My school did not offer *any* classes labeled as Honors or AP. So I had zero AP courses.

I took Chem, Bio, Physics and the highest Math available ("Intro Calc"). I was accepted into multiple good engineering programs, for example offers from both Princeton and Duke.

If one takes "most rigorous" from the set of *available* classes at one's HS, then most engineering programs will understand and say that is good enough.

In OP's case, take at least AP Bio, Chemistry, Physics, AP Calc. If there are AP courses for US History, Government, or English then try also to take those also.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right now she's enrolled in honors bio and honors geometry, so her track is honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics and honors geometry, honors algebra 2, honors pre-calc, AP Calc AB. It's the last year of science we're struggling with. The community college an hour away tops out at "integral calculus."

Ideally, any community college is going to offer calculus I, calculus II (integral calculus), calculus III (multivariate calculus), and differential equations. Anything high than that is considered upper level and can only be taken at a 4-year university. Chances are that the community college does offer all of those classes but perhaps calls them something else. Your kid should be fine entering college with calculus I (AB) completed. Many universities very much prefer the students take higher math in-house to match their curriculum.

That's cute. I used to think the entire US cared about education, too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right now she's enrolled in honors bio and honors geometry, so her track is honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics and honors geometry, honors algebra 2, honors pre-calc, AP Calc AB. It's the last year of science we're struggling with. The community college an hour away tops out at "integral calculus."

There's a good chance the community college offers virtual classes. While they are less than ideal learning environments, they are still an option to show prospective universities that she has the right stuff.

Depending on your budget, there is also no reason why you would need to pick the community college an hour away. She could take an online course from any one of a number of universities and colleges around the country that make their classes open to high school students.

Integral calculus is BC. Taking a 2 semester calculus sequence in senior year, instead of or in addition to AB at her school, or using summer school or an online class to get ahead, taking AB in 11th, and then Calc 2 and 3 at a different online school in senior year, would all make her stand out as someone who went beyond what was offered.

Similarly, if her school has space for electives in the schedule, something like

9th -- Honors Bio,
10th -- Honors Chemistry
11th -- Honors Physics and APES
12th -- AP Bio, and DE (virtual) Physics

would also make her stand out.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right now she's enrolled in honors bio and honors geometry, so her track is honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics and honors geometry, honors algebra 2, honors pre-calc, AP Calc AB. It's the last year of science we're struggling with. The community college an hour away tops out at "integral calculus."

There's a good chance the community college offers virtual classes. While they are less than ideal learning environments, they are still an option to show prospective universities that she has the right stuff.

Depending on your budget, there is also no reason why you would need to pick the community college an hour away. She could take an online course from any one of a number of universities and colleges around the country that make their classes open to high school students.

Integral calculus is BC. Taking a 2 semester calculus sequence in senior year, instead of or in addition to AB at her school, or using summer school or an online class to get ahead, taking AB in 11th, and then Calc 2 and 3 at a different online school in senior year, would all make her stand out as someone who went beyond what was offered.

Similarly, if her school has space for electives in the schedule, something like

9th -- Honors Bio,
10th -- Honors Chemistry
11th -- Honors Physics and APES
12th -- AP Bio, and DE (virtual) Physics

would also make her stand out.

Anonymous wrote:Colleges will not penalize her for not taking classes her school doesn’t offer. It’s not her fault she has to go to this school.

Bingo

Colleges will not penalize her for not taking classes her school doesn’t offer. It’s not her fault she has to go to this school.

Anonymous wrote:Rising 9th grader's high school only has two AP science courses - environmental science and bio. She is aiming for engineering. I am concerned that skipping either of these would be looked upon as "less rigorous", but I don't consider either a great background for engineering. Is she shooting herself in the foot by doing something like honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics > AP bio. I'm at a loss here of how to proceed here, but we need to get her on the right track ASAP.

She will be fine as long as she can try to get A's and keep the EC's at a high level. My DS did similar was admitted to a Top 10, Top 20 and is now about to be a freshman at a Top Engineering School.

Omg she is in 9th grade! She could change ger mind during high school years. Let her live in the moment and make the decisions that make sense to her for this year, not for a distant, uncertain future.

Anonymous wrote:Right now she's enrolled in honors bio and honors geometry, so her track is honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics and honors geometry, honors algebra 2, honors pre-calc, AP Calc AB. It's the last year of science we're struggling with. The community college an hour away tops out at "integral calculus."

Ideally, any community college is going to offer calculus I, calculus II (integral calculus), calculus III (multivariate calculus), and differential equations. Anything high than that is considered upper level and can only be taken at a 4-year university. Chances are that the community college does offer all of those classes but perhaps calls them something else. Your kid should be fine entering college with calculus I (AB) completed. Many universities very much prefer the students take higher math in-house to match their curriculum.

What about online classes?

My school district has online AP classes through Edgenuity, but the enrolled kids are negative about them.

Here is a Northwestern U center that offers some.

https://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/online-advanced-placement-apr

There's another provider I know of. Michigan Virtual. My kid is taking language classes through them.

The last two could be parent paid if you are willing. Science is hard though because it needs labs for best training.

Your state and school may have policies about paying for online programs. Michigan has a policy that kids are to be offered free online programs if that is needed to best fit their educational needs. My son's language classes are paid for and I am grateful. He wanted to pursue a language not taught at our school.
https://michiganvirtual.org/

My high school was considered good and I was educated before the massive AP wave. I think I only had a chance to take 2. All the rest were "Enriched" or "'Honors". Your daughter's classes may be just fine, but she should try to get Calc BC somehow.

Anonymous wrote:Right now she's enrolled in honors bio and honors geometry, so her track is honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics and honors geometry, honors algebra 2, honors pre-calc, AP Calc AB. It's the last year of science we're struggling with. The community college an hour away tops out at "integral calculus."

There's a good chance the community college offers virtual classes. While they are less than ideal learning environments, they are still an option to show prospective universities that she has the right stuff.

Truthfully, she could easily (and understandably) change her mind many times over the next four years about potential college majors. Engineering is insane and she needs to be very good at math and physics to succeed. Maybe she's a superstar and leans into those subjects, or maybe she'll find something completely different and you'll have worried over math and science for no reason.

Anonymous wrote:Right now she's enrolled in honors bio and honors geometry, so her track is honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics and honors geometry, honors algebra 2, honors pre-calc, AP Calc AB. It's the last year of science we're struggling with. The community college an hour away tops out at "integral calculus."

There is no reason to worry about that now. When she's a junior, you'll know more kids in similar situations and have a better sense of options. AP bio would be a fine 12th grade choice, given the options.

Right now she's enrolled in honors bio and honors geometry, so her track is honors bio > honors chemistry > honors physics and honors geometry, honors algebra 2, honors pre-calc, AP Calc AB. It's the last year of science we're struggling with. The community college an hour away tops out at "integral calculus."

1. options might change as she makes her way through school

2. they can't expect her to take classes that don't exist