AP Euro 9th (Plano: credit, school, college)

[lovejoytopia]

Is it possible to take AP Euro in 9th grade?

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by lovejoytopia

Is it possible to take AP Euro in 9th grade?

Ask the teacher.

I took AP European History as a 12th grader. I was a straight-A student in school and took nothing but AP courses my last year of school. AP European History at my school was not a slouch course and a 9th grader might find it quite challenging. Just putting that out there.

[facebookdigg123]

Yes my brother took it in 9th grade back in the day.

[Big G]

Depends on the district.

In Plano ISD, you're not supposed to be allowed to take it until 10th grade, but my kid personally knows someone who took it the year before last as a 9th grader at Williams. So it also depends on the relative force factors of the parents and the guidance counselors.

As TC80 points out, it's actually a very challenging AP. A typical math/science type will find that the course does NOT play to their strengths. Lots of very intensive writing under time pressure, and hours and hours of reading each week. If you're playing GPA-boosting games, this one is dangerous to put in the mix. Best left to those with a sincere interest in the material.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Big G

Depends on the district.

In Plano ISD, you're not supposed to be allowed to take it until 10th grade, but my kid personally knows someone who took it the year before last as a 9th grader at Williams. So it also depends on the relative force factors of the parents and the guidance counselors.

As TC80 points out, it's actually a very challenging AP. A typical math/science type will find that the course does NOT play to their strengths. Lots of very intensive writing under time pressure, and hours and hours of reading each week. If you're playing GPA-boosting games, this one is dangerous to put in the mix. Best left to those with a sincere interest in the material.

This. I took it over 20 years ago, but I wouldn't think it's gotten any easier since then. I made As in it, but it wasn't without effort! LOTS of writing, LOTS of reading, every test was an essay test, no open books, etc. I took the AP and made a 3, though I didn't really study for it either.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

This. I took it over 20 years ago, but I wouldn't think it's gotten any easier since then. I made As in it, but it wasn't without effort! LOTS of writing, LOTS of reading, every test was an essay test, no open books, etc. I took the AP and made a 3, though I didn't really study for it either.

LOL - I just realized I credited the wrong poster for the post BigDGeek made.

But yeah, a left-brained person (which describes 90% of the people who would be angling to maximize GPA by taking multiple AP classes in 9th grade) will have to work very, very hard to maintain an A in that class, especially if they are a year or more younger than the rest of the students.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Big G

LOL - I just realized I credited the wrong poster for the post BigDGeek made.

But yeah, a left-brained person (which describes 90% of the people who would be angling to maximize GPA by taking multiple AP classes in 9th grade) will have to work very, very hard to maintain an A in that class, especially if they are a year or more younger than the rest of the students.

Agreed. Calc was easier.

[CMC_TX]

Originally Posted by lovejoytopia

Is it possible to take AP Euro in 9th grade?

I took it at TCA as a Senior. Didn't do any test prep outside the normal class & made a 3. I will say the class is great preparation for any writing-intensive class in college.

I would be hesitant to take that on in 9th grade. I'd take AP World or AP US in 10th and then re-evaluate.

[SMS_Parent]

If AP World is available, it is a better alternative for a student who doesn't have much experience with the History AP tests. My kids have experience with all the social science AP tests except human geography and psychology and their consensus is that in order of increasing difficulty, they would fall as follows: World, U.S. Government, Comparative Government (not really harder than U.S. Government, but builds on understanding of concepts learned in U.S. Government); Economics (either micro or macro -- good choices for students with a quantitative bent), U.S. History, and Euro. Human Geography and Psychology are supposedly easier than any of the rest of these. Human Geography has a fairly low pass rate, but that is because it is typically taken by freshman who don't have experience with AP test preparation.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by SMS_Parent

If AP World is available, it is a better alternative for a student who doesn't have much experience with the History AP tests. My kids have experience with all the social science AP tests except human geography and psychology and their consensus is that in order of increasing difficulty, they would fall as follows: World, U.S. Government, Comparative Government (not really harder than U.S. Government, but builds on understanding of concepts learned in U.S. Government); Economics (either micro or macro -- good choices for students with a quantitative bent), U.S. History, and Euro. Human Geography and Psychology are supposedly easier than any of the rest of these. Human Geography has a fairly low pass rate, but that is because it is typically taken by freshman who don't have experience with AP test preparation.

I took AP Psychology, it was the easiest AP course I took. AP Euro was one of the more difficult ones. AP Art History was the most difficult.