<p>There is a lot of great information here, I started reading when D was in 8th grade…but I don’t think she has ever visited. Read, think, ask questions here and of your particular school. As far as the UC’s go–make sure you have the most current, accurate information. Lots of happy kids at D’s school are not planning on taking subject tests because they are no longer required (depends on when you graduate high school). However, not required does not mean not recommended for some majors at some schools. Make sure to have the current information for any area you think your son might be interested in.</p>
<p>The idea is to guide, not micro-manage. General requirements are good grades, good scores, good EC’s and to enjoy childhood, which you already know about.</p>
<p>There are hyper charged students on CC who believe that 2200 on the SAT is the end of the world. Not so. Point out and help your son understand what needs to be done, and give him the flexibility to do it in his own way. The others on this thread have given very good advice.</p>
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Have you thought about switching schools? The timeframe of entering HS is a good time to make a switch and actually, most students are going into a new school at that point. I think you should take a look at the public school options in your area. If they’re reasonably decent (they don’t have to be ‘top’) then he’ll likely have a lot more options on classes, especially more advanced classes, than the private Christian one. I checked into private schools at the HS level, including Christian ones, and found that many of the Christian ones didn’t offer as high a level as the publics. Switching to either a public or a top private (one that offers more advanced classes) is something to seriously consider. </p>
<p>Regarding what to do once you figure out the HS - if he can reasonably handle it, I suggest gearing him for the higher end - taking more advanced courses, taking honors rather than ‘regular’, taking AP classes rather than ‘regular’, etc. You have to make sure he can handle it so he’s not overly pushed. He can also check out some sports but he should do this primarily because he ‘wants to’. He can also check out band, drama, singing, academic league, and other ECs. Again, a larger public HS may have more options for ECs than a smaller private. Something to keep in mind is that at many schools those in sports do better academically on average than those not in sports or other school related activities. Things like Boy Scouts can be helpful as well since one tends to do a lot of community service in an org like that. He might also do a lot of community service in a church organization (helping seniors, feeding homeless, etc.) that can be useful on the apps. The ECs don’t all have to be through the school.</p>
<p>If he wants to eventually head to one of the top UCs (UCSD, UCLA, UCB) and increasingly, the next tier of UCs, he really should target being academically competetive which means some number of AP/honors courses (if his HS offers them) and a high GPA. It’s true that many students with high stats get rejected from the top UCs every year - even students who are accepted to other highly ranked publics and privates, and even sometimes Ivies.</p>
<p>It’s not worth ‘stressing’ yet but it’s a good idea to think ahead and plan at this point since what he takes in 9th grade leads to what he’ll take in 10th, etc. Keep in mind that it’s the grades that he’ll get in 10th/11th that’ll be the most important for his college apps. Having a good plan can help reduce your stress level. Make sure you don’t overly push him though just to fit within ‘your’ plan. Set some targets and adjust accordingly as he goes through HS and develops interests and you see how well he does.
Good luck.</p>
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<li><p>Relax. Chest pains are not required for this process.</p></li>
<li><p>How well does he usually do on standardized tests? Because SATs and APs (if available) are going to be a key part of this. Your son has never gotten below an A. Great - if that continues and he gets good SAT scores, as a CA resident he’s 80-90% of the way into UCLA on that alone.</p></li>
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<p>It is entirely possible to get into high-end colleges, including UCLA, Berkeley, and the Ivy League, from an academically mediocre southern California high school - provided your kid is at or near the top of the class and has good test scores. I know because both my daughters did exactly that.</p>
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<li> Don’t push your kid into ECs he has no desire to do. Instead guide him to expand on and make the most of the stuff he does like to do.</li>
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<p>If your son is interested in a UC then visit the UC webiste to understand what the minimum requirements, which are referred to as UC a-g requirements.<br>
[University</a> of California - a-g Guide](<a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/welcome.html]University”>http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/welcome.html)</p>
<p>In addition, you will want to go to the UC a-g Doorways webpage, there you can enter your son’s school to see what courses are offered at his HS which will meet the UC a-g requirements. If his HS does not satisfy a requirement, you can search for some online institutions on the Doorways webpage. The current online distance learning policy for UC’s is at [University</a> of California - a-g Guide](<a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/online_course.html]University”>http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/online_course.html)</p>
<p>Another option for meet the a-g rquirements is to take courses at a community college. Look at [Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5DWelcome”>http://www.assist.org) to learn which community colleges and courses will satisfy the a-g requirements. Sometimes community college courses are offered online as distance learning (which fall under a different category than other online distance learning courses) and will satisfy the requirement. </p>
<p>Be advised though, you want to periodically check the UC website to see if any policies are been changed/altered, they have been making changes lately which might impact your son.</p>
<p>Hope this makes sense.</p>
<p>I think it is too early to stress in this way. Taking algebra 2 as a freshman is unnecessary, unless he is bored stiff. Taking a summer class to be able to take algebra 2 is excessive, in my opinion. If you push this much for 9th grade, your son will be stressed for 4 years.</p>
<p>It is a tricky thing, to guide without controlling. The best way I can express it is, don’t suggest interests, but when you see an interest developing, find ways for him to pursue it, whether that means private lessons, volunteering, or something at school. Over the high school years, his sense of autonomy should grow, and that is as important as accomplishments, perhaps.</p>
<p>It really is better if the kids live life naturally, without doing things in order to get into college, but rather because they are drawn to doing them. And it is great if they can enjoy high school without already being years ahead of themselves.</p>
<p>To the OP:
To find out whether the UC system has admitted other students from your son’s school, and if so, learn the average gpa and SAT scores of accepted students, visit the University of California’s Statfinder website:
[University</a> of California: StatFinder](<a href=“http://statfinder.ucop.edu/reports/schoolreports/default.aspx]University”>http://statfinder.ucop.edu/reports/schoolreports/default.aspx)</p>
<p>Just enter the name of your son’s school and go from there. I’m sure there’s other good advice on this thread, but don’t let it overwhelm you. </p>
<p>Here is a link to UCLA’s explanation of what they look for in admissions: [Freshman</a> Selection - UCLA Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_fr/frsel.htm]Freshman”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_fr/frsel.htm)</p>
<p>Welcome. It’s rather like drinking from a firehose, isn’t it? :)</p>
<p>The first thing you should know is that UC will not look at your son’s 9th grade grades. He has a year to get used to high school and its demands before grades start “counting” for UCLA. Other colleges (but not all) will consider 9th grade, so he can’t be a total slacker. </p>
<p>The second thing you should know is that paying for college is likely to be more expensive than you think it’s going to be. At least, that’s true for many parents here. Start reading the Financial Aid forum, calculate your Expected Family Contribution (yes, that huge number is for one year, not four), and get a handle on the financial angle. </p>
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<p>That’s not a bad thing. Most of the parents here say that their kids don’t read CC. The “chances” threads, in particular, can be toxic. No harm in you being a conduit who can filter useful info to your son.</p>
<p>Now is the time to explain to your son that getting into UCLA for even the best students can be a long-shot. So, it’s best not to get one’s heart set on just one school.</p>
<p>However, that can also serve as an incentive for him to try as hard as he can in high school. At least then he won’t have the regret that some kids here that say that they wish they had known how important their grades were going to be.</p>
<p>I am concerned about your statement about your child’s high school being weak. As a southern Cal native, I know that there are many strong private schools there, so having him a weak school may not be a wise choice. </p>
<p>I would want to know what the school’s average SAT scores are for its students. How often to they have National Merit Finalists? Annually? Rarely? Never?</p>
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<p>It’s 8 semesters, and as far as UCLA and UC Berkeley go, that’s only for the purposes of calculating eligibility. Going above and beyond that is a good thing. That’s not to say one should overload their schedule, but taking 4 AP’s when you could easily take 10 is not helpful.</p>
<p>The rest of the advice in this post, though, seems quite over the top.</p>
<p>D2 did enter her Christian high school ready for Algebra 2. Next year she will be a senior, and the school doesn’t have a math class to offer her. Would the school have a math offering for your child as a senior if he started in Alg. 2? Also, she has hardly ever had a math class with the kids in her class of 2011 because most of them were happy starting high school in Algebra 1. Some of her best friends in school will graduate next week. Now we’re looking for math either through community college or online courses. She will also be doing science outside of the high school setting because she likes pushing herself and has already taken Bio, Anatomy, Chem and Physics. The only science offered that she hasn’t taken is Earth Science, and she’s not excited about that.</p>
<p>We have talked seriously two or three times about transferring to a public high school over the past three years because she wanted more academically. She has a 4.0 and did a lot of self study to get solid SAT scores. The public school has more AP offerings and more electives. </p>
<p>My philosophy is that there is no perfect school. So make the best of the one you have or in our case have chosen. This school was the perfect fit for D1 who is now a college sophomore. Many times I’ve wondered if I should have forced D2 to go somewhere else for academic reasons. But here’s what she has gotten to do in a school of about 260 students: Freshman class rep, four school plays plus hoping for a part in the fall play which she auditioned for on Friday, two three-week summer trips to Thailand volunteering in an orphanage and teaching English in the public school (with the principal, dean of students, classroom teachers), ASB Secretary/Treasurer, three varsity letters in Cross Country and three in Track (improves each season but one of the slower runners on the team). Last week she was elected ASB President for next year. Friday she leaves for a week at West Point to attend Summer Leaders Seminar. All of these choices were her choices. If she’d gone to a public high school, I know she wouldn’t have been able to do all of this. </p>
<p>I’ve seen students leave this school for other options every year, and I’ve seen new students start each fall. If you need to make a change, you can!</p>
<p>Welcome! Didn’t read all the posts, but wanted to say my kids go/went to a Christian school like yours, up here in N. Cal. We weren’t really thinking about college in the 9th grade, but in retrospect, many kids left this kgn-12 school for public schools with more AP’s and Honors, for higher weighted grades. My D really loved what the school was about, her EC’s reflected that, and was NOT leaving. D graduated in 2008, did fine in admissions, got in maybe 15 of 16 schools she applied to. But the one she DIDN’T get in to, was UCLA. Whatever; she’s happy where she landed.</p>
<p>The UC requirements are known as a-g.</p>
<p>See:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/subject_reqs.html[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/subject_reqs.html</a></p>
<p>An important criterion (one of the top 3) at many, many colleges is “rigor of HS education.” By this, they mean not only how strong were the courses the kid took, but how strong was the school he attended.
We drive 20 miles (each way) so my D can attend the most rigorous HS in our extended area. It is a Catholic school (we’re Protestant; it doesn’t matter, she’s been embraced), with the most nurturing, positive, wholesome environment you could imagine…plus academics and ECs that just don’t quit. I suggest you at least consider changing schools. The school profile matters. Also, keep those A’s coming. I’ve never heard of freshman grades not counting in the GPA. We’re in a different part of the country, but here, it all counts. And GPAs are stubborn things…once established in Freshman year, they are slow and difficult to move significantly.
Good luck, and enjoy CC.</p>
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I don’t think they count for the UC GPA. But check into it. At any rate, don’t want to develop bad habits early.</p>
<p>welcome to cc. I have a senior and I found CC invaluable for advice about particular schools and for students applying for fine arts programs. I found other threads amusing and informative. HOWEVER, I also have a freshman in HS and have read through the hs class of 2013 thread. I think that that is one of the scariest threads on cc and I have read and commented on many. Those parents are over the top helicopter and really are an extreme example of some of the cc forums here. WAY over the top…asking about how many aps to take freshman year, how many ecs etc and basically boasting about kids who sound like little robots. Truly a dreadful thread and read only to reassure myself that I am a fluttering butterfly compared to their blackhawk helicopter attitudes. </p>
<p>I think letting your kid be a 9th grader–concentrate on the social and academic transition–and be a couple of steps ahead in terms of SAT and academic planning is great advice. Don’t stress…good grades (even at a mediocre school), good SAT or ACT scores (I mean good not fantastic) and some ECs that your kid really enjoys are enough to get him into a good state school. You are lucky to live in one of the states with a great system. Relax. Limit yourself to reading CC once a week until end of junior year/senior year when you will become obsessed with the whole college admission thing. There is no reason to start this so early.</p>
<p>Enjoy the next four years because they go by way too fast for you and for your kid.</p>
<p>Welcome,</p>
<p>I skimmed the previous posts, so please forgive me if this has been mentioned. It was very helpful for us to map out a tentative schedule of classes through S2’s Sr. year…yes, all four years. It did change every year somewhat. That was the point, to use as a guide. We wanted to make sure he didn’t miss any of the criteria for his target schools which he started to narrow in his Jr. year, or any of the graduation requirements at his HS (ie, two sequential electives, fine arts, etc.). Keep in mind things like schools don’t consider earth science to be a lab science. If it’s not a huge interest for your son, go for bio & chem. For the schools that want the four years of a language, check to see if they care if it’s 2/2 or 3/1. These are not things to stress over, simply to be informed so you and your son can make decisions knowing what the colleges are viewing. I will echo that Latin is a great option for a language, not only for schools, but because in the Jr year it can boost the vocab in SAT Critical Reading for some students. Again, not stressing, making informed decisions. If your son is in Spanish and wants to stay, great! If he really doesn’t care, you have another option to consider and have researched the possible merits.</p>
<p>As he moves through the the next year you will get a better picture of where his strengths lie, and where you may want to add APs. Students on an accelerated path may all be in PreAP classes right now. By their Jr year many start to show strengths in particular areas and you can choose to focus energies there…not necessarily everywhere.</p>
<p>Don’t worry so much about the EC’s, the fact is that he’s doing something! You see sitting on the couch. He’s assimilating into hs. If his grades are good and he’s playing sports and involved in music, that’s good for now. I agree with others, an idle summer is not a good idea. He does not have to build houses in war torn countries. Helping out several hours a week in something that interests him is good. It shows he’s active in his community. </p>
<p>Perhaps next summer he could find a way to branch out from other students. He will be somewhat more mature then and can look for something a bit more (? 
). He plays instruments. He could tutor elementary students. Parents pay big bucks at music centers so their kids don’t ‘forget’ their skills over the summer break. That’s just a simple example. He will come up with something. Don’t worry about carting him off to a college based ‘learning camp’. They’re great, but can be kind of vanilla on a college application as they are pretty common now. If your son thinks of something different, he’ll stand out.</p>
<p>Be informed, this will help you stress less. Look at a few different schools requirements and pay attention to the ‘required’ and ‘suggested’. If it fits your sons schedule you would want to strive for the suggested to be more competitive, but not to the detriment of his grades. Together you can make a great team. Find your own groove. There is GREAT advise here. Really awesome. Don’t worry if someone disagrees with you. It’s your son, your family, your decision. Take it as advise and go with what you feel is right in helping your son. You will find things fall into place.</p>
<p>Peace.</p>
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<p>Seriously, the very first thing to do is stop worrying about this. Yes, it is competitive, but your child can and will get into a college that fits. It may or the may not be a “top college”. </p>
<p>What you can do right now is make sure that your child is being placed in challenging classes and encourage him to do his best as the HS grades will count. Encourage him to continue in EC’s that he enjoys.</p>
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<p>From the University of California’s online Preliminary Eligibility Calculator:
“To calculate your gpa, add the grade points earned in the “a-g” courses you took in grades 10 and 11, then divide the sum by the total number of those courses.”
Source: <a href=“http://www.ucop.edu:8080/eligibilitycalc/begin.jsp?radiobutton=CA&nexti.x=30&nexti.y=4&nexti=nexti[/url]”>http://www.ucop.edu:8080/eligibilitycalc/begin.jsp?radiobutton=CA&nexti.x=30&nexti.y=4&nexti=nexti</a></p>
<p>FWIW- Stanford does not count freshman HS grades in the gpa they use for admissions. The most important academic year is the junior one- the most recent full year for colleges to evaluate. Improving grades are noted as a plus.</p>
<p>Be sure to let your kid be a kid. Do watch out for computer/gaming time if it replaces study/sleep time. He’ll do best in EC’s he likes- never try to force him to do any. Also let him be in the courses he is ready for- he’ll perform best then. HS is a time for trying many things. The cross country running is a great way to stay in shape, even for the worst runners on the team- also, he could blossom as a runner like my son did. Keep music in his life as long as he is interested- for him, not some admissions committee. Keep in mind the goal is for him to have a happy/good childhood as well as a productive one- not just to prepare for adulthood.</p>
<p>If you don’t feel your private school is as academically good as your local public schools by all means let him switch. By now you have instilled all of the church values you can and better academic peers may help him work up to his best level.</p>
<p>Look at your state college requirements and the typical HS courses students have. Here, a minimum of x years of some classes may be required but admitted students usually have more per the chart. Use that for your requirements, eg if most students will have 4 units of a foreign language although only 2 are required he will need 4 to be competitive.</p>
<p>Relax. Let him take a larger and larger role in determining his life as time goes on. Remember that he won’t magically be mature at 18 unless you give him chances to practice decision making and independence. You may have noticed that parental involvement decreases as time goes on- think of elementary compared to middle compared to HS- every switch transfers more responsibility to the child and removes the parent some. Just wait until college! NO parents allowed- you get to pay but never make decisions.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC. My post hopefully included enough generic information it will be useful to other parents- sometimes it is good to expand on the OP’s (original poster/thread starter) question, to provide useful information for others as well. Been there, done that parent here.</p>