<p>I am a junior at a competitive hs in northern california. I am enrolled in 4 honors/ap classes at my school, and in a selective academy that combines history, english and film. We have won numerous emmy's, and are being called the future of 21st century learning by the National Council for Teachers of English.</p>
<p>I have a 4.0 weighted, low SAT's 2000's, but have severe conceptual performace disabilities, on half of an IQ test, the performance, I have an 80 IQ, which is legally retarded. On the verbal section I have a 136 IQ. Howver, on SATS which target the low section, I suffer.</p>
<p>Anyway, I want some advice in classes for next year.</p>
<p>For sure:
AP Comp in academy
Econ/Gov-not ap offered- in academy
Digital Integrated Media Studies- in academy
Honors Physics
Internship with Academy teachers
Film Studies-academy</p>
<p>Now: I have the option of taking classes at a nearby Community College.</p>
<p>Currently, I take AP spanish at school, and take the second semester of mandarin at the CC.</p>
<p>Next year, I would like to continue the chinese, but also like to take calc 1 for a semester, and a semester of statistics at the CC.</p>
<p>How do colleges view classes taken at cc's versus high school?</p>
<p>I take all my classes dual enrollment at the community college where I live...its just easier and better than sitting in Cooking 101 since my HS doesn't offer but 3 AP's....and I get to sleep in all the time! So I basically do it because I have no other competitive option....its the most advanced route my school has I guess</p>
<p>But I'm really not sure though, your High school sounds pretty competitive...</p>
<p>That's somewhat a tricky question because you are interested in actually transferring college credit. If you have some idea of the colleges that you are interested in applying, you can either check with the community college to see if they have an information about how each 4-year school will honor the credit (i.e. will the CC Calc 101 be the same as the 4-year Calc 101) or you can contact each 4-year colleges directly and check to see how they will honor the CC course credit.</p>
<p>I often advise many students to take CC courses while in high school, but you really have to do your research first. You also have to weigh some of the problems that could arise with CC transfer credit when you are ready to apply for freshmen admission. First, you will need to make sure you are not transferring so many classes that you would be considered a transfer applicant rather than a first-year student. Doing so could cause you to miss out on first-year scholarship opportunities.</p>
<p>Second, if you don't find out before hand how exactly the classes may transfer you may find that you are only transferring 'credit-hours' and you may still be required to take a similiar class at your 4-year school. It is crucial that you determine you are taking the right course.</p>
<p>Third, some schools will allow you to transfer courses, but they still require you to take XX amount of credit hours at the actual 4-year school, so you end up not saving yourself time in the end. </p>
<p>All that being said, I know that it can work. Personally I took college courses while I was still in high school so by the time I got to college I was able to complete the requirements for 2 degrees in only 3 years.</p>
<p>Because dual enrollment (enrolling in college courses while still in high school) is becoming so common, it is being evaluated a little differently now.</p>
<p>"you will need to make sure you are not transferring so many classes that you would be considered a transfer applicant rather than a first-year student. Doing so could cause you to miss out on first-year scholarship opportunities." -- this used to be the case, but really isn't anymore. As long as the student is still enrolled in high school and has not graduated, dual-enrollment classes do not jeopardize your first year status. Even kids with Associates degrees can apply as freshman. The credits are evaluated and transferred after admittance and many of these kids become sophomores and juniors after a semester at the college. If anyone knows of a school where it does, please let me know.</p>
<p>Strategycoach is correct -- transferability of course is a whole other issue. Basically, it is suggested that you take dual enrollment college courses if:</p>
<p>---you have already taken the most rigorous courseload at your high school and you want more challenge. If your high school offers AP Calculus, you should not take it at the community college</p>
<p>--you are looking to take classes in an area that is not offered by your school (like Mandarin)</p>
<p>-- you want to take a class in the summer</p>
<p>-- dual enrollment does not jeopardize your grades at high school nor your involvement in you activities</p>
<p>This year I have taken a 4 unit chinese 110 class, and am currently in a 5 unit chinese 101 class.</p>
<p>Next year prospectively, it would be a 5 unit chinese 102 class and a 5 unit calculus 123 class, basically calc one, then followed by a 5 unit statistics course.</p>
<p>I would only have around 22-25 credits, so that would not make a college consider me as a transfer student.</p>
<p>I do not really care about transferring credit, merely how colleges view my taking courses at a CC. It would be nice to satisfy a math requirement that way, but probably wishfull thinking. </p>
<p>They do offer AP calc AB and BC at my school, but all tests are closed note/book, whereas at the CC, they are open book/ open note. I function a lot better that way.</p>
<p>However snide it sounds, I do not need to consider any scholarships, I am very fortunate.</p>
<p>Do colleges view CC classes as difficult, or as an easy way out of taking at the school?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Also, schools i'm applying to:
Tufts
BU
JHU
Princeton
Brown
UCLA
UCSD
G-town
GW
NYU
Penn</p>
<p>Don't worry about it. I applied to Princeton, Harvard, UChicago, Yale, MIT, etc. and none had an issue with the fact that I was applying as a freshman with over 70 credits at my local community college (yea, that's over 2 years worth).</p>
<p>Just make the most use of the opportunities that are available.</p>
<p>And I just want to point out that you have a weak CC... open book/open note tests? In my 20+ classes, I've only had 1 class that had an open book/note test (Intro Physics). Just wanted to point out that not all community colleges are that weak in terms of rigor.</p>
<p>Then it is not rigorous... and it's probably not regarded as well as you think it is, if Calc tests are being given open book. I can't even imagine a halfway-decent professor who would do that. </p>
<p>Iunno, maybe the fact that my CC just got accreditation for 4-year degrees just speaks to its rigor. I hope colleges don't think that I could've slept through my credits. Ah well.</p>
<p>if you are interested in selective colleges (like you listed) they prefer that you take AP courses in subjects that your school offers. If you take Calc I at the CC instead of the high school they will want to know why. they might ask the counselor -- but most likely they will assume that you took it at the CC because it was easier (and that is exactly the reason you are considering taking it at the CC).</p>
<p>again -- only take classes at the CC if:</p>
<p>---you have already taken the most rigorous courseload at your high school and you want more challenge. If your high school offers AP Calculus, you should not take it at the community college</p>
<p>--you are looking to take classes in an area that is not offered by your school (like Mandarin)</p>
<p>Im also considering taking a 200 level course in international relations, or political philosophy. I spent part of a summer taking AP Government at G-town. </p>
<p>Would it look good to concentrate on an area like that?</p>
<p>if that is actually your passion or area of interest, yes -- college courses taken in that area always look good. Make sure you get good grades -- and consider asking the professor for a recommendation.</p>