<p>Once again, thank you! All this information is a gold find!</p>
<p>ReasonableDad-I did look into PAhomeschooler's AP courses, and I'm sure they are great. However, the classes are very expensive, and it seems like it is a "real" time classroom, is it not? (note-there's a time difference in Japan)</p>
<p>Do you mind telling me which AP courses your kids taught themselves at what "grade" level they were in? I made a list of the ones I would like to study, and now I just need to know which ones are best for independant study)</p>
<p>Lilly415, I accompanied my homeschooled daughter on a visit to an admissions counselor at her top choice school when she was about your age. The counselor asked if she had taken any graded courses. When she told him she was taking courses from University of Nebraska's Independent Study High School, he was delighted. She was eventually admitted to that school. </p>
<p>Lily415, The PA Homeschoolers courses are not 'real' time on the whole (Economics has some cooperative games that are used that could be difficult with the time change), but depend on email communications and the students responding and posting to a common web board. The time change shouldn't be a problem--my children have taken a number of their courses and have had students living abroad in many of the classes. Although somewhat expensive, we have found that the teachers are terrific and the classes really prepare a student well for the exams. </p>
<p>On another note, we have had two of our children head off to college. Like you will be doing, they spent much of their years growing up abroad (including living in Kobe!) All the colleges in which they were interested really considered their international experiences to be a huge plus. Exposure to different cultures and histories really is an advantage...you will be a unique candidate for many!</p>
<p>Lily - look in the test forums for info on self-studying APs. It's very common. The "best" or "easiest" ones for self study are going to be the ones in subjects you are already good at, or know a lot about, or have a strong interest in. My son self-studied and took 10 AP exams with great results, from age 14 thru age 17.</p>
<p>I think i will look deeper into the PA homeschooler's program. If it's a subject that's difficult to teach myself, then I think I might just invest the money in one of their classes rather than wasting it on trying to teach myself. </p>
<p>I have looked on the test forums and they have helped me a lot. I started my own thread to see what textbooks they were using in their AP classes, so I could get them for myself. It's very helpful (although a lot of them only mention review books). I'm really gaining confidence with the help from this site!</p>
<p>One question-how many times did your son/daughter take the PSAT? Is it necessary to take it twice (like I've heard). To qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, you only need to take in junior year, right? What about other scholarships?</p>
<p>Lily,
My daughters took the PSAT twice, although it is not required to do so. Generally, it is recommended that students take the test in their sophomore year as practice. The test, however, will only 'count' for the National Merit competition in your junior year. </p>
<p>As to books used for AP courses...often you can get a pretty good idea of what is available by simply google-ing the course title--for example, "AP Biology." That will bring up many sites that teachers have put online for the classes that they teach, as well as, a link for the College Board site. The teachers often list the text they are using on their pages, and the College Board posts what is called "The Acorn Book" for each course. The Acorn Book, by the way, is called that because of the picture on the front, and gives a complete course outline/syllabus so the student can learn exactly what is expected of her/him. Another resource to learn about AP books is to check out what different colleges use for their introductory courses in a particular subject. Incidentally, textbooks like this are quite expensive when bought new, but can frequently be purchased online through half price sellers (Alisbris, etc.) We've seldom paid anything over half price for books that look quite new by doing this. </p>
<p>AP courses can certainly be done through self-study, but if you find the idea daunting, you might consider trying one of the PA Homeschoolers courses first to get the feel of an AP course and how you will need to organize yourself. Their history courses are particularly strong, as is their biology. </p>
<p>Don't forget that the ex-patriot community in Kobe is quite large, and it's very possible you will be able to find someone who might be able to tutor you or your brother in a subject (maybe even some of the teachers at the international school). And chances are very good that you will meet other students (both from the Canadian Academy, other schools, and homeschooled) who are doing similar coursework. Study buddies are a wonderful resource and make learning fun! You might even be able to earn some extra cash yourself or trade tutoring subjects using your wonderful talents in Japanese! What an exciting opportunity you have ahead of you!</p>