My daughter is at an ivy majoring in STEM but took no Bio or Chem, just freshman science (not Andover) and Physics C
thanks @skieurope and @HMom16 ā thatās helpful to know
I have just completed my Math placement exam for Andover. Immediately after I completed it, I received an email saying that, based on my results, I had been invided to take a āMath Qualification Examā. Different from the normal exam, there are 6 questions per section ( I donāt know how many sections there are in total) and there must be complete answers with handwritten solutions (no multiple choice questions). Does anybody know what that means? Thank you in advance.
@maribrazil they have changed the process in the last few years (was paper and pencil) but at that time in order to be considered for certain advanced/faster paced math classes they gave an additional exam during orientation. Are you advanced in math?
@MA2012 Well, although Iām currently a freshman and Iām only taking Geometry (we canāt accelerate in the curriculum at my current school) I have done a lot of independent study in topics in Algebra II and some differential calculus.
Sorry but Iām not sure what that means to have additional questions, but maybe itās trying to find the right level of course (there are multiple courses for calculus for example and some are faster than others). DS took an online test, was placed, and then took another test at orientation for placement confirmation. Even after being placed, some kids move around by talking with the department head and taking additional tests. If you are unhappy with where you are placed, please discuss it with an advisor or the math department as movement is possible.
Thanks @gungablue. Iāve heard about tests during orientation before, but I didnāt expect to have to do an extra worksheet for the online placement test. Anyway, itās probably for a more accurate placement, so itās fine.
@AppleNotFar , I wanted to affirm the value of planning out a course of study at PAA. Spending time doing that with my daughter and with an Admissions advisor before she began school was probably the best time spent on any of her high school/college prep education. Planning out the coursework and timing provided a lot of clarity and direction on how she could complete the courses she wanted without conflict and still fulfill the PAA requirementsā¦ It was sooooo helpful. For instance, she did not take the arts requirement classes until she was a senior. She did not take American History until she was a senior. But, she had a really strong course load her Sophomore and Junior years when she needed them. By the time she was a senior, she changed up her courses her very last semester so she could have a āSenior Springā (had never heard of that expression before PAA), and took some fun courses.
@CallieMom Do you mean a private admission advisor?
If we donāt have one, can any one please tell us how we can chart out the course plan on our own?
Hi @jc570109 , thanks for asking. I meant one of the Admissions counselors from PAA. At PAA, they have specific counselors designated to each class and/or each gender of each class. We basically blocked out the three semesters each year for the three years my daughter would attend Andover, and then figured out how she could take the courses she wanted and still meet all the requirements. Having that roadmap was the best thing we did towards her being successful later in applying to collegeāwith the exception of supporting her in attending Andover in the first place. :-). As for tools, we found the Course Catalog on the PAA website, and then blocked out the courses in a spreadsheet.
Thank you for the advice and clarification @CallieMom,
Weāll definitely get right to it ASAP!
S was disappointed this year that some of the classes were not being taught - so use some caution with planning out 3-4 years (for electives - the core classes will always be there). One is on sabbatical, and two others left and the classes they taught werenāt picked up by others.
Very true; I had that happen to me. Unfortunately, there is no real way to plan against sabbatical/resignation/retirement/death. I will say though, if an elective is taught for the first time, and you want to take it, and are class-eligible - take it. There is no guarantee that it will ever be offered again. This often happens in English and History. Usually the classes in question are senior-level, but uppers with a good track record can often make a case to get in.
Along the same lines, make the plan in pencil (or really, different tabs on an excel spreadsheet) as what a student thinks they want as their 4 year course of study will evolve over time due to changes in interests and, as mentioned here, classes being added/deleted.
also interesting note: physical education is no longer an option for juniors-- itās a 10th grade only course now.
Interesting. Additionally, it appears that a term of art and a term of music is so strongly recommended for juniors to almost consider it required. Not a bad thing, though. As Iāve said before, it is advantageous to try to knock these out early.
Itās not only about courses being offered but about having enough seniority to get into them. My child ended up getting nothing he wanted as electives for most of 9th and 10th grade. Spring 10th was finally enough priority to have the schedule that he wanted. The other thing that complicates scheduling is if you are taking advanced courses, they often have only 1 or 2 periods offered, so they do not necessarily line up. Taking a math seminar or linear algebra or an advanced science with few spots available and few times offered makes it extremely difficult to get a schedule to work.
I agree with testing into higher level music. This allowed my kid to take something really fun rather than a basic intro course.
I also agree to take an elective whenever you can get it ā it make take more than one try to get placed into it, but often things are not offered again or changed. Sabbaticals affect the schedule a lot if the teacher on sabbatical teaches a rare higher level course.
To reiterate what I said before, as do resignations/retirements/deaths, particularly in non-STEM courses. One should assume that if an instructor is not there next year, the course will not be offered. Many of these courses were developed by that specific instructor based upon his/her own interests, which may not be shared by other faculty members.
Several years ago, when European History was still officially an AP course, the instructor, who had taught the class since QE2 came to the throne (slight exaggeration, but not by much), retired. As a result, the course was dropped because nobody else wanted to teach it. It was many years before it was added back into the Course of Study. More recently, Chris Gurry, for whom Gurry Rink is named, taught a very popular International Relations class that was always in high demand. Fortunately, I was able to take this course as an upper, because he retired at the end of that year, and the course was dropped.
On the flip side, I see some new courses that have been added, and I think, āDamn, I wish they offered that when I was there.ā
Exactly what AppleKid did this year: took one of them in the fall and one in the winter. Tried for PE in the spring but didnāt get it. Perhaps should have tried for another art/music instead, but is pleased to only have 5 classes this term 
Same here, although I did take another art class in the spring instead.
It looks like Iām going to have to contradict myself though. Since PE is now a 10th grade requirement and the 10th grade world history class is now 2 terms instead of 1, along with the pre-existing requirement of a term of philosophy/religious studies, it appears that 6 courses for at least 1 term is unavoidable for most lowers.
Mr. ED Quattlebaum was a great teacher, his wife Ruth was equally good