crosspost, College Moms: Academic Electives??

[Susan C.]

Dd wants to attend the local college ds is attending. It has changed its entrance requirements. It used to be 3 Maths, with the 4th going towards academic elective. Now, it requires 4 Maths, and upped the amount of academic electives to 4. What counted as an academic elective for ds is now in the general requirements. So...... I need to break it to dd that she is taking two more classes next year than she thought she was....

 

Can you all help me sort this out? Here is the wording for academic elective from their site:

 

 

1. Academic Elective (4 units). Four college preparatory units must be taken from at least three different fields selected from computer science, English, fine arts, foreign languages, humanities, laboratory science (excluding earth science, general physical science, general environmental science, or other introductory science courses for which biology and/or chemistry is not a prerequisite), mathematics above the level of Algebra II, or social sciences. It is suggested that one unit be in computer science, which includes programming, and one unit in fine arts (appreciation of, history, or performance).
   

I called admissions and luckily got the admissions director. She said World Geography and 9th grade keyboarding/intro. to computers would be 2 Academic Electives, but the semester of Logic would not count. She said all high school students from the public school have a year of computer programming (she called it computer q), I have no idea what this is... (and a friend just called whose dd goes to school, and she hasn't taken it, so ???). She did say dd could do Photography for fine arts.

 

So, I need one more. Dd was going to take Psychology as a freshman, and also the college's computer course that is required. That is all ds had to do.... Suggestions were Speech (also at the college and a requirement for college), psychology, sociology, a computer programming class (again, all classes that would be taken at college). She did say I could do an Intro. to Psych. class.

 

So HELP!!!

Thanks!

[creekland]

I had middle son do Effective Speaking at our local cc. The course is likely to transfer to many different colleges since it's outside his major plus (and perhaps more importantly) it was helpful for him as he is preparing for college interviews.

 

Otherwise, my guy has quite a few electives. He will have done 4 years of Spanish (2 can be electives, 2 fulfill language reqs), Art History, Music, Wood Shop, Microbio (also at the cc) and might do Psych next year. Ask your daughter what she'd like to do - there are plenty of options when it comes to electives. I still recommend Effective Speaking as one of the very useful ones though - esp if done at a community college where one is truly speaking in front of a class.

[Susan C.]

Thanks. There is a local Toastmasters that a lot of the homeschoolers do, but it only meets once a week. We only have a technical college, which is a little different than a cc. The speech teacher the college dd is applying at is wonderful, so dd would want to take it there. Toastmasters does give weekly assignments, but I'm still not sure if we can get a whole year credit from it. I think the other homeschoolers do it every year and probably put all of the years together for one credit. I'll check. (But it is kind of far away, and starts in the morning where you have to fight work traffic, that is why I haven't done it).

 

Dd can do dual enrollment at the college, but each class will cost over $1000 because part time enrollment is almost $400/credit hour. But if it helps get her accepted, it might be worth it.

[creekland]

Thanks. There is a local Toastmasters that a lot of the homeschoolers do, but it only meets once a week. We only have a technical college, which is a little different than a cc. The speech teacher the college dd is applying at is wonderful, so dd would want to take it there. Toastmasters does give weekly assignments, but I'm still not sure if we can get a whole year credit from it. I think the other homeschoolers do it every year and probably put all of the years together for one credit. I'll check. (But it is kind of far away, and starts in the morning where you have to fight work traffic, that is why I haven't done it).

 

Dd can do dual enrollment at the college, but each class will cost over $1000 because part time enrollment is almost $400/credit hour. But if it helps get her accepted, it might be worth it.

 

It costs us $220 per credit hour + fees for each cc course here. A few are worth it, but we certainly can't afford to go overboard with them. I agree with you that those few are worth it to help with acceptances - esp since AP tests are more difficult to come by around here and cc has the benefit of providing profs for letters of recommendation.

 

Oldest only had one course (English), but it certainly helped with both acceptances and merit aid as per letters we received from colleges that specifically talked about the high recommendation his prof gave him when awarding the award. The scholarships and merit aid he received more than paid for his class. Middle son will have three (Microbio, Effective Speaking, English). I'm hoping for the same with merit aid and acceptances - different colleges though, so time will tell.

[Susan C.]

What is funny is that the dual enrollment class would be at the same college that she is applying at.

[creekland]

What is funny is that the dual enrollment class would be at the same college that she is applying at.

 

Then they ought to trust the grade and transfer the credit! ;)