<p>@mom2twotallgirls-Physics C is calc based so it is a great class to take for a potential engineering student IMO. I would consider to take AP comp sci as well but maybe not the AP Lit?</p>
<p>@SlackerMomMD and those who know TJ, my friend’s daughter is so sick of compsci that now she wants to do analog circuit as her junior/senior year research theme. She knows nothing about analog or digital circuit. I feel sorry for the girl. I have my thoughts about schools who treat high school kids as if they were 30. </p>
<p>@mom2twotallgirls, AP physics C will get her rid of the first year college physics for engineering program in most colleges. (Some top schools may require a score of 5). In terms of education though, my 2 cents are, if she has taken physics B, then she knows physics well enough to do it again at calculus level with ease once she is in college. some programming experience before college would be super. I should modify my previous post - it’s probably just TJ made their AP compsci that way. I know many kids through my D’s summer camp who took AP compsci in different schools. They liked it and got 5s in it. </p>
<p>Coming late to this party… my DD is studying abroad and she just gave me a heads up that her SAT scores were available. It’s very discouraging. She’s got great grades from a well known and rigorous boarding school after having home schooled for middle school, is studying abroad (studying two languages!), and has done a prestigious internship for two summers running. She’s a mature, hardworking, insightful kid. But despite a diagnosed learning disability (particularly acute in math; first testing done in 5th grade, second done sophomore summer) and despite receiving accommodations from her school, she was twice denied accommodations by the College Board.</p>
<p>So she took the SAT without accommodations in January and while respectable, her scores don’t meet the threshold for many of the top schools to which I know she would like to apply. (Request for accommodations for the ACT are in process.; she’ll take the SAT again.) </p>
<p>So I’m wondering, should she apply anyway and mention the denial of accommodations as the reason for the depressed standardized testing scores, hoping that they’ll look at her holistically? Will revealing her accommodations bring into question the grades she’s earned in classes? It’s such a bummer to see this great kid so demoralized by the college process before it’s really even begun….</p>
<p>Goodmorning everyone!, and welcome to the newbies to the thread!</p>
<p>Hugs to those who did not obtain their desired score, and am with you in hoping the next sitting will be the done one for you.</p>
<p>Congratulations to tests takers that are done, and those with scores in NMF territory.</p>
<p>Still no class selection going on around here until BHG’s school finishes the new AP Physics curriculum for next year and ongoing. The school opted out of AP certification for all AP level courses, although the students do extremely well on the exams. Currently, all 8th graders take high school physics in 8th grade, and required to take biology and chemistry prior to AP level chemistry. Parents do not want a 2-year AP Physics course series, as this interferes with some student’s ability to take astronomy & earth science, the biology series that includes genetics and molecular genetics, or anatomy/physiology & advanced anatomy/physiology or participate in dual enrollment for higher level physics courses through the PSEO program.</p>
<p>Speaking of APs, is your child’s school administering and scoring practice tests? I mentioned in a post last week how BHG fared on her in-school practice tests. The new Chemistry exam is easier for students with strong conceptual understanding of the “big ideas” according to BHG’s teacher, and less so for those strong computational skills & rote memorization skills, as their are fewer “plug & chug” type questions on the exam than on the pre 2014 exam. BHG’s teacher also states since the school never followed the curriculum as written, but taught the course like a real college class, the practice tests scores reflected this with a 1 point increase of average test score for the current class vs. prior year classes. He also suggests to retake general science courses for any student thinking of majoring in science or engineering to help boost the freshman year GPA and fill in any gaps before moving into higher level courses, especially for those wanting to apply to medical school or majoring in an engineering field. </p>
<p>BunHeadMom: My school also opted out of AP designation for Physics. Since the majority of students have taken an earlier form of Physics, the school has decided to make the Physics course focus on engineering. This has been the case for the past four years. Many of our advanced calculus students took AP Computer Sci. as a soph so they can take more intense CS course later), and AP Bio/AP Chem as their science. As juniors or seniors they take the Physics/Engineering course. Although it is not registered as an AP Course, many students still take the AP on their own, since a 5 can get them credit.</p>
<p>My D’s school also dropped AP Physics three yrs. ago for an engineering course (1.5 yrs,) but again many students will take AP Physics test on their own.</p>
<p>My D took non-AP Physics (no engineering), but prefers to take other sciences: Organic Chem, BioChem, Physiology, and AP Environmental. Had she been interested in engineering, I think she would have opted for the more rigorous Physics/Engineering courses.</p>
<p>iPhone hello, and let me chime in to say that you have found a very supported group of parents.</p>
<p>The learning differences and disability forum on college confidential is a good start for researching for information.
My DD has recieve accommodations from SAT and ACT.
SAT was immediately but ACT was long and drawn out process.</p>
<p>The paper trail for the ACT is the key.<br>
Also, you stated she has accommodations in school–make sure they are documented and being currently being used.</p>
<p>Her GC or college counselor will be able help you addressing the question about if there is a need to disclose or not, concerning testing and the disconnect with her grades.</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome, Hoosier. I have scoured the LD forum and posted there as well :). Her home school as well as her study abroad school are being very supportive, with the home school is handling the ACT request. My fear is that the ACT will a) think that the more recent testing is relatively late in the game even though we have testing from 5th grade, and b) she’s only actually been getting accommodations since the start of sophomore year, although middle school homeschooling was in effect one big accommodation :/. Have to say, given the resounding and emphatic rejection by the College Board, I’m pessimistic. Would love to be proven wrong…. </p>
<p>@sunnydayfun - she has to take an english course every year of high school…it’s a graduation requirement.</p>
<p>@maxwellequations - so what kind of credit does the AP Physics B that she’s taking now get her, if Physics C is the one that subs for an intro to physics class?</p>
<p>Welcome iphonemom and good luck. I have friends who are dealing with the same issues as you so I understand the frustrations. </p>
<p>We drove to Virginia today for our tour of UVA tomorrow. So far the area is not what I was expecting - it is very industrial- but maybe it will get a little more " college like" as we get closer to the school. We are staying a few minutes down the road. </p>
<p>I still can’t figure out how our school is handling physics B next year. The course catalog calls it AP physics B-1 but I can’t find B-2. I only see B-1 and C. This leads me to believe that either they only teach 1 and not 2 or they are keeping it as a 1 year course. This is just curiosity as my D is currently in physics B and is not taking C next year. </p>
<p>@mom2twotallgirls, AP physics B gives them first year physics credit in college (in some colleges) if they are NOT majoring in physics or engineering. (like premeds, chem, bio, etc.) AP physics C (also in some colleges) gives them 1st year college credit if they are physics or engineering majors. </p>
<p>iphonemom, welcome! Sorry I can’t answer your question. but I agree somethings in this whole process don’t make sense …</p>
<p>And some colleges give the same low level credit for B and C. Not only is it not for the physics major course, it may not even be for the one below it that math majors can take for their science requirement. D’s school gives credit for a basic course that is only useful as science gen ed for non-sciency majors. </p>
<p>Science depts are known to be very fussy about AP credit, really want kids to take their college course. I think it was the head of honors program at UMN who went on a bit of a rant about AP physics credit when D13 and I met with him. He’s a physics prof. However, his wife is apparently a history prof and he said she feels the same way about AP history. Perhaps this feeling is common throughout disciplines, but it seems the science depts push harder on the topic. UMN does grant higher level credit for physicsC, but they encourage students to consider repeating the class in college.</p>
<p>At some colleges, AP credits give you placement, but not credit. It all depends.</p>
<p>D’s school has no classes designated AP, but kids take the AP exams and do quite well.</p>
<p>We are fretting about next year’s classes. H and I are saying “take fewer!” D is saying “but I really want to take everything!” </p>
<p>@momoftwotallgirls-What I meant was perhaps your D could take Honors English IV instead of AP level if that fits her schedule better. I was told engineering schools care more about the rigor of math and science courses than the rigor of English.</p>
<p>Our HS offers AP Physics B and C. Students choose one or the other but not both.
B is more appropriate for life science, pre-med and some applied sciences majors.
C covers mechanics in the first semester and the electricity and magnetism in the second semester. This course will prepare students to take either or both parts (Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism) of the AP exam. My S1 took AP Physics C and his score would give him credit for the Engineering Physics I and II courses. He did not claim credit for both though because his department prefer their students to take one of the Physics classes in college.</p>
<p>@mom2twotallgirls, what others said are right. From what I know, different colleges have different policies regarding physics APs in HS. But for sure if a student majors in physics/engineering, she will have to take Physics C to get credit in college, if at all. I know a girl who went to a college as an engineering major. She took physics B and got a good score in HS. In college, they had intro to physics, then the real physics. She was placed directly to physics I, didn’t have to take the intro level course. </p>
<p>Include my D in the probably one and done camp for the SATs. Her scores were in the the ranges for her current set of top schools. We’ve had 1 conversation about superscoring and how that could help her but we’ll see what happens</p>
<p>Having intentionally NOT taken Physics myself, I find this conversation fascinating. What is “real” Physics? Our HS offers Algebra-Physics team taught (for not mathy-sciency students), Physics alone (for middle of the road students), Integrated Analysis and Physics (for very mathy-sciency students), and then Physics 2 (for a very few intrepid pre-engineer types who want the hardest science offered and got an A/B in Integrated Analysis and Physics AND are taking Calc.). </p>
<p>The concept of different math-level Physics is a complete mystery to me. </p>
<p>Congrats jmnva06!! It’s a great feeling to be one and done with the option of taking it again only if you want to. I am trying to figure out which schools require her to send all test scores versus those that let you pick which tests to send. So far I am only seeing one school that requires all scores. </p>
<p>CC is so skewed. I was on the Vanderbilt thread and a poster called another student’s 34 ACT " average." Since when is a 34 average? It’s the equivalent of about a 2300 SAT!! </p>
<p>Actual, factual AP <em>credit</em> is hard to come by at a lot of selective privates. DC#1’s school offers a maximum of two credits toward the 34 required for graduation.**. The placement, OTOH, can be useful in avoiding some intro classes and freeing up time for some of the college’s interesting freshman program sequences. </p>
<p>I think the younger kid’s assault on Mount SAT was successful. Now we need to catch up to the rest of y’all in figuring out where to visit. We are really behind. </p>
<p>** it is probably no coincidence that this school used to require 32 units prior to the AP explosion. They’ll keep you around for eight semesters one way or another. </p>
<p>There are things in college 1st year physics course that can’t be done without knowing derivatives and (esp) integrals. In my daughter’s school, math is very slow paced. So far in her school’s history, there is only one student who gets to take calc in junior year. All the other students, if they get to calc at all, do it in senior year. This is why physics C is impossible in her school. But I know in many other schools, students are done with calc AB or even BC by the end of junior year. So it’s possible for them to take physics C.</p>