<p>My S16 didn’t take the PSAT at all. He did take the PLAN (and will take the PSAT next year I believe). For those, like me a few months ago who didn’t know: PLAN:ACT::PSAT:SAT. (How tragic that they’ve all done away with those analogies… 
) I actually thought maybe the spam was from his AP test in Computer Science last spring, but maybe it was the PLAN.</p>
<p>Any one looking at Junior year yet–looks like AP English; AP us history; algebra 2 with trig; either AP biology or just physic ( honors); he also will be taking micro/macro Econ. Plus an elective not decided between psych/soc or international relations.<br>
He wants to study Econ in college and work at " a think tank."
I just want to get through sophomore because its become a real tug of war. </p>
<p>my son has lots of ideas for Junior year, but a lot depends on what the teachers recommend. Our school has some rigid criteria…you just can’t sign up for things…on one hand I understand, on the other, not so sure; but, he wants to take two history classes, AP chemistry, Trig and some other AP that I am not so sure about. I also want him to just get through Sophomore year. </p>
<p>They just got scheduling info today, but I’m pretty sure the boy’s taking Spanish 4, no AP Language (just regular old lang arts 11, thank you), AP calc AB, honors chem, AP gov’t and AP macro and a couple of semster electives that will fulfill a fine arts requirement.</p>
<p>I always like seeing what others are taking and what’s available to them. Son’s school has 13 AP classes available and they’re pretty strict on when they’re available to take, usually starting in sophomore year.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone is able to take an AP class in our HS until Junior year…and then you have to be recommended by your teacher; and your grades essentially have to be A’s by the middle of your second marking period. Maybe a B+ in some cases…; the unfortunate thing for my kid, is that he is a late bloomer…and he never really has those grades “consistently” till the end of the year, and then it’s too late to change the classes…-- but, in my/his case, I am not advocating for him to take any AP next year. But we’ll see what happens. He has other ideas…</p>
<p>Drmom123 our school is taught at the honors level-- and the Math is killing my humanitities kid-- maybe that is why sophomore year has been such a pill for me and him.
He see no reason to put time into something he has NO interest in ugggg.
He definitely will soar in college when he gets a chance to decide what he wants to take, and not be told " everyone needs this to graduate from high school." :-@
Okay, now to get him up for tutoring for his lovely favorite class --math – here goes , wish me luck!</p>
<p>DD is also talking about jr year classes. Just got a heads up from PE teacher friend that they may change from 7 periods down to 6–not happy about that.</p>
<p>Talked to math teacher friend about D’s math sequencing since math is not her best or favorite subject. She suggested precalc for jr yr and AP stats (taught by friend) for sr yr. D agreed.</p>
<p>Jr yr: honors brit lit, precalc, US history (regular track), choir (show choir if she makes it), anatomy/physiology, maybe Spanish 5 (my preference, not hers), and something else. </p>
<p>We do a 4 year high school written plan and update/change as needed. Looking at AP Psych, physics, creative writing/debate, AP stats as starters for sr yr. She’d like a theater class and broadcast journalism if we can make it work.</p>
<p>Her dream job: work for Disney in some capacity as a performer, behind the scenes of their shows, tourism, interpreter.</p>
<p>Good thing the counselor and I have an understanding about my kids. After holding my ground D1’s sophomore year, there have been no issues and she has been able to make everything work for both DDs.</p>
<p>We have been talking about Junior year classes here too. Here there are 8 block classes- 4 A day and 4 B day. </p>
<p>Son wants to take AP US History, AP Calculus AB, Hon Physics, Accounting 1, AP Economics, German 4 and maybe AP Eng Comp and AP Statistics next year. I’m not sure about the English class since he doesn’t really like English much he claims he can focus better in the more serious classes. Our school district is pretty bad so good students can not take regular classes here. He took AP US Gov in 9th and has AP Computer Science and AP Human Geography this year. </p>
<p>Son wants to study Economics or Business in college. </p>
<p>Has anyone been visiting colleges yet? We are planning to visit at least 2 in-state schools (1 private & 1 public) this spring break.</p>
<p>I was thinking of some schools to take S to. But, I am not sure whether it will go over well. Also, I think (I hope) there will be a big jump in his abilities between this year and next, so, I am not sure what “level” of school to consider showing him? I know the idea is to go to One Big, One Medium and One small, Rural and City so that he can begin to think of what he may like…Maybe starting with the state schools makes some sense…</p>
<p>My S plans on taking AP Chemistry, AP English, AP US History, AP Calculus BC, Honors Anatomy/Physiology (taught by me), Spanish 3. Gosh, just reading that makes me scares me. On top of all this he needs to study for the SAT I and II.</p>
<p>As for visiting colleges, we have been to UCLA, USC, Berkeley and Stanford. In April I have to opportunity to go back East so we will visit Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Brown and Yale. </p>
<p>I am seriously thinking this is too much pressure to place on kids. I keep thinking he could take a lighter load in high school, go to a community college for two years and transfer to UCLA, Berkeley or USC and save a lot of stress, but this is what he wants. </p>
<p>@Mysonsdad - so you teach in your son’s school? I do, too! But I won’t be teaching my own son. My son’s issue is that he takes two languages, and it’s very hard to schedule everything. Also, to my annoyance, they don’t seem to allow juniors to take AP English.</p>
<p>woops, edited the above. I do not like this new format!</p>
<p>Yes, I teach at my son’s school, or I should say, “He goes to my school” I was there first!! Lol. I also taught my daughter when she was in 8th grade and again when she was in college and I was working as an adjunct professor. My kids don’t get any breaks from me though. </p>
<p>At my school they don’t allow any kids to take AP classes as freshmen.</p>
<p>Just curious, what subject do you teach?</p>
<p>I teach math, physics, and chemistry - mostly physics for the past decade or so, since that’s where they’ve had more need. I’ve requested to stay with the “lower levels” for the foreseeable future to avoid teaching my own children. Like you, yes I preceded the kids to my job. Once my son was placed in my study hall and he felt that was awkward (!) but he’s a good sport and I think it would be fine if I had to teach him. My son did take APCS as a freshman, and is taking a couple of APs this year, but AP English seems limited for some reason. As you know, it’s awkward to push for “too much” if you’re also a colleague. Since you’ve done this with an older sib already - how do you handle things like book award meetings? Just recuse yourself?</p>
<p>What are book award meetings? For what it is worth, my daughter was a handful and wasn’t the type to be up for any awards lol. I was more likely to have meetings with the principal than with go to award ceremonies with her. I was lucky because at the time my principal had a son who was like my daughter so he understood what I was going through. He actually came to me one day and told me he had found a “boot camp” high school that was tax payer funded and was going to send his kid there and asked if I wanted to send my daughter with him.lol</p>
<p>Our school does a bus trip they take them to a large and small; urban and rural. He’s not to excited because the schools they will go to he has already played hockey at all of them.
DS like his new math tutor but not so much the math work. / </p>
<p>do you think there is a risk of taking the kids to see schools “too early”?</p>
<p>I don’t know about your son but my son hated the tours we have gone on with his junior sister. Except Miami of Ohio–the tour included the ice arena and the skating coach was giving a private lesson–my dear child said out loud that the skater needed a better stride $-).
Oh, and he thought we were staying for a game–but we were schedule for another visit at different campus later on in the day and HE was a bear the rest of the trip.<br>
I just think it depends if its for general information or for motivation.
My son needs motivation!!!</p>
<p>@drmom123 I guess it depends on the kid. We took DS’16 to a nearby school when we visited DD’13 at her new college in Oct. He really liked the visit and even our 7th grade DD enjoyed it. DS has only seen 3 schools so far (his sister’s, UVA on a school trip in 8th grade, and the one we visited). He has a tendency to like what he has seen so he needs to see there are a lot of great schools out there not just those 3. For a long time he was set on going to UVA from that one and only visit. </p>
<p>My S16 wants nothing to do with college visits yet. He keeps saying “Mom, I’m a sophomore!” He has seen quite a few colleges from visiting with his S13 but he is really resisting looking for himself yet. We did visit Vanderbilt last fall as part of another trip and we went on a tour. Unfortunately, the guide made everyone introduce themselves and say what year they were and he was mortified that he had to announce that he was a sophomore…didn’t occur to him to make something up. LOL</p>