A/B Student with no AP classes until senior year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, most colleges are aware that these schools are more rigorous and engage in grade deflation. It’s fine.

That isn't relevant to this discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s disappointing when you see that at MCPS any kid can pretty much take any AP they want at any time, starting 9th grade. I’m not saying that’s the correct way to go about it, I think some gatekeeping of who can take AP and at what year is appropriate, but being stuck in the regular tract with little hope of being able to take APs if you’re interested isn’t the right way.

As the OP's post shows, the gatekeeping can be excessive. I would question people's logic in paying tens of thousands of dollars per year to have their kids' access to challenging coursework restricted. Yes, that will hurt them when it comes time for admissions. But I suppose many private schools also try to restrict where kids apply, so if you put your kids in a school like this, you know what you're signing up for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assume JR is Jackson Reed.
What private is this that gatekeeps APs like this?

I think every private school limits access to APs. My DC’s school requires an A in the class below, an application, in person essay test, teacher approval, etc.

St. Anselm's is kind of the opposite because they require everyone to take, at a minimum, AP World, APUSH, AP Bio, AP Lang/Comp, AP Lit/Comp, AP PreCalc, and AP Calc (AB or BC). You do need approval to take more than 5 APs in a semester though.

[Anonymous]

He's better off earning real grades where he is than at public school where you get As for showing up and handing in some work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ OP again. Not that he isn't challenged now, if he wasn't he would have A's but the school weighs tests and exams extremely heavily so for example the 6 mid terms he had all in one week brought almost all of his semester grades down. Just not his strong suit and I don't see this significantly changing.

College will be the same so get him used to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Assume JR is Jackson Reed.
What private is this that gatekeeps APs like this?

Many of them do this. Makes sense since you shouldn't be allowed in a higher level class with low grades in the previous level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's better off earning real grades where he is than at public school where you get As for showing up and handing in some work.

You're so funny and continue to live under a rock

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s disappointing when you see that at MCPS any kid can pretty much take any AP they want at any time, starting 9th grade. I’m not saying that’s the correct way to go about it, I think some gatekeeping of who can take AP and at what year is appropriate, but being stuck in the regular tract with little hope of being able to take APs if you’re interested isn’t the right way.

Well, then work hard and prove yourself. APs are for those who have proved themselves to be capable of handling college level classes. We know of an Arlington family who basically demanded that their kid be in APs when the grades didn't support the advancement. Life can be unfair so work hard and prove yourself.

[Anonymous]

This is OP and his grades aren’t bad…at all. They are a point or 2 shy of an A in each of the classes where it matters. Other classses he does have As. And sadly he would be much better off in a higher level class at a public according to accounts here. I truly wish that wasn’t the case. But it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
He's better off earning real grades where he is than at public school where you get As for showing up and handing in some work.


You're so funny and continue to live under a rock

Please. Everyone knows Public Schools inflate grades - how else do all of these kids have "high 4s?" How are all the Freshman at my local public getting 100s? The teacher hands out the answer key for tests. One sophomore "went down" to non-Honors level class and is getting a 98. No way public is what is used to be. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Yes they do. The issue is college acceptances not overall quality of education. But I also imagine that higher level courses at public’s are still challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP and his grades aren’t bad…at all. They are a point or 2 shy of an A in each of the classes where it matters. Other classses he does have As. And sadly he would be much better off in a higher level class at a public according to accounts here. I truly wish that wasn’t the case. But it is what it is.

PP here. If there is any way that they can pull out an A in those classes where they are a point or 2 shy of an A, push it. I looked to make sure all assignments were tuned in, even if it was reduced credit for late assignments. I also tried to heavily encourage preparing for the finals, not last minute - understanding what concepts they didn’t learn earlier, encouraging working with the study guide (if provided) or creating their own. They would also sometimes create quizllets or use ones their friends created. I know there was at least one year where they were on the cusp of the needed grade and registered for the honors class and was able to get the needed grade.

[Anonymous]

It's over for the selective colleges, OP.
Not because of the school's refusal to let him take APs.
But because he can't hack it. He has Bs. Bs means a low GPA, and that's what colleges look at FIRST. Then they look a test score. Then they look at what advanced classes he's taken.

So your battle plan is to get him to A with tutors. Test prep the heck out of the SAT or ACT. And add AP classes when he can.

But he's going nowhere interesting with that GPA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's better off earning real grades where he is than at public school where you get As for showing up and handing in some work.

You're so funny and continue to live under a rock

Nope. My first DS graduated public HS with a 4.3 gpa. I don't know how because he couldn't write at all. I think the longest writing assignment was maybe 2 pages. Shameful. Lots of retakes and no actual exams. I sent my younger DS to private school. Like night and day. MUCH lower gpa but actual skills and he worked hard for the grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP and his grades aren’t bad…at all. They are a point or 2 shy of an A in each of the classes where it matters. Other classses he does have As. And sadly he would be much better off in a higher level class at a public according to accounts here. I truly wish that wasn’t the case. But it is what it is.

PP here. If there is any way that they can pull out an A in those classes where they are a point or 2 shy of an A, push it. I looked to make sure all assignments were tuned in, even if it was reduced credit for late assignments. I also tried to heavily encourage preparing for the finals, not last minute - understanding what concepts they didn’t learn earlier, encouraging working with the study guide (if provided) or creating their own. They would also sometimes create quizllets or use ones their friends created. I know there was at least one year where they were on the cusp of the needed grade and registered for the honors class and was able to get the needed grade.

Unfortunately not. Or maybe mathematically possible but not realistically. Quarter grades are good but kid didn’t do great on mid terms (C/C+ for these) so it really has an impact. I was hoping that a 2nd semester A, which is attainable, would be enough for one of the classes to allow honors next year but it is not.