<p>I could write a PhD thesis on the problems in the Education System, the fraud fix that is No Student Left Behind, and all sorts of sub titles, like how it utterly fails learning disabled or ADD kids. I can count on one hand the number of truly committed teachers my kids have had. Well..maybe one and a half. On the other hand, I would not want to be a teacher for any amount of money, unless and until the "rules change". The reason I ask about the location of AP classes is that in my kids' school system some AP classes are taught at the local high school, or home school, and the majority are offered at the local community college. The former are weak courses with feeble teachers, and its a joke to call them AP. The latter are much tougher courses and have very rigorous teachers who grade very tough. Thus taking USHistory at the home school is a cake walk and taking it at the community college is truly a challenge. The AP test scores vindicate my opinion. </p>
<p>I am not picking on you, except to give you a little bit of reality training. While you are to be commended for taking the toughest classes offered, being the current valedictorian and desiring to attend a top notch college in state, you must also be prepared for the challenge of the college admissions process which is anything but predictable, and is often arbitrary and capricious. If you had a 2200 SAT things would be looking better for you. I am not saying that any or all of your reach schools wont take you, but you must be prepared for at least a few rejections. And for kids with your ambitions and being valedictorian that is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow. The Admissions Director at UVa told me to my face that they could fill their entire freshman class with valedictorians if they chose to do so. They dont, so many valedictorians are in fact rejected. Being a valedictorian does not give you a right to be admitted, only the possibility of being admitted. </p>
<p>You should focus on the schools you really want to attend, and make sure your reason for doing so is more substantive than that schools lofty ranking. It should be because it is the best school for your personality, skill set, facilities, programs, culture, financial picture etc. Make sure your match and safety schools are institutions where you can see yourself being happy and thriving, not just schools that have the avg. scores that fit your scores. Because you may end up at one of them, you never know.</p>
<p>Students who are getting D's and F's in an AP course are NOT doing themselves any favors. They need to withdraw and go back to Honors courses. Success in class, indeed success in college requires work ethic and maturity as much as native intelligence. Lots of very smart kids blow out in college the first year because they cant handle the freedom and they are too immature to buckle down and study. </p>
<p>And before anyone attacks me for my indictment of the teaching profession, I would like to add that many excellent teachers are numb with the process, the lack of serious scholarship by students, the problem parents, the bureaucracy, the paperwork etc etc. The point I was making was simply that a handful of teachers have earned my utmost respect for being truly gifted educators...the whole package: brilliant in the subject, skilled motivators, and dedicated professionals who go above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of each individual student and be responsive to parents. I am not suggesting they were teachers who gave out easy "A's" either. To the contrary, they often were the toughest graders and the most demanding. Its a very stressful and often thankless job. But I am effusive with praise for those who really care and really do an excellent job. </p>
<p>Learning is an experience brought about by communication between the students and the teacher. Its not spoonfed information poured down their throats. Its a spirited dialogue, an exchange of ideas, challenging concepts and theories. Learning HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Learning HOW to write, not WHAT to write.</p>
<p>Finally, I am not suggesting that sligh cannot succeed at Duke with a 1900/2400 SAT. To the contrary, I think the SAT is a poor measure of success in college. Success in college depends on motivation, work ethic, maturity, creativity, personality, ability to adjust, etc. Sometimes brilliant kids fail in college because they cannot accept the challenges of life in a dorm, or they cannot accept the indignity of not getting straight "A's" or learning they are not the center of attention and number one anymore. In short, they are not well rounded and mature. If sligh can do those things, he will be fine.</p>
<p>I was a relative mediocre student in high school. I served in the military and that "gap" gave me the motivation and maturity to meet the challenges in college. I graduated from college with Highest Honors.</p>