My mother wants me to dual enroll, and get an associates degree. Before I graduate high school, and apply/go to college. Should I take More AP’s, in stead of Getting an Associates degree? Or take a few AP’s and get the degree? Which is better for elite colleges?
Check with the colleges you want to apply to. Make sure you follow their guidelines for how many college credits you can earn and still be able to apply as an incoming freshman. This is especially true if you are looking for merit aid to help you pay for college. Most of the big money will go to incoming freshman, and almost none at all to transfer students.
There is nothing special about having an actual associates degree in high school. Colleges will view both AP and dual enrollment courses as ways a student can prove they are capable of doing college work. For homeschoolers, having that outside validation is important. Know that you can take college courses without completing a degree, and a lot of colleges will give you credit for your dual enrollment courses.
Each college will differ on what kinds of credits they will accept, some accept CLEP, AP, and Dual Enrollment. Others have restrictions or limits. Some colleges don’t accept community college credits, and some will not accept dual enrollment courses taken online.
Thank you.
In general elite colleges have preferred AP (with tests and high scores) over CC in my experiences with my own kids.
That said, it’s often quite good to have a few CC classes (with A’s) on your application too as that shows you can handle a classroom experience. Those courses can also give you nice reference letters.
That’s in general. You should take a look at homeschooling pages of colleges that interest you to see if they list preferences. If you don’t find answers on their pages, then it’s perfectly fine to e-mail an admissions rep and ask.
ps Online CC courses are not as good at proving the classroom experience bit, so definitely go for on campus over online with that in mind. Selective colleges are not fond of homeschooled applicants who haven’t shown they can hold their own outside of their house (and co-ops or special homeschooler classes aren’t quite the same).