<p>A very worried parent here. My son has done good quality research with a top university and also has started his own company. His total EC hours are over 1200. Most of them are in scientific research. He is currently doing more than 10 hours per week on scholarly research with a top most university (2 professors, separate research though inter-related at some meta level; one of them has given him a rec letter, hopefully very strong). His SAT (2300+) and SAT-2 are very good. His grades are good too. Esp. in 10-12 where he is keeping straight A/A+.</p>
<p>However, in 12th he has only taken Calculus BC (AP), Physics-C (AP), Environmental Science (AP), English Lit, Robotics.<br>
Just 5 courses. </p>
<p>Now that he is done with his ED application, and applications to a few state colleges, he has suddenly decided (and unfortunately so soon after filing his ED application) that he wants to take two more Community College courses in Spring. These relate to his research area and are very relevant. One course is from Jan-March; and other is April-June. Each is 5 units of College Credit. Also they will make his course load for 12th not look too light,</p>
<p>He wants to send this information to the university where he has applied for his ED. But his friends are advising him that he should NOT send this information so soon after applying for ED? On the other hand some other friends are advising him to send this information over, especially because his senior year course work is a bit light. And that if he does so then it will help his application. I am just confused.</p>
<p>The question is that </p>
<ol>
<li> Is his senior course work really too light? Will it look bad on his application? He is indeed doings lots of academic EC but not sure if the school will take that in to account. </li>
<li>Would it look bad if he sends this information so soon after applying for the ED?<br></li>
<li> Should he wait couple of weeks and then send this information around middle of November. By that time hopefully the decision would still not have been taken. So they may add this to his file. And when they look at his file they will not think that his course load in 12th is too light.</li>
</ol>
<p>Will appreciate your feedback and advise. Sorry for so many questions and such a long post! Many many thanks.</p>
<p>His test scores and grades sound excellent. He’s a bit light on APs (6 total including 3 this year?) - but that needs to be put in context. Did he take as many as your school offered? How did he do on the 3 APs he’s taken already? You reference research at university level - was any of it entered in state / national competitions? Where did he apply ED? And when did he submit his application? </p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn’t “update” the ED school about two community college courses he’s not taking till second half of the year. He’s got 5 solid academic courses - presumably, he talked a lot about his outside research in his app-- Depending on where he applied ED and what the outcome is, you can always ‘update’ the school should he be deferred to the regular round (common outcome for those applying to many top schools). </p>
<p>Sorry! One more information: my son is VERY very straight shooter and feels that it is ethically and morally required that this information be submitted to the ED university asap (whether it hurts him or helps him). That this is the rule (required by the commonapp) Is it really so? I appreciate his spirit but do not know these rules. (His friends laugh at him that he may be a genius but is totally “impractical”) Any way, sorry for making it so long and emotional but I would really really appreciate any help for him.</p>
<p>Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! This is the world record for spamming. Just wanted to add that he is playing 2 varsity sports too (one in Fall and one in Spring). And also does about 1 hours of community service per week. </p>
<p>My son got 5 on all 3 AP courses. US history, world history, Computer science. He is applying to a HYPMS university. He has also taken 6 honors courses in 9-10-11 and one university course. Has written 4 patents too and has one paper in a very reputed conference. Conference. WitoneHYPMD </p>
<p>Where he applied ED is a good question. If it’s a school he will get in as is, it’s no big deal. Worst case scenario you can send it in if he’s deferred. If this is a school where it may make the difference between acceptance and rejection, then notify the school. Don’t worry that it’s right after the ED deadline. They won’t think much of it-- I didn’t. </p>
<p>The school offered many many AP. It is a top school. However his father/mother was fighting a severe illness so he could not do as much as otherwise he could. Would it hurt to update the school about extra courses? It is truth. And it will also help in making the coursework not look too light. </p>
<p>All of his research are with professors of HYPMS university where he is applying to. Two of the professors. He is working on deep scientific problems. </p>
<p>I have lurked on this site for a while now and what I want to say is “are you kidding?” If what you are posting about your son is true, then he has great stats for any school. Whether you report his course plans for the spring or not is really up to him and your family. I can’t imagine that the timing of that reporting will make a difference. Also, his course load isn’t too light, it sounds like you as a family have tried to help him balance courses with research, sports, and extracurricular activities. This is good preparation for what he will need to do on his own in college. Enjoy what he has accomplished and the last few months you have him at home. He is not falling short, whether or not he gets into Harvard. </p>
<p>Thanks for replying! I was badly hoping some one will, and had given up hope.</p>
<p>What I am posting is indeed true. (In fact, he is so busy with his research, and entrepreneurship, that he hardly gets much free time. Also, a lot of his research requires him to read new information - since he is still only a high school student - and I am not sure that he has counted all of this in his EC hours.)</p>
<p>Question (for any one reading this post):</p>
<p>Q1. Do the top colleges have any unofficial formula (obviously they cannot have an official formula) that certain number of AP MUST be taken? Like a SAT cutoff? A 25% - 75% range?</p>
<p>That is, (I am afraid), is the system broken at some level? When they are reading thousands of application in such a short time, how will they be able to understand the big context of how demanding research etc. are. They simply cannot have so much time at a physical level. And, even if some kind person does, he may still get subconsciously biased against my son since he has not taken as many APs (even though some of the honors course he took were far more work then many of the APs.) </p>
<p>Q2. And, I also worry that though he wants to take these Community College courses because they will help him in his research, Harvard will not understand it and they will wonder why he is submitting this information so soon after he filed his ED. Of course, you all have answered this already. But, should he send a letter of explanation also, clearly linking the courses to his immediate research? </p>
<p>Any way, I deeply worry about broken systems. Also I ramble too much. I am very sorry!</p>
<p>First, 5 solid course plus a varsity sport is not too light a load for a senior. Layering on heavy-duty research is pretty heavy, much less patents and starting a company.</p>
<p>Second, his friends should let him be himself. If he sends an emails saying he would like to update his file, he has decided to take course xxx and yyy in the spring to help him further his research interests, there is no voodoo timing issues. These people do not get their feelings hurt or have much of any emotional reaction. Whenever an event, thought, or decision occurs, it is appropriate to update your partner- i.e. the school where your application resides. Give them full transparency and full information. Continue the conversation. Why not? Don’t overthink this.</p>
<p>They are looking for the total person. From what you have posted, your son has endured and overcome adversity while simultaneously contributing prodigiously. He looks like someone they very much would like to have on campus. That is all they need to see. I highly doubt that they use some secret indexing threshold test.</p>
<p>I hope you are past the life-threatening diseases. Best wishes. I agree with @NorthernMom61, enjoy having him around!</p>
<p>I think you are hearing too much blah blah from your local friends. Your child has a phenomenal record, and his passion for science is clearly demonstrated. Many many schools only have students take five classes senior year – one in each of the core academics. Combine senior year curriculum with extracurriculars and sports, and add to that college applications, and its enough to send more than one student over the edge. Your son is fine. </p>
<p>First, he should make sure that he is able to enroll in the additional courses, since CCs can sometimes have capacity problems due to being open admission. But then he can inform all previously-applied-to colleges of the added CC courses after confirmed enrollment in them.</p>
<p>Once he’s confirmed he can enroll in the classes, he should notify the ED school and specify he chose the classes because they will help him in his research.
His senior courseload is not light at all.
Yes there’s an “unofficial” number of AP classes to take for the top schools (AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, AICE: all count): 4 to 8 in the entire high school career.
(The “every-AP-under-the-sun” strategy is not seen as especially productive).</p>