question on college credit for classes taken in high school

[Trilliums]

We have been looking into tech schools for the kids and found this on RPI's (Rensselaer Polytech Institute) website:

 

 

http://srfs.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=62

 

"Rensselaer will not award transfer credit for any college courses you took in high school if those courses were used to satisfy a high school graduation requirement."

 

Has anyone encountered this at other colleges?  If so, have you just worked around it on the student's transcripts?  On transcripts, do I specify which classes were used to satisfy specific graduation credits?

 

DS has finished physics II at the local university and plans on taking physics 3 and 4 next year along with calc 3 and linear equations.  If he applies to RPI, can I arrange his transcripts to show those classes not counting towards his high school graduation requirements?  He has not had any high school biology and was considering taking a class in evolution from the university next year also, but in that case I think it would be used for high school graduation credit.

 

He has taken a few AP classes through the high school and it looks as though gaining credit for AP classes is an easier process.

 

Any thoughts appreciated.  BTW, older DS is a junior, will graduate as a homeschooler but has attended some classes at our public school and university.

 

 

[G5052]

My take on this is that college classes on the transcript used to fulfill the standard 3-4 credits of science don't transfer.  As long as your credits go beyond that, you're OK with transferring them in.  Most schools want the standard biology, chemistry, and physics.

[ChristineP]

For us, we said that we were getting my dd the best education possible for high school.  It included about 53 hours of college credits from a very well respected community college.  She applied quite a few places.  Some of those would take a few of the credit hours (like you mentioned), some would take none and most would take them as regular college credits.

 

She choose an honors college at a local state university.  All of her hours transferred.  She was able to get a great jump start on the requirements and leave enough time to get a minor along the way.  She was also able to focus more on the classes she loves and not have so many requirements outside of her major.

 

In a nutshell, I would just get a great education now and don't worry about what will transfer and what won't.  In the long run, it doesn't really matter.

 

 

[Trilliums]

Thanks for the input.  :)

My take on this is that college classes on the transcript used to fulfill the standard 3-4 credits of science don't transfer.  As long as your credits go beyond that, you're OK with transferring them in.  Most schools want the standard biology, chemistry, and physics.

But don't different high schools have different graduation requirements?  Our high school just says 3 science credits.  If a student only takes science classes at the university or cc (an option we had considered for younger son) then I would guess that the first three credits are not eligible for transfer. 

 

In a nutshell, I would just get a great education now and don't worry about what will transfer and what won't.  In the long run, it doesn't really matter.

 

We tend toward this when choosing classes, but still...we have had enough times during the high school process where we would have done things differently if we had fully understood all the ramifications.   I also just love collecting information and pondering different scenarios.  I don't know how else to describe it.  :)  I think it helps me focus my worrying. 

 

If my kids attend our local university and pursue degrees in physics/math or computer science (their current areas of interest), the university gen ed requirement includes the equivalent of 4 years of high school foreign language.  Foreign language is just about the last thing my kids like to study.  (Even as a person with an undergrad degree in a foreign language, I cannot really argue that studying a language in high school is necessarily a part of *the best education* for my kids.)  But, if they can get the requirement out of the way during high school, they would rather do that than devote 4 semesters of classes to a fl in college.  Yes, in the long run, even this does not really matter...but we definitely would like to focus their plans and come up with the most efficient route if possible.  The FL requirements are what led us into looking into tech focused schools where the FL requirements are less or even nonexistent.

 

[kiana]

You may also be able to gain advanced standing but not credit, for some of the classes. One of my friends attended a school where they did not accept his transfer credits, but after an interview with the department chair, the courses he had taken were waived and electives substituted in their place in his degree plan. In many ways, this is an ideal solution if graduating faster is not the goal, because the student has more room to do interesting electives, an internship, undergraduate research, etc.

[Miss Marple]

One school we looked at, an LAC, didn't transfer credits because they didn't consider the courses equivalent.  They taught courses much differently - government didn't have a textbook, instead they used original source works.  So I can understand that.  Another consideration is that some students take courses at CC's and those courses aren't much above what is offered in a high school.  I have seen that most universities will not transfer credits that were from remedial levels - for example, algebra 2 taken at the CC wouldn't transfer because it is a high school level class.  I have not seen any universities that will transfer any maths under the college algebra level.

 

 

[Lori D.]

Our high school just says 3 science credits.  If a student only takes science classes at the university or cc (an option we had considered for younger son) then I would guess that the first three credits are not eligible for transfer. 

 

That is how I read the university's policy. Any science courses over those first 3 used to satisfy high school graduation would then transfer.

 

 

 

If my kids attend our local university and pursue degrees in physics/math or computer science (their current areas of interest), the university gen ed requirement includes the equivalent of 4 years of high school foreign language.  Foreign language is just about the last thing my kids like to study.  (Even as a person with an undergrad degree in a foreign language, I cannot really argue that studying a language in high school is necessarily a part of *the best education* for my kids.)  But, if they can get the requirement out of the way during high school, they would rather do that than devote 4 semesters of classes to a fl in college.

 

 

First, this is the first time I've ever heard of a university with that type of restrictive transfer policy. Every other 4-year school I've looked at, if it allows you to transfer credits from another college or community college (not all do), then the only restriction is in HOW the school will apply those credits -- whether directly towards a degree program, or towards gen. ed. requirements, or just as "general electives" (which acknowledges the credit, but it doesn't apply towards a degree).

 

Second, if your student is determined to go to this school in spite of the restrictive policy, you may want to check and see if the school accepts CLEP credits. Your student can take the foreign language class as dual enrollment, then take the CLEP test to earn college credit for that semester. Then take the next semester, and so forth.

 

 

Unfortunately, I can't see anywhere that Rensselaer says anything about CLEP. (I'd call and ask; again not all colleges accept CLEP, but enough do that it's worth asking about.) However, another option would be to take the AP foreign language test, because on that page you linked, Rensselaer DOES say that, depending on the AP score, it will grant credit, but no GPA. So that might be the way to get the dual enrollment to count for credit -- test and score high on the AP.

 

I have to say, attitudes like this really make ME want to shut the door on going any further with that school. If they are that snooty on the website policies, what will they be like to work with in person? How welcoming will they be to students? How encouraging are their programs? And how important in the job world is a degree from this school? Does a degree with their name on it REALLY HELP that much in landing a job?? For goodness sake, they are only a polytechnical institute -- they're not Cal-Tech or MIT...  :rolleyes:

 

Just my 2 cents worth. ;) Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Trilliums]

I may have caused some confusion.  Ops!

 

I am talking about two different schools: RPI  and our local state flagship U.

 

RPI does not have any foreign language requirements at all (that I have seen so far) and this is why we are looking into it in the first place. 

 

Local state U requires graduates to have the equivalent of 4 years of high school FL.   DS would prefer dropping foreign language in high school.  But, if he attends the state U, he would end up still having to take the FL and he would probably even test into a lower class if he went a year with no FL. 

 

At this point, he wants to at least try for other schools so he is not certain on whether or not he would attend state U.    He would at least like to try for more selective schools. 

 

RPI actually sounds like a really good fit for my son.  They seem to have a supportive environment plus research opportunities. I think it is a place where he could potentially find a good group of peers.

 

Thanks for the input all.  :)

[Kareni]

We have been looking into tech schools for the kids and found this on RPI's (Rensselaer Polytech Institute) website:

 

http://srfs.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=62

 

"Rensselaer will not award transfer credit for any college courses you took in high school if those courses were used to satisfy a high school graduation requirement."

 

Has anyone encountered this at other colleges?  If so, have you just worked around it on the student's transcripts?  On transcripts, do I specify which classes were used to satisfy specific graduation credits?

 

Yes, my daughter encountered this same scenario with several of the more selective colleges to which she applied.  She took sixteen classes at the community college as part of her 11th and 12th grade high school education.  Since we were using those classes to add depth and diversity to her high school experience and we wanted her to have a four year college experience, the fact that those classes were not going to transfer was not an issue for her.

 

Had we wanted those classes to transfer, I would have used an icon on her transcript to denote which classes were being used to satisfy high school graduation requirements.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lori D.]

I may have caused some confusion.  Ops!

 

I am talking about two different schools: RPI  and our local state flagship U.

 

RPI does not have any foreign language requirements at all (that I have seen so far) and this is why we are looking into it in the first place. 

 

Local state U requires graduates to have the equivalent of 4 years of high school FL.   DS would prefer dropping foreign language in high school.  But, if he attends the state U, he would end up still having to take the FL and he would probably even test into a lower class if he went a year with no FL. 

 

At this point, he wants to at least try for other schools so he is not certain on whether or not he would attend state U.    He would at least like to try for more selective schools. 

 

RPI actually sounds like a really good fit for my son.  They seem to have a supportive environment plus research opportunities. I think it is a place where he could potentially find a good group of peers.

 

Thanks for the input all.  :)

 

 

Oops! I misread your post. ::embarrassed::  :blushing:

 

Okay, so is what you are saying that you are trying to keep options open -- RPA AND state U? And the state U. has the 4 year language requirement, but not RPI, which means if DC decides on RPI, he won't have needed the language, but if he decides at the last minute he *does* want to attend the state U, he should have done the language?

 

JMO, but if that is the case, I lean towards going for the 4 years of foreign language rather than not. Just my perspective, but it seems like with your particular situation, it is all "pros" and no real "cons" in doing so:

1. Taking 4 years of foreign language keeps more options open for selective schools.

More selective schools require at least 2 years, and more frequently 3 to 4 years of foreign language for admission. In fact, look into AP tests, either in foreign language or other subjects, because selective schools tend to look for a student to have 2-3 AP tests (in different subject areas), with scores of 4s or 5s.

 

2. How does your state allow homeschoolers to count dual enrollment?

Here, 1 semester of a 4-unit foreign language = 1 credit (year) of high school foreign language. If you are allowed a similar situation, then DS could take 4 semesters of foreign language via dual enrollment in just 2 years of school and it would count as 4 years of high school foreign language (which frees up the other 2 years for other kinds of coursework).

 

3. Companies like foreign languages.

A foreign language is never a bad "extra" to have, esp. in the business and tech worlds. And when it comes to hiring, if you are equal with the other job applicants, but you are the only one with an "edge" of having a foreign language, you now stand out as a more employable applicant due to a bonus skill.

 

4. Taking a foreign language doesn't have to take away from electives or participating in activities of career interest.

There is still time after school hours for extracurriculars that develop your interests -- and extracurriculars, by the way, are also an excellent thing to have on college and scholarship applications; they make a student "stand out" in a good way There's always the option of summer school to increase time for taking classes...

[Trilliums]

I am pretty much aligned with your thinking on foreign language, Lori.   My son though...well he understands the potential 'pros' but still has his own opinions of course.  Also, some 'cons' do exist related primarily to scheduling issues.  If he continues with FL, he prefers taking a class and the times/location offered are a problematic for a number of reasons.  Also, he is limited in the number of credits he can take DE.  Physics and math are his priority and he cannot take physics (4 credits) math (4 credits) and spanish (5! credits).  He can, however, take physics, math and an evolution class (3 credits).

 

Things are slightly complicated by him being a junior but only being in his second year of the same foreign language due to him switching languages after grade 9.  This is one of those "if we knew then what we know know" issues.   We knew 4 years of the same foreign language was recommended for college admissions, but for this son, with a strong emphasis on STEM, some LD issues, etc., we were prepared to accept two years in high school, thinking the long term implications were mostly limited to how colleges would view that for admissions.  While he does have strong stats, super competitive schools are probably not a good fit for him.  It did not occur to us to check if the local university had a general ed requirement for foreign languages.  Welp, now we know. 

 

Younger son has said he is going to stick with the same FL all four years of high school, so at least we have learned some little tidbit from all this.  :)

[Teachin'Mine]

To add another "year" to his foreign language, could he take it DE during the summer?

[Trilliums]

We did look into summer classes, but he has some schedule conflicts for that.  Thanks for the ideas though.  :)  DS is OK with all of this.  He is ready to discontinue foreign language for senior year.  If he attends our local U, he will review a bit, take the placement exam and accept whatever classes he will have to take to fulfill his general education requirements.  BUT, learning these kinds of requirements has heightened our awareness to trying to get as much information as possible before making decisions. 

 

I see there is a thread started on the chat board about a student encountering problems for college classes listed on the high school transcript:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/502257-in-hindsight-should-not-have-put-community-college-classes-on-high-school-transcript/