<p>Alright guys so here's my current situation:
I'm a freshman at the moment and I'm taking AP Calculus BC. Next year at my high school, no higher math class will be offered. Therefore I'm planning on taking the following courses over the next three years at Stanford's EPGY online program:
Multivariable Differential Calculus
Multivariable Integral Calculus
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Real Analysis
Complex Analysis
Abstract Algebra
Introduction to Logic
Partial Differential Equations
and Topology </p>
<p>It fits perfectly into my schedule, but I have two main concerns.
First off, how will college admissions view these courses? Does it matter that the are taken online?
Most importantly, the online courses will count for high school credit. However, they will only count for regular credit. Not honors credit. So it will drop my weighted GPA significantly. Is this a major issue? Or would a college admissions office be more impressed with the courses than the GPA? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>More often than not, colleges recalculate your GPA. They’ll see your rigor. You’re good.</p>
<p>Does it matter that they’re graded on a Pass/Fail basis?</p>
<p>Oh…well that certainly changes things…</p>
<p>That’s what I thought. So now I’m confused.</p>
<p>How would this affect things?</p>
<p>“How would this affect things?”</p>
<p>I’m fairly sure they’re not going to be considered the same as if you went to a college and took the classes. You’re not going to test out of half a math degree by taking online courses intended for high school students.
Pass/fail changes things because “pass” can mean anything besides complete failure. It seems sort of suspicious to me that they won’t give out letter grades - why is that?</p>
<p>Seriously, email the colleges you’re interested in and ask them before your parents spend a ton of money on these online classes.</p>
<p>What if this is one of, if not my only option?
Because I don’t see another way to fit these courses into my schedule.</p>
<p>Why is it such a big deal to have math beyond Calc BC in the first place?
I mean, take a couple if you just want to learn more. They’re essentially an extracurricular - pass/fail courses for enrichment. But I don’t see why it’s necessary to take ten of them when you’re probably not going to get any credit for it.</p>
<p>I’m a math person. I like math, I excel in math, I enjoy math. Going three years without math would just absolutely bore me. I don’t care if I don’t get credit in all of them, because I could simply learn them even better for a second time in college.</p>
<p>If you just want to learn math and don’t care about the credit, you could just get some textbooks and study stuff on your own. Colleges don’t care about your weighted GPA but they do care about your class rank, which could go down if your weighted GPA is lower. </p>
<p>How would your high school give you credit? Would it be pass/fail? How would that factor into your weighted GPA at all? Would a pass be considered an A or something?</p>
<p>Yes, but if I take the EPGY courses, I’ll have physical transcripts to show for my efforts. Saying that oh yeah I self studied won’t mean anything to them.</p>
<p>And I don’t know. That’s still being worked out.</p>
<p>If you know these courses will bring your weighted GPA down and you still want to take them, just take them without getting high school credit of any kind.
You can still keep the transcripts and list the courses on your applications…they just won’t show up on your HS transcript.</p>
<p>OP, do you know if the EPGY course will count towards your four years of math requirement? I know you have Calc BC, but you still have three years unaccounted for.</p>
<p>Go to your community college and ask to leave school early to take courses there. You may need a special form from your HS counselor but it shouldn’t be a problem since you can justify the need to take the class.</p>