<p>Can NUVHS (National University of Virtual High School -- a misnomer, but never mind that) courses augment, however little, my chances at top private schools such as Duke and Dartmouth? </p>
<p>A little background: NUVHS courses are like self-paced semester courses that can fulfill a-g course requirements. I'm pretty sure UC schools factor it into the weighted GPA, so you can earn a 5.0 from these courses. However, I'm not sure about Ivy League schools or any other top private schools. I'm not taking these courses solely to make them look appealing to colleges; I'm going to study a few AP courses over the summer. Countless similar online high schools others exist but never mind those for now.</p>
<p>Online courses, however rigorous, are typically not what colleges are looking for in their applicants. It kind of shows interest in a particular subject, but not nearly enough to be significant. Your time (and money) are probably better spend pursuing more meaningful activities like internships or competitions – those sell to top colleges. If the AP courses that you are taking are available at your school already, then an online program is just downright useless. If they aren’t offered normally, it’s okay to take the course for your own enrichment, but colleges judge you in the context of the opportunities offered (i.e. your school not offering the right courses won’t be held against you). If you want to get involved in programs that pander to certain schools, you should look into programs hosted by those specific universities. For example, Duke TIP provides a similar summer enrichment program, but it probably adds to your Duke application a whole lot more than any other online course. Dartmouth might have something similar.</p>