College class on HS transcript- should I intervene?

Parent Cafe
1

My oldest is a HS senior and has all but fulfilled his graduation requirements- he only needs 5 classes total this year to graduate. He’s taking two this term at the HS and taking two classes at two local LACs (one at each college.)

One of his college classes is a five credit science class with a lab and conference section. It’s not an easy class and it’s likely that most of the schools he is applying to will accept it for transfer credit for his intended major (engineering).

His HS is saying he needs to be registered for 3 classes. They are solving this requirement by putting a generic science class (same name as college class) on his class schedule with a P/F grade option.

He does not need the science credit to graduate from HS. I’m worried that by putting it on his transcript, he will not be able to get credit for it for college. Is this a valid concern?

2

You should email the colleges he’s applying to, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Most colleges only care whether the class was used to meet requirements.

3

I am confused. You say he needs 5 classes to graduate, but is only registered for four. Does that mean he will take one college class in the spring that will be the 5th? Why doesn’t he take a fluffy class at the high school for fun (art, cooking, ceramics) in order to meet the requirement for a 3rd HS class?

4

It shouldn’t be a problem. The GC can address it in her cover letter when applications go out.

5

Thanks everyone!

(Mom2and - he only needs five classes total this year, not this term. Between the two college class schedules, there literally isn’t any time for him to take another class during the school day. His HS only schedules 5 classes a term anyway since they do longer classes.)

6

Oh heck that probably didn’t make any ssmae anyway! His HS has weird schedules. A typical year long course at any other HS only takes two terms at his HS because of the longer class time each day. So the two classes he is registered for this term are not year-long classes - they are only one term topics.

7

As long as it will show as a college class on his transcript from the college, it should be transferable according to the policies of the school he transfers it to.

Be aware that some colleges may not accept transfer credit for college courses taken while in high school, or may not see the course as exactly equivalent to its own course (e.g. frosh/soph physics courses often cover topics in a different order at different schools, so a transferred physics course may cover bits and pieces of different physics courses at the new school).

8

or for college classes taken to fulfill HS requirements (which I realize is not the case here, but will not be obvious to the registrar).

Admissions does not deal with transfer credits. He should obtain a separate letter from the GC that he can present to the registrar. While it may all work out in the end, it will be infinitely easier for your son down the line if you can convince the HS not to list the course on the HS transcript.

9

I’m leaning towards having them list his math class on there instead since he is unlikely to use it for engineering. That would solve an immediate concern. We do know that this science class will transfer to one of his target schools as fulfilling the entire year of science required for engineering majors.

As an aside, our state has pushed high schools to allow students to earn college credits more easily by graduation. Since our school doesn’t do AP or IB (though plenty of kids take the AP tests), the HS seems to be offering more dual enrollment classes. I’m a bit ‘meh’ on those because I’m not convinced that those credits will transfer at all. I don’t mind my kids taking them but I don’t like the mish mash of transcripts that arise. My senior will have three college transcripts to send off with applications and my junior will have at least that many - possibly four.

Really it may all go out the window if either goes off to a private college.

10

What math course? Engineering majors typically will take calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. Unless he is taking discrete math (which may be needed for computer engineering majors) or some more advanced math course like real analysis or abstract algebra, a math course could very well be applicable to engineering major requirements (and even those math courses may be usable as technical electives in some engineering majors at some schools).

11

He is taking discrete math this term which is why I see it as a better option if he can’t convince his HS to leave this term’s college classes off his transcript. He isn’t thinking computer engineering.

12

Maybe I’m missing something here, but why is it a problem to have his college classes listed on his HS transcript? IIn principal this is no different from taking a HS AP class. That appears on the HS transcript but many colleges will give give college credit for it, at least with an acceptable score on the AP test. Many high schools have “college in the high school” programs where students take one or more college classes as part of their HS curriculum; many colleges will transfer credit for these, provided they think it’s a legit course and the equivalent of something they offer. As far as I know, those courses end up on the HS transcript, and that doesn’t prevent the credit from transferring. Here in Minnesota we have a program called PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment options) where the state will actually pay for qualifying HS juniors and seniors to take regular college classes on the college campus, for credit; as far as I know those PSEO courses routinely get listed on the student’s HS transcript, simply to indicate that the student was a full-time student between the regular HS classes and the PSEO classes. (I’m not sure about that, though, because we homeschooled which meant our daughters’ junior and senior year HS classes were almost entirely PSEO classes at our public flagship, but we certainly listed them on their homeschooling HS transcripts to indicate how they spent their junior and senior years), I think you’re looking for a solution to a non-problem.

If I were an admissions officer, I’d look more askance at a senior year transcript that showed only 3 classes per semester. Then it looks like the student has a serious case of senioritis and is just coasting through senior year.

13

Re: #11

Some colleges have odd transfer credit policies like not accepting transfer credit for college courses that also fulfill high school requirements or are dual enrollment or something like that.

14

I’m not worried about an admission’s officer looking at his transcript and seeing only two (as of now, three) classes. As I mentioned earlier, there are only 5 classes available for kids to take - because there are only 5 periods a day at this school. He’s taking classes there 1st and 2nd period and then heading off to take college classes for the rest of the day. His two college classes are a total of 9 credits. He’s not slacking, and no admissions officer will think that.

His transcript doesn’t show his Calc 2, Calc 3, Calc 4, Diff Eq or Linear Algebra either. That’s because those show up on the college transcripts that he’ll send.

15

When my D was applying to colleges, she also had some college credits that she asked about transferring. It seemed the general consensus was no college credit for dual credit classes taken on the high school campus and yes to college credit classes taken on the college campus.

I am not sure what the difference was, if the original college thought it was ok to give credit why should it matter where it was taught? But that was the rule for every college she looked at.

16

My school technically had the dual credit rule as well - however, their practice for accepting classes involved sending the college transcript in and that college transcript didn’t have an asterisk for dual credit classes. I don’t think they were comparing it side by side with the high school transcript.

17

“Maybe I’m missing something here, but why is it a problem to have his college classes listed on his HS transcript?”

I have done transfer approval for my employer, a university. It is 100% disallowed for ANY course listed on a HS transcript to be counted for college. This is a significant issue for foreign students, where there are students who take classes equivalent to freshman or sophomore college courses as part of their normal coursework, because their high school is very specialized (in some cases, they could get a HS degree and start working as a scientist or engineer or accountant in their country for example).

This case is a bit different. I believe that if the HS does not clearly list the identical college course, and where it was taken, on the HS transcript, the student can use the college transcript to get credit for the course. It may depend on the major also.

This is my concern:

“They are solving this requirement by putting a generic science class (same name as college class) on his class schedule with a P/F grade option.”

If the names are identical, it is likely most colleges will not allow transfer credit.

Slacking is NOT the point. The point is that only the results of AP and IB exams, or taking a college course that in no way meets the requirements for getting a HS diploma can get college transfer credit. It is like double-dipping.

Seems to me maybe he should have graduated early, or instead of trying to get transfer credit, just get placement credit and take upper level courses where he attends college. I took 700 level courses as an undergraduate to fulfill my major elective requirements, because none of the 300- or 400- level courses were appropriate for my specialization.

But maybe the solution is, if he only needs five classes to graduate, use the four HS classes that you said he had to take, and choose one college course (perhaps the highest level math) he wants to retake in college. Can he register for PE? Maybe taking PE would be helpful to him, to decrease his stress level of so many college courses.

NFN, he would have been far better off to finish HS as a junior, and start college instead of taking college courses while still a senior in HS. My son had a classmate who was a sophomore, who was planning to graduate early so she could start college early. She was in AP Calculus BC as a sophomore.

And also - are these community college or four-year college courses? That can matter as well. State colleges may be forced to give credit for CC courses in their state, but otherwise, it might be a challenge to get credit for CC courses.

PS - you also realize that if he wants to come in as a freshman, many colleges have limits on how many courses can transfer in? My son had 20 credits through AP exam results, and the college allows only 32 transfer credits for incoming freshman, by any means including college credits.

I think he really needs to pick his target colleges as soon as possible, and start looking at how many transfer credits they let students come in with, if they are freshman. This discussion may be moot if he has many many AP and college credits - he might even find that he could transfer into a college instead of enter as a freshman, BUT it will be a different experience than that of an incoming freshman…

18

His classes are taken at Reed or Lewis and Clark- not community college. They have been an incredible deal for him - and not just financially speaking.

He didn’t want to graduate early. He is in the midst of applying to various colleges (NMSF confirmed yesterday). He’s still wrapped up in sports and music and all that goes with HS and his senior year.

I’ll call and talk to the registrar about his transcript. I appreciate everyone’s input.

19

Subject credit and advanced placement may be the more relevant factor for some students who may not want to have to retake courses that they already took.

20

In our school district, some online classes are also just P/F on transcript. It should not be a problem unless it is an “F”.