Some Serious Questions About My Future

Parents Forum
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<p>Hey everyone, </p>

<p>This is my first time posting, but I have been lingering around this forum for a while now. Anyways, I have some questions, but first let me tell you the story. So, I'm currently a sophomore in a very small high school (about 8 high school students), and my school does not offer any AP classes, and only offers honors English, and currently for math, I am taking Pre-calculus. I don't have any real special or outstanding EC'S. All of my EC'S are not related with school, as my school offers nothing. :( My EC'S util now are volunteering at a hospital (almost done with 100 hours.) And i'm currently helping out my dad at his shop (so that counts as work/volunteer, don't know yet). My current GPA is 4.0, and I'm doing really well in all my classes. </p>

<p>Now here comes the confusing part for me. My school allows students to dual enroll, and I plan to do it this fall term (I'll be a junior). I will be taking Freshman Comp, along with some other courses. Now, I'm not worried about those courses, but I am worried about courses such as College Algebra, or Chemistry. (currently taking Biology sophomore year because school didn't offer it in Freshman year.) I don't want to screw up my GPA, by taking those classes at the CC, but I completely DESPISE my current school, and cannot fathom the idea that I will have to go back there to take any more courses. Therefore, I really want to believe that I CAN, and am mentally capable taking the more difficult classes at the CC. However, because I don't want to screw up my GPA, i'm reluctant to take it there. So I'm really in a tough spot, and need some advice.</p>

<p>P.S. I HATE MY SCHOOL, THAT IS WHY I AM RELUCTANT TO TAKE ANY CLASSES THERE. Most of the kids there are complete idiots who don't know anything. There is no competition there, instead everyone is content with mediocrity. I hate it.</p>

<p>I understand that I even if I may hate my school, I have to do what is necessary to keep up my GPA.... but again what is your take on this, and please let me know, maybe even with some concrete facts or opinions... :)</p>

<p>Sorry for the long post, and I appreciate the effort of those who read this terribly long post, and help me out. Thanks :)</p>

<p>I've posted this in quite some different forum boards...but I need more opinions. Please help.</p>

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<p>You can probably get your hands on the textbooks that the CC uses in the Algebra and Chem classes. (Visit the CC bookstore) Take a look through them and see what you think. My bet is that they will both seem fairly accessible to you, and if that’s the case, you’ll probably do well in the courses.
Also, just take one CC course at a time. But also, don’t get so hung up on worrying about your gpa. If you currently have a 4.0, you’re not going to fall far, regardless! :wink:
It sounds like you need the challenge, and probably will do better all the way around if you let yourself take it. Good luck.</p>

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<p>There are 8 students total in your school? It’s obviously not a public school so are your parents forcing you to stay there? Since you hate it so much and have so few course options, I think you should have a converstaion with them about changing schools.</p>

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<p>And if you do want to leave, may I suggest homeschooling with dual enrollment in the CC? Make sure you don’t graduate early, but dual-enroll. It works for many kids. You’d need to finish reasonable “HS requirements” in your homeschool. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>@GreekMom63, what exactly do you mean, homeschooling with dual enrollment. And I do plan to graduate early. My older sister did dual enrollment and did 2 years of college and high school simultaneously, and that is also what I plan to do. And what exactly do you mean by, "You’d need to finish reasonable “HS requirements” in your homeschool. " Thanks for your advice everyone, and am eagerly awaiting any more advice.</p>

<p>Thanks,
Young Prodigy</p>

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<p>What I mean is doing HS and college simultaneously, except do the HS as a homeschooler, following whatever state requirements there are, instead of going to this HS that you hate. If you graduate from HS first, then colleges look at you as a transfer student, and it’s harder to get in the top colleges. And by “reasonable requirements”, I just meant to take the standard-type classes, not just take all your favorite classes and leave your non-favorites undone.</p>

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<p>^well, the problem is that my parents want me to keep a connection with this school because in case if somethigng happens, there will be a school that will have all the records and everything. And I don’t mind if I have to take 1 class at the school, and the rest at the CC. Howeverm do you think it would be a good idea if I take one class at the school, some classes at the CC, and do other classes at home (as in homeschooling)?</p>

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<p>CC classes are likely to be no more difficult than AP courses many HS students take. Your attitude may change as you are exposed to a wider variety of students in your CC classes. Your small group of fellow HS students won’t seem as confining when you get to interact with others. I understand your parents’ desire to have a school be in charge of documenting your HS experience, doing CC and it seems viable. However trying to mix and match 3 different places isn’t good. You can’t pick and choose only what you want in life. You can always add your own studying to a school’s course work if you want more than is offered. You will find even your favorite college will have good and bad aspects/courses.</p>

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<p>^but I feel that CC classes woudl be more difficult than AP classes because of the fact that you don’t know who the professor will be, and if they will do a good job explaining the material. Because for AP classes and for the test people can use PR or Kaplan books, and a lot of people are able to get 5’s with only 2 weeks of studying. Therefore, if what I plan to take was AP classes, I wouldn’t really be reluctant to doing it. CC classes also affect one’s GPA and could prove to be detrimental if one does not do good in the classes. So that is why I’m very reluctant, and need advice.</p>

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<p>“College algebra” courses are usually remedial courses equivalent to high school algebra 2 or maybe precalculus. After having completed precalculus in high school, the next math course should be calculus.</p>

<p>However, if your high school’s math course instruction is poor, you may have to retake the remedial “college algebra” and precalculus courses at the community college before you are ready for calculus.</p>

<p>You may want to try this on-line placement test to see if you are ready for calculus:
[Calculus</a> Placement Exam | Department of Mathematics at University of California Berkeley](<a href=“http://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/placement-exam]Calculus”>http://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/placement-exam)
Ideally, you want to score green on most or all topics tested after you complete the precalculus course at your high school.</p>

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<p>I’m still stuck on the OP’s statement about “eight students” in the HS. Do you mean eight students in your graduating class or eight students altogether? Or was that a typo? If not a typo, what is the nature of this high school? Are there really no better options anywhere nearby?</p>

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No, I don’t think it would be a good idea to replace high school classes with self-study. If you’re sticking with the high school for documentation, then you can’t expect them to also document your self-study. If you just want to look into additional stuff, that’s a good idea throughout life! :)</p>

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<p>Have you considered boarding school? My son attends an elite prep school (i.e. college-preparatory school) on the east coast and loves it! There is an entire section of CC devoted to BS:
[Prep</a> School Admissions - Page 2 - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/index2.html]Prep”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/index2.html)</p>

<p>The kids at his school come from all over America and all over the world. Many of the BS’s offer generous financial aid-- even an entirely free education, if your family’s financial circumstances qualify for it.</p>

<p>You have missed the deadline for applying to the top-tier schools, for entry in Fall 2012, but other schools offer rolling admissions. You might consider applying for Fall 2013 as a “Repeat Junior”. Repeating a year in BS is not viewed in the same negative way it is viewed in other school systems. For many families, repeating a year is a deliberate educational & admissions strategy.</p>

<p>Here is a good resource for selecting schools:
[Why</a> Boarding School? - Boarding School Review](<a href=“Why Boarding School?”>Why Boarding School?)</p>

<p>Your circumstance of being in an 8-student high school will certainly make you stand out as an intriguing candidate to an school admissions officer.</p>

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<p>You might ask your parents what their fears are – you are at an age where you need to learn to navigate in the larger world, but that can be hard for parents to allow. Talking about what worries them the most might help you pick a path that works for them and you. </p>

<p>For instance, if they are worried that you might get attacked on campus, you might agree to take morning classes plus a self defense course. If they are worried about “drugs”, you might agree to start with some health courses. </p>

<p>You can also work with your parents to learn more about what is offered at other high schools in your area. Will one of them do a field trip with you to do a survey of science classes? By visiting three different AP chem classes in the tri-county area and seeing what is on the Powerpoint/blackboard/class website, they might just go “Cripes! This is a ton more than what Little Valley has to offer!”</p>

<p>Truthfully, I suspect that 4.0 GPA is a fig leaf that is not covering some important truths: you are isolated and ignorant. Sorry to sound harsh, but just naming yourself “YoungProdigy” is an indication of your isolation. Gifted kids being schooled in a community with an ocean of talent tend to know that they have a gift but that its not noteworthy among all the other gifted ones that they know. You see self names along the lines of “physicsfan” or “pi-mad” or “violia-mania” where a talent is acknowledged but not in a smug fashion. You need to get out there in the world to see how many other bright ones there are. </p>

<p>Also, your family is doing you no favors by keeping you ignorant of large group activities. Being one of fifty trying out for the football team or the theater production is healthy preparation for trying to find a path among the 6 billion on Earth in general. </p>

<p>A 4.0 GPA is going to be paired with SAT scores and EC’s when you are evaluated for college entrance. Please help your parents understand that you are currently not very competitive with a typical public high school student. That 4.0 isn’t . . .much . . .
Sorry.</p>

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<p>"you are currently not very competitive with a typical public high school student. That 4.0 isn’t . . .much . . .
Sorry. "</p>

<p>That’s a harsh comment and I think it’s not an accurate one. I think that to a college (or HS boarding school) admissions office, your coming from such a small community will make you stand out in a sea of plain-vanilla students who come from a more conventional HS experience.</p>

<p>You will need to perform well on the standardized tests (SAT, ACT, SSAT) to benchmark your 4.0 GPA.</p>

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<p>Most of the other kids? All seven of them? What is the nature of this high school and what other high school options are there in the community? (Presumably the eight-student high school is not a public school.) If there is a community college nearby, the OP must not be in a seriously remote area.</p>

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<p>I’m a dual enrollment student in high school and I have completed Biology there and am taking Chemistry and Pre-Calc there this semester. I received an A in Biology and will easily receive A’s in both classes this semester (have a 99 in Chem and a 105 in Pre-Calc). The classes are not that hard as long as you are motivated to do well. There is nothing I wish more than being able to go back 3 years and to start taking CC classes then, because it opens so many doors for college and the actual classes are much more enjoyable. </p>

<p>One more thing, use ratemyprofessor.com in choosing your professors!!! It is so important, I can’t stress this enough. If you get stuck with a horrible professor because you didn’t do due diligence it can be extremely hard to get an A. Good luck.</p>

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<p>@ucbalumnus, Thanks for the link, I really appreciate it. It is not because I have tested into College Algebra. Instead, the Dual-Enrollment officer told me that that is what I needed to take. She is going on the bases that I am going to take the SAT in order for me to eligible to dual enroll. The score one needs to be able to dual enroll is a 500 on the Reading and a 480 on math. Therefore, when one scores at least 1 480 on math, they go into College Algebra. However, I e-mailed her yesterday asking her whether I could take the PERT exam (an exam offered by the CC to see what classes you are allowed to go in), but she has not replied to me yet. The following is the question and answer I received from her, when I first asked about my future classes. : </p>

<p>Q. If I take the SAT, and receive a score higher than a 500 in math, do I have to take the PERT in order for me to be able to take MAC 2311 : Calculus With Analytical Geometery? I am currently taking Pre-Calculus at my high school, and I am trying my best to not have have to take any math classes that I have already taken in high school during my dual enrollment. </p>

<p>A. You do not have to take the PERT, you need to read the pre-requisites for MAC 2311. You first have to take, college algebra, college trig and college pre-calc.</p>

<h2>BTW, I was looking through my older sisters college algebra book that she used a couple of years ago, and I am able to do almost all of the material. I may need to brush up on some of the topics, but I think it would really be a waste of time for me to have to do it in CC.</h2>

<h2>@GMTplus7, The problem with boarding school are that you need to stay over night at the school. My parents need me at the house to help with the housework and the store my dad runs. So that is somewhat out the window. :(</h2>

<p>@Olymom, While you do bring up some interesting points regarding looking at what other schools offer, in terms of their classes, I feel that going to an AP Chem or AP anything classes, in the long run, is not very different from a CC class. Instead, college officers may even look at me as “different” in terms of what I did in my high school tenure, and the classes I took. I think if I do take some hard classes such as Calculus and Chemistry at the CC (and be able to keep A’s in those classes), It would really be beneficial for me during college admission because I would like to think I would stand out more than everyone else who took the traditional route of taking AP classes.</p>

<p>I don’t think the 4.0 “is a fig leaf that is not covering some important truths”, I have worked hard for that 4.0, balancing Academics, SAT Prep, and athletics. I am not isolated, but you can say that I do not have all of the opportunities that are presented to public school students, or large private schools. And, frankly, I’m fine with that. I have decided that I will make up for that with my future CC classes and my EC’s. </p>

<h2>In retrospect, my choosing the username “YoungProdigy”, may not have been the smartest thing to do. I had chosen that username because “Young” = Young Jeezy, and my love for the Hip-hop/Rap music genre. “Prodigy” stems from just my liking of the word when I was looking at a SAT word list. In no way was this username supposed to be depicting my personality or what I think about myself. Again, in hindsight, I should have chosen a different username because it has been bugging a lot of people since I have began posting with this username.</h2>

<h2>I am currently diligently studying for the SAT’s and am hoping to achieve a score of 2300+ my junior year.</h2>

<p>@absweetmarie, this school is recognized as an “accredited private school”. My school goes from K-12 (in all about 40 kids in the school). While there are about 8 kids physically at the school on school days (Tuesday, short day on Wednesday, and Friday). There are other kids who only take classes online and are therefore part of the school. So in my graduating class of 2014 (currently a sophomore), there will probably be 10 - 15 kids graduating. And yes, all 7 kids do not have great aspirations. A couple of kids plan to drop out of high school, maybe work a little somewhere, or maybe even join a gang. Then, they plan to get their GED’s after a couple of years, and their future will be all set. Yea right, now do you see the environment I’m around? :slight_smile:
Now, no one please tell me that I should talk to my parents about the environment because while some kids may have some very “unique” ideas about their future plans, the rest of the school may be mediocre in their future plans, but no one has as bizarre ideas as the one I stated above… I may be wrong…:slight_smile: </p>

<h2>Yes, there is a CC nearby, and my question about what classes to take pertains to the CC…</h2>

<p>@JTownatp, Thank you, Your post on your personal experience has really taken some of the stress off me. Knowing that it is not that hard, as long as I put in the effort, is a very welcoming sign for me. Have you already started taking Pre-calculus and Chemistry this semester or has the semester not started yet? Also, did you take a certain test for colleges to be able to determine what math course you should take? Did you start off at College Algebra?</p>

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<p>Another reason that I am somewhat reluctant to take classes such as Chemistry or Calculus at the CC is because I aspire to get into a BS/MD program. I now that it is very difficult to get into one, let alone not drop out of it after getting in. However, I know that I want to become a doctor or surgeon (haven’t made up my mind yet), and I am willing to do whatever is necessary for me to become one. The classes I take at the CC will affect my high school transcript that the BS/MD program will be looking at, and I am scared that I will somehow screw up one class, and that will really limit my ability to get into one of these selective programs. Now that everyone knows my future plans, what would your next advice be?</p>

<p>I really really appreciate everyone’s help, and the time you guys put into helping everyone on CC. Sincerely, I say, Thank you. :)</p>

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<p>“The problem with boarding school are that you need to stay over night at the school. My parents need me at the house to help with the housework and the store my dad runs. So that is somewhat out the window.”</p>

<p>Your sense of duty to your parents is admirable, but your parents will need to face up to the fact that when you are all grown that you are your own person. You mention older sisters. Are they also staying behind to help with the housework and the store? </p>

<p>Would you even broach the subject of boarding school with them? Perhaps they will be more supportive than you think. Again, I think you would be a very intrguing candidate. Good luck.</p>