How to handle APs?

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
1

<p>After a past post I arrived to the conclusion that my self-study plan will constitute of the texts studied by highschoolesr in AP classes:</p>

<p>It would really help if you read my past thread thru the link below to better uderstand what I'm in need of:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=296705%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=296705&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>So I went to college board website, and the most I could find was the PDF files of AP classes discription, and those were little helpful but certainly not enough. I downloaded discriptions of APUSH, E Language, Composition and Literature, EU Hist., and Gov. In all these they discuss many things that might be of a great help to a professional educator but not to a student/learner.</p>

<p>Suggestions of many authers/books are made, and I don't have alot of time to research and pick and chose, I just want something already on the playground that I can use.</p>

<p>I went to several high schools websites but couldn't find helpful details specifying how exactly each of their APs is taught and what's taught in it. </p>

<p>I WANT AN ALREADY DESIGNED PLAN (BY SOMONE BESIDES ME) THAT I CAN FOLLOW WITHOUT HAVING OVERWHELMING OPTIONS; i.e. hUNDREDS OF TEXTS & METHODS TO CHOOSE FROM.</p>

<p>I figured that almost anything will be as good if I invest enough effort and utilize it properly, but I know if I start with a self-designed plan, there will be an extreme temptation to play around.</p>

<p>What is your advice?</p>

2

<p>Google "AP course name". A number of the sites that come up will be prep books or just random sites, but a number will be AP course websites. I have found several in each AP subject that I have researched that come with lesson plans, quizzes, essay questions, webs resources, etc.</p>

3

<p>Could you take the AP course through an online high school? Then everything would pretty much be set, except for testing of course.</p>

4

<p>Thank you Cockatiel for your suggestion.</p>

<p>How can go about taking the classes online Kailyn? Is there an aga limit?</p>

5

<p>I first suggest picking one AP class to focus on and prepare for that, take the test and see how you do. Amazon has book reviews and you can look at those to see what other students had to say about the review book's helpfulness. These books are vital because they will tell you exactly how the tests are constructed and how you should study for them. AP classes are taught differently from other classes - stressing certain ways of looking at information, writing essays, etc... You need to become familiar with that.</p>

6

<p><a href="http://www.keystonehighschool.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.keystonehighschool.com&lt;/a> has them and no age limit.</p>

7

<p>From the thread you posted to</p>

<p>
[quote]

The background: 26 year-old African-American (grew up in Africa, African parents, but U.S. born) with little college work but no degree (performed poorly when I was at a JC due to financial reasons). English is my 2nd tounge (and pen), Arabic is my first. I excell in math and science. Math has always been my easy A+ with no to little out-of-class work, though too boring to be a career choice. I enjoy science and technology alot, but I don't like the confinement of their highly-specialized careers. As an undergrad, I think a broad subject such as psychology would offer an interesting job and a great flexiblity for grad school field-choice (if any), and would permit me to use my sci/math background. LACs are out of questin, at least now.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
As I mentioned in the link above, I'm already stuck with 49 semester-units from a JC1 @ 2.73 GPA (none to blame but my ignorance of driving regulations in America). I think the best way to circumvent this tragedy is to temporarily forget I was ever in college, work on my English for few to several months, take the SAT and aplly for JC2 honors' program, then apply to universities as a junior transfer with two transcripts: One from JC1 with 49 units and 2.73GPA; another from JC2 with 60-70 semester units and ~ 4.0GPA--again, all after I improve my English.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>If you already have 49 credits, then you need to really think about what you need to do. </p>

<p>For example, you need to do some ESL at your local YMCA or what have you for a little while. Then, you go back to the school you earned 49 College credits at and take some of the courses over for a higher mark. </p>

<p>Then, you take the SAT (S) if you are allowed to. I have no idea what the "age limit" (if any) there is for the SAT (S).</p>

<p>If you cannot take the SAT (S), then after you get your GPA back up, look into taking a handful of CLEP tests in order to knock a few things out of the way. </p>

<p>The CLEP tests are like the AP Tests, but for adults. You can knock out your Calculus, History, and the like with these tests. The information is found on the College Board site under "CLEP" tests. </p>

<p>But, the most important thing you need to do is learn more English. I say that out of love and respect. Then, you go back to the school you earned 49 College credits at and take things over for a higher mark. Then, take a few CLEP tests and or the SAT (S). Then, transfer to a University. This plan of attack would maybe take a year and a half of working hard. But, it will be a very profitable year and a half.</p>

<p>CLEP Test Linky poo...</p>

<p><a href="http://www.kaptest.com/clep%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.kaptest.com/clep&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/exams.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/exams.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Whatever you do, please do not take many courses and have like 100 Community College credits. Please work with the school and try to take things over for a higher mark or something.</p>

8

<p>Ok. I just read this, and haven't looked up the CLEP links yet (thanks for guiding me to CLEPs as I never thought there is such a thing). I also thank you Mildred for going through the links I posted. I have one more for you though:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=295957%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=295957&lt;/a> see post #12</p>

<p>If I go back to the same JC I attended in the past, which is in KS, I wouldn't have nearly the same shot at any of the UCs as I would if I applied as an in-state junior transfer from a CA JC.</p>

<p>Even when considering transferring to private universities, I think I would have a better chance applying from a JC that has a popular and rigor honors program taught by Stanford, JHU and Columbia alumni, than I would have if I applied from a JC that has little honors 'classes' if any, and has no significant rate of out-of-state transferes in its history.</p>

<p>The last paragraph in your post, however, concerned me. Applying with so many credits appears to be a very bad thing?</p>

<p>Conclusion:</p>

<p>If I stayed at the JC in KS and retook the classes for a higher mark-even 4.0-being accepted to UCLA or UCB as an out-of-state applicant would be almost as hard as being accepted to Stanord. If I move to CA, and become a CA resident then apply as a transfer from a CA JC, my chances at the UCs would be much better.</p>

<p>So, what do you think?</p>