Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Ack! HS dropped a needed class-- what to do?

The U of Missouri will offer its own transcript (remember, it's an online high school, not a college-level course).

I'm thinking that you're skeptical about your DD's school putting it on her transcript? The public schools around here accept courses from accredited online schools.

What about dual enrollment at a community college? Seems reasonable if the school won't offer the course.

Strategically, assuming that she can't get this onto her transcripts either way (meaning, she's going to have a secondary transcript, I mean)--

better to do college course? German? Or a second language?

Or HS second year?

Right-- if she switched to German at the college level, she's about right for a second semester class of German I.

On the other hand, since we're on quarters here, I'd have her start with German 112, or second quarter, German I. For F2F instruction in a classroom, though, that is going to be very problematic, since (local uni) doesn't even have enough seats for THEIR OWN fully-enrolled students. That is also (by far) the most expensive option. Their online course is-- in the opinion of another parent who is reasonably proficient in Swiss German-- is horrible from a teaching standpoint. It has all of the same structural problems that the Connections class has-- amplified by about X3, apparently. So. Wouldn't be my top choice, by any means, as it would probably mean hiring a tutor to help DD through the class, in any event.


The other option is to have her do a different language that she CAN easily get a seat in at the college level-- probably Spanish. Can do that through the CC, and I can take it with her. But I do have some concerns about that looking like dilettantism, as kcab notes.

On the other hand, if she were to continue studying German independently (with said Swiss-German friends and our Czech neighbor who is also fluent) and take the SAT II as well as taking Spanish at the CC, that could look like a legitimately better thing than the second year of HS German on her transcript.

I'm just not sure how she'd fit that all in with everything else she's got going on.

There are some good suggestions above. I think the important thing is to somehow continue German and note on her applications - stuff like this happens a lot. Our district still offers German but dropped Italian a few years ago.

While she is signing up for the German Subject Test, remember to sign up for Math Level 2 and a science Subject Test - MIT requires two Subject Tests - Math 1 or 2 plus a science, and Harvey Mudd requires two, one of which must be Math Level 2. Best to sit for the tests by December (at latest) so the scores will be there with her application.

Deutsche Welle also has some resources for learning German. We've used those as supporting materials.


I'm also feeling somewhat guilty that I caused this to happen by purchasing my very amused DD her very own copy of Der Regenbogenfische the other day. Murphy's law and Irish ancestry, darnit.

I suppose that if she did the Mizzou course, being self-paced means that she COULD, in theory, compress this second year into a third, even. Using her mad PG learning Skilz, I mean. (I'm thinking that isn't a huge stretch for her, actually.)


That would be a positive thing.

ETA: Update from the school is that students who had PREVIOUSLY completed German and are seniors will be permitted to take this class this year. My guess is that means that they'll be hiring someone who will "teach" about four hours a week, which isn't necessarily good news either.

But at least it should put it on her transcript. Might still look into Mizzou's offerings which look higher quality.

Self-paced plus tutor (for face-to-face), covering two HS years' worth this year, seems like the option best suited to her profile - and also best suited to showing that profile to admissions departments. Would she be far enough in to show it off in an SAT II by the test date?

I'd do whatever you can to get her the actual class and not bank on a test... I passed the French CLEP prior to go into university, but that was after taking french for six years. It was a tough test. None of the other kids I took french in H.S. with passed the CLEP test. (They had all only had 4 years.)

The German with listening is in November, and the regular one is in June, so sadly, probably not. Ideal if it were the December date, but I remembered that incorrectly.

I mean, fine for rolling admissions and open admissions timelines, but not so much for HMC, MIT, etc. where the applications are all due on or around Jan 1.

Great to know. The CLEP tests are a bit uneven as to difficulty-- great to know that the language ones are significantly more difficult than the science/math ones. Thank you for sharing that.

So far I think our plan is to have her TRY the class through the school (at least there will be curricular continuity) and if it seems like a dog with fleas after a few weeks, I'll have her do the Mizzou courses in rapid succession, and she can just do the school-based one as an afterthought thing as she goes along.