When applying to college, students are looking to create an advantage whenever they can. Whether it’s through communication with the admissions office, completing forms, or planning college visits, they want to make an impression on decision-makers. Another thing you should consider utilizing is dual enrollment.
In this article, we’ll explain the concept and its advantages and disadvantages. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to get the most out of this practice and gain a headstart over your peers.
Dual Enrollment Basics
The great thing about dual enrollment is that it allows you to take university classes while still attending high school. Even better, these classes will have an impact on both your college credit and high school credit. If you finish the entire dual enrollment, you’ll be able to reduce the number of classes you take, as these credits are transferable.
It’s worth mentioning that the rules for these programs vary from school to school. The recommended course of action is to first determine what you want to major in college. Otherwise, you’ll eliminate classes and gain knowledge that isn’t relevant to your future studies.
It isn’t a bad idea to pay for college admissions consulting services. These educational experts will help you find the ideal major according to your current preferences and even help you get into the best schools in America.
Dual Enrollment vs. Honors Classes vs. Advanced Placement Courses
To fully understand dual enrollment, we should also compare it with advanced placement and honors courses.
Advanced Placement
Through advanced placement courses, high school students are able to take classes at the college level. The program is run by high school teachers under the supervision of the college board. Similar to dual enrollment, advanced placement is ideal for students who are ambitious and specialize in a specific area.
Through advanced placement, these students can attain additional knowledge which isn’t available in the standard curriculum. As you can expect, these courses are much tougher than the regular high school courses, requiring more critical, objective thinking and independent learning.
Honors Classes
Similar to the dual enrollment, honors classes will vary from high school to high school. They’re another form of high-difficulty classes that cover a lot of material during a shorter time span. An interesting thing about honors classes is that, due to their difficulty, they can help students obtain scholarships and other assistance.
Unlike dual enrollment, honors classes don’t provide extra credits. Instead, they mainly serve as preparation courses for students about to attend college. Another thing that differentiates honors classes from dual enrollment is that honors classes are available at each high school grade.
The Advantage of Dual Enrollment
There are lots of reasons why students go for dual enrollment, including:
1. Challenging Studies
The main thing about these courses is that they’re much more challenging than the regular curriculum. They’re especially great for students who are unsure whether or not to go to college, showing them what to expect once they enroll.
Dual enrollment prepares you for everything that comes after, and by finishing the courses, you can prove to yourself that you can do it. The best thing yet is that you won’t waste any effort; the credits are transferred and applied to your future coursework, eliminating some of the future subjects.
2. Cost-Effective
Through dual enrollment, parents are able to reduce the college expenses. Keep in mind that the fees for these classes are fully covered through your school’s partnership. A child will have a good opportunity to experience a college workload without incurring any costs in advance.
We also can’t neglect the potential impact of dual enrollment courses on scholarships. If a student has already obtained enough credits to cover several subjects, this means they’re already closer to their college degree. In these situations, their future school is much more willing to provide a helping hand, whether in the form of financial or housing aid.
3. Faster Education
Someone who has already finished a few courses through dual enrollment will finish their studies much quicker. These students will enter the college with halfway done or fully completed prerequisites. As such, they’ll not only finish college earlier but also have a chance to think of electives and double majors.
The Disadvantage of Dual Enrollment
While dual enrollment does sound great in theory, it does require a lot of additional work. Here are a few common issues students struggle with:
1. Not Transferable Credits
The worst thing that can happen to you is to finish a dual enrollment course and realize these credits won’t transfer to college. There are a few reasons why this might happen. For example, if you’re going to a private school, there’s a chance that admissions offices won’t accept it as they can’t corroborate the classes’ merits.
Another reason why credit might not be accepted is that your high school is in another state. There are also situations where colleges verify the credit but don’t take it into consideration for the degree. So, if you’re looking to study in another state or private college, it might be better to go with advanced placement.
2. College Experience
Truth be told, college years are a wondrous time. Not only will you learn numerous things that are applicable in the real world, but you’ll also meet a lot of great friends and create professional connections. Hastening the process will deprive you of that experience, forcing you to join the workforce at a much younger age.
To make matters worse, when students enroll in a college and have already finished all the prerequisite courses, they don’t attend classes with people of their age. Instead, they’ll go with the older crew, which might affect their social connections.
Conclusion
Dual enrollment programs are fantastic for young, ambitious minds. They allow students to finish certain courses at a very young age, even before starting their classes. Dual enrollment can also be cost-effective, as you’ll spend fewer years going to school.
Also Read: Discovering Excellence: A Look at New Jersey’s Best Colleges and Universities/
