Parents of the HS Class of 2022

Is it waived off because he already too AP Phys C? Atleast when I studied my engineering (CSE) abroad we had just a year of Phys and Chem especially during the first year. Post that it’s all major driven courses.

Our school offers AP Phys 1 (Algebra based) and AP Phys C (E&M) and it’s a prereq to have done AP Phys 1 before AP Phys C. Most of my D’s classmates in E&M took AP Phys 1 in Junior year and moved up. Many of these kids are done with their BC in Junior year and now concurrent with Multi-var or done with multi-var.

Yes. That’s what I said. If you have a 5 in AP Mech C (my son just took the AP exam without sitting the class, because it is a one year course and he did not have enough slots in his schedule) and a 5 in AP E&M C (which he sat in the class 11th grade), and a 5 in AP Chem (which he sat through the class in 12th grade), then, at his university, you can skip Freshman Physics and Chem. In fact the only Physics course my son took in HS was AP E&M C. Because they don’t let you take Physics until you get to junior year. I think this skipping business may vary by university. Skipping physics and chem completely freed up his schedule in college to take a bunch of other interesting stuff – something that he thought had a lot of value – both very STEM and very non-STEM.

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DS got accepted to his #2 school today (CPP). Now waiting for #1 (SLO). No longer care about the rest. That’s a good feeling. Can’t wait til #1 responds one way or the other so he can just commit and lock-in. Fingers crossed.

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Congratulations. What are CPP and SLO?

Sorry, Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO). He also applied to a bunch of other UCs and CSUs, but he really wants to go to one of the Cal Polys for their hands-on learning style and smaller classes.

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That’s cool. Best of luck to him.

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Many friend’s kids and others we know, who attends UC gets most first year courses waived through their AP scores and graduate in 3 years. My friend’s daughter entered her first official job even before she turned 20. BTW which college your son attends? Do you have a '22 kid as well?

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Older son goes to Princeton. Younger one is a senior in HS – so applying this cycle. There are costs and benefits to finishing in 3 years :-). It may be hard to get some jobs with just 3 years in college, irrespective of GPA. Also, you wouldn’t have the full 3 summers to try internships at various companies / industries before deciding which career path you want to take.

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A large number of AP’s can make a student a good candidate for a 4+1 BS/MS in four years, if offered.

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This is a choice at Princeton. In fact the 4th year MS will be tuition free. My son chose not to do it because a) it interferes with social life because you have to go and live in grad housing, and b) it interferes with non-major courses he wants to take in the 4th year. At the same time, you can take the same courses while being in undergrad. There are kids that start taking grad level courses in freshman fall. And these are highly theoretical courses – not necessarily only the applied courses generally offered in a professional MS degree.

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Congratulations ! Friend’s son is at SLO as engineering major. He loves the college, and the area too, so much fun stuff to do ! Only issue sometimes is getting the classes you want especially the first two years, but that’s true for all UCs too these days. He is still on track to finish in 4 years though.

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I haven’t heard of anyone yet who didn’t like the college and area. We’re finally going to visit the campus on the 4th. We had a visit scheduled right when Covid hit and closed everything down. I was really bummed. We know the area because my Aunt lives in Cambria, but we haven’t been to the school. I also like that SLO has CS in the College of Engineering. CPP has it in the College of Science. I know that doesn’t make a big difference but for some reason I just like that better.

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Not a fan of CS within the college of arts and sciences. Having the ability to take engineering courses outside of CS is a huge advantage in my book. Or even the ability to minor in another engineering major.

Congrats on CPP.

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Ha, yes, for sure. January/February seems endless during college app season (less so for this daughter though, who is not going selective.) Most of the colleges should have admitted student visit days listed somewhere online…if you sleuth a bit, you can probably find some info.

There may be truth to that!!

It’s not even just waiting for admission decisions, there are scholarship comps in there too for many!

For my previous applicant, we had an epic road trip in April that went from Georgia over to Kentucky, then up as far as New Hampshire, flying out of Philly. A scholarship weekend and a few admitted student visits, and we managed a trip to Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School class too which was an awesome memory. I don’t think that will be necessary this go around, but I sort of wish it was! I love a good college road trip :slight_smile:

Unlikely…the schools plan for a certain yield.

They are not important, per se, but they can be pretty fun. I do think they tend to show the school in a little more depth than the typical tour, and they get a chance to eyeball potential classmates.

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I would so enjoy that! I have immense respect for both of them.

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My S18 did that at UCLA. I didn’t want him to rush through college, but with the uncertainty of classes being online again this year, he said he’d rather save the money for law school. He has been clerking at a firm since last summer and will be attending UCI this fall. It was the right move for him. Unsure where my D22 will land, but if she attends UC, she is positioned to do same.

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Def echo the advice to check the school’s requirements. S19 is at Brown, and their HS requirements specify Biology, Chemistry, Physics.

Prob for us with admitted students events is that all seem to be on weekends in the middle of spring sports post-season. So D22 would have to abandon (at least) her individual opportunity to compete for a state championship… and she placed 2nd last year. She doesn’t want to give that up, even to help decide her home for the next 4 years.

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I don’t blame her! There will be other times to visit campuses. When does her season end? And Go Professionaldad’s D22!

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Where do you find this information?