Experience with multiple Dual Enrollment classes

[Anonymous]

If your DCPS student took/is taking multiple semesters of dual enrollment classes at local colleges (MC, Georgetown, GW etc), what was their experience like? Did they find the course content too challenging or the commute too onerous? Finally, did it help/hurt with college applications?

[Anonymous]

No experience but I have heard that it’s very difficult to do that because of logistics and commute.

The only real option is if you are at Walls and get into the GW track there which only is offered to a few kids.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I should have mentioned that this is across multiple years (sophomore, junior, and senior)

[Anonymous]

I’m interested in this, as well. I assume logistics are easiest for seniors who have free periods, which is common at JR. My older kid did not do DE, but my younger one wants to for math after calc BC.

[Anonymous]

It can be difficult to do for the above reasons especially before senior year. Kids have limited time when you include extracurriculars and hw for AP classes. Let us know if you are able to pull it off. I believe it can look good for college applications but they are more impressed if you do it in a thoughtful way than just take some random classes. For example, it can look good if you have already taken all the CS classes at your high school and then are taking more advanced college classes. As compared with just taking a random sociology or politics of fashion class

[Anonymous]

DCPS used to have pretty restrictive dual enrollment regulations that would make this type of arrangement difficult but I’m not sure if that is still the case

[Anonymous]

My kid took two math classes at GW DE (post Calc). Went to JR and picked GW because they offered the most options and the DE grades were part of the official transcript.

One class was evening…other was on a day with two free periods. Took metro down…logistics were fine.

I assume it helped with college admissions although plenty of kids get accepted to top 20 colleges with no DE.

[Anonymous]

Could not make it work with school schedule and commute

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can be difficult to do for the above reasons especially before senior year. Kids have limited time when you include extracurriculars and hw for AP classes. Let us know if you are able to pull it off. I believe it can look good for college applications but they are more impressed if you do it in a thoughtful way than just take some random classes. For example, it can look good if you have already taken all the CS classes at your high school and then are taking more advanced college classes. As compared with just taking a random sociology or politics of fashion class

+1

I think it depends on the course you take. As a teacher I will say I’ve seen kids grades drop in HS classes because they are taking a dual enrollment one. Some of them are intense. Some of them I don’t know why kids bother because I can’t imagine it looks good on their college application. It’s really tough to fit in given the timings of the college courses and their high school schedules. I don’t think philosophy of math looks good just to have a college course. But perhaps an engineering course after taking all physics offered at a school would.

[Anonymous]

My daughter did 4 classes at Georgetown from Duke Ellington. Loved and crushed every class. Definitely take advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can be difficult to do for the above reasons especially before senior year. Kids have limited time when you include extracurriculars and hw for AP classes. Let us know if you are able to pull it off. I believe it can look good for college applications but they are more impressed if you do it in a thoughtful way than just take some random classes. For example, it can look good if you have already taken all the CS classes at your high school and then are taking more advanced college classes. As compared with just taking a random sociology or politics of fashion class

You are given a list of classes you can take…some schools like GW offer a decent amount and some like American not so many.

The reason kids usually take Math classes is those are the few that are post-BC Calculus.

You won’t find any advanced CS or other STEM classes.

[Anonymous]

I assume this will be an option at MacArthur as well since it’s so close to Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume this will be an option at MacArthur as well since it’s so close to Georgetown.

It’s an option for all DCPS high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be difficult to do for the above reasons especially before senior year. Kids have limited time when you include extracurriculars and hw for AP classes. Let us know if you are able to pull it off. I believe it can look good for college applications but they are more impressed if you do it in a thoughtful way than just take some random classes. For example, it can look good if you have already taken all the CS classes at your high school and then are taking more advanced college classes. As compared with just taking a random sociology or politics of fashion class

+1

I think it depends on the course you take. As a teacher I will say I’ve seen kids grades drop in HS classes because they are taking a dual enrollment one. Some of them are intense. Some of them I don’t know why kids bother because I can’t imagine it looks good on their college application. It’s really tough to fit in given the timings of the college courses and their high school schedules. I don’t think philosophy of math looks good just to have a college course. But perhaps an engineering course after taking all physics offered at a school would.

Agreed. I think it’s worth the logistical hassle only for a class that’s part of a progression unavailable at your school, usually in a topic the kid is interested in pursuing in college. So, post-BC math, post-AP science, post-AP world language. My kid thinks he wants to major in math and will max out in 11th with Calc BC and stats. DE is really the only option for continuing math in 12th grade. He’ll also likely have a light schedule (at least 2 free periods), so he should be able to make it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume this will be an option at MacArthur as well since it’s so close to Georgetown.

It’s an option for all DCPS high schools.

A FEASIBLE option that is. Commute and logistics are much easier because it’s a mile from Georgetown.