<p>This is my first post - I hope this is the right forum - and I tried searching - please redirect me if appropriate!</p>
<p>My son (HS jr) wants to take a summer college level math (preferably Calc AB) or science with lab (preferably Bio). He has BioH and ChemH under his belt but wants a third lab/science for UC A-G ‘recommended’. He likes to take classes during the summer to ease up his load during the year. He likes taking honors/college level classes but doesn’t want the pressure of five or six of them at a time. </p>
<p>I don’t want to go through the community college system because we tried that last year and the summer session was cancelled with two weeks notice - leaving no time to find a replacement. For the same reason I don’t want to send him to a Cal State. </p>
<p>I was all set to send him to UCSB/UCSD summer school - they have a high school program - but then I found out that the UC system doesn’t accept their own classes taken by high schoolers as meeting the A-G requirements/recommended list. It is a pricey program but I figured that the experience of the dorms as well as being in two live UC class was worth it - my parents put me in the same program when I was a high school jr and dinosaurs roamed the earth and it was invaluable. </p>
<p>One option his counselor recommened was an on-line high school (Laurel Springs) - they offer AP classes. We are reluctant for HS AP classes because we would have to wait for the test in May, which I don’t care about, he will have had way more than the allowed AP courses by then. If we did summer AP HS, could we skip the AP test? - please answer for both UC and privates. We are aiming for a good liberal arts school, not the super selectives, so I’m not real concerned about him appearing top-notch competitive - he isn’t - otherwise HE would be writing this, kwim? LOL. </p>
<p>I haven’t explored any other online college options - I know the public schools offer them - he prefers a ‘class’ setting but a Math course might be perfect since we have a family member who tutors math and could ensure he is on top of the material. </p>
<p>I am in Los Angeles so I am looking at places like Loyola Marymount that allow qualified HS students to enroll. Cheaper than the UC summer programs, but still, I’d rather pay for a sure thing than get burned at a California public again. </p>
<p>Advice? Should I call a UC admissions official to find out their recommendations?</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Since you are in the LA area, you could look into enrolling him in a *regular *summer session course - not a high school program - at a UC, CSU or community college. The UCs don’t accept their high school summer programs for A-G, but they do accept their regular courses.</p>
<p>If you are concerned about course cancellations at the community college and CSU, enroll him at community colleges and CSUs close enough to commute to (CSU LA, Long Beach, Northridge…). Wait until classes begin and have him go to the closest one that has not cancelled the class. Drop and request refunds from the others. Online courses through cc, CSU or UC - as long as they aren’t listed as “extension,” or “high school,” or something like that - should be fine.</p>
<p>AP courses count for A-G requirements whether or not you take the test in May. It is entirely up to the student. If the money isn’t a problem, he might want to give the test a shot - AP Calc is one that students can often get direct course credit for, rather than elective credit, which is much more valuable in terms of degree progress.</p>
<p>Looking at your current options, I would tend to agree with his high school counselor that the online AP would be the most beneficial in terms of applying to a UC. It would probably also be the most affordable.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks alamemom!</p>
<p>Now I’m confused. I told our high school counselor, and I tried to make it clear here, that this UC summer program has real live UC classes, with UC students, not special and/or separate high school classes. The only ‘high school’ part of it is that it is administered by the Musiker Summer Discovery people who have the infrastructure to deal with minors. </p>
<p>[UCSB</a> Summer Pre-College Programs](<a href=“http://www.summer.ucsb.edu/ESP/esp.html]UCSB”>http://www.summer.ucsb.edu/ESP/esp.html) - description </p>
<p>[UCSB</a> Summer Pre-College Programs](<a href=“http://www.summer.ucsb.edu/ESP/espcourses.html]UCSB”>http://www.summer.ucsb.edu/ESP/espcourses.html) - courses</p>
<p>“UCSB’s Pre-College Programs offer over 100 UC Santa Barbara courses in which high school students may enroll. These courses are regular UC Santa Barbara courses with regular UCSB students in and carry university credit that transfer to universities nationwide”</p>
<p>Does that help or make it muddier? Our counselor was adamant that ANY summer (I think) UC course taken by a HSer didn’t qualify for A-G which didn’t make sense! Why accept the CC and CSU classes for credit but not their own?!? Unless they are trying to discourage HS kids taking up a seat?</p>
<p>Thanks for the AP courses opinion, it eases my mind. My guess is he will be too stressed with four other AP tests next year to add another. Our HS really pressures the kids to take the AP tests in which classes they are enrolled - maybe I can negotiate that he drops one ‘elective’ AP test in favor of the Calc ‘AP’ given your advice.</p>
<p>It may be because California Community Colleges have to have an articulation agreement with all UCs showing how their courses articulate to each campus. The UCs do not have to have those and some UC courses will not transfer UC-to-UC. I would think a key here would be that he is getting an A-G *recommended *course, not *required *- so a regular university-level course from any accredited university should be acceptable, and should be accorded the extra GPA point for AP/IB/college level courses. The hitch is that if the course is from UCSD and he chooses to attend UCLA, for example, the course may not transfer because of a lack of articulation agreement (though for freshman-level Math and Science courses, it would seem likely they would transfer).</p>
<p>Again, the AP course is an advantage because all the UCs accept them for elective credit, and many will accept some APs for direct course credit.</p>
<p>(In another stange policy, the California Community Colleges do NOT accept AP credit!)</p>
<p>Here is a useful page from the UC website about college credit for A-G courses [University</a> of California - a-g Guide](<a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/cc_courses.html]University”>http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/cc_courses.html)</p>
<p>You can also investigate each campus website that he is interested in to see how his AP credit would be applied (each campus will handle AP credit their own way). For example, here is UC Berkeley’s AP credit policy [Advanced</a> Placement Examinations](<a href=“http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/faq/ap.html]Advanced”>http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/faq/ap.html) for UCB. In many cases freshmen can enter with more than a full year of direct credit from AP courses - especially important with the California budget cuts and possible course reductions.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Another suggestion - post on the UC general forum to see what they have to say. poster “bluebayou” is a very reliable source over there. [University</a> of California - GENERAL - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-general/]University”>University of California - GENERAL - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>OK I see its not as cut and dried as I thought. He doesn’t know where he wants to go but we have crossed off UCLA and Berkeley. I will ask the moderators to move this thread to the forum you suggested and will contact BlueBayou.</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>(BTW I like your idea of ‘blanketing’ the local schools with applications, but once burned, twice shy)</p>
<p>I’m confused by some of the info here, as it directly contradicts our family’s experiences. </p>
<p>Our HS accepts online classes for credit ONLY if they are acceptable to the UCs. Laurel Springs courses are no longer given credit by our HS.</p>
<p>D1 took Physics 10 at UCLA in the summer after her junior year in HS as her third science class. It was accepted for credit by our HS, and the credits - and her grade - transferred to UCSB, along with her AP credits. </p>
<p>D2 is currently a student at Santa Monica College, and she has received credit for all her AP classes - both unit credit and credit toward IGETC.</p>
<p>D3 is a HS senior who has taken Calculus 1 online through UC Berkeley Extension, Physics 10 (a degree-credit class) at UCLA Extension, and lab chemistry in summer session at SMC. Chemistry was her second A-G lab science course, Physics was her third (non-lab) science, and Calculus counted as her third year of math (required by her HS.) We’re still waiting on college acceptances for D3, but we’re pretty sure that she’s in at UCSB (got invited to a program for high-achieving students) so it seems that one UC school, at least, accepted these classes. And although Calculus X1A is not classified as a Berkeley-equivalent class, we know of one student who was accepted at Columbia (and later transferred to Harvard) with a UCB extension online pre-calc class as her terminal math class in HS. </p>
<p>I would double-check your counselor’s advice with a UC admissions counselor.</p>
<p>You should be aware, too, that some of the more selective privates (Pomona, for one) frown on core classes taken outside of HS. They would prefer to see a student max out on the offerings at his/her HS. If your son is thinking of applying to any private schools, you might want to talk to their counselors as well.</p>
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<p>That is incorrect.</p>
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<p>Need to find a new counselor! </p>
<p>Like practically every public, the UCs are extremely generous with transfer credit. Taking a bona fide course on a UC campus (or Cal State) in math or science (with lab) will count for a-g. Of course, it may only count as a ‘g’ elective, if the course is beyond the a-f requirement. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/freshman/advising/admission/subjectr.html[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/freshman/advising/admission/subjectr.html</a></p>
<p>Note, however, that some UC’s offer pre-college type enrichment courses on campus. For example, a neighbor took a computer/robotics ‘course’ at UCSD which was all high school kids. But, that course did not offer any credit – just enrichment. It does count for bonus points on the UC application, but not a-g credit.</p>
<p>btw: I would not necessarily recommend a high schooler taking a lab science course at a UC over the summer. It could be a gpa-killer.</p>
<p>I think we are mixing up two different things here. a-g requirements are a statement about the courses that are counted in the UC GPA and that satisfy a prerequisite to apply. The admissions process looks at these as part of the decision process.</p>
<p>Most of the posts concern whether the course would be counted for college credit once the student entered a UC, which is an entirely different matter. Articulation agreements and transfer credits are to allow those courses to be recorded as part of the college record, not about what is counted by the UCOP application processing software or the admissions processes of each UC campus. The last post, by bluebayou, does speak to whether the course is counted for admissions purposes, which is the context in which mentioning a-g courses makes sense.</p>
<p>Thanks all.</p>
<p>bluebayou, I’ll give the counselor the benefit of the doubt, its possible she did not hear ‘UC class’, just ‘High schoolers taking a class at UC’ and confused the UCSB program as being an enrichment type (which, BTW, there is an enrichment program as well as the Early Start I’m thinking of). I know I have to clear anything through both the HS AND a UC counselor. </p>
<p>Rider730 I’m going off the statement ‘two science classes with lab required, three recommended’. He wants a college class, or an AP and possibly forego the test in may. </p>
<p>Pamavision we’re not going superselective. We’re thinking any of the UCs, LMU, Chapman, Occidental, Whitman, Willamette, Honors program at UofO, maybe UofW. DH would like him to stay in LA. We actually met with the Whitman rep here in LA and he is the one who recommended a college course. At this moment I am taking what is right for him and we’ll see what fits later. I am heartened by your kid’s schedule!</p>
<p>If he takes Physics 10 or a Bio class at UCLA, my math/science oriented hubby can help, but he’s a pretty smart kid and I’m not too concerned. The drive scares me more! ~shudder, the 405~</p>
<p>crester:</p>
<p>If you have the cash, I highly recommend Cornell Summer College.</p>
<p>[Programs</a> : Programs at a glance : Cornell Summer College](<a href=“Precollege Studies”>Precollege Studies)</p>
<p>Bluebayou, anything like that in SoCal? We’d prefer to be closer to home. I’d consider West coast as well.</p>
<p>Just curious if you looked at the UCSB program - link above - its a Cal public, so I’m nervous about him being able to get the classes he needs for sure.</p>
<p>sry, crester, can’t help you there. I don’t have much knowledge of UC summer programs, and in today’s economy, who knows which classes will even be offered.</p>
<p>“in today’s economy, who knows which classes will even be offered”</p>
<p>ay, there’s the rub</p>
<p>Just a word of caution, the UCs have not accredited any online science or fine arts courses as satisfying the a-g requirements. If your son is specifically interested in taking science courses, the online option is out.</p>
<p>Most community colleges are scheduled to cancel summer session, so that option is probably out as well.</p>
<p>If your son is open to take other courses, [National</a> University Virtual High School](<a href=“http://nuvhs.org/]National”>http://nuvhs.org/) offers online HS AP courses that are way cheaper than Laurel Springs.</p>
<p>For UCs, you are not required to take the AP exam and not taking it does not impact your application.</p>
<p>You may be interested in the UCLA Summer Sessions & Special Programs for HS students: <a href=“http://www.summer.ucla.edu/HighSchool/overview.htm[/url]”>http://www.summer.ucla.edu/HighSchool/overview.htm</a></p>
<p>Just to clarify, how your son’s high school treats the outside courses has zero impact on his UC application. UC admission decisions are based entirely on the UC application (self-reported coursework and grades), not on the HS transcript. Your son only needs to report all the coursework he has done and submit the appropriate transcripts to the UC campus where he will enroll (transcripts are due in July) for verification. It doesn’t matter if the HS won’t accept the outside coursework.</p>
<p>ooh oooh oooh thanks AskMsSun. (1) ixnay on the CC options as I thought, and (2) a less expensive, accredited on-line HS. If we do online, HS or college, I’d only consider Calc AB. DH still wants me to call the Cal States but I am loathe to consider those as well. </p>
<p>Do any of the private colleges have online Calc?</p>
<p>I’ve got the UCLA links open, I’ll peruse those. On one hand I’d really like him to be in a dorm this summer for six weeks, on the other, I hate to commit $$$ to a program that may not be able to offer what he needs/wants.</p>
<p>Always happy to help. I’m not familiar with the private colleges so I can’t help you there.</p>
<p>I think UCLA would be a good learning experience. If nothing else, he can decide whether he likes the campus enough to apply. But I agree, it’s pretty outrageously priced.</p>