High School Students: Welcome to Online College!
High school students, did you know that you can take online college courses for credit before you graduate? You can take these courses from many colleges across the country without leaving home.
If you would like to get a head start on your college degree while still in high school, check out online college courses. With the current use of online courses for high school students, this should not be difficult.
Both the quality and quantity of online college courses have increased recently. Many colleges have now opened their online courses to high school students.
These online courses offer the best introduction to college-level work possible for high school students. Because students take online college courses while they are still in high school, they earn credit for college and high school at the same time.
How Can High School Students Take Online College Courses While Still In High School?
Most online colleges offer classes in subjects like Math, Sciences, English, Business, and Foreign Languages. Professors present their lectures and make assignments online.
Online students submit their completed assignments back online for review and grading by the instructor. They take all tests online as well.
Before you can enroll in online courses, you must first apply to the program of your choice. There are articles on this site to help you find the best online college for you.
High School students apply to the college of their choice as non-degree-seeking students. They take a limited number of online college courses until they graduate from high school and are ready to register as degree-seeking college students.
Check out the website for the university of your choice for further details on how to apply to attend their online courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is College Credit for High School Students?
College credit for High School students programs give academically prepared high school students from across the country the opportunity to take University courses online for college credit.
You can quite literally live on one coast and take online college courses from a university on the other coast. Do you love living near the West coast beach but desire an education from an Ivy League University? No problem.
How do I know if I am ready to take college-level courses online?
You will probably do well taking online college-level courses if you answer yes to the following questions:
- Are you a self-motivated and responsible student?
- Do you hold yourself responsible for your own actions?
- Have you successfully completed one or more challenging classes in high school?
- Do you have a GPA of 3.0 or higher?
Any student unsure of their academic preparation should talk to their parents, teachers, and/or school counselor.
Talk to people who know you well and who want to see you succeed. They can help guide you to a good decision.
Why would I want to take college courses while I am still in High School?
High school students choose to take college courses for many different reasons, including (but not limited to):
- They are interested in college courses that allow them to explore interests not available in their local high school. For example, most high schools teach Spanish but few offer Japanese or German.
- Some High School students complete the majority of their graduation requirements early and still have elective credits they are required to fulfill. They may choose to take college courses to fill their schedules with courses not available to them at their school.
- To save money. Getting a head start by taking online college courses while still in High School, under the right circumstances, can do just that. Often, high school students have no idea what course of study they wish to pursue in college. Being able to take a few courses in subjects to help them decide which path to follow is a great advantage. Choosing a college major does not come easy for every student. Quite a few college students change majors one or more times during the course of their college experience. This can get to be very expensive and time-consuming.
- To get a head start on classes that they would have to take anyway. This is a great advantage in several ways. Such a choice is usually less expensive, if only because you still live at home.
- Not having to take as full a load your first semester (or quarter) session on campus makes the transition less demanding.
Some students continue online courses after high school graduation
Some high school students taking online college courses decide to continue taking classes online upon graduation instead of pursuing their degree on campus.
This is especially helpful if there are extenuating circumstances that may make it difficult or impossible to continue their education at that time.
How do I choose the course(s) right for me?
Rely on your own judgment, but take advice from your high school counselor, teachers, and your parents, to determine the best courses for you.
You should also review the curriculum requirements for the college degree programs that you may be interested in pursuing.
You can narrow down your choice even further if you have a specific college major in mind. Each college major has curriculum requirements to help guide you.
Once you have selected a specific course, be sure to see if there are any prerequisites that must be taken before you can register for that class.
For example, you will not be allowed to take French II if you have not passed French I. Specific prerequisites should be listed under the description for each class.
Sometimes, there may be a situation that needs further clarification. For example, if you have taken several high school classes in a foreign language, you may be able to skip the first level class in that language.
Maybe, you have tested so high on your college entrance exams (ACT OR SAT) that you can be exempt from certain Freshman classes. Contact the university directly to inquire about those situations.
The freshman English and Math classes are among those most often to be exempt. Being able to skip that class and to go directly to the next level saves time, energy and money.
How do these courses differ from high school classes?
A: Students must be able to take on a higher level of responsibility to be successful in taking an online college course. Most often, there are not daily assignments given online.
There may or may not be weekly assignments given. Most often, you will be given mid-term and final tests with written reports and/or major projects to be completed during the term.
There is no one looking over your shoulder to make sure that you are completing your work on time unless you have a parent or friend doing so.
How much do these online college courses cost?
You (and your parent or guardian) are responsible for tuition and fees. Be sure to discuss this decision carefully with your parents or guardian. They must be on-board with this decision, especially for any student under the age of 18.
While most fees are the same for all online students whether high school or not, there are some states that have special programs that provide for discounted or free classes.
You should be able to find school-specific information on the Tuition and Fees page on each university website.
Several well-respected universities offer free courses online. These courses are often taught through Coursera. With Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC), instructors and professors from some of the best universities teach thousands of students from around the world, for free.
How are grades determined?
The individual instructor determines the grade. Usually, high school students are held to the same grading scheme and expectations as all other students who take these courses. Refer to the syllabus of the particular course for specific grading information.
Will these classes transfer to any college or university to which I may decide to go?
A: Courses are usually transferable if the university is a regionally accredited institution. The receiving institution makes the final decision.
Here is another article on taking college courses while still in high school.
https://onlinecollegelife.info/how-does-dual-credit-work/
If you are interested in knowing more about the cost of online college, read this. https://onlinecollegelife.info/what-does-online-college-cost/
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