Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia FAQs About the Upper School Course Selection Process
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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FAQs About the Upper School Course Selection Process

Karen Bennett | January 21, 2015 | 247 views

It is already time to start thinking about course selection for the 2015-16 school year! Below you will find my responses to some of the questions I frequently hear from students and parents.

 

Do we have to apply for AP and Honors courses this year?

Just AP courses.  

 

How many Honors / AP classes should I take?

As many as you are qualified for, as many as you can take and do well, as many as you can take and still have a life outside of school. It should not be standard practice to spend every night studying until midnight or later. (There are no AP courses offered for freshmen.)


What is a core course?

A core course is any course offered in the English, math, science, history and world language disciplines. Courses offered in fine arts that do not qualify as core classes are:  Ladies Chorale, Men’s Chorale, Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Keyboard Musicianship. P.E. classes do not count as core classes. Intro to Computer Programming will count as a core class but only as an I.T. credit.


How many classes do I have to take each year?

You must take five core classes each year. Freshmen and sophomores must take  six, one of which is mandatory for freshmen - Health and Fitness. Sophomores can take Fitness or can replace Fitness with either a fine art course or a two-period AP Science class.


Do I have to take a class for the entire year?

Yes, most classes offered at Darlington are year-long courses. 


Can I take just five classes my junior and senior years?

Yes, but you will graduate with the minimum amount of credit required for a Darlington diploma – 22 credits. Remember that colleges are looking at strength of curriculum and academic rigor of all students. Most students do better when they take six classes each year (remember that most AP sciences take two periods and that would count as a 6th period/class) – two free periods rarely results in enhanced academic performance.


Can I change my mind about my courses this summer?

No, we will not make any changes to currently enrolled students' schedules after the first week of May. It is IMPERATIVE that you take this process seriously and make informed and researched decisions about your classes. BUT, if a student is unable to succeed in an Honors or AP class after a period of 4 to 6 weeks, and the teacher recommends a change, every effort will be made to accommodate a move to a regular section.  

 

Can I request a teacher change?

Teacher requests are not considered when making student schedules. Please refrain from making requests for exceptions to this policy.

Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions about the course selection process for the upcoming school year.