My dream school is Yale. My high school does not offer AP or IB credits, so I’ve been taking rigorous courses through the local community college. Is there a limit to how many dual enrollment college credits I can earn before I would have to apply to a college as a transfer student? If I take more than 23 college credits, will I have to apply to Yale (or anyother school) as a sophomore?
Most colleges will not require you to apply as a transfer student if all of your college credit was earned before high school graduation. However, check each college’s admissions web pages to be sure.
Generally you don’t want to apply as a transfer student if you can help it…transfer students don’t get the financial aid that freshman do.
You need to read the college’s websites…with AP credits you would still be a freshman at Yale…but could accelerate later. You woudl have to contact them to see what they do with CC credits.
Also, you can read many many many posts these days about someone with a 4.0GPA/2400 SAT didn’t get into any Ivy’s…sure, apply to Yale, but please have many more realistic options…especially your state flagship college which will be easier to transfer credits.
Be very very careful and scour the web sites to see each college’s policy re accepting college classes taken in high school.
Policies are wildly different from college to college. Some colleges (especially elite ones) do NOT accept ANY community college classes taken while in high school, even if they do accept them if they were taken at a 4-year school.
Some won’t accept any courses taken after high school graduation but before college enrollment. Others won’t give credit if the college class counted towards high school graduation. Others have a max number of credits they will take.
Also, some colleges will accept college classes taken online, others will not. Same with college classes that were taught IN a high school.
Call the admissions office if u can’t find a clear policy in the web site.