Harvard Extension School

BHS Independent Study Form

During course selection of the previous spring, fill out the Academic Independent Study form https://drive.google.com/file/d/1543c8uSatELTKuMFz8tbZZH9r84WB4JD/view (no link but mentioned on https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/o/bhs/page/course-selection as of Spring 2024)

• As of Fall 2022, a one semester Harvard Extension School math course (such as Multivariable Calculus) counts as a full year of BHS math credit.
• In-School Independent Study advisor is the Math Curriculum Coordinator.  You need to get their signature.
• Bring the completed form to your guidance counselor.  The BHS deadline for the form is early June, but you should let your guidance counselor know your plans for independent study earlier in the spring, during course selection.

Harvard Extension School Course Registration

Course registration for the fall semester takes place in late July.

• Course Catalog: https://courses.dce.harvard.edu/
• BHS students who take a Harvard Extension course typically start with MATH E-21A, Multivariable Calculus, which takes place in the fall.  This comes after AP Calculus BC. Some students also take Linear Algebra in the spring. https://courses.dce.harvard.edu/?details&srcdb=202301&crn=11648
• Register for the course for credit.
• If you are applying for a Lowell Scholarship (below), as of 2022 you only need to pay half of the Harvard Extension School tuition up front.

Harvard Extension School Scholarship

BHS students are eligible for a Lowell Student Scholarship, which covers half of the cost of tuition for an Extension School course.

• Lowell Student Scholarship: https://extension.harvard.edu/paying-for-school/financing-options-for-nonadmitted-students/
• The scholarship application process starts at around the same time that course registration opens.
• To apply, students will need to submit a short essay and an electronic copy of their BHS transcript.
• The decisions about the Lowell Scholarships come at around the very last day before full tuition is due.  If you receive a Lowell Scholarship, the amount will be applied to your tuition automatically.

Course Credit

From the 2023-2023 BHS Program of Studies:

441-448   Math Independent Study Level: CP/H/AP Year:10-12    Credits: 2.5/5

1. All BHS students need four years (20 credits) of math to meet the graduation requirements. Students who choose to take a college level semester course rather than a math course offered at BHS or who have exhausted all math course offerings at BHS and need to meet the graduation requirements may take an approved course at a college or university in the area  or online.  If a student chooses to take a course that has a financial cost attached to it, the student’s family is responsible for that cost.
2. A college level semester course registered as a Math Independent Study taken toward meeting the graduation requirement of 4 years of math may not be taken as Pass/Fail and will be weighted as 5 credits (previously 2.5 credits). 
3. Once a student has met the math graduation requirements, additional college level semester Math Independent Study courses taken as electives will be weighted at 2.5 credits as they are elected and not required. (Note: If a student is in grade 10 or 11 and takes a second semester college level Math Independent Study course and has not yet completed his math credit requirement, each course will be credited with the 5 credit weight.)