Yes, I really like that our high school lets students take AP course anytime they feel ready to take them as long as they have any required prerequisites. There’s printed statement in the course book saying that parents and students know best the amount of work and level of difficulty they can handle and that they should choose courses carefully keeping in mind their own individual schedules and abilities. It’s a public school but also very academically competitive, it’s not unusual to find a mix of different grades in various AP classes. The only class they won’t let you take out of of your grade sequence is English no matter if you are taking regular English track or the pre AP/AP track you must take the English for your grade level (9th grade Eng 1, 10th grade Eng 2 …) because anything the GCs do that is grade specific is done during English class. I personally think the school more flexible on taking AP is because it allows them to get more National AP Scholars which looks good for the schools ranking;-)
I checked our HS curriculum plan, no AP for 9th graders. But I do know some students would take classes outside of the school and take AP tests, if they score 4 or 5, then school will consider they met requirements but no GPA counted.
Went to the first official high school event for DS20 tonight. I was surprised at how much things had changed. No studio art classes until a general art one class, they added some really fun classes like video game design and the history of rock 'n roll. There’s still a chance that DS20 won’t be accepted to this school so we are also working on a plan “B”
Yay!!! We have a place to talk about our DC20s!!!
My S20 is completely the opposite of my S16. My S16 is an academic superstar, highest level of everything total STEM kid. S20 is very bright but an academic disaster. I pulled him out of public school after a very bad 7th grade for homeschooling and we have recently decided to homeschool for 9th grade. Don’t know about after that. Right now we are front loading on special services like pragmatic speech and OT.
We are with a public charter homeschool which means next year I will have $2700 in funding for academics and enrichment. We are thinking of:
Algebra 1
English 9
Some kind of science (probably earth)
World geography
Figure skating for PE
Art at a local studio for an elective
Maybe some robotics thrown for good measure.
It is nice to see familiar faces on this thread.
Since high school placement exams have begun for DS '20, I guess it’s not too soon to sign on to this thread.
DS 20 is our youngest of three; we also have DS '14 doing well as a sophomore in college and DS '17 in her junior year of high school.
DS '20 is a bit different than the first two, so I’ll have to learn to approach things a bit differently. He’s much more interested in lacrosse than school.
I’m usually more of a lurker than a poster till late junior or early senior year, but I suspect that I might have more questions this time around.
And so it begins…
@Dave_N - great avatar picture! 
I’m a huge fan of xkcd.com and most things Randall Munroe. I’ve read “What If” and I am looking forward to reading “Thing Explainer” when I get some time.
Hello all. I am busy with my DS16 now but at least wanted to say hello. I have a feeling that DD20 will be a very different search process. Teen girls are DEFINITELY a whole different experience in a lot of ways but with the help of my CC friends, I think I will make it through the HS years. Course planning for freshman year happens soon so it seems to be getting underway whether I feel ready for it or not! Looking forward to riding the roller coaster with you all.
So our first issue… DS20 is in an advanced math track. Some of the other moms in the class want to test their kids into skipping a year of hs math. My son could certainly do this, but I fear he would then get worse recommendations because a. The department might be resentful and b. He would be in harder classes sooner and no math classes by the time he ideally gets letters. Also, I’d rather he get some more breadth. But will he look like a slacker?
At our school kids come in at all different levels. What level would be be starting at if he doesn’t test out?
You really need to do what’s best for your son. Who knows, some of those kids that test up may really struggle next year and make poor grades because they didn’t have the solid foundation they needed.
He’d be back in the regular honors. I don’t think he would struggle either way, it’s a pure CC question of what will “look ok” considering the department does not like acceleration…
It is so frustrating that we have to basically decide what their senior year math schedule is going to be before they even get into high school. How CRAZY is that? We are in exactly the same boat. I know a lot of people don’t agree with me, but why can’t these kids just be kids. Why can’t they take what makes them happy? What makes them want to learn? Oh, you love music? Take band. Oh, you love computers, take programming? No. You need to take the classes with the Honors or AP GPA boost to make sure you’re ranking high. Utterly ridiculous. All this talk about finding their passion, but the rules don’t allow for it unless your passion gives you a gpa boost.
My D will most likely not be a top ranking student and I am struggling helping her understand that she has to follow the beat of her own drum not her high achieving siblings. It might be easier once they are out of the house, but I’m not sure.
I’m so not ready for this. With a D16, I’m focusing more on college hunting. its so hard not to say, been there done that for my D20, but she’s such a different kid that would be a disservice. Onward and upward.
Yes, the “run your own race” thing comes up rather than figure he’s just version 2.0 
I have to admit I also am doing the mental calculus about what will look good/ok when college app time rolls around, just arguably a bit less than the other moms in the friend group.
My DS20 was called out by his teacher for being “exceptionally kind and sensitive” in lab last week because he stopped his own work to help a severely disabled kid who was having trouble, and came back after school to do his own work. Apparently it was all his own initiative (hm, wish we saw that around laundry putting away ha ha). DH and I told him, “This is what makes you, you. This is what makes us proud. Even if your grade isn’t quite what it would have been.”
But it’s not always easy to keep perspective in my own anxious head!
@fretfulmother it is those acts of kindness that will come out in future letters of recommendation. That whole apply sideways from the MIT adcom, I think, speaks about this. They look at what goes on in a classroom.
Thank you, @LKnomad!!
Ah, here is the post
Hi all. I recognize so many avatars here. I have D17 and have been stalking a lot, posting a little. Have D20 coming in behind her now. Very different beasts, these two. Second one is not such an egghead, but is more of a sports nut…currently a gymnast.
@MuggleMom, I do disagree with you just a tad about letting kids be kids. That’s our job as much as it would be to sure they take the right set of APs in the right sequence at the right time. I’m going to leave it to D20 to find her path, and do the best I can to support her in ‘making the grades’ while she’s doing it.
I will say, I think my D17 has done a good job of being a role model for D20. The younger one sees what’s going on with testing and grades, and makes her want to work harder. We parents had nothing to do with that.
Reading @fretfulmother’s post, I’m reminded of this poem, sometimes attributed to Mother Teresa, but apparently she stole it ( ) from a Harvard grad:
ANYWAY
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered,
LOVE THEM ANYWAY
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies,
SUCCEED ANYWAY
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable,
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight,
BUILD ANYWAY
People really need help but may attack you if you help them,
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth,
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.
Just popping in to say hi! I have a D20 who is getting ready to register for HS classes now. She is our 4th kid, so we are pretty chill about all of this, having gone through it 3 times already…or maybe we are just getting old. We know what to expect with all of the classes and teachers as well as the ramifications of each class choice…which is nice.
Anyway, we have 2 in college now and a S17 who is starting the college admissions process. Looking forward to sharing the experiences of the Class of 2020!
I recognize people in this thread, too. I am listening to my 8th grader’s answers to her algebra problems while browsing the forums and clicked on this link. My 8th grader is our 6th and she is definitely her own person with completely different aspirations than any of her siblings. She is 100% creative. She loves art, creative writing, fashion design, etc. I thought our 11th grader was difficult to guide b/c she is our first non-stem oriented student, but compared to our 8th grader, she is a breeze!
FWIW, we are a low key family with high achieving kids.
Any 2020ers taking SAT in March? Under some creative incentive plan, DS did a practice test today and will be taking SAT in March. DD 17 participated in Talent Search and did a camp at JHU, and got a scholarship from a local college for a college level class, all before high achool. But with DS, we gradually realize that he is his own person and boys don’t mature the same degree as girls. (He scored high enough on the practice to qualify for CTY award ceremony.)