I am not looking forward to DD’s schedule release on 8/10. There are always issues that need clearing up and you h have to fight tooth and nail to get the GC to make any correction. Once they put DD’16, who had already advised the GC that she was going to be applying to direct entry DPT programs, in fashion merchandising when she requested AP Calc AB…really fashion merchandising seemed like a good substitute for a kid who wanted to take AP Calc and was thinking about health fields as a career? How about regular Calc at least? Lol.
We are nearly done with our college visits trip. USCe tomorrow. Saw High Point today (yes, despite the multitude of super negative comments about it here on CC, we made the trek).
S won’t find out about schedule issues until orientation next week, but his district’s schedule request system allows students to put in two alternates and he’s never had trouble before. He’s requested mostly popular classes that have many sections each, so hopefully he gets his first choice schedule. All seniors have to take economics and government (one per semester), but the school decides which semester students take each course, and both courses are taught both semesters. So that’s another point of flexibility for the scheduling. S requested AP bio, AP stats, AP calc BC, AP econ, AP government, dual credit English, digital art & animation (level, there isn’t an honors option for it), and early release. His alternates are late arrival and AP art history. It wouldn’t be a problem if he has to do late arrival instead of early release but he must get his fine art credit so I really hope there’s no conflict that puts him into AP art history. For a while he actually had the AP art history on his first-choice schedule request but I finally convinced him that he really doesn’t need such a hard schedule senior year. He’s fifth in the class and even all AP/dual credit straight As wouldn’t be enough to bump him up to val or sal, and the level art class will drop his rank but not out of the top 5% (which gets special recognition at graduation). Plus digital art & animation is a better fit for his CS major. It should be easier than junior year, especially since he won’t be on the cross country or track teams this year. Those were 15-20 hours a week when he was competing, and even when he was injured and couldn’t compete he still had to be at practice for probably 10 hours per week. Not much room for senioritis though.
D18’s schedule was screwed up, too, and she’ll have to do some work to get it straightened out. Eventually, it should be:
AP Psych (online, was going to be AP Physics C in-school but I talked her out of it)
AP Calc BC (she took AP Calc AB last year, so it should be manageable)
AP Lit
AP CS A (we’ll see how this one goes, I think it’ll be tougher than she thinks)
Directed Study III (basically an extension of Biotech for competition, this will require quite a bit of effort)
Scientific Research II (lab aide and a bit more)
Gov/Econ (online and on-level, should be easy)
I wouldn’t be concerned about the schedule if D18 wasn’t a professional procrastinator … but when you add in the whole college application process I think we’ll be in for some stressful times in the first semester. The second semester will be difficult too because she’ll be suffering from an acute case of senioritis.
One thing that irritates me is that DS-III and its Biotech prerequisites actually hurt her in terms of college applications even though they’re at least as difficult as AP classes. Why? Because they lower her weighted GPA and resulting class rank (an A in them is 4.0 while in an AP that A is a 5.0). She’s just outside the top 10% and some of the colleges she’s applying to have class rank as “Very Important”.
Happy mom here! After 4 weeks of writing, editing, and revising (with LOTS of prodding from me), S has final drafts of 5 essays. He has submitted applications to Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Alabama, and Mississippi. He still need to complete the Honors college apps (more essays!) and get teacher recs. We are visiting U Arkansas on Monday and then that’s probably it for visits for now. I am feeling a sense of accomplishment and excitement, however I fear that he may be maxed out. There are still 4-6 more applications to go and many essays that go along with them. Hoping I can squeeze some more out of him before senior year starts (in 3 weeks!). He is taking AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, Honors Anatomy & Physiology, Dual Credit Govt/Econ, and Dual Credit British Lit, as well as PALS. If all works out with scheduling he will have 2 off periods so hopefully time to study and continue working on apps and scholarships.
And I am also pushing him to prepare for the SAT Subject tests. He is taking Biology and Math 2 in August. He wants to “just see how he does” since none of his schools require them and he doesn’t have to send scores if they aren’t good. Any advice on the best way to study for these?
@labegg and others, I hear you about scheduling. Seniors get theirs next Thursday (first day of school is Aug 16) so at least there is time to go in and “fix” anything. It’s done by computer, and the computer sometimes has a mind of its own. She chose, way back in February:
AP Calc
DE Physics
Regular English (required for graduation)
Spanish 4 (only other option was AP Spanish which isn’t happening here)
Child psychology
Essay writing (should have taken this junior year, lol)
And, if God is good, she will have two study halls which I’m completely fine with. If she finds she doesn’t need both, she can volunteer to be a lab assistant in one of the science classes.
Weird thing is they messed with the lunch schedule. Some kids might not eat lunch till 1 p.m. Ugh.
My freshman doesn’t get her schedule till August 10. Less time to fix stuff. I’m hoping I can find out both of their schedules on August 1, when guidance comes back. Unless they blocked my number.
=))
Is it bad that I’m not totally sure what D is taking this year? I do know that she is not taking yearbook which is an actual class at our school. She hadn’t told the teacher yet but did yesterday and teacher wasn’t very happy because she is losing most of her seniors. I took all the blame because I want her to have a study hall instead.
I think she is taking AP English, ACP Chem 2, IB Bio 2, IB Spanish 4, CC Speech, AP Calc, Band, study hall, some CC life development class. That might be it? We have block scheduling so that seems like a lot but I think it’s close. We have registration on Wednesday so will get final schedule then.
@katstat1, I can’t remember what my D signed up for either! The big drama every year with D’s schedule is whether she has first lunch or second. 8-|
@S18D20mom, my D is taking the same subject tests. I bought some prep books for each. I think Barron’s? Collegeboard might have some too, I’m not sure. The scores will be nice to haves, not must haves, so I have not pushed studying too much, although she says she is looking things over. Uh huh.
My D’s school do their class requests in April. The Seniors and Juniors pick their schedule, the rest of the school (7-10) select classes and are scheduled by the counselors.
D18 has:
Chamber Ensemble Honors
Computer Programming
AP Calc BC (she took AB last year and had to choose between AP Stat or BC)
English Lit Honors
AP Govt/AP Econ (1 sem each classes but it is run year round with it being taught on alternating weeks)
Advanced Percussion Honors
AP Physics- Mechanics
Thankfully she decided against AP Lit…she already did AP Lang which was fine but the AP Lit teacher is not very organized so a lot of the students had no clue what their grades were since she wouldn’t enter them in the system and we can’t live in that chaos ;
The Physics teacher is wonderful. He get kids really excited to learn. He does a lot of hands-on experiments and practical examples that the kids can understand. She had him for Physics Honors and had no question she would take AP Physics. His class filled in 10 minutes and they had to create a second AP class to answer the demand.
My D23 got his schedule this week because he attended Jr High 101 at the school, otherwise he would have received it at orientation on the 8th. I’m excited to have them on the same campus this year. At least I’ll get a one year break of dropping and picking him up since D18 will be taking that task.
We won’t get schedules until 8/17, classes start 8/21 DS18 has requested:
AP English Lit 4
AP Chinese 4
AP Chem
AP Micro Economics / AP Government
Comp Sci Independent Study 2
Multivariable Calculus / Linear Algebra
AP Statistics
DE Texas Gov / DE Understanding Music
I don’t think he’ll have any problem getting the classes he wants. My issue is that DS20 will also be taking AP Chem and I want them in the same class if at all possible. Last year they drove me nuts comparing each other different pre chem classes!
We find out DD’s schedule on Monday. I am expecting some issues. She was told to ask for classes in an odd way and I don’t think it will work out with the automated system that creates the schedules. Also, she asked for a technology class that she no longer needs (she did it online this summer) and instead she needs a different type of class to graduate. I am not worried about getting the main classes she needs. Our school has multiple sections of most AP classes due to the large number of students who enroll in them. Her big question is what elective will she be put into to finish her graduation requirements. School starts in 3 weeks.
As a high school sped teacher, I don’t have a finalized schedule yet either. The kids get placed and then the department places us where we can best serve the kids. So I understand the waiting game.
This year, my son is taking:
GSE Precalculus (fall)
Antiquities Literature
AP Physics
AP Calculus (spring)
Japanese 2
Religion 3
Martial Arts
Economics
D’s senior year includes 6 AP classes + an honors course + extracurriculars + college apps/essays + campus visits, etc., etc. - I think she’s going to regret it. I was able to talk her out of adding on an online class, but that’s about it - she wouldn’t budge on anything else.
I was hoping that all of the junior year drama was in the past, but I’m gearing myself up just in case!
I’ve seen a couple of senior pics on my Facebook feed already. Already! Is it time?
We do have a plan in place. We lived in San Diego until D was four. She and H will be vacationing (ahem…touring colleges) in SoCal in October. D wants to have her senior pics taken in SD while she’s there. I’ve got the name of the photographer D wants. Just need to set it up.
Picking up S’18 from his summer music program this weekend. He’s been gone 6 weeks and he seems very ready to come home. I know I’m ready for him to be home. Big concert Sunday evening and then a very early am flight on Monday. Sadly, HS band leadership meeting is at noon, also on Monday. He’s going to be one worn out kid.
I think his schedule arrives in the mail next week. We’ll see how that goes.
CC really needs to add in a “dislike” button. I was so sorry to see everyone’s scheduling difficulties! I really enjoyed seeing everyone’s different schedule, or at least what the kids asked for. It’s so interesting seeing what our kids’ different interests are and what our high schools can accommodate. What I’ve also found interesting is how many classes kids are able to take. At my D’s school she can take up to 7 classes a semester. By the time you’re done with the proscribed math, science, english, history, foreign language, there’s only 2 classes left. At her school, 1 of the classes is taken up with mandatory things during the different years (gym, art, speech, health), and the 2nd class is the extra. She’s chosen to spend her extra on computer science. I wish there was one more extra class because it would have been nice if she had been able to take more electives.
Our school officially has 8 periods but lunch is counted as a class period, some kids skip lunch and take 8 classes. I won’t let my kids do this because I think they need a break and some social time. It’s very common for kids here to take the required health class on line the summer before 8th grade and to take PE of campus to make more room in their schedule. DS18 took his required American History class DE online after school so he could take more “fun” classes like psychology.
Here, kids can take health in junior high as well as over the summer, or they can self-study and take credit by exam. They can also start their foreign language in eighth grade, or they can do placement exams to skip language courses, or they can attempt credit by exam. Also they’re only required to take two years of foreign language for graduation, though most take at least three years. There are also other options for credit acceleration over the summer, including higher level courses like dual credit US history for rising juniors and pre-AP geometry for rising freshmen.
My son took health in junior high, and dual credit US history in the summer after sophomore year. He’d studied French for five years when we lived overseas but we didn’t know about the placement exams until after he’d started French 1 freshman year. At that point he hadn’t studied French for three years and thought he’d forgotten everything. Turns out he retained a lot, and it was way too easy for him. Luckily he had a great French 1 teacher who really encouraged him to push himself and study to place out of French 2 and go to French 3 sophomore year, and he did successfully place into French 3. So he ended up with credit for three years of language but he only took two years of classes. In S’s school there are a lot of kids who are fluent in Spanish or Chinese, and those kids often place into the respective AP course freshman year which frees them up to take other classes.
