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    Joined: Dec 2005
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    Originally Posted by intparent
    I feel like I would have a MUCH happier kid if she self studied French and had a different section of English class.
    Go with the mom gut - Happiness isn't the first priority, but it's a great guide! I don't buy the Principle's argument, either about the 'working it out' or the 'looking good to colleges.' Don't worry about the Principle email, it's just last minute venting....He/She probably can't believe he or she agreed to the teacher switch.

    Go with the gut and good luck!
    Grinity


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    It is dropping French V next quarter that she will need to explain. And since it is because of the English class switch, that might need to be discussed.

    She really can't take the AP French exam this spring. French is her worst subject (she got a B this last quarter, her only grade below an A-). The irony of this is not lost on her... she looked at me incredulously when I told her what the option was, and said "Wait... they won't let me move ahead and take an AP class in the subject I am best at, but they will let me self study in my weakest subject? What is wrong with these people?". I have no answer...

    I am not worried about her recommendations. She will have a great one from her history teacher, her chem teacher would write her a good one, and her 10th grade English teacher will write her a great one (although he is ill, so not sure he will be back next year... but if he is, she will surely take one of his senior English classes as well). You really can't use THINK recommendations for college, that is just a 3 week summer experience; most colleges are quite specific about wanting them from your high school teachers (they will usually accept an extra one or two in addition to the required ones, but they don't want to be flooded with them).

    I did call the school guidance counselor yesterday to chat about this. She said if D was applying to Ivies, skipping a semester of French V might cause a hiccup -- there are just soooo many qualified applicants, you don't want to stand out for something like this. But D is looking more at LACs (a couple top 10, some a bit lower ranked). And I just don't think it is worth having a miserable kid for the rest of this year for the sake of appearances for colleges.

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    I have lost tracked who i am agreeing with or disagreeing with - posters and guidance counselor - tried to quote and lost it - sigh

    So - short summary - counselor is wrong about anyone caring about the dropping or keeping - so long as she takes the AP and gets a 4 or better. If she didn't take the AP then it wold look like she dropped it to not get penalized for the smidge lower grade. So long as she is taking the AP class and keeping the tutor so she doesn't lose the skills, drop it and take the English. The ivies and the lacs are MUCH more interested in passion and commitment to something - showing that you aren't helicoptered to death and or doing just what it takes to get in -- but truly determining a path for yourself.

    I would also recommend taking a summer course in it if she can so that she's in a good place for the AP class.

    Guidance counselors need to rationalize all sorts of unrationizable decision making. The ivies and the lacs get way more top grades, great scores than they can take. They take athletes, legacies, artists, all sorts of people to make their class interesting and well rounded. What will get your daughter in is never going to be her French score, or even her English score - its the package, who is she, what does she want to do, what does she add to the class of 20 whatever. Harvard and Princeton take a lot of perfect scores, with perfect tracks, but they are never going to reject someone they want for other reasons because they juggled their courses!

    Speaking from my university perch which is not in admissions but has dealt with them!
    Her sanity and happiness will matter more in these two years than anything else.

    DeHe

    Last edited by DeHe; 01/14/12 11:42 AM. Reason: Ap test reality
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    Originally Posted by intparent
    But D is looking more at LACs (a couple top 10, some a bit lower ranked)
    Sorry for the sidetrack, but what are LACs?

    Last edited by Cricket2; 01/14/12 04:01 PM. Reason: typo (I know, hard to do with such a short post!)
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    LAC = Liberal Arts College

    She is looking at colleges like Haverford, Carleton, Kenyon, Macalaster, Oberlin, etc.

    She may not get a 4 in the AP test (her sister only managed a 3 on that one -- our family has NO talent for languages). But she won't take it until spring of senior year. Acceptances or rejections will be in hand by the time she takes the AP test. Her fall grade in AP French will be more important. I think she will spend some time over the summer with an AP French study book regardless of whether she takes French V next semester or just self studies with her tutor.

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    Ah, thanks for the clarification. I can't say that languages are an area of talent for anyone in my family either, save for my step-brother who is fluent in everything from Mandarin to Spanish. He's not technically a relative, though wink .

    The college admissions game is one we'll be thinking about soon enough ourselves. As importantly, the scholarship winning game will be in our considerations.

    It is a bummer and somewhat ironic to have to put your fulfillment and education on hold in order to get into your college of choice, though. Let us know what she decides.

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    Okay... D is settled into her new schedule. Skipping French V next semester, but she is set up with her tutor and has a free block (where the previous English section was) that she will use to study French. The tutor is a French teacher at her school that we have used for tutoring for both of our kids. Apparently the principal told the French teacher today that he did not want her to tutor D (and thus enable this schedule change). The teacher (cheers!) has chosen to go ahead and tutor D anyway.

    Not sure how the new English class will go (doesn't start until next quarter, block scheduling). But the previous English class started this week, and D's friends are already complaining that the old teacher is ruining Walt Whitman for them. I think this change was the right choice if we couldn't get the AP option.

    Now just need to figure out how to keep the principal from trashing D on her National Merit Finalist letter, as he has apparently labeled her as a quitter in his mind based on his last email. Sigh...

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    High school is hard...the stakes start seeming so high. Print out the poem 'if' and consentrate on memorizing it when the worried thoughts creep in. Ok?

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    I don't think he ever switched. I guess I misinterpreted a few sympathetic noises for actual agreement along the way. He doubled down today on his support of the teacher. About once a month he writes a section of a communication that goes to all families of the K-12 school. Today he published an article praising this teacher for her "experiential" approach to teaching English. Ick. I think I will just hang on to the idea that it is in his best interest for the school to have as many National Merit Finalists as possible.

    And, most importantly, D said today that she is VERY happy with her school courses this quarter (even with French self study). That makes it all worth it.

    Last edited by intparent; 01/19/12 07:09 PM.
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    Originally Posted by intparent
    And, most importantly, D said today that she is VERY happy with her school courses this quarter (even with French self study). That makes it all worth it.
    Yippee!


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