If you were a 9th grader's Parent, where would you start in planning?

Parents Forum
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<p>Most of the general advice you're receiving here is very good.</p>

<p>I would like to contribute something else to the discussion -- a very picky but potentially important point.</p>

<p>Inform yourself about the SAT Subject Tests. Your daughter probably isn't yet at the stage where she cares about such things, which means that you need to be. Take a look at some college Web sites to see which colleges require them and which don't (you will also notice that some colleges require particular tests for particular programs, with different test requirements for other programs). Try to get an idea of which tests, if any, your daughter might need to take.</p>

<p>Depending on what year in high school your daughter takes particular courses, it is possible that it might be wise for her to take certain SAT Subject Tests before she takes the SAT. </p>

<p>It's strategically wise for many students to take certain tests at the end of 10th grade. For example, if your daughter completes precalculus at that time and is likely to need an SAT Subject Test in math, that's the optimum time to take it. </p>

<p>In some instances, it is even desirable for a student to take an SAT Subject Test at the end of 9th grade, which means that she would need to sign up for it very soon. For example, at my daughter's high school, the biology course taken in 9th grade by students who are preparing for the International Baccalaureate program is so intense that students who choose to take the Biology SAT Subject Test at that time often do very well on it. Specific situations of that sort may also apply at your daughter's school.</p>

<p>I know that it's contrary to the other advice you've been receiving, but in my opinion, the one truly picky detail that you should not overlook at this time is planning for the SAT Subject Tests. A lot of people do overlook this detail and regret it later.</p>

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<p>I never knew this one ahead of time, but my youngest S figured out how to take summer school classes to get opportunities during his academic year, enhance his strength subjects and work around his weaker subjects.</p>

<p>For example, in the summer between 9th and l0th grade, he took his second half of the required Global Studies (Social studies curriculum), making him eligible for AP-USHistory in l0th grade. That entire idea was initiated by his Social Studies teacher, and required that approval to take a l0th grade AP at his school, so it was not automatically available to a Tenth Grader. But he discovered he enjoyed taking one AP in l0th grade, although it was a challenge at first. His grades moved up from B's to A's and he earned 5/5 on the final exam. COmpared to llth graders in the same class, however, he did sweat until he learned how to handle it. The following year, he took 4 AP's and knew he could do it, since he'd been through one as a Tenth Grader.</p>

<p>From this, he got the idea of using summer school. The following summer, after another struggle year in Math, he took the upcoming year of Math, sitting alongside others who soared in Math. They used summer school to clear their academic schedules to accelerate. He used summer school to have only his roughest subject (3 hours per morning) with no other distraction, and all afternoon to work on the homework. He never missed a day, since that would be like missing almost a week of school. In this way, he passed the class early, cleared his next year's schedule for strength subjects. </p>

<p>Taking two summer school classes, plus some things he entered h.s. with from a rural parochial day school, plus no electives or lunch periods, gave him enough credits to skip 11th grade! We didn't even know he was doing this until Senior Year, when his GC phoned us to say he could do it (do what??) and don't forget to sign up for Senior Prom. </p>

<p>Not every kid wants to spend summertime taking summer school classes, and few parents want their youngest kid to leave for college a year early (weepy eyes). But the OP might also want to think about using summer school (one course or two) as an accelerator, not just remediation for failing. That was the only way I had ever heard summer school used before S tricked us this way.</p>

<p>We have to stay put and can't travel in the summer, so it was just as well. It's not for everyone, and in general I'd rather see kids use their summers to work or travel than to take another h.s. course. Still, worth considering if it fits your lifestyle.<br>
He had hoped, with the year's acceleration to take a Gap Year between h.s. and college, but that didn't work out as planned. So he went off to college a year earlier than any of us expected. I joked once that he saved the taxpayers money (I know that's false logic) and asked (jokingly!) our school business officer for a rebate. Only I was smiling...</p>

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<p>I totally agree about SATIIs. Take them as soon as the relevant course is over, when materials are still fresh in one's mind. To verify that the student is prepared, look up one of the SATII prep books and compare with what the student is learning in the class. In some cases, the SATII materials are the same (though less difficult) as the materials for the AP exam; in some other cases they are very very different (for example, physics)</p>

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<p>I skimmed through the posts and saw that two of the points I was going to make are already here. I agree wholeheartedly with Georgiatwin who said that if you happen to go somewhere in the next couple of years where there is an interesting college, take a detour and look at it. I also second what Marite said which was to try very hard to get your child on course to hit AP Calculus at least by senior year, if not earlier. From our high school, it has been very rare for a child to be accepted to a highly competitive college without Calculus.</p>

<p>The other two ideas I have for you are as follow:
If you are considering any SAT course or tutoring for your child, think about doing it before the junior year PSAT. There is always the chance that she might make National Merit and it is also a much less busy time than fall of senior year. If with generalized preparation the PSAT is not as high as she would like, the results may indicate specific areas she can work on before the SAT.
Another idea I found very useful was simply to take a look at the Common Application and one or two supplemental applications for specific colleges. I wouldn't suggest that she choose her activities based on the applications but it is interesting to see the format in which she will be presenting her information. It is also useful to know, for example, that summer programs that do not give academic credit, may be listed under one category while those that result in actual units and grades might fall elsewhere. One of my kids, who had lots of great ECs and summer courses, was really annoyed when she had nothing to write in the employment section. I'm pretty sure she would have gotten a job just to have something to write but she wished she'd known about it.</p>

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<p>Great advice here. I also recommend looking into the SAT II's.
My D ended up taking AP Biology as a sophomore and took the SATII for bio well before her 1st regular SAT sitting. I remember being concerned about her taking the SATII "out of sequence" but she did spectacularly well, way better than the SAT's and even other SATII's taken as a junior/senior).
Plus it's a great relief to get some of the testing done early. </p>

<p>Thanks to CC, which I'd stumbled upon in the late fall of her sophomore year, I received that very advice and made sure she got signed up for it. Her extremely large high school wasn't much help in terms of guidance, especially when she was only a sophomore.</p>

<p>Others who have suggested keeping in touch with this Board are correct--you will gain a wealth of insight and wisdom from many who post here.</p>

<p>Enjoy the ride, by the way. It goes by VERY quickly.</p>

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<p>Wonderful advice here, but please don't overlook the need to educate yourself re: the financial realities of college. I found the information at FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans to be invaluable, particularly the EFC calculator. It enabled me to have The Money Talk with my daughter early on and eliminated any shock that might have been forthcoming. I think the saddest posts I read on CC are those from students who find out in April that their parents' statements to "Apply anywhere; we'll make it work" have become "There's no way we can afford THAT!" It's easier for most kids to hear, "Apply anywhere, but be aware that there is a limit on what we can afford/are willing to spend" earlier rather than later.</p>

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<p>The only prep should be yours. Read up here on CC and encourage her to take a rigorous course of study. Other than that allow her to be a kid. Like others have said setting her up to acheive to your standards may be counter productive. My kids barely know what I did in high school and college because I want them to make their own way. Also it's self preservation. As soccer players they are not at all impressed with my cheerleading past. :-)</p>

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<p>Ditto on the SAT-IIs. DS took Math Level II as a freshman, World Hist as a junior and had to self-study Physics this fall (he had the class as a freshman, but SAT-IIs weren't on anyone's radar then).</p>

<p>DS2 had a very challenging Bio course last year and is taking AP Enviro this year, so he'll take the Bio-E this spring. He's also taking AP USH and Pre-Calc, so those SAT-IIs are also on the spring agenda. The goal is to get those out of the way before the IB exams, APs and other assorted junior/senior year craziness gets underway. Taking the SAT-II exams right after the classes also reduces the amount of studying needed.</p>

<p>Also ditto on educating yourself about financial aid and merit scholarships. We see lots of new parents come to this board thinking that their bright kid will be able to get lots of scholarship $$$, only to discover that a) the schools their children are looking at don't offer merit $$$, b) merit money is located at schools that are under the parents' and student's radar; and c) EFC is not a number that represents a reasonable family contribution for many people. Have the financial conversation early and often. We have friends whose D will be val, but they are paralyzed about where she should apply to college because noone has been willing to grapple with the FA/$$ issue.</p>

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<p>TO remain passionate about learning without compromising the journey it takes to get here.
TO love making new friends, and meeting new people becasue she will have the time for social interaction and feeling connected
TO enjoy and pursue a hobby, sport or two because she likes it and for not other reason, not because school A wants it or school B is looking for it, but for the simple reason that she likes and enjoys it
TO pursue doing well and getting her studies in order because its important to her, not to you or anyone else. So that eventually she will naturally fall into a certain category for certain kinds of schools.
There is something out there for everyone and she is no exception.
TO be happy, most important. Without happiness, there is an empty soul, going through the motions without the emotion, or feeling of accomplishment or failure. When you are happy you want to conquer the world, seize the day and be the best you can be all at once. Happiness in a teen is of the upmost importance....laughter and a genuine smile will guide and light her way.</p>

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<p>Wow ctmomof3, so much thoughtful advice. </p>

<p>I would echo the comments already made about spending time here on CC (where there are so many knowledgeable, caring people eager to help). I learned a lot here and elsewhere on the Internet using search engines.</p>

<p>As parents, it's our responsibility to help our children realize their full potential, whatever that may be. Steer your child toward what he/she enjoys doing, be supportive and encouraging, and help them find a school that fits them. And keep your ego out of the equation--it's their life, not yours.</p>

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<p>If there's a lot of work going on in Art in your kid's schooling, investigate whether s/he can assemble an AP Art Portfolio. It's reviewed outside of the school, so doesn't require that the school provide an AP course in it, I believe. It must include various kinds of pieces and takes much preparation and planning to assemble.</p>

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<p>Every one in this thread has contributed wonderful ideas and I definately second the SAT II subject tests and the financial aid comments.</p>

<p>However, what compelled me to post again were the last two commets by ctmomof3 and yayverily-both posts should be a forward to parents of high school students and parents embarking on this journey. I am so impressed with their wisdom.</p>

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<p>To get back to the nitpicking (I admire the philosophical stuff but don't do it myself):</p>

<p>Your daughter will probably be making her course choices for next year soon. Often, 10th graders have a lot more freedom in course selections than ninth graders did. A few suggestions:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Some colleges recommend four years of one foreign langauge (which generally means "foreign language through level 4" rather than "four years of foreign language all taken in high school." So unless your daughter is doing very poorly in the foreign language she is currently studying, make sure that she continues to take the same language next year. If she is not already taking a foreign langauge, she should start one in 10th grade (a student with three years of a language can get into most colleges, but four is better).</p></li>
<li><p>If there is any nonacademic stuff required for graduation (fine arts, technology, health, etc.), it is often a good idea to get it out of the way in 9th or 10th grades because there are fewer interesting electives available to kids in those grades than to older students.</p></li>
<li><p>Most colleges require at least 3 years of science and 3 of social studies. Four of each is better. A sophomore should be taking one course in each of these fields.</p></li>
<li><p>Ideally, a high school student should continue taking courses on the math track that leads to calculus. It would be nice to actually take calculus in high school, but if that isn't feasible, at least the student should be ready to take it as a college freshman.</p></li>
<li><p>Don't let your daughter go so crazy over APs that she ignores the need to continue studying foreign language and math. Sometimes, a kid will look at the high school course catalogue and think something like this: "I'm taking French 2 now. If I continue taking French, I will get to take AP French, which is French 5, as a senior. That's only 1 AP. But if I drop French, I can take 3 APs in place of French 3, 4, and 5 -- maybe AP Psychology, AP Economics, and AP Environmental Science. That's got to look better to colleges." This kind of thinking is WRONG. Kids are better off sticking with math and foreign language even though only the final year of these sequences counts as AP, rather than cramming their schedules full of other AP courses instead.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>it's interesting to take a look at the common data sets for the universities. go to C5 in the common data sets and you can see the units required and units recommended for subject areas, i.e., foreign language, mathematics, etc.<br>
Marian makes a very good point about taking the foreign languages and mathematics and if 3 plus or 4th year is recommended by the colleges of interest, then the common data set can be a very helpful resource to identify that requirement/recommendation.<br>
Some h.s.'s may have available a listing of the recommended courses for admission requirements for the public u's in their state and also the approved courses for ncaa clearinghouse (if student is an athlete that may go on to compete in d1/d2 collegiate athletics). Good idea to check those requirements out as they may be very similar.</p>

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<p>I'm not a parent, but I'm in college & my younger brothers are applying and preparing to apply, and my parents have no idea what to do (I kind of did it all on my own).</p>

<p>The biggest thing right now is that a student is an individual, unique, and pursues things he or she is passionate about. Honestly, it sounds crappy to say, but admissions counselors don't really care if you did the token summer volunteer trip to Costa Rica because nowadays, those are a dime a dozen; Everyone does them (from the mouth of a college admissions officer). Everyone joins Key Club and Student Council, but if you aren't really interested in it and it's just a resume stuffer, they don't care. Whatever your daughter likes, encourage her to pursue that as far as she can. Dancing sounds awesome, and maybe in the next few years, she can begin to choreograph or help out with a child's dance group. Or make her own YouTube video. Or just get involved with different types of it. Or maybe just give it up completely, who knows. Either way, it is more important to be passionate about the things you love than to get a little bit of everything when it isn't meaningful to you. It sounds kind of lofty and idealistic, but colleges are looking for students who are going to do great things, and you can only do great things if you are truly passionate about something. That passion will cause her to gain "academic" interests because she will want to learn more about it, and college will give her the resources to do so.</p>

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<p>^^^very wise advise!</p>

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<p>As the parent, I would make it a point to get to know my child's guidance counselor. In large public schools, there are hundreds of students assigned to each counselor, so it is easy to get lost in the crowd. Establishing a friendly rapport with the GC will make things much easier junior and senior year.</p>

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<p>I read this thread with interest becuse I have a 9th grade son. I have 12th and 7th grade daughters, about whom I have no concerns, but my son has no real interest in school. He has known for years that he wants to be a video game designer, so I try to convince him that studies and grades matter in that context. Looking at an earlier post in this thread, he has no passion for learning, is not interested in making new friends, has few hobbies (video games and reading science fiction). I insisted he join one EC at school, so he is doing forensics somewhat reluctantly, and is in Boy Scouts, so I am hoping he gets through Eagle and will have to do some leadership activities through that.</p>

<p>We did look at the program of studies and sketch out a 4-year plan when he started high school. I battled with the school (and won) when they suddenly wanted all 9th graders to take Earth Science instead of Biology (apparently the PA State Assesment tests have a lot of Earth Science questions on them!) He gets A's and B's in honors classes with little effort, but I am very concerned that he has no motivation. I am hoping something clicks in his head soon.</p>

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<p>To the OP: if your HS offer the chance for parents to submit info/have a chat with the GC before he/she starts writing recommendation letters, TAKE IT. Our school asks parents to complete a questionnaire in the spring of junior year about our student and his accomplishments, etc. during HS. Instead of talking about awards, we talked about his personal growth (which has been pretty amazing). We also had a very good in-person chat about whether she or DS should raise certain things in his essays/her letter, and she got some very valuable context about some of his grades and activities. </p>

<p>This is at a large public high school with overloaded staff, and it's their chance to get to know the students a bit better before writing these letters. </p>

<p>I don't know that it made "the" difference in his admissions, but it probably turned a generic rec into a positive one that had some life and context to it.</p>

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<p>This thread makes me sad. I have a ninth grade son, and all I want is for him to love to learn and discover what he truly loves. If he does that, the other stuff will follow. I am NOT setting up a four year plan...that's just sad.</p>

<p>BTW my oldest D is a junior at UCSD, and my other D was just accepted, early action, to Stanford. Neither had a four year plan. My advice to your D: Do what you love.</p>