Did your teen have a dual enrollment class later demoted to an “elective” at their target college? If you’re upset, I have 3 reasons you should reconsider your anger.
Your teen takes SOC241 “Cultural Perspectives of the World” as a dual enrollment student through an online university. Upon sending his transcript to his target university, you just found out that this course won’t count toward his “World Cultures” requirement and will be “demoted” to an elective. You’re angry.
Don’t be.
In the world of degree completion, there are big picture concepts, finer nuanced concepts. Often the finer nuanced concepts are so hyper-specific, that it’s impossible to learn them all! In other words, what we know is true about ABC College, may not be true at XYZ University. That can be frustrating for HS4CC parents, especially when we give so much of our time to resourceful high school planning. If I could keep your attention focused on the big picture concepts, and not get too tangled up in the details, you’ll see that this reassignment (not a demotion) is fine, and will still serve your son!
Tuition for electives costs the same as tuition in-major! This may seem obvious, but if your student has to take a class, the college isn’t going to charge you less just because the class is an elective. As such, this course STILL saved your teen money! If the college charges $1,500 for a required course, they also charge $1,500 for an elective. That they accepted the class for ANY slot means you saved tuition- no matter where they put the class.
All classes provide knowledge. I realize this is a little cheesy, but I genuinely believe that every class our studentstake is a seed in their knowledge garden and can leave a lasting impression. No class is wasted, but even when it’s categorized toward a credential differently than we expect, that class gives your student a little something “extra” that the rest of the students in his major probably didn’t have the opportunity to learn! This is an edge that may come out in several unexpected ways.
University branding. This is not meant to be a criticism, but each university has a specific level of conformity it strives for in its graduates. This can be called many things, but let’s call it “university branding” for the sake of this post. The more time a student spends in major-specific coursework, the more opportunities they have to collaborate with peers, build relationships, network with professors, and develop mentorship connections. That immersion strengthens both their academic experience and their professional network. The student has the opportunity to develop the characteristics of one who is an alumnus of the university.
Universities are intentional about shaping their graduates. Their “brand” is built through shared coursework, faculty influence, and a common academic perspective. When students take more of their major classes directly from the institution, they become more fully representative of the brand.
Elective for the Win
If a course is accepted, it will save you time and money. That’s a win! My advice is to direct your energy towards general education courses and electives. The courses in the major can be taken at the university, and you’ll likely have a better-educated student for it.
