Senior Year Classes

Applying to College
1

<p>My situation is this: I go to a school that is in debt; we do not have many classes to choose from. They canceled physics and world history for my senior year, meaning I have those two classes as directed studies now. I needed a fourth hour and found out that I already have taken every available class fourth hour. I took all advanced classes in sophomore and junior years, so now I'm stuck with enviornmental geology, which has many many many disruptive kids in there (my school is the "school 'em and street 'em" type) and I simply can not work in the class, particularly because it is below my intelligence (vocabulary like COMMONS, ECOSYSTEM, and HYPOTHESIS) and because a lot is group work, which you can not do when three of the four others in your group are running around the room singing to themselves (rap music) and talking about really disgusting obscene things involving girls. I just got sprayed today with water becuase some idiot turned the faucet next to me on high and let it shoot on his hand, spraying me. AAAGGGHHH!. I can't switch schools, so I'm stuck with what I have. I want out of the class so I don't go mad, but my only options are another directed study (which may seem like padding my schedule--believe me, I do the work), which makes three, or POSSIBLY switching two hours up and taking Calculus (I am only in Pre-Calc, but I'd work on it if I could switch my fourth hour). </p>

<p>I have a small chance at getting into the Calculus class, this is the best bet: 3 Directed Studies, APUSH & AP English Lit (only two APs out of four years, AND I'm bused to another school), Pre-Calculus, and Spanish (3rd year). </p>

<p>My colleges are: Northwestern, UMich, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, or UNC-Chapel Hill. Would such a schedule keep me out of the running from those colleges? Or should I push for the Calculus class and have both Pre-Calc and Calc, 2 Directed Studies, Spanish, and 2 APs for a schedule to make sure I stand out more? I don't want to seem like I'm padding my schedule.</p>

2

<p>What is "directed studies" at your school? Is there a teacher teaching, or do you just do your own work alone? What about grades?</p>

<p>You need to take a science course faor the schools you've listed. Can you take physics at a community college?</p>

3

<p>Directed Study is where the teacher comes up with different types of work for me to do (I'm preparing for the SAT Subject in Biology for the first semester, then the second will be straight up studying physics because we don't have a course). My work for the Bio prep involves the Princeton Review SAT Subject: BIO prep book; I do all the quizzes and I read the whole thing; then once I'm done with those I'm doing the practice test; I also have a research paper due by Dec. 15. I'm doing it on the pioneering of heart surgery because I really liked Something the Lord Made with Mos Def and Alan Rickman. Inspiring. And interesting. </p>

<p>I also have World History as a directed study. I have a text book (the teacher prepared the whole course to begin it this year, but nobody signed up--she scared our juniors and seniors by saying it would be difficult) since nobody is using them, and I do a bunch of the questions at the end of each chapter--not the stupid vocab practice type, but the meaningful ones that make you think. Plus I will be doing reasearch papers in there as well as film screenings (once I get up to Rasputin, I'm going to search for the VHS, the one with, again, Alan Rickman).</p>

<p>I can't take a physics course at the community college because I have nobody to take me and pick me up: divorced parents, no contact with father; all family lives far away; friends have funny hours with their classes there; would only be able to take the class after six p.m., which interferes with homework and other activities I do. Plus, the class itself is I heard around three to four hours. I can't walk home at night like that because it's around three miles away. It's just a bad situation. I hope the adcomms understand.</p>