I will be starting 10th grade and cannot decide between courses that would serve me best.
Some basic info about me.
I have completed 9th grade with a GPA of 3.5.
I want to major in computer science from the best school that I can get into.
I understand each school may have different requirement but just to get a general idea.
Courses that I already took in 9th grade
English 1 H
finished algebra 2 H and geometry H
French 2
Computer science 1
AP human Geo
Biology H
Arts 1.
Unfortunately my school does not offer French 3 in 10th grade so i will have to either take Spanish 1 or German 1 or quit language all together.
My possible courses for next year so far
English 2 H
Precalculus Honors
AP world history
Physics Honors
AP computer science principals
Trying to accumulate some volunteer hours this summer.
Did not participate in any EC’s in 9th grade.
I am wondering should I start studying for SATs this summer.
Is there any benefit of taking Summer courses to improve GPA or to get college credits.
I think my school would want approvals from GCs which can’t be done now I guess.
What else can I do to make my summer more productive.
I am also going into 10th grade, so I can understand what you mean. Personally, what I would do is research colleges that seem interesting to me and look into their programs related to what you want to major in. If you find a college that may seem interesting, then look into their course requirements. A lot of colleges require about 2 years of the same foreign language, but in high school credits. This sucks because I too have finished 2 years of French, but the difference is that my school does have French 3, whereas yours doesn’t. I do suggest continuing to take foreign language just to be safe. As for the rest of your classes, take classes that you know will work for you and what will help you towards computer science.
highly suggest you find a French 3 class at a community college or somewhere else. Starting over with another language doesn’t make much sense. 2) AP CSP is an intro class and it can be argued that much of the content can be picked up on your own or something online rather than taking up a valuable slot. However if you can’t find anything better to replace, then it’s ok to leave in there.
Many CS aspirants at this stage will start/have started taking programming languages on their own - Java, Python, and/or C++. These classes can be taken at a community college or found online.
I would definitely continue with foreign language. Will you be able to take French 3 junior year and French 4 senior year? If so I would ask your French teacher for suggestions on how to keep the language fresh in your mind during the next year. If a higher level French class will never be offered in your HS I would either take French 3 and 4 at a CC or an accredited online program or start with a new language and take it from grades 10 - 12 to get to level 3.
If you cannot continue with French at your HS you should ask your guidance counselor to note in his/her college letter of recommendation that your foreign language choice was dictated by the fact that your HS does not go past French 2.
Any anything productive you do with your summer is a positive – volunteer in your community, get a job etc. I don’t see any huge benefit to taking summer courses.
except for no French. See if you can take High school French 3 online or community college French 2+3 at a minimum (Cc French 2= HS French 3).
AP CS principles is a very good exposition to all ways CS exists and is useful.
learn how to program and code. Join clubs about that; if there aren’t any, ask our CS principles teacher if you can create one.
volunteer with a community center, old people’s home, etc, to help people with using computers. You’re a ‘digital native’ but for a lot of people sending an email, typing a CV, Facebook to stay in contact with family, using Skype with the grandkids… is not obvious at all. Helping them will mix volunteering and CS, something colleges will appreciate.
get a book called Princeton Review’s best colleges and read up on all colleges in your state. In addition, find 10 colleges you hadn’t heard of and like. Write it all done in a college notebook.
I would agree that not being able to take a 3rd year in a language is a challenge. Is French 3 not offered at all, or just not in 10th grade. Either is very odd, if you took French 2 in 9th. Three years of a single language is much better than 2+1.
Otherwise the schedule looks pretty straightforward.
With a CS interest, look for summer coding camps/programs. It can be something formal like IDTech or something informal like at your local community center. Community volunteering is always good thing - both for college applications and for personal happiness.