My last thread got deleted, but I still have a question. I am planning on taking classes at my local university that have been approved by Penn. This will give me more flexibility with Penn and will cost less, even though I will miss out on some of Penn’s amazing resources for these classes I have decided I want to do it. Is there any drawbacks like employers seeing I took some transfer credits?? Also, what is the difference when they count the transfer credit as a elective versus a general education fulfillment? Has anybody else done or know anybody that has done this?
Employers won’t care. Most employers don’t ask for your transcript anyway until after you have signed with them, and they aren’t going to retract an offer because you took a couple classes at a local university. For the few employers who ask for your transcript before you interview with them, I highly doubt they’ll care.
As far as differences between elective vs general education, check out this:
https://spike.wharton.upenn.edu/ugrprogram/files/Curriculum_Worksheet_2010_and_Later.pdf
They’re just different requirements.
Thanks. So I heard that the transfer do not effect my Penn GPA. So what does this mean? Do I have 2 GPAs?
No, just one GPA. All it’s saying is that those classes won’t count towards your GPA (I think this is also true for classes you take abroad). It’s not exactly the same b/c you still get grades in the classes you take at your local university, but you can think of it as if you’re getting AP credit. It’ll count towards a credit in college, but you don’t get a grade for it factored into your Penn GPA.
@Austen2, how did Penn approve the class(es) you’ll be taking? They told my son they couldn’t determine if a class he took would get transfer credit or not.
@sbjdorlo I’ve never used it, but I believe Penn uses something called XCAT. Just look up “XCAT Penn” and you should find it.
Yes, I found it today. I think the tricky part is finding equivalent courses at the two local universities-in particular, finding classes that aren’t online for the summer since Penn doesn’t accept as transfer anything online. Also, a lot of the Penn classes have really unique titles rather than the more generic ones at many universities. And then there’s scheduling… 
Somebody told me I had to take the equivalent final exam for the class to get credit at Penn. This does not sound right. I think it is only for foreign language. Anybody know? @sbjdorlo use XCAT
My son can’t access XCAT until he gets his Penn Key in May, but yes, we’ll do that.
@Austen2 For the equivalent final exam comment, that’s true for foreign language, math, bio, chem and a couple others I believe. For the non-foreign language topics, basically if you’ve taken courses at a level above what the AP exam covers (e.g. if your high school offers multivariable calculus), you can place out of (and get credit for) the corresponding course at Penn if you can pass the equivalent final exam.
@WhartonPenn2017 thanks for all the help. So what my plan is to take a couple classes that will count as electives at my local college and keep searching for some that Penn will count towards my general ed requirements.
@Austen2 also make sure the classes you take aren’t from a community college… they wouldn’t accept my son’s (while in hs) community college credits bc have rule about it being from a 4 year university…not sure if this only applies to incoming freshmen or not…
Or online. My son had 39.5 community college units including Calculus, Java, and English Literature (as well as a couple of semesters of animation), and as with @runswimyoga, Penn would accept nothing. I am eager to confirm the class that my son will likely take will be accepted as a transfer. It does seem to meet the Colleg requirement.
Interestingly, it will be more expensive for my son to take a class here in the summer than it is for him to take classes at Penn. However, he would like to lighten his load during the school year, so taking classes at local colleges here during at least the first two summers makes a lot of sense.
Unfortunately, my local Cal State school offers many of its summer classes online, so he’ll have to go to the farther and more expensive UC school. Oh well!
Hey @Austen2,
How long did it take to get pre-approved for your class(es)? My son just submitted a request tonight. His class will start in late June. Do you think they’ll get back to him within the month?
@sbjdorlo “My son had 39.5 community college units including Calculus, Java, and English Literature (as well as a couple of semesters of animation), and as with @runswimyoga, Penn would accept nothing.”
D took MV calculus in high school. There is no AP for that. While Penn did not immediately give her credit for it, she was able to receive retroactive credit for it by passing the next class on the sequence, Math 240. Maybe you can do something like that?
@Much2learn , it makes sense that your D got retroactive credit since MV is very advanced. Did she take it at the high school? All of my son’s courses were basic first year courses. It might be possible to get retro credit for animation since he’s taken two semesters, but since that would be a part of his major, I don’t think they’d allow that, would they? That will be something to look into, I guess.
@sbjdorlo “Did she take it at the high school?”
Yes, it was a high school class.
I also think that you can also take an exam to place out of a class you have already taken. Usually, they post old finals online. If he looks them over and thinks he can pass it, then maybe he can do that. I would hate to waste time and money retaking classes where he is not learning anything, just retaking classes he has already had.