Dual Enrollment is the perfect opportunity for students to take college classes and receive dual credit to graduate early. There are seasons where students often learn about the program, complete paperwork, and register for classes throughout the school year. The process can be very lengthy and time sensitive. Let’s discuss the application process to take college classes in high school with Dual Enrollment.
1. Find Dual Enrollment Near You
The first step to joining Dual Enrollment is finding information about it in your area. Lucky for you, we have created the Dual Enrollment Near You search engine as the only place where students can go to search a country, state, and/or school in their area and get credible results.
First, you can search your country and state to see if you meet their eligibility guidelines. Then, search a college or university where you would like to take your college classes. The college also has their own requirements you have to meet, but once you do, you can move on to step 2.
If you can find your ideal college with the Dual Enrollment Near You search engine, message us to add it. Also, if you don’t meet the regional, state, or college requirements, check out our article for other ways to earn college credit outside of Dual Enrollment.
2. Attend a Dual Enrollment Orientation
From January to June, spring is the season for Dual Enrollment orientation all over the United States. States and schools will be hosting meetings for students and their parents to learn about the dual credit program. The topics covered are the pros, cons, eligibility requirements, deadlines, etc.
Some areas, like specific Georgia countries, require students to attend orientation every year that they are dual enrolled, so look out for the dates in your area.
Now, step 3 and 4 could go in order and be switched depending on your state, so that is why it’s important to attend orientation. I will give a few examples of how this could be later on.
3. Complete Dual Enrollment Forms
Dual Enrollment has multiple forms for students to fill out and turn in before they register for classes. Keep an eye out for an Intent form, Dual Enrollment Permission, etc. There are deadlines to turn these in usually before the school year starts.
Here’s a few examples of forms for Dual Enrollment students.
4. Apply to a Dual Enrollment College
The next and 2nd most important step is applying to a college where you will take classes. This step is not for students who will be taking college classes at their high school, but you may be required to still apply to the college as a student. To dual enroll you will need to apply as a college student to choose a program, earn a degree, and transfer credits. This step may also require that you submit SAT/ACT scores, provide a letter from a high school counselor, or take a placement exam.
Once you apply and get accepted, move on to the final step.
5. Meet with a College Counselor to Schedule College Classes
Most colleges provide a counselor just for Dual Enrollment students to schedule classes. If not, meet with a college advisor (first year success advisor or your assigned advisor) to decide on your Dual Enrollment schedule.
As a student of Dual Enrollment, you have the option to also receive dual credit if your college class is similar to a high school class you need to graduate. Provide the syllabus to your high school counselor to prove how they should be equivalent. Do this before you register for the college class.
If you are taking Dual Enrollment classes at your high school, meet with your high school counselor to schedule them.
These are the five universal steps of applying for Dual Enrollment to give you a general idea of how you can get started with Dual Enrollment today. Of course, these steps can all depend on your country, state, and school. Now, let’s dive into the application process for 3 colleges.
Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio
College Credit Plus process:
Submit Letter of Intent to your high school by May 1 to sign up for college classes the following school year
Apply for admissions to Columbus State Community College
Take the placement exam to determine what classes you will start with
Complete online orientation, then complete the consent form
Register for classes
University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia
GA Futures Process:
Speak with your high school advisor to make sure you are academically and socially prepared
Create an account with the Georgia Student Finance Commission so you and your parent can complete the dual enrollment funding application and participation agreement
Apply to the University of Georgia with your high school transcript, school report by your counselor, letter of support from your parents, SAT/ACT scores (optional), and teacher recommendation (optional) by May 15
University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida
Dual Enrollment Process:
Fill out UCF’s application and provide high school transcript as well as SAT/ACT scores by May 1
Submit a Dual Enrollment Authorization Form