Shorten Their Time to Degree With Summer School

This is the second in my “making the most of summer” series. We often look at summer school as a way for students to make up after failing a course, or if they’re otherwise behind. But there are other good reasons to take summer classes, such as a way to graduate early!

Graduating on Time

For many universities, students need 120 semester credits to graduate on time. This translates to 15 credits per semester for 8 semesters for students who want to graduate in exactly four years. So far, so good. Sometimes this can be tough, especially when students take a really tough course load during a semester. On the other hand, some may overload with 18 credits during a semester when the courses align just the right way. Overloading carries some risk, but enrolling in summer school to graduate on time—or early—carries far less risk. Summer school offers students the ability to maximize their time.

Graduating Ahead of Schedule

Summer school can also help students by accelerating their progress toward graduation. By completing prerequisite courses or electives during the summer, they can free up space in their schedules for more advanced coursework during the regular academic year. Other students take really tough courses during summer school so they can focus only on that course. One of my former students took her required math course in the summer and said it was the best thing she’d ever done.

It’s Often More Intense

The condensed nature of summer school courses provides a more intensive learning experience. Student have fewer distractions and a shorter time frame in summer. This encourages them to become immersed in their studies early, often leading to greater focus and academic achievement. Summer schools classes are also often smaller, which can make it easier for faculty to help students who need their assistance. Students often tell me that they retain what they’ve learned in summer school classes more easily because of how intense they are. And the more credits they earn during the summer, the earlier they can graduate.

It May Cost Less

Summer school can help students earn their degrees earlier, but it’s important to compare summer tuition costs to the regular semester. Student and families should also consider how taking summer classes may impact their financial aid. The last thing they want to do is to lose some financial aid eligibility during a regular semester because of summer classes. But if that is a danger, you might consider paying for summer school out of pocket, if that’s possible.

What To Do While in High School

High school students can work on graduating from college early, too. Ideally, planning for this should ideally start early in high school, long before they set foot on a college campus.

High school students can take advantage of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, and dual enrollment opportunities to earn college credits while still in high school. While AP courses get a lot of the attention in rankings of high school rigor, they’re only the most well-known way to earn college credits while still in high school.

What’s Happening at Their Community College?

Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college courses while simultaneously completing their high school requirements. By participating in these programs, students can earn both high school and college credits, which reduces the time and cost of earning a college degree. Examine the policies of your local community college. Does it allow students with a certain grade point average to enroll in college courses during the summer? If so, that’s an excellent way to earn early college credits, and to learn how college classes operate. For example, entering college students are often stunned by the amount of work they’re expected to do outside of class. If they learn this during summer school, they’ll be far better prepared when they enroll in college full-time.

Other Options

Both high school and college students can also pursue credit-by-exam programs, such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and the DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests). These offer students the chance to earn college credits through standardized exams. Students may be able to bypass some introductory college courses if they earn high enough scores on these tests. Check with their college of choice to see which CLEP or DANTES scores are accepted.

Some universities also offer some accelerated degree options. My daughter’s university offered a three-year degree option for several majors, which, not surprisingly, involves at least two complete summer school sessions. While many students want to (and often need to) use the summer for earning money for college, they may still be able to take a summer school class or two.

Students have options when it comes to completing their degrees on time, or even early if they take the proper steps. And given the cost of a college degree, it makes sense to consider ways to reduce that financial burden.

For High School Students:

Juniors, have you narrowed your list of potential colleges from 20 to 10? If not, you still have some work to do!

For College Students:

With the challenges with FAFSA this year, be sure to maintain contact with your student’s financial aid office. Since most of us need to know what we’re paying before we decide where to attend (or keep attending), the closer we are to the financial aid office, the better.

Upcoming:

Ever consider using summer vacation for a few college visits? Might be worth it!

This is a publication of collegeandparents.com, a service of Talley Creative LLC. Visit?collegeandparents.com?to explore the site and learn how to be the best partner you can be to your current or future college student.