<p>Can you tell me about Running Start? My oldest took APs but didn't take any Running Start. So I don't know much about it. If my youngest is interested in out of state private colleges, is Running Start a good idea or AP is better? Is Running Start geared toward students who want to go to instate universities/ colleges?
Where will the credit from Running Start be honored? At private colleges or public Us? In sate or out of state? </p>
<p>Please tell me anything about it! Thanks!!</p>
<p>You can do two things - the best is to call the registrar’s office at the colleges in question. Specify that they are dual enrollment credits but NOT “college in the HS” They would use the same codes as they would for transfer credits from a community college. Have you located the AP credit grids for your target colleges? Identify how many AP credits and transfer credits they accept. At my D’s private OOS LAC they only accepted 6 classes worth of AP but 2 counted towards placement out of core requirements (first year writing and 3 semesters of Spanish). Saintkid #2 is doing running start next year and so far I have found some schools (public) that have direct transfer credit grids so I can ID the exact classes that he could take at our local college which count towards their distribution requirements. At one of his target private OOS so far I have located their transfer grid from their in-state publics and tried to match classes. Before he registers I will check more closely with the registrar. My kid is only doing senior year and has a range of APs already so we are mostly concerned with classes like English 101 (senior English) the equivalent of AP Gov and a couple other classes that might count for something as transfer credits.</p>
<p>The easy part about AP is that the credit grids are readily available on each prospective student page on the school’s web site. One upside of running start could be that a school would accept credit for Running Start English 101 with a grade of B because it is an actual college class for credit, but your kid could do well in the year long AP LIt but only score a 3 that might not be accepted. </p>
<p>It is definitely a case by case thing though. Kid #1 also did IB diploma but ended up getting all her credits by double testing subjects through AP.</p>
<p>Thank you for the lots of info. Gee, it sounds complicated… My younger D is only freshman. She was excitedly talking about Running Start today and I wondered how it works and how it’s perceived in the admission process compared to AP classes. She doesn’t have clear target schools yet. Just wondering Running Start or AP when she registers for her junior year. Hmmm…</p>
<p>We know a bunch of kids who have done Running Start and went out of state. If anything, since they are college credits taken at a college, it transfers easier than AP credits. Make sure to save the syllabus and a packet of work product (and tests if available) for each class as it is not obvious what equivalent credits would be at all the target schools. Some may transfer as “general credits” if they can’t identify a closely related course.</p>
<p>Our neighbor graduated in 2 years from UT-Arlington using his credits. Another is on her way to Scripps. I don’t know if the Seattle schools who do running start through UW have an easier time than the ones who use the local CC.</p>
<p>OK, so it’s not a disadvantage to take Running Start compared to taking APs even though you are aiming high like Scripps. Somehow I was thinking APs were always the better choice than Running Start if you were aiming out of state private. Thank you!!</p>
<p>I’m speaking only from our very limited experience. We’re a mile from a very popular CC, and many of the local high school students do Running Start there. What I am seeing, speaking in gross generalities, is that the highest-achieving academically inclined kids tend to stay at the high school and do AP and honors classes. Running Start is attracting the kids who are bored with high school, or those who know that they want to pursue a business degree at state school and are eager to get started and save money, etc.</p>
<p>I have a college freshman and a high school junior. Both decided to stick with the high school classes; both report that their classmates in RS find their coursework easier at the CC than at the high school. So, if I were the parent of a student seeking to attend a selective college, I would advise sticking with the AP route.</p>
<p>Interesting!! That’s exactly how I was feeling toward Running Start. Thank you for the different perspective.</p>
<p>The boy who went to UT-A was a 4.0 student and probably the smartest in his class, but still took classes at the CC, though his experience is similar. In a high school with a bunch of high achieving kids, CC classes can be easier than the HS classes. For many, Running Start is an economic decision, a way to graduate early for some of the capable kids. The path is well-defined for UW students with credits because of a well-defined course equivalence.</p>
<p>The girl heading to Scripps, to be clear, has not started yet and will be going in the fall. It will be a while before I find out if there are any issues. I know another at St. Olaf, a senior this year, who did Running Start and was an excellent student, but not sure about her credit transfers. </p>
<p>I have a DD who graduated fairly young, we did not want her to go away to university yet so she did some CC, hoping to find a peer group in the Running Start group, but she did not really make a lot of friends who other bright kids, it just wasn’t that different than the kids who went to CC when I was young. Socially it was not that great.</p>
<p>We did make sure that every class she took would both transfer and would fulfill GE requirements at her University of choice, we actually reviewed the classes each quarter with the person at her future school. That is one thing that is important, most of the classes will transfer, but will they do you any good when you get to your final university?</p>
<p>DDs and their friends had varied experiences, for example, bio major CANNOT use any AP to fulfill any major requirements versus bio major MUST use any AP credits and automatically gets pushed into the next level class. There were pros & cons to each situation.</p>
<p>St Olaf only takes 6 AP credits - I’m not sure about Running Start if they consider you a transfer student or still a freshman.</p>
<p>I would advise picking a few LACs just for kicks and trying to find the answers for each one. Emailing the registrar could be an easy place to start. Another thing to know is that with Running Start the kid is really in charge of all the communication and registration etc. The parent is more out of the loop. DS wanted to do it as a junior but I decided if he didn’t follow through completely on his own he wasn’t ready . . . he didn’t. This year he followed through, did all the paperwork, put the meeting on my calendar etc. He has taken 6 APs but is looking at performing arts auditions and wants to compact and streamline his schedule to be easier to be away for auditions in January and February.</p>