<p>need2learn, I couldn’t agree more. It took me a while to get used to how little my S12 “needed” me once he got to his college, which is 13 hours away by car or 5-6 by plane (short flying time, but involves either connecting flights/layovers or a 2-hour drive to a hub airport). We are still very close and he still turns to me for advice and support, just not in the day-to-day way we had both been accustomed to. With my D15, who is fiercely independent, I am prepared to give her the same ability to spread her wings. But this desire is complicated by the fact that she is in the performing arts and the farther away she is the less I will be able to see her dance. So I am hoping she ends up somewhere in driving distance, but I am not holding my breath.</p>
<p>And our school will next year allow students to take both of these Physics classes together along with multi-variable calc! (Not my idea of a fun Sr year!)</p>
<p>Hmmm I looked at the course catalog and our school is giving Physics B-1 and Physics C. There is no Physics 2 :-?. Well regardless she is taking Physics B now and is taking AP chem next year and not Physics C. </p>
<p>She is currently in the most advanced non-AP Physics which at her school is combined with pre-calc and called “Integrated Analysis and Physics” . It is a pre requisite to Physics 2 which is roughly AP Physics-Mech but without having to adhere to the AP curriculum. Her school doesn’t allow any AP science except Enviro without taking the regular or “pre-AP” version of the science first. </p>
<p>Physics 2 is widely considered to be the hardest course her HS offers, but she loves science and has done well doubling up in it most of HS.</p>
<p>@sally305 - DS1 has graduated from college and is now in Chicago doing improv comedy - our definition of “driving distance” has now been amended to 12 hour drives each way from MD to Chicago to catch his big shows. If the three of us can attend a show - we drive - usually with the car filled with furniture/pots/pans/dishes/clothes (he is slowly emptying my basement!) if DS2 can’t travel due to school constraints then one parent will fly to see the show. DS1 very much appreciates the support he feels from his family - it’s a tough career choice with an uncertain future - but he is enjoying it 
Good luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>Finally actually have a plan to go see Eckerd College and New College on Monday. We will see University of South Florida while we are in the area, but that will be on Sunday, so no tour. I called them to see if they had a self guided tour and they said yes, but we’d have to come during office hours to pick up the info on it! lol I suggested that they have it available online since those who want a self guided tour are not likely to be there during office hours. ;-)<br>
I am going to back to read posts and TRY to catch up, but I do see conversations about distances to colleges, etc. I like the idea of D going somewhere within a days drive (about 6 hours max) but won’t rule out further…if someplace seems otherwise wonderful for her. Her top pick right now is much further away, but it is on plane and train routes from home so that helps a bit. In that way, the east coast is preferable to mid west, etc…I am not fond of flying,and neither is she…will if we need to…but the east coast has train service from our area too. </p>
<p>@ohmomof2 thank you for mentioning the guaranteed merit! I know I had seen that thread before, but at the time had no test scores and it was much too early to predict a GPA so I guess I had forgotten all about it, and later only saw references to the NMF merit. </p>
<p>@wolverine86
LOL. It seems odd that just as our kids are in this stage (It IS just a stage, right?) where perhaps thinking things through isn’t their strong suit…they have to deal with these important decisions and preparation. </p>
<p>My D just found out that her HS team will not be able to compete in Science Olympiad this year. Team captain dropped the ball on registration, and by the time it was discovered it’s too late do do anything about it. 
:(</p>
<p>Ugh sorry to hear that Mihcal1. My son is a big Science Olympiad kid and their team has been pretty successful the past couple of years. :(</p>
<p>@shoboemom I hope there’s something workable there for your family. There are a couple of schools that, if she makes 1400/32, would be great affordable options for her, and since they’re merit not need, would not need to rely on her NCP. This is why she will retake, unless she winds up with the 32 from the Feb ACT.</p>
<p>Pepper-I think some kind of test prep is necessary and helpful. My s said the prep has helped. When I super scored his practice tests, he would have ok CR + M scores for the safeties on his list. We had some chance to talk about it yesterday. I realized that he put unnecessary pressure on himself at this very first official test. In addition, he does not test well and frequently makes careless errors. It has been a challenge at times to reflect his true ability on tests/quizzes.</p>
<p>Slackermom- At UT-Austin, if auto-admits don’t submit test scores they may not gain admittance to their desired major. The law requires all state schools to admit top 10% (7 or 8 % for UT-Austin) of graduating classes but it does not require a guaranteed acceptance into a major. Each major/program reviews students’ qualifications (HS rigor, test scores, essays, EC, etc) for acceptance. </p>
<p>OK, my D could use some advice with her course selection for next year. She needs to decide between AP Physics C and AP Comp Sci. She plans to study engineering. She’s currently taking AP Physics B and AP BC Calc, doing well in both. Next year she’ll take Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calc. She hasn’t taken a programming class yet. Other classes taken or will take next year relating to the field include Robotics, Logic, and an Engineering elective. Other APs next year will be AP English Lit and AP Govt/Macro. Thanks for your help! </p>
<p>I just registered my D for the April ACT. There were a ton of questions (I left a lot of them for her to do later). Does anyone know what they do with all that information? Should we fill it out & does it matter if we don’t? </p>
<p>
@twogirls, physics 1 and physics 2 replaced Physics B as of this year. </p>
<p>@mom2twotallgirls, AP comp sci w/o any programming course could be challenging, but doable. AP physics C after AP physics B is less challenging, imp. so depends on what she wants. My friend’s daughter is taking AP compsci. She is in TJ and took compsci class in the summer for 6 weeks, struggled through it. Now she’s taking AP compsci, still struggling. But of course, it’s case by case. </p>
<p>I think the difficulty of AP Comp Sci depends on the school. My D is taking it this year without having taken a prior intro class and is doing well. I’d say this is one of her less stressful classes. TJ probably pitches it higher.</p>
<p>Our district is adamant about maintaining Physics as a one-year program. They’ve decided to offer a class called “AP Physics” which will cover the College Board Physics 1 curriculum, and then offer advanced math students (those who have had calculus, either prior or concurrently) supplemental material to self-study for the AP Physics C Mechanics exam.</p>
<p>@maxwellequations - like 3girls is saying, “word on the street” at my D’s school is that AP compsci is not too difficult. great teacher, lots of attention, and my husband would certainly be able to give her any outside help she might need. D would love to be able to take both Physics C and the comp sci class, but it’s just not possible. i guess i’m asking folks here what they think an engineering school would like to see on her transcript…</p>
<p>At D’s school AP computer science isn’t hard, it just takes up a lot of time (writing a program isn’t hard, but making it look “pretty” with descriptive comments and indents somehow takes up more time). D took a programming class in ninth grade and realized she didn’t want to go any further in computer science. So the only caution I can give is if your child has had no experience programming, she may find herself in a class and spending a lot of time on a subject she dislikes. </p>
<p>@maxwellequations, TJ students can probably take the AP comp sci class syllabus and make it into a graduate seminar. I pity the student who happened into that class without much preparation. </p>