With the internet becoming such a popular source for education and learning, more colleges and companies are offering online courses in order to help college-bound high schools stand out as more appealing candidates to universities. (I wished this was available during my high school years. It would have been an awesome alternative to waking up at 6am everyday for zero period classes!!) It’s important to keep in mind that amidst all the online companies and colleges available on the internet, a lot of these sources are also catering to a larger audience such as working professionals who are trying to pump up work resumes or older students seeking to return to school. In turn, there’s a lot of spotty online sources you don’t want to be taking courses from because they may not be formally recognized by a collge or university. If you’re a high school student looking to re-take a course in which you received a “D” or “F” letter grade, or just looking to get ahead in a specific subject, there are several trustworthy online sources to choose from. The UC school system recognizes all the following online providers:
* APEX Learning Virtual School
* Brigham Young University Independent Study
* Connections Academy
* Education Program for Gifted Youth Online High School at Stanford University
* K12, Inc.
* Laurel Springs Online
* National University Virtual High School
* PASS Program/Cyber High
* UC College Prep Online (UCCP)
The UC school system will also recognize the completion of other college-prep online courses provided that your high school principal certifies that the course you’re taking is comparable to the same class at the home high school, and also the online course, along with the grades and credits, shows up on your home high school transcript. For this case, a separate transcript will create more problems, and may result in the future college not recognizing the class. Keep in mind that the UC school system has not approved online lab science courses or VPA (visual performing and art) courses, so it is best to take these courses at your high school if you’re looking to get ahead or to repeat a course. Even if you’re not applying to a UC school, the above schools should still be acceptable to colleges and universities nationwide. In any case though, always ask the college or university you’re planning to apply to if they recognize the online providers, and if there are any exceptions to taking online courses.
