<p>I wanted to get some opinions on what to do about my son's course selection for next year. He goes to a fairly small international school in Spain. No IB program, but they do offer AP. He is American, and will attend university (we hope!) in the U.S. He is currently doing what the school calls the "dual program": so he is completing the coursework necessary to get both an American diploma and a Spanish bachillerato. Since the Spanish program entails classes in castellano, catalan, and geography and history of spain, it takes up a large part of his schedule. But we are keeping him in it, because he is doing well, and the other option is just to have study halls or lower level spanish classes in its place. The problem is this: He is currently doing math with the 10th graders, so should be enrolled in Pre-Calculus next year (the school uses the integrated math curriculum in middle and early high school). But, because of a problem with scheduling, it won't be possible. At first, the school suggested he do AP English with the 11th graders (which he could definitely handle), and keep with the Pre-Calculus. I was happy with that situation, since the AP English teacher is great, and the 10th English teacher is, well, not. But now, because of a problem with the 10th grade Chemistry schedule, they're suggesting he do Pre-Calc online, and stay in 10th grade English. I would prefer he do Chemistry online (JHU has an Honors Chemistry class), and stick with the AP English and Pre-Calc in the classroom. It has been a long road with DS, making sure he's challenged, and I think this is the best option. He wants to go to a "good school", so I'm wondering also what would look best on his transcript. Our school normally does not allow students to take AP's until 11th grade, but I'm sure I've seen plenty of students in these forums doing AP's before then. If he were to take AP English next year, he could take British Literature in 11th grade, and would have space in his schedule senior year to do Comparative Government (his passion) or AP American History online (not offered at our school), classes most dual program kids can't do because of their course distribution requirements.</p>
<p>I apologize if this seems a bit rambling and confusing. I guess what I want to know is, do you think I should push for him to be put in AP English next year (as long as he wants to, which he says he does), which would entail doing Chemistry online (probably a more challenging chemistry class then he would get from the teacher here, unfortunately)?</p>
<p>I appreciate any thoughts/advice. Our school only sends 2 or 3 kids to American universities each year, and our college counselor has to be up on universities all over the world, so I turn to these forums a lot to garner information.</p>
<p>I think it's a lot easier to do math online than chemistry. How do they do labs? I do appreciate though that it might nevertheless be a better chemistry class. I think sophomore year is a bit early for most kids to be doing an intensive writing AP, but I do have a 10th grader who just took the World History AP. I never thought his writing would be sophisticated enough by May. The jury is still out, what his score will be, but his writing has improved enormously over the course of the last year.</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughts, mathmom. Yeah, I am a bit concerned about the writing, especially since our school doesn't have a particularly strong writing program, so he's not very good as it is. I was kind of hoping it would improve with AP English (the 10th grade English teacher is the same one he had this year, and he's done very little writing, so I don't expect much improvement if he has this teacher another year). So my predicament is really sacrificing having a GREAT English teacher next year but doing Chemistry online (not ideal), or having average Chemistry with labs but a below-average English experience for YET ANOTHER YEAR (sense my frustration?). Although he is very good at math and science, he doesn't really like it. His passion is history/political science and to a lesser extent literature. That's why I'm sort of willing to make the chemistry sacrifice.</p>
<p>I think you always have to go with the best teachers, and everything else will work itself out around that.</p>
<p>It's completely worthless to try to suss out whether online chemistry or online math will look better to [Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins, Whatever] in two years. You have no idea and neither do I. Of course, he may learn less chemistry on-line, but so what? Even top colleges do not expect all of their entering students to be perfectly prepared in everything they may have studied. (Especially for kids who don't look like they are planning to be research scientists.)</p>
<p>For me, the only thing that makes sense is to get the best education you can get right now, and trust that (a) you will be able to communicate that you did that (one hopes with the counselor's help), (b) others will respect that choice, and (c) your child will actually benefit from it. Even if only the last is true, he will be a better candidate for admission anywhere because of it.</p>
<p>Agree to getting the best education possible- colleges know that students all over the US, not just overseas, have course availability and scheduling limitations. Don't worry regardless of which options you use. If necessary his guidance counselor can throw in a one liner about scheduling difficulties affecting the courses he did/didn't take. It is frustrating, we've been there, done that with our son's needing to make those choices.</p>
<p>I agree getting the best education is the goal. Perhaps he should do English on line? I've heard good things about JHU's writing courses.</p>
<p>My son ended up senior year not being able to take either honors or AP English because of scheduling difficulties. It wasn't the end of the world. The GC wrote a note and he got his first A in English.</p>
<p>Ha ha. I'm afraid he has a hard time studying here too. But then, he has a hard time studying ANYWHERE! But seriously, though we did give up a bit academically with this move, the life experience for our kids has more than made up for it. And in the end, that's what matters, eh?</p>