My older son took a one semester Lit course (19th Century Lit) with Potter's School in 11th grade. They read 3 books, had to answer weekly comprehension questions, and do several papers. I thought it was a well-run course, and it would probably fit your time criteria. The course was enjoyable, and I thought a reasonable amount of work for my future engineer. I don't know if Potter's is offering something similar now, but you might be able to convince them to let your dd into the class without their prereqs since she'll have had a semester of AP English already. I still haven't fully flushed out my rising 12th grader's courses for next year either. Both the CC and the local coop haven't released their full course schedules yet, so we can't make any firm decisions. He's hoping to take a Creative Writing course at the coop instead of a more traditional Lit/Writing course. I'm hoping that colleges will be OK with that for senior English. Decisions, decisions.... Brenda

Once you've filled out the FAFSA for the 2013-2014 year, check your EFC (you'll see it after your submit the FAFSA). If it's less than around $5K, your son might qualify for a Pell grant (e.g. free money from $0 - $5500 or so). If this is the case, it might be worth it to go back and file for 2012-2013, as he might get some money for the current year. If you are in this situation, you should probably discuss this issue with the financial aid office at the CC. There are limits on the number of terms one can get a Pell grant, and there are also requirements on the number of credits you have to take and the grades you have to have to be eligible. All of this applies only if he has graduated from your homeschool, and I think he has to be a degree-seeking student at the CC. Dual enrolled courses aren't eligible. Best wishes, Brenda

This. I was going to suggest the same thing. If you have one of her target universities close by, it would be worth the time to take a tour of campus and speak with an admissions officer so she can hear from the horse's mouth what test scores and work ethic will be required to succeed at that school. Best wishes, Brenda

:iagree: I would only have him talk to the prof after the last test, but before the final, if he thinks this "reweighting" will make any difference in his grade. If he asks now, when he's only taken one test, he might seem like someone who will look for technicalities and be a thorn in the prof's side. That's not an impression that I'd encourage. JM2Cents, Brenda

I don't know about QB personally, but there is a forum for it on College Confidential that seems to have a lot of information. It's a sub-forum under the one called Financial Aid. HTH, Brenda

We did something similar to Lisa, and with a similar result on merit aid. I agree with her about checking with the school on how they might review need-based aid -- perhaps more documentation would be needed. However, I think I'd be cautious here and investigate a few things. First, I'd look up on collegedata.com the average % of need met at the dream school. If they tend to be stingy, then your chances of success will be lower. I'm not saying that you shouldn't give it a shot. If the % of need met is low, I would also be worried that they might increase the aid this year to enroll the student and then back off on aid in future years. I would look at college confidential's page on the dream school and see if you can find out how generous they typically are. Also, you could ask there what peoples' experiences are with asking for more aid and also how good they are with consistent aid in future years. If there is any chance that the student's family finances will change in the next few years and would reduce the eligibility for need-based aid, I'd be very cautious about accepting at dream school because even if the student's family finances improve in a given year, they likely still won't have a lot of $ to spare for college. In short, if the full ride is merit aid good for 4 years and doesn't have a ridiculously high GPA requirement to keep, I'd be very hesitant to turn that down. Best wishes, Brenda

You've gotten a lot of good advice thus far. For the math section, I came across this website: http://www.satgamepl...tchartframe.htm He's got specific strategies for trying to obtain a target math score of 500, 550, 600, 650, 700+. The basic idea is to try and focus your time on the easy/medium questions, and only tackle the hardest ones when you're regularly getting the easy/medium ones correct. I'd also recommend the method of going through the SAT Blue Book and really examining what was missed and why. HTH, Brenda

:grouphug: Hugs, Nan! :grouphug: I hope everyone makes it in safely, and that the delayed kiddos manage to have an OK time being stranded. I remember being stranded in CA once in the winter when I was on a business trip. I missed my family back home, but I would not have gotten to see the "Hollywood" sign, the walk of fame, or a TV show being made if I'd come home on time! We're hunkered down here, too. We're not that near the coast though, so hopefully the winds won't be too bad. Can I give my ds PE credit for the inevitable snow shoveling we'll all have to do tomorrow? Brenda

Yes!!! This is us, too, and I feel so badly for ds that he has no real spring break where all his classes are off.... Brenda

Gwen, I sympathize. For my next kiddo, I looked ahead about this time last year and realized that he wouldn't have a good time to visit colleges this year either. His workload is heavy, and between his local outside class and the ones he's taking on line, all of them have different spring break weeks. Given the heavy junior year workload, I also didn't see how he could have taken several days to a week off and not fallen hopelessly behind in the outside classes. As a result, we ended up visiting a few last summer, which wasn't ideal, but it was the best we could do. If one of these ends up being in the running next spring, we'll squeeze in another visit so he can assess the climate on campus when the students are there. We also squeezed in one visit this past September, when the college was in session, but our local stuff was just getting started. My son did get a few questioning looks from the admissions folks about why he was looking so "early", but what else could we do? We did meet one other mom & son at one college who were US citizens living in Europe. The son also just finished 10th grade, and they were here in the US for a summer visit and thought they better get in some college visits because they didn't know when they'd be back in the country, so there are others out there visiting "early". With my older son, we just visited during the spring break week of one of his outsourced classes (he was only taking one), and it happened to not fall on the break week of the colleges. I'm not sure what advice to give you except to suggest doing summer visits, but trying to see if the faculty she will want to meet with will be there when you visit. Since she's interested in music, will she need to make separate visits for auditions? If so, you could look around the campus at that time. Sometimes, high school seems the logistical nightmare. My son just realized that the spring performances of two of his favorite ECs are on the same date in June. Now he's got to choose which one he will do -- not a fun choice for a kid who doesn't like to disappoint anyone or miss out on performances. Sigh.... Brenda

I agree. While it's nice to think that most students will be self-motivated to study for the SAT/ACT/PSAT, I just don't believe that. I also don't believe the notion that a student who isn't self-motivated to study for these tests is not ready for college. At age 15/16 when they need to start prepping for these tests, as one of the others said, a lot of kids don't have the maturity to have that long term perspective. The kid they are at 15/16 is very different from the kid they'll be at 18/19 when they are leaving for college. I'm sure that there are some kids out there who are self motivated, but I just don't think that's the norm. And with so much of mom & dad's money on the line, it makes sense to ensure that the dc prepare to the best of their ability for these tests. My sons used the Real ACT book and the Real SAT book from the test publishers to prepare for these tests. They worked every test in the book, and I went over the errors with them and along the way we discussed strategies for tackling future problems. I considered the time spent preparing for these tests to be like their part-time job. The payoff was a nice scholarship for my oldest. The youngest will hopefully reap a similar reward. They both know that without scholarships, their choices of colleges will be much more limited. Brenda

I wouldn't necessarily worry about meeting a state requirement for PE if you don't have to. But -- exercise is important for overall health as we get older, so I think it might be worth trying to find some kind of activity your son can do now for PE and then could be done later by him as an adult to stay fit. I had one of my sons in a twice/week general teen workout class at the local Y for awhile. Now he knows how to use all of their workout equipment, so he would feel comfortable going there when he's older to work out. We've also done some family hiking, and a lot of biking. Swimming is also something one can do for exercise if you have a local Y, and jogging is pretty easy to do most anywhere. I can understand the other poster's issues with a child who has chronic fatigue, and I definitely wouldn't push exercise in that case, but if the child is otherwise healthy, I think it's important to make sure he/she has adequate exercise through high school. Brenda

I like this option! Also, if you take off the shoulder strap and put on a couple of carabiners, he could attach this to the outside of his backpack if it's too big to fit inside. Brenda

:iagree: I think that while planning high school for my oldest, I finally realized this too. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do a complete/thorough/deep course in every subject. There's just too much content out there and not enough time. As you've said, I think the best approach is to make sure that you are hitting the key skills each year in at least some subjects. In my mind, high school is where you need to start taking the dc's strenths, needs, and interests into account when planning, and you need to make some tough, really tough decisions on where the high schooler should spend his/her school time. Brenda

Thanks, I think I got my question answered. I thought I had ds's AP test locations squared away last fall, and now that it's time to officially register and pay, I'm having to scramble again because one school that said they were giving an exam my son needs, now has changed its mind. Argggggg! I wish AP exam sign-ups were just on-line through the CB website. I guess I can dream.... Brenda

Hive, If you've had a student take the Physics C: mechanics & Physics C: E & M -- are these considered two completely separate exams? Does the testing center charge the $89 fee for each exam, or is it $89 for both? TIA, Brenda

We used the Teen Timeline series a few years ago with a group of homeschoolers. I agree that the actual videos are geared more to teens who live "in the world", but our group still found them interesting, engaging, and at times funny. The videos do discuss the Bible, and they really set a nice tone for the group discussions afterwards. We also read the chronological books of the Bible at home using the schedule suggested in the program, and we found that very satisfying, too. We've gone on in subsequent years to use the other programs in the series from Ascension Press on the Gospel of Matthew, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Book of Revelation, and we've very much enjoyed all of them. You do need to do the associated readings yourself to get the most out of the programs. FWIW, I also found the videos in the subsequent series to be less "edgy". I think the producers toned down the "real world" content a bit after getting feedback on the Teen Timeline. I've been through the adult version of the Great Adventure myself, and while I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it, you definitely need a bit of maturity and focus to sit through the lessons and really get a lot out of them. If you did the study just with your own children, and there were chances to pause the program and discuss, then I could see the adult version working with teens. However, if you plan to do this with a group of teens where distractions are more likely, then I think the teen version would be better because the humor and anecdotes help bring the kids back into focus. The teen version also contains a bit of encouragement from the presenter directed specifically towards teens, so that aspect isn't academic at all. HTH, Brenda

Hi Everyone, The Common App has just released the essay topics for 2013-14 applications. There is no longer a "choose a topic of your choice" prompt. I'm glad to see that they increased the maximum length from 500 to 650 words. So what says the hive? Brenda ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Here are the new questions (https://www.commonap...cementFinal.pdf): Instructions. The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.) • Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. • Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? • Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? • Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? • Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

I'd suggest the Spectrum Chem course. We used it, and my son loved it. The labs were great, and he still remembers several of them a couple of years later. He enjoyed the course, and the 30 well-designed labs helped keep his interest. Also, the course wasn't so much work that it killed his love of science. He will go on to take college chem at the CC in 12th grade. I am suggesting Spectrum based on your son's described interests -- game design, architecture, civil engineering. None of these fields will require extensive chemistry, but he would probably need at least one college-level chemistry course for these majors (except maybe architecture). So my thinking is to give him a good background in the subject that keeps him interested and prepares him with the background he will need to take that college chem course later. Since the fields you mentioned, particularly architectural engineering and civil engineering, will require a very thorough knowledge of physics, I'd consider having him take an AP physics course in 11th or 12th grade. Having said all of this, I haven't used the Chang book myself. From what I've heard, it would make for a good course, but probably a little more advanced than Spectrum. With the added videos and labs, it might become a time-consuming course, too. If your child is very, very capable and aiming at the most competitive colleges, probably taking the Chang course would be better. But in my mind, it's not better if he's not that interested in chemistry, or it's so time consuming for him that it kills his love for the subject or prevents him from doing some creative things with his free time. JM2Cents, Brenda

I'd say, To Kill a Mockingbird (and my 2nd choice would be Screwtape Letters). Brenda

:iagree: I think the best way to prep, assuming that your child does not have many holes in his/her content knowledge, is to work through the real tests in the SAT Blue Book, as Sebastian describes. For my son, a good part of the prep involved learning the way questions are typically phrased, and how to really read & re-read the questions so you understand what is being asked and avoid silly mistakes. The Question of the Day is good, too. Brenda

:iagree: If physics is what your son likes, I'd consider Conceptual physics in 9th grade. I also did the physics, chem, bio sequence with my 2nd, and it has worked out really well. He used Spectrum for chem, and then Miller/Levine for bio. He's now taking AP physics B. I'm confident that he'll have a sound background for pursuing a STEM field in college. Brenda

The FAFSA is only a form that the government uses to see if the college student qualified for a Pell grant (free money from the US Gov't that doesn't have to be paid back). Completing the FAFSA will generate a number called the EFC (expected family contribution, which is really a misnomer). If the EFC falls below a certain level (I think it's about $5k), then the student qualifies for a Pell grant which varies from a small amount for EFCs near $5k to about $5.5k/yr for people whose EFCs are zero. Here is a link to the FAFSA4caster website where you can get an estimate of your EFC: https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e1s2&locale=en_EN Filing the FAFSA also allows a student to take out direct student loans (with no co-signer), but these loans are limited to $5500 (Fresh.), $6500 (Soph.), $7500 (Jr & Sr years). The direct loan can be taken out in an amount up to the student's costs of attendance minus grants whether he or she is deemed to have financial need or not. Once the EFC is generated, then what any specific college does with it it up to them. If the student qualifies for the Pell grant, he/she will get it, and the loan eligibility, but that's it for "guaranteed" aid. If the school costs more than what the "guaranteed" aid (note that this does include the direct loans), then some colleges will give their own grant money. Also depending upon which state you live in, the state may kick in some money as well if your EFC is low enough, or if they have specific programs for high-performers, like GA & FL. If one's EFC is high enough (and I'm going to guess in the $5k - 10k range, but this varies by the state you're in), then the only thing the FAFSA will do for your student is make them eligible to take out the direct loans. Suppose your EFC is $10k, so you don't qualify for a Pell grant, and that happens to be too high to qualify for aid from your state as well. The school costs $30k for tuition/room&board/personal expenses(books, travel, etc.), then the breakdown of a FA package might look like: Cost of Attendance == 30k EFC (what family has to pay) == -10k Direct loans == - 5.5K Your "need" == 14.5K Schools without a lot of resources might suggest that you take out a Parent Plus loan to cover that 14.5K. Schools with the most generous aid policies will offer a grant (free money) of 10k, work study job of 2.5k, and suggest that student can contribute that final 2k from summer job. Your specific aid packages will probably vary widely, so that's why folks who need a lot of aid apply to a larger number of schools so you can choose from the affordable options at the end of the day. Also note that all of these packages will assume that you can pay the 10k EFC. There are some ways to lower the family's out-of-pocket costs -- choose a tuition-free college (there was a thread on here about that recently, but these are often hard to get admitted to), choose a college that offers merit scholarships (this can work if your child has high grades/scores and the school gives out a lot of high $ scholarships), go to a less expensive school (commute to the local state college or state U), look into ROTC (if your child is interested in the military). The whole college financing thing is so complicated that you really need to figure out where your family falls so you can make the most informed decisions. I liked the book called "Paying for College Without Going Broke". It's good that you're thinking about this issue when your oldest is 15 yo. You can see where your family is, what your student's grades/scores are like, and then choose colleges that will be affordable for your family. Best wishes, Brenda

Shannon, Are you expecting him to be able to read this science book on his own and make his way through the course? If so, I'm wondering if that might be the issue. Neither of my boys were able to sit down and read a science book and essentially teach themselves during high school. I think it has been partially a maturity issue and partially a learning styles issue. My oldest has gone on to university now and is doing well -- but there, he isn't expected just to read the book and learn. There are demonstrations, lectures, and the profs/tutors are available to discuss the material if it gets tough. To me, literature is different in that it is mostly reading/interpreting in the mind. Certainly, discussing literature in a group setting can add richness to the material, but I think science is different because so much of the interest comes from the real-world applications. Being able to see demonstrations and discuss the material really just seems to make it more applicable/interesting. Certainly, some science texts are more interesting than others, but I still think that no book alone would substitute for a course that involves interaction over the material. I, personally, didn't care for the tone in Apologia's texts. For Bio, I would suggest Miller/Levine as a solid high school book that is interesting and accessible for most high school kids. If you can read through the book with your child and discuss the material, or if he could attend an outside or on-line class, I think that would go a long way towards keeping his interest in science. I've used the college-level books, like Giancoli Physics, and while they're good, I've used them later in high school, and I don't think they would have been a great fit for most 9th graders. JMHO, Brenda

You might be surprised. My then 11th grader had to read P & P for a lit class he was taking, and he dreaded it. But, after he got started, he loved it, especially the humor and the "over the top" characters. P & P ended up being his favorite book of the semester. Brenda