<p>@IxnayBob - if I didn’t know better, I’d think our kids went to the same HS!!</p>
<p>@buttercreamlilac: The Common Application asks student’s to provide their course listings for both semesters of their senior year. If I’m not mistaken, one condition of SCEA acceptance is that the applicant must maintain the same course load as documented on the Common Application, and maintain the same relative GPA. Any course changes should first be run by Yale Admissions for their approval, as substantial changes, such as taking a minimum course load, might jeopardize your student’s SCEA acceptance. My immediate reaction: DON’T LET YOUR STUDENT DO IT. </p>
<p>Hi this course load looks frightening - I’d forgotten (English AP Calculus AP two other science APs and a bird course) but it was what he was taking so he stuck with it. He worked super hard though not so much after being admitted but enough still! Where we are from there are these year end exams on top of any AP you choose to take but these year ends are mandatory and if you do well you get a scholarship - (our incentive!) his teachers backed way off him though after EA!</p>
<p>I think dropping down to 2-3 classes would be risky. My son is taking 7 courses in the spring, including 4 APs–which is what he listed on his application. Would he like a lighter load? Sure, but this is what he signed up for and committed to. He will also be taking the AP exams, even though they cost a bundle, because his school and teachers expect (though don’t require) students to do so.</p>
<p>My S kept the same courseload, and his teachers definitely did not back off second semester–in fact, they almost seemed to make it even more difficult. It ended up being quite a stressful semester for him.</p>
<p>DD kept her 4 AP classes + worked hard throughout. Studied like mad for her AP classes and took the tests as if her life depended on it. Her teachers never changed their expectations Nor did mine. It was important for her to finish strong. </p>
<p>My son’s school operated on trimesters and he wanted to change two classes spring term of his senior year. He had to submit both changes to his admissions counselor at Yale, and they weren’t rubber stamped. For example, the admissions guy okayed one change because he switched out one elective with another that looked slightly more demanding, but he questioned the other switch because it looked to him like son was moving down a level (from a 400 to a 300 level class). It didn’t end up being a problem, but the expectation is definitely that seniors will finish out the course load they committed to on the common app. I definitely would advise against dropping down to 2-3 classes or taking it to easy. OTOH, I agree with others that taking AP tests (the tests, not the courses) is a waste of time for Yale, so that’s a stress reliever. </p>
<p>I think that the summer before college is a better time to lighten up. DS’s teachers took it a bit easy in the spring semester, but my son took his IB tests, got his IB diploma, and spent the summer with his family, his friends, and his girlfriend. Previous summers he had interned and worked hard. He did a bit of work for the lab he had been at the previous summer, but mostly he relaxed and recharged. </p>
<p>Finish the school year strong and then relax. My $0.02. </p>
<p>Agree with all those who say don’t change or let up on the course load. DS was accepted SCEA and had listed on his application his intended course load for 2nd semester senior year which included a course at the local state U (walking distance from his HS, he’d already taken 4 classes there during his junior and 1st semester senior year). </p>
<p>He thought he’d just bail on that class to make second semester a bit easier, but decided to email the Yale admissions officer to let him know that he was changing his second semester senior year schedule. Got an email back almost immediately from the AO who said in no uncertain terms that DS’s decision to not take the college concurrent class second semester senior year was not being well looked upon by him/Yale. No direct threat of rescission, but certainly got his attention and he did end up taking the class. </p>
<p>If you change your second semester schedule after being accepted SCEA, you MUST notify the Admissions Office, and probably while there’s still time to change it back. </p>
So, I’m thinking about hotel rooms for 2016 commencement. The university commencement date is listed as Monday, May 23. So I was thinking I’d make hotel reservations for Friday May 20-23. We like The Study, but it can’t be booked on-line (probably blacked out for commencement). My class of 2016 student is no help at all.
- Do I have the dates right? and 2) Anyone have advice on hotels?
My s continued on with his 4 AP classes and two additional for a total of six classes in his senior year. Although the AP classes are not credited he was placed in higher level courses due to his AP exam grades. He was able to start in L2/L3 courses as a freshman. Yale does require mid and final reports/grades from high schools. He is grateful that he finished his HS career strong and it undoubtedly prepared him for his first semester at Yale.
@IJustDrive, my kid is graduating this year and is no help! I did get a letter from Yale in December about the schedule and accommodations (Most hotels raise rates and have a 2-3 night minimum for graduation weekend).
Would the controversy over exams ending on Dec. 23rd affect the commencement date?
My kid is class of 2015. I think the hotels in New Haven start taking bookings about 1 year in advance, so you’re early. As I recall, the Omni was charging $500 per room, three night minimum, no cancellations. We are not staying there. We need two rooms, and $3000 is just ridiculous. One year out, we booked rooms in Milford at $150 a night (about double the normal rate-- the Hampton Inn), no minimum, cancelable. We then decided to stay on campus, very reasonable prices IMHO. Those were offered in October as I recall.
$500/night for Omni? Wow. I stayed there twiceon Yale’s dime (I was invited to come back for a couple of events). It was nice but its pricing clearly isn’t aimed at someone in my income/asset strata. Kudos to those where this isn’t a problem. I’m in the 99%. LOL
Five years ago, after college acceptances came out, my daughter did not want to take her AP tests at the end of her senior year, which included AP Calc BC and AP Bio. We insisted that she take the AP tests and she eventually relented under duress. She ended up scoring a 5 on each, which allowed her to skip the intro courses in those fields at college. Like @Ivymom18’s son, in hindsight, my daughter was very grateful.
“after college acceptances came out, my daughter did not want to take her AP tests at the end of her senior year”
This described me as a Senior – one of my biggest regrets before attending Yale. Plz encourage your kids to take the exams.
On hotels for graduation: the hotels in New Haven raise their rates tremendously for graduation, and you will still need to reserve far in advance. When my son graduated, we stayed in Milford, which is not difficult if you have a car while you are there. You will still save money if you rent a car and stay outside New Haven. Parking is not too difficult, even on the day of commencement.
One note on the issue of changing senior year courses: after my son was admitted SCEA, he wanted to drop his French class second semester of senior year. I told him he could if it was OK with Yale–he e-mailed the admissions office, and they had no objection (to my surprise).
I’m going to be cynical and say “Of course Admissions didn’t have an objection” as it means that Yale fills up more of it’s foreign language classes – and gets to earn more income from the teaching of foreign language classes – by allowing students to do what your son did. It was a win-win situation for Yale to have no-objection. Had your son taken the AP in French and scored a 5 on the exam, he would only have to have taken one semester of foreign language at Yale. By dropping his high school French class, I imagine you paid Yale to provide more of those FL classes than you would have had he stuck with his high school French class.
@gibby, I’m happy to get as cynical as the next person, but isn’t Yale going to be providing probably just as many classroom hours whether or not an additional FL course is needed?
^^ Well, if every student that Yale accepted took an AP Foreign Language exam in high school, and scored a 5, Yale’s Foreign Language Department would need to supply just one semester of Foreign Language to each student at level L5.
However, if every student that was accepted to Yale chose to drop out of their Foreign Language class senior year of high school, Yale’s Foreign Language Department would need to supply 2 to 3 semesters of foreign Language to every student at levels 1, 2 and 3, depending upon the outcome of Yale’s FL placement exam.
As Foreign Language classes are not taught in large lecture halls, but in small classes, sometimes with as few as 10 students, the fewer students that take an AP Foreign Language exam in high school, and score a 5, the MORE classroom hours Yale needs to make available to students for Foreign Language, and the FEWER Foreign Language teaches it has to lay off. It really is a win-win for Yale’s Foreign Langue Department if student’s drop FL in high school. And parents end up paying Yale for the same classes a student could have taken for free (or the $86 test fee) in high school.: http://yalecollege.yale.edu/academics/academic-requirements/distributional-requirements-chart