For those who is thinking about relocating

Parents Forum
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<p>Please find out if the high schools have similar graduation requirements. My D will not be able to take the "most challenging" class load in her senior year. </p>

<p>We moved from WV to OH when my D is finishing her 10th grade. In Wood County, WV, they have three year junior high (7 - 9th) and three year High school (10 - 12th). In the OH school, they have 4 years of high school (9-12th). When we first interviewed for HS in OH, the GC told us there was not any major problems for my D to graduate and we did not dig deep into it. </p>

<p>It is now time for D to select classes for her senior year and she was told that she could only take 5 AP and must take some required classes such as art and technology. Thus she will not be able to take "most challenging" class load in the senior year!!!! </p>

<p>She got a 5 on her AP Bio in 10th grade, is taking AP Statistics, AP Physics, AP Civics, AP US History this year, will take AP Chemistry, AP Calculus BC, AP Spanish IV , AP English, and probably AP Euro History next year. From 9th - 12th, other than classes like 20/21st Century Study and Psychology as required, she took everything else in Honor classes. Will this work loading considered challenging?</p>

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<p>Certainly that is an extremely challenging workload. Few of those classes were even available in my kids' HS.</p>

<p>If the issue is that the GC feels s/he cannot check off "most Challenging" then surely it would be possible for him/her to explain in the GC report to schools the circumstances that made this so. Her record in itself will be what is most important.</p>

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<p>I can't imagine that taking "only" 5 AP classes senior year would not be considered "most challenging." (Sorry about the double negative.) I actually think that more than 3-4 AP classes per year is overload, and would not recommend it unless the student is actually bored and doesn't have enough to do to fill their time.</p>

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<p>That sounds like quite an ambitious schedule. AP courses are difficult to schedule at my daughter's HS; AP Physics is not even offered. I think your daughter's schedule will be fine. Is she having enough time for a social life and some "fun" extracurriculars? I hope so!</p>

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<p>I think arts are invaluable to students ( and everyone)
5 AP courses are quire rigourous and really IMO too much as it is.
The progression varies from school to school( my youngest for example took AP Euro in 10th gd and honors Marine bio, the school opted not to teach AP bio as they didn't care for the curriculum)
but even if another AP class was available, I would recommend that she have at least one class that term papers are not generally assigned.
( don't they have any PE requirements?)</p>

<p>( BTW- my oldest graduated from one of the "most academically focused colleges" in teh US last year, and she not only didn't take any AP courses in high school* they weren't offered* she took 2 arts courses every year :) )</p>

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<p>Unless your daughter has other interesting plans for the summer, she may want to see whether she could get one of those required art or technology courses out of the way in summer school. In my district in Maryland, kids do this all the time with the required technology and health courses (but not art, which is not offered).</p>

<p>Another option is to see whether the school will accept any courses taught at a local community college as an alternative to the high school's art or technology courses. In our district, this is permitted for technology, and it gives the student a wider range of courses to choose from, including some that might be more interesting than the standard course.</p>

<p>Either of these strategies might free up one more period in your daughter's day for a course that she wants to take rather than one she's stuck taking.</p>

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<p>laserbrother,
Is she getting all A's this year? 5 AP's in the senior year, PLUS the time and effort involved in writing college applications is enough to overwhelm even the best student! AP physics and AP chemistry together is a LOT of work. And applying to colleges is in itself a part time job, and it all has to all be done the first semester of Senior year. I think you should relax a bit about her course load, which looks more challenging that the vast majority of students could take and do well in.</p>

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<p>I agree that's a huge heavy courseload. She may not have time for sleep, much less extracurriculars. Relax. She's taking the most rigorous courseload they'll let her take and it's just as well she can't pile on more.</p>

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<p>laserbrother, based on your writing, I'm guessing English is not your first language? (is/are/was.) I do believe your counselor will be able to mark "most challenging" on her application. I also think your D needs to avoid complaining in any way on her application that she <em>had</em> to take art or technology, as most colleges consider these to be good things, and would flinch at someone complaining about them.</p>

<p>My D did change high schools her senior year. She also had some make-up work to do to meet the new requirements - mainly had to take extra social studies (US history, and government, and economics). I limited her to only two AP courses calc BC and Lit), in order to let her make the cultural adjustment (we moved from overseas). The counselor marked "very challenging" rather than "most" on her transcript, and it frustrates me. For 1 year, she took what he considers to be a lighter schedule. For 3 years she studied in a foreign language and culture. To me it doesn't get a lot more challenging than that.</p>

<p>When the school mails her mid-year reports, I have requested that the counselor include a note of explanation.</p>

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<p>Laserbrother, I really think that you and your daughter are focusing way too much on test scores (mentioned in the other thread) and read too much in the "most challenging" course load concept. This is NOT a race where the ones with the best overall scores win -- and if your daughter does not get into her top choice colleges in the end, then the reason may very well be a perceived lack of imagination or joy in learning and exploring. I mean -- I don't know your daughter at all, and I don't know what comes from you and what comes from her -- but I think you have taken what is meant as a general rule of thumb about course load way too far. </p>

<p>Your daughter's course load and test scores are good enough -- no one expects or wants her to take 5 APs. What they don't want to see is some kid slacking off or taking regular English when AP English is available. But her chances are a lot better at college admissions if there is some particular area of talent or passion or strength of personality that shines through -- if it is easy to answer the question, "what makes this applicant different from the others?" .... and it is hard to get to that spot if your daughter is so overloaded with courses and concerned about grades and test scores that she has no free time to pursue some special area of interest, whether academic or not.</p>

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<p>"But her chances are a lot better at college admissions if there is some particular area of talent or passion or strength of personality that shines through -- if it is easy to answer the question, "what makes this applicant different from the others?" </p>

<p>Well put, Calmom. It's not about whether that sutdent took 5 APs and this one took 6; it's about who they are as people.</p>

<p>Laserbrother, relax. If your D is a great student (as it sounds she is), she'll be in any college's "pool." From there on, it's all about the person, not the stats.</p>

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<p>Sigh. Coupled with the other thread where Laserbrother lamented that his D got only 31 on the ACT, I see a kid who is under tremendous pressure from her parents to be a superhero. "Only 5 APs" in senior year? My S had a total of 6 APs and he is at Harvard. His school only offers 12, mostly because of foreign languages. Your D has already taken/is taking 10! And next year, she will be taking 5 more and you think it's too light a load?
Laserbrother, for the sake of your daughter's mental health, please do not put so much pressure on her. She's already reacted to your pressure by hiding her ACT score from you because she is afraid it's not good enough.
I hope no one else is going to suggest to laserbrother ways for his D to have a more challenging courseload in her senior year.</p>

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<p>"For those who is thinking about relocating </p>

<p>Please find out if the high schools have similar graduation requirements. My D will not be able to take the "most challenging" class load in her senior year. "</p>

<p>I just moved, in the middle of my junior year, and I've faced several difficulties! I think parents need to look more into the moving situation before moving. Mine should have, atleast. Going from private to public... One, I don't have the required amount of PE, which I will need to take in my senior year. I only have 6 classes. I've tried to get out of it by taking independant, not sure if that will work out. Also, public school has more requirements, like on your own, etc. Also all the APs have specific requirements that I can't possibly meet, my new GC said I'll be able to have a nice schedule with APs next year, but I don't see how, unless exceptions are made. I can't find the course guide, but I couldn't fit everything in when I looked. And the on your own, is a 1 sem course, so I have to go take yet another pointless class when I could have taken something useful, or go home early. Essentially, if I have PE, I will have 4 open spots for classes. English, History, Science, now math or my last year of foreign language?!</p>

<p>So, yes I agree with the OP. Parents really need to look into the situation indepth before moving. I told Dad I would have grad/class problems. He just said it would work out. <em>shrugs</em></p>

<p>ALSO, consider that classes and curriculm are different. I am WAY behind in Chemistry. New teacher even considered taking me out of the class because we didn't do any of the stuff at my private school, math, formulas, equations, labs! And guess what my old teacher said - I wasn't doing well in her class. pfft. poor excuse for bad teaching. Luckily, new teacher is very nice and helping me, giving me different homework. But her class is a hard class. My friend from my old school is a bit upset with me because she was mad I wasn't putting up a fight about moving, and she thinks public school sucks, so she's mad that my classes are turning out to be better...</p>

<p>So yes, thats my story. I may have all these probs, but I'm much happier here than there, even w/o friends.</p>

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<p>hah i beat u all: My school has no APs no honors and im learning stuff i learned in public school 2 yrs ago when i was public schooler...NOW!! and next yr its either consumer math or consumer math+ add on math im praying to god next yr i will actually learn something new in math so im taking the more challenging math</p>

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<p>I agree with all of the other posters. There is no need for her to take a course load more challenging than this one. At my high school (which is a small and excellent private school), AP US History was the only AP regularly offered before senior year. I was ahead in math so took AP Stats, and my college advisor encouraged me to take the AP Composition exam even though there wasn't a class for it. That's three AP tests, only one of which is regularly offered. Students from my school have recently been accepted to Harvard, MIT, Caltech, UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, JHU, and many other fantastic schools. I had those three AP tests junior year and then took two more APs senior year (totalling five) and was accepted with a merit scholarship to a top ten school. You need to stop putting this pressure on your daughter. It is not healthy, and she does not deserve it.</p>

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<p>And at my school, a large suburban public with a massive number of AP classes, I took an off period (sleep is important), health/speech, orchestra, and 'only' 4 APs. I could have taken another year of foreign language (but I don't like lit) or AP Chem or Bio (but I really didn't have time for after school labs with my orchestra commitments). It was nice to have a break (and sleep more than 6 hours a night) after a crazy junior year, and I still got into one of the top 5 schools for my major, with a bit of merit money. I think having an enjoyable senior year with time for college apps is more important than packing in every last AP course.</p>

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<p>Thank you all for your suggestions etc. </p>

<p>I just want to clarify something here. It is not me who wants DD to get 5 AP in senior year. It is her own effort to not get "bore to death" in school.</p>

<p>I actually asked her to scale back and told her about amount of work from application processes.</p>

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<p>It may be true that your daughter is putting pressure on herself, but as I said in another post, and as other posters have said here, we are all concerned about the subtle (or not-so-subtle) messages she might be getting from you. She needs to know that she will not be a failure if she doesn't take double-digit AP classes, does not get into a top-10 USNWR ranked school, etc. </p>

<p>She will have five classes next year that will be challenging. She will have two periods of requirements -- really, it's OK if every single second of the day she's not doing college-level work as a high school student. If she walks into those classes with an open mind, she may find she will enjoy them. And come the second half of the year, when college aps are done and the pressure eases a bit, she might appreciate having a slightly lighter load. Also, she should try to enjoy her time in school and realize that it's not all about classes.</p>

<p>Five AP classes is fine. If she's worried about having too much free time, she can find a new hobby, do more community service, write an article for the school paper, a poem for the literary magazine, tutor an elementary school kid, meet friends at the mall, watch Heroes on TV.</p>

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<p>other posters already touched on issues like pressure and expectations--
Aside from that, you could ask her GC to mention her situation in a cover letter when her college applications go out.
Due to a scheduling conflict, our son had to interrupt his regular sequence of math courses jr year. GC made note of it so admissions people would know that he didn't just blow it off for the heck of it.</p>

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<p>sly_vt. DD does almost everything you said playing piano, learning violin, tutoring others, babysitting, aim/msn the whole day and she does LOVE watching Heroes on TV. </p>

<p>4 AP this year and she still think school is "boring".</p>