Online Courses?

So my school doesn’t accept summer classes. Bummer.

I’ve looked at a lot of super interesting online classes on coursera, edux, etc. Some of them are provided by big name colleges (e.g., Harvard, Princeton). If I take one, can I put it on my college app? I’ll prob take some just for fun, but I would have to pay 50-100 dollars to “verify” the course and get a certificate.

I’d really like to do something useful over the summer besides work, test prep, and volunteering. Is this worth it?

It shows motivation, which is always a good thing.