Joan Isaac Mohr
Former Vice President and Dean of Admissions
Quinnipiac University
Dual enrollment can be done in a couple of ways: by taking courses at your high school that are sponsored by a college or university for college credit, or by enrolling (with permission from your high school) in a few courses at a local community college while you're still enrolled in high school. Your decision to do either (or not) should be based on what challenges you want to take on academically. If you can handle the college-level work successfully and your counselor agrees that it’s in your best interest to combine high school and college coursework, then go ahead.
When you apply to colleges, you’ll provide them with evidence of your academic work, and you may be able to transfer college credits earned in high school to save time and money later. But colleges want to see you taking challenging coursework—whether it's dual enrollment, honors classes, AP courses, the IB diploma, or other college-level work—and be successful in your chosen academic program. Since college admission officers receive every imaginable version of "challenging" on student applications, they’ll evaluate you based on the path that you’ve chosen at your high school and how you’ve handled it! In other words, don’t enroll in dual enrollment just to "look good to colleges." Do it because it’s the right path for you to take.
Still have questions about dual enrollment courses? Check out our article on Dual Enrollment: The Secret to Getting Ahead in High School! You can also learn more about Quinnipiac University by clicking the button below: