[US National Chemistry Olympiad...any BTDT?]

No team, just contact the coordinator of your ACS Local Section.

 

ETA: 2016 USNCO Local Section Coordinators

https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/students/highschool/olympiad/process/competitions/usnco-coordinators.pdf

 

[How to determine if your kids are ready for an AP course...]

How to determine if your kids are ready for an AP course...  

When the kid is pushing for it, and you are being dragged along  :)

 

Mine was VERY keen to self-study for AP Cal BC and AP Chem in 8th. I was not keen because I read somewhere that AP Cal should wait and AP Bio was easier (before the format change).

 

But there was no stopping the kid, so what’s a homeschooling mom to do?

1. I figured that by April that year (1 month or so before the exam), if the kid is not ready after practicing with the released exams, we can just put regular Calculus and Chemistry on the transcript.

2. The kid already had experience with the long SAT exam, so there is stamina for the 3 hrs or so AP exam.

So, I caved and gathered the resources. The kid did score 5s on both exams and defied my expectations.

[Logic for Computer Science Majors]

Just to add...

 

An article on why discrete math is important + recommended books

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/articles/discrete-math

 

A free high school course from MIT

Combinatorics: The Fine Art of Counting

http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/mathematics/combinatorics-the-fine-art-of-counting/

 

A summer class 

http://algorithmicthinking.org/registration/

The prof also runs an online algorithm class during the school year.

 

+ lots of coding/programming.

 

 

 

[Favorite PA Homeschoolers AP course?]

So far, Mrs Green's AP Lit.

Maybe by May, there would a tie with another class  :)

[nm]

Essential Exam Resources + More Exam Resources

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/2124.html#anchor2

 

There's even a writing contest on that page,

2016 Atlantic and College Board Writing Prize

 

hth

[Candidates for the Presidential Scholars Program is out]

Do you know any members who have gone through the application process?

 

Not from this forum, but if you google "collegeconfidential presidential scholars program", you can read a number of threads on this topic. Mainly, there is no scholarship $ but it is a great honor, some liked it when they went to DC, some didn't. 

[AP English Language vs English Literature ?]

My STEM kid who took the AP Lit exam (5, Mrs Green, PA Homeschoolers) told me creative writing is not required.

Also, AP Lit and AP Lang scores are worth differently at different universities.

For example, at U of I, AP Lit would give 7 hours vs 4 hours for AP Lang (2015-16).

https://admissions.illinois.edu/Apply/Freshman/college-credit-AP

But U of A granted the same number of units (2014-15). 

http://catalog.arizona.edu/2014-15/policies/apexam.htm

[What are 3 things that make a course "Highschool level", IYO?]

... AP exams would still validate high school subjects taken before high school. You do have to request the collegeboard to keep those scores.

 

Not really, we didn't have to do anything to keep the AP scores earned before high school. They would archive them though at some point, then you would have to pay to get them out. 

 

https://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ap/scores/reporting/for-students

[How Do You Explain Changes to a Course from an Outside Provider?]

Mine attended a summer program that was free but no longer so (perhaps they ran out of grant $ or it became more popular). Also attended a number of free summer programs because of middle school talent search scholarship $, which were relatively expensive otherwise. I briefly mentioned them in our homeschool profile.

[Dual enrollment vs AP?]

 He is asking to do a history dual enrollment because he loves history. 

 

I have not read all the responses, but just adding my 2 cents to the fact that you mentioned his love for history.

Another way to nurture that love is through competitions. Competitions will not only deepen his skills and knowledge, they will help to develop perseverance, goal setting, career goals, and aspirations. Also, he might get to meet other kids who are also interested in history. 

I'm not familiar with history competitions. Googled and found this for example,

http://www.thewha.org/wha-awards/competition-for-k-12-students/world-historian-student-essay-competition-awards/

Maybe you could start a thread on history competitions or PM Muttichen because based on this thread 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/580817-question-for-those-whose-students-applied-ivy-or-super-competitive/, she had BTDT.

[Help! AP chem course audit--labs]

Hopefully, you get a better and more direct answer to your question.

But FWIW, mine self-studied for the AP Chem exam without any course audit and scored 5. 

For labs, we initially ordered a micro-chemistry kit, but it fell short of "realness".

Eventually, the most joy came from setting up labs in the garage and doing additional explorations found in books like the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments.  That joy also translated to serious interest in the National Chem. Olympiad.

When it came time to write up the transcript, I simply put Chemistry with AP Chemistry Exam (Self-Study).

[Candidates for the Presidential Scholars Program is out]

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/2016/candidates.pdf

[When do you begin SAT and PSAT prep? And when do you take it?]

When do you begin SAT and PSAT prep? 10 days or so before the test. Practice from the Official SAT Study Guide (untimed + timed). Additionally, a last minute review on Trig.

Other than that, before high school:

Finishing EPGY high school Math + Math competitions helped SAT I (Math) 800.

Love of reading + Spelling Bee helped to improve SAT I (CR) to 800.

Lots of Grammar diagramming helped SAT I (W). But never reached 800.

 

During high school:

High school Math competitions + AoPS Math + Dual Enrollment for higher Math; SAT I (Math) remained 800 and PSAT (Math) were 80s.

No more Grammar diagraming, but PSAT (W) were 80s.

Lit analysis + tons of writing helped to improve SAT I (W) to 800.

Interestingly, PSAT (CR) dropped from 80 to 78 between 2 tests. Thankfully, maybe the reminder (not to over-analyze) helped the 800 SAT I (CR).   

 

And when do you take it?

Mine took the SAT I in 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 12^th grades. PSAT in 9^th and 11^th grades.

[SAT Question About Reporting Scores]

Mine took both the ACT and SAT before 9th grade. ACT is much easier, you don't have to ask them to retain the scores, However, ACT seems to archive certain scores and you pay more to get them $12 vs $34 per test date per report. 

http://www.actstudent.org/scores/send/costs.html

 

Both ACT and SAT give you the option to choose which scores to send. 

[US National Chemistry Olympiad...any BTDT?]

How to register students to participate

http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/olympiad/competitions.html

 

Lots of past year exams can be found here

http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/olympiad/pastexams.html

 

AP Chem is a good starting place. Next year, if she's still interested, ChemWOOT is excellent. http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/school/woot-chem 

 

Mine did 3 years of USNCO, let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Is a huge amount of grammar instruction (diagramming etc.) necessary for high school? (Potter's School)]

I think it depends on the kid (thankfully, not the parent, because I have terrible grammar!). DC finished grammar with lots of diagramming before high school without any specific revision and it did not affect high school English. In fact, DC earned perfect scores for AP Lit (junior year) and SAT Reading + Writing (senior year). 

[Mid year reports? (Common App)]

I was wondering about the mid year.  What if I don't have a mid year grade for one of the outside courses he is taking?  There is just a final grade at the end.  Do I just make it up?

 

I intend to put “In Progress†and update at the end.

[Question for those whose students applied Ivy or Super Competitive...]

Also if your kids are into math,

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_United_States_high_school_mathematics_competitions

[Question for those whose students applied Ivy or Super Competitive...]

Can you (or anyone else) suggest how to find out about competitions? Are you speaking strictly of academic competitions? or other? Oldest DD didn't have much to list in this category, so I'd like to be better prepared for future DDs' applications.

 

Not Muttichen, but these suggestions from MIT might be useful

http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/enrichment

[What is your high school child(ren) favorite curricula/curriculum and what their has been their least favorite?]

Favorite: AOPS of course! 

 

Least favorite: Keystone. 

[List view of 2016 Acceptances - copy and paste, and add your student here so we can celebrate!!!]

MIT!  The stuff of homeschool legends :-D Congratulations!!

 

Princeton!!! Congratulations to you and yours too.

You just reminded me of a summer program

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/580440-program-in-algorithmic-and-combinatorial-thinking/

[Program in Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking]

Not sure whether they will run it come summer 2016, but for those with kids interested in theoretical computer science, you might want to check this page

 

http://algorithmicthinking.org/registration/

 

 

[List view of 2016 Acceptances - copy and paste, and add your student here so we can celebrate!!!]

Congratulations.... adMITtance!! This totally made my day!!

 

Thank you so much, love ya postings!!! They've been extremely helpful throughout this arduous homeschooling journey for this very clueless mom.

[Sigh of relief! . . . My daughter was just accepted!]

Yes, I can totally identify with the sigh of relief!!! 

[List view of 2016 Acceptances - copy and paste, and add your student here so we can celebrate!!!]

+ve = positive = yes = accepted!!!  :laugh: