Correct, I don't think many schools "require" four years of science, but selective schools prefer it. Thank you, regentrude. If computer science doesn't count, what can we do for science that will complement her goals? Any suggestions?

This year DD is taking Biology with me at home using Apologia Biology. She is not really interested in biological sciences and wants this to be it where Bio is concerned. For the rest of high school she wants to take: 10th grade: AP Computer Science 11th grade: AP Chemistry 12th grade: AP Physics Does computer science count as a science or a math? We want to make sure it counts as a science, as she is looking into selective schools and my understanding is they require 4 years of science. Concurrent with the above, she wants to take: 10th - Calculus BC with PA Homeschoolers 11th - Linear Algebra / Multivariable Calculus - DE at University if she's accepted 12th - Applied Combinatorics / Diff Eq. - DE at University She doesn't know what her exact major will be but she very much leans to Comp Science / Artificial Intelligence / Data Science. She also loves Chemistry. Would you recommend a statistics course as well? Thank you for helping this artsy mom help her mathy kid :)

Thank you so much, mumto2! We already use Alcumus on a regular basis for fun and to review past concepts. Today she also started looking at past exams on her own.

Will do. Glad you covered this because my next question was going to be whether to take the AMC 10 or the AMC 12. About allergies, you might have tried this already but, I suffered from seasonal allergies for the past seven years: impacted sinuses, extremely swollen eyes, out of commission completely for three months in the Spring. No medicine would make a difference. Arcadia, this past year I barely had any allergies at all. I found a supplement called "Super Quercetin" by a brand called "Blue Bonnet", but there's other brands as well. I started taking it in the beginning of March before allergy season was in full swing, and although I had minor symptoms, I did not have congested sinuses or swollen eyes, etc and I was able to lead a normal life. I was 90% better. I would always ask a doctor before I'd start taking a supplement, but ours said it was ok for me as well as my DD. It has to be taken consistently, every day, and takes a few weeks to work. This coming year, in addition to the quercetin, a naturopath advised me to take 1 tbsp of local wildflower honey daily, starting the month before allergy season. The honey is supposed to contain antibodies (?) or help to strengthen the immune system since it is made of the same pollen that is causing the allergies. It's not to be cooked or put into hot tea, but taken raw to retain its properties. Anyway, I thought I'd pass that along. I was desperate and this has been like a miracle for me.

One of the best parts of homeschooling is the bonds that are formed between siblings; it's so sweet to see the older ones guiding the littles. :) You've given me so much to think about. I'll be referring back to this thread for all of you ladies' input.

I didn't realize that an AP test is 3 hours long vs. 1 hour for the SAT subject test. I'm glad to hear two back to back SAT subject tests is doable, although your kids sound exceptional. Thank you for letting me know Barron's worked well for your kids to attain perfect scores, we'll definitely keep those books in our arsenal.

Thank you. How did he like taking math and physics on the same day? DD will have finished Calculus by the time she starts prepping for the SAT. I'm planning on having her take the SAT Math 2 in June of this year after pre-cal. Thank you so much, your response is so sweet and supportive. I don't post much but I know I couldn't do any of this without what I've read and learned from the hive :001_smile: I already have a transcript and a resume made on Excel. I am going to get started on course descriptions in the next week or so. At the moment I'm not overwhelmed but I am trying to get a hold on all the new dates, test deadlines, etc. I will be picking everyone's brain on making a list of possible schools. I'll be rooting for your DD as she awaits her test results! She sounds like a very determined girl! Thank you Gr8lander! She's taking the SAT subject test in Latin this December in the middle of AP Latin, and probably the SAT subject test for Math 2 in June of 2018 after pre-cal, then we'll see where we go from there.

Probably way too late but if they allow you to take it in Atlanta, you can stay with us!

Thank you, Gr8lander. We have been checking out Prep Scholar online. I agree that the Fall might be better, as she'll have AP tests to think about in the Spring. I also notice that her productivity is higher in the Fall, by the end of Spring, she's usually ready to be done and wanting to move on to other projects / classes, and focus might not be as sharp as in the beginning of the year. ;) Absolutely, regentrude, I completely agree. That is our priority here as well, but she is without a doubt, asynchronous and more advanced and talented in Math than she is with languages. I'm hoping the next couple of years will help bridge that gap maturity-wise. Thank you! This so helpful.

Thank you, Arcadia. This is really helpful. Prepping closer to the test might prove better for us as well; she's generally not anxious about testing, and she'll have other testing experiences before Junior year, such as SAT subject tests.

Thank you so much, regentrude. This falls in line with what I thought. What do you suggest for a solid prep? Thank you so much, wapiti. This is exactly the information I needed. I agree that I'd rather have her take it with as much prep as possible and hopefully only once. I think we'll aim for August before 11th grade, since that will give us the summer to get ready. Any recommendations on a good prep program? How far in advance did you start?

Also, I'm having her take the AMC this February and she's in a math competition team this year. If there is anything else I should be doing to help her, please let me know. :)

DD took the SAT in 7th grade, and scored higher than 85% of high school students in Math and Writing, a bit lower in Critical Reading. She is now in 9th grade, and we are thinking about when to have her take the SAT and ACT again. She is aiming for selective schools, and we are going to be needing merit aid. She'll likely major in a math or science. So our question is, how do selective colleges view taking the SAT more than once, and when should we have her take it again? Should we aim for taking it just once and prepping really well, or is it better to plan on taking it more than once? I think if we wait as long as possible she'll have a higher chance of improving her Critical Reading score, but I'm also worried that the Math covered on the SAT will be far behind her. Thank you for your thoughts.

Hello everyone! DD took the SAT in 7th grade. She scored exceptionally well on the Math section, great in writing, and just above average in the Reading section. When she took it she had just started geometry. She is now entering 9th grade and I'm wondering when in high school would be a good time to take the SAT. We are going to be shooting for important scholarships and would like her English section score to be as high as possible. She took a great literature class last year that helped develop reading comprehension and we are planning on taking AP English language with PA homeschoolers in 10th. Would it be wise to retake the SAT right after that class? My concern is that by waiting too long the math will be way behind her. If you have a child with a similar disparity between math/language, could you share your experience?

I understand how you feel. I grew up in FL. We moved to GA for 7 years. I liked some aspects of GA but others, not so much. Then we moved to the Hudson Valley and it felt like home there; it was beautiful, and the community was very open and welcoming. But, we had to leave because of my husband's work, back down to FL. This time around I hated FL. I've been so restless here. The kids hate it too, and have not found a good group of friends. We are not saving as much as we liked, etc. So we sold our house and back to GA we go. I feel like my expectations are more realistic now than the first time we lived there and I'm determined to make the best of it. But I'm a little scared.

Bumping this thread. We are moving back to the PTC, Sharpsburg, Tyrone area in a week and would love to connect with other homeschoolers. If there any co-ops or asrt alliances you can recommend please let me know. We are excited to come back to this area!

Yes, FIU and UM are both options that we are considering. Miami-Dade college is the route everyone takes because of the free AA degree.

This is great, ladies! Thank you for giving me so much to think about. The CC in question is Miami-Dade College, which I believe is a top ranking CC. I wonder if it's perceived that way by selective schools outside of the state of FL. DD knows she wants to go out of state. Probably somewhere on the East Coast or U of Chicago where we have family. I might call a few schools and ask which they prefer. We are going to need merit aid/ scholarships if she wants to attend out of state so that's a priority as well.

Hello! DD13 is an advanced rising 8th grader who has been doing high school level work for the past two years. Her sights are set on a competitive school. She wants to major in science. Up to several months ago, I thought we would do the majority of her AP classes through PA Homeschoolers with some classes at a local university to prove success outside of the home environment. However, we recently moved to a new state. 99% of homeschooled kids in our new city complete high school by dual enrollment at a community college. It is very attractive because they graduate with their high school diploma and an AA degree for free. We have explored three different homeschool groups and every single kid we've met has gone the CC route. After high school, they go on to a normal college for only two years. My question is, since DD wants to go to a selective college out of state, are AP classes still the most desirable, or is dual enrollment seen more favorably by admission officers? I'm getting a lot of pressure from all the other mom / friends we've met who insist that colleges prefer the dual enrollment program and AP's are not as important as "real college classes". Thoughts please?

DD13 is very interested in participating. There are no homeschool teams in our state so we'd have to start one. How hard is it to coach a team? Are there any materials to prepare me so they actually have a shot at success? I'm not a math person, DD is. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Hi! We are not enrolled but we did purchase their literature component and we like it very much. We are working our way through it and love the literary analysis and vocabulary building portion of this program. Some friends from a homeschool group use it for all of High School and I do believe you can substitute, they are flexible. I would call them and ask them about the second language, etc. I find it to be a great program for language arts and all the kids I met who've gone through it are brilliant and got into great colleges.

Yes, this! We had to adapt to speed and efficiency as well. Btw I think about your DD often, since we recently moved a block away from a fantastic reptile store and have been spending quite a bit of time there. It's fun to handle the different snakes! DD7 is now the proud owner of a harlequin crested gecko. :)

This is great! Thank you for the info, it will be easy to find down the road when she's ready for the SAT subject test.

She's taking it because she wants to continue on with Duke TIP and CTY and possibly attend one of their summer camps. I'm letting her take it for validation and as qualification measure if we need to enroll her in a university course or two down the road.

She's a STEM kid, so skip the SAT 1 and just wait until she's done with Precal, then take the SAT 2.