Biology in 8th grade ? WWYD?

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Our local class center offers Biology for 8th and 9th graders.  Many academic kids around here take Biology in 8th grade, with plans to take AP Biology later. She would like to take the class in 8th grade with kids her age, and she will be ready next year. I like the teacher.

 

My dd is not aspiring to extremely hard-to-get-into colleges, because of her degree plans and her personality.  BUT, most colleges do require her to take Biology some time in high school.

 

HOWEVER, in our state, Science taken in 8th grade DOES NOT count for high school. This means,

 

a. She will have to either do a Biology Review book for us to legitimately and honestly say we did Biology in 9th grade.  

b.  Or she may surprise me and want to do AP Biology after Chemistry (highly doubtful as she is NOT into Science)

c.  Or she can do another year of Biology that our PSP will call  "Honors Advanced Biology" using Apologia Biology but not take the AP class or test.  

 

So, given the situation, would you have her wait till 9th so she doesn't have to do Biology twice 

or

Take the class with her same-age peers and worry about how to cover high school biology later?

 

 

[Arcadia]

Would she be willing to take the SAT biology test later to use as a high school credit by exam? Would she be taking physics in high school? Also she could take Zoology or environmental science or marine biology or another biological science in high school. I would let her take biology in 8th at the local class center.

 

Those colleges we look at so far wants two out of three science and none that we look at so far insist on biology. So my kids are taking the SAT biology test instead of spending a high school year on biology. Both of mine would have physics and chem in high school so if they want to apply to state universities they still could.

"Laboratory science (“dâ€) – Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in at least two of the three disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics."

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Would she be willing to take the SAT biology test later to use as a high school credit by exam? Would she be taking physics in high school? Also she could take Zoology or environmental science or marine biology or another biological science in high school. I would let her take biology in 8th at the local class center.

 

Those colleges we look at so far wants two out of three science and none that we look at so far insist on biology. So my kids are taking the SAT biology test instead of spending a high school year on biology. Both of mine would have physics and chem in high school so if they want to apply to state universities they still could.

"Laboratory science (“dâ€) – Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in at least two of the three disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics."

Oh you're right!  But I HIGHLY DOUBT she will want to take physics.  Although, she is pretty good at math, so maybe senior year, but I can't depend on it.  If I depended on it, that would not be wise.  We just have to see how things go with her.  She's unpredictable.

 

But you made the point about any kind of biological science counting!! SO that's great.  She can take Marine Biology instead!! yay!! Thank you so much.  I had forgotten about Marine and Environmental Science.  

 

Thanks...I will let her take the course.  

[SebastianCat]

I let my DS take Biology in 8th grade because it was offered at the co-op we were joining.  It was a good choice for him at the time, and I had him take the Biology SAT subject exam last spring.   I plan to list both the class and his SAT Subject exam on his high school transcript, but he's very interested in sciences and might go into engineering.

 

Since you have other biology options for high school (in addition to Marine and Environmental Science, she could do Anatomy & Physiology), I would let her take it in 8th grade.

[fourisenough]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but has anyone done WTMA Bio with an 8th grader?

 

I wish I had a good option for an in-person class. Consider yourself lucky!