Hey everyone! So to begin at my high school they offered me two ap classes I could’ve taken before my Junior year however, I chose not to take them because they were classes I knew I wouldn’t succeed in. To make my course rigor seem slightly more rigorous even though it’s already pretty rigorous compared to others at my school, I’m planning on taking two dual enrollment classes at my local state university this upcoming summer (to help with earning college credit). My state university is one of my safety schools that I plan on applying to. However, recently I’ve been thinking about applying to an Ivy League School and was wondering if they would view taking dual enrollment classes the same as taking an AP class even though they wouldn’t take the credit. Or would it be better to just take an AP class over the summer?
You can take the dual enrollment courses. But really…do so because you want to take the courses, not because you think they might give you a better in at Ivy League admissions.
Indeed, one of the nice things about DE is that you can take classes of interest not generally offered in high school. My daughter loved DE for this reason: she got to take philosophy classes, anthropology classes, sociology, etc. Fantastic experience for her.
The other thing to keep in mind, however, is that DE follows you in a way that AP classes don’t. If you apply to grad school, med school, law school, etc., you will need to submit your DE transcripts as they become part of your college record. AP classes end at high school. So, in that sense, DE can be a more high stakes in terms of getting good grades.
Which AP class(es) and which DE class(es)?
Also, are the DE classes at the college, or “college in the high school”?
This is really key. @Valentina2, take the classes that are correct for you. Do not take classes to impress “Ivy League” admissions staff. Do it because it is right for you…
This was exactly the correct choice.
One additional thing to think about, which only applies if you are premed: For medical school admissions, every college and university class that you have ever taken counts. This means that student who might possibly in the future decide to be premed should be very cautious about taking any community college or university class before they are ready to do so.
All of which means that there is little reason to jump ahead, unless it is the right thing for you.
Finally, you might want to read the “Applying sideways” blog on the MIT web site. The recommended approach of “do what is right for you” is what my family has done, and it has worked out for us. Even if this does not get you into an Ivy League or similarly highly ranked school, it is likely to get you into a very good school that is a good fit for you.
There are so many things a ternager can do in the summer. Most of them fun. Some of them productive. Why take classes in the summer, unless it’s something you will enjoy a lot?
There at the college.
I also vote for taking no courses during the summer…and doing something else.
There is still plenty of time for fun, even with 2 classes. My daughter took 3 summer classes before junior year and before senior year. She still managed to work part time at a summer camp and make some money, participate a few other ECs she enjoyed, hang out with friends on the weekends, and take a trip or two. If you’re taking classes you enjoy, it should be fine and even rewarding.
Summer classes are accelerated and it is generally not the norm to take several classes and have a lot of free time.
Was reading up on med school applications recently and Ontario Medical schools do not count advanced standing courses in your GPA calculation for med school, although they do allow you to use those courses to meet prereqs. Interestingly, they also do not include grades in the calculation of GPA of any prereqs for medical school that are taken when the student is not taking a full load (e.g. if you take Org Chem in the summer after you graduate because you are missing it, the grade will not contribute to your GPA). For Canadians, these are two potentially important exceptions to the notion that every grade in every course you take counts for med school…