<p>@mathyone - You can disagree, but I am just reporting what the professor said and what has been my experience as well. The APs do not come close to teaching what the professor thought important. </p>
<p>And the point actually had nothing to do with difficulty per say, even though that was part of the discussion, because anything can be made difficult. The centerpieces of the professor’s point were philosophy, process and what is deemed important to learn. </p>
<p>Each school is different, and no way can a singular AP course in any high school get close to covering the various approaches and individual program emphases, which the seniors are going to encounter at different schools. That one aspect alone really proves the professor’s point. Knowing is not the same as using, and the kids who learn to use that specific school’s philosophical approach has a heads up later on and show up stronger in the end vis a vis that school’s program. </p>
<p>“The irony is plenty of the “old elite” are in that “new elite” if one gets to know such “new elite” students/professionals to the point of inquiring into their family histories.”</p>
<p>If talent is in the genes - I have nothing against it. I admit, all talented athletes that I’ve met in my life are from parents that were good in some sport (not necessarily the same as their children). Just personal experience. </p>
<p>If a talented and hardworking kid comes from a family of talented and hardworking parents … I don’t see anything wrong with it. (I still don’t understand why kids are penalized during admission if their parents have college education). </p>
<p>Personally, I don’t feel the genes matter as emulating parents’/family/peer examples and having one’s own personal interests turned on as a result. </p>
<p>Plus, I know too many kids of highly successful academics or professionals who ended up not cutting the mustard academically or worse, go off the rails in life. </p>
<p>@cobrat
You really contradict yourself. First you write about the importance of parent’s examples. Next, you write about “many kids of highly successful academics or professionals who ended up not cutting the mustard academically or worse, go off the rails in life.” </p>
<p>Certainly, genes are not the only important factor. However, I’ve seen many times, that good families have good kids … even if, occasionally, it skips a generation. </p>
<p>I don’t think I am contradicting myself. I’m just trying to point out that part of it is parental influence and part of it is how much of it is absorbed/rejected due to the agency of the child concerned. </p>
<p>Cobrat - I used to believe that too, but once I had children it was obvious that genes will prevail…upbringing can keep it on the rails, but genes really do determine the path…and in many instances it is the best thing. So, give guidance and direction, but let the child follow their own inclination and talents.</p>
<p>Anyone care to get this thread back on topic? Lets see, who do we think took it off topic from the past decade of parenting to a history of the Chinese cultural elite and a cultural revolution…l X_X </p>
<p>Many of the “princelings”, who are part of the “new elite” that I believe Cobrat refers to, indeed have talent in the genes. A few others got ahead through…shall I say in a context that is current here…legacy. Nevertheless, I believe both Cobrat’s and californiaaa’s points are valid</p>
<p>Looking back on the enormous progress China has made–not during Mao, but after his demise and that of the Gang of Four–there has to be admiration. Details are fuzzy to me now, but I was told during one of the periodic diplomatic conflicts between the US and China in the 80s, a visiting senior US official delivered a strong threat to China and implicitly to Deng Xiaoping’s rule. Deng’s response was reportedly something to the effect of, “So the US wants to be responsible for the care and feeding of a billion more people? If I am not going to take care of it, who is?”</p>
<p>As economic advances in China have occurred, not surprisingly, many examples of “bourgeois liberal” attitudes have been creeping back in. The primacy of merit over privilege is the best defense against the excesses of that, I think. In any country</p>
<p>Which AP courses/tests relative to which college’s frosh-level courses?</p>
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<p>Not really. It may be the case for that particular AP course/test relative to the frosh-level course in that particular subject at that particular college, for that particular student, but generalizing that all students should repeat all AP credit is an overgeneralization. (However, it is true that some AP courses/tests are much less likely to be useful or seen as equivalent in content to frosh-level college courses than others.)</p>
<p>Obviously, if the college allows an AP score to place out of a frosh-level course, the college believes that a significant number of students can do so without failing subsequent courses. A careful student would want to try the college’s old final exams for the course allowed to be skipped before making the placement decision.</p>
<p>Indeed, that matches with what I saw in college decades ago – the strongest in math students (including math majors) did not repeat calculus in college, but just moved on, doing well in whatever math courses they took.</p>
<p>Make sure to use that wonderful stat about demographics when some nut wastes precious space on this forum with specious claims of discrimination or complains about unfair admission results in elite colleges. </p>
<p>Perhaps Davidson numbers should inspire the HYPS of this world in defining adequate representation. /sarcasm</p>
<p>A significant portion of this thread has been devoted to the proclivities of Chinese and other Asian parents. A little look at Chinese history might inform us about their focus and drive…obsession or craziness if you will…to go to great lengths to help assure that their kids get ahead.</p>
<p>“Devoted” to proclivities of asian parents? There have been a gazillion tigermom-type threads. We really do not need another. The thread topic was amusing enough on its own before it was hijacked.</p>
<p>I think some parents’ actions (especially some immigrant parents’ actions) that are perceived as crazy can be understood a little better, if not endorsed, through some recognition of the historical background they come from. That is the intended relevance of recent posts</p>
<p>You can argue my facts, argue my conclusions, or take shots at me. Your choice</p>
<p>This has been well known for YEARS. Nothing new. Most students, even if they get a 5 on an AP, will be encouraged, if not expected or required to retake the class if its in their major, or if, for example its chemistry or biology and they are pre med. So before you ask what is the benefit of the AP classes, they count as credits toward graduation. Students, even if they repeat Chem or Physics C or BC Calculus or what have you, despite 5’s in these AP subjects will have graduation or distribution credits, can potentially graduate early and, what we found was the best advantage, were identified as the class above their actual class (ie listed as juniors when they were sophomores) which gave advanced registration opportunities and they did not find themselves shut out of desired or required classes. </p>
<p>So maybe you think that saving an hour here or there gives you more family time, but it doesn’t take a “5” in BC calculus to figure out that shaving a semester or a year off one’s college experience potentially offers a boatload more “family time” and can save a bunch of $$. Of course, its likely that upon graduation the students will be heading off to other opportunities.</p>
<p>However, graduating early may not be the best strategy if one’s a pre-med or going to another professionally oriented school where maxing one’s undergrad GPA is paramount for admission or one could be turned down for being considered “too young”* for admission. </p>
<p>Many pre-meds actually count on taking non-pre-med core electives to boost that GPA for med school admissions. Same applies to some extent for aspiring law school or other grad schools where stats are paramount. </p>
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<li>Been reading there’s an increasing trend of law schools, especially T-14 ones increasingly wary of admitting younger law students, especially if they graduated in less than 3 years and/or have little/no work experience.<br></li>
</ul>
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