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How do you balance rigorous studies with personal interests/extracurriculars


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Dd is very motivated and hard-working. She wants an honors diploma from Veritas Scholars Academy. This means a pretty rigorous academic schedule for her.

 

This is what she will have accomplished at the end of her high school career:

Four years of math, culminating with Calculus 1

Four years of science, including Physics and Organic Chemistry

Omnibus since 7th grade, ending with Omnibus VI

Logic, Rhetoric, and a Senior Project

3 Languages ending with Latin II, Greek I, and 2 years Modern Foreign Language

2 Composition classes.

 

Extracurricular:

Swim team (she swims year-round, but only has time for 3 times/week in the off-season)

4-H where most of her time is spent raising livestock. (She has her own little flock of sheep and a couple of heifers.) This takes a lot of time during the summer. She has almost NO time for this during the school year, which frustrates her.

Classical piano. She is in her 10th year, and doesn't have the time she would like to have to practice. She would like to practice 1 hr/day, but can only fit that in maybe 3 times/week.

 

When you put all this on paper, it doesn't seem so bad, but my concern is that there is no room for flexibility.

 

She wants to learn to play the flute, take orchestra, and more art classes. She would like to take more French, and learn Gaelic, and study Irish History. She would like to take voice classes. She would like to see how far she can go with piano.

 

But she doesn't have time for any of these things. And as she progesses through High School, she will undoubtedly see other things she wants to do. She is already talking about a foreign exchange opportunity. All of these are good things that we can't do because of the core classes at Veritas. The academic requirements, I think, are huge. Is this what it takes to get into a good liberal arts college? She wants to go to Thomas Aquinas. Sometimes I think that when she graduates from High School, she'll be able to teach the great books at Thomas Aquinas! :tongue_smilie:

 

The whole thing seems a little unbalanced.

 

What do you think? What do we actually need to get into a school like Thomas Aquinas? Also, there is no money. She will need scholarships......

We are spending money now with Veritas, hoping that it will pay off with scholarships for college.

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Your daughter *can* do all those things, but maybe not right now. Music and art and learning won't end with high school. Even if you are not a music major, you can take instrument classes in college. So maybe that is where the flute may come in. I had a friend in college *start* the piano and take pottery classes - things she was not able to do before college.

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Wow, that's really, really impressive! She sounds like a wonderful girl, and I would be amazed if she didn't get a number of serious scholarship offers.

 

The studies and activities she's doing now are foundational. They can lead to more specialized interests later. Latin is foundational to language study, swimming is a demanding basic exercise that builds strong bodies, and piano is (obviously) a foundational musical instrument. The Great Books are foundational to the study of civilization. She has college, graduate school, and the entire rest of her life to branch into more narrow interests.

 

She could hardly be doing things *more* right than she is.

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...

 

This is what she will have accomplished at the end of her high school career:

Four years of math, culminating with Calculus 1

Four years of science, including Physics and Organic Chemistry

Omnibus since 7th grade, ending with Omnibus VI

Logic, Rhetoric, and a Senior Project

3 Languages ending with Latin II, Greek I, and 2 years Modern Foreign Language

2 Composition classes.

 

 

Are these the requirements for the honors diploma from Veritas Scholars Academy? What has she accomplished from the list to date?

 

It sounds like a strong (and demanding program). While studying three languages sounds wonderful, none of the studies progress past second year level. If it were me, I'd rather cut back to one or two languages and get through a third, fourth, or fifth year of that language.

 

Is this all necessary? No, though it does look great. My daughter is now a first year student at a well regarded liberal arts college. She completed math through PreCalculus and AP Statistics; she had four years of science (Physical Science, Chemistry, Geology, and Environmental Science); she took over four years of English (Composition and Literature); and she had five years of Latin (through a post-AP year) and a year of Ancient Greek. She did only three years of history (modern, AP US History, and AP Comparative Gov't and Politics). She also managed to squeeze in some art and theatre classes. There are only so many hours in a day, so choices do have to be made.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Are these the requirements for the honors diploma from Veritas Scholars Academy? What has she accomplished from the list to date?

 

It sounds like a strong (and demanding program). While studying three languages sounds wonderful, none of the studies progress past second year level. If it were me, I'd rather cut back to one or two languages and get through a third, fourth, or fifth year of that language.

 

Is this all necessary? No, though it does look great. My daughter is now a first year student at a well regarded liberal arts college. She completed math through PreCalculus and AP Statistics; she had four years of science (Physical Science, Chemistry, Geology, and Environmental Science); she took over four years of English (Composition and Literature); and she had five years of Latin (through a post-AP year) and a year of Ancient Greek. She did only three years of history (modern, AP US History, and AP Comparative Gov't and Politics). She also managed to squeeze in some art and theatre classes. There are only so many hours in a day, so choices do have to be made.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Yes, that's it exactly. "Choices have to be made". The list I made includes the minimum requirements for the VP scholars diploma (honors level). Minimum. It is a lot. So far, after her freshman year, she will have completed math through Geometry, science through Biology, languages through Latin II and French II, Literature, History and Theology through Omnibus III, and Comp. I.

 

I guess the problem is that she wants to do everything. She wants to study more Latin, and French. She wants to do more music. She absolutely loves Omnibus, and never wants to drop those classes. The only thing she doesn't want to do is the math and science. :001_smile:

 

Do I understand correctly that your dd did less than 4 years of high school math? Or was AP Stats her 4th year? Is 4 years of math and science the new minimum for entrance into a liberal arts college? May I ask whether or not your daughter received financial help via scholarships? How is your dd doing in college? Does she feel that she was well-prepared?

 

Your dd's track looks good in that she did complete more in-depth Latin. Is a modern foreign language not required? I have so many questions, and I sometimes wonder if I should just get on the phone and talk to counselors at the colleges that dd has interest in. Of course, 3 years from now.... who knows where she will end up. But she is not a flighty person. She will most likely stick to liberal arts. It's just who she is......

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Wow, that's really, really impressive! She sounds like a wonderful girl, and I would be amazed if she didn't get a number of serious scholarship offers.

 

The studies and activities she's doing now are foundational. They can lead to more specialized interests later. Latin is foundational to language study, swimming is a demanding basic exercise that builds strong bodies, and piano is (obviously) a foundational musical instrument. The Great Books are foundational to the study of civilization. She has college, graduate school, and the entire rest of her life to branch into more narrow interests.

 

She could hardly be doing things *more* right than she is.

 

Thank you so much, Rebecca. This is very encouraging. We are just trying to do the right thing, so that all of her gifts are developed, and her life is rich and rewarding.... kwim?

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I agree w/you, my dd is in the diploma program, but since we started at ninth. She can only get Ass.

 

Clubs are coming up in late summer and fall. So this might give her some respite. I think VP is sending out a survey to see what kids want.

 

Also, in the last mtg. I asked for more summer elective courses, so the ones that need to meet these schedules can take fun electives like music or art or computers.

 

I forwarded request for more summer course to headmaster. These kids do need balance b/c the scedule is very rigorous. Send in your request for cool summer courses. The more the merrier.

 

My oldest in Icademy has rigorous schedule but , she belongs to three clubs they have. This gives her some social time and satisfy other things she wants to do. Its tough, but she knows school first, club second. Plus the clubs look awesome on apps.

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Yes, that's it exactly. "Choices have to be made". The list I made includes the minimum requirements for the VP scholars diploma (honors level). Minimum. It is a lot.

 

I agree.

 

 

So far, after her freshman year, she will have completed math through Geometry, science through Biology, languages through Latin II and French II, Literature, History and Theology through Omnibus III, and Comp. I.

 

It sounds as though she is making good progress.

 

I guess the problem is that she wants to do everything. She wants to study more Latin, and French. She wants to do more music. She absolutely loves Omnibus, and never wants to drop those classes. The only thing she doesn't want to do is the math and science. :001_smile:

 

I can appreciate the wanting to do everything. A previous poster made a good point though in that there will also be time after high school. She doesn't have to do it all now.

 

Do I understand correctly that your dd did less than 4 years of high school math? Or was AP Stats her 4th year? Is 4 years of math and science the new minimum for entrance into a liberal arts college? May I ask whether or not your daughter received financial help via scholarships? How is your dd doing in college? Does she feel that she was well-prepared?

 

My daughter did do four years of high school math (Algebra I she did in 8th; Geometry in 9th; Algebra II in 10th; College Algebra plus Trigonometry (the equivalent of Precalculus) in 11th; and AP Statistics in 12th.)

 

I'd say that four years of math and science is desirable for entry into a liberal arts college but not required. The more selective the college, the more recommended it would be. It would almost certainly be a requirement for a student intending to pursue a math or science major in college.

 

My daughter applied to ten colleges and was admitted to eight and waitlisted at a ninth. She was offered merit aid at all of the colleges that offer merit aid. The college she is attending is a selective one and does not offer merit aid; it only offers need based aid which she does receive. She does feel well prepared and is doing well after her first semester.

 

Your dd's track looks good in that she did complete more in-depth Latin. Is a modern foreign language not required? I have so many questions, and I sometimes wonder if I should just get on the phone and talk to counselors at the colleges that dd has interest in. Of course, 3 years from now.... who knows where she will end up. But she is not a flighty person. She will most likely stick to liberal arts. It's just who she is......

 

A modern foreign language was not required for admission to any of the colleges to which my daughter applied. All did require a minimum of two or even three years of one foreign language. The more selective colleges recommended (but did not require) four years of study of one foreign language.

 

It cannot hurt to take a look at the requirements of colleges to which you think your daughter might apply. Requirements will be posted online. You could certainly call as well. I'd also recommend that you join the Yahoo group hs2coll · Homeschooling toward college particularly if your child is interested in applying to a more selective school. There is a lot of wisdom to be found in current and archived posts there.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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I second the recommendation that your daughter do at least THREE years of one foreign language. Almost no colleges require a "modern" foreign language -- Greek and Latin will do. (My kids both received a wide variety of college acceptances; one had Latin through AP and one had three years of Greek). Most colleges, however, do require at least three years of a foreign language.

 

Also, there is a bit more flexibility in high school classes than you might expect. My daughter didn't want to take a science her senior year; she wanted to take a second social science instead. As a paranoid parent, I called up all the colleges she was interested in and asked if they would look askance at a student who only had three years of a science. Only one college blinked (and it later accepted her as a ??? Scholar, one of its top 3% of applicants); the rest said to encourage her to follow her passion. She only had three years of science, but she is now a chemistry major! :tongue_smilie:

 

Unfortunately, there is NOT enough time in the day to do everything. Your daughter will need to prioritize. Life is long and there are many years after high school, though, so she may yet get a chance to do all these things!

 

Good for you for encouraging her to pursue her passions!

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