Anonymous
06/20/2019 10:30
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't forget to leave PE until second semester senior year or that will drag you down too (chuckle)
My kid will do Honors Health in senior year
Why wait till Senior year for an honors class? Take it in the summer and then take a real class in the school year.
ECs- volunteering, competitions, community outreach, academic prep, online certification during summer.
Taking a ton of AP classes all 4 years and the counselor suggested that he needs to show he can balance curriculum and workload by taking some easy on-level classes. For all 4 years, one easy course to meet graduation requirement is now on the schedule. Counselor strongly suggested that these should be taken during the school year so that he can show that he is socializing with students of all abilities in these kinds of classes. Since almost all of his classes are Honors, AP/IB, post-AP etc it made sense. I was told that PE had more value than Health because it showed that the student can do a level of self-care and is physically active especially during harder years like the Junior year.
Anyways, fluff classes are discarded by the College in recalculating the GPA, so there are pros and cons.
This advice from the counselor is absurd. Do you think admissions committees are debating larlo's transcript and saying, "wow, I really wish he had taken PE rather health". I'm sending the side eye to your kid's counselor.
Anonymous
06/19/2019 13:02
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't forget to leave PE until second semester senior year or that will drag you down too (chuckle)
My kid will do Honors Health in senior year
Why wait till Senior year for an honors class? Take it in the summer and then take a real class in the school year.
ECs- volunteering, competitions, community outreach, academic prep, online certification during summer.
Taking a ton of AP classes all 4 years and the counselor suggested that he needs to show he can balance curriculum and workload by taking some easy on-level classes. For all 4 years, one easy course to meet graduation requirement is now on the schedule. Counselor strongly suggested that these should be taken during the school year so that he can show that he is socializing with students of all abilities in these kinds of classes. Since almost all of his classes are Honors, AP/IB, post-AP etc it made sense. I was told that PE had more value than Health because it showed that the student can do a level of self-care and is physically active especially during harder years like the Junior year.
Anyways, fluff classes are discarded by the College in recalculating the GPA, so there are pros and cons.
Taking a summer class is not a full time occupation. My son did it while take a college course at UMD. There is definitely time for a job, volunteering, whatever. Health is only 3 weeks long. I have never heard a recommendation to take lower level classes to demonstrate the ability to socialize? Not the first thing that comes to mind..
Anonymous
06/19/2019 12:31
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't forget to leave PE until second semester senior year or that will drag you down too (chuckle)
My kid will do Honors Health in senior year
Why wait till Senior year for an honors class? Take it in the summer and then take a real class in the school year.
ECs- volunteering, competitions, community outreach, academic prep, online certification during summer.
Taking a ton of AP classes all 4 years and the counselor suggested that he needs to show he can balance curriculum and workload by taking some easy on-level classes. For all 4 years, one easy course to meet graduation requirement is now on the schedule. Counselor strongly suggested that these should be taken during the school year so that he can show that he is socializing with students of all abilities in these kinds of classes. Since almost all of his classes are Honors, AP/IB, post-AP etc it made sense. I was told that PE had more value than Health because it showed that the student can do a level of self-care and is physically active especially during harder years like the Junior year.
Anyways, fluff classes are discarded by the College in recalculating the GPA, so there are pros and cons.
Anonymous
06/19/2019 12:03
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Depends on the class.
DD had math added automatically but not FL. I was happy FL was not added as level 1 isn't honors so it would have decreased GPA.
I thought levels 1 and 2 are not honors level irrespective of when (MS or HS) a student takes them. If one has to start at level 1 anyways, how does it decrease GPA? Wouldn't it make more sense to finish non-honors levels (1 and 2) in MS so that one can take more years of honors levels - 3/4/5/AP ?
Because if you take 1 and 2 in MS and it isn't counted on the transcript it frees up space to take all weighted classes in HS when it is included. PP didn't say the kid shouldn't have taken FL1 in MS, only that it was good it wasn't on her HS transcript.
This is just silly. A kid can still take as many weighted classes as she likes in high school. An A in 7th grade on level Spanish is not going to hurt a transcript. Colleges recalculate on their own terms anyway.
No they can't take as many as they want if they have to take classes that aren't offered as honors. Some people care about that, even if it isn't relevant for competitive colleges. If you want to maximize honors you would do as the PP above suggested - take 1&2 in MS and not put them on the transcript, and 3-AP in 4 years of HS, all of which are weighted classes.
What are you talking about? The student has the same access to high school classes in high school, regardless of what is put on their gpa from middle school. Taking FL 1 and 2 in middle school does mean that the all FL classes taken in high school can be honors. That is true whether or not the middle school grades are counted. You are not freeing up anything.
Anonymous
06/19/2019 11:24
Subject: Re:How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
They're on the transcript no matter what. Their exclusion from the GPA is what is different now:
For students who entered Grade 6 prior to the 2018-2019 school year, the final grade and credit for high school courses successfully completed in middle school are reported on the high school transcript and included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA.
For students who enter Grade 6 during or after the 2018-2019 school year, the final grade and credit earned for high school courses successfully completed while in middle school will be reported on the high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA unless requested by the parent/guardian or the student if 18 years old or married (eligible student). Students/parents/guardians will be notified annually of procedures to follow in order to include such courses in their cumulative GPA.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikcra.pdf
For students who entered Grade 6 prior to the 2018-2019 school year, the final grade and credit for high school courses successfully completed in middle school are reported on the high school transcript and included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA.
For students who enter Grade 6 during or after the 2018-2019 school year, the final grade and credit earned for high school courses successfully completed while in middle school will be reported on the high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA unless requested by the parent/guardian or the student if 18 years old or married (eligible student). Students/parents/guardians will be notified annually of procedures to follow in order to include such courses in their cumulative GPA.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikcra.pdf
Anonymous
06/19/2019 11:10
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Depends on the class.
DD had math added automatically but not FL. I was happy FL was not added as level 1 isn't honors so it would have decreased GPA.
I thought levels 1 and 2 are not honors level irrespective of when (MS or HS) a student takes them. If one has to start at level 1 anyways, how does it decrease GPA? Wouldn't it make more sense to finish non-honors levels (1 and 2) in MS so that one can take more years of honors levels - 3/4/5/AP ?
Because if you take 1 and 2 in MS and it isn't counted on the transcript it frees up space to take all weighted classes in HS when it is included. PP didn't say the kid shouldn't have taken FL1 in MS, only that it was good it wasn't on her HS transcript.
This is just silly. A kid can still take as many weighted classes as she likes in high school. An A in 7th grade on level Spanish is not going to hurt a transcript. Colleges recalculate on their own terms anyway.
No they can't take as many as they want if they have to take classes that aren't offered as honors. Some people care about that, even if it isn't relevant for competitive colleges. If you want to maximize honors you would do as the PP above suggested - take 1&2 in MS and not put them on the transcript, and 3-AP in 4 years of HS, all of which are weighted classes.
Anonymous
06/19/2019 11:05
Subject: Re:How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Colleges won't care about the MCPS GPA. They'll look at the transcript and make a calculation based on their own standards.
Anonymous
06/19/2019 11:04
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:But the transcript will show fewer HS classes taken. This is not a game changer for anyone's college aps. Assuming you did well, show the grade.
I agree with this. My DC took 3 years of FL in MS, two were honors level. He will take 2 more in HS, reaching AP as his last course and then there is nothing higher in the school. Assuming he gets straight A's in all 5 years of FL, his GPA and wGPA in FL alone will be 4 and 4.8. If he could drop the one non-Honors class from his transcript then his FL GPA and wGPA would be 4 and 5.
Yet, I would only show 4 years of FL instead of 5 years of FL. It would not demonstrate that my DC reached AP FL in 10th grade because there was solid grounding in that language for 5 years. And considering that he is taking mostly all Honors or AP for 4 years of HS, I would hate to drop any course in MS in which he has done well.
Anonymous
06/19/2019 11:02
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Will you not allow your child to take a single non-honors class even if it is interesting them..say Astronomy?
Anonymous
06/19/2019 10:38
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't forget to leave PE until second semester senior year or that will drag you down too (chuckle)
My kid will do Honors Health in senior year
Why wait till Senior year for an honors class? Take it in the summer and then take a real class in the school year.
Anonymous
06/19/2019 10:14
Subject: How do you request a class to be counted on highschool transcript for middle school class - MCPS?
Anonymous wrote:Don't forget to leave PE until second semester senior year or that will drag you down too (chuckle)
My kid will do Honors Health in senior year