Online Summer Classes for High Schoolers?

Hey everyone! I'm wondering if there are any good online summer classes I can take as a high school student. I'm mainly interested in courses that offer academic credit or could make my college application stand out. Has anyone here taken any, and do you have any specific platforms or programs you'd recommend?

Certainly, there are a host of options available for high school students who'd like to take summer courses for credit or to boost their college applications.

For academic credit, many local community colleges and even some four-year colleges allow high school students to enroll in courses. You'll want to double-check with your high school to ensure they'll recognize those credits, but the benefit is that these college-level courses can demonstrate an ability to handle advanced academic work.

If you're looking to stand out on your college applications, you could consider seeking out highly selective programs. One leading example is the prestigious Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) program from Boston University, which offers an intense six-week, non-credit online research internship for rising seniors to collaborate with faculty on scientific research projects.

For experience-oriented and skill-building online courses, look into well-regarded Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms like Coursera or edX. They offer a wide array of class options with renowned universities and often grant a certificate upon completion that you can list on your application.

Do bear in mind that while online summer programs can enhance your college application, they typically play a supplemental role; the bulk of a college's judgment will come from your transcript, test scores, and extracurriculars more than summer programs alone. But if there's a field you're passionate about, taking a course or two could help you explore your interests and potentially fuel your college essays with specific details about your passion.