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Do you think it is a good idea to continue to take Spanish all the way till 12th grade and the same with Orchestra.
Does he want to study Spanish? Does he want to be in the school orchestra? If so, yes. If not, no.
Once he reaches Plano West, just from time constraints, he may want to consider abandoning orchestra in order to take additional AP classes. I don't see any reason for giving it up at Jasper - assuming he enjoys the class. Plus, it will provide a sense of "place" and belonging for him at the school.
Same thing with the 5th year of Spanish. It's OK to pass that up, but only if it's replaced with some AP course. Passing on the 4th year of Spanish - IMO, that would look bad on most college apps.
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How important is it to show Orchestra taken at school? Can he just continue his private lessons and continue working on his ABRSM (Assosicate Board of the Royal school of Music, London) certifications for his Violin.
Sure. When applying for colleges, they consider activities both in school and outside of school. If he chooses to pursue music exclusively outside of PWSH, he'll still get "credit" for that activity from the college admissions committees.
In the acting community, there are HS kids who consider school productions "too amateur", and devote their time exclusively to shows put on by community organizations. Same thing with extremely high-performing (like future pro) tennis and golf players - some of them wouldn't be caught dead wasting their effort on a HS team.
Given the nature of orchestra, I'd think, even if you leave the school orchestra program, you want to remain asociated with something like DAAYO, rather than just being a solo performer.
As far as Spanish vs. Latin, you have to weigh pros and cons. As EDS_ said, Latin will help down the line in pre-med and med school. Those roots will also help a bit with the SAT vocabulary questions. Spanish will have far more practical use in everyday life, and is probably easier to learn and more fun to study. Double-check the delivery method - I dunno about Jasper, but at my kid's school, Latin I & II are now taught on a computer , thanks to last year's cutbacks.
update on the 8th grader for whom I started this thread, who is now a 10th grader.
He is currently taking Calculus, Chemistry, Humanities/WHAP, EHAP, Spanish, Orchestra. ( 4 years of All Region Orchestra)
Not sure if he should go to TAMS or stay back. Should he take Statistics and Comp Science instead of a Math class. Should he continue Spanish? He has a job during the summer and volunteering during the school season. He has 2 years of Regional Science Fair but feels that resarch is very important on the resume to get into the best colleges.
No need to take Latin. Spanish is by far more important. Wish I took Spanish instead of French.
Agreed. I took AP Spanish Language at TCA, got a 5 on the AP test & started college Freshman year in a 300/3000 level Spanish class (Into to Spanish Literature). You pretty much have a Minor in Spanish after that, and in TX it has helped me immensely.
I'd say it's fine to stop after AP Language, though unless you just love it so much you want to take the AP Lit class. Lit isn't going to get you any more additional college credit, so it'd really just be for fun or to continue conversational skills prior to college Spanish if you're continuing in college...
Agreed. I took AP Spanish Language at TCA, got a 5 on the AP test & started college Freshman year in a 300/3000 level Spanish class (Into to Spanish Literature). You pretty much have a Minor in Spanish after that, and in TX it has helped me immensely.
I'd say it's fine to stop after AP Language, though unless you just love it so much you want to take the AP Lit class. Lit isn't going to get you any more additional college credit, so it'd really just be for fun or to continue conversational skills prior to college Spanish if you're continuing in college...
Keep in mind the OP's boy wants to become a doctor........
I'm not sure where the other guy came up with the notion that Spanish is OK for pre-med types. I just looked at my son's pre-med BS-bio undergrad requirements for language. They were 6 hours of upper division Latin, Greek, or Hebrew plus a medical terminology class that was basically more Latin. No amount of Spanish - short of earning a full blown minor filled the requirement and that required a waiver. I get that all schools are different but my son was accepted into a number of excellent programs and all of them had similar requirements.
Keep in mind the OP's boy wants to become a doctor........
I'm not sure where the other guy came up with the notion that Spanish is OK for pre-med types. I just looked at my son's pre-med BS-bio undergrad requirements for language. They were 6 hours of upper division Latin, Greek, or Hebrew plus a medical terminology class that was basically more Latin. No amount of Spanish - short of earning a full blown minor filled the requirement and that required a waiver. I get that all schools are different but my son was accepted into a number of excellent programs and all of them had similar requirements.
I get that, but she said he is currently in Spanish & Orchestra and inquired about continuing those. If he wants to continue Spanish, just sharing my two cents about how far to go vs the end benefit. It's derived from Latin, so I doubt required Latin classes would be that difficult....
I have a classmate who graduated from OU Med School, she never took Latin in HS & finished Med school at top of the class. Anyway, can't speak for anything medicine-related, just wanted to give details on Spanish! =)
update on the 8th grader for whom I started this thread, who is now a 10th grader.
He is currently taking Calculus, Chemistry, Humanities/WHAP, EHAP, Spanish, Orchestra. ( 4 years of All Region Orchestra)
Not sure if he should go to TAMS or stay back. Should he take Statistics and Comp Science instead of a Math class. Should he continue Spanish? He has a job during the summer and volunteering during the school season. He has 2 years of Regional Science Fair but feels that resarch is very important on the resume to get into the best colleges.
Any advice/guidance is highly appreciated.
Just one guy's opinion but I do have one at UTSW-Medical now.
Stay with math. Comp sci and statistics are great courses but he would be better off continuing the math track and makings As. The pre-med wash out classes are things like physics and calculus and maybe bio-chem.
I'd stop the Spanish and move on to Latin. I spent a few minutes looking at various bio/premed programs and can't find any that don't require Latin or Greek. That said my son took 4 years of Spanish and one year of Latin in high school and did just fine.
Research is important. Call UTSW and see if they have any opportunities for kids to do research. Call TAMS and ask them too.
I have a number of friends who are docs and my son has gone through all of this. Your boy needs to get into a top 50-60 biology or pre-med program (the days of studying music and taking a few bio hours and getting into medical school are more or less over) to enhance his chances. The overall ranking of the school is more or less meaningless. What matters for entrance into a top 25/30 medical school are impeccable grades, a 33 or better, shoot for a 35 or better, on the MCAT and research and service hours while in college are expected.
Unless they are better students kids at Duke, Stanford, Harvard etc. have no advantage over kids from UT, Baylor or Ohio State.
One other point. It is great to go to medical school in Texas. All of the Texas medical schools are excellent deals with very inexpensive tuition (my son's high school tuition was more than UTSW's). Plus most slots at Texas medical schools are reserved for those with Texas residency - 88% IIRC.
[quote=EDS_;32932854]Just one guy's opinion but I do have one at UTSW-Medical now.
Stay with math. Comp sci and statistics are great courses but he would be better off continuing the math track and makings As. The pre-med wash out classes are things like physics and calculus and maybe bio-chem.
Thanks for your reply. As I said, he is taking Calculus right now in 10th grade. He has no other choices other than Statistics and Computer Science. He is done with all his math classes. This makes us think if he needs to try going to TAMS to get more math and science. Research again gets a little easier once he gets into TAMS. He does not have to go anywhere else looking for research opportunities. My question is, if TAMS is the right place to go or should he stick to finishing his 11th and 12th grade.
I'll respond with essentially the same question as 2 years ago...
Does he want to go to TAMS? If so, go for it.
Given that he's "done" with the PISD math curriculum already, and that he wants to get research on his college apps, it sounds like TAMS would be a better choice.
But if he's not interested in living away from home, giving up orchestra, leaving his friends, then it's not such a great choice.
If he sticks around at Plano West...
As for math, I'd agree with you about AP Stats and AP Comp Sci to fill in the junior/senior years. You could also go with dual enrollment at Collin College, but that's a pain in the rear, and (IMO) community college courses aren't going to be any more impressive on the app than AP courses.
As mentioned back in the day, you could also just omit math senior year and combine that empty slot with the science slot to take the 2-hour AP Bio or AP Chem class.
Might want to think about CBE'ing 11th grade physics, so he can take AP Phys C as a junior.
You could look into getting hooked up with the UTD high school summer research program, then continuing that into the school year.
Just one guy's opinion but I do have one at UTSW-Medical now.
Stay with math. Comp sci and statistics are great courses but he would be better off continuing the math track and makings As. The pre-med wash out classes are things like physics and calculus and maybe bio-chem.
Thanks for your reply. As I said, he is taking Calculus right now in 10th grade. He has no other choices other than Statistics and Computer Science. He is done with all his math classes. This makes us think if he needs to try going to TAMS to get more math and science. Research again gets a little easier once he gets into TAMS. He does not have to go anywhere else looking for research opportunities. My question is, if TAMS is the right place to go or should he stick to finishing his 11th and 12th grade.
Can he not take any more physics?
The TAMS or staying in HS decision is a tough one. I'd likely get on the phone tomorrow calling Baylor, UT and maybe Rice in order to speak with a pre-med advisor at each school. Ask them for their feelings about TAMS Diploma transfers and how they perform. Another TAMS consideration vis a vis pre-med is that UNT's biology/pre-med tracks are not very strong at least they were not when my son considered TAMS. In other words if your son attends TAMS and then Baylor, UT, Rice or somewhere excellent out of state etc. those schools will very likely talk your son into taking the bio. courses again or outright disallowing them - same with any AP credits. That said the other courses - math, chemistry, English, etc. should transfer just fine. The research opportunities at TAMS are very enticing.
All of the better undergrad pre-med/bio. programs like to see some research all of the best medical schools more or less expect some research.
If the math, chemistry and physics tracks have been exhausted in HS I'd give TAMS a hard look.
It's a small consideration but if he attends TAMS and then graduates per-med/bio. he will be 20(?) and headed into medical school. My son just turned 22 and he thinks he is the youngest MS-1 in his class. Most of the MS-1 are 24/25 a good number are in their 30s. If he does the TAMS and pre-med thing, no matter how well he does, you might plant the seed in his head that he should consider a 1yr. Public Health masters of similar. Hitting MS-1 status at 20 would be rough socially.
No matter what your boy will do well.
I want to reiterate that better pre-med programs do not like or flatly will not accept Dual-Credit or AP hours especially in bio. and sometimes chemistry as well and some won't accept DC/AP hours at all under any circumstances.
Also, in your boy's case it likely will not matter, medical schools re-calculate grades using all college credits attempted anywhere. So for example if your son took a math class at a community college and made a B even if he took that course again at Stanford or Harvard and made an A, that B would be factored into his GPA.
Last edited by EDS_; 01-08-2014 at 08:32 PM..
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, thanks to last year's cutbacks.
