I was all excited about 3+2 programs too but I heard that in reality it is very rare. Many seniors would rather do senior thesis or capstone projects staying with their friends.
My daughterās practice tests and actual test corresponded very well. She gets test anxiety so I was surprised. We tried to eliminate the anxiety by saying that she could take it again very frequently and that seems to have gotten through to her. She did not do as well on the science section as she sometimes did but even on practice tests that was her most inconsistent section partially because it has so few questions even missing 1 or 2 drags the score down a lot more than missing 1 or 2 on another section. She could re-take really just for that 1 section as she canāt really do better on the others but we think that might look a little too perfectionist which we donāt want.
Mine is actually starting her ACT prep course today. She is very busy with art, AP classes, work, and actually thought a Sunday afternoon class would be the best bet to have designated study time. My middle took with the the same lady and improved her 1 weak section to give her a great score. We decided the best bet would be to take the course beforehand, and hopefully be 1 and done (instead of taking, and then re-taking). And then she can focus on SAT. The class focuses on the state-wide April testing date, so Iāll you know how practice tests to actual turn out!
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I checked in with a colleague whose son is at Portland State. He is a junior transfer from Linfield (didnāt keep grades up enough for the scholarships he had). He likes it, she says it is a good school but, to your point, largely commuter/local and perhaps a bit older. May not be a great fit for an out of town freshman (they are local). We will still tour and I will let you know but I suspect it will fall off the list.
I think Iām now convinced my D will not make the NMSF cutoff, which is a bit of a bummer as she is going to be close. On the bright side, she is done with ACT/SAT testing (except for district-wide ACT in April). We can focus on other things, like subject tests. Good luck to those still in the race!
Plus, Iām glad to see a little action on this thread. 
@moonpie , congratulations to your daughter on being selected to governor school. Did she also participate in Scholastic Art and Writing?
@2muchquan , Thanks for your good luck wishes! DD has 3 SAT subject tests, but not one SAT or ACT score yet!
Any kids participated in AMC testing? Just curious when the results will be out.
Went away for a few days and this site is hopping!
@SincererLove ā my son took the AMC 12A and has determined on his own that he missed the cutoff by one question. I am skeptical of his self-evaluation but am keeping that thought to myself. I think he said the answers were released online somewhere and that is how he determined that he did not make the cutoff. Is that possible?
Our school did not offer the exam so he had to travel to a neighboring school. I have no idea when he will see the results but hope that he will follow up with the teacher he had to contact in order to take the test at the other HS.
Congrats to all happy ACT-takers. I had registered my son for the Feb ACT simply to reserve a seat, but once he saw his Dec SAT scores, he decided he was finished with standardized testing, other than perhaps another subject test this spring after APs. (So I guess that is more standardized testingā¦)
I need help figuring out if this is a battle worth having with the district. D has decided she might possibly want to do some form of engineeringā¦possibly bioengineering. She/we are are aware that mechanical engineering is perhaps a better approach so with that in mind, she realizes she needs to take AP Physics. She is in the IB program and her HL science is Biology (which is a two year course).
So for next year she wants to take physics. This is the tricky part. For some reason at her school the choices are only:
-pre-AP physics
-AP Physics C Mechanics
Iām not sure why AP Physics 1 is not offered at her school? I do know a STEM academy was created at the other main school in town so maybe those resources were moved over there?
Regardless, Iāve been asking friends in other districts and they are all puzzled as to why we even have pre-AP physics? Most of their kids just take AP Physics 1. Is that correct?
I think our district is obligated to let her take AP Physics 1 at another school if it is not offered at her school but Iām not for sure. Any thoughts?
@CT1417 , we talked about how we are on āneed to know basisā only. Also donāt want to ask or ābother themā I didnāt know she took it until afterwards. Before that, she told me how she wouldnāt take it, with varsity swimming (not tapering yet, training hard for regional now) and robotics.
@carachel2 Is it possible that your school did not want to reduce physics to 1/2 speed and that the pre-AP physics allows students to cover what used to be physics B in order to have covered more topics before physics C? Fwiw, I cannot imagine spending 2yrs on alg based physics. I would actually be pleased if the school was covering all of the old physics B topics. AP physics 1 would be less beneficial to your student than covering all of the topics bc engineers canāt use 1or 2 for credit bc the lowest level physics for engineers is cal based.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I have zero idea about all of this! Iām in healthcare, never took physics so I have no idea and D is so busy and stressed right now and the GC of courseā¦is good but typical HS GC at a large school.
So pre-AP physics might actually cover more ground than AP Physics 1?
D wrote an admissions counselor at one of her choice colleges to ask which they would prefer.
@carachel2 maybe we can switch kids. Mine is currently in a 2-year Chem/Phys AP program, and wants to major in Bio in college.
Personally I feel like we canāt get it perfect, and at some point we need to roll with it. She sounds very intelligent. Is it more a concern for admissions, or just so your D is prepared as a freshman engineering student?
@2muchquan ā¦itās both. Honestly, we really want her to experience a solid physics class before she starts college. Right now engineering/bioengineering is something she thinks she wants to do because she absolutely loves her IB HL Bio class and is fascinated by tissue engineering/research and all of that. Like any 16 y/o she actually knows very little about what that looks like on a daily basis. I also think the college will want to see that she took some sort of physics as wellā¦and if pre-AP physics is not required for AP physics then why waste the time?
I do know that physics will be required and I want her to see what she thinks before she gets in so deep it will be painful financially to turn around.
But if the pre-AP physics will be fine then it is fine with me! I honestly think driving to the other school 2-3 times per week would make for a crazy senior year.
I cannot imagine why a student would need a pre-AP physics before physics 1 and 2. Algebra-based physics is mostly conceptual physics bc physics is really a calculus-based science. I would ask the school what is covered in the pre course. If it is pre-physics C, it is probably a better course than 1.
@carachel2, has your D had Calc yet? If yes, then take the Physics C mechanics class. I am not sure that your D will get college credit for the alg based physics class. If your D is contacting the colleges she is interested in that is a good question to ask them.
My S took Physics C Mechanics as a junior with no prior physics experience and did fine with the great teacher teaching the class. Was able to earn a 5 on the AP examā¦heās currently in college deciding between a physics or engineering major.
He had not had AP Calc yet.
Senior year he took AP Physics E&M concurrently with AP Calc AB/BC.
@carachel2 How far has she gone in math? My oldest took AP Physics C Mechanics concurrently with AP Calculus AB. He did not have any prior physics coursework. If she is ok on math, Iād have her take AP Mech.
AP Physics C covers a lot of the same material as AP Physics 1 so as long as she feels comfortable with the math there really isnāt a reason to drive to another school. Many engineering schools donāt seem to give credit for AP Physics 1 but do for AP Physics C so that could be more advantageous.
My son is taking AP Physics C concurrent with BC calc. The school used to require that students take algebra-based physics, honors or regular, prior to enrolling in C, but eliminated that requirement when they added the C E&M course that follows the Mechanics course.
His school never offered AP B or the new AP 1 & 2 sequence. C Mechanics is the first AP Physics available to students.
As others have said, if she has the Calc, she should be OK. Students enrolled in AB Calc are at a disadvantage as the C class requires the math taught in BC Calc and the AB students end up having to teach themselves to keep up.