Graduating High School with an Associates Degree

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi, I am currently a junior in high school, but I take 2-3 college courses at a community college every semester. I almost have enough credits to get my associates degree right now (I could if I took classes over the summer), but I am going to wait until my senior year of high school so I can have a triple-major (chemistry, physics, and engineering).</p>

<p>What advantages/disadvantages will this put me at when applying to colleges? Do I apply as a freshman and then enter as a junior, or would I transfer?</p>

<p>I am interested in engineering. These are the college courses that I have taken/will take:
Freshman year (of HS):
Pre-Calculus
Human Physiology</p>

<p>Sophomore year:
Chemistry 1, Chemistry 2
Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Calculus 3 (summer)
Physics 1 (summer)</p>

<p>Junior Year:
Physics 2, Physics 3
Differential Equations, Linear Algebra
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Cellular Biology</p>

<p>Senior Year:
Organic Chem 1, Organic Chem 2
C++ Programming, Elective</p>

<p>High-school AP Classes: AP STAT, AP Euro, AP Lang, AP US, AP Lit, AP Gov't/Econ, AP Music Theory, AP Psychology, AP Physics</p>

<p>I am interested in engineering or medicine.</p>

2

<p>You apply as a freshmen to maximize scholarships and FA. (transfers don’t get good aid or scholarships)</p>

<p>It doesn’t matter that once your credits transfer in, you’ll have a higher standing. As long as you’re applying while still in high school (which you will be), you apply as an incoming frosh.</p>

3

<p>Most colleges and Universities will consider you an FTIC (first time in college) freshman with Junior standing. Not all courses will transfer if you go private or state but OOS. Definitely apply as a freshman. With competitive in-state U’s, if you don’t get in as a freshman you can be considered as a transfer after the freshman admission cycle is done, and still get in. </p>

<p>My D just graduated HS with her AA. There were times it was confusing, but not only was she eligible for freshman scholarships as an FTIC freshman, she was eligible for transfer scholarships from the CC. Let’s just say she banked.</p>

4

<p>What sunny said. Dual enrollment does not a transfer make you! You’ll be considered a new freshman, and you want to be a new freshman - for aid, as mentioned earlier, but also to take advantage of the programming available to new freshmen once you’re on campus. </p>

<p>As to the transfer credits themselves? Well, that’s big, fat “it depends.” Some of your very top schools don’t take transfer credits at all. Others will not accept credits if you also got high school credit for the course. Schools in the “more selective” category (as opposed to highly selective) often cap the amount of credit they will accept from dual credit courses. The closest one to me, for example, won’t allow you to transfer in more than 32 hours of coursework that you earned while a high school student. Run of the mill LACs and State Us that have an articulation agreement with your community college will take it all.</p>

<p>Just a cautionary note, however. While the credits may transfer, students often find that the community college equivalent of a particular course was not as rigorous as the 4 year version, and there’s a steep learning curve once one hits those junior level requirements. Consider taking for transfer gen eds - history, fine arts, literature, etc.</p>

5

<p>One more for the dual-enrollment = freshman. My son (home-schooled) has an AS and was eligible for freshman scholarships. He got some huge ones from schools he didn’t choose, and only NMF from his favorite, which doesn’t give much merit aid. The same is true for the credits; some schools would have taken a lot of them, but his elite school doesn’t take much. So apply as a freshman, and know that generally merit scholarships and transfer credits go down with the academic quality of the school.</p>

6

Is it too late to try and get my associates degree along with my high school diploma at the same time, I am currently a rising junior. I know what career I am pursuing, I would like to be a teacher. Please anyone with anythiing helpful will be greatly appreciated.

7

“Is it too late to try and get my associates degree along with my high school diploma at the same time, I am currently a rising junior.”

This would be something that you need to ask the Dual-Enrollment coordinator at your own high school. That person knows the details of the various options that are open to you.