What You Need To Know About The UC Scout
What is UC Scout?
What exactly is UC Scout? This initiative is spearheaded by the University of California’s Student Academic Preparation and Education Partnerships (SAPEP) program. It aims to develop and provide A-G-approved online classes and curricula to students from different parts of the world. The UC Scout is headquartered at UC Santa Cruz and is passionately aligned with the university’s core values and community principles.
The educational resources offered by UC Scout are intended to spark a student’s interest in life and prepare them for a technologically advanced society where education and employment are more asynchronous, mobile, and self-directed.
How does the UC Scout work?
“Reach out to educationally disadvantaged students across the state, improving achievement levels and decreasing achievement disparities,” states UC Scout when asked what its goals are. Even pupils who are not impoverished can participate in the program, presenting a chance that students can take advantage of in order to enroll in the college of their choice.
A-G-approved courses are among the courses it offers using transcripts that you can attach to your college application. No matter which university you are attempting to enter, some of their programs are NCAA authorized and accredited. As a result, it’s a great option to fill in any gaps in your academic history if your high school is unwilling to offer you a certain course.
Moreover, Basic and Plus courses are free for students and public school kids in California. For a modest cost, private and out-of-state schools can access Basic and Plus courses. A certified UC Scout instructor is using the $399 On-Demand courses from UC Scout.
The courses offered by the UC Scout are accessible and taken online through a learning management system. Although the course can be used by both students and instructors as a stand-alone session, some prefer to use the Basic or Plus courses to support in-person instruction. Online education requires commitment. You’ll need to finish the readings, see the lectures, engage in the optional discussion boards, do the assignments, pass the examinations and quizzes, write the essays, and go to the weekly optional live sessions in On-Demand.
The UC Scout On-Demand courses usually take one or two semesters. The average student takes four months to finish a semester, but those students usually have a full schedule of other classes as well. The work you do in on-demand courses is regarded as independent study and is done at your own pace. You must complete all of your work for On Demand before the last day of class.
Students can access free online course material through UC Scout under the supervision of a teacher or guidance counselor at their school, or they can pay to enroll in a premium course taught by a qualified UC Scout instructor. (Some scholarships are available to cover the $299 charge for courses taken at the student’s convenience or the $169 fee for courses taken during a specific term.) The contents and platform can also be used by schools to deliver courses that they might not otherwise be able to. All programs are approved and accredited by the UC.
UC Scout utilizes ProctorU, an online proctoring service, for On-Demand courses. A webcam and microphone are needed to complete the midterm and final exams in these courses. During the test-taking period, students will be recorded while the proctor shares their computer screen with them.
In 2016–17, 1,992 students enrolled in 3,672 courses at 259 schools that took part in the UC Scout program. The educational institutions from which the enrolled students came included public schools, charter schools, independent study programs, juvenile detention centers, adult education facilities, and community colleges.
Scott Hill, vice president for the western region at the College Board, said, “We want to make sure that all students with the capacity to thrive in AP coursework are able to take advantage of those possibilities.” “We welcome the latest UC Scout program expansion, which will assist even more California students in being ready for college and career success.”
The courses under the UC Scout
What are the courses under the UC Scout? There are eight core courses in the UC Scout course catalog. There are then several classes available for each course. Here is the complete list of the core courses:
- English
- Science
- Mathematics
- History / Social Sciences
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Computer Science
- Foreign Languages
- College Prep Electives
How much are the UC Scout courses?
So how much do students pay if they want to be part of UC Scout? In-state students can participate in programs at no cost, and out-of-state students can pay up to $50. There is a program that offers you an instructor on demand as well. There are programs you can apply for to offset the cost, and the fee is quite low.
Also, there is a program discount code if you live in California. You only need to fill out a short form. If you require help with the fee, speak with your college advisor.
Bridging gaps in preparation for college
These days, you need homework to support your academic potential in order to be a competitive applicant to highly selective universities. If you are unable to enroll in the course you desire, this may be challenging. In some situations, the subject might not even be offered at your school. Thus, whether your high school doesn’t offer AP Physics 1 or it puts you in Common Core Geometry. You can use UC Scout to take classes that your high school doesn’t offer instead of your preferred algebra course.
There are frequent use cases for potential engineering majors. For instance, many students are put on a math track that prepares them for precalculus in the 12th grade. On the other hand, a few of their classmates will have finished calculus by then. It would be a good idea for the kid to think about signing up for a UC Scout On-Demand course for AP Calculus AB in order to make up for the competitive disadvantage.
Separately, AP Physics is often not offered to engineering majors until their senior year. This makes it impossible for pupils to show that they are proficient in physics before completing their college applications. As a result, UC Scout can help students who want to show that they have this ability before submitting their college applications by bridging the educational, major-focused gap. You need to learn more about which major-specific courses you should enroll in and strive for As.
One can use UC Scout to fill in educational gaps in the high school curriculum for any major by using the use cases mentioned above as examples.
Final words
UC Scout, like any extracurricular coursework, will only be beneficial if you receive an A in the classes you enroll in. In order to increase your chances of achieving an A in these courses, it is advisable to start preparing early. Last but not least, we advise students to complete any outside coursework during the summer months once school has concluded. Six academic classes to manage is already a challenge. The last thing you want is to become exhausted and perform poorly in every lesson.
Take your time, as some of the programs are already-recorded video courses. Avoid rushing through it and suffering from a subpar grade. Thus, you should adequately prepare for it just like you would for any other test, such as the SAT or ACT.
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