I’m a high school junior with a low gpa due to freshmen year. I want to raise my HS GPA by taking courses at a community college. I’m not sure on how it works.
When colleges calculate your GPA for admission, do they factor in all the classes you take at a CC or 4 year university too?
Wouldn’t it just be…easier to do well in your HS courses? Or are you talking about adding even more classes to ‘dilute’ the effects of the previous years?
@JustOneDad
Yes, I’m am adding more classes to dilute the effects of me slacking in freshmen year. Even if I do well in my HS courses, it’s still not enough classes to “dilute” classes that I had bad grades in.
Sounds a bit crazy. The courses would have to be rigorous and you’d basically have to get A’s to get even a little benefit. B’s aren’t going to help you and C’s would close the door.
@JustOneDad
Yeah I know, but I’m going to take only classes I know for sure I can get an A in year. For example, I plan on taking German for 3 years since I’m fluent in it and fairly good at writing it since I go to Germany every summer since I was a child.
My HS doesn’t offer German so if by taking it a CC or 4 year will help my HS GPA(that is if I get an A), then why not do it? Better than not do anything in the summer to help my GPA.
Colleges take into account dual enrollment classes taken at college. They still look at the rigor of the school you take these courses at and the courses you select.
I can take it at either a CC or 4 year, so I guess taking the classes at the 4 year will look more rigorous.
I’m still not sure how this works. Do I tell my high school that I’m taking these classes or do I just send in a separate transcript I get from the college when I’m doing the common app? So taking these classes at a college will raise my overall high school GPA if I get an A right?
I think you have to assume that the admissions committee will be able to figure out your HS GPA with or without the CC classes. Frankiy, taking the German won’t really be thought of as rigorous.
Taking additional classes at a community college because you have a deep passion for the subject and your high school does not offer suitable courses is admirable. Taking CC classes to dilute bad high school grades is not a good idea. Take the most rigorous courses offered by your high school this semester and in senior year and ace them.
Taking German in Community College seems like a great idea especially with your background in it. If you are in California and the course is an approved a-g class at the community college, it could be a weighted grade on your UC or Cal State application. Double check though with your counselor.
If your high school approves you taking dual enrollment courses and its in place of a high school course the dual enrollment class will be on your high school transcript. Where we live your high school has to approve this. Now if you can take classes at college where you live without your high school’s blessings than those classes would not be on your high school transcript. I’m not sure you can even do it without your school knowing but you’d have to check on that with where you live.
^True. Dual enrollment classes will appear on your transcript. If you take college courses while in HS for enrichment purposes, then they will not appear on your transcript, but you can then request an official transcript of those courses be sent to the colleges you are applying to and if admitted, you may get some credit for what you took.
@fogcity Why is taking CC classes to dilute bad high school grades not a good idea? It’s better than not doing anything right? Sadly even if I ace all of my classes this year and senior year, it won’t be mathematically possible to get to the 3.8 GPA I really want. There are no more AP classes I can take at my HS unfortunately. The only way for me to do so is by taking a college class if it will be calculated into my GPA.
@cookiemomster1 I don’t live in California, though I am visiting there this summer since I have relatives living there. So I could take some classes at a college there, but I doubt my HS will take those credits.
On the CC website there is a list of high school dual credit partners and my high school is on the list. It also says that these credits earned will be transferable to a college or university. I can also take classes online.
But I still don’t know if colleges will factor in these classes into my GPA for admission.