Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 20:39     Subject: Re:Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:My FCPS senior dropped a 4th year of language, took a free period, has electives that really interest her such as Leadership 3 and Anatomy, and has a lower SAT score than your son. She has gotten into 6 of the 7 schools she's heard from (deferred at Case Western, which honestly we take to mean a soft no) and 5 of the 6 have sent generous merit offers, while the 6th offer is forthcoming- we hope Your son's electives sound good! The one thing I'll say about a fluff class like Leadership is that my daughter is actually really involved and heavily invested in school leadership and participates in outside leadership events.


Thanks for this and congrats to your daughter! Care to share the other schools?
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 20:29     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not sure if you’re aware, but awesomely average is under 3.5, and that score is kind of high. Another year of PE is fine for awesomely average. What schools is he considering?


Long list right now:

UVM
UNH
University of Maine
WVU
CU - Boulder (likely out of reach)
Colorado State
Appalachian State
University of Oregon
Oregon State
University of Denver

He thinks he wants to study psychology, environmental science, or maybe something around outdoor recreation mgmt. I know public schools don’t give much merit. Happy to hear suggestions for private mid size-large schools with “outdoorsy vibes”. I actually think a smaller Jesuit school like St Joes or Drexel might be good for him but these are too urban for him.


The list is good.
I think PE would be fine for all. Syracuse maybe?
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 19:56     Subject: Re:Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
My FCPS senior dropped a 4th year of language, took a free period, has electives that really interest her such as Leadership 3 and Anatomy, and has a lower SAT score than your son. She has gotten into 6 of the 7 schools she's heard from (deferred at Case Western, which honestly we take to mean a soft no) and 5 of the 6 have sent generous merit offers, while the 6th offer is forthcoming- we hope Your son's electives sound good! The one thing I'll say about a fluff class like Leadership is that my daughter is actually really involved and heavily invested in school leadership and participates in outside leadership events.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 19:53     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not sure if you’re aware, but awesomely average is under 3.5, and that score is kind of high. Another year of PE is fine for awesomely average. What schools is he considering?


Long list right now:

UVM
UNH
University of Maine
WVU
CU - Boulder (likely out of reach)
Colorado State
Appalachian State
University of Oregon
Oregon State
University of Denver

He thinks he wants to study psychology, environmental science, or maybe something around outdoor recreation mgmt. I know public schools don’t give much merit. Happy to hear suggestions for private mid size-large schools with “outdoorsy vibes”. I actually think a smaller Jesuit school like St Joes or Drexel might be good for him but these are too urban for him.


I'm the PP with a similar kid. I meant to write that my kid did well in the process despite having a lot of music instead of academics. I think your kid will do fine with PE.

Your list looks great.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 19:07     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HS junior in MCPS. Mostly As, some Bs, middling rigor (AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, will add AP stats and AP human geo next year). Not targeting selective universities but will likely need merit. SAT is 1290, may take again.

Course selection for next year includes a lot of interesting to him academic electives since the only credits he needs are a year of math and a year of English. He’s considering marine biology, philosophy, entomology, neuroscience. He needs a course to round out his schedule and he wants to take another year of PE. How terrible of an idea is this?


What is so "awesome" about him? His SAT is really low for merit.


Aren’t you a peach? He’s an awesome kid in many ways not reflected in what I wrote above. “Awesomely average” is a term used in a popular FB group for those of us who don’t have high stat kids.


I am a realist. Is this your first rodeo?


Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 19:03     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:Not sure if you’re aware, but awesomely average is under 3.5, and that score is kind of high. Another year of PE is fine for awesomely average. What schools is he considering?


Long list right now:

UVM
UNH
University of Maine
WVU
CU - Boulder (likely out of reach)
Colorado State
Appalachian State
University of Oregon
Oregon State
University of Denver

He thinks he wants to study psychology, environmental science, or maybe something around outdoor recreation mgmt. I know public schools don’t give much merit. Happy to hear suggestions for private mid size-large schools with “outdoorsy vibes”. I actually think a smaller Jesuit school like St Joes or Drexel might be good for him but these are too urban for him.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 19:01     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HS junior in MCPS. Mostly As, some Bs, middling rigor (AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, will add AP stats and AP human geo next year). Not targeting selective universities but will likely need merit. SAT is 1290, may take again.

Course selection for next year includes a lot of interesting to him academic electives since the only credits he needs are a year of math and a year of English. He’s considering marine biology, philosophy, entomology, neuroscience. He needs a course to round out his schedule and he wants to take another year of PE. How terrible of an idea is this?


What is so "awesome" about him? His SAT is really low for merit.


No, the schools a kid like this would target all give merit. My kids stats are similar, and he gotten in with merit everywhere he applied.

My kid took a lot of music. It meant he had less science, and foreign language than his peers.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:57     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:Not sure if you’re aware, but awesomely average is under 3.5, and that score is kind of high. Another year of PE is fine for awesomely average. What schools is he considering?

The FB group “college advice for awesomely average kids” (which is great — highly recommend) has an upper limit: no weighted GPA over 3.5, no SAT above 1100”ish” (their term), no ACT above 24. OP, your kid is far stronger than that.

That said, I think kids should absolutely take interesting electives and take advantage of flexibility in their schedule senior year, especially if they aren’t targeting the top schools that necessitate stuffing APs in every core subject. Your kid’s plan sounds great.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:55     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HS junior in MCPS. Mostly As, some Bs, middling rigor (AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, will add AP stats and AP human geo next year). Not targeting selective universities but will likely need merit. SAT is 1290, may take again.

Course selection for next year includes a lot of interesting to him academic electives since the only credits he needs are a year of math and a year of English. He’s considering marine biology, philosophy, entomology, neuroscience. He needs a course to round out his schedule and he wants to take another year of PE. How terrible of an idea is this?


What is so "awesome" about him? His SAT is really low for merit.


Aren’t you a peach? He’s an awesome kid in many ways not reflected in what I wrote above. “Awesomely average” is a term used in a popular FB group for those of us who don’t have high stat kids.


I am a realist. Is this your first rodeo?
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:55     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
OP, for that GPA and SAT, it doesn't matter at all which elective he chooses. Seriously. Relax. What matters is how he writes his essays and what he does outside of school.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:52     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HS junior in MCPS. Mostly As, some Bs, middling rigor (AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, will add AP stats and AP human geo next year). Not targeting selective universities but will likely need merit. SAT is 1290, may take again.

Course selection for next year includes a lot of interesting to him academic electives since the only credits he needs are a year of math and a year of English. He’s considering marine biology, philosophy, entomology, neuroscience. He needs a course to round out his schedule and he wants to take another year of PE. How terrible of an idea is this?


What is so "awesome" about him? His SAT is really low for merit.


Aren’t you a peach? He’s an awesome kid in many ways not reflected in what I wrote above. “Awesomely average” is a term used in a popular FB group for those of us who don’t have high stat kids.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:52     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HS junior in MCPS. Mostly As, some Bs, middling rigor (AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, will add AP stats and AP human geo next year). Not targeting selective universities but will likely need merit. SAT is 1290, may take again.

Course selection for next year includes a lot of interesting to him academic electives since the only credits he needs are a year of math and a year of English. He’s considering marine biology, philosophy, entomology, neuroscience. He needs a course to round out his schedule and he wants to take another year of PE. How terrible of an idea is this?


What is so "awesome" about him? His SAT is really low for merit.


Don’t be a jerk.

OP, mine had less AP’s and rigor, higher SAT and did great on merit.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:51     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Not sure if you’re aware, but awesomely average is under 3.5, and that score is kind of high. Another year of PE is fine for awesomely average. What schools is he considering?
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:49     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
Anonymous wrote:HS junior in MCPS. Mostly As, some Bs, middling rigor (AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, will add AP stats and AP human geo next year). Not targeting selective universities but will likely need merit. SAT is 1290, may take again.

Course selection for next year includes a lot of interesting to him academic electives since the only credits he needs are a year of math and a year of English. He’s considering marine biology, philosophy, entomology, neuroscience. He needs a course to round out his schedule and he wants to take another year of PE. How terrible of an idea is this?


What is so "awesome" about him? His SAT is really low for merit.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2026 18:47     Subject: Senior year course selection for “awesomely average kid”
HS junior in MCPS. Mostly As, some Bs, middling rigor (AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, will add AP stats and AP human geo next year). Not targeting selective universities but will likely need merit. SAT is 1290, may take again.

Course selection for next year includes a lot of interesting to him academic electives since the only credits he needs are a year of math and a year of English. He’s considering marine biology, philosophy, entomology, neuroscience. He needs a course to round out his schedule and he wants to take another year of PE. How terrible of an idea is this?