I’m a sophmore in high school and this summer I am set on dual enrolling political science (intended major). I also have a passion of business, so I was considereing the option of also dual enrolling in a business class. Would It be better to take a sat prep course or take the business class.
Senior in hs here so not an expert, but I think it depends on which you need more; is your SAT score significantly lower than you want it to be and your interest in business is reflected/satisfied in other things you do? Take the SAT course. Is your SAT score only a bit lower than you want it to be and either you want to demonstrate that you are interested in business for college apps or…just genuinely want to have fun and learn about business and do something for yourself and not college apps? Take the course. Khan Academy is a great asset for SAT prep too!
Sure - you’re an expert - and you’ve just gone through this!! And there is no license - your feedback is super relevant (IMHO).
I concur - prepping for the SAT but that shouldn’t preclude also taking a class. But frankly, why do you, as a 10th grader, need to dual enroll?
Are you old enough to get a job? If so, get one - at a restaurant, grocery store, lifeguard, wherever.
Or spend time helping in the community - a food bank, animal shelter, senior home, boys/girls club, etc.
No reason to take a dual enrollment class.
It’s unnecessarily overdoing it.
1 Like
Look at the course schedules for the summer classes and the time frame.
Is it 3 weeks? It may sound like a great idea to knock out a college course in three weeks, but that is a wild pace that leaves little room for other things. That is 16 weeks in 3 weeks…each day of class is equal to a week of reading, studying, writing, etc…
Is it 6 weeks slightly better, but still condensed.
Remember any college courses must be reported when you apply to colleges.
Maybe look at a summer college class that is extended, not 3weeks. With that pace you can work or volunteer somewhere of interest, and prep for the act/sat at your own pace.
I mainly wanted to dual enroll to explore my intrests more. Do you think getting a job would carry more weight than dual enrolling?
It cannot be accurately predicted whether summer college courses or a job will be better for college admissions a few years from now, since colleges and majors applied to can vary.
For SAT prep, have you considered self-prep using available sample questions and tests to see what types of questions you need the most prep for?
1 Like
Since you’re interested in political science and 2024 is an election year, get involved with a local campaign. 2 benefits: you are more likely to make an impact if it’s a local campaign or a local group and you’re more likely to be able to continue volunteering for that candidate if they win. Start looking and plan to devote plenty of time over the summer and some during the year.
It’ll be more valuable than yet another class both for your experience and for college apps.
Then add test prep if you think you can do well or are hoping to make NMSF through the PSAT in the Fall.
(You can always take AP gov or DE government/poli sci classes during the year.)
1 Like
I think you should focus on improving your EC’s as that will likely matter most in college admissions. SAT prep is a great idea if you have time. I don’t think you need to do the dual enrollment, but even if you decide to, you should be able to both study, do some EC’s and do a college course. Would definently not recommend taking more than 1 DE course though.
1 Like
NO, do not waste your precious summer on test prep. For that matter, don’t dual enroll in business either. Colleges are not going to care about a business class you take as a 15 year old, and probably not a summer class in political science either. They would probably be much more impressed if you did something that interests you this summer, or something that adds dimension to who you are.
If you have a passion for business, why don’t you set up some kind of little business this summer? That would probably be much more interesting for you and for colleges.
1 Like
My personal opinion is a job shows responsibility. A class does not.
If you did not have the ability to complete your diploma in time, I get it.
It’s just my opinion. It’s not to say I’m right. But yes I think there are many benefits from a job- and not just college apps. You learn, you interact, you gain responsibility. You earn money
An internship will see you worked and that will impress them vs someone who hasn’t.
1 Like
I totally agree with the advice about the class. But, I think prepping and getting testing out of the way could be valuable, that way EC’s could be improved next summer when it matters most. Definently, should still do some this summer, but in my personal experience, my choice to do the ACT in Fall of junior year after prepping over the summer was a great one that is paying off pretty well. Just my thoughts, but I might be wrong.
I believe you are a high school student? Sometime in the future, you might wish you had spent your summer doing something a lot more entertaining than test prep. As you know, I’m a tutor. I’m happy to be working with students, but I can testify that kids I see during the summer would almost certainly rather be elsewhere.
OP: My opinion, any test prep course is a total waste of time and money. They are outrageously expensive. If you must, spend the money on private tutoring, which will probably work out to be cheaper and will cater to your individual needs.
2 Likes
I’m just one of those weird kids that enjoyed take the standardized tests lol. But totally see what you’re saying.
Remember this old chestnut:
No one on their deathbed wishes they had spent more time at the office.
Carpe diem.
4 Likes
OP as a hs senior listen to @Lindagaf; some may love test prep but you only have 4 high school summers. The one after senior year will be different than a normal high school summer, so really you have 3. I would not trade a summer of fun with friends, potentially learning new skills (and earning money) with a job, or doing literally anything else a teenager does in the summer for test prep unless your score is way under where it needs to be. Do things to prepare for college of course, but don’t waste all your high school years and especially summers just to craft the best college app possible.
2 Likes
I do think that being purportedly interested in politcal science and not doing anything about it in an election year when there are dozens of local races looking for volunteers would be a mistake.
I agree, private tutoring was much more effective that prep courses for all of my kids. It wasn’t hard to get tutored during the school year, and my kids were super busy with jobs, varsity sports, club sports and rigorous classes. Tutor was just an hour a week at home, and then practice tests. I do have a weird one who mentioned missing testing (took each 3 times, and that was a lot for a 2021 graduate with so many cancellations). She’s studying for her 3rd actuary exam which makes her happy.