Reply to New to MCPS need help getting 9th grader moved into more challenging classes

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Coucou OP,

Bienvenue aux US.

We are French and our kids take the AP French exam in 10th grade or so, without taking the MCPS classes, which frees them up to take other languages (Latin for my high schooler, which might not be offered at his high school) and Spanish for my middle schooler.

They keep up their French at the Classes du Samedi, a French weekend school for francophones:
https://myfrenchclasses.org/
This weekend school offers a AP French prep class in the second semester every year for interested students. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Your child's counselor really did not take into account your child's intelligence and academic level, just saw "foreigner" and put him where there was room, which means the lowest possible level of classes. It's too bad, because there might not be room in the top levels anymore!  Please ask anyway. You did not land in the best school district, unfortunately, so you might have to push mightily to get them to place your kid where you want him to be.

AP courses - take 2-3 every year at least.
Honors - the rest.
"Regular"  - please avoid, unless there's not other choice for that particular graduation requirement; it's remedial and will reflect poorly on his transcript when he applies to universities.

For 10th grade, your child will have to pick courses at the beginning of the 2023 calendar year. Don't miss the deadline and pick strategically!

Of course, if you plan on having him attend a French university or grande ecole, your strategy may be different and in that case I advise you to consult with the post-secondary counselor of Rochambeau, who knows best how to navigate that switch.

But if you think your child will attend a US, Canadian or British college/uni, then here's your high school blueprint:

1. He has to pick a few AP courses for 10, 11 and 12th grades. Mostly in his areas of strength and interest, obviously, and if he already knows what he wants to do in college, in that general subject of interest. But a strong math track, even he's a Humanities kid, is always well considered, provided he can get As on his transcript for every subject. For selective universities, only 4s and 5s out of 5 on the AP exams are "good" scores.

2. He needs As everywhere and the highest gpa he can get, so if he has a weakness in one subject, it might be better to downgrade to an easier class to get the A.

3. He needs something outside school that shows his interests. Music, art, sport, robotics, looking after pets, whatever it is. He will need to write about it on his college applications. Competitions, awards, leadership in group activities are all highly (way too highly) valued. But mostly colleges look for what your child has gotten from those activities.

4. Keep in mind the graduation requirements: a math class every year, an English class every year, some years of a foreign language, a PE, health and tech requirement. Your child can take the health class in the summer because it's only one semester.

[/quote]

Vraiment utile, merci infiniment! [/quote]

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