Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Community College Credit or AP better?

Portia - thanks, thanks so much for asking and posting this thread.

We're in your ETA stage with our ds. I do know that some MOOCs have quizzes/tests which you can print and possibly submit as part of a transcript, if that helps.

MIT claims on their homeschool admission page to consider their OpenCourseWare - http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/homeschool

I do think MIT and other universities are (and will be) increasingly using MOOCs as a recruitment tool. MIT is known for taking kids at age 14, but I haven't heard of them taking kids younger or how they regard kids under age 13 taking MOOCs. But I'm curious to hear what others may know or have heard through the grapevine.

Simon's Rock takes kids younger than 13, but that's another can of worms, I think.

Same boat here with ds. He is 2e too. He's been in public/private schools, but we've been un/homeschooling for the last three years now. Nothing 'normal' here.

At least there are some of us here on non-traditional paths.

As for MOOCs, they are still relatively new and untested. They've only really become more and more widespread within the last couple of years. So where that possibly leaves our kids is anyone's guess. It's hard to say. Not all MOOCs are created equal.

Still, the breadth and depth of many MOOCs seems foolish to discount. Then, there's the key factor about them being FREE and the intrinsic motivation factor that's required to complete a MOOC, imo.

One thing that you also have to take into consideration is that in some places your dual enrollment credits actually hurt your chances of getting into a 4 year university afterwards. This is because lets say you do 2 full years of dual enrollment and get great grades, a 4 yr university could see you as a direct transfer student from the community college into junior year and therefore only think you will be with them for 2 years. The university will not make as much money on you in this case as they would if you had come to them with a bunch of AP scores, and therefore will not accept you. I have also had students who have been accepted into university but 1/2 of their dual enrollment credits didn't transfer and they had to repeat the classes anyways.
I think in the end what you need to look at most is which classes would best suit the needs of your kid and hope that it fits with where and what they want to do later. Especially because universities are wanting more from kids nowadays to differentiate between applicants than ever before.

This is the quintessential question. Some may say that while striving to maximize credits for credentialed formal education, it may be important to also give a nod to the benefits of life-long learning of the kind which may not earn credits/credentials.

Keeping a list or portfolio of learning experiences beyond those which may be required for a given credential may prove helpful when applying for educational, experiential, or employment opportunities as it may tend to indicate an interest and drive which go "above and beyond" requirements.

There are many individuals with a body of expertise developed outside of the formal education system. Such knowledge may be inspired by a pivotal life experience and can be a sign of strong internal motivation and personal dedication.

The thought of taking a formal course for credit in an area one has previously studied may call to mind the boring repetition and stagnation some may have experienced in elementary/middle/high school, however many college-level courses incorporate the lived experiences of the course professor alongside the text material and can therefore be very interesting and not seem like "repeating" a course. Additionally, there are new developments in STEM fields which both add relevance to each course taken, and also help manage student expectations regarding the need for ongoing professional development throughout their careers.

I would recommend AP exams and classes. Many competitive/private colleges will not accept community college credit. Also, having interviewed kids for Ivy league colleges who did both, my impression, at least in our area, is that AP exams are more difficult.

Forgive me if this is obvious, but is there any way to tell the different types apart than word of mouth (ie, are there any big red flags in the homework load or course content)?
I think we have some classes here in which students can receive articulated college credit, but it seems like it's just a guessing game which ones will be more rigorous courses and/or accepted by anything besides the local CC's and state uni.

You may wish to check the website of the colleges/universities your child plans to apply to. A search for admissions and for transfer credit may help you locate a list of credits which may be granted. As this information may change over time, you may wish to check these each semester and print the current information, comparing for changes from past lists.

For example, the current information from the MIT website states, in part: