Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Further, for placement purposes, colleges will only take AP tests. They generally have a strong preference for AP classes over DE as DE is seen as less rigorous due to peer group differences between the two.

Are you sure? That does not seem right. AP and dual enrollment are different things. AP is an exam based pathway for placement and sometimes credit, while NOVA dual enrollment is actual college coursework on an accredited transcript.

I just checked the official transfer databases for schools like UVA, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Purdue, and they show real credit being awarded for NOVA courses such as Calculus I, II, III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Discrete Structures, programming, history, and economics.

That is more than placement. That is transferable college credit.

I agree some elite private schools may evaluate DE more selectively, but saying colleges generally only take AP for placement and view DE as less rigorous does not match what these universities themselves publish.

Anonymous wrote:3.8 UW GPA is a little low for T20 colleges. Even if the school accepts transfer credits from CC, you still want to take those classes again in a top school — the quality and difficulty of classes is night and day difference.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking for advice from parents/students with real experience.
My child is a Virginia student with:
1595 SAT
3.8 unweighted GPA
Very rigorous schedule
Strong coding background since childhood
Interested in advanced math, computer science, engineering, and eventually Wall Street algorithm / trading / math driven careers

NOVA direct and dual enrollment courses completed or in progress:
Calc I, II, III
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Discrete Structures
Computer Organization
English / History / Gov

We are considering:
MIT
Princeton / Cornell
Carnegie Mellon
Georgia Tech
Purdue
Vanderbilt
Michigan
Texas Austin
Texas A&M
UVA
Virginia Tech

Some are reaches, but I feel he should aim high.

His biggest concern is making sure NOVA credits transfer so he does not retake courses. Virginia schools seem safest for that, but I worry he is overvaluing guaranteed transfer credit.

He is also not very into the liberal reputation of UVA, though maybe that matters less in math / CS / engineering.

Questions:
Has anyone had NOVA credits transfer to these schools?
Do advanced math credits transfer as real credit or just placement?
Do CS courses transfer?
Is prioritizing transfer credit a mistake if stronger schools are options?
If this were your child, stay in Virginia or aim higher?

Go ahead and buy the lottery tickets in the RD round but do not use your SCEA/ED on MIT, Princeton and CMU. This profile will not get in for CS or engineering in those 3 schools and you will be wasting your ED. Reasonable high reaches (not targets) for this profile are Cornell, GA Tech, Purdue and Michigan. If applying as a math major instead and full pay, ED Chicago if higher ranked schools are a priority for you.

Anonymous wrote:If unhooked, GPA wayyy too low for top schools.

Anonymous wrote:Looking for advice from parents/students with real experience.
My child is a Virginia student with:
1595 SAT
3.8 unweighted GPA
Very rigorous schedule
Strong coding background since childhood
Interested in advanced math, computer science, engineering, and eventually Wall Street algorithm / trading / math driven careers

NOVA direct and dual enrollment courses completed or in progress:
Calc I, II, III
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Discrete Structures
Computer Organization
English / History / Gov

We are considering:
MIT
Princeton / Cornell
Carnegie Mellon
Georgia Tech
Purdue
Vanderbilt
Michigan
Texas Austin
Texas A&M
UVA
Virginia Tech

Some are reaches, but I feel he should aim high.

His biggest concern is making sure NOVA credits transfer so he does not retake courses. Virginia schools seem safest for that, but I worry he is overvaluing guaranteed transfer credit.

He is also not very into the liberal reputation of UVA, though maybe that matters less in math / CS / engineering.

Questions:
Has anyone had NOVA credits transfer to these schools?
Do advanced math credits transfer as real credit or just placement?
Do CS courses transfer?
Is prioritizing transfer credit a mistake if stronger schools are options?
If this were your child, stay in Virginia or aim higher?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Further, for placement purposes, colleges will only take AP tests. They generally have a strong preference for AP classes over DE as DE is seen as less rigorous due to peer group differences between the two.

Are you sure? That does not seem right. AP and dual enrollment are different things. AP is an exam based pathway for placement and sometimes credit, while NOVA dual enrollment is actual college coursework on an accredited transcript.

I just checked the official transfer databases for schools like UVA, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Purdue, and they show real credit being awarded for NOVA courses such as Calculus I, II, III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Discrete Structures, programming, history, and economics.

That is more than placement. That is transferable college credit.

I agree some elite private schools may evaluate DE more selectively, but saying colleges generally only take AP for placement and view DE as less rigorous does not match what these universities themselves publish.