<p>Does anyone know how taking a Virtual High School course is viewed by colleges. AP Chemistry was not available at my school last year, and I took it as a VHS, and got an A. Is getting a good grade in a VHS viewed as a job well done, or would it be viewed that since it is an online course, it is not as great as taking a course in class?
Some people have told me that online courses are no big deal and don't count in the eyes of adcoms...I just want to know some opinions about this from anyone who knows about VHS or has taken it before. Thanks!</p>
<p>It's better than not taking chemistry at all, for sure.</p>
<p>I hope they don't mind virtual classes, seeing how I've taken five and plan on taking at least four more.</p>
<p>I agree with tokenadult, and additionally, I would say it depends. There are different programs, and some of them are more certified than others. For instance, Johns Hopkins has a fairly highly regarded online program, but others may not be. Also, do you know what score you got on the AP test? If you did well on that, I would say that colleges will feel you got a lot out of the course. I certainly think that you taking a course online shows initiative. I don't think VHS vs. regular high school will matter too much. Many people take online classes. As long as it's a certified program, I'd say you're fine.</p>
<p>I think I'm edging toward blabbering, so I'm going to shut up now. Hope that helped... ;)</p>
<p>It also depends on how your guidance counselor handles your recommendation. Our head of guidance will point out that the virtual AP classes allowed our students more opportunities to challenge themselves. All of these classes come through our state Department of Education. All the teachers are certified, and the course curriculums have been approved by College Board. Had a student take AP stat and AP chem last year, and he scored 5s on the exams. He had a 5 on the AP bio as a sophomore. Now, he plans to take at least three more classes online. If anything, what colleges will see is that you are an independent learner, something that they want to see.</p>
<p>I agree with momreads. D took several classes on VHS during high school, all approved by Dept. Of Ed., etc. Since there is no "monitoring" online, the students that take these courses need to be mature, disciplined, independent students, something every college wants to see. In my D's case, she took a Philosophy course because she was interested in it and because she wanted to "round out" her schedule as it "only" had 5 AP's (!!). And she took AP US History online because it was only offered during Choir, something she was unwilling to "give up." As she intends to major or minor in music, I think the colleges viewed it as a win-win solution to the scheduling problem.</p>
<p>If explained appropriately by the GC, taking VHS classes can definitely be seen as a plus on college applications.</p>
<p>Thanks all! That really helps :-D!</p>