Do top colleges "punish" kids for taking fun electives?

[Anonymous]

Every college bound high school student should be required to take theater, speech or debate.

[Anonymous]

Let’s talk numbers. For example, Penn Stare has approximately 100,000 freshman apps. With a limited time to review and a staff of x number admissions officers. If anyone thinks large Universities read your DC essay or cares that they take a few electives, I have a bridge to sell you.

I’m not saying don’t have your child do their best, but this thread is absurd,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, it means their kids are happy and well settled at colleges that work for them.

This poster does not have to impress you in order for their advice to be valid.
Stop with the snobbery already. It really is not a competition.

Of course it isn’t a competition. But don’t chime in and imply that something isn’t needed (for the unhooked aiming for the top 10 or so). It is truly helpful to list the school’s one is referring to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s talk numbers. For example, Penn Stare has approximately 100,000 freshman apps. With a limited time to review and a staff of x number admissions officers. If anyone thinks large Universities read your DC essay or cares that they take a few electives, I have a bridge to sell you.

I’m not saying don’t have your child do their best, but this thread is absurd,

And you think Penn State is a top college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can an unhooked kid kid still get into a top college if they limit their APs to the core classes (including foreign language)? Do top schools expect to see applicants taking their electives in things like AP Stat, AP European History, etc, or can they actually take fun electives like drama, culinary, music tech?

Why are those things school classes? They seem more like extracurriculars.

Huh? Didn't your HS offer theater, band, chorus, Home Ec, Shop as electives?

Band and chorus are after school or before school activities in some places.

Home ec, shop, etc. are classes that average or poor students take, not serious students.

I think.... you’re not American. You’re imagining a childhood in a different country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, it means their kids are happy and well settled at colleges that work for them.

This poster does not have to impress you in order for their advice to be valid.
Stop with the snobbery already. It really is not a competition.

Of course it isn’t a competition. But don’t chime in and imply that something isn’t needed (for the unhooked aiming for the top 10 or so). It is truly helpful to list the school’s one is referring to.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they din’t, or, at least, not all of them do. My son graduated with 5 APs (the school offered around 20) and some post AP classes, just enough to check “most rigorous” box, plus his main EC showed that he is up for the challenge intellectually, and is not a slacker. He also had ballroom dancing and theater on his transcript. Got into a school from the top 10 on USNWR.

What are post AP classes?

The classes that are considered to be college level and have APs as prerequisites. In his case - multivariable calculus, modern political thought, existentialism, etc.

[Anonymous]

Most parents (I pray) are not on the “Top 10” crazy train, so I do not agree that people’s Posts should be geared towards that crowd

[Anonymous]

The answer is that the student must take the most rigorous classes available. If there is still room for a fun one, then fine. Quirky is sometimes good too - glass blowing, cheer, etc. I've seen some of the "fun" highlighted as such on the review files for admissions. They like personality and awards as long as it isn't to pad grades or get out of hard courses.

[Anonymous]

Of course they can take fun electives. Colleges are in the business of making money. The less AP's you take the more they make. Not saying to not take Ap classes, but a few electives will not impact admissions. I know my stance will be unpopular with the "going to Ivies" crowd. Guess what I had three go to Ivies all got in with those "fun" electives. Yes, they did have high GPA's and ACT or SAT scores. No they did not have any "hooks" except coming from a W school in Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a shame that young teens are so career-oriented that they can't explore the Arts or practical/fun skills.

My kid did take Yoga for PE credits once. And I wanted her to take the school's Financial Literacy offering (to learn about credit worthiness, for example, and student loans and buying a car). Unfortunately, she was steered away from it since the counselor thought she was "too smart.." Apparently, they perceive that class as a way for math-challenged kids to meet the graduation requirement.

That is wrong, don't you think? Practical skills come in handy in life.

I do. But I am the parent who is baffled why college prep students need BC Calc unless they are applying for math, engineering, physics or the like. But AP stats is considered a mark against you. I guess Calc is rigorous? But I’d prefer rigorous and useful.

+1 My DD wants to do something in environmental science. She's on an accelerated math track and will do Calc AB in junior year so she could take Calc BC in senior year but I'd rather she take AP Stats. That will give her an introduction to the math that will be more important for her in college. At least she'll have the ability to take both. It annoys me that kids who are in pre-calc in 11th have to take Calc in 12th to have "rigor" instead of taking stats, which is probably more useful.

AB followed by BC?? That isn’t what was intended. Take one of them and move on.

That depends on how it’s taught. Some schools teach them as a sequence. First semester Calc. Second semester Calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a shame that young teens are so career-oriented that they can't explore the Arts or practical/fun skills.

My kid did take Yoga for PE credits once. And I wanted her to take the school's Financial Literacy offering (to learn about credit worthiness, for example, and student loans and buying a car). Unfortunately, she was steered away from it since the counselor thought she was "too smart.." Apparently, they perceive that class as a way for math-challenged kids to meet the graduation requirement.

That is wrong, don't you think? Practical skills come in handy in life.

I do. But I am the parent who is baffled why college prep students need BC Calc unless they are applying for math, engineering, physics or the like. But AP stats is considered a mark against you. I guess Calc is rigorous? But I’d prefer rigorous and useful.

+1 My DD wants to do something in environmental science. She's on an accelerated math track and will do Calc AB in junior year so she could take Calc BC in senior year but I'd rather she take AP Stats. That will give her an introduction to the math that will be more important for her in college. At least she'll have the ability to take both. It annoys me that kids who are in pre-calc in 11th have to take Calc in 12th to have "rigor" instead of taking stats, which is probably more useful.

AB followed by BC?? That isn’t what was intended. Take one of them and move on.

That depends on how it’s taught. Some schools teach them as a sequence. First semester Calc. Second semester Calc.

I'm PP, I also thought it was one or the other but when DS was picking Junior year classes his math teacher told me most of the higher level kids at his school do it as a 2-yr sequence so he chose to do it that way. He wants to major in math so the two years to get a solid Calc foundation before college will be good for him. He'll also take AP Stats senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a shame that young teens are so career-oriented that they can't explore the Arts or practical/fun skills.

My kid did take Yoga for PE credits once. And I wanted her to take the school's Financial Literacy offering (to learn about credit worthiness, for example, and student loans and buying a car). Unfortunately, she was steered away from it since the counselor thought she was "too smart.." Apparently, they perceive that class as a way for math-challenged kids to meet the graduation requirement.

That is wrong, don't you think? Practical skills come in handy in life.

I do. But I am the parent who is baffled why college prep students need BC Calc unless they are applying for math, engineering, physics or the like. But AP stats is considered a mark against you. I guess Calc is rigorous? But I’d prefer rigorous and useful.

+1
None of my (humanities track) kids took calculus, preferring instead to take Stats - a far more useful class for them. It didn’t seem to affect their college acceptances either.

But were they aiming for top 10 without hooks???[/quote]


Probably not. Some of these posters - especially the ones who are saying BC Calc isn't necessary for non-engineers are ignoring the title that specified what top colleges are looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s talk numbers. For example, Penn Stare has approximately 100,000 freshman apps. With a limited time to review and a staff of x number admissions officers. If anyone thinks large Universities read your DC essay or cares that they take a few electives, I have a bridge to sell you.

I’m not saying don’t have your child do their best, but this thread is absurd,

What's absurd is that you are lumping in Penn State as a top college. Read the title again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can an unhooked kid kid still get into a top college if they limit their APs to the core classes (including foreign language)? Do top schools expect to see applicants taking their electives in things like AP Stat, AP European History, etc, or can they actually take fun electives like drama, culinary, music tech?

Why are those things school classes? They seem more like extracurriculars.

Huh? Didn't your HS offer theater, band, chorus, Home Ec, Shop as electives?

Band and chorus are after school or before school activities in some places.

Home ec, shop, etc. are classes that average or poor students take, not serious students.

I think.... you’re not American. You’re imagining a childhood in a different country.

I'm a 47 year old American, and yes when I was in HS, most kids took one of the above electives.