How to inform college about high school class change?

March 10, 2009 5:37 PM

As a high school senior, how should I inform the colleges that I applied to (UCs and CSUs) that I changed a class in my second semester?

When I applied I was required to list the courses I've taken throughout high school and the courses I planned to take in my final semester. I listed the classes that I thought I would be taking, but when second semester began I changed one of my classes. How should I inform the schools of this change? How should I explain the change? Should I email each school individually? Is there any specific info I should include in the email?

posted by alitorbati to Education (8 answers total)

Unless the course was required for admission, I wouldn't bother.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:45 PM on March 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

My college took my high school transcript from my 1st semester senior year, they didn't even bother with the final semester. I wouldn't either unless it's an important class.
posted by nikkorizz at 5:52 PM on March 10, 2009

The college won't care, unless it's a class that they require. Or if it's a class that you think will up your chance of admission, for example if you switched from basket weaving to calculus, then maybe email or call the admissions office and explain why you switched. If the decision hasn't been made yet, it might help.
posted by KateHasQuestions at 5:56 PM on March 10, 2009

Call the admissions office and ask.
posted by gyusan at 6:29 PM on March 10, 2009

(UK point of view.) If they ask you for courses you haven't taken yet there's an implicit assumption that you might change them. Drop them an email if you think it'll help.
posted by katrielalex at 6:34 PM on March 10, 2009

I wouldn't bother with it. Unless your admission was contingent on that particular course, it really doesn't matter.
posted by Netzapper at 7:32 PM on March 10, 2009

Can you ask college/guidance counselor at your high school about this? It's their job to deal with communication of this kind of information between high schools and prospective colleges. The only circumstance I would worry about this is in the case where the course you changed means you no longer satisfy the UC's a-g subject requirements for admission or are really stretching the line with them. If you went from an honors to a non-honors course, that might be relevant to them, so ask your counselor if you really need to report that. Of course, if you went from a non-honors course to an honors course, by all means send them a note!

Seriously though, it's March 10th. You ought to be hearing from these schools Any Day Now (tm). Unless your course change is of earth shattering importance to your application, they really don't care at this point, and even then they probably don't. Relax, and it will all be over soon enough.

Good luck, and I'm sure you'll be happy wherever you decide to go!
posted by zachlipton at 8:09 PM on March 10, 2009

I failed my first class during my final semester and the university didn't care. So if you want to be safe, I'd ask you to just fail the course not worry too much :)
posted by theiconoclast31 at 4:53 AM on March 11, 2009