<p>My older daughter did not go past the 3 year requirement as she hates languages. She might have been waitlisted at Dartmouth because of it (they are heavy into languages) but was eventually admitted. Of course, after discovering their language priorities she was not interested in the school. She was also admitted to Yale, Northwestern, etc. so it didn’t seem to really “hurt” her at all. </p>
<p>Colleges want a snapshot of who you are so what classes you take in high school should be a part of that picture. Your son’s not that interested in languages, it’s a fact. Would he go to a college that required one year of language? Two years of language? He is interested in math and science, let him shine in those areas and let the colleges see that.</p>
<p>My younger daughter is struggling through her last year of language and will only take a language in college if it’s sign language! My older daughter (current freshman in college) dislikes languages so much she opted for a BA rather than a BS (or vice versa, I can’t remember) so she doesn’t have a language requirement.</p>
<p>Let your son chose classes he’s happy and interested in (to a point), everyone will be happier.</p>
<p>It’s the last week of classes for my S’10 and S’12 this week. I can’t believe the year is ending already. I’m trying to help my S’12 work out his schedule for next year since he wasn’t able to fit one of the classes that he was planning to take. It now looks like Precalculus/Trig, AP Chemistry, Physics, AP English Lang/Comp, AP Psychology (full year), Wind Ensemble, and Religion (parochial school). My S’10 took 5 AP’s this year with no problem, but he has never had 2 sciences at the same time. S’12 reads much, much faster than S’10 so I’m hoping this is a managable load. Neither of my sons enjoy foreign languages ~ math/science kids from the loins of math/science parents. Each of them took 2 years of the same language. In our part of the country this is enough to get into all of the flagships. </p>
<p>I hope everyone is enjoying the spring and the last few days/weeks of school.</p>
<p>mom2010grad, we’ve got 4 1/2 weeks to go and time’s flying. D12 attends a school with a block schedule so she was able to complete her 3rd yr of foreign language last fall. She chose to stop because the schools she is interested in don’t require more than that and her strengths are math and science.</p>
<p>We also have 4 1/2 weeks left of school. DS’s finals are June 4-9th. They have half days of school those last 3 days, with 2 finals each morning. Next week, the kids get their exam exemption forms. At our school, if the student has a A or B for the quarter in a class they can exempt the final (up to three finals total). My son would only exempt a final in a class that he has a solid A in (both quarters) so that he gets the A the semester (which is on the transcript). If a student has a A one quarter and a B or B+ the other quarter, he can exempt the final but is given the B or B+ for the semester grade. An A/B split student can, by taking the final and getting an A on it, get an A on the semester grade/transcript. </p>
<p>The problem is that when the kids have to decide this by (May 24) all the grades may not be in and they cannot change their exemption selection after this date. My son (the procrastinator) frequently is on the cusp either side of the A at this point.</p>
<p>We have 12 days of school left, counting today. The last 2 days are finals (3 each day). </p>
<p>Exemptions at my daughter’s school are based on the prior year’s end-of-instruction tests (state mandated tests). Passing all your EOIs allows you to exempt one final each semester.</p>
<p>They did tell the students this year in English II that if they got 70% or better on this year’s English II EOI multiple choice (taken on computer), then they could exempt their English II final. They still have to show up for class on the day of finals, though.</p>
<p>Wow - my kids would love getting the opportunity to exempt finals. At their school you have to take all of the finals and they all account for 10% of your semester grade. The kids calculate what they need to get to maintain their current grade and put in the effort accordingly. If they take an AP exam they still have to take the final in the class. They changed that rule about 3 years ago - I think some kids weren’t preparing adquately for the AP exam, but were taking it so they didn’t have to take the class final. I’m not sure why they would want to take a 3 hour + test to exempt themselves from a 1 hour exam!</p>
<p>I haven’t posted in while. 2012 son took his first AP test yesterday, AP Bio. Glad to have that over with. He said it went “okay”</p>
<p>His sister, four years older, gets home from college soon. She’s always wanted to go and see OU - one of her best friends goes there - so DS and DD are tentatively going on a brother/sister college visit trip after my son’s finals, on June 8-9. More of a practice college visit - I don’t really see him going to OU. But maybe it will inspire him, anyway. </p>
<p>He’s taking the June 12 ACT. Our HS strongly encouraged SAT IIs this spring but we did not sign him up for any. As of now, he is not interested in any colleges that require SAT IIs. If that changes, he’ll have to take two next year. He continues to say he wants to go to Alabama or LSU. Out of state, large schools, warm weather, reasonable oos tuition/merit (that one is thrown in for DH and me), and good football teams (high priority for him). ;)</p>
<p>(The kids are road tripping to Ohio University in Athens - not Oklahoma University)</p>
<p>In the fall, we hope to send him down for a weekend visit with a friend who will be a freshman at Denison so he can observe that it is fun to go to a small college in the Midwest. Thus far, he has only visited his sister at college at UT, so what he knows now is that it is fun to go to a large football school with warm weather. He’s undecided as to what to major in, so right now, there are too many options.</p>
<p>My S is preping for AP World history tomorrow. He’s taking the day off of school to study. I’m thinking this is not a good idea b/c he will miss most of Thursday for his test and then he goes to the UN for Model UN on Friday. So he’s missing 3 days of school. However, it’s his choice. I have to keep reminding myself that he gets to make these decisions, not me. He’s 16 going on 24…</p>
<p>On the other hand, he’s working very hard to get a 5 on this test. It’s his first AP so he has very little frame of reference as to how difficult these are and how much effort is required. Since he’s my kid who usually puts in “just enough” effort to make the low A, rather than a bit more to make mid to high A - I guess I should be happy since he is stepping up. I am happy, and proud that he’s stepping up. I’d really like it if he went to school today though. :}</p>
<p>Our Dd took the AP Euro exam last Friday. She was exhausted when she got home, but felt the test went well. They take their time with directions, etc with the Euro test, it’s the first test for most of the students. Their teacher gave them all erasers with smiley faces the day before the test, which the kids seemed to enjoy.</p>
<p>Good luck to all the AP World History test takers today. My son went to school in sweats (he never wears sweats to school) carrying 3 pencils and his glasses. That’s it. I think he is so nervous about the test…</p>
<p>My son seemed nervous about the world test today too. He walked around the house last night with the ap world flash/info. cards (I think Barron’s or PR puts them out). He was lamenting that he should have taken Wednesday off of school to study more (shoulda, woulda, coulda). He went in with two pencils and one pen and a lap desk (they have to take the ap world test in the big auditorium where the fold down desk is 8 x 10). He did manage to eat two scrambled eggs for breakfast and a slice of toast…he dosen’t usually eat when he is nervous. Whatever it is, it is.</p>