Differentiating Yourself & Lower College Costs: Earn College Credits while in High School

 by Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS, Founder of Celtic College Consultants

One way to differentiate yourself from other applicants is to earn college credits while in high school. There are a number of ways to do this. Students can take AP or CLEP exams through the College Board. They may also take community or regular college courses or programs. For illustration purposes, I have given detailed information about Notre Dame's Global Scholars program and Holy Apostles College's Take Credit! Program. I have also provided general information about community college dual enrollment programs.

My analysis of these various programs is provided ni order to serve as a guideline for families considering such courses and programs as part of their high school coursework.

 

1. AP Exams

Every May, the College Board administers AP (Advanced Placement) exams in high schools across the US and the world. Most students taking these exams take College Board approved AP courses although they may prepare for the exams independently. Information about the AP exams is available at ap.collegeboard.org.

Pros: 

At $95/test, AP exams are a very affordable way to earn college credits.

Cons:

According to the College Board data, only 18.8% of 2020 AP test scores were a 3 or better. No colleges give credit for a score less than a 3. 

Every college has its own policy regarding whether and which AP scores it will give credit for. There is no guarantee that these credits will be able to be applied to the student's undergraduate degree at their particular university.

Many do not think that an AP course and exam is equivalent to a college course. Students pursuing the AP path, then, may well not be as well prepared for upper level work in these subjects as their peers who took the corresponding college courses.

2. CLEP Exams

Offered in 34 subjects, these college equivalency tests are used by some to earn college credits.

CLEP exams are offered by the College Board at testing sites all over the world. They are available year round. Students prepare for them independently. Test information is available at clep.collegeboard.org

Pros: 

At $89/test, AP exams are a very affordable way to earn college credits.

Cons:

Every college has its own policy regarding whether and which CLEP scores it will give credit for. There is no guarantee that these credits will be able to be applied to the student's undergraduate degree at their particular university.

Many do not think that an CLEP exam is equivalent to a college course. Students pursuing the AP path, then, may well not be as well prepared for upper level work in these subjects as their peers who took the corresponding college courses.

3. Notre Dame's Global Scholar Program

The details: 10/16 - 11/20 

Tuition $1375 Application fee $60

Includes: 6 weekly live scheduled online 75 minute classes given by Notre Dame International Faculty teaching from the ND London and Ireland Global Gateways.

Courses offered: Economics of International Trade, Environmental Conservation & Sustainable Thinking, Global Issues & Challenges, Irish Literature: Myths, Legends, & Folklore, and Science Fiction Movies in the 21st Century. 

Application requirements: "strong academic standing with solid extracurricular activities," sophomore or junior standing, at least 14 years old by 10/15, and "a sincere desire to be part of the Notre Dame international community while they are participating in the program." No test scores are required. Transcripts and counselor reports are.

Students will have 2-3 hours of homework each week, with a maximum of 3 hours. Students can miss 2 classes, and still successfully complete the course. Each course will grant one hour of Notre Dame college credit upon completion. (A typical college course is a 3 credit hour course.)

Skills needed: "During our program, you will find you will continue to develop essential skills needed in order to succeed in an undergraduate course setting. Just like in the traditional college setting on campus, you need to be organized, utilize time management, and remain open minded as you learn from Notre Dame faculty and your peers." 

Pros: 

Students will be exposed to college type lectures and discussions.

Students will have to manage their time more effectively than their peers since they will be adding about five hours of academics each week, but only for six weeks.

Cons: 

It's expensive. At $1,375/credit hour, that's more expensive than most, if not all, college courses! 

One credit hour is not very helpful toward a college degree.

The admissions criteria are very general, which is not impressive to colleges.

Based on the testimonials, one of the major results was exposure to other students' ideas and perspectives. This is not acquisition of knowledge.

Every college has its own policy regarding what courses they will accept. There is no guarantee that these credits will be able to be applied to the student's undergraduate degree at their particular university.

4. Holy Apostles College Take Credit! Program

The details: semester long courses fall/spring/summer, open to all HS students who have completed 10th grade

Tuition: $375/3 credit course + $40 fee + $25 application fee

Includes: Ability to take 2 courses per semester with one to two hour long lectures each week and typical college course requirements, including significant reading and writing. Courses taught by Holy Apostles College professors. Students can take courses beginning the summer after their sophomore year. Therefore, it is possible to take 12 college courses while completing high school.

35 Courses offered including: ENG 115 Writing & Composition, ENG 181 Research & Writing, HIS 101 Western Civilization I, PSY 200 Psychology, SAS 101 Sacred Scripture, and SCM 201 Physics, with lab.

Application requirements: application, essay, letter of recommendation, HS transcript, test scores (ACT, AP, CLEP, CLT, or SAT)(waived for 21/22 school year)

Students will have 6-9 hours of reading, studying, and writing each week.  Each course will grant three hours of college credit.  Students must maintain a B average in order to continue taking courses in the program.

Skills needed: Students need excellent note taking, time management, and study skills to be successful. The college does provide writing support for all of its students, including the dual enrolled high school students.

Pros: 

Students will be exposed to college lectures and academic expectations.

Students will develop college level writing skills.

Students can earn up to 38 college credit hours while still in high school, solidly demonstrating their ability to do college level work well.

Tuition is 1/3 college tuition. Not only can students earn a year's worth of credits, they do so quite affordably.

Cons: 

The workload is significant. Students will have to work hard to manage the course demands.

Every college has its own policy regarding what courses they will accept. There is no guarantee that these credits will be able to be applied to the student's undergraduate degree at their particular university.

5. Community College Course/Dual Enrollment

The details: semester long courses fall/spring/summer. HS students are typically limited to one or two courses per semester

Tuition: varies.

Includes: Regular on-campus or online community college courses

Application requirements: vary by college.

Students will have 2-3 hours of reading, studying, and writing each week per credit hour. Students in 3 credit classes should plan on 6-9 hours of work each week while students in 5 hour courses should plan on 10 -15.

Skills needed: Students need excellent note taking, time management, and study skills to be successful. The college does provide writing support for all of its students, including the dual enrolled high school students. 

Pros: 

Students will be exposed to college lectures and academic expectations.

Students will develop college level writing skills.

Students can earn up to 38 college credit hours while still in high school, solidly demonstrating their ability to do college level work well.

Tuition is 1/3 college tuition. Not only can students earn a year's worth of credits, they do so quite affordably.

Cons: 

The workload is significant. Students will have to work hard to manage the course demands.

Students will take courses with the general community college student population, which may include students much older than HS age.

Students need to take care to take college level courses. Many community colleges offer remedial (high school level) courses. These will not transfer to 4 year colleges and universities. Every college has its own policy regarding what courses they will accept. There is no guarantee that these credits will be able to be applied to the student's undergraduate degree at their particular university.

 

Are AP Classes Worth It?

What are AP Classes?

AP classes are "Advanced Placement" courses.  They are certified as such by the College Board, the company that produces the PSAT, SAT, SAT subject, and AP exams.  They are completely Common Core aligned.  There are 38 AP courses in subjects ranging from English, Research, Math, Computer Science, French, Japanese, German, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Latin, Government, History, Art, Psychology, to Science.

Students can take them at any time during high school, although there is a typical pattern and progression for many of them.  While AP level courses are not required for graduation, they do fulfill graduation requirements.  For example, a student can take English 9, English 10, English 11, and English 12 to fulfill a 4 year English requirement.  Or s/he can take English 9 honors, English 10 honors, AP English Language & Composition, & AP Literature.  Both sets of courses, along with many other variations, fulfill the HS graduation and college admissions requirements for four years of English classes.

Why take AP courses?

AP courses are not required for high school graduation.  They are more challenging than regular or honors level high school courses.  Some say they are equivalent to college courses.  This is difficult to evaluate since they are structured completely differently than college courses.  Schools that weight grades weight AP courses, sometimes at one point higher than regular classes, and sometimes two points higher.

Admissions offices consider the courses taken by students, as well as their grades.  Seeing a rigorous course load, especially one including AP courses is desired.  Selective colleges expect to see AP courses on high school transcripts (or dual enrollment, more on that later).  The more selective the college is, the more rigor required in order to be accepted.

Additionally, if the student scores well enough (at least a 3; each college has its own rules about what it will accept for credit, if they accept any), they will be able to get college credit and/or college course requirements waived.  This can lead to significant savings on the cost of a college degree!

Can Homeschoolers take AP Classes?

Yes!  The Pennsylvania homeschoolers offer all the AP courses online.  For more information, see their site here.  They also offer some pre-AP/AP run up courses.  Their courses are also approved by the NCAA.  Homeschooling families will need to make arrangements with brick and mortar schools to take the tests.  Do this early.  The testing coordinators must order the tests by mid-November (for the May testing season).  Homeschooled students from all over the world take these excellent online courses.

How do AP Classes Relate to AP Tests?

Students are not required to take AP classes in order to take AP tests.  Conversely, they can take the AP course but not the test.  However, students cannot get college credit for AP classes without taking the test.  Credit is related to the test score. Yes, students who don't take AP classes but do take AP tests can get credit if their scores are high enough.

AP Tests are given each year in May, on a schedule set forth by the College Board.  All students taking a given AP exam will take it in the same time period on the same date.  For example, all AP US History exams are given on the same morning (or afternoon) of the same date, no matter where in the world the student is taking the exam.

What is an AP Test?

Most AP exams have two sections.  The first is a multiple choice test, where students are scored based on their correct answers.  Wrong or skipped answers do not count against them.  The second section of the exam features various types of free response questions, including essays, verbal/conversations, problem/solution formats.

There is a fee of about $100 for each AP exam.  The College Board currently charges $94/test.  Some schools add a small administration fee to offset their costs.  If there is financial need in the family, a $32 fee reduction for each test is available.  The testing coordinator will assist with that process.

What are AP Scores?

AP scores range from 1 to 5.  5 indicates the student is "extremely well qualified" in that subject and is the best score.  A score of at least 3 "qualified" is required to receive college credit.

Is taking AP Courses and Exams Worth it?

By and large, yes.  Raising your GPA, improving your class rank, impressing college admissions, and learning to handle a demanding workload are all important benefits.  However, if a student is not strong in a subject area, taking an AP level course in that subject could lead to failure or a poor grade and great frustration so it is advised to take AP classes in strong subject areas.

What if our Curriculum is not Common Core Aligned?

There is significant information available from the College Board's website about the material covered on each exam.  Use that to compare your student's curriculum to the tested material in order to determine if there is adequate overlap to enable the student to be well prepared for the AP exam.  There are also CLEP exams available.  While they are also produced by the College Board, they are college equivalency exams so are not Common Core aligned.  These exams can be taken in many places around the country at any time of year.  They are accepted almost as widely as AP scores; full information can be found on the College Board website here.

Is AP or Dual Enrollment better?

Admissions officers don't tend to comment on this.  In my experience, taking actual college courses is better preparation for the student.  Additionally, it makes it clear to the colleges that the student is already able to successfully handle college courses so will likely transition to university very smoothly.  However, there are legitimate concerns about having high school students mixing with college students.  Parents and colleges have these concerns.  Some colleges require parents to be present in class if the student is under a certain age, or for the professor to approve the student's presence in the class.  Check with any college to learn their requirements.

Students will need to be mature and able to handle the behavior and comments of college age students in order to be successful.  There are many considerations involved.  Parents know their children best so are best suited to make this determination.  Students will also need some coaching, since college courses are structured differently from high school classes and have different academic expectations.  Grading is handled differently as well.

A Look at the Cost of a College Degree & Ways to Reduce It

Living Happily Ever After – Is it Possible?

A Look at the Cost of a College Degree and Ways to Reduce It

By Katherine O’Brien, MA CCPS

For many, their dream is to go to college, graduate, get a good job, make decent money, and live happily ever after.  Unfortunately, for many, that does not come to pass.  In this article, we’ll explore several of the reasons why and some options to consider in order to make that dream into a reality.

What does college degree actually cost and What Can We Do to Lessen that Cost?

For those who start with about $16,000 in savings, get scholarships, grants, and work to help pay for school, they will accumulate about $42,000 in student loan debt during the six years it takes most students to earn a bachelor’s degree.

In contrast, if s/he had decided to be a restaurant server rather than go to college, the student would make about $39,000 per year (assuming s/he is in the top 25% in a metro area like Houston).  In six years, after taxes and the cost of living adjustments, s/he would make just over $81,000, rather than racking up student loans.  In other words, s/he wouldn’t have a degree, but would be $123,000 ahead of the average college graduate ($81,000 + $42,000).

How long will it take the college graduate to recover that lost opportunity cost and catch up with the restaurant server?  Assuming the graduate gets a job in a field like marketing that has a starting pay of $51,000 per year, it will take 18 years to catch up with the restaurant server, assuming s/he pays off the loans six years faster than average.  This also assumes that the server’s salary steadily increases every year.  While catching up, the college graduate will pay over $18,000 in interest, a total of over $60,000 in loan payments.

What are the alternatives?

1.     Attend a Public university to lower costs?

Many people think that the only option to make college affordable is to send their children to public universities, given their lower tuition rates.  Let’s explore this assertion.

The average in-state tuition is almost $10,000.  The average out of state public tuition is $25,600 and the average private college tuition is almost $35,000.  However, those are the sticker prices.  The average net price (out of pocket cost) for tuition is $4,000/year for publics and $15,000/year for privates, per Big Future.  In order to see the cost to earn a degree, we must also consider the average number of years to graduate: public university students average 6 school years while privates average just above 4 school years.

Here’s a look at the math:

Public universities:

$4,000/year * 6 years = $24,000 tuition, on average

$10,800/year * 6 years = $64,800 room & board, on average

+ $47,268 lost wages $909/(bls.gov median weekly earnings of FT workers with HS education)

TOTAL COST OF DEGREE: $ 136,068 + $27,000 in loans (approx.) (+ fees, books, etc.)

Private colleges:

$15,000/year * 4 years = $60,000 tuition, on average

$12,210/year * 4 years = $48,840 room & board, on average

TOTAL COST OF DEGREE: $ 108,840 + $33,000 in loans (approx.) (+ fees, books, etc.)

Here’s a second look, with figures from a different source.

At end of 6 years,

Public university graduate - $27,000 debt

Private college university graduate’s financial status = $68,480

2 years of working at $50,390 (Money mag) = $100,780 – $32,300 debt (with 75% in debt)

(Data from Mark Kantrowitz, 2012)

[For profit college graduates (88% have debt) with the average debt = $39,950]

[A word about for-profit colleges, in addition to their students carrying more debt, their graduation rates are much, much lower than non-profit colleges, with an average of only 19% graduating in 4 years.]

Since the idea of attending a public university to save money on college isn’t actually very effective, we’ll explore some alternatives.

2.     Graduate FASTER!

There are several ways to shorten the length of time to earn a degree (in addition to attending a school with a 4-year graduation rate of over 50%).  By working ahead via AP, IB, CLEP, and DSST exams as well as dual enrollment opportunities during high school, the student, depending on his or her abilities, can accumulate as much as two years’ worth of college credits while still in high school.  Students will need to research the acceptance policies of these various programs by the colleges and universities they are considering.  Each college/university sets its own policies (sometimes by college or department within the university, sometimes as an institution) regarding how these scores and credits are treated.

For some students, staying at home and taking classes online can be a less expensive path to earning a degree. There are, however, social sacrifices involved in that path that make it unsuitable for some students.  Online course completion rates are significantly lower than completion fates for in person classes.  Additionally, having the positive peer pressure to study and complete your degree is found on campuses with a 50% or higher 4-year graduation rate and  is a powerful aid to help students stay on track to graduate in four or fewer years.  Per the National Center for Education Statistics, 36% of public college students graduate in 4 years while

54 % of private college  students graduate in 4 years.

3.     Save more, Get More Bang for Your Buck

Starting earlier and saving more than the $16,000 used in the initial scenario is also helpful.  Saving takes diligent, sustained effort and, often, many sacrifices.  Every dollar saved will actually save your student $1.50; keeping this in mind can help you stay on track with your savings goals. Per CNBS and USA Today, the average amount families have saved for college (in 2018) is $18,000. This is a significant increase from 2004 when I began working with families.  It’s time to be way above average!

There are various types of accounts that can be used to save funds for college.  Some, like 529s and Coverdells, have limitations on the amount of money that can be deposited each year as well as regulations regarding the use of the funds.  Some kinds of accounts are considered assets and so are included in need-based aid calculations while others are not included.  Consequently, determining the best type of account to keep your college money in requires exploring both the tax and financial aid eligibility ramifications.

4.     Plan Ahead

Despite the high costs of college, many students arrive on campus with little to no idea what they want to study or what sort of field in which they would like to work.  As the adage goes, failing to plan is planning to fail.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of students have received absolutely no guidance regarding potential careers and majors.  Almost none have actually done a job shadow, further an internship in a field under consideration.

InsideHigherEd.com reports that, per 2017 federal data, nearly one-third of students change their majors during their first three years in college. Other studies state that as many as 80% do. Ohio State University shows data that 38% of their students changed their major between when they applied and when they completed freshman orientation.  They didn’t have data available about how many more change once they matriculate nor on how many times their students tend to change their majors.

In addition to changing majors, 25% -38% of students at 4-year colleges transfer to another college or university.  Students are much more likely to take five to eight years (or more!) to graduate when they transfer, especially those who transfer twice. 

In both cases, students often have many credits they have earned that do not fulfill their new graduation requirements.  For example, a student transferring from French into chemistry will not be able to use most of the humanities credits earned towards their graduation requirements for a BS in chemistry.

When changing majors, students typically add a year to the length of time it takes to earn their degree.  When transferring, two years additional time to degree is not uncommon. The average added out of pocket costs for one extra year of college at a public university is $62,208 ($14,940 tuition/room/board + $47,268 lost wages).  The average out of pocket costs for an extra year at a private college is $74,008 ($26,740 tuition/room/board +$47,268 lost wages).

5.     Should You Start at a Community College?

This is the path that a number of today’s parents used successfully to save a significant amount on the cost of college while still graduating in four years.  Unfortunately, in addition to having a significantly lower 6-year bachelor’s degree completion rate, getting an associate’s degree actually adds the time to degree for those who do earn a bachelor’s degree.  Approximately 25% of bachelor’s degree seeking community college students actually transfer to a 4-year college or university.  And only about 10% of those who start at community colleges have a bachelor’s degree after six years.

This path can be used successfully but it takes even more careful planning and frequent visits to the transfer counselor than the other paths to a bachelor’s degree.

6.     Get Scholarships

Scholarships are given by colleges and universities as well as private organizations.  93% of college scholarship dollars come from the schools themselves.  In fact, private scholarships impact need-based financial aid eligibility dollar for dollar so may or may not lower a given family’s out of pocket costs. (While it feels great to say that your child has received a scholarship, the actual impact on the family’s bottom line tends to be the more important factor.)

Why do colleges give students money? 

Most people are aware that scholarships are awarded for academic and athletic capabilities and accomplishments.  Some know that scholarships are also awarded by some schools for student leaders and those with special accomplishments (top debaters, for example).  Fewer are aware that scholarships are also used by some colleges and universities in exactly the same way as coupons are used, to entice you to buy their product/attend their school, rather than a competitor’s. Colleges and universities that have international reputations and tend to win large research grants tend to not give scholarships intended to entice students; they don’t need to.  Colleges that serve their region or are less well known tend to use scholarships as ways to recruit students.  Some liberal arts colleges and master’s colleges (offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees only) will give all or nearly all their students significant scholarships.  In addition, sometimes scholarships are awarded despite the fact that the family has no financial need, as an inducement to have their child attend their school, rather than another.  And, it works well! 

Lastly, a number of groups of states in the US have banded together in groups called student exchanges through which participating public universities in each state will offer students from the other states a significant tuition reduction (typically $5,000 - $10,000/year) when they attend their school.

7.     Get Help! Work with a holistic college consultant

Hiring an expert to help buy and sell a home is commonplace.  Next to a house, the next greatest expenditure is college.  Hiring an expert to assist with the process saves significant time and money, and protects people from making mistakes because "we just didn't know!"

While many college consultants only work with students to create their applications, some of us work holistically with students and their families.  For each of my clients, for example, I develop a personalized overall strategy then guide the student and his or her family through it, step by step.  I typically start by guiding students to explore possible careers then majors and schools. I evaluate the family’s financial resources then advise regarding ways to lower costs and increase resources in order to help the student accomplish his or her academic and career goals.  Working holistically, I’ve fostered my students’ personal growth and skill development, enhanced their awareness of their strengths, and guided them through the application processes, both for admissions and aid.  My clients have averaged about $75k/college in scholarships, plus need based aid.  While I work with clients from all education settings and backgrounds, I specialize in working with home educated students and Catholic students.

Lowering the family’s stress levels, providing expert knowledge, and seasoned guidance provides an improved quality of life as well as better academic and financial outcomes for my clients.

Evaluate your options and find a better way to get your degree.  College shouldn’t be a debt sentence.

If you’d like to meet with Katherine, you may schedule a consultation at CelticCollegeConsultants.FullSlate.com
 

What is Admissions Looking For? An Overview for Homeschoolers and Others, Part 2

Photo by Debby Hudson on unspash.com

In this series of articles I will address a number of factors of high school education from a college admissions perspective.  As a Catholic homeschooling mother of six and a professional college consultant, I will share some of my experience and knowledge in this series of four articles.  In the first article, I discussed the overall perspective colleges have with regard to homeschoolers and the various tests that are often part of the high school experience.  In this article, I’ll examine the various types of courses high school students can take.  Next time, athletics, extracurricular activities, and leadership will be the focus of the article.  In the final article, financial aid, scholarships, and college funding topics will be addressed.

My goal is to educate families so that they can make the best decision for their children.  Each child and family is different.  Out of respect for that, I seek to provide information, not to persuade the reader to a particular action.

Not surprisingly, academics are the most important qualifications for college entrance and success.  Students will present their academic credentials to their prospective colleges in a number of ways.  The courses chosen, grades earned, and test scores earned are the main ways academic credentials are presented through the admissions process.  The various tests were addressed in the last article; we’ll explore course options in this one.

High School Courses

Homeschooled students have an advantage over traditionally schooled students because they have access to a limitless number of classes on various topics.  In order to capitalize on this opportunity, it’s essential to know your child’s needs and find the appropriate courses and opportunities for him or her.  This requires effort, good communication with your child, excellent organizational skills, and, sometimes, outside assistance.  Without a focus, however, selecting and prioritizing courses (and diploma programs) is impossible and there’s no choice but to guess or “go with the flow.”

Homeschooling families have the opportunity to tailor the curriculum of each student child according to his or her needs no matter their academic strengths and weaknesses, learning styles, or the extent of their extracurricular pursuits.  Homeschoolers can take a significant number of college courses, even completing an associate’s degree as a high school student.  While many institutional high schools will allow students to take a few college courses, most limit that access significantly.  Needless to say, students who graduate with significant numbers of college credits have a greater chance of being accepted and they typically shorten their length of time at university, saving tens of thousands of dollars and months and months of time.

Courses can be structured or unstructured, hands on or theoretical, in person or virtual, live or recorded.  The plethora of options can be overwhelming but becomes more manageable once the parent narrows down the field to those that are most appropriate to a given student.

Families who homeschool through Kolbe Academy, for example, will have graduation requirements to meet according to the different diploma programs.  Those who earn an accredited diploma will, as far as college admissions is concerned, be considered similarly to institutionally educated students.  Homeschooling families choosing a non-accredited diploma program may need to set their own graduation requirements and will need to pay close attention to any additional requirements set by the student’s prospective colleges. It is essential that parents meet the most rigorous and demanding of these requirements.  Consequently, determining the likely fields of study and colleges (or types of colleges) will need to be done as early as possible in order to ensure that the proper courses are all taken.

With all of that in mind, it is important for families to create a tentative four-year course plan for each student.  Revisions may need to be made as you progress.  Nonetheless , planning enables the parent teacher and the student to see the flow of the subjects, ensure that all high school graduation and college entrance requirements will be met, and to schedule out the various college entrance tests that will need to be taken during the high school years.  Additionally, seeing the sequence of courses required for a certain major or cluster of majors can confirm or dissuade a student from pursuing that path.  Remember, it doesn’t cost a penny to change majors while you are still in high school.

All of that begs the question, what types of colleges will we be applying to and for what purpose.  Will we be applying to apprenticeship or certificate programs?  Liberal arts colleges?  Research universities with a strong Catholic presence?  Schools with internship or cooperative education programs?  Arts programs?  Engineering schools?...  Taking time to assess the personality, interests, inclinations, and God’s call for each child during freshman year is incredibly helpful.  In my private college consulting practice, I use a tool called Focus2career that combines data from surveys the students complete to suggest possible careers.  To that I add personal meetings and prayer to assist students with the process of identifying possible career paths to explore and with defining their college goals.  Knowing those, as well as their learning style and the available course options, are essential to creative an effective high school course plan.

AP Classes 

Homeschooled students have access to all of the AP courses through the Pennsylvania homeschool website.  AP courses are designed and approved by the College Board.  Consequently, they are strongly Common Core aligned and emphasize the perspectives espoused by the College Board.  Catholic students will need to broaden the scope of these courses in order to incorporate a Catholic perspective on the subject or historical period(s) being studied.  

Admissions committees see AP courses as an indicator of rigor.  For very competitive colleges, top applicants will have taken eight or more AP courses.

Please note: students do not need to take the AP class in order to take the AP test in that subject.  Please see the previous article in this series for more information about AP tests.  Additionally, students who take AP courses are not required to take AP tests.  However, the colleges will wonder why the test was not taken.  Some students will substitute the SAT subject test or CLEP test for the AP test.  

Class grades show admissions how a student performs day in and day out.  Tests show how they did on a given date for a few hours.  Consistent high level performance in their classes is a greater indicator of college success.  However, test scores are convenient measures so are held in high regard.  

Dual Enrollment

Taking college courses while in high school will enable students to study subjects not typically taught in high school and/or to take more advanced courses than they otherwise could.  In many states, tuition is waived for high school students taking community college courses.  At many community colleges, courses may be taken online in addition to being on campus.  Your local high school and/or community college will be able to advise you about the policies and procedures in your area.  This information is often available on the community college’s website.  Some colleges have age requirements and other policies that will affect your plans.  Be sure to explore the possibility carefully.

Admissions committees recognize that students with college credits have already learned how to be successful doing college level work.  College courses are run differently from high school courses and these students have learned how to schedule their work, take responsibility for themselves, advocate for themselves, and work to a higher standard than high school students do.  High school students who take college courses before they graduate will still apply to college as first year students.  Thus, they have the advantage of being eligible for the many scholarships available to first year students (as opposed to the relatively few available for transfer students).  Remember, high school students applying to college are typically considered first year applicants, whether or not they’ve taken college classes while they were in high school.

Transcripts

Creating a transcript can seem like a daunting task.  It doesn’t have to be.  Indicating when courses were taken, the course provider, and the grades are the primary tasks. Weighting grades is optional, but will need to be indicated on the transcript.  For those not familiar, to weight grades is to give more points for an A in an honors, accelerated, AP, or college class than for an A in a “regular” course.  The use of weighted grades is how some students have grade point averages (GPAs) higher than 4.0.  Using a scale of 0-100 is an option, as well. 

Numerous templates are available for creating transcripts for those who do not use a program like Kolbe’s that creates transcripts for you.  There are also professionals (myself and others) who will do this work for you.  Additionally, there are services that can accredit a non-accredited diploma.  Independent homeschooling families should keep track of all text books used, course providers, and books read as part of coursework.  Some colleges will ask for this additional information.

Students taking college courses during their high school years need to remember to submit both their high school and college transcripts to prospective colleges during the application process.  The colleges require both despite the fact that all of the courses will be listed on the high school transcript.

Admissions officers will use transcripts for two main purposes.  First, to see the grades the student has earned and any trends of increase or decrease among the grades.  Second, they will also notice the level of challenge the student has chosen.  Along with a transcript, the school (or parent) will send a one-page description of the school.  Among other things, this will indicate the course options available to the student.  For example, a student who took 6 AP courses sounds like a more robust candidate if s/he attended a school that only offered 6 than one whose school offered 15 AP courses.

What’s Next?

Now that we’ve covered the academic areas, the next article will focus on leadership, extracurricular activities, and athletics.  The final article will cover financial aid, scholarships, and college funding.

Katherine O’Brien, MA CCPS is a Catholic homeschooling mother of six who has homeschooled since 1998.  She is the founder of Celtic College Consultants and has served college bound teens all across the US since 2004.  Students in her 2015 -2018 classes were offered over $237,000 each, on average, in merit scholarships. In 2017, Katherine compiled and released Every Catholic’s Guide to College: The 315 Best US Colleges & Universities for Practicing Catholics, 2018.  It is available on Amazon.com. More information can be found at CelticCollegeConsultants.com.