FAQ #2: Because my schedule is so tight, I want to take an online course. Will colleges give me credit for online courses?

ANSWER: It’s important that you first check with your high school counselor to see if your school will give you credit. Often that depends on who is offering the class. Among the more respected distance learning groups are the John Hopkins Center For Talented Youth, Brigham Young University Independent Study, Virtual High School (VHS) and University of California College Prep (UCCP). Many colleges give credit for online courses, particularly if a student’s high school has given him/her credit. A few do not give any credit; still others decide on a case-by-case basis. If you know some of the colleges to which you plan to apply, call their respective admissions offices and ask them about their policies (having available, specific information about a course and who is sponsoring it).

F. Pre-Enrichment Programs For Low Income, First Generation or Underrepresented Students
Primarily for African American, Hispanic American, and Native American students, these special programs are offered around a variety of subject matters at various colleges during the summer. Some of the better-known programs are:

• Arizona State University’s Math-Science Honors Program

• The Carleton College Liberal Arts Experience

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Minority Introduction to Engineering & Science (MITES)

• Stanford University’s Medical Youth Science Program

Information about these programs can be accessed in books such as Robert Mitchell’s The Multicultural Student’s Guide to Colleges and Center for Student Opportunity website: www.csopportunity.org.