So recently, I’ve heard a few rumors regarding how colleges view online courses versus how they view normal in-class courses and summer school courses. I’ve heard a multitude of rumors ranging from universities valuing every course type equally to universities deducting 20% from your final course grade if take it online.
I did some searching online to try and confirm these claims but I can’t seem to find anything. I’ve also spoken with my school counselor and she hasn’t heard of any policies against online courses.
I’m just wondering if anyone on here has any insight on this matter.
Is there a difference in the way that colleges value online, summer school and in-class courses? And if so, what are these differences? BTW, I’m a Canadian student.
I don’t know and I don’t think anyone will know.
But colleges are in the business of having you take courses in school. I think that is the best way to take a course if possible.
So why are you taking an on-line class?
To take a class not available at your school?
To try to get ahead? e.g., taking Geometry over the summer so you can take Pre-calc?
To take the easiest version of a class?
To try to cram in more classes because that is what you think colleges want?
Well, I’m often times extremely busy during the school year with robotics, swimming and my other clubs and extracurricular activities. I’m mainly looking for a way to offload some of my easier and less important courses to flexible time that I can complete at my own pace. Then I can use the school time to either catch up on tests or get ahead in other more challenging classes.
I think it does paint a picture of your priorities (not a bad one mind you). D attends a Performing Arts magnet. She is taking some academic courses (sciences, spanish) online to free up schedule space to have more acting / theater classes. Essentially half to three quarters of her school day is in some form of theater education (singing, dance, acting, stage, directing, etc.) She doesn’t care about the sciences at all but has to complete coursework to graduate. However, that’s what she wants to do in life. She plans on getting a theater BFA so her thinking, and I don’t disagree, is that most of those programs won’t care where or if she took science classes. A few might (like NYU) but some of the conservatories definitely don’t care.
Your situation is different so I would research that a bit just in case.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I prioritize my EC’s over my school grades, I just want to explore all of my options to insure that I’m using my time efficiently. Thanks for the advice though, I think I’m just going take all the courses in school just in case it matters.
If you decide to take an online class I recommend starting with just one class. My daughter took 1 which was only offered online because she was interested in the class as an elective to help her decide if she wanted to pursue it further in college after high school graduation. She was used in in class college courses from dual enrollment… She found that while she was able to figure out that she enjoyed the subject, was able to get an A, was able to communicate online with other students in the class and with the professor as needed she really missed the in school version of the class and hopes to never have to take an online class again. She simply did not enjoy that style of class at all. Others may love online learning. In terms of how universities looked at it they have no way of knowing from her transcript that it was an online class.
