<p>I’ll join in. Man, there are some educationally elite kids discussed in this thread. We are a bit more down to earth.</p>
<p>S is looking at a 3.5 GPA. He is a great, well rounded kid, taking 2 APs in junior year at a competitive college prep school. He is increasingly involved with his winter sport (that continues into the spring in local clubs). We are having him study for the ACT in the summer and sitting in fall of junior year figuring it would be hard to find study time in winter to sit for the spring ACT as is typically suggested. He has taken Algebra II in his sophomore year. If it goes rough he can always retake in the spring.</p>
<p>He pretty much decides on his academic schedule with his guidance counselor (who is fantastic) and we sign off. </p>
<p>Any opinions / suggestions on the ACT plan?</p>
<p>rhumbob, I had planned on my D taking the PLAN which, I’ve learned from fellow cc’ers, is the “practice” test for ACT. She would then take the ACT and the SAT in the spring/summer. I still have to sort all of this out since she’ll be so busy through the summer.</p>
<p>Hi LM - he took the PLAN last fall (as did all sophomores). Miss the PSAT as he had the swine flu. He was still pretty shaky when he took the PLAN. Curious to see how test prep helps with the ACT. I’m under the impression that prep helps more with the SAT than the ACT.</p>
<p>I know what you mean about busy in the summer. I want him to pay attention to school but still be able to enjoy the summer. Lets see - fresh air & sunshine, video games with friends, ot ACT prep? May be a tough sell.</p>
<p>I don’t know what the requirements are for getting into AP Physics C (as opposed to B) but what do you guys think (since I am trying to decrease my son’s workload for next year) of having him take honors physics in junior year then AP Physics C (or B if required) in senior year? Is honors physics usually a bit less intense than AP Physics B?</p>
<p>How many science credits does one need? If you have only three years of science, are you at a disadvantage in admissions to top colleges? My D does not plan to major in sciences. She took/takes/will take; genernal science in the 9th, AP physics 1 in the 10th, AP physics 2 in the 11th, psychology in the 12th. No chem or bio. Her GC isn’t happy about it. Should she bend and take AP chem in junior year as well as AP physics? She’s been getting A’s in all her science and math courses.</p>
<p>Iglooo, your daughter really should take high school biology and chemistry or she will be at an disadvantage in admissions. Those are the two requisite hs science classes. A non science major can skip the physics but not bio or chem. Psychology is considered a social studies class and not a science.</p>
<p>D2 will only be taking AP Spanish and APUSH next year if she were to stay at her current school. She would be taking Honors Physics and Analysis and American Literature. This is the exact same track D1 was on. D1 took AP Literature exam without taking the course and did well Junior year. D1 only had AP Physics C senior, no other AP science courses. At her competitive private school, she was considered having taken the most rigorous course load.</p>
<p>D2 is taking honors chem this year and she will most likely take SAT II for Chem, not AP Chem.</p>
<p>Many students with similar course load as D1 got into top 10 schools. They didn’t have a lot of AP courses.</p>
<p>I’d ask the guidance counselor and/or the physics teachers about the workload and what physics sequence they would suggest for your son.</p>
<p>“Honors Physics” has no standard from school to school. Even AP classes vary greatly in the amount of work outside of class. </p>
<p>At our high school, students take either Physics I or AP Physics B or AP Physics C. It’s rare for someone to take two different physics classes.</p>
<p>I just checked out our school’s curriculem guide and AP Physics B is not a prereq for AP Physics C. But I would still like to know if Honors Physics (at my kid’s school) is less stressful/intense/work heavy than AP Physics. I don’t know many upper classmen to ask unfortunately. We are now thinking of junior schedule of:</p>
<p>AP Calculus AB
AP Chemistry
AP USH
AP Psychology
Honors Physics
Honors English 3
Honors Marine Science 1</p>
<p>Trying to give him a challenging but not crushing Junior year.</p>
<p>mathinoc, I will put in a call to the GC, who I have not yet met (he handles about 775 kids) and hope that he knows more than I do (since he is new to our school this year. Sigh</p>
<p>Really need good guidance here. Son needs a challenging but successful junior year and I am very worried that he will be overwelmed by it all.</p>
<p>seiclan - Chem and bio are requisite but not physics? Physics is as good science as the other two, isn’t it? Do colleges post their requirements or is it something everyone just knows? We tell kids they should be themselves and do not do things just to get in but then we come to this.</p>
<p>mathninokc - Physics 1 covers the first half of physic in depth. Just taking physic 1 would mean leaving out electricity and magnetism. It is like reading a novel half way through. Why would they do that or at your school one physics course is comprehensive?</p>
<p>We’ve gotten better guidance from the departmental teachers than the GC. If your son doesn’t want to go talk to the physics teacher(s), then have him e-mail.</p>
<p>Iglooo, you should call or go on the websites of a few college admissions site that are on your child’s still hypothetical list and check this. Most of the recommended class lists on my son’s college sites all say they want to see Bio, chem and physics…</p>
<p>The non-scientific and purely anecdotal impression I get from both of my kids is that honors physics is only hard for the students who struggle in math. It was a breeze for my tippy top math son and it was more of a challenge for my excellent student/okay in math daughter.</p>
<p>I think Bio, Chem and Physics are part of a good HS education.
At my kids’ HS everyone has to take Bio, Chem and Physics whether they are into science or not. It’s part of a well rounded education not a way to look good for college.</p>
<p>mathinokc - My daughter’s school eliminated AP courses a few years ago. They have regular and advanced courses instead. Kids who take advanced courses take AP exams and do well on them. Their advanced courses are equivalent to AP courses. Physics 1 is a year-long course that’s like AP physics C Mechanics and Physics 2 is also year long and like AP physics C Electricity and Magnetism. In my opinion, once D takes physics 1 she should continue on with physics 2. She likes physics. It’s more logical than chem or bio. All the advanced science courses at her school take two years to finish. </p>
<p>pulling hair - I agree. Kids at my D’s school had a good introductory science course in the 9th covering all the subjects. In her school, all the advanced courses are two years long. Her dean and advisor said regular science courses that are one year long will be waste of her time. She could take half of chem bio and phys. Does that make more sense?</p>