<p>Congratulations on the great Math II score! And congratulations on getting to travel to Spain!</p>
<p>Just so I understand–your son wants to major in engineering even though math can be a challenge for him, is that a correct understanding? He seems to be able to buckle down and do well in it, though. Does he really enjoy math and physics? My understanding is that engineering will be deep in both (though I guess it will depend on what type of engineering). Just something for him to keep in mind.</p>
<p>Now, having said that, if he is planning on doing engineering, most schools do prefer/require Math II and another science, so physics would be a good choice.</p>
<p>My son took the Physics SAT II in 8th grade after taking a yearlong AP level course at a local private university. They used the Giancoli textbook for the class. My son didn’t study and did get an 800. I attribute that to the thoroughness of the class and the textbook. My kid is definitely a math/physics kid.</p>
<p>If your son gets a head start, he could buy the Giancoli text and a physics SAT study guide and study the topics that would be covered second semester. He may want to watch some Khan Academy videos or maybe some MIT Open Courseware lectures.</p>
<p>He may find that he is able to do quite well even without having completed an AP course.</p>
<p>Though my son’s prof said having calculus was helpful (my son was taking it at the same time as the class), it didn’t seem necessary, so I think your son would be fine to take the test without calculus.</p>
<p>sbjdorlo, I know it sounds confusing. Let me see if I can explain it: </p>
<p>Son has always liked science and mathematics since elementary and middle school. However, he was attending public elementary and middle schools in poor hispanic neighborhoods with weak math programs. Since, he was earning A grades we thought he was doing fine. To give you some idea of how weak, in the last three years (2,700 students) there has not been a single graduate from his and other feeder schools to earn NMSF. </p>
<p>Fortunately for our son, after finishing middle school, he began attending a mainstream public high school in a more affluent community, in a different district. This is a school where they got four kids into Stanford, two at Harvard, MIT, Princeton each. In addition to kids at Yale, CalTech and several to other Ivies. It is at this high school that son realized his math skills were not as strong when he started earning Cs in math. He has been working much harder to catch up. For example, 62 in PSAT math in sop year. 69 in PSAT Junior year. Now 750 in Math II as a rising senior. So, in a sense he has been playing catch up throughout high school. So, now the question is, has he reached a level in science and math where he should persue engineering or not?</p>
<p>My son was in similar circumstance needing to take the Physics subject test and having only completed an honors physics class and currently in AP Physics and Calc as a senior this past November. He reviewed the on line physics practice on college board and took the test and we all crossed our fingers. He was able to get a 700 and we were very happy with that. If we had been a little better prepared, I would have gotten a prep book for this. I’ve heard they’re good.</p>
<p>If your son wants to do engineering, he should definitely do it! Sounds like he’s pretty well caught up to me. Many years ago, my sister and I went to a high school in a very modest neighborhood. We had the great fortune to get into Penn, but were quite nervous being behind the other kids in advantages in high school. My sister had only taken algebra 2 before taking calculus there and still got As, so did I after only precalc. Best of Luck to you!</p>
<p>That makes sense! How wonderful that your son was able to move to a challenging school and actually get to learn the “good stuff”. Yes, it sounds like he’s doing very well and is right on target.</p>
<p>Our local high school has never had a NM winner as far as I know. We are also in a low income area, high minority area. The local high school was actually so bad in recent years that the govt. almost took it over. They turned it around and made it into a complex of 4 schools within a school. Even so, we homeschooled from the get go as my son would never have survived at that school.</p>
<p>Let us know how it goes with the physics test.</p>
<p>^He is very fortunate, indeed. Even if he does not make it to a top school, at least, now he will have the academic tools to be successful in college. Although, the circumstances that brought him here were kind of bitter sweet - wife lost her job in the heart of the 09 recession making it necessary to move close to her new job/ my stepmom passed away leaving some money, making it possible to move to this community. I remind my son all the time about the kids who had approximately the same potential as him in his previous schools, but will not end up in top schools or succeed in college because they did not know about the competition. Thanks for advice on Khan Academy. He says has been using Khan Acad. for math and will use to prepare for Physics. </p>
<p>PennMom, thanks for the info and encouraging remarks. </p>
<p>S’13 took the physic sat2 in June. He said that test is like the AP Physics B (non-calculus based) test. Most of the AP calc test takers take the AP B test/Sat2 Physics combo. Relatively few do the calculus based sequence of two tests, especially the e/m part. </p>
<p>He also said the PR book was great as a supplement. He took H physics the year before, and reviewed gaps with a textbook, finishing up with PR. He did very well-nearly perfect score (and of course is now tempted to retake, but I’m sure he won’t. Oh, brother!)</p>
<p>Good luck to you and your son. It looks like our kids have had some of the same academic challenges. The folks here are a great help and I think you are right about them understanding where you are coming from.</p>
<p>Wow- I just wanted to mention that I hit 200 posts. Kind of embarrassing after so many years. You can tell I have benefitted a lot from reading the posts of others!</p>
<p>Entomom, wanted to bring you update on my son’s academic progress as he just got his AP scores. I also wanted to get your opinion on where he should apply. As you can see there are some serious weaknesses in his record, such as the 4 Bs this semester and a low class rank. On the other hand, notice that except in AP Chemistry (on which he scored 4 in the AP test), everything else on which he got a B, he scored 5 or 750 on the AP test/ SAT subject test. So, I don’t know if this will convince any colleges that his school tends to deflate grades.</p>
<p>Spring Semester Junior Year grades with (end of year AP scores or SAT Subject test score):</p>
<p>B (SAT Math II 750), Pre AP PreCalc,
B (AP score 4), AP Chemistry,
B (AP score 5), AP Biology,
B (AP score 5), AP English Language,
A (AP score 5), AP US History
A (AP test not offered), AP Computer Science II,
A Pre AP Physics.</p>
<p>Standardized test scores:</p>
<p>PSAT / NMSQT: CR 74, W 76, M 69
SAT Subject Math II: 750
SAT Reasoning: To be taken in Oct
SAT Physics subject test: To be taken in November</p>
<p>GPA: weighted 4.04 (A is worth 5 for AP and Honors, 4 for Academic classes)</p>
<p>Class rank: Top 25 percentile. Attends a competitive high school: 4 kids to Stanford, 2 to Harvard and 2 to MIT this year. Top 10 NMSF producer in the State of TX. </p>
<p>Awards: Likely National Merit semifinalist. National Merit Hispanic Scholar</p>
<p>I’m afraid I’m not very familiar with engineering schools, whether tech schools, regular universities w/Engineering Depts or LACs with 3-2 programs. My suggestions on how to develop a list:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Talk to your HS GC and use Naviance if you have it. Since your S is at a competitive HS that sends lots of kids to selective colleges, they would be the best to understand where you S stands taking into consideration all of his academic, EC and personal factors.</p></li>
<li><p>My general approach is to use something like the US N&WR rankings. Go down the list and pull schools that fit your kid’s academic interests, social scene, region of the country, size, etc. preferences. From those you should be able to (with the help of #1 & #3) come up with a set of admissions & financial safety/match/reach schools.</p></li>
<li><p>The other part of the puzzle is financial, so depending on your situation you need to consider: an EA/ED/RD/rolling admissions strategy; likely need based FA using NPCs; possible merit aid schools (generally safety & match schools).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>p.s. I’ve never heard of AP PreCalc, just AP Calc, so perhaps you mean Pre AP Calc?</p>
<p>I also suggest you consider using UW gpa in conjunction with whether or not your S took the most demanding/very demanding/etc. coursework at his school. With HSs weighting differently, and some not at all, I find an UW gpa much easier for making comparisons.</p>
<p>I will add one more general thought (not specifically for perazzison) about developing a school list, particularly for Hispanic students that are neither low income or disadvantaged: plan your college list without considering your ethnicity and any degree of ‘bump’ it might give you. </p>
<p>Admittedly, I’m pretty conservative, but I think that given the increasingly competitive nature of college admissions, particularly for selective colleges, this is the circumspect way to go. </p>
<p>Finally perazziman you might want to hired a independent private counselor in your area. It sounds like your son is the first child to apply to college. Plus a counselor in your area would be more familiar with your son’s high school and where those students are accepted. The best place to find one is to ask last year’s seniors or your counseling office. </p>
<p>Finally and I don’t intend to be rude but your question (and I have seen some of your other posts) really are not the type intended for the Hispanic board. Rather they are the type where you yourself or your son even better should do the research in the first instance. Your question “where should my son apply to school in engineering?” is such a question. The best place to start is a search engine and I have directed you to some good ones. Then perhaps a specific question in follow-up is better such as “any Hispanic students have any experience in engineering at Georgia Tech” as example. I direct you to this article about the best use of college confidential for your reading. [What</a> You Need to Know About College Confidential - Do It Yourself College Rankings](<a href=“http://diycollegerankings.com/2012/08/07/what-you-need-to-know-about-college-confidential/]What”>http://diycollegerankings.com/2012/08/07/what-you-need-to-know-about-college-confidential/) </p>
<p>As entomom advised you-put your son’s parameter’s in the big future menu and you will find the schools that are best for your son’s wishes. The Hispanic board is best for sharing resources directed only at Hispanic students. If I sound annoyed I am sorry but I get am getting frustrated lately at seeing all these posts on the Hispanic board where the answer could be answered if the poster simply did their own research. The better your son takes direction in his own searches for college the better off he will be. </p>
<p>Since you have received a lot of advice here on the Hispanic board why don’t you do some research and post some information that could help other Hispanic students??</p>
<p>Yes, it is my first child. In addition, I did not grow up in the USA and did not attend high school here. So, there could be questions I am asking that may seem a little ridiculous to someone who attended high school in the USA. Also, I dont know if you realize but I am not Hispanic, but my son is since my wife is. I host a thread on the Pakistan board where I try to answer questions.</p>
<p>itsv, I am sorry if my questions have got you so bothered. Do you know if you do not like my questions you can choose not to answer them? If I do not get the answers, I will be forced to hire that private counselor? I do not understand are my posts taking up too much space? Can others not post when I post? So, excuse me for living.</p>
<p>I am not sure how perazzison will be viewed. For the first 13 years of his life we were quite poor, living in a poor hispanic/ mexican american neighborhood. The transcripts do not lie, this can be verified. However, about three years ago, after my step mother died, I inherited some money that allowed us to move out of the neighborhood and put perazzison in a good public school. We are not rich, but life is certainly better now that it was. Also, who is to say things will stay this way? However, I am glad that in this critical time, son managed to benefit from a good high school.</p>
<p>I think itsv’s point is that you and your S know best what he is looking for in a school, so asking this forum to recommend schools is not the most effective way to go about developing a list. I think CC works best in directing members to admissions resources, whether they are the college website, a book or another web based source. And we can relate our past experiences, but each kid and family situation is so different and personal, that CC doesn’t function well as an admissions counselor.</p>
<p>itsv has given you some excellent resources for starting the search, as we are all here willing to do, but the main job of researching schools is up to each student and their family. It’s a lot of work, but I think the satisfaction you’ll get in finding the schools that really fit your son’s needs will make the effort worthwhile, and the results will be better than any of us here could ever accomplish.</p>
<p>. Just found out son scored a 750 on the SAT Biology Subject Test. </p>
<p>. He has been admitted to the College of Engineering at TX A&M. He likes it because it is in state, his high school friends are going there and he should get a pretty good scholarship. It is also #12 th ranked graduate engineering program according to US News & World report: </p>
<p>Here is how his academic profile is looking:</p>
<p>NMSF
NHRP Scholar.</p>
<p>700s in all sections of the SAT Reasoning Test</p>
<p>750 Math II- SAT Subject Test
750 Bio. E - SAT Subject Test</p>
<p>5 Junior Year AP courses:
5 US History.
5 English Language & Composition.
5 Biology.
5 predicted on AP Computer Science II (test not offered this year).
4 Chemistry.</p>
<p>12 Total AP courses
11 Total Honors courses. </p>
<p>The only major weakness is his class rank of 26 percent, mostly due to how school treats transferred middle school grades and also due to poor grades in freshman year after transferring from a weak middle school. However, seems like A&M over looked it. He still has not applied to any private universities. I do not know if he will, but time is running out.</p>
Yes, it sounds like he’s doing very well and is right on target.</p>