<p>My son who is a HS Sophomore in California is taking Precalculus now and planning to take AP Cal BC next Junior year. Most students in his school are going this route and his guidance also suggests the same, skipping AP Cal AB. My son would like to take CalAB/Calculus I at a Jr. college, Pass/No Pass, either through its online class or attend an actual class this coming summer. He does not want to take for grades since he only wants to preview the beginning section of Cal BC and build a good foundation for the AB part. I guess he doesn't want to work too hard for the grade while he is studying for his SAT.</p>
<p>My questions are:
1)Will colleges see 1)P/NP and 2)online classes with grades at Jr. colleges as negatives, ignoring the fact that he is actually advancing from Precal to AP Cal BC in his HS? His guidance does not recommend any P/NP or online classes with grades from anywhere, even if it's UC approved. We are in a mediocre HS and I am not sure if our guidance is very knowledgeable.</p>
<p>2)My son would also like to take Physics online through Jr. college as P/NP for the same reason since he would be skipping Physics and taking AP Physics at his senior year. His guidance again recommends that explaining Precalculus is more than enough to handle Physics. I am a little skeptical about this but students are going this route in his HS. True?</p>
<p>3)He eventually wants to take Intro. to Psychology for his personal enrichment. Since this class is not a HS graduation requirement, he can take it as P/NP or not, UC approved institutions or not, with credits or not? He only needs to attach the transcript or certificate or mention somewhere on his college application about this class?</p>
<p>If I am understanding your post, your son wants to take calculus and physics at the local college or on-line. The purpose is strictly for his information and to help him do better in his HS classes. He does not want college credit to either apply to his HS requirements nor to the college where he will eventually attend.</p>
<p>If this is correct, I think it is a great idea. We were considering sending HS senior son to CC this summer to audit a calc class to improve his skills, so he would be ready for calc when he starts college in he fall.</p>
<p>That’s correct. He doesn’t need the credits since he will be taking AP classes for both Math & Physics. </p>
<p>However, one of my questions is he will be taking these classes as Pass/No Pass and maybe even “online” at Jr. college and his guidance said both cases do not look good to the colleges. Colleges do not like to see P/NP and online classes on transcript. True?</p>
<p>I do not have experience with that specific situation, but I think it can be addressed in essays. …I loved physics and calculus so much that I wanted a really solid foundation. Taking the class p/np took allowed me to concentrate on enjoying the subject…You might also look at the audit option.</p>
<p>Why not take the class so that no record of his enrollment exists? Maybe he could audit the class at his community college, or work through one of the many free online calculus tutorials? (MIT Open Courseware, for instance, provides video lectures, lecture notes, homework exercises and homework solutions.)</p>
<p>Agree that auditting the course should be explored. My niece auditted organic chem over the summer at our flagship U. The prof didn’t even require her to register and even graded her exam so she knew how she WOULD HAVE DONE, had she enrolled in the course. Policies differ tho; other schools require that the student be enrolled and pay tuition to AUDIT (my kiddo’s private U does). Courses auditted DO appear on their transcript at the private U.</p>
<p>If he is not taking the college classes IN PLACE of other HS classes, but only as “extra enrichment” , then those classes DO NOT NEED to be on his Transcript. However , if he is taking those P/NP college classes during regular school hours INSTEAD of having a full schedule of classes his JR year, and thus will have what looks like a less rigorous or even “weak” HS transcript , then THAT would be a problem.</p>
<p>If that is what he is thinking then the counselor is right and he would be wise to take any preparatory P/NP colleges classes in the summer .</p>