How many AP's?

<p>doubleplay ^^^ okay, that's a scary thought. I've been very frustrated with the whole AP process (one kid senior, one kid sophomore). There's so much the High School administrators do not tell you when you are trying to figure out best options. We approached this whole thing as take AP to show rigor of schedule (as our schools have approx. 20 AP classes to choose from, thus to not take them would be to not take the most rigorous options available), and to opt. out of some gen ed requirements in subjects not cared for (assuming passing exams, of course). In my son's case, he's hoping to opt out of history and science classes, and to go in without having to take lower level English classes, which he plans as one of his majors. I don't think he'll have too much problem. However, my daughter's hoping to opt out of english required classes (can't stand English) and history/psych ... gen ed requirements. Yet, she's also taking AP Calc, AP Bio (5), and AP Chem and AP Physics ... because she likes those the best. However, as she plans to probably go pre-pharmacy or pre-med, she doesn't necessarily want to skip lower level science classes even though she may have that opportunity due to AP test scores. What university, Doubleplay, is your son at? out of curiosity?</p>

<p>zebes, so frustrated with the crap that goes along with AP ...sigh</p>

<p>
[quote]
Perhaps using AP to opt out of core requirements is a better idea? For example, bio major opting out of a history requirement, or classics major opting out of a science requirement.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I agree with you, but some of the more selective colleges don't.</p>

<p>At the college my daughter will attend next fall, she can use AP credits to place out of courses that are the prerequisites for her major, allowing her to take more advanced courses in that field right away. But she cannot use AP credits to place out of general education (distribution) requirements. It's not allowed. She doesn't have to take anything over -- she can choose more advanced courses in a subject where she has placed out of the introductory course because of AP credit, or she could choose to study a different subject. But she still has to take the standard number of distribution courses.</p>

<p>I didn't really mind having to take a standard number of distribution courses - college has things that are so different from the usual high school offerings. Linguistics, philosophy, sociology, geology, anthropology etc... Then there was my first boy friend who got rid of his humanities distribution and then some by taking language courses - Spanish, German, Russian AND Hebrew!</p>

<p>OK zebes,
backtrack a minute, my bad. I was looking at a tracking audit which showed his maths and sciences as passes. When I looked at his unofficial transcript, the grades actually show up. I guess on the audit it doesn't matter for their purposes, you already have the credit so it was put down as a Pass.</p>

<p>May I just say ^^^ PHEW! :)</p>

<p>and, as an aside, I think your child, Mathmom, (Son, right?) is the male version of my daughter. Eerily familiar reading the similarities. <g></g></p>

<p>zebes</p>

<p>However, taking the same classes you've clepped out of vizaviz the AP exam COULD potentially affect scholarship $. I believe that my son's scholarship (Florida Brights) only allows for so many credit hours (you can't become a professional student on the state of Florida's back). So if son takes over and above that number, which he would have if he "retakes" AP classes, it will show up as "extra" unnecessary hours. I'll find out later on if we end up getting a bill for part of his tuition because the well has run dry. Not that it will matter, it's worth the extra bucks to go ahead and retake those classes.</p>

<p>You guys/gals are awesome! It really helps to hear how you all are also trying to guide your children in the right direction and at the same time making sure they are being challenged in HS. I just don't think we should leave it all up to the G.S. because I think they are probably overwhelmed and we know our children better than they do....I hope. :)</p>

<p>Our main reason for the interest in the AP classes is because most of the colleges shout the importance of "course rigor" when they are reviewing the freshman applications and it seems like Honors classes are not enough anymore. We never even thought about the fact that she IF she tests well in the AP classes that she can earn college credit and graduate early....never even entered our minds. Just trying to follow the advice of that dang "course rigor" chant and could care less if she graduates early. </p>

<p>Anyways, back to the point here....someone mentioned her taking AP Calculus but she can't do that first semester next year since she still has to take Precal which she did sign up for....school doesn't offer Honors Precal so it will be regular Precal and she heard it was better to take Calculus in college since she would probably have a better teacher. </p>

<p>As far as regular Physics vs Honors Physics, Advanced Functions & Modeling is the prerequisite which she is taking now and has an easy "A+" in this class...doing better than any of the other students in her class so do you think she should take the Honors Physics although she struggled and ended up with a "C" in Honors Chemistry? What is Physics more of.....math or science? She is open to taking the Honors or the regular Physics just not sure which would be best and wants to do well. </p>

<p>AP Eng. at her school is either Eng. Language and Composition OR Eng. Literature and Composition but neither one counts as an English credit for graduation therefore requiring her to take Eng. IV which she will take the AP Eng. IV. She is leaning towards the Eng. Language and Composition vs. the other.</p>

<p>She excels in Math and English but hates History and struggles in this class. The only thing that is saving her this semester in History is she has "A hunk of a student-teacher" and she sits in the front row so she "gets to look at him for 90 blessed min." Her words....not mine. Ha! She would like to not have to take a History class her senior year since she has taken all that was required, she is currently in Honors U.S. History and making a "B+" but working very, very hard.</p>

<p>She will definetly be taking French II since she currently is in French I and is making an "A"....her school doesn't offer Honors or AP French. She already has taken Spanish I & II. Everything else she will take will be counted as electives. Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>doubleplay.....her GPA is currently a 3.5 but expect it will be higher when she gets her next report card which is first week in April. She is very close to making all "A"'s. GS said UNC-Chapel Hill looks at GPA as well as SAT score and she needs to get it up to at least a 4.0 to even think about being accepted there. Do most colleges take the first semester GPA and second semester GPA and average them to get the final GPA for each grade? Might be a dumb ? but didn't know how they computed that. Her SAT score was 1700 without any studying or prep so she is studying and prepping some for the next time she takes it on May 5th.....couldn't hurt. Thing is almost all of the kids she knows at her school and a school closeby no one has scored much over what she did and most below.....1200-1400. Some of these lower scorers are better students than her GPA wise. Interesting.</p>

<p>Sialoproject.....thanks for the advice and will tell D what you said. In spite of it all she is really looking forward to her senior year and said that this year is going by way tooooo fast! Her boyfriend is a senior and he will be leaving for Lenoir Rhyne in the Fall so I suspect she will have even more time to study next year....except that there are several boys already lined up waiting to see if she gets 'lonely' with him gone. ha! I secretly hope they decide to be just friends when he leaves so BOTH of them can enjoy the next year without any guilt feelings....they are so young.</p>