My office in Coralville, is housed out of Kirkwood Regional Center – Johnson County. I get to see a lot of high school students on a daily basis taking advantage of dual credit courses and concurrent classes. Dual credit classes have a lot of advantages, but there are a few things to be aware of as well.
First the pros. Dual credit classes are a chance for students to earn college credit, for free. The school district is paying for the cost of these classes. With the rising cost of college tuition, this is a great way to earn college credit at no cost to the student or the family.
Dual credit classes also give students a taste of the college workload. It gives students insight of what college is like and students can then determine the size of their college workload to take when they move to a college campus.
Dual credit classes can also let students explore possible majors. For those seniors, who still don’t know what they want to major in, this is a great way to explore options.
Now for the cons. Not all colleges accept dual credit classes. This is something to keep in mind, always. Don’t waste your time taking dual credit classes that will not be accepted at the college you’re interested in. It’s important to start planning early, making college visits; talking to college reps. They will be a perfect resource to determine if taking a certain dual credit class is to your advantage. Keep in mind these classes are college classes; they will be part of your college transcript. Students need to take these classes seriously. If a student fails a dual credit class, it could, potential jeopardize college acceptance, financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
My advice is, keep the school counselor and college admissions representatives in the loop. Take their advice when deciding to take dual credit classes.
Lupe - ICAN Coralville and Davenport Centers
Now for the cons. Not all colleges accept dual credit classes. This is something to keep in mind, always. Don’t waste your time taking dual credit classes that will not be accepted at the college you’re interested in. It’s important to start planning early, making college visits; talking to college reps. They will be a perfect resource to determine if taking a certain dual credit class is to your advantage. Keep in mind these classes are college classes; they will be part of your college transcript. Students need to take these classes seriously. If a student fails a dual credit class, it could, potential jeopardize college acceptance, financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
My advice is, keep the school counselor and college admissions representatives in the loop. Take their advice when deciding to take dual credit classes.
Lupe - ICAN Coralville and Davenport Centers
