for your help ;)</p>
<p>The 2010-11 CSS Profile was available Oct 1; FAFSA on Jan 1. Form, detailed info, rules, faqs for CSS Profile can be found on CollegeBoard site; FAFSA on their site. There are many other sites and books available to guide us. Our kids can’t have all the fun. Let’s hope the effort we all put forth will bear lots of fruit.</p>