What are some ways that I can get college credit online?Answered
It is obviously true that taking advanced-level courses such as AP, IB, and College courses help your application. I go to an IB school and there is a very limited amount of DP subjects I can take. Students going to AP schools take almost as many as 15~20 AP courses. Would get an IB DP enough to cover the 'academic rigor' part of college admissions?
If not, what are some ways that I can earn college credit? I live abroad (outside of USA) and there is no possibility of me taking a class at a local college. What are some websites/resources that I can use to actually get college credit to send on my application? Thank you for your help.
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4 answers
Getting an IB DP would make your schedule rigorous enough to get into any college in the US. As others have said, college admissions is about far more than academics. While colleges want you to challenge yourself, you will get no significant admissions boost for taking more classes than what are offered in an IB DP. In fact, the average admitted student to Harvard only takes 8 APs throughout high school. The students you know who are taking 15 AP classes are spending too much time on academics, and not enough time on other important areas like extracurriculars.
While your IB DP will help you earn college credit, you may be able to earn more credit by taking AP exams without taking the class. Self-studying for AP exams will not really increase your odds of admission, but the credits are useful for reducing the number of core requirement classes you will have to take in college.
Hope this helps!
As an International Student, if you complete an IB Diploma with high marks like 42+/45, that is perfectly enough course rigor for all TOP AMERICAN colleges including Ivys', Elites like Stanford, and top liberal arts colleges like Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, and Pomona.
Taking 15-20 AP courses is kind of ridiculous and if someone is doing that they are certainly NOT giving themselves enough sleep, self-care, and bandwidth to curate spike activities, impactful and impressive ECs, do sports, play an instrument, or explore other talents.
If you are applying to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and other top schools, what they use APs and IBs for is a threshold measure. They simply want to see evidence that you can do well in college course rigor and get top grades in them. Nothing more. You do not get bonus points for having 20 APs versus 10 APs. Some would argue that even 7 or 8 is acceptable.
But an important criterion most applicants fail to have sufficient evidence of is something called IV/IC which stands for Intellectual Vitality/Intellectual Curiosity.
IV/IC is critical to getting into a T20 school. It is independent learning and work experience you gain outside of the classroom and high school that is driven by your own intrinsic love of learning. So if you are interested in being an Astrophysicist, IV/IC might look like the following: 1. Taking Astronomy/Astrophysics courses online at colleges. 2. Doing an Internship at NASA/JPL (jet propulsion lab/Caltech). 3. Working on supervised research with a Professor who is an astrophysicist. 4. Working in a physics lab. 5. Getting a scholarship to attend a prestigious summer STEM program. 5. Using and levering your own voice to disseminate astrophysics knowledge on social media (YouTube, TikTok, Blog, Vlogs) 6. Authoring articles, and papers and getting them published in recognizable reputable journals or publications.
So this is way more valuable than loading up on more course rigor on its own.
The maximum benefit is achieved when your SPIKE narrative aligns with your IV/IC and your ECs so you are essentially presenting yourself as a very angular applicant that is more compelling than anyone else applying to the school. Colleges do not want well-rounded applicants with 15-20 APs, they want a well-rounded incoming class with uniquely qualified cohorts that add value to the campus experience for all.
I hope this makes sense and good luck in your college application process.
There are several ways to get college credit online. Here are a few options:
Online courses: Many colleges and universities offer online courses that allow you to earn college credit. These courses are usually designed to be flexible, so you can complete them at your own pace.
Credit-by-examination: Some colleges and universities offer credit-by-examination programs, which allow you to earn credit by taking a standardized exam, such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the Excelsior College Examination Program.
Prior Learning Assessment: Many colleges and universities also offer Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) programs that allow you to earn credit for knowledge and skills you've acquired outside of traditional academic settings. This can include work experience, military training, or certifications.
Online degree programs: Many colleges and universities offer online degree programs that allow you to earn college credit and complete a degree entirely online.
MOOCs: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free online courses that are offered by many colleges and universities. While they don't usually offer college credit, some schools will award credit for completing MOOCs.
It's important to note that not all colleges and universities will accept all types of online credit, so it's important to check with the institution you plan to attend before enrolling in any online courses or programs.
Hope this helps!
Hello,
First of all, good luck on your college journey!
To answer your question, you can take Coursera certificate courses and participating colleges and universities will accept that certificate and can award up to 12 credit hours for coursera certificates. There are some free Coursera courses, but some require payment.
This is from the site itself,
“ Turn a certificate into college credit
If you successfully complete a certificate program with ACE Credit Recommendation, you may be eligible to receive up to 12 college credits from participating colleges and universities in the US, though it depends on your school's policy.”
The Coursera website is: https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=free
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