Can you look at my science sequence plan?

[LNC]

7th - Apologia General w/ coop lab

8th - DIVE Integrated Physics and Chemistry w/ BJU text (high school credit?)

9th - DIVE Biology w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

10th -DIVE Chemistry w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

(both Bio and Chem with the DIVE CLEP study dvds)

11th - DIVE Physics with Saxon Physics (no lab supplies)

(with Sat-2 or Clep with DIVE Clep study dvd)

 

Would that sequence count as 4 credits for high school science?

 

They are both very into math and science for college. My daughter will be ready to start Chalkdust Algebra in 8th also.

 

Edited to add:

After input I've changed to this-

7th -Apologia General w/ coop lab

8th -BJU Earth and Space?

9th -DIVE Integrated Physics and Chemistry w/ BJU text

10th -DIVE Biology w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

11th -DIVE Chemistry w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

(both Bio and Chem with the DIVE CLEP study dvds)

12th -DIVE Physics with Saxon Physics (no lab supplies)

(with Sat-2 or Clep with DIVE Clep study dvd)

 

Does this sound ok?

Edited November 17, 2010 by LNC

[Jane in NC]

Assigning high school credit for courses taken in 7th and 8th can be a tricky business. Some college applications specifically state that the school only wants to see listed courses that were taken in 9th and above. For a science oriented kid, I would see to it that they have a science course during every year of high school. You might want to consider dual enrollment or AP for one of them. Or perhaps a science/math oriented senior project.

 

Also, it is not unusual for math oriented students to have Algebra I in 7th or 8th. A math oriented student should have four years of math on his transcript in 9th - 12th. At least that is my opinion on the issue. :D

 

Jane

[LNC]

Assigning high school credit for courses taken in 7th and 8th can be a tricky business. Some college applications specifically state that the school only wants to see listed courses that were taken in 9th and above. For a science oriented kid, I would see to it that they have a science course during every year of high school. You might want to consider dual enrollment or AP for one of them. Or perhaps a science/math oriented senior project.

 

Also, it is not unusual for math oriented students to have Algebra I in 7th or 8th. A math oriented student should have four years of math on his transcript in 9th - 12th. At least that is my opinion on the issue. :D

 

Jane

 

 

I see what you are saying. For math, they will go through AP calculus in 12th. I won't count Algebra in 8th, bc that is pretty standard.

 

For science, both BJU and DIVE seems to be more of a 9th grade class. Apologia Physics doesn't to me, so we aren't choosing that one. Also, AP seems redundant if they pass CLEP or even SAT-2 for each course: bio, chem and physics. I'm not really looking for college credit for science, just verification of Mommy grades. I don't want them to jeopardize their college GPA by entering into advanced science right away - for pre-med gpa purposes.

 

Edited to add - Jane I see you are from NC too. We are hoping to send them to UNC-Chapel Hill (which likes verification of mommy grades) or NC state.

 

What else could we add for 12th science then? Maybe find a more advanced physics? Confusing...

Edited November 16, 2010 by LNC

[Jane in NC]

For science, both BJU and DIVE seems to be more of a 9th grade class. Apologia Physics doesn't to me, so we aren't choosing that one. Also, AP seems redundant if they pass CLEP or even SAT-2 for each course: bio, chem and physics. I'm not really looking for college credit for science, just verification of Mommy grades. I don't want them to jeopardize their college GPA by entering into advanced science right away - for pre-med gpa purposes.

 

Edited to add - Jane I see you are from NC too. We are hoping to send them to UNC-Chapel Hill (which likes verification of mommy grades) or NC state.

 

What else could we add for 12th science then? Maybe find a more advanced physics? Confusing...

 

A couple of things. I see that your children are young so things can change.

 

That aside, the SAT-2 tests high school knowledge; AP and CLEP test college based knowledge. Your argument against AP follows for CLEP as well.

 

My son did Conceptual Physics in 9th, AP Bio in 10th, and then took three science courses at our CC: Chem I, Chem II and Microbiology. The Micro course had a general biology prerequisite which he fulfilled by his AP Bio score. This might be an interesting possibility for someone who is interested in a medical career. Of course, the community college system seems less homeschool friendly now in these days of state budget crisis. Things could change by the time your two are in high school.

 

If you want your two to be competitive for UNC-CH, they may need to have AP on their transcripts. Most first year students there do.

 

Perhaps you should pose your question directly to the admissions people in Chapel Hill. Ask them what they would like to see in a homeschooler. Wouldn't hurt...

[LNC]

A couple of things. I see that your children are young so things can change.

 

That aside, the SAT-2 tests high school knowledge; AP and CLEP test college based knowledge. Your argument against AP follows for CLEP as well.

 

My son did Conceptual Physics in 9th, AP Bio in 10th, and then took three science courses at our CC: Chem I, Chem II and Microbiology. The Micro course had a general biology prerequisite which he fulfilled by his AP Bio score. This might be an interesting possibility for someone who is interested in a medical career. Of course, the community college system seems less homeschool friendly now in these days of state budget crisis. Things could change by the time your two are in high school.

 

If you want your two to be competitive for UNC-CH, they may need to have AP on their transcripts. Most first year students there do.

 

Perhaps you should pose your question directly to the admissions people in Chapel Hill. Ask them what they would like to see in a homeschooler. Wouldn't hurt...

 

 

Those are interesting courses your son took.!

 

Thanks for the SAT-2, CLEP and AP info - I do understand the differences. The DIVE supplemental cd prepares for CLEP, so that is why they would possibly take that one. I saved a webpage from UNC-CH that discusses their reccommendations for homeschoolers. That is how I decided to verify almost every Mommy grade in some way - CLEP, Sat-2, AP or online class. Also, we'll consider CC if things change for homeschoolers here - we are at the bottom of the barrel for registration I've heard.

[LNC]

Another possibility for 8th would be BJU Earth and Space. Is this hard to use w/out dvds?

 

Then I could start the DIVE sequence with BJU Physical Science in 9th and have 4 credits for high school. 3 credits verified with CLEP.

 

Any thoughts?

[Jane in NC]

Another possibility for 8th would be BJU Earth and Space. Is this hard to use w/out dvds?

 

Then I could start the DIVE sequence with BJU Physical Science in 9th and have 4 credits for high school. 3 credits verified with CLEP.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I'm having trouble with the concept of credits "verified" via CLEP. There is no CLEP exam on Earth and Space--are you talking about the Natural Science exam? Neither UNC-CH nor NCSU give credit for that exam. So is your strategy to submit a score to prove your students have learned the material--even if they are not earning credit?

 

Once again, I will note that BJU is a high school level program. CLEP tests college level material. Perhaps there are students who succeed on the CLEP exam after using BJU. Is that the case?

[LNC]

I'm having trouble with the concept of credits "verified" via CLEP. There is no CLEP exam on Earth and Space--are you talking about the Natural Science exam? Neither UNC-CH nor NCSU give credit for that exam. So is your strategy to submit a score to prove your students have learned the material--even if they are not earning credit?

 

Once again, I will note that BJU is a high school level program. CLEP tests college level material. Perhaps there are students who succeed on the CLEP exam after using BJU. Is that the case?

 

I'm not using CLEP for BJU Earth and Space in 8th. DIVE offers a CLEP Prep dvds for their bio, chem and physics that we will use and test for. 3 CLEPs for high school science. 4 high school science credits including DIVE with BJU Physical Science in 9th. And yes, by verifying mommy grades I mean proving my children have learned the material. Is that more clear?

 

My goal here is to plan my daughter's middle school science sequence while considering our high school science plans. I understand the process of CLEP, AP, SAT-2 etc. I don't really need help with that aspect. My children are young, but my middle school plans for math and science lead into high school plans etc. So - that is why I'm planning ahead. Thanks for thinking about this with me.

Edited November 17, 2010 by LNC

[Jane in NC]

I'm not using CLEP for earth and space in 8th. DIVE offers a CLEP Prep dvds for their bio, chem and physics that we will use and test for. 3 CLEPs for high school science. 4 high school science credits including DIVE with BJU Physical Science. And yes, by verifying mommy grades I mean proving my children have learned the material. Is that more clear?

 

My goal here is to plan my daughter's middle school science sequence while considering our high school science plans. I understand the process of CLEP, AP, SAT-2 etc. I don't really need help with that aspect. My children are young, but my middle school plans for math and science lead into high school plans etc. So - that is why I'm planning ahead. Thanks for thinking about this with me.

 

Sorry for being so dense. When you said "3 credits verified by CLEP", I read this literally as "3 credits", i.e. one course. I'll back away from this since I am not helping you at all! Sorry! :blush:

[creekland]

I see what you are saying. For math, they will go through AP calculus in 12th. I won't count Algebra in 8th, bc that is pretty standard.

 

For science, both BJU and DIVE seems to be more of a 9th grade class. Apologia Physics doesn't to me, so we aren't choosing that one. Also, AP seems redundant if they pass CLEP or even SAT-2 for each course: bio, chem and physics. I'm not really looking for college credit for science, just verification of Mommy grades. I don't want them to jeopardize their college GPA by entering into advanced science right away - for pre-med gpa purposes.

 

Edited to add - Jane I see you are from NC too. We are hoping to send them to UNC-Chapel Hill (which likes verification of mommy grades) or NC state.

 

What else could we add for 12th science then? Maybe find a more advanced physics? Confusing...

 

My middle son is also headed toward Pre-med, but not at UNC. He's probably going to end up at Pitt (with possibilities of Case Western, University of Rochester, or Franklin & Marshall). Pitt is likely because he has already qualified for free tuition based on his ACT score AND he can be competitive for direct entry into their Top 10 med school. We won't know about that until next year, however, since he's just a junior now and direct entry is VERY competitive.

 

Anyway... having a little bit of experience getting a pre-med ready (very little, so take it for what it's worth), it's very important to show high challenge and high performance in your science courses to be competitive for top schools (and in our case, merit aid). My son did Physical Science in 8th grade with Apologia, but we're not counting it for credit. His credit courses are:

 

9th Bio (Apologia)

 

10th Chem (Apologia)

 

11th Bio 2 and Chem 2 (Apologia - will be followed up with AP tests if I can find them offered around here, SAT IIs if I can't. I made sure we supplemented with more evolution from a secular book - Glencoe)

 

Also in 11th Microbio (at our local community college) He has the highest grade in the class (41 left in it) and has had his professor talk to him about his future plans - then offering to write letters of recommendation when he needs them. This will be key - as will scores from his AP tests (SAT IIs if I fail to find AP offerings).

 

Senior year he will take Physics as it's important that he have it, but easily one done senior year. He will likely do both levels 1 and 2 with Apologia. I don't know for certain as I don't have senior year written in stone yet.

 

Otherwise, he did Alg 1 in 7th, Alg 2 in 8th, Geometry in 9th, Pre-Calc in 10th, is doing Stats now (hoping to do an AP test there too) and will do Calc as a senior.

 

It's very important to get high test scores (ACT/SAT) AND show challenge with success in my experience. It doesn't help to duck challenge. It helps to face it and do well. Colleges are looking for the top students (at least around here they are - at the schools my son is considering). Minimum levels shown for acceptance on college web sites often aren't the actual levels used for acceptance for these types of more competitive majors and plans. And yes, they'll want confirmation of mommy grades via other tests or courses.

[LNC]

Sorry for being so dense. When you said "3 credits verified by CLEP", I read this literally as "3 credits", i.e. one course. I'll back away from this since I am not helping you at all! Sorry! :blush:

 

You did help me! I changed the DIVE with BJU Physical to 9th after you replied. The community college courses you and Eliana chose look fabulous, but not so useful for me, esp in my area of NC. I'm aiming for affordable, rigorous science and math! Kind of daunting. Thanks, truly, for thinking about it.

[LauraQ]

7th - Apologia General w/ coop lab

8th - DIVE Integrated Physics and Chemistry w/ BJU text (high school credit?)

9th - DIVE Biology w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

10th -DIVE Chemistry w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

(both Bio and Chem with the DIVE CLEP study dvds)

11th - DIVE Physics with Saxon Physics (no lab supplies)

(with Sat-2 or Clep with DIVE Clep study dvd)

 

Would that sequence count as 4 credits for high school science?

 

They are both very into math and science for college. My daughter will be ready to start Chalkdust Algebra in 8th also.

 

Does this sound ok?

 

I'm not sure how to see that as more than 3 high school science credits. Not saying that's not enough -- check with the school and see if they really need to see 4 high school science credits, even for a science major. That may well not be the case! Dh only had 3 from his college-prep private boarding school, and majored in science (2 BSs) without any trouble. Check with the college he plans to attend as what you've planned may well be enough. BUT I don't see that what you've planned amounts to more than 3 HS credits and 2 middle school classes.

[LNC]

I'm not sure how to see that as more than 3 high school science credits. Not saying that's not enough -- check with the school and see if they really need to see 4 high school science credits, even for a science major. That may well not be the case! Dh only had 3 from his college-prep private boarding school, and majored in science (2 BSs) without any trouble. Check with the college he plans to attend as what you've planned may well be enough. BUT I don't see that what you've planned amounts to more than 3 HS credits and 2 middle school classes.

 

Thanks! Maybe I should edit the original post. After Jane in NC said the same thing I changed it to this:

 

7th -Apologia General w/ coop lab

8th -BJU Earth and Space?

9th -DIVE Integrated Physics and Chemistry w/ BJU text

10th -DIVE Biology w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

11th -DIVE Chemistry w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

(both Bio and Chem with the DIVE CLEP study dvds)

12th -DIVE Physics with Saxon Physics (no lab supplies)

(with Sat-2 or Clep with DIVE Clep study dvd)

[Kareni]

My teen did the following:

 

9th grade: Conceptual Physical Science

10th grade: Chemistry with lab at home

11th grade: Geology (community college class)

12th grade: Environmental Science (community college class)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[angela in ohio]

Why not keep your original sequence, but add a second year of biology or chemistry? We are doing the DIVE with BJU Biology for my 9th grader (and the 8th grader who seems to be just following her science sequence,) and it is going well. I plan to do Chemistry next year and then decide whether to do AP Bio or AP Chem or go on to Physics and do it after. They will still get four years of science. I know some don't agree, but since I know they will complete Physics, I wasn't worried about them getting Physical Science during the four years of high school.

[NCMom]

Edited to add:

After input I've changed to this-

7th -Apologia General w/ coop lab

8th -BJU Earth and Space?

9th -DIVE Integrated Physics and Chemistry w/ BJU text

10th -DIVE Biology w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

11th -DIVE Chemistry w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

(both Bio and Chem with the DIVE CLEP study dvds)

12th -DIVE Physics with Saxon Physics (no lab supplies)

(with Sat-2 or Clep with DIVE Clep study dvd)

 

Does this sound ok?

 

College prep track here starts Bio in the 9th. Check the curric of your local private and charter schools. I would not expect to see a "physical science" credit on a highly competitive transcript that you want to really stand out. My oldest had one on his though. :001_smile: Every child had different needs.

If my dd continues at the charter she is attending hers would look like this

 

9th- Honors Bio (using a much harder course than say Apologia, just as an example)

10th- Honors Chem, same

11th - AP Bio (w/Campbells) and an Environmental Science course (new req for NC high schools)

12th - AP Physics

 

If my dd comes home (which looks likely) science would look pretty much the same except maybe no Env Sci; we would sub something else.

 

Also, CLEP will not bring much to the table, imho. The student will be competing against kids with many, many AP courses, many competitions, extra opportunities, etc. The AP tests and even the SAT II tests are imho, harder than CLEP tests. Take a look at the prep books. (My oldest has passed CLEPS with 1 day of prep, and this is not atypical, apparently :glare:)

 

Just my opinions though, take them with a grain of salt! I have decided that we will try for the most rigorous course load possible for each student, something I did not do for my oldest, something that I highly regret...

 

Georgia

Edited November 18, 2010 by Georgia in NC
I felt like I made high school look too scary, lol.

[LNC]

[CLEP will not bring much to the table, imho. The student will be competing against kids with many, many AP courses, many competitions, extra opportunities, etc. The AP tests and even the SAT II tests are imho, harder than CLEP tests. Take a look at the prep books. (My oldest has passed CLEPS with 1 day of prep, and this is not atypical, apparently :glare:)

 

Just my opinions though, take them with a grain of salt! I have decided that we will try for the most rigorous course load possible for each student, something I did not do for my oldest, something that I highly regret...

 

Georgia

 

That is very interesting. I don't remember my own ap exams being difficult, but maybe admissions thinks they are preferable. I'll look into that.

Maybe we'll do:

7th - Apologia General w/ coop lab

8th - DIVE Integrated Physics and Chemistry w/ BJU text (high school credit?)

9th - DIVE Biology w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

10th -DIVE Chemistry w/BJU text and Home Science tools lab kit

(both Bio and Chem with the DIVE CLEO study dvds, but take SAT-2?)

11th - DIVE Physics with Saxon Physics (no lab supplies)

(with DIVE Clep study dvd but take AP exam, not designated as AP course)

12th-AP BIO or Chem w/ Pennsylvania Homeschoolers

[LNC]

I just looked at my local public high school recommendations for their AP track science students. I found doubling up science classes very interesting!

 

9th - Honors Earth and Honors Biology

10th - Honors Chemistry and AP Environmental

11th - AP Chemistry or AP Biology

12th - AP Physics

Edited November 18, 2010 by LNC

[creekland]

If you're curious... here's the link to Pre-Med topics on College Confidential. Many students do an awful lot with high stats just to get in. That's the competition.

 

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/

 

Note: Some of the traditional "thoughts" are not always accurate (like majoring in science and going to a "tough" school). I highly suggest reading some of the top threads, but allow yourself a lot of time.

 

Getting into a college isn't the toughest thing, but you want to be set up well to succeed and get a HIGH GPA, plus you want to be in a college where you have a good chance to get into med school itself.