Attend Summer@Brown non-credit program or take dual enrollment classes? HELP!

Nikkay29
Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:20:29 +0000

Hello everyone. I’m afraid that I am in a dilemma in which anyone’s advice would be greatly appreciated.

I recently got accepted into the Summer@Brown program, which I know isn’t much of a big deal since this program basically accepts anyone that is willing to give them money. Although, I was given a full Dean’s Scholarship based on my academic merit and household financial difficulties, meaning that the cost of the program dropped from thousands of dollars to 0 dollars. Basically, I can choose between taking a 1-week course, a 2-week course, a 3-week course, and etc. at no cost.

As you all probably already know, the class that I will be taking will offer no credit. Just an “evaluation” of my performance. Now, for the past 2 summers (I am currently a junior) I have been taking dual enrollment classes at my local community college. These are absolutely wonderful because I have been taking loads of classes (and quite a few which pertain to my hopeful major) that bring up my weighted GPA tremendously. Currently, my weighted GPA stands in the top 5 of my class, which is thanks to the credit that these classes have given me. Unfortunately, the Summer@Brown non-credit classes will contribute nothing to my GPA.

Now, there is a possible solution to this. The summer schedule for dual enrollment classes in my school allows me to attend a 1-week course at Brown. But, ONLY 1-week course. Any additional weeks and classes at the local college will have already begun and I will lose my chance to enroll.

My mother suggests that attending the program for only 1-week wouldn’t be practical, especially if the scholarship I received covers for any amount of weeks. She believes that I should attend the program for a longer period of time and take full advantage of the opportunity I have been given. She doesn’t see any harm in me giving up a chance to take dual enrollment classes.

On the other hand, many of my peers will be spending their summer in those dual enrollment classes. They will be boosting up their GPA’s while I won’t be.

So what should I do? Should I attend the Summer@Brown program for only a week and still be able to take some dual enrollment classes? Or should I attend the program for a few more weeks and take full advantage of it like my mother says, but lose the opportunity to earn college credit/boost up my weighted GPA?

I would love to hear your suggestions! :)