<p>Which is better for getting into a top school? Does it even matter which route you take? I was wondering if classes at a community college would ever be looked down upon (for a high school student preparing for college).</p>
<p>Generally, AP is considered more rigorous if for no other reason, than it offer a national exam. But, if your HS does not offer AP/IB, than taking a class at a community college would be a plus.</p>
<p>just take a class via the extension school at a local university</p>
<p>What if your high school lets you take all of your classes for jr. and sr. year at a cc - so you go there instead of to the high school building? The school district pays for the whole thing, and when you graduate you have enough credits to be a junior in college (but not at school like Princeton, which I don't think takes any transfer credits).</p>
<p>Would top schools be open to a student who took advantage of a program like this? The idea is to get out of hs early and into a college environment, yet still get a high school degree. If you just go straight to a u, I don't think there is a program in place to also get the high school degree (not that a hs degree is so important or anything - somehow I just would think it is good to have).</p>
<p>bumpbumpbump</p>
<p>spidey:</p>
<p>It will depend on the college, but I checked a couple of websites and they were pretty clear that someone with two years of college credit would apply as a transfer student, not an entering Frosh. I know the public UCs would consider someone a transfer student as well. From Harvard's website:</p>
<p>"Once a student has completed one year of full-time study at a single college or university, he or she ordinarily may apply only as a transfer student to Harvard College."</p>
<p>In our state, the students are allowed to take courses at the local colleges during the 11th and 12th grade and the state pays for it. The classes and grades appear on their high school transcript. This is considered dual enrollment and is explained in the school profile.</p>
<p>Here, students that are planning on attending a state college will take their junior and senior year at the local college since these courses will transfer. Students aiming for selective schools take APs. It was explained to us that colleges prefer the APs since they are a known quantity and they know what the course should cover.</p>
<p>My D took two classes at the local college and had 8 AP classes when she graduated.</p>
<p>In 11th grade, I'll have the opportunity to take all of my classes at U Minnesota for dual enrollment. Generally, people tell me that that is a better route for college than AP/IB.</p>
<p>do you have to report the grades from the cc? isnt it possible to just take a cc course and then take the corresponding ap exam if you hs doesnt offer the ap course in the first place?</p>
<p>In our state you do. Since the state is paying they dictate the rules. Other states have different rules I am sure. You should check with your counselor.</p>
<p>Bluebayou: I graduated highschool with a 2 yr degree from a community college and, last year, still applied as a Freshman to all of the Ivies/Uchicago/etc. I talked to the counselors at the college fairs and whatnot and they said that was fine.</p>
<p>Awesome windslicer - great news. I think it is kind of complicated, bluebayou. The program I am talking about is still really high school - it is just that the students take the courses for jr. and sr. years at the cc. The high school even pays for it. I think if you go on to a highly competitive college, a lot of them won't give you as much credit (some might not give any, but instead let you advance in course difficulty). Our state u's will let students who complete the program start as a junior. That is a huge savings in time and money.</p>
<p>Do the cc route: guaranteed credit, credits, but maybe not exact courses, will transfer to most colleges so you can take it easy or grad early, plus the local cc is usually easier than your hs-- so college for free and easier to excell than in your hs.</p>
<p>Doing both is optimal. At the end of high school, I had taken 9 AP exams, and taken 8 classes at a local university. Gives you tons of credit, looks good, and hopefully you learn a lot.</p>
<p>i did the community college route, but i also have four aps. and i will most likely take the corresponding ap tests that go along with my cc classes. i think i will have around 65 cc credits by the time i graduate from high school.</p>
<p>the main reason i did community college classes was because my dad died and because my school offers all its ap classes during the same period. if i had a normal life/normal school, i would most likely just do the aps.</p>
<p>i am applying to all schools as a freshman. this hasnt been a problem, especially because i dont actually want credit for my stuff. if anyone wants to know, im applying to lacs like reed, grinnell, kenyon, and whitman.</p>
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plus the local cc is usually easier than your hs
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<p>maybe in general, i guess, but mine is harder. the material is about the same, but you have to have like a 97 or a 98 to get an A at my cc.</p>
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do you have to report the grades from the cc?
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<p>yes. most schools require that you send a transcript from every school that you have ever attended.</p>
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I was wondering if classes at a community college would ever be looked down upon (for a high school student preparing for college).
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<p>i wouldnt say looked down upon. like other posters have said, maybe ap classes would be preferred. but at most schools (not HYPSMC, etc), community college would be seen as a positive thing.</p>
<p>Our dual emrollment students, even those who are pretty much at the cc full time as a jr and sr, are still considered high school students. And even those who graduated from hs with an AA or AS degree applied as freshman. Those with degrees were considered sophomores or jumiors in standing when they arrived (depending upon the school and the courses that transferred) but they applied as true freshman. I think the distinction is that they are dual enrolled. They are still hs students, their cc courses are used to fulfill hs requirements, and they are not taking courses post high school but as high school students.</p>
<p>If your looking at taking a course at a CC and your HS offers an equivalent AP course, take the AP. If you're going to a state school (or perhaps even a private one) for credits in HS, it's debatable, but I'd still take the AP courses. But that's only if your HS offers it. For example, let's say your HS offers AP Calc, but not AP Physics and you want to take both. Try to take a physics ocurse at a CC and AP CAlc at your HS, although it's understandable that the schedule wouldn't work out. Then I would suggest going to your CC to take both courses.</p>