Please critique my plans for 8th grade through high school

[Embassy]

I'm looking at high school soon and have attempted to get a plan together for what the high school years will cover.  My son plans for a future in computer science or possibly electrical engineering.  He has language arts strengths.

 

I recently wrote the potential plans on my blog.  You can see them here:  http://eclectic-homeschool.com/long-term-plans-8th-grade-12th-grade/

 

Input?  I want to make sure math and science are well covered.  

 

Thanks!

[Penguin]

You might want to skip over the Math 1 Subject Test and just wait to take the Math 2.  There have been some recent threads about the Math SAT subject tests that you could look at.  I guess I am not sure of the reason for taking both.

 

I didn't quite follow how the four foreign languages correlate with the two foreign language credits per year, but perhaps I am just being dense :)

 

 

My 8th grade son's credits are projecting somewhat similarly:

 

History 1

Science 1

Math 1

Computer/ Electronics 1 (unless his interests change)

Foreign Language 2

English 1

 

That is seven right there and we still have to work in PE and Fine Arts.

 

[Embassy]

You might want to skip over the Math 1 Subject Test and just wait to take the Math 2.  There have been some recent threads about the Math SAT subject tests that you could look at.  I guess I am not sure of the reason for taking both.

 

I didn't quite follow how the four foreign languages correlate with the two foreign language credits per year, but perhaps I am just being dense :)

 

 

 

Thanks.  I'll check out the threads about the Math SAT tests.  Some of the foreign language will be completed prior to high school.  I was planning to indicate a credit earned based on progress so if Arabic 2 is finished in 9th grade I would give a credit for it there as Arabic 2.  The most we will spend on it is 2 hours per day so that is how I allotted time.  

[Gratia271]

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[Penguin]

Take a look at posts #4,5 and 6 in this thread:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/540226-sat-2subject-test-strategy/

 

The whole thread might be useful.

[Daria]

I'm curious about your decision to have him take 3 different modern languages, rather than focusing on developing fluency in one or two.  It seems as though if you chose to spend all that time on one language, you'd get to the point where he was able to use it in a wide variety of settings, including reading academic texts in their original language.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad decision, just curious about what you see as the benefits.  

[Penguin]

Even if he is great at self study you might want to outsource something for the sake of teacher recommendations.

[wapiti]

Random thoughts:

 

- I was under the impression that AP physics C is calc-based and would need to come after calc?  Maybe I'm mistaken.

 

- seems like too much time devoted to foreign languages unless something international is his main interest; the concern would be that there are only so many hours in a day and four languages would take away time from other pursuits during high school.  Could make for an interesting hook, however, if developed into something "more."

 

- seems like too much computer science credit unless they are actual courses, with the exception that AP Comp Sci may be a reasonable self-study exam from what I have read here.  I would write up that part of the transcript carefully if they're all self-study (not that I think it can't be done, just that I'd think it would need to be done very carefully).  As it's an excellent extracurricular, thinking out loud, I wonder whether there are ways for especially interested and talented high school programmers to set themselves apart, either by coursework (MOOCs?) or some sort of actual employment.  That's a whole other thread...

 

- definitely check out the excellent SAT subject test thread

[Gratia271]

I agree. Generally, I think Physics C is taken after Calc, but some kids around here who cannot accelerate in math quickly enough take them concurrently.

[regentrude]

My first question upon browsing the plan: why all those tests???

What purpose does the AP Physics 1 test serve if he plans on doing AP C? He won't get college credit for it, since as a comp sci major he will be required to take calc based physics.

Why SAT math 1 AND 2?

 

Also, I looked at the number of credits per year. One credit translates roughly into an hour per day. I do not understand how you plan to cover four foreign languages with two credits per year.

 

I am not sure how well Halliday/Resnick will work when calculus is taken concurrently; it is a calculus based course.

 

What does self study for computers entail? If you are planning on making this a full credit for every one of the four years, there should be some kind of focus for each.

 

All in all, it looks extremely ambitious and I am concerned that you are underestimating the amount of time this will take.

I have also learned that students grow and change interests, and that it is very difficult to project at age 13 where they will be at age 17 - so I would caution against too detailed plans for the upper grades.

 

[RootAnn]

I've done "high school plans" for my dd#1 a couple of times and when I look back at them, they're always different. Her interests & abilities change as she matures, so it seems that the plans morph as we go. Six months ago, I thought she'd be doing Geography next year for Social studies. RIght now, I'm planning on Year 1 of 2 of US History. It might change again before the fall. So, if I were you, I'd consider your plan very fluid.

 

My dd#1 likes languages & math (right now). She wants to add a third language next year. What I've found is that she can easily be over-scheduled & not have enough time for her passions (other than math/languages). So, keep in mind that you might be expecting a ton and because of all the languages & comp sci, perhaps have to skim down another subject or three to the minimum. My kid is definitely "average" and doesn't self-study well, so I may have absolutely said something here that doesn't apply to your son. I have definitely not 'been there, done that' yet by any means.

 

Good luck.

[Gratia271]

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[Embassy]

One thing I noticed is the AP Calc and AP Physics C senior year.  It would be helpful to colleges for admission purposes to see those results from junior year if possible. In addition, AP Computer Science would offer good documentation of his ability and interest in the field. 

 

Getting an idea of what schools he is interested in would be helpful, as some have more rigorous expectations than others in terms of advanced course work. 

 

Thanks for the input!  He hasn't show interest in any one school at this point.  If he finishes AP Calc earlier than he will do that, but I'm not sure how long it will take for him to complete the other ones yet.  AP Computer Science is a given, but I don't know when he will be ready for it.  

[Embassy]

I'm curious about your decision to have him take 3 different modern languages, rather than focusing on developing fluency in one or two.  It seems as though if you chose to spend all that time on one language, you'd get to the point where he was able to use it in a wide variety of settings, including reading academic texts in their original language.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad decision, just curious about what you see as the benefits.  

 

 

One of the major reasons for the number of foreign languages is to give my children a global perspective.  Instead of using one language in a variety of settings, they can use a variety of languages to communicate with others in their world.  We live in an area where over half of the residents are immigrants and these languages and cultures are encountered in day to day life.  I also view that high school isn't the end of education.  My child can continue to learn one of the languages or more to fluency if he chooses.  HTH

[quark]

Not advice, just suggestions, since we are also in a similar place with planning:

1. I think you might be stretched too thin with regards to trying to complete 31-32 credits across ALL subjects. DS will have something similar but with a clear math and physics (and maybe music) concentration

2. Math might not work out neatly to one book per year, but possibly some might take more time, some less so it could balance out...but agree with others that math 1 is not necessary if you are doing math 2

3. He looks more like a language student than a computer science student...if I was looking at his profile and your plan, that's what I would think -- suggestion to cut at least one-two languages and take that time to focus on electrical engin/ CS concentration

4. Some friends who are using eIMACS for CS really love the program...just a thought (but it's not cheap), if your DS has not already surpassed most of the eIMACS levels in CS.

 

ETA: and btw, what does your son think of your plan? Every plan I make these days involves the kid pretty seriously...he needs to look at it, process it, talk it out with me, debate it, etc etc until we can both be sure it will work...and sometimes we just jump in, take the risk, try it out, then decide, but still, he has as much if not more say than I do. Just a thought!

[Embassy]

Even if he is great at self study you might want to outsource something for the sake of teacher recommendations.

 

Yes, that will probably happen at some point.  I'm already over my head in a lot of things.  There are also a bunch of great computer classes at a university nearby and I think they allow high school students to do some classes there.  

[Embassy]

Random thoughts:

 

- I was under the impression that AP physics C is calc-based and would need to come after calc?  Maybe I'm mistaken.

 

- seems like too much time devoted to foreign languages unless something international is his main interest; the concern would be that there are only so many hours in a day and four languages would take away time from other pursuits during high school.  Could make for an interesting hook, however, if developed into something "more."

 

- seems like too much computer science credit unless they are actual courses, with the exception that AP Comp Sci may be a reasonable self-study exam from what I have read here.  I would write up that part of the transcript carefully if they're all self-study (not that I think it can't be done, just that I'd think it would need to be done very carefully).  As it's an excellent extracurricular, thinking out loud, I wonder whether there are ways for especially interested and talented high school programmers to set themselves apart, either by coursework (MOOCs?) or some sort of actual employment.  That's a whole other thread...

 

- definitely check out the excellent SAT subject test thread

 

Some of the computer might take place at a local university.  I still have to find out what are options are there.  I'm pretty sure AP Comp Sci will be done.  Yes, you are right.  Some might not be on the transcript, but extracurricular - especially since he has some sort of employment/business in mind.  I think we have enough credits so they wouldn't need to be listed on the transcript.

 

Yes, languages are a time hog.  But we live in an international area where diverse languages and cultures abound.  This is why the max he will spend is 2 hours and he will make whatever progress he can - with his preferred language getting the most time.

[Embassy]

My first question upon browsing the plan: why all those tests???

What purpose does the AP Physics 1 test serve if he plans on doing AP C? He won't get college credit for it, since as a comp sci major he will be required to take calc based physics.

Why SAT math 1 AND 2?

 

Also, I looked at the number of credits per year. One credit translates roughly into an hour per day. I do not understand how you plan to cover four foreign languages with two credits per year.

 

I am not sure how well Halliday/Resnick will work when calculus is taken concurrently; it is a calculus based course.

 

What does self study for computers entail? If you are planning on making this a full credit for every one of the four years, there should be some kind of focus for each.

 

All in all, it looks extremely ambitious and I am concerned that you are underestimating the amount of time this will take.

I have also learned that students grow and change interests, and that it is very difficult to project at age 13 where they will be at age 17 - so I would caution against too detailed plans for the upper grades.

 

Thanks for your questions.  They are helpful.  The tests would be to verify self-learning rather than for college credit.  Would they be unnecessary or repetitive then?

 

We started foreign language in Kindergarten/Grade 1.  He will start high school with some high school language levels already complete.  So if he completes a second year of Greek in 9th grade I was planning to call it Greek 2 on his transcript.

 

So it sounds like a focus on getting to calculus sooner would be beneficial....we can work toward that.  

 

Self-study for computers is open-ended right now,.  See previous post :)

 

Yes, I understand that this will be revised and I want to leave options open in case he changes focus.   I'm a big-picture thinker so it is helpful for me to have the end in mind when planning the next year.

[Embassy]

I've done "high school plans" for my dd#1 a couple of times and when I look back at them, they're always different. Her interests & abilities change as she matures, so it seems that the plans morph as we go. Six months ago, I thought she'd be doing Geography next year for Social studies. RIght now, I'm planning on Year 1 of 2 of US History. It might change again before the fall. So, if I were you, I'd consider your plan very fluid.

 

My dd#1 likes languages & math (right now). She wants to add a third language next year. What I've found is that she can easily be over-scheduled & not have enough time for her passions (other than math/languages). So, keep in mind that you might be expecting a ton and because of all the languages & comp sci, perhaps have to skim down another subject or three to the minimum. My kid is definitely "average" and doesn't self-study well, so I may have absolutely said something here that doesn't apply to your son. I have definitely not 'been there, done that' yet by any means.

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks!  Yes, fluid is good.  I have no problem with cutting something out if needed.  

[Embassy]

Good, bad, or neutral, you do have to consider the students your son will be competing with in what are now highly competitive fields to enter.  Most public school students in our area who intend to major in Comp Sci or engineering have taken all of the relevant AP level courses prior to college app time.  They basically double up sophomore year to ensure they are able to take calc-based Physics junior year.  Some private schools around here allow concurrent enrollment (Physics C with Calc BC).  I agree with Regentrude that it doesn't make much sense.  I'm not sure how they handle it with the students, and I'm certainly not doing it that way with my kids.  In any case, these kids finish up most of these classes so that colleges can see results on the applications . 

Documentation of some sort is important.  Dual enrollment is another great route to reflect ability if that works better

 

So doing 2 maths one year to finish calculus in Grade 11 sounds like it would be important.  Calculus based physics would need to be finished by grade 11 too?  The relevant AP courses would be which ones?  These are the ones I am looking at:

 

AP Calculus BC

AP Physics 1

AP Physics C

AP Biology (since he has expressed an interest in a biology field in the past)

AP Computer Science

 

Thanks!

[Embassy]

Not advice, just suggestions, since we are also in a similar place with planning:

1. I think you might be stretched too thin with regards to trying to complete 31-32 credits across ALL subjects. DS will have something similar but with a clear math and physics (and maybe music) concentration

2. Math might not work out neatly to one book per year, but possibly some might take more time, some less so it could balance out...but agree with others that math 1 is not necessary if you are doing math 2

3. He looks more like a language student than a computer science student...if I was looking at his profile and your plan, that's what I would think -- suggestion to cut at least one-two languages and take that time to focus on electrical engin/ CS concentration

4. Some friends who are using eIMACS for CS really love the program...just a thought (but it's not cheap), if your DS has not already surpassed most of the eIMACS levels in CS.

 

ETA: and btw, what does your son think of your plan? Every plan I make these days involves the kid pretty seriously...he needs to look at it, process it, talk it out with me, debate it, etc etc until we can both be sure it will work...and sometimes we just jump in, take the risk, try it out, then decide, but still, he has as much if not more say than I do. Just a thought!

 

Thanks!  His input at this point is that he wants to spend a lot of time on computer science.  He also tells me that he wants me to pick his books, but wants me to be sure to pick something hard.  

[regentrude]

Thanks for your questions.  They are helpful.  The tests would be to verify self-learning rather than for college credit.  Would they be unnecessary or repetitive then?

 

If he does AP Physics C, there is no need to do AP Physics 1 - same material, lower level. If anything, I'd have him do the subject SAT because some colleges require those.

 

Math 1 and math 2 are not both necessary. Some colleges require math and another subject test; I have not come across any that wants to see both math tests. Math 1 has a brutal curve and less material, math 2 has more material but the more forgiving curve.

 

I found that it is sufficient to have outside validation for selected subjects. If test scores are in line with mommy grades, colleges are inclined to believe mommy grades in the remaining subjects.

[kiana]

Rather than doing 2 maths one year I'd just keep moving through at the pace he's ready for, but not restricting it specifically to start/end dates of school years. There's also a bunch of chapters in aops precalculus that are not specifically necessary for calculus (but the 3d geometry might be really nifty for computer graphics), and it would be completely reasonable to do the first part of precalc, then calculus, then circle back to do the last part of precalculus if there's time. 

 

I'd really want to be at least a semester ahead of the physics sequence with the math sequence. We let them take it concurrently at the school where I did graduate work, and it resulted in the physics students being given a table of derivatives and told 'memorize this and you'll learn it properly later in math class'. I do not like this approach. 

[Gratia271]

I'd really want to be at least a semester ahead of the physics sequence with the math sequence. We let them take it concurrently at the school where I did graduate work, and it resulted in the physics students being given a table of derivatives and told 'memorize this and you'll learn it properly later in math class'. I do not like this approach. 

 

I wondered how they did it.  Doesn't sound good at all.

 

[regentrude]

Good, bad, or neutral, you do have to consider the students your son will be competing with in what are now highly competitive fields to enter.  Most public school students in our area who intend to major in Comp Sci or engineering have taken all of the relevant AP level courses prior to college app time.  They basically double up sophomore year to ensure they are able to take calc-based Physics junior year.  Some private schools around here allow concurrent enrollment (Physics C with Calc BC).

 

What kinds of colleges are these students looking at?

 

I want to encourage the OP: it is definitely not the norm that Comp Sci majors have taken "all of the relevant AP courses".

I teach at a public university with STEM focus. Most of our Comp Sci majors have no credit for AP physics or AP calculus.

In fact, many high schools did not offer either.

 

If your student is not shooting for a highly selective college, not having a long list of APs will not be an issue.

[regentrude]

As far as calc for physics goes:

my DD had the goal of taking calculus based physics in 11th grade (DE at university). She did algebra 2 and precalculus with AoPS during 10th grade, by cutting the material that is not a necessary prerequisite for calculus, and beginning AoPS calculus over the summer before 11th grade.

There are quite a few topics in Intermediate Algebra that are usually covered in precalc, and certain topics in the precalc text are usually not covered in high school at all ( 3 d vectors and matrices) and are no prerequ for calc. Compressing both courses into one year was doable.

[Embassy]

I'm going to guess that my son will want to go to a Canadian university that is one of the top 20 universities for computer science.  They welcome homeschool students and request a letter stating that the child has been homeschooled, course outlines, textbooks used, method of evaluation used, samples of written work, independent evaluations (outside classes if done), things like SAT reasoning tests, SAT subject tests, AP tests.  They strongly recommend that students going into a science field have AP and SAT subject tests in prerequisite subjects.  This kid does tend to test well and he does have language arts strengths.  Would it be beneficial to do AP for history or literature?  He is using a AP history book, but I didn't think it was worth it to bother going through the testing because of his interests.  

 

[My3girls]

Wow, that seems like a lot of work! We plan on 6 credits per year plus extra curricular and community service and that seems like full load to us. 8th grade next year will go something like this.

 

Excellence in Literature, WWS 2, Vocab from Classical Roots

Aops Intro to Algebra

Physical Science (Derek Owens)

Medieval and Early Modern History (UOP)

Spanish 1 (tutor)

Band (flute)

Cross Country/ Archery

Girl Scouts/ 4-H

Volunteer at animal shelter

[8filltheheart]

Here are my thoughts fwiw.

 

I strongly agree with Regentrude that he does not need to have completed all of those courses by his 11th grade yr. That is not typical. It might be what you read and hear about with powerhouse students, but it is certainly not typical.

 

I personally wouldn't plan that far ahead. My kids tend to develop their own plans during high school and those plans morph into specific courses.

 

I have a dd taking 3 foreign languages. It is very time consuming. She spends 4 hrs per day on avg on those 3 subjects. For her, the time makes sense bc that is where her career objectives head. For a STEM student, I would not be willing to give foreign Lang so much time.

 

One option you have for math if you really want to get to BC in 11th is to enroll in AoPS online and complete courses at their pace. You could enroll during a summer class. (But I do not think it is necessary. BC in 12th is still excellent.)

 

I also think cal is a co-req for Physics C. Very few kids move beyond BC. My ds's university required cal as a pre-req, but many schools suggest it as a co-req.

 

If he ends up with the math sequence you have listed, you could have him take physics 1&2 in 11th and take bio in12th.

 

Fwiw, I only skimmed over the rest. Way too much breadth and depth going on for me to imagine. Ds graduated with over 40 credits, but his breadth was only slightly more than completely typical (he loved philosophy so he had philosophy credits.). His depth, however, is where things were skewed. He had something like 9 or 10 math credits and 11 or 12 science credits. He took at least 2 sciences every yr, 4 his sr yr.

 

My kids drive their own accomplishments. Anyone looking at ds's schedule would think burn-out looming. But he thrives in that environment and would be bored without the mental stimulation. He chose the courses and the load. In 8th grade I had no idea where he would be heading and I never fathomed the level of accomplishment he achieved. I can't imagine planning something like what he did. It took life from him. I just have a minimum list.....everything else is a bonus.

[Gratia271]

Thanks for the input!  He hasn't show interest in any one school at this point.  If he finishes AP Calc earlier than he will do that, but I'm not sure how long it will take for him to complete the other ones yet.  AP Computer Science is a given, but I don't know when he will be ready for it.  

.

[Gratia271]

What kinds of colleges are these students looking at?

 

I want to encourage the OP: it is definitely not the norm that Comp Sci majors have taken "all of the relevant AP courses".

I teach at a public university with STEM focus. Most of our Comp Sci majors have no credit for AP physics or AP calculus.

In fact, many high schools did not offer either.

 

If your student is not shooting for a highly selective college, not having a long list of APs will not be an issue.

STEM universities.

[Embassy]

Thanks for all of the advice.  I'll be making some changes.  :)

[GoodGrief]

Be sure to leave room/time for extracurriculars.  He may want to be involved in a sport, music, or a volunteer activity.  All of those are valuable prep for the college years, and they can consume quite a bit of the day.  An hour for piano practice can be tough to come by in those high school years.

 

It was helpful for me to consider the basic grad requirements for our local school, and go from there.  Also, having done the college app thing with our oldest (and our high school junior is almost there herself), I realize the process is somewhat simplified if the colleges are familiar with the types of courses on the transcript.  I think we got a little too creative with my oldest's coursework.

 

Consider language arts coursework that incorporates writing into other subjects; for example a "World Literature" course that features writing instruction, rather than utilizing a writing curric and a literature curric. 

 

I agree with the others that said the testing is a bit much.  Test prep can become time consuming, and you do want to make sure they are well prepared if they are going to do these tests, as the scores are "out there" after that.  No need for an AP test and a subject test on the same topic, and Math 1 can be dropped altogether if you are doing Math 2.

 

My hs junior studies Mandarin with a tutor (and has since age 10 or so).  Because tones are so important, it's a difficult language to study independently, and do it well.   I have a hard time imagining doing Mandarin AND Arabic AND French formally, along with a heavy math and science load, unless the child already has a good foundation in the languages prior to high school, and even then, it seems like a lot.

 

The science plan seems really complicated, even for a STEM kid (which my daughter is as well.)  I say four solid science courses, and perhaps science extra-currics if he wants more:  robotics team, science fair projects, maybe working toward a science award.  :-)

 

Social studies seems reasonable.  It would be nice if he could do a macro econ course one semester later in high school, as opposed to 8th grade, but since you are doing both American and Canadian history and American and Canadian government, you don't have much wiggle room there.  :-)

 

 

[Penguin]

I like the way you thought through your plan and organized it. I am trying to make something like that for my son so that we both have a big picture vision. Sure it will change, but I also want to begin with a roadmap.

[Penguin]

For that matter, perhaps one or two of the  foreign languages could be considered extracurricular if you reach a point that you want to do them but not count credit hours.  That is what I have suggested to my son regarding his interest in other languages beyond the two we have planned.  While 8's daughter wants to seriously study three and pursue a career in that direction, my student just gets a kick out of foreign language.

[8filltheheart]

No need for an AP test and a subject test on the same topic,

I have no knowledge of how it works with Canadian universities, but here, some school want to see subject test scores and no school requires AP scores. However, if the student wants credit, AP scores are going to be required. Many students take the AP in May and the correlated subject test either in May or June.

[madteaparty]

I know nothing, clearly, but won't your DS be "finished" * with a language or two by high school? If so, can he do say, a lit study in that language, for credit or not, just to keep up the skills if credits are not important at that point, and the documenting of the language has already occurred? Wasn't there a poster here that had her DS do history in the foreign language? I plan to have DS take the French AP test in 7th or 8th grade. After that, a part of his literature will be in the original French. Local lib arts college also has advanced  lit classes taught entirely in French he may be able to attend.

* I know one is never finished, spare me.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

Fwiw, I only skimmed over the rest. Way too much breadth and depth going on for me to imagine. Ds graduated with over 40 credits, but his breadth was only slightly more than completely typical (he loved philosophy so he had philosophy credits.). His depth, however, is where things were skewed. He had something like 9 or 10 math credits and 11 or 12 science credits. He took at least 2 sciences every yr, 4 his sr yr.

 

How intense were his extra-curricular activities and how many hours a week did he spend on them? I'm planning 9th grade and trying to get different perspectives.

 

40 credits. That seems like quite a number of credits... Maybe its not, though....

[maize]

No BTDT experience yet, I am in the looking ahead stage as well but I already find myself adjusting my expectations based on my oldest's individual interests and passions. What I think I see in your current plan is an attempt to both accommodate your own foreign language focus and your son's expressed interest in a STEM field. My thinking is that serious study at the high school level is going to be quite time consuming, and either the math/science/programming OR the foreign language are going to need to be scaled back, or possibly you could continue to focus in those areas but take a minimalist approach to everything else. If you want true depth some breadth is going to have to be sacrificed.

 

I would seriously consider calling a couple of your language subjects sufficient at some point. As you have noted, learning doesn't end with high school--your child can continue a study of Ancient Geek, or Arabic, or Chinese at any point. The opportunity to prepare for a STEM degree however is more time sensitive since he plans to pursue that degree in just a few years.

 

For comparison, the IB program is considered to be a very rigorous high school path. An IB candidate typically studies three subjects at the most rigorous ("high") level, and three at the standard level (moderately rigorous). A student might do math, physics, and chemistry at the high level, and French, English, and history at the standard level. The last two years of high school focus almost exclusively on these subjects, allowing for significant mastery. To add several more subjects to that schedule would almost certainly require cutting back on rigor in the primary subjects.

[Embassy]

Be sure to leave room/time for extracurriculars.  He may want to be involved in a sport, music, or a volunteer activity.  All of those are valuable prep for the college years, and they can consume quite a bit of the day.  An hour for piano practice can be tough to come by in those high school years.

 

It was helpful for me to consider the basic grad requirements for our local school, and go from there.  Also, having done the college app thing with our oldest (and our high school junior is almost there herself), I realize the process is somewhat simplified if the colleges are familiar with the types of courses on the transcript.  I think we got a little too creative with my oldest's coursework.

 

Consider language arts coursework that incorporates writing into other subjects; for example a "World Literature" course that features writing instruction, rather than utilizing a writing curric and a literature curric. 

 

I agree with the others that said the testing is a bit much.  Test prep can become time consuming, and you do want to make sure they are well prepared if they are going to do these tests, as the scores are "out there" after that.  No need for an AP test and a subject test on the same topic, and Math 1 can be dropped altogether if you are doing Math 2.

 

My hs junior studies Mandarin with a tutor (and has since age 10 or so).  Because tones are so important, it's a difficult language to study independently, and do it well.   I have a hard time imagining doing Mandarin AND Arabic AND French formally, along with a heavy math and science load, unless the child already has a good foundation in the languages prior to high school, and even then, it seems like a lot.

 

The science plan seems really complicated, even for a STEM kid (which my daughter is as well.)  I say four solid science courses, and perhaps science extra-currics if he wants more:  robotics team, science fair projects, maybe working toward a science award.  :-)

 

Social studies seems reasonable.  It would be nice if he could do a macro econ course one semester later in high school, as opposed to 8th grade, but since you are doing both American and Canadian history and American and Canadian government, you don't have much wiggle room there.  :-)

 

Thanks for your comments!  Yes, things may be combined.  I haven't made it to that level of detail yet - just general so I can see where we are headed.   I am a little confused about your science comment though.  I believe that I only have four solid science courses on there.  :)

[Embassy]

I know nothing, clearly, but won't your DS be "finished" * with a language or two by high school? If so, can he do say, a lit study in that language, for credit or not, just to keep up the skills if credits are not important at that point, and the documenting of the language has already occurred? Wasn't there a poster here that had her DS do history in the foreign language? I plan to have DS take the French AP test in 7th or 8th grade. After that, a part of his literature will be in the original French. Local lib arts college also has advanced  lit classes taught entirely in French he may be able to attend.

* I know one is never finished, spare me.

No, none would be finished by high school.

[8filltheheart]

How intense were his extra-curricular activities and how many hours a week did he spend on them? I'm planning 9th grade and trying to get different perspectives.

 

40 credits. That seems like quite a number of credits... Maybe its not, though....

 

It really isn't if they dual enroll (I gave my ds 1 credit for every 1 semester course) and carry up any credits from middle school (he carried up math and foreign language credits.)

 

As for extra-curricular activities, none were intense.  He probably spent about 4-8 hrs per week on them and they were all fun.  

[Embassy]

It really isn't if they dual enroll (I gave my ds 1 credit for every 1 semester course) and carry up any credits from middle school (he carried up math and foreign language credits.)

 

As for extra-curricular activities, none were intense.  He probably spent about 4-8 hrs per week on them and they were all fun.  

 

I didn't realize that one could carry up credits from middle school.  

[Gratia271]

I didn't realize that one could carry up credits from middle school.  

 

You can transcript high school level work done prior to high school.  I just keep records of materials used, any testing done, etc..

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Yes, that will probably happen at some point. I'm already over my head in a lot of things. There are also a bunch of great computer classes at a university nearby and I think they allow high school students to do some classes there.

You may want to glance at the requirements, both to enroll as a high schooler and to take the computer classes. At the community colleges my son has attended students had to place beyond a certain level in math to take computer courses. One college also restricted high schoolers below a certain age.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Good, bad, or neutral, you do have to consider the students your son will be competing with in what are now highly competitive fields to enter. Most public school students in our area who intend to major in Comp Sci or engineering have taken all of the relevant AP level courses prior to college app time. They basically double up sophomore year to ensure they are able to take calc-based Physics junior year. Some private schools around here allow concurrent enrollment (Physics C with Calc BC). I agree with Regentrude that it doesn't make much sense. I'm not sure how they handle it with the students, and I'm certainly not doing it that way with my kids. In any case, these kids finish up most of these classes so that colleges can see results on the applications .

Documentation of some sort is important. Dual enrollment is another great route to reflect ability if that works better.

Do you mind if I ask what area of the country this is in? I ask because I'm not sure how typical that progression is. In strong high school in Northern Virginia I knew many students in AP math and physics as seniors and a few who took them as juniors. But not enough that I'd say it was most students except within the math and science magnet schools.

[kiana]

I didn't realize that one could carry up credits from middle school.  

 

Yes, although colleges vary in how they count these, so I would recommend against it being something necessary to satisfy graduation requirements. For example, I would not transcript english from middle school and skip english as a senior because 4 credits have been earned.

 

It is generally easiest to justify math and foreign language and most difficult to justify courses such as english where there is a less clearly defined scope and sequence. 

[Embassy]

After taking everyone's comments into consideration and talking to my ds and my dh, I revised the list, cutting down on foreign language and increasing the coverage of science and math.  I'm a big picture person so it helps me to have a big picture of where we are going.  It is much easier for me to cut down a big list than to start with a simple list and build on it.  It is still a big list, but we will cut down or adapt as necessary.  

 

Thanks everyone!