Going to a new high school

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>My mom and I are annoyed with the school I go to now. The administration is the main reason (inexperienced principal, vice principal, and guidance counselor). There is only ONE counselor for 1000 students, and she is a b**ch. She's extremely rude, discouraging, and unhelpful. The students themselves are fine, but the administration is horrible. The school itself is one of the best in Florida. </p>

<p>The one I'm considering is FAR from the top in Florida. However, there are 5 guidance counselors for 1500 students, and all of them are very nice and willing to help. Course selection isn't that bad at all. The campus is walking distance from a community college that offers dual enrollment for high schoolers. </p>

<p>My dad doesn't want me to go there because of the students. Alot of them are minorities (48% I think) and he's a bit of a racist.</p>

<p>This new school is excited that I want to go there....probably because I'm coming from a school with very good academics. My mom already set up an appointment to see the guidance counselor, but first I have to decide if I want to withdraw from my current school. Of course there are some downsides of withdrawing..... I'll be away from all my friends. The biggest downside is that it really is one of the top schools in Florida. </p>

<p>I know I can excel at this new school. If I go there, I'll most likely be at the top of the class (unlike now). The problem is that most of the students are low-performing. There still are alot of AP classes and such...it's just that not many students take them because there are alot of students there that aren't qualified.</p>

<p>Will top colleges look down on me if I switch from a school with superior academics to another school with a bad reputation?</p>

<p>I really want to go this other school, but I'm worried that colleges will think I switched to a new school because the one I go to now is too difficult for me. That's definitely not the case....it's all because of the administration (and the fact that it is much farther away than the other school).</p>

<p>I'll also have to make an entirely new schedule because some of the classes I want to take aren't offered. Maybe I'll post my options once I find out all the classes they offer (later today when my mom gets home with their class offerings).</p>

2

<p>Sorry, this is long....</p>

<p>Okay, I'm 99% sure I'm switching schools. I have no clue what I'll take as far as classes go, so can anyone help me out?</p>

<p>Some things you should know about me:
-I love math/science.
-I'm VERY good at Biology.
-There is a possibility I may major in Biology.
-There is also a possibility I may major in some form of engineering.
-I love art and english.
-I absolutely hate social studies. It's really boring for me.
-Sophomore year I took two AP classes: U.S. History and U.S. Govt. I got B's in history and A's in govt. For some reason, I got better grades in my AP classes than my normal/honors classes.
-I KNOW I passed both AP exams.
-I didn't do very good grade-wise soph year, but I definitely passed everything. :D</p>

<p>Here are my options:</p>

<p>AP English Lang
AP Calc AB
AP Statistics
AP Physics
AP Chemistry
AP Biology
AP Studio Art (Drawing or 2D)
AP Human Geography
AP European History</p>

<p>I need to narrow that list down to 5 classes. I'll be taking 2 other classes at a community college, and I already have those figured out.</p>

<p>I only want to do two AP sciences at once. I took chemistry last year, so AP Chemistry wouldn't be bad since chem is fresh in my mind. I find chem a bit boring, but I know it's a must for those wanting to major in a field of science.</p>

<p>I'm curious about AP Physics. I personally have never taken physics but I have a physics textbook and it doesn't seem too bad. It actually looks quite interesting to me.</p>

<p>Then of course there is always the option of AP Biology. Though I'm good at bio, I have no problem reserving it for senior year.</p>

<p>So I'm considering an AP Physics/AP Chemistry or an AP Chemistry/AP Biology combination. Which one would look better to colleges, or which one combo would work well?</p>

<p>AP Physics/AP Bio sounds fun, but I don't really want to wait til senior year to take chemistry, since I took honors chem last year.</p>

3

<p>Definately take AP Calc! I think you should take a foreign language. I think you should do the AP Chem/Bio combination because you really don't know much physics if at all. AP English lang. I think that's the 5 classes you should take.</p>

4

<p>Oh, and about you switching high schools, I think that you should explain to colleges why you left and tell them that you didn't leave because the classes, but because of the administration.</p>

5

<p>Yea, I should probably explain my reasoning for going to a new school somewhere on the college apps.</p>

<p>I can't take a foreign language because this new school only goes up to level 3 in Spanish, and I already took Spanish 3 in 9th grade. Would colleges make a big deal out of it if my school doesn't offer more than 4 years of a language? And I don't really want to start French 1 in 11th grade. :D</p>

<p>AP Chem/AP Bio sounds good. </p>

<p>I'd also like opinions from people who went straight to AP Physics without previous physics classes.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

6

<p>what are your community college classes? and is it possible to do spanish at the CC?</p>

7

<p>I believe the CC has Spanish 1-4. I'd rather do a different language...I didn't even take any Spanish this past year. I think Russian or Sign Language would be pretty sweet. :D</p>

<p>They have Chinese, Russian, Spanish, German, French, Sign Language, and Japanese.</p>

8

<p>Oh, btw, the CC usually stops offering classes at the 3rd level of the languages.</p>

9

<p>K, I've pretty much settled on this schedule:</p>

<p>AP Calculus AB
AP Physics B
AP Biology
AP English Lang.
AP European History
CC - Ceramics (1st sem.)
CC - Sign Language 1 (1st sem.)
CC - Drawing 1 (2nd sem.)
CC - Sign Language 2 (2nd sem.)</p>

<p>Look good? Is it unmanageable?</p>

<p>Next year is going to be insane....</p>

10

<p>It looks doable. YOur hardest class WILL be Physics.</p>

11

<p>Well last year I jumped right into AP Physics B as a freshman without any previous knowledge about Physics. I was enrolled in Honors Alg. II. I did decently in that class - a 4 on the AP Exam (Nothing to brag about, but nothing to be ashamed of). It's certainly manageable. Our grades were mostly based on tests and there wasn't a lot of homework (It may be different for you). Just a whole lot of cramming the day before the tests. I think you'll be fine.</p>