National vs. AP exam dates

eak227
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by eak227 »

Ok people. Science Olympiad Nationals > AP tests.

All AP tests have a make up date 2 weeks later. You can easily sign up for those if you're really overly concerned about it. Nationals is a once in a lifetime (ok a few times if you're lucky) chance to have fun and compete against people.

Leave on Wednesday, Thursday at the latest. You need to go have fun. If you can just do make up tests what does it matter? Go take a few days off from the studying and have a ton of fun.

What you should be way more concerned about is the IB schedule. IB has no makeups, so those of you in IB German, or ITGS or Music Theory or whatever else is going on Thursday/Friday, I am very sorry.
Ethan K
Valparaiso, Indiana SO Alumnus
Ben Franklin MS
Valparaiso HS
Harvard University 2012

Nationals: OSU '03, Juniata '04, Wichita State '07, George Washington '08 -- Team place: 22, 18, 11, 11
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eathousemd
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by eathousemd »

pigeon no! I'm not taking AP tests...I'm not even in High school yet!!! I did make Wind Ensemble much to my delight though. I don't really see the point in going to Nationals anyway, it's just learning the material and owning at it. Plane rides are kinda cool though, as long as you get those little pretzels on board. My school can't afford plane rides, it can't even afford PAPER.

Wow, you guys skip to conclusion really fast.
GO GALVIN MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!
my 08 events:
Anatomy - 2nd place
Amphibians and Reptiles - 2nd place
Food Science - 5th place
these were fun.
09 events: blown off due to the tenor saxophone. I love to play the saxophone!
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by andrewwski »

I have about a 1/1,000,000 chance of getting to nationals, so this doesn't concern me at all.

If the AP make ups would definitely be open to people going to nationals, I don't see an issue. If I was to miss just one AP exam...heck, I'd do it without a doubt.

I can't believe someone is saying that nationals isn't worth it. I'd be absolutely ecstatic to make nationals. Actually, I'd be absolutely ecstatic to make states. In my competitive region of NY, it's quite an accomplishment to make it past regionals. Our team hasn't been to states in 6 years, which is two years before I was on it, and it'd be the highlight of high school if we even make states this year (but we've got a good shot if everyone tries hard enough).

If I got to nationals, I don't care how much it'd cost to get there. I'd walk there before I decided not to go. I'd spend three days on a bus. Five weeks in a balloon. Whatever. It's an extreme accomplishment and a once in a lifetime chance...I don't know anyone who wouldn't have regrets if they didn't go.

But...it's still kind of stupid that it was scheduled during AP's. Most people who take a lot of AP's spend about four weeks in zombie study mode.
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by bearasauras »

For all of you talented ones, you know how busy you are every weekend between March and May... Regionals, State, AP's, IB's, SAT's, Science Bowl, Ocean Science Bowl, and the list goes on. It's unfortunate that nationals ends up during the same week as the AP's test, but I think it also depends on when the hosting site is available. For those of going to nats, hope you'll be able to take the makeup AP exams.
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by gneissisnice »

Eathousemd obviously is not a true science olympian, since he does not know the number 1 rule: SCIENCE OLYMPIAD > EVERYTHING. Its the law.
2009 events:
Fossils: 1st @ reg. 3rd @ states (stupid dinosaurs...) 5th @ nats.
Dynamic: 1st @ reg. 19thish @ states, 18th @ nats
Herpetology (NOT the study of herpes): NA
Enviro Chem: 39th @ states =(
Cell Bio: 9th @ reg. 18th @ nats
Remote: 6th @ states 3rd @ Nats
Ecology: 5th @ Nats
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by Uncle Fester »

that really is retarded. i mean, how do they not look at when APs are? although im with gneissisnice, i already took world history and human geography and i personally dont have to deal with the other ones. but not everyone on the team can say the same...
Well, let's take a look at just how retarded we are. Let's use my upcoming "Build It Day" on Saturday, November 8.

First, November 8 is free at our venue. Not only "free" as in "available", but "free' as in cost. if i went with that date instead of other dates, it would save each team attending some $35-$55.

But wait-- that date is a home football game at the Big 10 college where we get almost half of our college-age help. SO let's move it to the week before. Nope. Half our management help has major school (employment) commitments.

The week after? No, can't get the venue. Not only that, but changing will cause us to lose our "seniority" as far as scheduling priority.

Week after that? Ha Ha Ha-- first day of deer hunting season in three states!

Week before? Homecoming at the school or some kind of big thing; venue is unavailable.

So, it's back to the 8th. While a sizable chunk of help can't attend, it's the best date available. Good thing, because NOW I find the Academic Boosters can't serve food on any of the other dates, and this isn't a town where the kids can go outside and run down the street a short ways to get lunch. Now I have to start the calling all over again (groan!), all over IL, IN, and MI to see what event heads are available, what event assistants & volunteers are available, and (alas) what events we can't cover due to a lack thereof.

THEN, armed with this list, I determine what and how many support people will be needed to cover what all necessary things (cutting wood and/or metal, hardware available, safety watch, etc), pass this list on to the local people, and then THEY locate the necessary people, tools and parts. I'm on pins and needles until I geta reply, since certain events get canned if certain help doesn't materialize-- Everyone wants to be in charge of an event, but a lack of support people will kill an event just as fast as a lack of Big Chief will.

SO, with supply-side all taken care of (fingers crossed that nobody cancels out), it's now time to see who shows up. The whole thing repeats itself-- hopefully there'll be no "lack of transportation" issues, no home football games, no college recruiting visits, no detentions, no AAU meets, no family reunions, no weddings, no tryouts, no funerals. . . the list goes on. And the obvious, no OTHER Science Olympiad activities.

Note that this is for a 4-state event with about 150-200 kids. Now try setting up something 25 times larger, like Nationals, with Host University scheduling tossed in.

In short, THERE'S NO DATE AVAILABLE FOR ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S IMPORTANT. Actually, we're lucky-- most Nationals have been scheduled the Saturday closest to May 19th. Reason is, especially during the earliest days, Armed Forces Day (weekend, actually) meant that a substantial pool of available help had an easier likelihood of getting time off to help. Also, most colleges have let out for the Summer, freeing up rooms & labs at a much lower price, and MS/HS nationwide are still in session.

And don't forget that you have makeup exams two weeks later. We don't. Plus, if enough want to take exams at Nationals, we've actually done that before once or twice.
Uncle Fester, Maker & Fiction Science Writer

The Misadventures of the Electric Detention
The Revenge of the Electric Detention
The Curse of the Electric Detention
>> Three full-length adventures, 26 short stories and counting!
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by eathousemd »

1. I'm a girl (don't say "he" it hurts inside you know.)
2. You guys may not care about how much is costs, but your parents will!
3. Skipping school is bad.
4. AP test save you a lot of money once you get to college, because not only do you get college credits, but in place of those credits you can take classes pertaining to your major/minor.
5. Plane rides don't really take that long. So, it's alright if I miss the swap meet, as long as I'm there for the competition.
6. Michael Phelps!USA USA USA...go Phelpy!
GO GALVIN MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!
my 08 events:
Anatomy - 2nd place
Amphibians and Reptiles - 2nd place
Food Science - 5th place
these were fun.
09 events: blown off due to the tenor saxophone. I love to play the saxophone!
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by Pleiades »

1. Hey, be nice!! how are they supposed to know that?
2. Save up for it!! Plus, the school will also probably do some fund raising.
3. Not if its for something science related
4. I thought you said you were only a freshman.. APs dont come until junior year.
5. The swap meet sounds like a lot of fun but you obviously dont want to go to it so i'm not arguing
6. right on!!

BTW, we haven't even made it to nationals yet!! We can have this discussion once we win states [which i doubt will happen]
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eathousemd
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by eathousemd »

The misused pronoun was bothering me. Sorry about that.
My brother's going to college, so I know all about that college crap. hehe

PHELPS PHELPS PHELPS
GO GALVIN MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!
my 08 events:
Anatomy - 2nd place
Amphibians and Reptiles - 2nd place
Food Science - 5th place
these were fun.
09 events: blown off due to the tenor saxophone. I love to play the saxophone!
eak227
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Re: National vs. AP exam dates

Post by eak227 »

2. The cost should be covered at least in part by the school district. The rest, if your parents care about you, should not be too much of a problem. Or... get a job and pay for it yourself. Making nationals is quite an accomplishment and cost should not get in the way of going.

3. Skipping school doesn't matter. Especially 2nd semester senior year, but really any time. If you're smart enough to make nats in SO, you're smart enough to be able to make up the couple days of missed school without any problem. It's worth it.

4. Guess how much money my six 5's and two 4's on the AP tests over the years are going to save me in college? $0.00. Harvard doesn't accept most AP scores... the few they do have to be 5's and you have to talk to advisers and profs about your placement. But again, AP is an irrelevant excuse for skipping nats or coming late at all because of the makeup dates.

5. But most of this post itself is irrelevant because it is obvious that you do not have the dedication most people on this site have for SO. If you don't want to experience all of nationals, that's fine. It's not my job to convince you. But don't make excuses about why you wouldn't go other than that you're just not interested.
Ethan K
Valparaiso, Indiana SO Alumnus
Ben Franklin MS
Valparaiso HS
Harvard University 2012

Nationals: OSU '03, Juniata '04, Wichita State '07, George Washington '08 -- Team place: 22, 18, 11, 11
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