@crazym0m I have said similar things in the past except I calculated the pool my Ds were in down to 10.5% (Asian) but then there might be all the other blocks that need to be part of that too which meant it went down lot more!
Itās interesting that so many strong STEM girls donāt want to take BC Calc. There are very few girls in the BC Calc classes at our HS as well as AP Comp Sci. I always feel like there is some factor of intimidation at work by teachers or peers. I know even our female teachers encourage study groups where the girls are mostly excluded. Most of the top engineering schools wonāt consider you if you have access to BC and donāt choose to take it. Other schools that donāt limit this way seem to have more females and they do just as well as the males.
My daughter is taking BC this year and will take DE Matrix Algebra and Multivariable Calc next year. She really liked Calc but isnāt loving Physics. She feels like she needs another year of AP Physics for colleges so she is willing to do it even though Iām sure sheād really rather take something fun.
@acdchai No intimidation impacting my dd. We homeschool and raising strong math and science students is something I am 100% comfortable with. This dd just loves languages, something that is totally outside of any frame of reference for me. I would be a lot less stressed if she was a STEM girl! Love of literature, words, writing, and languages just oozes out of her, though.
@jedwards70 Our strategy has been to target schools that at least offer a dance minor on the assumption that D1 will continue to dance and weād prefer that it be on campus than at some studio nearby so that her life is more integrated.
There are even schools that offer dance scholarships for non-majors as long as they commit to dancing in one university show per semester.
It is quite possible to continue with the activity without minoring or majoring. And at that level, you donāt have to audition to be able to enroll in classes, although a placement class is typical beyond a certain level.
Our D is also taking BC this year, although Iām not sure she ālovesā it. Sheāll do MV next year, but not going to go the engineering or math route. Weāll see.
I will say that the group she studies with tends to be all girls (quite a few in BC), but this is true in other subjects as well.
My DD is taking Calc BC this year. At her old school she would have been one of many girls in one of the three or four BC classes. At her current school there are only two or three kids total taking it and they are having to take it online. I know at least one of the other students is a girl also
S is taking BC calc this year. He likes calc and the teacher and is planning what our school calls calc 3 next year. He is also taking advanced physics and will be taking the Physics C mechanics and E&M AP tests. Again, a good physics teacher. At the same time heāll be taking the Physics SAT subject test. Hopefully they dovetail nicely. However, I did buy him the SAT II Physics study guide so he could see where there wasnāt overlap between the AP and SAT subject tests.
Ditto @Mom2aphysicsgeek except substitute poli sci/social sciences for lit and writing!
At least once a week I turn to dd and ask if she really would like to go into engineering after all. Our life would be so much simpler.
Iām getting a bit worried about AP Calc B/C for my D next year now! This will be the first year they offer it and her teacher says she is ready. Sheās always done great at math, but next year will be a tough year with AP Physics, Engineering senior design and two yet to be chosen college classes. We shall see. My other stress now is her likely ACT score (she takes the test in school on Tuesday). I havenāt been making (or shall we say āencouragingā) her to do much prep since she just took the SAT last month. She took a practice yesterday and the scores were low. I mean low. She did well on the PSAT and felt pretty good about the SAT, so maybe thatās the test for her.
@crazym0m, yes, I agree about the one selective school. D has found her dream school and Iām doubting it will change even after a few more visits. Itās reachy but not too unlikely. She has some more selective schools lower on the list. If her ACT/SAT scores arenāt really good for those schools, I donāt see any reason to apply. If the scores are good sheād only apply on the chance they might give her more merit if the dream school doesnāt come through. Unfortunately they only offer early decision rather than early action and we canāt commit financially. Sheāll apply early action to any of her schools that offer it.
@MotherOfDragons, yes, dancing 18,800 steps to Duran Duran counts as a sport as far as Iām concerned! (And now I have āHungry Like the Wolfā on a brain loop.)
One more trip for DS. His team won state Science Olympiad tournament and will be competing in the national tournament at University of Wisconsin-Stout in late May.
Wow, congrats to the state Science Olympiad champs, and good luck at nationals!
@acdchai wrote āItās interesting that so many strong STEM girls donāt want to take BC Calc. There are very few girls in the BC Calc classes at our HS as well as AP Comp Sci. I always feel like there is some factor of intimidation at work by teachers or peers.ā
She wanted to; they are shutting out any kid without a 94 or better in AB, which according to D is about 5 kids (all guys) for next year who are crazy hardcore mathletes. Sheās already taken AP comp sci last year and is in IB comp sci this year, and did well with them. H is not super worried about her not taking calculus BC next year, and heās got a masters in comp sci and works and hires in the industry, so Iām deferring to his opinion.
They donāt offer multivariable calc or differential equations at our school; sheās pretty much stuck with stats. She could take an IB math, but her track doesnāt line up for senior IB math levels, so it would be a bad mix of repeating some stuff and not knowing other stuff. She is taking a class that writes apps and uses a lot of java, so at least sheāll be enjoying that (I think itās considered an elective).
Congratulations @srk2017!
@snoozn There are, I think, YouTube videos on how to manage time in ACT.
Time is the enemy. Have her do a full-section timed and plan it out. For example, 7 min per reading section then move on to next reading prompt. 6 min per text box for English, 7 min per section for science. In Science, kids do not read the text, skim the tables and graph for a minute, then tackle the questions. Do past exams on science section to get used to the types of questions. I felt that the questions are worded in a very strange way.
The state ACT test score will appear in the transcript as well as in state reports, so DSās school has been prepping the kids.
Good luck!
Massive congratulations to your ds and his team @srk2017 ! I know hos much work is involved with those events.
Iāve been coaching a homeschool elementary Science Olympiad team this year. Our state trialed a Division A tournament yesterday. My not-full-team of 8 3rd to 5th graders (teams can have up to 12 members with no more than 6 6th graders) placed 5th overall, despite not placing higher than third in any event!
The kids had so much fun, were so excited for all their teammates, and all want to continue next year. I will press a few of the fifth graders to move up to our Division B team because I think they would rise to the challenge.
Next year will be my last year as the Science Olympiad director for our homeschool group. Kind of sad since Iāve been involved since my college graduate was on his private schoolās team in fourth grade, thirteen years ago! I think Iāll start volunteering with the state SO organization 
@srk2017 what a honor to have won state! good luck at nationals
@srk2017 , congratulations!!! Awesome news!!
@srk2017 Congratulations to your S! That is quite an amazing accomplishment!
You all have been busy! Iāve been gone this weekend enjoying our fabulously sunny weather here in the PNW and came back to 75 posts!
Congrats to your S @srk2017! And to your team @WhereIsMyKindle.
Howās that knee @MotherOfDragons ? 18k plus steps is a lot of dancing!
Ds has been doing a little prepping for the SAT next month. He seems happy with the Khan Academy prep. We shall see. Heās been doing a lot of hiking since he was cut from the tennis team :(. Oh well, heās in great shape and enjoying the outdoors. Today was a strenuous hike and heās fast asleep on the couch.