Should I Take College Classes Over the Summer?
What’s Covered:
- How to Take College Courses in High School
- Pros of Taking Summer College Courses
- Cons of Taking Summer College Courses
- How to Find the Right Summer College Course For You
- How do Summer Courses Impact Your College Chances?
Many high school students consider spending part of their summer taking college courses, whether to learn more about a particular topic, demonstrate their readiness for more advanced work to admissions officers, or some combination of the two. Whether through a program designed specifically for high school students, or through an open enrollment option at a local college, tackling college coursework while still in high school can be an immensely valuable experience.
Interested in finding out more about summer college courses that accept high schoolers? Read on for an overview of the types of programs available, the pros and cons of taking college courses in the summer, and how to get started!
How to Take College Courses in High School
Obviously, you can’t simply walk into any college of your choice and sign up for a summer class. However, there are a number of different avenues by which high-school students can register for summer courses at the college level.
Below, we’ll list your main options and describe their distinguishing features. Your individual choices will depend upon such factors as where you live, your transportation options, and what you can afford. Before you decide which option might be appropriate for you, you’ll need to have a talk with your family about what resources you can draw upon to make your coursework possible.
College Summer Programs for High School Students
This type of program is specifically intended for students your age, so you’ll be mostly among your peers, often in courses specifically selected for your age group. (Depending upon the program, your academic courses may also include current undergraduates.)
These programs are often residential, or at least give you the option to study on-campus if you’d like, so you’ll also get to experience of living in a dorm, participating in group activities, and socializing with your fellow participants. Many colleges across the country offer programs of this type—some popular options that provide college-level courses for credit are:
- Brown University’s Pre-Baccalaureate Credit Program
- Cornell University’s Summer College
- Duke University’s Summer College for High School Students
- Georgetown University’s Summer at Georgetown College Credit Courses
- Harvard University’s Secondary School Program
- The University of Pennsylvania’s Pre-College Progam
There are also programs that are offered fully online, to accommodate your busy high school schedule. For example, William & Mary offers a Pre-College Online Program that is designed to be as accessible as possible: courses are entirely asynchronous and available throughout the year, in a wide range of subjects, from law to medicine.
Not every summer program for high school students that’s run by a college will provide you with college-level courses or credits, so read the fine print. Of course, the experience can still be immensely valuable, even if you don’t receive credit. For example, William & Mary’s online program doesn’t offer credit, but you do receive a Certificate of Completion. Past participants speak highly of the program as an opportunity to explore your personal interests, at your own pace.
You should also keep in mind that taking a college course through a program for high school students does not guarantee that you’ll eventually be admitted to that college or university. In fact, it generally won’t increase your chances of admission at all.
Local Community Colleges
Community colleges often have an open enrollment policy, which means anyone can register for a college-level course without entering a degree program, though there may be age limits and prerequisites or placement tests may be required for certain courses.
Since these courses are open to all, your classmates will likely be of a range of different ages and educational levels. These classes are simply classes, not cohesive programs, so you won’t have residential or other programming options, but they’ll likely be much more affordable than programs intended just for high school students.
Extension School or Continuing Education Courses
Courses offered through a college’s Extension School or Continuing Education department also often have open enrollment. Some courses may have prerequisites, and some programs have age limits; check the program’s enrollment policies for details. These programs are usually designed for working adults, so that’s who your classmates will most likely be.
Online College Courses
This can be a particularly good option if your local options are limited, or you have to juggle a summer course with a job or other responsibilities. Your classmates might be any age and from nearly any location. Not all online programs are equally well-respected, however, so you’ll need to be careful in choosing a good program.
Pros of Taking Summer College Courses
As we’ve mentioned above, taking college courses over the summer while in high school can benefit you in a number of different ways. Besides giving you a chance to show off your academic prowess, college coursework can have significant practical benefits for your ongoing development as a student and your future college plans.
Get a Head Start on College Credits
Depending upon your eventual choice of college for your bachelor’s degree, the college credits that you complete over the summer may transfer to the college that you end up attending. If these credits can be applied to your degree requirements, you may be able to graduate from college early, which can save you both time and money. The financial savings can be especially notable if you complete coursework at a community college, as these institutions normally charge much less per credit-hour than four-year colleges.
Complete College Prerequisites in Advance
At many colleges, prerequisite requirements will limit your course choices during your first year or two, and you may have to sit through a lot of massive lecture classes on basic topics before you can access the more interesting seminars. If you take some prerequisites before you get to college, you may be able to skip right to these higher-level courses (assuming that the credits for these courses transfer) or “test out” of a prerequisite requirement.
Supplement Your High School Options
Not every high school offers a full range of advanced courses, so you may not be able to pursue the topics that most interest you in as much depth as you would like. Taking a summer college course can give you more flexibility to study what you’re truly passionate about, or even explore subjects that aren’t available at your high school at all.
Experience A College Classroom
Obviously, college is different from high school—even taking an AP class doesn’t capture the environment you’ll find in college. Whether your course is an intimate seminar or a large lecture with smaller discussion sections, you’ll get a firsthand sense for college-level lectures, discussions, interactions with professors, etc.
Gather Information for Creating Your College List
Immersing yourself in a college environment can help you identify features that you’d like to have in a prospective college, as well as ones you’d want to avoid. The experiences you have over the summer could very well prove useful when you’re narrowing down where you should apply, or eventually choosing where to attend.
Show Colleges Your Initiative
Taking college courses in high school demonstrates your ambition, your ability to thrive at a high academic level, and your willingness to go beyond what’s expected to pursue your intellectual interests.
Do be aware, as noted above, that taking coursework at a particular school doesn’t improve your odds at that institution. The benefit is in the knowledge you acquire and the intangible skills, like time management and self-confidence, that you develop. So, focus on identifying a course that truly interests you, rather than taking any old class at your top-choice school.
Cons of Taking Summer College Courses
There are plenty of reasons why taking a summer college course while you’re in high school might be a great idea for you. However, like any other summer plan, this option isn’t for everyone. Even if you’re pretty sure that you want to pursue a summer college course, you should consider the following factors:
Not All Credits Transfer
Your future college might accept your summer courses only to determine placement, not for credit toward your degree, or they might even not accept those courses at all. Different colleges have different policies for transfer credits, and some can be quite complicated. While you’ll still benefit in many ways from taking a summer college course, you may not ultimately save time or money on your bachelor’s degree.
Lack of Preparation
College comes after high school for a reason—high school curricula are designed to give you the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare you for college. If you haven’t yet acquired the skills that you need to thrive in college, or lack mastery of key concepts that the professor will expect you to know, you may not be positioned to thrive in a college course.
Feeling Out of Place
If you take a summer college course that’s open to a wide range of people, you’ll likely be among the youngest and least experienced students in the classroom, which can be intimidating for some high school students.
Cost
The exact cost of a summer college course can vary depending on the school, the length, and the format of the program (residential programs are more expensive than commuter or online options). Generally, though, you’re looking at an expense of at least a few thousand dollars for just one course, before factoring in any supplies you’ll need to buy or software you’ll need to download.
While some programs intended for high school students may offer financial aid or merit scholarships, these options are typically far more limited that financial aid once you get to college.
Travel
If your program is far away, in order to get there, you’ll either have to be comfortable traveling alone, or perhaps allocate additional funds to have a parent travel with you. If you’re attending a college closer to home, you’ll have to figure out how to get there for class, whether that’s driving yourself, getting a ride from a family member, or taking public transit.
No Break From Academic Work
This may seem obvious, but any academically focused summer program will require intellectual energy, and going to school over the summer isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. You’ll be graded on your performance, and a college course may be much more challenging than your high school courses, so you’ll need to study hard and take your course(s) seriously.
Plus, you may end up with only a couple of weeks of “real summer,” and especially if you’re gearing up for the rigors of applying to college as a senior, that can lead to burnout.
Opportunity Cost
A college course is a commitment, even in the summer, and taking on that commitment will limit your other options—you can’t leave for two weeks of family vacation in the middle of the summer session, for instance, or participate in a summer program related to one of your extracurricular interests. You may have to make tough decisions about which summer activities to prioritize.
How to Find the Right Summer College Course For You
If, after you consider these potential pros and cons, you believe that taking a college course over the summer is the right choice for you, you’ll want to consider your options carefully, before you start making plans. Here’s some advice about how to find a program that’s a great fit for you.
Talk to Your Teachers and Counselors
Your current teachers are in the best position to assess whether you’re ready for the rigors of college-level coursework. Your guidance counselor can use their experience with past students to help as well.
Research Credit Transfer Policies at Potential Colleges
Summer college courses can do more for you than allow you to build up college credit, but if saving time and money is a major factor in your decision, you want to make sure your credits will successfully transfer to your future college. If you don’t have a college list yet, that’s okay—look up policies at a few different kinds of schools (your flagship state school, a smaller liberal arts college, a private research institution, etc.), to get at least a general sense of what policies you might have to navigate.
If you’re confused about anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to the admissions office directly! Transfer policies can be confusing, even for people who are already in college, and they’d be happy to assist.
Research Potential Courses Thoroughly
Course descriptions and syllabi can tell you a lot about the course and its workload, from how much reading will be required to which specific topics you’ll cover. Since college courses are often much more narrowly focused than high school courses, you want to be sure you understand what you’ll actually be studying, so that you can choose a course where you’ll feel comfortable.
If you’d like to know more about a course and can’t find the information online, you can always reach out to the instructor, or to the person who oversees the summer program as a whole.
Talk to Other Students Who Have Taken Summer College Courses
A firsthand account of what taking summer college courses as a high school student is like can be invaluable. If you know any older students at your high school, or family friends, who have taken college coursework, they can give you personalized advice on how to succeed, and about what surprises you might find in a college classroom.
How do Summer Courses Impact Your College Chances?
Curious how your summer coursework could affect your odds of college admission? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors including grades, test scores, and extracurriculars to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities. You can enter the courses you’re considering taking, along with the approximate grade you expect to receive, to get a sense of what kind of boost you might receive. Our engine also gives you tips on how to improve your overall profile.
One last not: just like any summer activity, taking a college course is not the best choice for everyone. Not every high school student can handle either the content or the structure of a college-level class, and even if you can, perhaps there’s simply something else you could spend your summer doing that would be more fulfilling for you personally.
However, if you’re able to rise to the academic challenge, and find a program that’s a good fit for you, summer college coursework can be a great way to enhance your academic experience in high school.
This blog post was sponsored by William & Mary Pre-College Online Program.
