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@BurningEmbers
3 answers, 6 votes
 • 2 years ago •
Admissions Advice

Should I take English I (Honors/GT) and English II (Honors/GT) as a Freshman and Sophomore in High School?
Answered

I'm an 8th grader as of now, and I'm looking for help on deciding my high school classes. I'm thinking about taking English I (Honors/GT) and English II (Honors/GT) as a Freshman and Sophomore in high school.

While I'm not sure how many people are aware of what the GT program is, I hope some people do, so I wanted to say that I'm in the GT (Gifted and Talented) program, so I'm used to higher level/harder work and have always made B+ and A's in ELA throughout my academic years as the nine week averages.

My first quarter average this year was a 92 and my current second quarter average is a 89 (still subject to change), making my first semester average a 91. So I tend to do pretty well.

I have a fairly strong work ethic and can complete work in a timely manner if I choose to, but if I do end up misusing time, I have stayed up late in order to finish them.

I'm wondering how much of a difference there is between GT in middle school and these two high school courses. How hard are they and how much time/effort will they require? Would I pass these classes with at least a B+ based off of my abilities as a student?

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Accepted Answer
@codamendoza1224
1 answer, 0 votes
 • 2 years ago

I don't know anything about the GT program, but my advice is: if it's an Honors class (and listed as such) and you can handle it, take it!! Take as many honors and AP classes as you can handle. I wish I had taken more honors and AP classes in my early years of high school. It really makes a difference when you're applying to colleges. You might get some B's in those classes, but a B in AP looks better than an A in a regular class. It'll require more studying, time, and effort, but it's worth it.

Hope this helps you!! I'm so glad to hear that you're already interested in high school classes.

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@AprilMay2 years ago [edited]

hm doesn't really make a difference for public schools, or so I've heard. no matter. just don't take them if you can't handle it, it'll just bring your GPA down even more than necessary. Also keep in mind all the stress and time management.

[🎤 AUTHOR]@BurningEmbers2 years ago

Thank you so much for your advice! I have decided to take both English I and English II planned to be Honors for both. English III and English IV are both regular however because there start to be way to many options (May change in the future but that is the unfinalized plan right now). I'm also taking Algebra II as Honors in 10th grade because I'm in Algebra I Honors right now and have to take Geometry in 9th grade. So 3 honors classes as of right now, and more coming. I've only done my (cont.)

[🎤 AUTHOR]@BurningEmbers2 years ago

Continued...I've only done my Mathematics and English 4 required credits so far. So still planning. This is harder that I thought it would be, but also exciting lol.

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@BorisS
85 answers, -39 votes
 • 2 years ago

College admissions do not care about middle school at all, GT or not. They will not see not ask for your 8th-grade quoter averages. Please note that 89-92 across the board is not a good grade in high school. I have no idea where you are from NYC GT is no different from the regular non GT program. You should have talked English 1 in middle school, not high school if offered. All colleges want is to see you taking hard classes if offered and doing well in them. 91 is not considered doing well if it is across the board

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@codamendoza12242 years ago

This person is in 8th grade asking for advice for high school classes, not middle school.

[🎤 AUTHOR]@BurningEmbers2 years ago

GT Classes in middle school are harder than the regular ones (they are honors level ones), and they get 3 extra points (according to the NJHS grading policy from where I'm at). So really it's a 92 and 95. Also, like @codamendoza1224 said, I'm asking for high school, not middle school. I know colleges don't care about middle school, only high school, and colleges also want to see you doing extracurricular activities and being actively participant in them, not just great grades. (continued...)

[🎤 AUTHOR]@BurningEmbers2 years ago

Continued....I'm curious as to why a 92 is a good grade in high school? What do you mean by "across the board" is that like the total at the end of the year?

@AprilMay2 years ago

To answer your question, 92 can be a good grade based on the average in your school and the applicant pool (for example, moderate for Stony Brook, but low for MIT or Harvard). 92 is enough to get into some of the best colleges based on your location (the original commenter is very biased). For example, I have a 90% weighted GPA and at my school, it's considered around average. I think "across the board" means at the end of all 3 or 4 years (not sure but that's what it sounds like).

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