Massive open online courses have been changing how Internet-savvy students learn since they first appeared in 2008. Originally hailed as a revolution with the power to make traditional colleges obsolete, MOOCs are now often seen as a supplement to in-person education.
Although useful in their own right, MOOCs also offer high school students the opportunity to distinguish themselves from their peers. Here are five pieces of advice to help students make the most of a MOOC on a college application.
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1. Establish goals: The most obvious use of a MOOC is to address weaknesses in your high school performance or augment your curriculum. If your high school focuses on basic science classes, you can use a MOOC to demonstrate your commitment to subjects like anatomy or astronomy. If you don’t have access to an Advanced Placement English literature and composition course, for example, consider enrolling in a western literature MOOC.
If you received an uncharacteristically poor grade in a high school course, you can also select a MOOC to demonstrate that you are determined to correct past mistakes. The most important aspect of this stage is to identify the specific goal you are working toward.
2. Know your audience: Research the admissions qualifications for your short list of colleges. If you plan to request immediate entry to a major, your choice of MOOCs can emphasize your commitment to that course of study. A high school student who has already completed several introductory classes in his or her intended major may be taken much more seriously than a student who appears to have little familiarity with his or her proposed course of study.
Alternatively, your major-specific foundation may be solid, but your preferred college is interested in well-rounded individuals who are curious about the world. You may fit that description perfectly but have a transcript that does not necessarily demonstrate the same breadth.
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If you are applying to a science program at a liberal arts school, an online class in art history or international politics can highlight your full range of interests. Likewise, a MOOC focusing on biomechanics or math can help an aspiring art student demonstrate an interest in the world beyond his or her studio.
3. Seek proof of completion: Some MOOCs offer certificates of completion, while others do not. Tools like MOOC List or Coursera enable you to search specifically for MOOCs that offer some form of acknowledgment. Even if a course includes a certificate, it is often wise to conduct further research about what this means.
There is currently no centralized standard for certification, so MOOCs can vary in their requirements. Try to choose courses for which proof of completion is easy to share. Remember that you will be sharing your accomplishments with an admissions department that will wish to verify your claims.
4. Share your accomplishments: MOOC List also has a tool that allows users to aggregate their completed MOOCs in one easy-to-share location. Because the Internet landscape evolves quickly, do your best to avoid relying on a single tool, but do maintain a list of your MOOCs — ideally one that also showcases your certificates.
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Keep in mind that most college applications will not have a field for listing MOOCs, so you may need to be creative in how you alert the admissions staff to your record. One possible method is to integrate your completed or ongoing classes into your social media profiles. Your experiences as a high school student in courses intended for college students could be the subject of a blog.
The admissions essay is another way to allude to your MOOC credentials. Many colleges will ask for evidence of leadership, of independence and of moments where you showed initiative. Completing a MOOC demonstrates all three.
5. Be proactive: Many MOOCs are designed by accomplished instructors for students at elite institutions. As a high school student, you may find the subject matter of a class difficult. Be proactive in seeking help, through message boards associated with the course, online videos not formally part of the course or teachers at your high school.
College will be challenging, so treat this experience as a tune-up. Keep a record of your struggles and use them in your admissions essays. Remember, too, that this is just another step on a lifelong journey.
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5 Strategies to Strengthen College Applications With a MOOC originally appeared on usnews.com
