Reply to UVA info session today said “most rigorous in ALL 5 core subjects.”

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is what we were told by our private college counselor.  There are several “must” APs if your child is in FCPS and is applying to the UVA College of Arts and Sciences:

AP Lang
AP Calc - at least AB 
APUSH (and avoid Online APUSH)
AP World Language

+ a science, like AP Bio, AP Chem or AP Physics.

Then add at least two or three more APs of your choice.  Avoid DE classes in your core classes.  Don’t try to take core classes from the online campus. [/quote]

OP here. The same admissions officer I mentioned in my post claims that DE is viewed “equally” to AP. Take that how you will. [/quote]

Maggie walker tells the top kids it is not considered equal unless it is post-AP.  Admission results confirm the preference that not only UVA but ivies have strong AP preference. Maybe our DE just is not as good as other schools?[/quote]

You are wrong. Yale explicitly says on their website that DE, IB and AP are considered equally.[/quote]
Yale is just saying that generically. For some high schools it could be similar . For many it is not nearly as rigorous. DE is completely fine in schools that do not offer the AP or IB equivalent. Maggie Walker considers AP to be superior. They strongly steer the top kids that way. They know what they are doing.  They are the ones writing the counselor letter to colleges:[b] the high school determines relative rigor [/b]and makes it clear to colleges what is top. At MGLWS, you’d better have AP calc not DE, and AP chem not DE, etc[/quote]

OP here. This was my clearest takeaway. That the HS guidance counselor making $75k year has a very outsize influence over the application. So cross your fingers that your kid's counselor thinks their courseload is "most rigorous"![/quote]

Yeah, how crazy, the guy who does this for a living, knows the colleges and their process, and knows all the kids (or at least the ones assigned to him) is the one whose opinion the colleges trust most!  What idiots they all are!

As you point out, if he made more money then [i]maybe [/i]his opinion would be more valuable.[/quote]

Have you ever even met a public high school guidance counselor? They are basically people who wanted summers off but thought teaching sounded too hard. [/quote]

Yes, and the ones at our public HS are anything but as you describe. Your stereotype is both unfair and untrue.  In my state you need a specialized masters to be one.

[quote]My DD’s first HS counselor told her she should quit language at level 3 (after 9th grade) if she wanted a slot to take more science (DD was asking about PE in summer school) This was after DD told her she was looking at top schools. She also told DD she didn’t really need to take Physics at all and that DE USH was viewed “the same” as APUSH. Thankfully the school reshuffled the alphabet assignments and we got a new counselor. Jury is still out on the new one. [/quote]

So you got a bad one, that doesn't mean the idea that GC opinion matters so much is a bad idea, it's still the best one.  There are also bad doctors, accountants, plumbers, bosses, CEOs, and every other category of professional.  The premise that GCs are unqualified as a category is ignorant.  And no I am not one nor related to one.

[b]When anyone asks me for college admissions advice the first thing I always say is "work with your GC from the first day of HS if possible and build a relationship with them". [/b] [/quote]

Great advice for the kids. Don’t be that parent, though.[/quote]

PP here.  Totally agree.  But parents will need to advise the kids on how to handle it.[/quote]

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