Lot of Moms have questions about the best way to earn college credit for university.
There is a lot of confusion wrt whether to take community college courses here in CA and how they benefit if in the UC system. Often you hear about kids who graduate early from the UC system. So yes, if you plan ahead, you may be able to graduate early. The key is making sure you are taking courses that meet minimum major and general education requirements.
Some high schools have organized programs with community colleges that allow high school students to take college classes as a replacement for one or more of their regular high school classes. This is especially common in smaller high schools or those with few advanced or AP course offerings because it lets high school students take challenging classes they wouldn't have been able to take otherwise. These classes can help high school students strengthen their transcripts and prepare for college.
At other times, high school students choose to take community college classes without receiving any high school credit; however, they may be able to receive college credit once they enroll in a college or university. If your high school doesn't offer certain advanced classes, taking them at a community college can be a great way to strengthen your transcript. If your high school doesn't offer many AP classes, you may be concerned that your school's lack of challenging classes will put you behind other students when applying to and starting college. You may also be particularly strong in a certain subject and want to take an advanced course in it, either because you have taken all your high school's classes in that subject, or they are not challenging enough for you. At some high schools, each year, several students who have taken AP Calculus as juniors take Calculus III at the local community college to gain more math skills and be better prepared for college math classes. Taking these classes at a community college while you are still in high school can help prepare you for college classes and possibly allow you to skip some introductory classes once you get to college.
Having college classes on your transcript is a great way to strengthen your transcript and your college applications. Your community college classes may be included on your high school transcript, labeled in such a way to show they are college-level classes, or, if not, you can include your community college transcript as an additional transcript, with your applications.
Taking community college classes in high school also shows that you can take initiative, are hard working, and have strong academic skills, which are all qualities colleges like to see in applicants.
Remember that maintaining good grades is a MUST. And some community college classes can be more challenging, faster-paced, and require more homework and studying. If you are not prepared for this, taking a community college class will not help in any way at all.
If your high school offers a similar course, such as an AP class, you may want to consider taking that instead. Some AP classes also earn you credit in college. FOR UCs, read https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/.../ap-credits/
Every California community college has an agreement with UC called the transfer course agreement (TCA). The TCA specifies which courses can earn UC credit. Your area’s community college may have an additional agreement with UC about transferable courses. So before enrolling in your local community college, check with them whether the course will earn you UC credit. We are aware that community colleges like De Anza College have a great program for high schoolers especially in the FUHSD (FUHSD includes Cupertino High, Fremont High, Homestead High, Lynbrook High, Monta Vista High). See this link to learn more about Dual Enrollment at De Anza. https://www.deanza.edu/admissions/dual/
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