Take the highest level offered and do well, you are compared to your school not the world.
Not every school offers Advanced Classes and college admissions officers are aware of this. When you send in your transcripts, the Admissions Office is able to read about your School Profile so they can better understand if you took the hardest classes available at your school. Below are some suggestions for students that do not have advanced classes available: 1) Make sure you are taking a full academic load. If able, take 4 years of all academic courses available 2) Take some courses at a city college. This can benefit you in two ways — You can get college credit in high school and you are able to show the Admissions Office that you are successful in college coursework 3) Take CLEP tests. Many colleges accept CLEP test scores for college credit (like AP tests). Look online to find out what if your colleges accept CLEP tests and take ones that you believe you can pass.
Most colleges/universities ask that your Guidance Counselor provide a profile of your high school with his/her support materials for your application – or the admissions officers may be able to access the website of your high school online to see the profile. The reason this profile is of interest to admissions officers is that it lets them compare what you did in high school with the offerings which were actually provided by your school. You won’t be penalized for not taking advanced classes if your high school doesn’t offer them.
Colleges assess your academic achievement in relation to the opportunities your high school provides for students. If your school doesn’t offer AP or honors placement classes, you won’t be penalized by colleges. They want to see that you’ve taken the most rigorous coursework available to you, and you can’t take what isn’t offered.
Then it’s not your fault if you don’t take any? Colleges want to see you do the best you can with what you have. If there are no APs at your school that doesn’t mean you aren’t as smart as the candidate with seven credits, you might do even better were you in their shoes. This being said, if you don’t have them, you should be throwing yourself into extracurriculars, and showing colleges that you keep yourself occupied. And of course, taking online courses shows initiative beyond simply learning what your school has to teach you, which colleges would also appreciate.
If your high school does not offer Advanced level courses, be prepared to research and concurrently enroll in your local Community College courses and/or look into Accredited On-line programs that offer courses that are acceptable by the UC/CSU A-G Admissions requirements. If you are an Athlete with NCAA potential, you will also need to consider those guideline as well.
Take the most challenging courses you can handle, and do as well as you absolutely can. If you’re really interested in a subject, do extra reading about it and have periodic discussions with the teacher. Develop your own projects in a subject area you love. No college will hold it against you that your school didn’t offer advanced classes – they will evaluate your application based on how you took advantage of what you had to work with.
Well, it depends on what you want to do about that….do you worry that you won’t be judged as critically in admissions, or do you seek advanced options for the sake of learning? I would be happy to address your concerns individually in this matter.
The race to the top is becoming more and more competitive, and students who have fewer than one or no AP classes feel like they have somehow failed. Not all schools can offer these types of classes, and some school districts have strict requirements to get there. If you miss one class in your first year of high school, for example, you may not make it to the top by your senior year–and not all first year students know in which direction they want to head! That said, there are options. You can take the highest level classes available to you at your school, and then take summer classes at a community college or at any number of competitive level colleges that offer special seminars or course work. For example, a student attending a vocational technical school could enroll in a summer robotics class at his competitive college of choice, take an AP class at community college in the summer, and take another AP course at community college in the fall. Of course, such a student would have to perform at competitive levels, but this would be an example of what can be done if you are driven and capable of pushing yourself. Another option would be to find employment in that area of interest if the course work is simply not available. For example, a student can find an internship working in the office of a local lawyer or helping with the campaign of a local politician if they are interested in history, government, or political science. On the other hand, if you receive high grades in your classes and take the highest level of classes available to you at your school, do not despair! College admissions counselors divide the country into areas of specialty, and more likely than not the colleges you are interested in are well aware of the limitations your school may have in terms of course work. They want to see that you have worked hard and dedicated yourself as best as possible within your current environment. That will say more about you than all the AP classes in the world!
Colleges will not ding a student’s application if a school does not have advanced classes. Admission counselors look at student’s transcript within the context of course offerings at the high school. This information about specific course offerings comes from the secondary school report the high school counselor fills out.
Each student is measured in the context of what their school offers for academics so students must take the best program that is offered, do well and don’t worry about being measured against another student from another school is may have all AP’s, etc. Remember you can’t be judged against something that was not offered but you will be judged if many advanced courses are offered and you chose not to take them.
Be sure to include that in an essay, and possibly do dual inrollment. As a last resort, see if you can attend another high school or perhaps a private school.
Take the most rigorous curriculum available to you and then supplement it with individual study. You can study and take AP exams without taking the class at school. A good score would be very impressive showing a lot of drive. You could also seek out an online program like the Stanford EPGY or simply express an interest to your teachers and ask if they are willing supervise some more advanced study.
Short Answer:
No Advanced Courses? No Problem—But Do Your Very Best You won’t be penalized if your school does not offer advanced classes. The colleges always evaluate a student’s strength of schedule in the context of what they could take. At the same time, your performance in the classes you do take, as well as your approach to your education is very important. Demonstrate a work ethic, a curiosity, and a love of learning that show you are ready for a college level curriculum. Not only will that lead to strong performances, but such an effort should also yield strong recommendations, testimonials that will make clear the kind of student you are and how you will respond to the challenges that college will present.
That is ok. Don’t worry about it. You are be looked at by a college based on what your high school has to offer and what you did with it. Did you take the most rigorous course load that was made available to you. A college can’t knock you because of where you live and the fact that your school doesn’t have AP or IB Programs.
If you are up for taking advanced courses that have the potential to earn you college credit and high school credit (also known as dual credit) check with your local community college. Lots of community colleges have programs were high school juniors and seniors (sometimes sophomores) can take college level courses at the community college for low cost/no cost provided they meet a certain criteria set by the institution.
Be sure to include that in an essay, and possibly do dual enrollment. As a last resort, see if you can attend another high school or perhaps a private school.
The first thing to do if your high school doesn’t offer advanced classes is to not worry that it will hurt you in the college application process. Colleges won’t expect you to take classes that aren’t available to you, so if your school doesn’t have advanced classes, then you don’t need to worry about taking any. As long as you are taking what is considered to be a rigorous curriculum at your high school, colleges will see it that way too.
See whether you can take some courses at a local college; community colleges often make that very possible. If that isn’t an option, look for online courses – a very different way to study, but many states have Virtual High Schools with advanced classes. Colleges and universities are also beginning to make college courses available, sometimes at no cost.
If you are even discussing advanced classes then chances are you are a serious student looking to apply to selective colleges. If your school lacks curricular options, that is not your fault. The question remains: what are YOU going to do about it? What CAN you do about it? Three things: 1. Max out your school’s curriculum. 2. Seek out online or community college options. 3. Communicate to colleges your school’s curricular limitations.
High schools typically send out school profiles to the admission offices with your transcript. In the profile, it states if advanced classes are offered, how many advanced classes are offered and if students are restricted in the number of classes they may take. If using the commonapp, the school counselor form also has a section where the counselor will report on the number of advanced classes are offered. You will never be penalized if your high school does not offer advanced classes, admission offices will examine if you took the highest level of classes offered and how well you did in those classes.
Take courses that challenge you (and that you can get an A or B in). If nothing in your high school challenges you take a class at a community college, or take a course online. Even if your school does not offer AP, there are ways to show the college that you are doing your best to stretch yourself.
First off — don’t worry. Individual students will not be penalized for the curricular and institutional policies in their high schools which limit advanced course offerings. Colleges will know which courses your school offers because your high school submits a “school report” which describes what kinds of courses its offers.
First off — don’t worry. Individual students will not be penalized for the curricular and institutional policies in their high schools which limit advanced course offerings. Colleges will know which courses your school offers because your high school submits a “school report” which describes what kinds of courses it offers.
With the transcripts, colleges receive a document known as the high school profile. This form will list the range of courses available at your high school, including the list of AP classes offered. This way you will not be adversely judged by not taking a particular AP class, if it was not even offered at your school. If you are still concerned about the lack of rigor on your transcripts, you always have the options of taking some classes at a local community college. If that would not be convenient, then you take college classes online.
If your high school doesn’t offer advanced classes, check with your local community college. Often community colleges have courses that are offered to high school students for free or for a nominal fee. Some colleges even have partnerships with their local high schools so that students have experience taking college classes and earn credits, while still in high school.
You should try to take a well regarded class either at a local college or from a respected online resource. There are many pre-ollege courses offered online that will demonstrate your ability and commitment to succeed in college. Ask your guidance counselor for assistance in locating these opportunities.
you can do self study to take the exam directly or you can take the class outside the school such as community college. you may also consider online courses. other options including SATII exams
If your school doesn’t offer AP courses or an IB curriculum there are other options. You may take a class at the local college, earn credit and maybe even get some assistance on the tuition from your high school. Pursuing a course on-line may be a possibility and again, your high school may have an agreement with a program offering the class of interest. There is alway the thought of seeking out a teacher who would allow you to do an independent project/course that would challenge you beyond what is offered. And finally, some faculty are willing to let you make the course more challenging by doing extra credit work at the Honors level.
Look to your local community college for classes. In many cases these classes are offered free of charge and look great on a college application. You can also take additional courses through programs such as Stanford’s EPGY program or look for additional summer options. If you have a passion in science and your school does not offer AP Bio, volunteer at an aquarium or zoo. The opportunities available to students are larger than ever.
No surprise, admission officers prefer college applicants who have a real hunger for knowledge and a solid personal pursuit of intellectual challenges. Also, nearly all admission officers understand that not every student has the same access and opportunities to advanced classes in their high schools. However, several approaches can illustrate your thirst for learning and your academic ability. First, you can work with one of your high school teachers and create an independent study course to study an advanced subject area. This requires a great deal of determination, maturity, organizational skills, and real academic love, which admission officers love to see. Second, you can take classes at a community college or a local college. This is a great way to show your college readiness to admission officers. Our advice is to have one of your high school teachers to be your mentor during the courses in case you need additional assistance and support. Third, you can create an informal group of classmates to pursue more advanced studying in a particular subject area. The informal group should work with a high school teacher. Overall, limited access to advanced classes should not stop your pursuit of intellectual rigor.
No surprise, admission officers prefer college applicants who have a real hunger for knowledge and a solid personal pursuit of intellectual challenges. Also, nearly all admission officers understand that not every student has the same access and opportunities to advanced classes in their high schools. However, several approaches can illustrate your thirst for learning and your academic ability. First, you can work with one of your high school teachers and create an independent study course to study an advanced subject area. This requires a great deal of determination, maturity, organizational skills, and real academic love, which admission officers love to see. Second, you can take classes at a community college or a local college. This is a great way to show your college readiness to admission officers. Our advice is to have one of your high school teachers to be your mentor during the courses in case you need additional assistance and support. Third, you can create an informal group of classmates to pursue more advanced studying in a particular subject area. The informal group should work with a high school teacher. Last, many colleges such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford and CalTech have summer programs for talented high school students who have shown exceptional intellectual abilities. These programs are wonderful opportunity to get advanced training in a particular subject. Overall, limited access to advanced classes should not stop your pursuit of intellectual rigor.
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