<p>Choice 1) Take an almost full schedule at the University of Minnesota. </p>
<p>Pros: Class variety, get to leave HS, credits will most likely be transferable
Cons: Less attractive to top colleges (?), gas money</p>
<p>Choice 2) Go for the IB Diploma</p>
<p>Pros: More attractive to top colleges, no transportation worries
Cons: Have to stay in HS all day :/</p>
<p>Also, I'm wondering if I would be a realistic candidate for UMN-TC PSEO based on my stats.</p>
<p>Freshman Schedule:
Pre-IB English 9 (A)
Pre-IB Geography 9 (A)
P.E. (A)
Yearbook (A)
IB-SL Math Studies (B+)
Biology H (A)
Spanish III (A)
Cumulative Freshman GPA: 3.904</p>
<p>Sophomore Schedule:
Pre-IB English 10
AP US History
Health
AP-IB Calculus
Spanish IV
Chemistry H
Residential Architecture</p>
<p>ECs:
Volunteer in Media Center (5hr/ week)
Volunteer at Hospital (3hr/ week)
Volunteer at Humane Society (3hr/ week)
Active Debate Team Member (4hr/ week)
College-in-the-Schools Hebrew Course (3 hr/ week)
Temple Youth Group (1hr/ week)
Tutor middle school boy with autism (1hr/ week)</p>
<p>My school doesn't weigh grades or ranks, so I'm just barely in the top 10%.</p>
<p>How competitive is UMN PSEO? Is it rare for a student to have a full schedule there, or do they usually just take 1-2 classes?</p>
<p>You should be competitive for U of MN PSEO. Are you also in class of 2010 (as my son is)? </p>
<p>From the local sources I hear, it seems like U of MN PSEO is a better play for getting into an elite college from the Twin Cities than an IB high school diploma is. But that doubtless varies from high school to high school. You'd have to ask around in your own high school to find out what class of 2006 and 2007 graduates of your high school did to get ready for college, but I think the plan here (different school district but same metropolitan area) is to study lots of AP subjects, do PSEO for two years, and apply widely to colleges of interest around the country.</p>
<p>I've heard of every which pattern in course-taking for PSEO students. The most marginal admitted students are only permitted to do part-time (at least at first), while the strongest applicants are admitted with permission to be full-time (12 credits for the first semester, with heavier loads possible in subsequent semesters). I had a conversation with some class of 2006 high school students who seemed to think that a 3.5 grade average at the U of MN would be considered at least as good as a 4.0 at the best suburban high school for purposes of an Ivy League college application. I have NOT heard this officially from any college admission officer, so I will still be looking for more information on this subject. </p>
<p>will list information session dates later in the year, and those information sessions (which I've attended before) are very helpful. The program office in the armory at the U of MN campus is also a good place to visit, where you could ask some questions on the spot.</p>
<p>Advanced High School Student Services
University of Minnesota
107 Armory
15 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-626-1666
Fax: 612-625-5364
E-mail: <a href="mailto:ccepseoa@umn.edu">ccepseoa@umn.edu</a></p>
<p>I notice on the application there's a question where they ask if you're applying for spring or fall semester. Does that mean you can only participate for half the year?</p>
<p>That's just the date of the entry semester. By state law in Minnesota, you get two school years (eleventh grade and twelfth grade) of PSEO, so to take full advantage of the program on a typical school-year schedule, you would apply to start in the fall.</p>
<p>My kids have all been dually enrolled at local universities. Every college they have ever approached has been pleased and impressed by their scores there. The only classes which generally will not transfer are those of a vocational nature (piloting, chef, etc.), for many higher institutions. However, some, like Notre Dame, do not accept transfer credits at all.</p>
<p>The Ivies, or at least the HYP subset of them, don't accept transfer credit for dual enrollment at all. But they do like to see students applying with strong high school records, by which they mean challenging, academic courses. And you can always take as hard a course as you like if you are admitted to a college like HYP. (I was just at Yale's meeting in St. Paul tonight, where, sure enough, a student asked about transferability of PSEO credit. It is NOT transferable, but it can help a lot to get you into a top college.)</p>