being respectful of teen posters

Paying for College
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Don’t you need a local branch of your state U for that, or does the Running Start kind of arrangement work with CCs as well?</p>

<p>I did notice that our state system is offering free classes to HS students now, some of which are online, but I don’t think there’s a formal program like running start where they can get an AA with dual credit offered by their HS. (Also, don’t many universities refuse to take transfer credit for which the student also got HS credit for some reason?) And there is a program at one of the state colleges for HS seniors, where they complete their last year of HS and first year of college simultaneously. For students outside of commuting distance, they can live on campus, but obviously that is only an option for students ready to leave home early. </p>

<p>So… our state is starting to expand the options for HS students, but there’s a long way yet to go. Obviously living rurally was our choice, and just as many financial choices limit a student’s options, so do such choices of where to live. </p>

<p>My DS is using Thinkwell for Calculus BC because our HS only goes up to Calculus AB and we couldn’t find a college calculus class that would be accessible for him, for example. Our community college does not even offer something suitable. </p>

<p>People seem to take for granted that a kid can just take classes at the local CC or state U branch, and have those as options going forward. The one kid I know who is doing CC for his first 2 years is commuting over an hour to a CC in a different state.</p>

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<p>Do you run the net price calculators yourself for each of the kid’s proposed colleges yourself in order to help him/her make a financially realistic application list? I.e. kid says that s/he is interested in colleges A, B, C, D, E. You don’t want to tell him/her your income and other financials, but you run the net price calculators on all of them and find out (for example) that A, B, and D are likely affordable on need-based financial aid, but C would require a huge merit scholarship, and E is unaffordable and does not offer merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>Many of the AP courses are relatively lightweight compared to frosh-level college courses, covering a semester’s worth of college course over a year in high school. So a high school schedule with 6 AP courses may only cover as much material as 6 one-semester college courses rather than 6 year-long college courses.</p>

<p>Also, the environment of college courses requires more self-motivation; there is much less hand-holding compared to high school. Frosh calculus at a college and AP calculus BC at a high school may cover mostly the same material at the same pace, but the college course will assume that the student is more self-motivated to keep up on his/her own.</p>

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<p>This appears to be more common with private universities than public universities. Public universities tend to be generous with credit units, so that students graduate more quickly and use less of the in-state tuition subsidy. Private universities have the opposite financial motivation. But note that whether the student gets credit units for transferred college courses (or AP scores) is not necessarily the same as subject credit or placement into more advanced courses. In some cases, a student may get credit units that do not otherwise fulfill any requirements; in other cases, a student may get placement into more advanced courses without credit units.</p>

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<p>As to the financial piece, we do not tell our kids the hairy details of our financial situation, but have named an amount that we can afford, and told them which schools are almost sure to be affordable, are likely to be affordable, and which will be financial reaches (only if they get awarded a very competitive large scholarship, for example).</p>

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<p>It is true that students in rural areas do not have the options many other students have. Those students cannot simply commute to school … often, not even to a CC. I wish there were better options for these students. The lack of options post-graduation may help explain why the graduation rate is low in many rural areas in my state.</p>

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<p>I’d be interested in the % of HS students participating in the Running Start type programs mentioned. Can’t find the stats. I can’t imagine it’s more than a few % of top students if that. The AP comparison isn’t relevant for the reasons UCB gave.</p>

<p>Threads like this one are more frustrating to me than anything a teen might write because it’s an adult not facing financial reality:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1599527-what-dollar-value-fafsa-efc-036651-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1599527-what-dollar-value-fafsa-efc-036651-a.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Back on topic, just don’t express something here to a teen or adult for that matter in a way that you wouldn’t say to someone in person. It’s an easy test.</p>

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<p>ucbalumnus- Our oldest applied before the NPC’s were required to be posted on the websites. Like many parents we fumbled through the financial aspect of the process, and also like others, made some mistakes. However, by going through this and doing the FAFSA, we got a good idea of what the price would likely be for the schools my kids were interested in.
Yes, we had categories: Colleges A: likely affordable, Colleges B: affordable only with merit aid, Colleges C: over the top, Colleges D: not easily predictable but OK to apply knowing this up front.</p>

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<p>I’d be interested in the % of HS students participating in the Running Start type programs mentioned.>></p>

<p>We moved after oldest DD’s junior year, so she did Running Start her senior year. However, she didn’t care about the “high school experience” and is very self-motivated. She played two sports, but didn’t do any other ec’s because of timing issues. Very few (I can think of only two her year) did RS full time because they wanted to be high school kids. You had to have the counselor’s approval before doing the program and they emphasized to the parents how it does not work well if the kid a) doesn’t want to do it b) isn’t the type to do things without prodding and reminders. It was also a pain to do her senior project since she wasn’t in school when they reviewed proposals, etc. She had to make special appointments to do those things.</p>

<p>My middle DD had zero interest; she was much more social than her sister and wanted to be a high school kid.</p>

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<p>*
Originally Posted by mathmomvt
Also, don’t many universities refuse to take transfer credit for which the student also got HS credit for some reason?
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<p>I’m not sure if a school would do that if an AA was awarded. But, if so, that may only be some privates. I doubt any publics would do this. Most students attend a public univ.</p>

<p>I’d be interested in the % of HS students participating in the Running Start type programs mentioned. Can’t find the stats. I can’t imagine it’s more than a few % of top students if that. The AP comparison isn’t relevant for the reasons UCB gave.</p>

<p>I don’t know, but my 3rd niece was not a Top Student at all…really not! yet she did it. </p>

<p>The AP mention wasn’t a “comparison”, it was just an indication that a large number of students are willing to take them, so that would suggest to me that those same kids could take a CC class.</p>

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<p>Thanks to the many who have supported my plea to be gentle and respectful with teen posters. Above all, please be very careful about criticizing the teen poster’s parents in any way.</p>

<p>I think that this plea should be part of the rules of the forum. Teen posters deserve careful treatment from adult posters.</p>

<p>Also, could we have a groundrule asking that people start their own thread if what they have to say is tangential to the original post?</p>

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<p>I think we do, but that doesn’t mean it always happens. Sorry, I was one of those off on tangents in this thread.</p>

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<p>Aparente…most folks DO start new threads. Some tangents actually are helpful on some threads.</p>

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<p>^^^</p>

<p>True…and once it was pretty much agreed upon that parents be more respectful, what does it matter if the thread diverged a bit? Was there more to say on the original subject?</p>

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<p>I agree sensitive and tactful, but I don’t think we need to be treating these young adults as children. They need specific information so they can understand how parents think/plan or how the entire college process works. No matter what you post someone and somewhere is going to be offended or feelings hurt. We have a wide spectrum and diverse bunch of people in the forum and the entire college process is stressful for most families. And money is a touchy subject. The moderators can shut down any thread and remove posts. In my opinion this forum runs perfectly and doesn’t need more rules. </p>

<p>Half the county is split on any matter. There is going to be difference of opinion on a lot of posts. Plus if you think someone is not being respectful tell them in a PM or in the thread, but be specific. Others will see this and maybe think before they post. </p>

<p>As for starting your own thread… I don’t mind posts unless its way off topic. Plus if someone thinks the post needs it own thread someone usually makes a comment and that person moves on. Most of the time its a new member who doesn’t really understand the flow of the forums. We don’t need people afraid or second guessing about making threads or comments. Sometimes those questions or posts are the best ones that help many. Most people come here for guidance and advice.</p>

<p>What I am trying to say is if my kid came on the thread looking for help or answers I don’t want the answer sugarcoated.</p>

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<p>I agree that we can’t treat them like children since the subject matter is an adult one…college choice, money matters, LOANS, and so forth.</p>

<p>There are kids making “adult decisions” to take on large loans for degrees that won’t have a ROI to justify those loans.</p>

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<p>In regards to college credit earned while in High School, I found that many selective colleges refused to grant college credit for dual enrollment college classes taken inside a high school classroom. For that reason, I guided my kids to take Advanced Placement classes instead of Dual Enrollment. </p>

<p>As of 2 years ago, most of the in-state public colleges in Pennsylvania did accept the Dual Enrollment credits, but some out of state publics did not.</p>

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<p>I got the impression that it was easier for colleges to accept AP credit because it’s standardized. To accept transfer credit, they have to evaluate each class to figure out if it corresponds appropriately to any of their classes and so on. For the small number of true transfer students, they will do this, but for the larger number of freshmen, it seems many schools do not want to bother. Obviously schools that already have a relationship with the school where you took the course would be most likely to accept the credit.</p>

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<p>Off topic a bit here:</p>

<p>Colleges and universities have access to regional and national databases of course equivalencies. This really is no big deal for them. Evaluating courses for potential transfer is truly a matter of seconds in most cases.</p>

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<p>^^^ Yep, set articulation agreements even from one coast to another. My kiddos have been there and done that. With NC and I think to some extent CA, the community college system uses the same course codes to help with course equivalency with the 4 year public campuses. It helps with those navigating the community college to 4 year transfer.</p>

<p>NC has 16 public state campuses. Like CA’s UC system they are all part of the UNC system but have retained much of their original and unique identity. Transfers completing sophomore year at the communty college system here in NC have priority above ALL others seeking a transfer even from one 4 year NC public to another. Before a Harvard transfer.</p>

<p>If all the transfers slots are used up with the CC NC transfers than no one else gets in. For those looking at UNC Chapel and NC State that might have been shut out as high school seniors it is a fantastic opportunity.</p>

<p>Credits at the CC are $50 a unit. A great deal! And here there are many CC’s with satelite campuses in rural areas, also taught in the evenings and weekends at the high schools. Our local district also has buses strategically sent to areas to provide express busing for those wanting to attend the magnets schools and the early college high schools. One of the early college high schools are taught on a community college health care campus. Profs from the community college, the engineering 4 year and from the med school teach some of these courses.</p>

<p>Nursing, radiology techs and other health-care are some of the AAs granted. So the students have options. The can continue at the 4 year, so those looking for a BSN can transfer to 1 of the publics offering a BSN, same as a BS in radiology from UNC-CH’s med school. Engineering AAs matriculate to one of the ABET accredited engineering schools.</p>

<p>This concept has allowed previously before disenfranchised students to see themselves attend and GRADUATE with little to no debt from a 4 year university. Money is longer such a HUGE issue. Instead of AP Calc AB/BC a college level stats class will take them further. Clinical laboratory studies with anatomy and physiology is better than AP Environmental Science.</p>

<p>Its just such a great opportunity and with CC members undervaluing community college does such a disservice. With most students across the US attending public uni’s it seems like such a cost saving and a chance at what might have been out the question previously (graduating from a 4 year).</p>

<p>As far as CC’s being out of reach for some (travel-wise) I am a single mom of 5. With 1 car. In between working I drove kiddos where they needed to be, they took the bus when they could (high school bus, no public transportation) car-pooled, walked/rode bike where they needed to be. They have all since graduated and Bessie (our vehicle) finally left us at 268,000 miles. It can be done,…easy, Nope…but it can be done.</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>On CC in general, I’d agree that community colleges get a bad rap. However, on this board in a particular, I’d have to say that people regularly offer them a viable option, not something at which to turn up one’s nose.</p>