Ok then, using DCUM as a guidance counselor - how does this look for a kid unlikely to major in STEM in college? Kid is in CAP at Blair. Kid is bright but not a grinder. And as a donut hole family we'll likely be looking for merit aid at lower ranked colleges (ie not top 20) - so thinking about rigor, kid's ability to do well and not burn out and take classes that are of interest to kid. Thanks!

10th grade:

1)Honors Pre Calc
2)Honors Chem
3)AP NSLG
4)Spanish 4
5)CAP English 10
6)CAP Broadcast Journalism/TV Studio
7)CAP Print Journalism
8)AP Psych

11th:

1)AP Calc AB
2)AP Lang and Comp
3)AP World History
4)CAP Research Methods/Research Seminar
5)Spanish 5
6)Honors Physics
7)AP Comp Sci

12th:
1) AP Stats
2) AP Spanish
3) AP Bio or AP Environmental Science
4) AP Lit
5) CAP Senior Research Seminar (1 semester)/Health B (Health A will be taken 1 summer)
6)Forensics
7)Political Behavior and Psychology (1 semester)/International Human Rights (1 semester)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grader is hearing from friends that it's time to select courses for next year but, according to him, nobody has come to talk in any of his classes about this. Do counselors reach out to each student or does he need to reach out first?

In my experience, HS guidance counselors resent being asked to do much of anything and doing so may result in retribution.

I agree that this attitude is pervasive among MCPS HS counselors, but I often wonder what the hell they think they’re there for?

That has not been true of the HS counselors my kids have had. They have been responsive and helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grader is hearing from friends that it's time to select courses for next year but, according to him, nobody has come to talk in any of his classes about this. Do counselors reach out to each student or does he need to reach out first?

In my experience, HS guidance counselors resent being asked to do much of anything and doing so may result in retribution.

I agree that this attitude is pervasive among MCPS HS counselors, but I often wonder what the hell they think they’re there for?

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grader is hearing from friends that it's time to select courses for next year but, according to him, nobody has come to talk in any of his classes about this. Do counselors reach out to each student or does he need to reach out first?

In my experience, HS guidance counselors resent being asked to do much of anything and doing so may result in retribution.

One of my kids is in MC2 at Northwood so she met regularly with her program coordinator. My son is at Blair and his counselor was much less accessible or helpful. I teach in MCPS so I asked colleagues for advice and then let DS pick from those options for 10th. 11th and 12th, he chose because he wants art school and I don’t know anyone well-informed on that pathway. He was doing advanced math already so that limited his course choices in that discipline to AP, hon, or on level. Really just the first two as on level has behavior issues and morale problems at every HS in MCPS. Every single one.

Your DS should be thinking about college. Get the look fors by AOs at every college he’s realistic interested in. Select courses that will make those schools a match.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What classes are they taking this year?

They should take:

foreign language
English 10
Math - Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 or Pre-cal (in less they need a different one due to other needs)
PE, if they didn't do it in 9th or Health ED, if they didn't do it in 9th or want to do it over the summer
A history class
A science class - usually Chemistry
Elective

They may want to do AP Computer Science Principles to knock out tech requirement instead of Health in 10th depending on long term plan and avoiding AP overload later.

If you carefully plan, you have the tech credit done in MS. If not, you can switch it. Best to take health ed the summer before 8th and the summer before 9th. They are painful enough over a few weeks. No need for a semester.

We heavily planned to knock out as many requirements in MS and 9th as possible.

You can not take summer health the summer before 8th. It’s not available until rising 9th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've hired an strategist of sorts who works at a different school than where DS goes and our strategist has been super helpful with helping us choose classes.

Bizarre you cannot do this yourself. We looked at things starting in 6th grade to make sure we could get in all the requirements as early as possible. It's really not hard to do.

I emailed the guidance counselor but they were only partially helpful. I also reached out to the teachers I knew who would respond and my child talked to some as well. You go on their student account and select what you want that fits within the graduation requirements.

Bizarre that you are doing this got a high schooler. Isn’t this up to the kid? Why are you emailing their teachers?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What classes are they taking this year?

They should take:

foreign language
English 10
Math - Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 or Pre-cal (in less they need a different one due to other needs)
PE, if they didn't do it in 9th or Health ED, if they didn't do it in 9th or want to do it over the summer
A history class
A science class - usually Chemistry
Elective

They may want to do AP Computer Science Principles to knock out tech requirement instead of Health in 10th depending on long term plan and avoiding AP overload later.

If you carefully plan, you have the tech credit done in MS. If not, you can switch it. Best to take health ed the summer before 8th and the summer before 9th. They are painful enough over a few weeks. No need for a semester.

We heavily planned to knock out as many requirements in MS and 9th as possible.

They let you take Health A in MCPS summer school after 7th grade? How do you take tech in regular middle schools?

I don't think you can take HS Health that early. But Foundations of Computer Science is offered as an elective at some middle schools and counts for the HS tech credit.

Some MSes have tech in 8th Grade, but it does not work if you want to have band, orchestra or chorus + foreign language

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What classes are they taking this year?

They should take:

foreign language
English 10
Math - Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 or Pre-cal (in less they need a different one due to other needs)
PE, if they didn't do it in 9th or Health ED, if they didn't do it in 9th or want to do it over the summer
A history class
A science class - usually Chemistry
Elective

They may want to do AP Computer Science Principles to knock out tech requirement instead of Health in 10th depending on long term plan and avoiding AP overload later.

If you carefully plan, you have the tech credit done in MS. If not, you can switch it. Best to take health ed the summer before 8th and the summer before 9th. They are painful enough over a few weeks. No need for a semester.

We heavily planned to knock out as many requirements in MS and 9th as possible.

They let you take Health A in MCPS summer school after 7th grade? How do you take tech in regular middle schools?

I don't think you can take HS Health that early. But Foundations of Computer Science is offered as an elective at some middle schools and counts for the HS tech credit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What classes are they taking this year?

They should take:

foreign language
English 10
Math - Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 or Pre-cal (in less they need a different one due to other needs)
PE, if they didn't do it in 9th or Health ED, if they didn't do it in 9th or want to do it over the summer
A history class
A science class - usually Chemistry
Elective

They may want to do AP Computer Science Principles to knock out tech requirement instead of Health in 10th depending on long term plan and avoiding AP overload later.

If you carefully plan, you have the tech credit done in MS. If not, you can switch it. Best to take health ed the summer before 8th and the summer before 9th. They are painful enough over a few weeks. No need for a semester.

We heavily planned to knock out as many requirements in MS and 9th as possible.

They let you take Health A in MCPS summer school after 7th grade? How do you take tech in regular middle schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've hired an strategist of sorts who works at a different school than where DS goes and our strategist has been super helpful with helping us choose classes.

Bizarre you cannot do this yourself. We looked at things starting in 6th grade to make sure we could get in all the requirements as early as possible. It's really not hard to do.

I emailed the guidance counselor but they were only partially helpful. I also reached out to the teachers I knew who would respond and my child talked to some as well. You go on their student account and select what you want that fits within the graduation requirements.

I don't have time to pay attention to this stuff. That's what help is for.

Sad you cannot take a few minutes to look at it online and figure it out.

You have the time, you choose not to do it. You have the time to read/post here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've hired an strategist of sorts who works at a different school than where DS goes and our strategist has been super helpful with helping us choose classes.

Bizarre you cannot do this yourself. We looked at things starting in 6th grade to make sure we could get in all the requirements as early as possible. It's really not hard to do.

I emailed the guidance counselor but they were only partially helpful. I also reached out to the teachers I knew who would respond and my child talked to some as well. You go on their student account and select what you want that fits within the graduation requirements.

I don't have time to pay attention to this stuff. That's what help is for.

Sad you cannot take a few minutes to look at it online and figure it out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What classes are they taking this year?

They should take:

foreign language
English 10
Math - Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 or Pre-cal (in less they need a different one due to other needs)
PE, if they didn't do it in 9th or Health ED, if they didn't do it in 9th or want to do it over the summer
A history class
A science class - usually Chemistry
Elective

They may want to do AP Computer Science Principles to knock out tech requirement instead of Health in 10th depending on long term plan and avoiding AP overload later.

If you carefully plan, you have the tech credit done in MS. If not, you can switch it. Best to take health ed the summer before 8th and the summer before 9th. They are painful enough over a few weeks. No need for a semester.

We heavily planned to knock out as many requirements in MS and 9th as possible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've hired an strategist of sorts who works at a different school than where DS goes and our strategist has been super helpful with helping us choose classes.

Could you post her information. Thanks!

Please give us the info you paid for for free!

I read that as a business referral request

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've hired an strategist of sorts who works at a different school than where DS goes and our strategist has been super helpful with helping us choose classes.

Could you post her information. Thanks!

Please give us the info you paid for for free!