A very special/controversial situation for me... HELP!

Applying to College
1

<p>Well, it's about time I started doing college applications... but here's a big problem for me. </p>

<p>My father is a professor of mathematics and computer science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (A so-so school, but whatever....) Anyway, for the last few years, I have been taking advantage of his position by taking NUMEROUS summer classes at Embry-Riddle, a couple junior leveled ones, which were quite demanding and took up a good portion of my summer. </p>

<p>The problem with the situation? I was not actually "registered" as a student for these classes. I audited, sat in, participated, whatever you want to call it, those classes- I did the EXACT same work, took the EXACT same tests, and got 100% legitimate grades. But not "officially registered", so I can't carry credits over. But that's ok, since I received 5s on AP Tests and very high subject test scores, anyway, relating to the fields I've studied at Riddle. </p>

<p>And another REALLY sticky issue: 3 out of those 5 classes (Calculus, Diff. Equations, and Math Modeling) were taught by my dad. But I <strong><em>SWEAR</em></strong> by everything that is holy that I certainly did not receive any preferential treatment, at all, because my family values integrity highly. </p>

<p>Here are the classes I've taken, and the grades I got....
Linux/C 343: B ... I took it in 10th grade, with no knowledge of Java, which my dad conveniently didn't find out was a pre-req. until after the class ended... haha
Trigonometry 114: A
Calculus 242: A
Differential Equations 345: A
Mathematic Modeling 345: A (Related to differential equations class)</p>

<p>I took those classes with classmates who can all verify that I received no preferential treatment, did everything all other students did. I can also provide contact info for the other professors, my dad, anyone else... if needed. Although probably it will be easier for me to just omit information, without breaking integrity. </p>

<p>Please, someone help me. How should I go about putting these things on my application so that countless months of summer were not wasted??!</p>

2

<p>I’m sort of in the same boat… I played in a community college Jazz band even when I wasn’t officially registered (dual enrollment issues).</p>

3

<p>Sorry, but you can’t claim that you got A’s in these classes without actually registering and having a college transcript as evidence. Were these official class audits? That is, did you pay to audit these classes? Every college that I know of makes you pay for the privilege of attending a class, whether or not you are seeking credit (although auditing a class is usually cheaper). If you did pay, then you will have a transcript that shows you audited these classes with a grade of NC (No Credit) or whatever equivalent classification Embry-Riddle uses. Then you can legitimately claim that you audited these specific classes – but you still can’t claim any letter grade.</p>

<p>If you didn’t officially audit the classes, then all you can say is that you attended these summer classes as a non-enrolled student. Nothing beyond that. Forget offering some “verification” by other students, professors, etc. that you did the work, as it just draws attention to the unusual circumstances of how you got to sit in on these classes for free. </p>

<p>Remember that most college applications require transcripts not only from your high school but also from any colleges you have attended. So if you are going to claim you got a grade (or audited) some college class, you’ll need to produce a corresponding transcript from the college. If you were not enrolled, the most you can do is say something like, “I attended Class X – or I participated in the XCC Jazz Band – as a non-enrolled student” under the Activities or Extra Information section of the applications.</p>

4

<p>Really? There’s nothing I can do except receive nothing for MONTHS of work?.. Perhaps I can explain the situation, or something? Anything?</p>

<p>I was able to attend the classes because my father is a professor… God, I feel so stupid now. And sad, that 2-3 years of summer have gone down the drain just like that.</p>

5

<p>You were not a registered student in the class. The grades are meaningless–grades are only given to registered students.</p>

<p>Don’t think of this as wasted time. You learned a lot–not only the material but how to manage your time and “attack” college level work. </p>

<p>You could mention your experience in your essay. </p>

<p>PS–Didn’t your father explain this to you?</p>

6

<p>They will not appear on any transcript, and you can’t list the courses as taken on the common app or any other app, but you certainly can mention then in a resume. I would list them, and the grades, but explain they were taken off the record. you can explain that you did all the work and were graded as if you were formally in the class, but that because you did not pay the tuition or formally enroll as a DE (dual enrollment) student you cannot claim them as official. I see no problem with taking this approach. A mention in an essay is another option. They were NOT a waste if you learned something.</p>

7

<p>Whatever. I’m just going to sit in a corner and mope for a bit… the things I could have done with those summers, instead of taking all those classes. Especially when a friend of mine’s dad officially ‘enrolled’ him… so he gets massive credit for doing the EXACT SAME work as me, while I get none. Sure, I learned something, but that’s not the point. </p>

<p>If you studied 100 hours for the SAT, took it, got a 2300, then was told your score was invalid because of some technicality… You still learned something, right? But it’s not going to help you. </p>

<p>Maybe I’ll just explain the situation on a separate sheet of paper or something. This was seriously around half a YEAR of time… Jesus Christ. God I feel TERRIBLE right now… I might as well have been recovering from crack addiction for those 6 months of my life, for all I care. I learned a bit from the Diff. Equations class, but nothing I wouldn’t have learned taking the class again somewhere else (Which I will have to anyway). </p>

<p>■■■. Seriously. And no, my father didn’t explain this to me, because he doesn’t think what I FRIKKIN DO WITH MY SUMMER MATTERS!</p>

8

<p>If you had officially enrolled like your friend did, then you would have gotten the EXACT SAME CREDIT as he did. There’s nothing unfair about that! </p>

<p>Go ahead and mope for a while if it helps you get over it. But think about this: When you go to “explain” the situation, are you also going to explain that it was your own father that gave you 3 of the 5 supposed A’s (and they are indeed only “supposed” without an official transcript)? You are really going to come across as a whiny, privileged kid trying to puff himself up. Not exactly what top colleges are looking for…</p>

<p>You didn’t receive “nothing” and your summers were certainly not wasted. You received valuable knowledge – and for free, while the students sitting next to you had to pay for it! (If there is anything “unfair” about this situation, that might be it.) </p>

<p>As I and others have suggested, you do not have to ignore your time in these classes completely; you just have to be honest about what you say. There are a number of different ways to do this: by stating that you attended the classes but did not actually enroll, by discussing your summer experiences in an essay, by listing the topics covered or skills you obtained from these classes in your resume, etc.</p>

9

<p>Sigh… I don’t even know what to do anymore, or what to say. I think I just lost all my motivation to do anything this summer, or even to apply to top schools. Might as well just go the the state school, now, since I have nothing to show for 3 summers of my life. I was going to take some more classes, maybe even Calculus 3, but now the thought just makes me want to puke.</p>

<p>And how the hell do I come across as a “whiny, privileged kid” if I want to explain that I worked hard in these classes? How about if you go to college on a scholarship for a degree, and then they take away the degree at the end of your 4 years? How about that? I mean, you still “learned something”, and for no cost too, RIGHT? </p>

<p>Just shut up. I will have to take differential equations again, and I’ve ALREADY taken Calculus again. Linux/C, maybe not, but I prefer Java as a language anyway. Go throw away 6 months of your life, and then tell me if you feel like a “whiny, privileged, kid”.</p>

10

<p>

</p>

<p>If you were only taking the classes to make your app look better, I don’t think you deserve credit for them anyway. I understand why you’re upset, but still…</p>

11

<p>Actually, you can claim that you got As in these classes without registering, but that doesn’t mean the college will believe you. I would say that the next best thing would be a letter of recommendation from 1-2 of the professors who taught the classes (in addition to the 3 you normally get, if the school allows additional recommendations) but you’re sticky because…well, the professor is your dad, and you can’t get recommendations from family members. But you can get recommendations from the other professors that attest to the quality of the work in their classes.</p>

<p>I would definitely list them on the application, contrary to the advice of others (the application doesn’t ask what classes you took formally, it just asks what classes you have taken) but make a note next to them clearly stating that you audited them. And you can add an extra note of supplemental information explaining the situation under which you audited the classes.</p>

<p>worried_mom, it’s not really unusual for the children of professors to take free classes – that’s typically one of the perks of having a professor for a parent. There’s nothing unfair about the professor’s child taking a class for free – actually, there’s nothing unfair about anyone taking the class for free. There are often students auditing classes who take them for very small fees compared to the credited students. (Generally, though, they don’t take their parent’s classes.)</p>

<p>I don’t think it comes across as whiny and privileged at all that this student took 5 junior-level classes as a high school student, excelled in them, and wants recognition for that accomplishment. I’m not sure why people are jumping on you for wanting credit for your work, even if it’s not college credit. Maybe they don’t understand how difficult diff eq is (my mathematics major friend failed that class 3 times, and a lot of my friends in engineering and mathematics majors fail it multiple times) as well as some of the other classes are – you don’t take those classes for kicks, so I know you weren’t just taking it to pad your application, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting credit for something you worked hard on.</p>

12

<p>I’m sorry if I come across as whining and depressed right now. But I really am depressed… I don’t think I am whining. </p>

<p>YES, I learned something. But like the example I said above, you DO something and expect to receive RECOGNITION for it. A major part of my application was originally that I took so many classes at a fairly decent college, excelled in them… after all, it only took 3 summers away from me. And now I have NOTHING to show for it, or as close to nothing as you can get. </p>

<p>All those nights doing hours of multivariable calculus. These summer classes are accelerated, where 2 days = 1 week in the normal school year. The tests were difficult, and I had to miss out on quite a few trips with friends, and church campouts. </p>

<p>This isn’t a little bit of disappointment- This is like finding out half of your degree just got revoked for me.</p>

13

<p>To Juliet: No he can’t. He did not audit the class. All he did was sit in on the class. No official registration (either as a registered student or registered as Audit) took place. He merely sat in on the classes and acted as though he were a student. To top it off, 3 of the classes were taught by his father.</p>

<p>Personally, I would chalk this up to “a learning experience” and leave it at that. Find something else to do this summer or have your parents officially register you for a college class (not taught by your Dad).</p>

<p>Your father knows that students must be registered to be considered official students of the college. He is the one that you should be upset with.</p>

14

<p>Yeah, it would have been great if my father actually gave me an OUNCE of preferential treatment. Which, of course, he did not, since I still have a little bit of integrity left in me yet. </p>

<p>Let me tell you, writing 10 page papers on modeling laws of physics with multivariable calculus at 1 in the morning two days before your summer birthday is LOADS of fun. Especially when it just all goes poof as far as accreditation goes, later.</p>

<p>And you think I can find some way to waste my application ESSAY on how I spent my summers doing summer classes? OK, I like to think of my life as a little more interesting than that, where I can write my ONLY essay on something else besides summer classes.</p>

15

<p>Most colleges will let you take placement classes if you want, so you can test out of differential equations and the other classes you took.</p>

16

<p>To the OP,</p>

<p>There ae really two componets to the academic world; learning and achieving a high GPA.</p>

<p>Learning prepares you to do things professionally. A high GPA gives you access to opportunities; jobs and post-grad training.</p>

<p>You have an excellent opporunity to repeat classes you have already mastered without your academic record showing a repeat of work. Hello 4.0 and possible Ivy league grad school! Many people would kill for this opportunity.</p>

<p>The biggest mistake bright kids make is rushing into advanced college work too soon.</p>

<p>Would you have rather spent the summers playing video games? Your excellent sandardized test scores are due at least in part to your summer effort. You have positioned yourself well for success in college.</p>

<p>P.S. I have a nephew that graduated from Embry-Riddle. He is making excellent money in a job he loves.</p>

17

<p>I’m not saying that he gave you preferential treatment. What I am saying is that he should have officially registered you for the summer classes and you should have been put in a section not taught by your father.</p>

<p>What you do have now are the tools needed to succeed in college. Your time has not been wasted.</p>

18

<p>I really don’t see any realistic way to transfer the credits you earned to whatever college you might go to. Just take comfort in the fact that if you get accepted into a top college, they’ll probably reject those transfer credits anyways. I would recommend looking at the classes you took as a mere learning experience. Although you won’t get to transfer the credits, when you take the class again in college, I’m sure you will do incredibly well. Learning for the sake of learning is a beautiful thing.</p>

19

<p>I don’t know why you can’t use this for what it is: a great summer learning experience. Your dad teaches something that is of interest to you. You picked classes that you thought would be interesting and sat in. This shows a love of learning. You didn’t do it to gain anything but information. Why not talk about how it makes you appreciate what your dad does and how sometimes you see how what he does makes you interested in what you are interested in? Many students complete summer learning experiences just because they want to learn more. A love of learning is something most young people do not have in high school. Center for Talented Youth and programs like that don’t give credit for all of their programs. I think that you can easily write about your experiences and how lucky you feel to have been able to experience college before your peers.</p>

20

<p>Well, it’s not just transferring the credits… it’s the boost that even taking that many classes and excelling in them gets you on your college application. </p>

<p>Well, at least when I take differential equations again in college, I won’t have to worry much about getting an A in that particular class- if it’s any consolation. But now I suppose I will just have to scratch a couple reach schools off of my college application list, and replace them with matches. Because most likely my matches just became reaches. </p>

<p>To save myself the trouble, I’m just going to put down all the classes as non-enrolled, no credit/grade received.</p>

<p>Maybe colleges will give me a little sympathy pat… Oh look, he didn’t spend his summer goofing off at the beach or playing video games. If there is an essay question specifically asking “Demonstrate how you show love of education… blah blah” or something like that, maybe I’ll use this. But I doubt I will waste my common application essay on it, that would be making a problem even worse.</p>