Taking Online Classes (non-SFUSD)
If you are unable to take a class you want at your high school because it’s already filled, the schedule doesn’t work out, or it’s a class that your school doesn’t teach, you can take a class at an online high school. However, since these classes are outside of SFUSD, be sure to get approval from your high school counselor before enrolling!
Important Things to Know:
Different high schools have their own rules regarding needing permission to take outside classes. For instance, if a class is offered at the high school you may not be allowed to take an outside class during the school year, only during summer.
To request permission from your counselor, fill out this Non-SFUSD Course Form .
The course must be “UC-approved” in order to appear on your high school transcript. The websites for the online high schools usually display a “UC” symbol for UC-approved classes.
The most popular online high schools are listed below, but you can also go to the UC HS Articulation Website to browse other schools as well as confirm which classes are UC-approved.
If the class is self-paced, it’s important to be diligent about your homework and tests. It’s a good idea to look at the syllabus and create a schedule for yourself so you can stay on track and not fall behind, or you could end up doing physics for 6 hours a day during winter break!
While a one-semester course is designed to be finished in a standard semester (16-18 weeks), at an online high school you can finish it faster or take longer to complete it. For instance, BYU Independent gives you up to a year to complete a one-semester class. However, if you want your final grade before a certain deadline (e.g. end of summer), take the final at least 1-2 weeks beforehand since it will take time for the final to be graded and your transcript to be ready to show. Also, some classes require the final exam to be proctored, which means you would take the test at home but under supevision through your camera.
If your counselor doesn’t approve a course, you could still choose to take it as long as you are okay with it not being added to your SFUSD high school transcript. On your college application, you would still be able to enter the course and your grade under the section for "Other High Schools Attended."
Online High Schools
All of the below schools offer self-paced classes, and except for UC Scout, they are are flexible with start and end dates.
Silicon Valley High School (SVHS) - Least expensive and probably the most popular of all the SFUSD-approved options.
UC Scout - University of California Only the “On-Demand” classes are approved. These classes have set start and end dates. For instance, a semester may run from mid-August to mid-January and while students can start anytime and go at their own pace, they have to finish the class by the official end date.
Click here for Instructions & Advice for Taking a Community College Class