No APs for sophomores at S2’s school, so the only tests darkening his days right now are finals, coming up in a couple of weeks. Looks like he has the classes he requested for next year (3APs- the max allowed - plus honors physics, a Latin seminar, and various required stuff with a little fun stuff). If the rest of his ducks get in a row there will be some summer work along with driving practice and test prep, and three weeks at camp. He’s still not terribly interested in thinking about college, which is mostly fine with me.
Here’s what I’m having the most trouble wrapping my mind around: The college department at his school keeps telling us that Subject Tests are really, truly no longer required or even, in most cases, “recommended” (which I see as code for required) at the competitive schools he’s likely to be aiming for. Is this what the rest of you are hearing? It’s so very difficult to believe. To me, this is the biggest difference between the way it worked ten years ago (wow) when his sibs applied and now.
@HarrietMWelsch, I would look up the website for each school that your child is considering to see what their policy is on subject tests.
My D18 took some, beginning at the end of freshman year, just in case she would need them. Turns out she did not, but I know a few kids who did need them and had to scramble at the last minute to take the tests. They all did poorly.
DD20 is likely not targeting schools that require subject tests. She does have one that said they will consider them if they are sent so “send them if you are proud of them”. She did take bio M freshman year and scored high 600s. Not great, but not awful if she had to have one for a school.
Math tracks seem to be all over the place among the high schools on the Parents of 2019 thread. I have to admit it makes me feel a bit better about DD20 stepping off the accelerated track she tested into in 6th grade. It could have taken her to Calc BC senior year but she has opted instead to do college prep Calc next year and then AP Stats senior year. She still has 3 APs next year (Research, Lang, USH) + Honors Physics, 4th year of foreign language and Calc so she will be well challenged. AP stats makes more sense for a science major (currently interest is biochemistry) but she does tend to change her mind so I am just hoping she does not regret this when she has to start with Calc I in college.
Remembering how stressful and busy junior year was for my DS16, I do have to agree with her that the math was the best place to give herself a bit of breathing room.
I majored in chemistry with no stats requirement and my D17 is majoring in chemistry with no stats requirement.
Anyone’s kid taking AP Euro test? D is taking it along with SUbject Math II on June 2nd. One of the schools she’s going to buy a lottery ticket for still requires two subject tests, so she’ll take math this year and USH next year, right after APUSH test. Her summer is getting pretty packed - 2 community college classes, journalism internship, and a volunteering opportunity she still hopes to land, plus PSAT/ACT prep. Oy, vey!
Yes, to AP Euro.
The hot, new science majors are including data science and/or are called “quantitative” Chem, bio, social sciences, etc. The curriculum includes more than one stats class. My EE DS16 also took stats and used his AP credit to fulfill a requirement for his business minor.
Yes AP Comp Sci was yesterday, Euro on Friday. I expect at 4 or 5 on CS just hoping for a pass on Euro. We are.working on accommodations for testing for next year for typing essays as writing is near illegible.
Thanks, @Cheeringsection and @ShrimpBurrito. I have looked some schools up and I do see it - it’s just really, really difficult to believe. They were such a feature (and stress point) of D and S1’s applications.
I would really love to be able to let go of that particular stress entirely.
S took the AP Bio test on Monday and the Math 2 subject test last weekend. At least the subject test results come back in a timely manner!
Sophomore schedule:
H Pre-Calc
AP Bio
English 10 (all kids take the same level)
History 10 (all kids take the same level)
French 2 (also no leveling)
Orchestra
Junior schedule:
AP Chem
AP Calc B/C
AP Lit
A research science class
US History (not AP-only levels are AP or not AP)
French 3 (no leveling)
Orchestra
DS will take the SAT II Bio E in August and then the SAT in October.
His summer consists of a 2 week international trip, 8 weeks of working at a day camp, training for a team trail relay race and SAT prep.
Any suggestions on pacing SAT prep so that he doesn’t run out of official practice tests?
He already used one to practice before the 10th grade PSAT, so he has 7 left.
Wanted to chime in here as the parent of an “average” kid. 
DS is taking AP World History (AP exam is tomorrow) and pre-AP chemistry. Failed WH the last grading period and must have an 80 this last grading period to pass for the year; fortunately, I communicated with his teacher, we buckled down hard, and now he’s got an 85. He’s currently failing chem, going to tutorials before and after school, and hopefully will pull it out. His teacher is super-helpful and very nice. He is just not cut out for AP classes. WH had a ton of reading, which is very slow for him, and chem just moves too fast. Next year, he’s in all “regular” classes. He does plan to go to college and there are plenty of places in Texas where he can go as a B-average student.
DD took only one AP class in high school, she got in to her realistic ED college and had a great freshman year. Just wanted to through that out there for you @cgpm59 .
Yep, @carpoolingma we also have a DS, 2011 high school grad, who struggled first year in college, switched majors, and graduated in 2016, now has a full-time job with health insurance, matching 401K, etc. It may not be the smoothest --or most prestigious – ride, but having the diploma, getting a job, and being a member of society and a good citizen is the main focus.
DS20 is the only kid in his AP World HIstory class that is not taking the exam. His teacher was not happy but he’s pretty set on where he wants to go to college and they give zero credit for World History AP and the kid just doesn’t need the strees, not to mention the money it saved me:-)
DD18 has taken her final 5 AP tests, has “finals” sort of and is basically done finally. DD20 takes WHAP test tomorrow and she will have finals then done. Graduation is Saturday of Memorial day weekend and we get into summer! yeah for all of us. DD20 is taking her required communications class starting in June (older DD finished it in about 3 weeks online still not sure about a communications class that is all virtual online but whatever) and plans to get a PT job but not anything significant academically during summer. Try to give them a break before getting back to it. 4 AP classes next year plus choir, double block CTE medical class (gets her the CNA cert) and sports will round out a full scale schedule. She will be prepping for PSAT through a district cohort study for high scorers and self study but guessing it will be pretty limited beyond the structured piece. looking forward to the schedule slowing down from the last two months.
Today is S’s last day of school. One final today, Chemistry. No APs for him, as they don’t offer them at his small private school. He’s confident he’ll be happy with his GPA for the semester. So, sophomore year is almost in the books! On to summer fun and PSAT prep!
Oh, and he got his Big Boy drivers license a few weeks ago. Surreal.
Wow, @ShrimpBurrito! Congratulations!
@txsparty you might want to double check your high schools communication requirement. The state dropped that as a specific required class for graduation. My d16 had to take it but s18 and s20 don’t, of course just because the state of Texas no longer requires it, it doesn’t mean your school doesn’t. Our school updated graduation requirements when the state moved to the whole “endorsment” thing.
@typiCAmom “Anyone’s kid taking AP Euro test?” Yes, for D as well. Her regular class final exam last week was the prep for the AP exam this Friday. It’s too bad they don’t get the results until mid-summer but I understand there is a significant writing section that needs to be graded.
btw - I think Junior year is going to be very determinative on what type of colleges D’s will likely apply to. With 4 APs/ 1 H class it will be very interesting to see if she can maintain her 4.0? I have a feeling there might be a few B’s in the mix next year.
@socaldad2002 we’re in a similar boat with DS’20. The junior year course load and how he does in them will definitely cause him to refine his college list. He’s been straight As throughout school but with 4 APs next year and ECs I hope he won’t be over stressed.
He has a few ivies on his list as well as state flagships, and LACs. We’ve somehow gotta fit in visiting this summer cuz I don’t think he’ll have time during the school year. Does anyone have a strategy for visiting? Do you go to all those on their list or let them research and visit the schools at accepted school days? Do you do open houses, information sessions/campus tours, overnight, in-class visits, department tours? We’ve done mostly information sessions but don’t feel we’re getting enough about particular programs he’s interested in.
^^my two cents about visiting is that colleges that list “level of applicant’s interest” as very important, important or even considered you probably want to go for a visit, if at all possible.
It’s also a great way to determine if the college might be a good fit or not. We just did a spring break trip to Seattle/Vancouver and did a college visit/tour at University of Washington while we were there. D this summer, will be doing a 3 week camp at UCSD so she will get a feel for that school, as well. Will probably do a CA road trip next spring and maybe OOS if she shows some interest in east coast, southern schools and she will have PSAT/SAT and ACT scores back by then?
Lastly, close friend’s brilliant kid D18 was wait-listed at University of Michigan but accepted to every RD college including Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Duke, UCB (regents) and UCLA. Guess which school is the only one she didn’t visit???