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cuz Costco sells surprisingly good ones.

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ok, so i had to get your attention....i have a bunch of miscellaneous qs. Could any of you answer even just one of them?

1. What's the diff between 'college-prep course' and an 'honors' course?

2. Is it true the UCs couldn't care less about your SAT I and focus mainly on your SAT IIs?

3. Does going to a harvard/yale/UC etc. summer program increase your chances of getting in?

*4. one of most concern to me at the mo': There's some sort of score choice for APs, right? But how is that fair to other standardized test takers?
When on the college app it asks for all standardized exams you've taken and test scores, do you HAVE to put them down?

Oh, also, hehe...5. Kaplan for satII math iic? comments?

By Number9 (Number9) on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 01:23 pm: Edit

1. I think honors classes lets the GPA go on the 4.0+ scale. I think its geared more towards advanced people that want to do well in college, and get an above average college. College Prep on the other hand, is a recommended course for those who know they are going to college. I don't really know, my school doesnt have honors courses...

3. Not at all.

By Rowan (Rowan) on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 01:33 pm: Edit

1. College prep is, at least in my school, your every-day academic course. Just means it covers standards in college preparatory coursework. Honors is definitely the more challenging and, of course, the one that looks better on transcripts.

2. It's not that they couldn't care a less, it's just that SAT IIs are weighted twice as much in their little formula for eligibility. (Something like SATI+2x[SAT II Writing + SAT II Math I/IIC + Third SAT II].) So don't take them lightly if you're going to apply to UCs, and don't worry so much about the SAT I score. The higher your GPA, the lower your test scores "have" to be (though higher is always better!)

3. Not in itself, no. However! If you can use *a* program (doesn't matter which one) to further your passion, it looks excellent. IE, if a student is a major computer graphics/web design buff with their own company and takes the initiative (yay initiative) to take a college course or two during one summer at one of these courses in, say, C++, well, there you go. It's about how you use it.

4. There is a "score choice," sort of, for AP tests. You pay a fee for them to withhold a certain AP score (I can't remember if it's just per test, or if it's also per college). I'm not sure what you mean about how it's fair, really. And no, you don't have to put down *all* of them, but if you put down one they're eventually going to see it (mostly pertains to SAT tests; they're cumulative on your "SAT transcript," so no matter what you don't put down they'll see it when you send in your top score). It doesn't really matter, given their "top score" preference. They shouldn't care too much.

5. Dunno.

By Yz16 (Yz16) on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 03:41 pm: Edit

Wow, haha...thanks all.
1. So where would IB and AP stand?
2. Now i see why there's so much going on about taking the SAT II in your native language...is it a good idea, you think?
3. I see : ), thank you.
4. When i said 'not fair', i meant if you didn't have to put down your bad AP scores, you could just take them over and over again until you had perfect ones and then just put those down. The same courtesy isn't extended to IGCSE or IB or GCSE or A-level takers. Additionally, that favors wealthier kids, doesn't it?
So say i put down my 9 IGCSEs, and then my 6 IBs, and then my SAT I, and 3 SAT IIs(do they even have that many spaces?)...if i say, got an A- for Math or a B for Geo and didn't put them down in that section again, wouldn't they be a little mad that i tried to hide those bad scores? [i am in a way i guess, but it's more that them seeing it once is enough, why should i shove it in their face again...?]
Sure it's not mandatory? They sure make it sound like it is.
5. lol, thanks anyway.

By Ughstinkysocks (Ughstinkysocks) on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 03:42 pm: Edit

1. at our school, if u want to go to a four yr college then ure on the college prep track and if u want to go to a 2 yr school ure on the technical prep tract...
2. i still think the focus mostly on the ones
3. dunno bout this one
4.i agree with rowan... there bound to see it unless u withhold...
5.kaplan is great for anything....

By Sheeprun (Sheeprun) on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 03:55 pm: Edit

yz16 and others: It really is important to have a good subject title. You chose a poor one--probably because you had four different questions. It would have been better to post four different questions---each one with a very well targeted subject line. Well written subject lines improve the College Confidential experience for everyone. Thanks.

<moderator>

By Rowan (Rowan) on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 04:22 pm: Edit

1. In the US, colleges theoretically view IB and AP on equal levels. This is absurd. Do note, however, that some colleges are willing to grant sophomore status to some IB diploma holders! When you talk out of the country, IB is infinitely more important -- should be that way in the country, too, despite us bitter folk who don't have the option of taking IB (me!).

2. I don't really know. On the one hand, it's great that you have an advantage that you can use. On the other hand, it shows absolutely no initiative to, say, learn another language and try your hand at it. And yet, then again, most native English-speakers can't get 800 on related tests, so you may as well go ahead and do it. Not sure how adcom will view it, however, so be wary.

4. "Fair" is not in the CB mission statement; if it is, they do well at dodging it. While it is possible to take the AP test multiple times (eww...) it is HIGHLY unlikely that many, if more than one or two, will do so. Three reasons: a) It costs $80 to take. Each test. Each time. b) They're only offered once a year, in May. c) It's very painful to take them once; can't imagine doing it twice.
Part Two of question four: Put as many good ones down as you can. If you have spaces left over, you may as well put them all down; they *will* see them. Own up to it, too. I think that if I were in adcom and I looked at an application that conveniently left out the less-excellent grades, I would believe they were dodging something, perhaps.
Basic rule of thumb: put it down, own up to it, and don't try to hide it. Adcoms have a good sixth sense about BS and half-truths; they're bound to find out sooner or later, and it's better if they find out sooner. If you took it, put it down unless it's completely irrelevant. (Like, say, I liked my SAT score better than my ACT score; if they only use one for admissions, just put down the SAT score and avoiding having to send irrelevant information, which they will be grateful for.)

Hope that helped. I'm getting less and less coherant as the day goes on. :P

By Yz16 (Yz16) on Friday, July 04, 2003 - 01:45 am: Edit

thanks again for the informative post rowan : ).
$80 is pretty hefty.

moderator: no more cookies : ).