<p>So, at this college admission counseling place that I go to, one of the counselors suggested that I take a course through BYU Independent Study because I haven't taken any courses at college or universities (at campus or online). What are your opinions? Is it really crucial to take a college course during high school?</p>
<p>No, unless you want to get ahead or that course isn’t offered at your high school. Many of the students at our school have gotten into top schools (ivies, top lacs, you name it) without taking a single college course concurrently. Keep in mind that it is not free and will likely cost money, save that for later when you actually attend college. In addition, unless your school has a program allowing to take courses at a local CC or a university for a significantly reduced price, I wouldn’t recommend it.</p>
<p>If you really wanted to do it for the sake of college credit, you could do it through the summer, not necessarily during the school year as I imagine you’d be quite busy during that time. While it could look impressive, it is really not required, and does not provide that large of a bonus to your application.</p>
<p>Will your school count it for consideration in whether you take a challenging courseload? That’s about the only reason I would consider it.</p>
<p>Is the BYU course one that awards college credits? If so, you need to know that for the rest of your life whenever you apply for admission to a degree program at an accredited college or university in the US, you will need to request an official copy of that transcript. No matter how few credits, no matter how good or bad your grades, no matter how far in the past.</p>
<p>The hassle factor alone of keeping track of this kind of thing is good enough reason to ignore this counselor’s advice. </p>