Dual enrollment is a program offered by most high schools when students have reached the eligibility to take college classes simultaneously while still working toward a high school diploma. Whilst partnering with a university or community college, these classes could be taken on a college campus, online, or at the high school itself.
At Eaton High School, courses do not count toward a student’s GPA, depending on the district’s grading rules, and the state the district is a part of. Usually, the final grade a student earns in a college-level class will show up as is on their transcript, but won’t affect the overall GPA. Whereas, the class taken at or through a college will be inserted into a separate system, and those grades will be stored on the student’s permanent college transcript.
Not assigning weight to concurrent enrollment carries implications about institutional priorities, particularly regarding the balance between the Career Academy and in-class high school instruction.
Brianna Stephanus, one of the guidance counselors at Eaton High School, said, “This [opportunity] depends on the student, how well they thrive under pressure, and what ultimately motivates them. If you’re not someone who’s motivated by getting good grades or gaining admission into a certain college or program, then taking a weighted class might not feel worth it. You have to know yourself and your goals.”
She believes that how willing a student is to thrive under pressure demonstrates their commitment to priorities in their life. If a student isn’t motivated by getting good grades or earning admission into programs, then the dual enrollment experience may come up as unfulfilling. Students are in ultimate control of their opportunities and the motives that drive them academically.
Colleges look favorably on high school students engaging in college coursework because it shows evidence that the student can succeed beyond high school.It demonstrates interest in potential fields of study and specialization, and it sets the student apart from the rest.
The National Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships, wrote in an article about the positive effects of concurrent enrollment, that said, “When compared to DE [dual enrollment] eligible students, DE [dual enrollment] participating students applied to a greater number of institutions, and more of those institutions were moderately and highly selective. In fact, “[t]hese positive impacts seem to be driven primarily by the increased probability of applying to a highly selective four-year college.”
The University of Olivet said on its school’s informational page, “Most colleges don’t just look at your base grades. They also consider how challenging your classes were. Earning solid grades in AP, honors, or IB courses shows that you’ve pushed yourself and are ready for college-level work.”
Earning college credit whilst still being in high school is valuable to admissions committees because it shows that the student will not only survive in the college environment, but thrive in the academic world.
“College admissions officers like to see students engaging in college-level work, because it shows that you are ready for that level of coursework. When they see this, regardless of whether it’s a weighted class or not, it tells them that you have engaged at the college level and could probably be more successful on their campus,” said Stephanus.
While dual enrollment programs are often praised for allowing high school students to earn college credit early, they also present several significant drawbacks that can negatively impact students academically, socially, and financially.
Eva Payne, national TYCA chair, teaches at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon, said in an article, “Underprepared students and students whose dual-enrollment courses are not equivalent to college courses may be awarded low-quality credits without the skills and knowledge needed for continued academic success.” Demonstrating that a student who is dually enrolled may receive the positive benefits of early college classes, or become burdened by the low-quality credits they could receive.
ACT, College and Career Readiness said in an article about college readiness, “It’s important to consider whether you can manage this additional workload and how it could impact your other commitments. Making sure you can realistically handle your schoolwork and other commitments is essential to getting the most out of your dual enrollment experience without becoming overwhelmed.”
For many students, the stresses of being in a dual enrollment course may not seem fulfilling because of the heaver workload, faster-paced classes, time management conflicts, and uncertainty of transferable credits.
Adding dual enrollment credits would be advantageous to both the student taking them and the school district the student is a part of, boosting GPAs [almost 1.0 higher]; demonstrating college readiness, and full reflection of the students’ total academic record. Especially as colleges could use either an unweighted or weighted GPA to indicate coursework that was taken.
Stephanus said, “Some colleges actually only ask for an unweighted GPA, because they think it levels the playing field a little bit more. A weighted GPA, though, usually shows them if you’ve done any weighted [more rigorous] classwork and, again, if you’ll be able to manage with the heavier rigor of college courses.”
Depending on the circumstances of the application that a college may receive, that decides whether or not a weighted or unweighted GPA matters going into consideration. A weighted GPA shows the grit, perseverance, and rigorous work that a student might have done to achieve academic success., whereas an unweighted GPA could be used to level the playing field and identify academic success in regular high school classes.
Although grading doesn’t always define academic success, it can help students strive to achieve more in their time in high school. Dual enrollment offers the ability to get a jump start in their future, as well as boosted points to a GPA, and opportunities to grow academically and emotionally.
