Extra Insight - AP courses Senior Year

[The Mystery Machine]

OH my, I am so sorry, I didn't take it as a slam. I wrote my reply more as a confession of a Mother. This topic has me thinking long and hard about decisions I have made. You also brought up questions that I had to think about. Yes she did take the PSAT and yes she is a Merit Scholar (okay, I am pretty sure this is true, I have to double check when she gets home). Her SAT scores are due back this week. She will not be going to college for another year so we are definetely looking into scholarships.

Oh that is certainly good in her favor. So if she is doing that well then AP's are probably going to help her.

My dd going to college in the fall is an average student and we do not qualify for anything.

The thing you need to look at now are the colleges she wants to attend and the merit aid that is offered.
Time to dig in.

Good Luck!

 

[dis-happy]

Is her spring break coming up before the schedule is due? If so, (or even regardless) I'd spend some of the time visiting schools she might be interested in.

In your shoes I would have her mostly take the honors class and stay home for another year and do her first year at community college. If she knows where she wants to transfer to she could meet with a counselor and make sure all the classes she takes will transfer for credit. Not only would her give this a year's worth of credit (and save a year's tuition) but it would also give her an extra year at home. From one mom to another I agree that 17 is really young to go off!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Is her spring break coming up before the schedule is due? If so, (or even regardless) I'd spend some of the time visiting schools she might be interested in.

In your shoes I would have her mostly take the honors class and stay home for another year and do her first year at community college. If she knows where she wants to transfer to she could meet with a counselor and make sure all the classes she takes will transfer for credit. Not only would her give this a year's worth of credit (and save a year's tuition) but it would also give her an extra year at home. From one mom to another I agree that 17 is really young to go off!

Her schedule is due the first day after spring break. Traveling to the schools are not possible because of previous plans. That will take place in the summer, but we are doing virtual tours during her break. I really wish someone would have knocked me on the side of the head at the beginning of this school year!! If I had a magic wand, the only thing I would ask for is to go back to September 2008 and re-do this school year. She's a great kid and deserves it!

 

[mamacatnv]

Her schedule is due the first day after spring break. Traveling to the schools are not possible because of previous plans. That will take place in the summer, but we are doing virtual tours during her break. I really wish someone would have knocked me on the side of the head at the beginning of this school year!! If I had a magic wand, the only thing I would ask for is to go back to September 2008 and re-do this school year. She's a great kid and deserves it!

Don't stress, you will figure it out and remember if this is something your DD wants she too will find a way to get it.

 

[MsAmerica]

Well, the first thing you need to do is contact your daughter's guidance counselor and schedule an appointment with him/her. Your daughter's future is to important to let it be decided by your daughter and GC alone because not all GC's are equal.

My daughter also went to a private HS and from the first parent teachers meeting of her freshmen year to the last one of her senior year, I paid a visit to my daughter's GC as well as every one of her teachers. Developing a relationship with the GC was the most valuable time I spent during her HS years. Our relationship developed to the point that the GC sent me an email four days after she gave birth to let me know her brother would be personally escorting my daughter to the dean of admissions office on the day of her college interview ( he was a student intern at her top choice college.) I still to this day can believe she was thinking about my daughter after just days after giving birth.

Honestly, it isn't to late to develop a relationship with your daughter's GC. Call and let him/her know you need her assistance.

Secondly, smart students get much more money at less selective schools than highly selective schools. My daughter was offered a tremendous amount of money by schools that she easily got accepted into. We are fortunate that money was not a factor and she did get into her top choice school but with very little money offered.

Actually, we had colleges call and offer her additional money after the May 1st deadline to try to intice her to change her mind and go to their school once she declined their offers.

Northeastern is a highly selected, nationally ranked college. Your daughter may get accepted but the money offered might be very little compared to a less selective school.

Honestly, I found the entire college process daunting and we started visting schools and SAT prep really early and I had my sister's children in school so I understood somewhat how it all went. Also, my DH and I both graduated from college but truthfully, that didn't matter. There are no similarities between getting into college now and 25 years ago.

Again, I understand your anxiety. I thought I was bad last year until I had one of my daughter's friends mother tell me she was having heart palpations and nightmares during the entire time. Truthfully, you are not alone but sitting at home online asking for advice on the DIS won't help your daughter as much as personally talking to the guidance counselor will.

Good Luck to both you and your daughter.


MsA

 

[bluesaturn]

Frankly, she needs to take as many AP classes as she can handle. By handle I mean get good grades in, and preferably pass the AP exams. Colleges look for those AP classes, they are generally weighted higher than the honors classes. Also, if she gets college credit for the courses she can graduate early (or earlier than she would). That can significantly reduce the amount of debt she goes into for college. And chances are, if she's paying for it herself, she will have to take out loans.

I think you should prioritize paying for these exams. They really can have quite an effect on her future.

I won't take those other classes that require a fee. I would only take the AP ones.

 

[bluesaturn]

That isn't a bad price for 6 hours, but it maybe isn't necessary for college acceptance, unless she is looking at Stanford, Duke, Princeton, etc.

I disagree. I think many universities look at the AP classes taken, not just the very "top" schools. I go to a state university that weighed APs heavily. I also applied to many private (but not ivy or the like) schools that mentioned that they looked for the AP classes.

Of course they want to see AP classes and good grades. So one should only take as many as they can handle.

 

[Longsx3]

My first response with out knowing your DD's GPA or SAT scores and the quality of your Public Schools is to discuss with her the option of switching to a public high school for her senior year. I know it seems like a huge move during her senior year but you could pay for two years at SUNY with the 10K you will spend on tuition and AP courses. Attending a private school is great but if the cost precludes you from assisting with College expenses I would say the cost is not worth the reward.

 

[claudia]

Here is an interesting read for you and your daughter....don't know if the universities listed have the major that your daughter is interested in, but probably worth looking over:
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/college...h-colleges-offer-the-most-for-your-money.html

 

[geffric]

you might want to check out loan interest rates and when they start.. the website gives you a copy of the EFC calculator and discusses loan types.. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/

 

[Green Tea]

I disagree. I think many universities look at the AP classes taken, not just the very "top" schools. I go to a state university that weighed APs heavily. I also applied to many private (but not ivy or the like) schools that mentioned that they looked for the AP classes.

Of course they want to see AP classes and good grades. So one should only take as many as they can handle.

Of course they look at them. They want to see if you have taken the top course your school offers. Her DD would be. The honors IV class is the top level offered at her high school.

The issue in college acceptances is strength of schedule. Did the kid push himself by taking the toughest classes the school offered. The toughest level varies by district.

 

[bluesaturn]

Of course they look at them. They want to see if you have taken the top course your school offers. Her DD would be. The honors IV class is the top level offered at her high school.

The issue in college acceptances is strength of schedule. Did the kid push himself by taking the toughest classes the school offered. The toughest level varies by district.

But if the AP is offered, I would think that is the highest level offered in her school. I was always told the honors is great, but if the AP is offered that is considered higher than honors.

 

[Green Tea]

OP, if your DD is a junior, she won't know about Merit Scholar status until next year. The Colllege Board looks at the PSAT taken in the junior year. The Merit commended scholars and Merit semi-finalists are announced in about Sept of Sr, year. For commended scholars that is the end of the line. For those named semi finalists, they submit more information and hopefully become National Merit winners. It is all based on the PSAT score from the year prior to the last year of high school and a set percentage from your particular region.

 

[onelilspark]

I took AP US History in HS. When I got to college, it was useless. The reason why I didn't take more AP credits my senior year is that I knew where I wanted to go (which is rare...so don't worry!) and knew my school wouldn't accept them, so it wasn't worth it to me.

English and Economics are the only ones I would consider. Econ is going to help her. If she wants any kind of business degree and scores well on the AP Test, most colleges will accept AP Econ (except where I went, but we were weird.) And with English, that's a good one to have. With Spanish, it might not save you money when she gets to college, she just might be placed in a higher class (which is a good thing, definitely gives her an edge, but might not save you money in the long run, that's a toss up.) If she's not a science kind of gal (neither am I) I wouldn't take the AP course. Take the 101 class in college for the Gen Ed req, it'll be easier on her. I wouldn't have her do an AP Religion course. Unless she plans to go to a religious school it'll be totally worthless (for credits...) And even then, they might want it taught "their way." Entrepreneurship...I wouldn't go near that one for AP either.

Basically unless it's a cut and dry course that everyone would learn the same things across the board, I wouldn't take the AP course for it. I took an AP course in HS and I don't think the added stress was worth it.

 

[bluesaturn]

I took AP US History in HS. When I got to college, it was useless. The reason why I didn't take more AP credits my senior year is that I knew where I wanted to go (which is rare...so don't worry!) and knew my school wouldn't accept them, so it wasn't worth it to me.

English and Economics are the only ones I would consider. Econ is going to help her. If she wants any kind of business degree and scores well on the AP Test, most colleges will accept AP Econ (except where I went, but we were weird.) And with English, that's a good one to have. With Spanish, it might not save you money when she gets to college, she just might be placed in a higher class (which is a good thing, definitely gives her an edge, but might not save you money in the long run, that's a toss up.) If she's not a science kind of gal (neither am I) I wouldn't take the AP course. Take the 101 class in college for the Gen Ed req, it'll be easier on her. I wouldn't have her do an AP Religion course. Unless she plans to go to a religious school it'll be totally worthless (for credits...) And even then, they might want it taught "their way." Entrepreneurship...I wouldn't go near that one for AP either.

Basically unless it's a cut and dry course that everyone would learn the same things across the board, I wouldn't take the AP course for it. I took an AP course in HS and I don't think the added stress was worth it.

I agree it definitely depends on the school because I received credit for AP US History. US History was a required part of our core (everyone in our university had to take it), so I received credit and didn't have to take that required class.

 

[blissventure]

I agree it definitely depends on the school because I received credit for AP US History. US History was a required part of our core (everyone in our university had to take it), so I received credit and didn't have to take that required class.

Some schools, especially private ones, decline the AP's. It often appears to be a money issue. That's too bad, because it can really save $$.

I still am concerned OP doesn't get that the government/FAFSA and the college her DD attends will not care one iota about the family "agreement."
You don't get a cent more aid because you and your child agreed to something when she was 14. Private lenders are more strict than ever, even with a co-signer. The package that is offered will include PLUS loans factored in.
It might not be fair to get a young person's hopes up that they have a chance to go to college, because under this scenario it's hard to see how OP's DD will be able to make her education happen, alone.

 

[allison443]

Of course they look at them. They want to see if you have taken the top course your school offers. Her DD would be. The honors IV class is the top level offered at her high school.

The issue in college acceptances is strength of schedule. Did the kid push himself by taking the toughest classes the school offered. The toughest level varies by district.

I agree.
OP, the strength of your schedule can also determine your class rank. For example, if APs are weighted the highest, etc. My dd's school uses weighted
g.p.a. to determine class rank. So someone with straight As in all regular class would have a 4.0. However, someone that took tougher classes and got straight As would have a 4.5 or something and would rank higher. (there are various grading systems among the schools.) OP you probably know by now what your dd class rank is-our school gives it out at the end of each year.
A big statistic for colleges is what percentage of their students are in what rank of their high school class. So that is another factor for your dd is she is going for scholarships, top schools, etc.

 

[allison443]

OP, if your DD is a junior, she won't know about Merit Scholar status until next year. The Colllege Board looks at the PSAT taken in the junior year. The Merit commended scholars and Merit semi-finalists are announced in about Sept of Sr, year. For commended scholars that is the end of the line. For those named semi finalists, they submit more information and hopefully become National Merit winners. It is all based on the PSAT score from the year prior to the last year of high school and a set percentage from your particular region.

Green Tea I was thinking the same thing. I'm don't think the OP was correct about saying her daughter is a merit scholar already.
National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists are determined based on the "selection index" of the PSAT. The three sections of the PSAT are added together to get the selection index. The maximum selection index you could get would be 240, if you got a perfect score of 80 on each section. The cut-off for selection index to qualify you as a semi-finalist varies from state to state. In New York last year the selection index needed was 219, one of the highest state requirements. OP did your dd get a 219? That is great if so!
Even if you are a semi-finalist you aren't guaranteed a full scholarship or anything. You may qualify for some corporate-sponsored scholarships, or certain schools offer them.
The great benefit of the PSAT is to give an idea how you will do on the SAT. Add a zero to the scores and your child should get that score (or better) on the SAT.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

OP, if your DD is a junior, she won't know about Merit Scholar status until next year. The Colllege Board looks at the PSAT taken in the junior year. The Merit commended scholars and Merit semi-finalists are announced in about Sept of Sr, year. For commended scholars that is the end of the line. For those named semi finalists, they submit more information and hopefully become National Merit winners. It is all based on the PSAT score from the year prior to the last year of high school and a set percentage from your particular region.

Oh thank you for this information, when DD came home I asked her and she looked at me with glazed over eyes. Yes she took the PSAT, yes her scores are within the range needed, but she said no one told her anything yet. I will let her know.

 

[claudia]

Oh thank you for this information, when DD came home I asked her and she looked at me with glazed over eyes. Yes she took the PSAT, yes her scores are within the range needed, but she said no one told her anything yet. I will let her know.

Here are some websites for you to search for scholarships. There are a ton of them out there and now would be the perfect time to begin looking. Many final dates are in the early/late fall. In a previous post I gave you a link to colleges that offer the most aid. I think I read that you are in NY...they SUNY's can be a great value (especially Geneseo and Binghamton for Business)....but possibly one of them is located close to home so possibly your daughter could commute....I believe the average tuition is about the $6000 point. (without room/board etc.) Another option would be to consider a community college for 2 years and then move on....just check on transfer of courses though.


http://www.fastweb.com/
https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/index.jsp
http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/203.aspx
http://www.scholarships4students.com/target_stores_(csfa)_all-around_scholarship_program.htm
http://www.utsa.edu/scholarships/searchsch.cfm