Woodland Mist Academy
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Posts posted by Woodland Mist Academy
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Is giving credit for driver's ed and other life skills common? I also wonder about EC vs credit.
ETA: I also wonder about EC vs credit vs life skills that maybe don't need to be on the application at all.
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13 hours ago, Evanthe said:
OK, I think we just have WAY too many credits and I feel very insecure about this. I'm working on dd16's transcripts right now and it looks like she will have about 30-31 credit hours after next year.
I read that as "she will have 30-31 credit hours next year." ? Talk about padding the transcript!
30-31 total for high school doesn't seem too over the top to me. We're having the opposite issue -- I'm wondering if my teen has too few. At least you can leave things off if you choose to!
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Feel free to PM me as well! The more samples the better!
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I'm listing them, but not calculating them in GPA. (Not that it matters, the GPA is the same either way -- weighted or unweighted. It just happened to be the case with the mix of classes.)
Edited for clarity: The weighted isn't the same as the unweighted. The weighted with or without the classes is the same. The unweighted with or without is also the same.
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4 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:
Whether or not they counted the courses in their GPA calculations I have no idea. Did I include many? I included the courses completed prior to high school that were high school level work. For ds that meant 6.5 credits, for Dd 7 cr. (Not all of those were from 8th grade. Ds for example had alg 1,2, geo, AoPS intermediate alg, etc)
FWIW, if you are including provider designation on your transcript, I would be reluctant to alter designations bc you supplemented. I would personally take the approach of leaving off the provider information and just listing materials/content covered and giving the designation that I feel is appropriate.
What made the math classes honors? Were they all AoPS? I was under the impression doing a class early doesn't make it honors, it makes it accelerated or just taken early.
If it's not only supplementing that makes a class honors (it's the text used, etc), would you still leave off the provider? Did your son take AoPS classes? Did you leave off the provider?
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On 9/4/2017 at 7:15 AM, snowbeltmom said:
With my boys' transcripts, I only designated classes as "honors" if the outside provider listed it as "honors". However, I don't think I am going to handle my D;s transcript the same way. I think I am going to list AoPS and other classes as "honors" even if the provider doesn't.
I am going to have a blurb in my school profile describing what criteria was used in determining the "honors" level.
Imo, Lukeion classes are definitely honors level classes, and I would label them as such.
2 hours ago, alewife said:I am snowbeltmom. (I had to change my username to get back in after the change-over) I ended up not listing the AoPS classes as honors. I kept the same approach with my daughter as I did with my boys. She is applying this year, but the schools on her list that award merit base the merit awards on gpa and standardized test scores. If she had been applying to schools that are a little more "fuzzy" with their merit criteria, and I thought that the honors designation would have made a difference in how the transcript was interpreted, I would have tried to figure out the weighted gpa formulae and listed all of her English, Math, and Science classes as honors.
So if you felt honors would make a difference and the class was absolutely honors level, would you still list the provider and mark the class as honors (even if they didn't designate it as such) or leave the provider off?
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On 9/4/2017 at 10:39 AM, 8FillTheHeart said:
We just moved and the umbrella I originally signed up with balked at the classes I labeled honors on my dd's transcript, even courses taken in another state before we moved here! It infuriated me bc the person overseeing the process obviously just had a generic response as to what could be defined as honors. She told me only college level courses could be labeled honors. Really??? That is absurd. It puts my student at a distinct disadvantage if Foerster's completed in 8th grade cannot be considered honors bc it isn't a college level clas bc it lowers her converted GPA at the college level. (I don't weight my kids GPA, but I label them honors when appropriate bc schools do weight them on their end.)
So you labeled Foerster's in 8th as honors, correct? Did colleges count it in the GPA given it was in eight grade? Did you list many eighth grade classes? What about classes that don't have any clear cut years? (They were spread unevenly over two or more years.) Is it better to pick a year to assign it to or list the classes by subject and don't list years?On 9/4/2017 at 7:15 AM, snowbeltmom said:With my boys' transcripts, I only designated classes as "honors" if the outside provider listed it as "honors". However, I don't think I am going to handle my D;s transcript the same way. I think I am going to list AoPS and other classes as "honors" even if the provider doesn't.
Would you mind elaborating on this? It's mentioned elsewhere in the thread about asking providers first -- is that required? There are some classes that we used an online class as the core and supplemented with other books and lab work and/or tutors to add depth and breadth. Do I need some sort of permission to label them honors? I plan to write a general explanation about what constitutes an honors class, as well as further details in each course description. I plan to list the course description that the providers gives, then add details about the extra work (depth/breadth). Does that sound sufficient? For what it's worth, she also has test scores which will hopefully be another way to validate honors designation. I don't want to come across as padding the transcript, but I also don't want to shortchange my teen.
I know this is an old thread, but rather than start a new one, I thought it might be best to ask follow-up questions about some posts here. I would love to hear any other thoughts or suggestions as well!
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So is there a definitive answer?
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3 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:
That would make sense, unless of course you happen to live in CA. ? GPA is probably one of the most important metric for many UCs, and local schools weight AP and Honors at 5.0, so a ton of kids graduate with 4.5+. Modesty isn't a good strategy in this state. ?
I'm not sure it's modesty. Maybe just the opposite: A belief in the strength of the application even without weighting the grades. ?
In all seriousness, though, you are correct. Location and context definitely matter!
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Thank you, Sebastian! So helpful!
And everyone else, too!
Some parts of the Common App may have changed, but some of the tricky parts remain the same. This thread answers many of my questions. Thanks so much!
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It's my understanding that's a 5.0 grading scale. Hopefully someone else will chime in, though.
ETA: I'm not so sure now. I've read arguments from various sources that say it's a 4.0 scale and others that say it's a 5.0 scale.
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Is anyone using (or has anyone used) unweighted GPA only?
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I may do quick drafts of a few different ways to present the information to see if one way stands out as the clear winner.
If not, I'll just flip a coin... ?
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2 minutes ago, RootAnn said:
1) transcript
2) course descriptions
Will you just attach course descriptions for homegrown courses? There is a question in the homeschool section that asks for course descriptions for outside classes. Or will you still include all course descriptions in the attachment?
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Unless I'm misunderstanding, up to four transcripts can be added to the common app. What did you/are you sending?
In another thread, a book list and course descriptions were mentioned as possibilities. Another option, in addition to the main homeschool transcript, might be transcripts or certificates from online schools. Any other suggestions or thoughts?
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Thanks! Somehow I missed that up to four transcripts could be added.
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Is anyone including a book list on the Common App this year? If so, where will you put it? I'm trying to decide whether or not to include one. Knowing how difficult it will be may help me decide. ?
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Is there a current master thread for Common App questions? I have read through many old threads from previous years, but some of the information doesn't apply to the current Common App.
Here are links to recent questions. Feel free to add any I've missed!
Common App: most recent grades on transcript
College apps for homeschoolers
Transcripts -- Up to four, what to send?
Common app -- applicant ratings question
Common App -- hopefully, my last questions!
Common App -- Course descriptions a must?
Academic References for Common App
Common App question to the counselor and signature
Common App shrinks my transcript!
Academic References for Common App
Course descriptions--include planned courses?
Keeping a book list for colleges--what to include?
Common App: Optional Questions
High School motherlode #1 -- Starting High School / Tests + links to past threads! (Thanks, Lori. D!)
High School motherlode #2 -- Transcripts/outsourcing + links to past threads! -- Transcripts/outsourcing, and links to past threads! (Thanks, Lori. D!)
Going to College Motherlode (Thanks, Lori. D!)
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If there is any doubt about whether or not something would count, my suggestion would be to check with the regional program manager.
http://congressionalaward.org/contact-us/ Scroll down to find information regarding regional program managers. My teen has found our region's program manager to be quick to respond and helpful giving direction and clarification.
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2 hours ago, Sebastian (a lady) said:
It was one of the options within Common App. I used an email account that wasn't going to be used for either the real app or my counselor stuff.
https://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/college-counseling/whats-common-app-practice-account
I'm still not quite sure I understand. Is it the same as a parent/other adult account? I keep looking for an option that says "practice account" but maybe it's just referring to the parent/adult account. Sorry if I'm missing something totally obvious!
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On 8/4/2018 at 6:51 PM, Sebastian (a lady) said:
This includes some if the questions and suggestions from the year my oldest kid applied. Might give you some jumping off points.
The single best piece of advice for the Common App was to create a practice account so you could play around with things like inviting recommenders and see what happened. I also really like the Common App guide from College Wise, though that doesn't address homeschool specific questions.
How does one create a practice account? Is there a place to do that or did you just make a regular account using an alias?
Apologies if it's been discussed and I missed it.
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Of course the stress of high school and college isn't the only contributing factor to suicide. That doesn't mean it never is and that it's not a real problem, particularly in some areas. Suicide is often the result of a perfect storm of nature and nurture. Environment matters. Not identifying a potential problem and addressing it as best we can might have tragic consequences. Of course there are no guarantees. Sometimes despite our best efforts these tragedies happen.
In some areas unemployment may contribute to a rash of suicides. In other places, high levels of school stress contribute. Blaming is different than identifying a problem and taking concrete steps for positive change.
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No you didn't! You are right! I was checking as I thought I might have but I try to be careful about what I say. I speak to a lot of families with younger children and keep trying to encourage them to follow any number that's right for their kids (keeping in mind that it all fluctuates depending on kid, age, and need), not just any specific number. Also a subsequent poster indicated that it sounded like someone said 5 was too few and why I checked. :tongue_smilie:
Honestly, it really is a bubble where we live. And I should not feel like I should qualify everything we did or didn't do but I still feel that way. :tongue_smilie:
It's interesting because there is a bubble here too, but my response has been the opposite -- don't qualify. Give as many specific details as possible (allowing for privacy) and try to leave out subjective comments. Let people make their own judgement about whether it's too many, not enough, etc.
We've had opposite reactions due to opposite coasts! :laugh: :cheers2:
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But there we go again, we are worried about our kid "being at a disadvantage" in how she/he is seen by Admissions..
I'd like to get to the point where we all say, Who gives a flying duck!!?? that's the point..we have to let our kids be who they are and not worry about how they are seen by admissions officers.
My point was just that -- it's sad. This is reality. Acknowledging that doesn't mean I intend to alter anything. Although, I also won't claim to not care at all. I care to the degree I need to care. It would be foolish and costly not to.
Life has all sorts of hoops. It's not just college. We each have to decide which ones are worth jumping.
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Another transcript issue for us - # of credits
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
My teen spends hours each week on several activities. She attends workshops and has a great working knowledge of these activities. She gets no school credit for them. They are serious ECs. When everything is a credit, what is an EC?
Putting life into tidy little categories is tough..