<p>My son is a swimmer and is interested in more selective schools. He already spends 30 hours per week on swimming (swimming, dry land, etc.) We are both wondering where the time will come from for the AP classes that seem to be typical for students at the more selective schools. Can anyone offer any advice or wisdom?</p>
<p>Does he go to a competitive HS? We know of a boy that swims for Yale and he went to a competitive HS - he only took one AP class! So, if the swimming times are there and his grades and ACT/SAT are good - I am not sure it matters.</p>
<p>He is actually home-schooled. We would have to have AP classes through an on-line provider or just take the exam after some self-studying. He just finished his sophomore year. Sectional cuts in all distance freestyle events, 400 and 200 IM, and breaststroke. SAT Critical Reading above 700 (math and writing need work) and two SAT II tests at 700+.</p>
<p>I homeschooled my kids, and if I had continued into high school, I would have structured their high school schedule around the AP tests, having them use an AP textbook and an AP study guide or two to self-study, finishing the year off with the tests. I saw many homeschoolers do this with great success in terms of college placement later–for one thing, it’s a great way to prove the validity of those “mommy grades” to a college; for another, it allows lots of flexibility in terms of scheduling other activities. Lab sciences and foreign language (with the exception of Latin) are trickier–I’d have used our local community college for those–or put him in school for just a couple classes, though attending class can really start cutting into homeschool class time if they’re not good at budgeting time.</p>
<p>I also homeschool…my four kids all swim. When we got to high school level stuff, though, my older two started doing virtual school on a part-time basis. Between the two of them they have done accredited coursework at K12 International Academy, Stanford University Online High School, Keystone Online High School, and our state virtual charter, which uses Florida Virtual for curriculum.</p>
<p>The AP prep does cut into your student’s life, but all the swimmers out there are doing the same, at least those who want to go to an academically demanding college. AP is a terrific way to prove that you have successfully handled difficult curriculum on the same playing field as brick-and-mortar students. I can personally vouch for Keystone and Florida Virtual–challenging coursework with crazy-hard practice exams, they really prep the student well for the exams. My kids have used those for two years now, and each year they have said the real test was much easier than what they had been practicing on. You set your own schedule and go your own pace, although a teacher does grade your work. I would recommend setting the schedule up to finish in early April so that your swimmer can review for the exam. It takes a lot of discipline and focus, but of course your kid will handle that just fine, he’s a swimmer. :)</p>
<p>Annab,</p>
<p>My swimmer just graduated from a competitive private high school. He made his Junior National cuts prior to the start of his junior year. He took 7 AP courses and exams and his lowest AP score was a 4. He had high test scores and made straight As in high school. He also practiced about 30 hrs a week.</p>
<p>In order to take AP courses and maintain an aggressive practice schedule a swimmer must use good time management skills. Being able to efficiently use your time is key. Home schooling itself can improve efficiency (saving time lost from driving back and forth to school and attending school functions). Adjusting his school workload according to his practice and meet schedule can also help. When he is off his feet while he is resting for a major meet you can increase his workload at school. It is not easy but doing 2-3 AP courses a year should be possible.</p>
<p>If he makes the cuts I would recommended going to NCSA short course Junior Nationals in Orlando. Many coaches from the top academic colleges are at this meet. This meet is held in March which allows plenty of time to prepare for AP exams afterwards.</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement and advice. AP here we come!</p>
<p>My daughter was a recruited swimmer last year, came from private prep school in midwest. Excellent student, excellent test scores, looked at Top 20 ranked schools from US News rankings. Had Sectional cuts as 9th grader, Junior bonus cuts when recruited. Recruited to highly selective schools, and during unofficial visits prior to the July 1 recruiting period, the coaches each asked the same three questions of her:
- What is your GPA?
- What are your ACT/SAT scores?
- How many AP classes have you taken?</p>
<p>Each are used a judge of recruitability from the academic perspective. Each coach knew her swim times already, so they were assessing her academics at that point. I’d want to make sure that there are a few APs in that transcript.</p>