“Take more classes at your HS instead of loading up on college classes.”
“You shouldnt be so hung up over one class and sacrifice many other things that you could possibly do”
'Do another activity instead of spending your Friday nights doing a BS class."
that is exactly what I have been trying to get the OP to understand, but he seems to be uninterested in listening- Only with continuing to argue for this ill advised plan.
OP- I’ve got no skin in this game. 9 years ago My DS and I listened to the advise of parents on CC who had been through the college application process before . He applied and won a full tuition merit scholarship at a highly competitive U, and is now completing his PhD at Caltech. So what do I know.?? .
The OP will soon find out that he cant fool college admissions officers with the “COLLEGE classes mean more than HS classes” games he is trying to play.
OP if you are listening- Japanese and the other non core classes can wait until you are a full time college student.
First you have to be accepted .
the next move is yours …
I don’t understand post #18. Why would a student who passed a college course in the summer of 2015 have to take an AP exam in the spring of 2016 to show s/he had learned the content? The college transcript showing the passing grade will suffice. If the GC doesn’t mention the classes, the student can have the transcript sent directly to colleges. S/he should probably do that anyway, as well as self report on the app all the classes taken (both at the HS and college).
I think @ucbalumnus knows a lot about computer science. Maybe he’ll stop by and comment on what a reasonable course load is. In NYS, kids do dual enrollment all the time. I don’t know why anyone would consider a schedule of some high school and some college courses to be less rigorous than just high school classes. If you have a good mix of courses, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. You might also check with @MYOS1634, @mom2collegekids, and @blossom (other long time posters) for their opinion.
^exactly. The student passed college classes in Econ and Gov. S/he doesn’t need to repeat those classes by taking them again in HS - and colleges WILL see this as a “repeat”, and certainly not as “challenging yourself”.
This student attends a HS which s/he has outgrown and is trying to challenge himself/herself -this will be well-received by colleges.
BTW, foreign language is considered a core course and reaching level 4 (3 at the very least) is important to top colleges.
OP, have you reached Level 3 or 4 in a Foreign Language, to which you’d add Japanese 1&2?
S/he wouldn’t have to take the AP test to prove knowledge of the content, however, s/he may want to take the AP test to earn credit should the university not give credit for the summer work.
If they are university courses, they appear as university courses, not as online courses. They count as full semester courses, unless OP didn’t explain that right. For admission purpose, they’ll be legit, unless they are from a non-accredited school or somesuch.
OP shouldn’t take more than Econ and Gov this summer, and leave English Honors for the regular school year. That means OP would be taking 4 (?) HS classes and 2 (3?) college classes. That’s a sufficient schedule and one that shows s/he wants to challenge himself/herself - I agree the first schedule was too light.
The Summer classes are ONLINE , according to the OP . He had not said which institution is offering these classes - which is why I suggested he take the AP tests - to increase the credibility of those classes to colleges as well as gaining AP credit .
What’s wrong with taking music therapy? I don’t do anything on Friday nights anyways, it would be better than sitting at home doing nothing right? It wouldn’t hurt since it doesn’t interfere with school since it’s at night. I don’t see the problem in taking an extra class that meets one time a week on a Friday night.
Why can’t I take an elective that isn’t offered at my HS at a college instead of an elective I don’t like at HS?
If I was going to HS all day, I would still take music therapy anyways since it’s after school.
I apologize if I was appearing to be arguing you, I know you are just trying to help and I appreciate it greatly. I just feel like I’m being misunderstood and I’m trying to make things clear.
The summer online courses are taught online, however testing is done at the university. They will count for full semester courses from an accredited college and colleges won’t know I took them online.
I will take the AP tests but I’m not sure why you are saying they will increase credibility. The AP exams are in May, obviously scores won’t reported on time since I’ll be a senior this fall. They will only serve as college credit. I was thinking of transferring if I don’t get into my preferred college so I guess it would help then?
Okay I won’t fill my college schedule with non-core classes. I do plan on taking these core classes Communicat With Stat, Intro To Biol World, CS, Japanese 1, Japanese 2, and Intro to Amer Politics. That’s 6 core classes.
I’m receiving different answers and that’s confusing me. @MYOS1634 Is telling me that taking 3-4 HS classes and 2-3 college courses will be sufficient.
If my school offered any more AP courses or honors courses I would take them instead of the college courses, however this isn’t possible since I don’t go to a great HS with smart enough students to justify more a rigorous curriculum. All of the smart students in the city went to the private school that offered a bunch of IB and AP classes…
Edit: Communicat With Stat is a Statistics course. I just copy pasted what is shown on the college’s website.
Intro to American Politics, Intro to the Biological World, Japanese 1&2 are core classes. CS is a useful, “hard” non core class.Not sure what “Communicat With Stat” is.
Can you indicate, for each semester, how you’d fill these (which colleges will want to see), whether at HS or college. Indicate next to the name if they are Honors (H), Regular/on-Level/College Prep (CP), AP, Dual Enrollment (DE). Thanks.This will help in evaluating your schedule’s academic rigor.
FALL
English =
Math =
Foreign Language =
Social Science =
Science =
Personal Choice 1=
Personal Choice 2=
(Personal Choice 3) =
SPRING
English =
Math =
Foreign Language =
Social Science =
Science =
Personal Choice 1=
Personal Choice 2=
"The summer online courses are taught online, however testing is done at the university. They will count for full semester courses from an accredited college and colleges won’t know I took them online.
Good!
Have or will you have taken, by the time you graduate - 4 years of classes or the most rigorous classes offered [ i.e. AP level or its equivalent] in these 5 areas:
ONE Foreign language, English, History [i.e Social Science], Math and Science?
If the answer is yes then you are good to go.
The fact that it meets once a week means that you’ll probably have a lot of out of class work to do for that class. Maybe talk to someone who has already taken it and see because I don’t think any class after high school is an ‘easy A’.
SUMMER:
Reading, Writing, and Inquiry 1
Fund of Econ
FALL
English = English 12 Honors
Math = AP Calc AB
Foreign Language = Elementary Japanese I (Dual Enrollment-At College)
Social Sciences= Intro To Amer Politics (Dual Enrollment-At College)
Social Sciences= AP Gov
Science = AP Physics Algebra Based
Personal Choice 1= Essentials Of Nutr (Dual Enrollment- At College
Personal Choice 2= Intro to Biol World (Dual Enrollment-At College)
Personal Choice 3 = Music Therapy (Dual Enrollment-At College)
SPRING
English = English 12 Honors
Math = AP Calc AB
Foreign Language = Elementary Japanese 2 (Dual Enrollment-At College)
Social Science = AP Econ
Science = AP Physics Algebra Based
Personal Choice 1= Computer Science (Dual Enrollment-At College)
Personal Choice 2= Statistics (Dual Enrollment-At College)
Personal Choice 3= Ethics (Dual Enrollment-At College)
Lets see, yes to Math, History, Science, and English. No to the foreign language. I took regular French 1 and French 2 at my high school, but I hated it and got horrible grades. So I’m just going to start over with Japanese. Besides, college Japanese is way more rigorous than a regular HS french class.
well it looks good, BUT my advice is to drop 2 of the college classes- MusicTherapy in the Fall - in order to leave you enough time to do your OTHER VERY important part time job - applying to colleges , which you will find is FAR more time consuming that you think it might be. It involves, among other things, filling out applications, writing supplemental essays, getting recommendation letters from Jr year teachers, AND your overworked HS counselor on a timely basis, making sure the Dual Enrollment credits are sent to the colleges on time, having your parents fill out the FAFSA and Profile applications for FA,and then following through to make sure the colleges actually have received everything that they need to consider your application before the Xmas break, which will your sole responsibility.
In the Spring- Drop Statistics[ since you will already be taking AP calc]
and relax a bit.
7 academic classes each semester is PLENTY.
Just take the writing class in summer, why take “Fund of Econ” and also AP Econ?
Drop the “Intro to Amer Politics” as well if taking AP gov.
As far as the language, most colleges want to see 3 or 4 years of the same foreign language.
Wait with Japanese until later.
You want to take all academic core classes and the most challenging ones your high school offers.
So if you take the highest math class your hs offers, check. The hardest Physics class, check. You can’t take AP Lit, but are taking the highest available class instead (Hon English) and a writing class in summer, check. You are taking AP gov and AP Econ, both are one semester classes at your school, check. So you are good except for your foreign language.
I would agree with others to not fill your plate with so many unnecessary college classes in your senior year.
So your schedule would look like this:
Math: AP Calc AB
Science: AP Physics
English: Honors English 12 and supplemental writing class
Soc Science: AP Econ and AP Gov
Foreign Language: You will have to figure out what to do here, might be hard getting back into French, what did you take after French 1 and 2 junior year? If you can I would take French 3
Then maybe take one elective college class or hs class.
If I’m not mistaken since I’m taking Japanese at college the pace will be much faster, as a result I will reach level 3 proficiency that most colleges desire.
The college came to my HS and gave the high school students who were interested in attending for dual enrollment this paper. On it lists Spanish IV= Second Year Spanish 1
Since Second Year 1 is semester 3 of a language, I’m pretty sure that means that 3 years HS foreign language is only 2 semesters in College.
Unless it will still look better if I take French 3?
“Unless it will still look better if I take French 3?”
yes it would.
colleges want to see students put their heads down and push through when courses get harder.
starting over with a new language is not going to impress anybody.
when they say they want to see 3 or 4 years of a FL in HS, they mean one language.
Quit trying to outsmart college adcoms with your attempts to get around what colleges say they are actually looking for and your repeated interpretations of what college classes are actually equivalent to .
It will only result in your application being rejected.
if that is not the end result you want, then pay attention - do as colleges “strongly recommend” and take French 3 .
Actually because college Japanese 2= hs foreign language 3 it’s better than just French 3 (French 4 would be better) since it means 3evels in one+2 if another.
I agree you need to drop one of you personal choice classes in the fall.
True. Especially since French is vastly easier than Japanese, unless OP’s taught himself basics, is used to reading Japanese through manga, and listens to J-Pop.
But from a strict point of view, what matters is level of achievement, so achieving level 3 in one language + level 2 in another one is better than just 3 in one language. Level 4 in one language would be better, so if OP could take French 2+3 in College, it’d be better for him than Japanese. OP could take Japanese alongside, of course.
Yeah I know that colleges want to see a lvl 3 proficiency in a FL.
But College Japanese 2= HS FL level 3
From what I’ve read, colleges just want you to reach a lvl 3 FL proficiency which doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be in a FL for 3 years.
@MYOS1634
I did take RossettaStone for Japanese and I do watch a lot of Japanese anime and listen to J-pop. I feel like I’ll do better in a class that I actually enjoy.
Considering how horrible I did at French class at my HS, I doubt I’ll do any better in College French.
I don’t need 4 years anyways, only 3.
Considering the fact that college classes are way more rigorous than a regular HS class, it would probably look even better if I take College Japanese due to rigor.
I mean I could take both French 3 at my HS and College Japanese 1 and 2. Would it be kind of redundant or look better?