My daughter is in 8th grade and therefore will soon be choosing classes for 9th grade. Our school does not have honors classes, just a few advanced classes that are taken if you want to have an advanced diploma designation. They are weighted receiving a multiplier of 1.1 to determine class rank. They have online access classes which can be taken, that is the only way to take AP classes, though I’m not sure anyone at our school has ever taken any of the AP classes online.
My oldest son is a senior so I have learned a lot over the last few months and want to plan things out better for my daughter and younger son. I know that test scores, grades, and activities are very important and have conveyed that message to them. It seems that there is a lot of emphasis on honors and AP classes but I am wondering if I should push for her to take AP classes where she will be basically be sitting in the library doing an online class and most likely will not have anyone at her school taking the same class, or just let her take the classes that are taught at the school in order to have classroom interaction, ability to form study groups, build relationships with teachers, etc.
9th grade is typically too early for AP courses, except for math prodigies and strong heritage speakers of foreign languages. But choices in 9th grade could keep options open or close them in later grades.
Unless the school offers a social science course(usually AP Human Geography or AP World History), few schools have AP classes available for freshman and sophomores, unless they are exceptionally advanced as @ucbalumnus states. AP classes in theory are intro college courses, which are not appropriate for most 14-year-olds, despite what you read on this site. She should take the highest level in each core subject that she can handle from the options available at the school. In 9th grade, it’s unlikely that she will be beyond the course offerings available at the HS.
Colleges want to see a rigorous course load, but that means different things to different high schools. Your daughter will not be penalized if her high school does not offer AP options. Start her in whatever advanced classes are appropriate for her and see how she does.
Ask the high school for a copy of the profile report they send along with transcripts to colleges. If you haven’t received a copy of the curriculum guide, ask for one or download it from the school’s web site. Then ask what classes and levels your daughter needs in order to have the guidance counselor check the box that says she took the most rigorous course load available to her. College admissions is not about the number of AP classes taken so much as level of rigor, and APs are only one of several ways for your daughter to demonstrate she has challenged herself academically.
If taking an AP means “sitting in a library”, she might be better off limiting the number of APs she takes, and taking the ordinary advanced classes. As OP indicated, she will need a good rapport with teachers in order to get strong recommendations.
Ask the guidance department how well the students perform on SAT Subject Tests too. You’re at an advantage, having been through it all with your son.
Looking back at my son’s transcript, he took the following classes in 9th grade:
Algebra I, English, Biology, Career Prep, PE, and Spanish I(which was an online access course but I think they are considering going back to an actual class taught at the school).
There probably won’t be that many options for 9th grade, just trying to plan ahead.
@Groundwork2022
The school did not have a profile, my son needed one for Questbridge and we spent a couple of months trying to get one and wound up having to get the guidance counselor and assistant principal involved as well as sending them examples and explaining the purpose for it, they said that they had never had a student request one. The problem is that they list AP classes as available but don’t mention that no one actually takes them. If she takes the same core classes that my son took that would be the highest available at her school(not counting the online classes or dual-enrollment). The advanced classes are: Spanish II, Algebra II, Anatomy, Chemistry, Physics, & Pre-Calculus. Those are not required for graduation unless you are on the advanced track.
I doubt that anyone has taken SAT subject tests, my son was signed up for some but got up throwing up that morning and wasn’t able to go. He was the only one at his school that even tried the SAT, everyone else just takes the ACT. My daughter took the ACT last year in 7th grade through the Duke TIP program, she made an 18 which isn’t great but considering the average when they take the ACT in 11th grade at our school is around 18 it isn’t too bad either. She is a reader so math is likely to be the part that continues to give her trouble, even though she does well in math class I feel like there is a lot that they don’t cover.
Looks like these (besides anatomy) would be expected parts of the typical college prep curriculum; students not completing them would not be that well prepared for college and may have to take remedial or developmental courses in college, possibly delaying graduation. In addition to the above, four years of English courses and some history and social studies courses are also expected. Some colleges also want to see a visual or performing arts course.
In other words, if she wants to go to college and do well, it looks like she should choose the most advanced options in your high school. If she later reaches the point where she could take an AP course, she and you can decide then (and based on whether the AP course then is offered as a real classroom course or an online course).