High School Student taking college classes

[scrapquitler]

Does anyone have any experience enrolling their high school student in college classes during the summer semester?

Background: DD15 is currently a sophomore. She has a high honors average (around 3.85) at this point. She is BORED in school. She can't take AP classes until next year, currently she's in all honors classes except English. She came to us last week and asked if it is possible to take college courses NOW???

I've spent some time looking into it, and today I spoke with someone in the admissions office of our local community college. They have no problem with her taking a couple classes during their summer session (which starts the week after high school ends in June). She just would need to fill out an application, pay the $20 application fee and pay the tuition and she's in. Depending on the class she MAY need to take a placement test (just to be sure she doesn't need remediation, they said). She would be a non-matriculated student, but all credits would transfer within the state university system here in my state. no problem at all. The tuition would be affordable (under $500 including all fees for a 3 credit class). Admissions lady says they have about 30-35 high school students who currently take classes.

I'm inclined to let DD take the class and just see what happens. Is there any reason why I should reconsider allowing this? Do any of you have experience with this?? I guess I should say that my DH took a class at a local University while he was a high school student, so it's not such a foreign and off the wall idea to him. AM I missing some big drawback that I should consider? At this point, I can't find any negatives.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

My ds did this, but not in the summer. He did it as a senior and yes, as you said, he made sure the credits transferred into the school he was attending. His school had a joint agreement with the comm. college to accept the credits and that college is part of the state system etc, so he could basically take the credits to any school that was a state school etc.

Also have you looked into CLEP testing too. That would be a much cheaper option, my ds did this too as he thought it would be boring sitting in a college class learning stuff he already knew etc. from high school.

You might want to see if the college she will be attending accepts CLEP testing.

We forgo alot of the ap classes as some of the colleges ds wanted to apply to would either not take ap classes or would only accept certain grades etc. Since he went to a private school and we would have to pay extra for the ap classes, we figured that into our decision too.

I know a friend of ours dd did do it but she was homeschooled and so far ahead and bored too like your dd.

Wishing your dd all the best. She sounds like a bright student.

 

[Southernmiss]

It's so hard to see a bright student be bored in school. I applaud you for looking into an alternative for your DD. Let me just say that I like your idea and would let DD try a class or 2 at the community college this summer.

I remember a similar discussion with the principal of our high school regarding our DS and his junior year schedule. I told the principal that I did not want DS to be bored his junior year. DS had signed up for 4 ap classes (his first opportunity to take AP classes) and the principal laughed at the thought that DS would be bored.

The principal was right--DS was never bored in those AP classes--he had one class at 6:30 in the am. and some evenings. DS worked his tail off junior year (and did well). So in our experience AP classes were the ticket to keep him from being bored.

 

[scrapquitler]

My ds did this, but not in the summer. He did it as a senior and yes, as you said, he made sure the credits transferred into the school he was attending. His school had a joint agreement with the comm. college to accept the credits and that college is part of the state system etc, so he could basically take the credits to any school that was a state school etc.

Also have you looked into CLEP testing too. That would be a much cheaper option, my ds did this too as he thought it would be boring sitting in a college class learning stuff he already knew etc. from high school.

You might want to see if the college she will be attending accepts CLEP testing.

We forgo alot of the ap classes as some of the colleges ds wanted to apply to would either not take ap classes or would only accept certain grades etc. Since he went to a private school and we would have to pay extra for the ap classes, we figured that into our decision too.

I know a friend of ours dd did do it but she was homeschooled and so far ahead and bored too like your dd.

Wishing your dd all the best. She sounds like a bright student.

Thanks for the response. I'll have to check out the CLEP thing, I've never heard of it.

Part of DDs thing is that she is eager to find out about what college classes are like. I think she figures that the whole lecture/read/paper/test format sounds a lot more interesting than the format of high school and she wants to experience that. Getting some credits out of the way prior to finishing high school would be a bonus (and my wallet would LOVE that!).

 

[Cindy B]

My son is doing it now. He took a summer course after his sophomore year of high school and is taking a dual high school/college credit course during this school year.

He is going to take some more courses after his junior year (this June) . With any luck, he will have at least 15 credits -one semester done before he even graduates high school.

The problems he had were the following: being the youngest in the class did not make him "mesh" with anyone- even the younger students. He was 16 at the time and he was still like a "little kid".

Transportation- he didn't have his drivers license so we had to drive him and pick him up.

The advantages: taking classes while in high school did give him a taste of what it was to be like. Our local community college gives the high schoool students a tuition break since they are dually enrolled- the student gets charged for two credits per class instead of the usual three.

The placement test did cover things that he didn't cover yet in school, so he did miss the math section by one point. The English and writing were no big issue. Since he has now taken his SATs he has what they call an "exempt" score so he doesn't have to retake that one section. (I want to say that the cutoff was around 580/590 or so for each section)

Even if she didn't pass a section, she can still take certain courses such as Public Speaking and Basic Psychology (major prereq's around here no matter what major).

 

[LisaR]

My DD (16) started at the community college when she was 14 as a dual enrolled student. She only took one class her first semester, two her second semester, and she has taken three or four a semester since. She loves it and it has been a great experience for her. She will graduate with her AA.

Our state universities will take all the credits she has earned. She has followed her program of interest in terms of determining classes. For instance, you need two math classes for your AA. You can choose from about 10 different classes. It doesn't matter what the classes are (as long as you qualify). The three different degrees she is considering at the university all require two very specific math classes so those are the two she is taking for her AA. Her experience has been nothing but positive.

 

[Schmeck]

If you are absolutely positive your daughter is going to your homestate university, and has no other plans for the summer, sure, have her take a class. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time and money, IMO. If she's looking for something to do this summer, she could try to find an internship, or other somesuch that looks better on a college application than community college credits.

 

[Zuzu03]

I think it's GREAT that your DD wants to take college courses in the summer - I teach high school and would love, love, love more of our students to be that engaged in their education! Thank you also for being an involved parent - we don't have enough of those either!

 

[LisaR]

If you are absolutely positive your daughter is going to your homestate university, and has no other plans for the summer, sure, have her take a class. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time and money, IMO. If she's looking for something to do this summer, she could try to find an internship, or other somesuch that looks better on a college application than community college credits.

I can't imagine considering any type of educational class a waste of time.

And I wouldn't base everything my kid wants to do on whether it will look good on a college app. If she wants to learn and she wants to take a class, why not?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Does anyone have any experience enrolling their high school student in college classes during the summer semester?

Background: DD15 is currently a sophomore. She has a high honors average (around 3.85) at this point. She is BORED in school. She can't take AP classes until next year, currently she's in all honors classes except English. She came to us last week and asked if it is possible to take college courses NOW???

I've spent some time looking into it, and today I spoke with someone in the admissions office of our local community college. They have no problem with her taking a couple classes during their summer session (which starts the week after high school ends in June). She just would need to fill out an application, pay the $20 application fee and pay the tuition and she's in. Depending on the class she MAY need to take a placement test (just to be sure she doesn't need remediation, they said). She would be a non-matriculated student, but all credits would transfer within the state university system here in my state. no problem at all. The tuition would be affordable (under $500 including all fees for a 3 credit class). Admissions lady says they have about 30-35 high school students who currently take classes.

I'm inclined to let DD take the class and just see what happens. Is there any reason why I should reconsider allowing this? Do any of you have experience with this?? I guess I should say that my DH took a class at a local University while he was a high school student, so it's not such a foreign and off the wall idea to him. AM I missing some big drawback that I should consider? At this point, I can't find any negatives.

My dd would love to do that but they only allow dual enrollment and you have to qualify and do it through the HS & only can do it as a JR and/or SR.

My dd does a summer program at a large university and stays in a dorm for 3 weeks. This will be her 3rd yr this summer.

How awesome for your dd!

As long as there is no issue with her "college freshman" classification after she graduates, I see no drawbacks.

 

[clm10308]

The only possible negative that I found when my DD16 started taking dual enrollment classes is that a bad grade in her dual enrollment class would stay on her college transcript and could impact her GPA which could impact possible scholarships. I just made sure that we kept track of the drop deadlines if that became necessary, but she ended up getting an A.

 

[cornflake]

I agree even if she doesn't go it's hardly a waste to have taken the classes. I took tons more classes than I needed, in areas that had nothing to do with my degree, in college. They weren't a waste. Education is never a waste.

I would just check on the status thing - that sounds weird to me but I dunno from ccs. At my school, you could take classes as a non-matriculating student but you got no grade and thus no credit that could transfer anyplace. I'm sure the admissions officers know it's just weird-sounding to me so I'd double check.

Aside from that, heck yeah - let her get excited about college, let her check it out, see what a college class is like.

I'd also say let her pick *anything* that sounds interesting that she can get into. I didn't do our 'core' classes all in a bunch first, I always took at least one art or art-ish class a semester, all different kinds, to try stuff out, and took what seemed interesting. I'm not suggesting she take underwater basket weaving, but she shouldn't feel tied to like, lit 101 or math 101 - she can use the credit she'd get for a psych or astronomy or criminal justice or comparative religions class or whatever, just as likely, toward an elective or a group core.

If something she's really into has some prereq, she can also talk to the prof (I was the master of that). If like, astronomy 101 has a composition 101 prereq but she loves astronomy, she's free to go to the prof, ask if she can show him a paper she's written or whatever, to show she can write a paper, and he or she can waive the req. if they so choose. I'm not a fan of the prereq. If it's like astronomy 320 that has prereqs of statistics and calc and composition and etc., obviously that's different, but you know what I mean.

 

[Buckalew11]

DD's doing it right now at our liberal arts college. She's dual enrolled and there is a state grant that covers it. Last semester it covered one class and this semester it covers 2 classes. This is the college she will also attend in the Fall so the credits will transfer.

Our community college does dual credit also but the credits would not transfer to this private college the same way they'd transfer to a state school. For instance, the English would only transfer as a humanities credit.

Anyway, I've seen no downside to this. It helps my pocketbook (3 free classes!) and she's had a great experience so far. She was the only HS SR in a class of mostly college freshman and I think they figured it out sometime in late October! lol

 

[LisaR]

My dd would love to do that but they only allow dual enrollment and you have to qualify and do it through the HS & only can do it as a JR and/or SR.

My dd does a summer program at a large university and stays in a dorm for 3 weeks. This will be her 3rd yr this summer.

How awesome for your dd!

As long as there is no issue with her "college freshman" classification after she graduates, I see no drawbacks.

I'm sure every state varies but in FL, as long as you do not take any community college classes AFTER you graduate high school, there aren't any issues with your classification. My DD will enter as a college freshman although she will be given junior status based on her credits. This allows her to apply for all freshman scholarships.

If my DD were to take a summer class after graduating high school, the university would then factor in all of her other credits since she "attended college after graduating high school" and she would be declared a junior at the university. Needless to say, she won't be doing that!

 

[jsmith]

Both my sons went dual enrollment for both their junior and senior years. The kept enough hours in the high school to be eligible for HS sports and took the rest of the classes at a community college. The advantages down the line were HUGE.
And-my oldest went to Clemson Univerity in South Carolina his 'freshman" year-all his CC college credits transfered and it did not impact his getting scholarships. The credits earned from those classes gave him a leg up on his program ( he graduated with three Bachelors in 4 years, physics, math and economics). The extra credits gave my son a leg up as well and he finished his Masters in Engineering in 4 and a halfl years-the head start in math was a big help. I dont see any down sides even looking back in retrospect.

 

[ladypage]

I did it in high school. It was fun, and an excellent experience overall.

Warnings: Yep, it does seem like most of your credits will transfer, but double and triple check with other people who have done it. Every class I took was accredited, and was within transfer guidelines. But the year I applied, a few things changed, and now they won't transfer. I have to retake three classes now. Another English class will count as an elective, but not as a prerequisite.

That's kind of a warning for anyone who does any CC work before a four year though, I know it happened to two of my friends as well.

On the plus side, I would let her take "fun" classes. I took an intro to physical anthropology course, and it was great. I started out as a criminal justice major, but when I realized that it wasn't what I wanted to do, I thought back to my Anthro class and how much I loved it, and now I'm an anthropology major. And that's the only class that actually transferred

Overall, I'm of the mind that no education ever goes to waste, so why not? Go for it!

 

[cornflake]

I did it in high school. It was fun, and an excellent experience overall.

Warnings: Yep, it does seem like most of your credits will transfer, but double and triple check with other people who have done it. Every class I took was accredited, and was within transfer guidelines. But the year I applied, a few things changed, and now they won't transfer. I have to retake three classes now. Another English class will count as an elective, but not as a prerequisite.

That's kind of a warning for anyone who does any CC work before a four year though, I know it happened to two of my friends as well.

On the plus side, I would let her take "fun" classes. I took an intro to physical anthropology course, and it was great. I started out as a criminal justice major, but when I realized that it wasn't what I wanted to do, I thought back to my Anthro class and how much I loved it, and now I'm an anthropology major. And that's the only class that actually transferred

Overall, I'm of the mind that no education ever goes to waste, so why not? Go for it!

Not to derail the thread or anything, but there's a severe shortage of forensic anthropologists in the world at the moment - if you haven't looked into that field it's a lot of training but it's both of your interests, just thought of it and thought I'd mention.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'm sure every state varies but in FL, as long as you do not take any community college classes AFTER you graduate high school, there aren't any issues with your classification. My DD will enter as a college freshman although she will be given junior status based on her credits. This allows her to apply for all freshman scholarships.

If my DD were to take a summer class after graduating high school, the university would then factor in all of her other credits since she "attended college after graduating high school" and she would be declared a junior at the university. Needless to say, she won't be doing that!

Yep, that is what they told us as well.

I guess the only downside would be a bad grade.

 

[mkel34]

If you are absolutely positive your daughter is going to your homestate university, and has no other plans for the summer, sure, have her take a class. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time and money, IMO. If she's looking for something to do this summer, she could try to find an internship, or other somesuch that looks better on a college application than community college credits.

Have to agree with this. Community college associate degrees have little credibility in the real world, with the exception of the certificate programs they offer which can be beneficial in improving a specific skillset. The only benefit I could see from this would be if the credits were guaranteed to be transferred and knock out a few gen eds in college which would allow you to place more emphasis on your major. For the most part in the northeast they won't accept every transfer credits from any college to another as college is a business and they make more money when you have to take more classes.

 

[RitaE]

My son has also been dual enrolled at the CC/High School. Last summer he took classes on campus and he has been taking online classes while the school year progresses. He'll be there again this summer and then start at his "real" school in the fall.

Every single college he applied to (a mixture of In State, Out of State, and Private) indicated they will accept his Community College credits for transfer. I'd hardly consider it a waste of time since he will start his Freshman year of College with 24 credits completed -- English, Speech, Humanities, Biology etc.