dual enrollment question

[Anonymous]

I'm looking into the MC Dual Enrollment program for my rising senior, who is not yet enrolled in MCPS. Does anyone know if they would have to actually take any classes at their home high school, or if all classes could be done at MC? (I realize there may not be enough info to fully answer this, but I guess what I'm looking for is whether anyone's child has done this)

And yes, I will be talking to the school directly, but likely not until next week.

[Anonymous]

Not MCPS but I think in most schools its pretty much the same. If any course has enough enrollment to justify a teacher coming from community college to high-school, they arrange it at school. If not then either students have to go to community college unless they offer online options.

[Anonymous]

There is also the Early College program. Which I think is when students are just enrolled in MC classes.

[Anonymous]

My son is a dual enrollment student. He can take 2 classes for free in the fall and spring. He is taking 3 now so we have to pay for 1. He only has to be enrolled in 4 total (I think this a rule for seniors only) so he chose to take 1 at his home school. I'm fairly certain that some kids take all classes at MC.

[Anonymous]

The full time programs start earlier and cannot be joined late (eg early college requires an application sophomore year).

I understand the same as the PP said regarding taking more than two classes outside a formal full time program. It is possible but not all the classes are free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking into the MC Dual Enrollment program for my rising senior, who is not yet enrolled in MCPS. Does anyone know if they would have to actually take any classes at their home high school, or if all classes could be done at MC? (I realize there may not be enough info to fully answer this, but I guess what I'm looking for is whether anyone's child has done this)

And yes, I will be talking to the school directly, but likely not until next week.

Are you coming from SSFS closing? If so, it might be worth working with other senior parents to share information together and perhaps coordinate together regarding process, options, and classes.

Dual enrollment information links:
https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/high-school-students/dual-enrollment/index.html
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/partnerships/dual-enrollment
The most typical option that seniors take is one or two courses at MC and a minimum of 3 courses at the HS. As PP said, if you are full time MC, then you may need to pay for the additional credits. Each high school has a coordinator for dual enrollment, who may or may not be really helpful in unusual situations. The same thing goes for your assigned counselor.

HS Graduation requirement link: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/graduation-requirements/graduationataglance_classof2026.pdf
One thing to look at is where you stand for graduation. For a typical course sequence in MCPS, most students just need English 12 their senior year in order to graduate. If your DC wants to graduate early, they could take that course in the summer, graduate, and then enroll directly to MC. But you would then pay for all courses.

This is the MC page with details for both MCPS students and private, homeschool, or out-of-state HS students:
https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/high-school-students/dual-enrollment/admission-and-registration-procedures/index.html#iamcurrentlyanmcpshighschoolstudentandwillbeahighschoolstudentin202425

You might consider homeschooling your DC for senior year and enrolling in MC that way. Here is the info for that:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/homeschooling/
https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/high-school-students/dual-enrollment/admission-and-registration-procedures/home-school-student-info.html

Good luck to your DC!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking into the MC Dual Enrollment program for my rising senior, who is not yet enrolled in MCPS. Does anyone know if they would have to actually take any classes at their home high school, or if all classes could be done at MC? (I realize there may not be enough info to fully answer this, but I guess what I'm looking for is whether anyone's child has done this)

And yes, I will be talking to the school directly, but likely not until next week.

Are you coming from SSFS closing? If so, it might be worth working with other senior parents to share information together and perhaps coordinate together regarding process, options, and classes.

Dual enrollment information links:
https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/high-school-students/dual-enrollment/index.html
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/partnerships/dual-enrollment
The most typical option that seniors take is one or two courses at MC and a minimum of 3 courses at the HS. As PP said, if you are full time MC, then you may need to pay for the additional credits. Each high school has a coordinator for dual enrollment, who may or may not be really helpful in unusual situations. The same thing goes for your assigned counselor.

HS Graduation requirement link: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/graduation-requirements/graduationataglance_classof2026.pdf
One thing to look at is where you stand for graduation. For a typical course sequence in MCPS, most students just need English 12 their senior year in order to graduate. If your DC wants to graduate early, they could take that course in the summer, graduate, and then enroll directly to MC. But you would then pay for all courses.

This is the MC page with details for both MCPS students and private, homeschool, or out-of-state HS students:
https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/high-school-students/dual-enrollment/admission-and-registration-procedures/index.html#iamcurrentlyanmcpshighschoolstudentandwillbeahighschoolstudentin202425

You might consider homeschooling your DC for senior year and enrolling in MC that way. Here is the info for that:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/homeschooling/
https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/high-school-students/dual-enrollment/admission-and-registration-procedures/home-school-student-info.html

Good luck to your DC!

You are correct, we are coming from SSFS, and we are going to be talking to other parents and the school is offering resources as well. Definitely wanted dual enrollment, not early college, as we already have a college application plan that would probably not work as well if applying as a transfer student, rather than as a freshman for 2026. Also we don't mind paying for additional MC classes, it's actually WAY cheaper than private school anyway.

Thank you for collating all of these pages. I've looked at most of them but haven't really been able to get a handle on dual enrollment specifically, so the responses here have been helpful.

[Anonymous]

Just for clarity when you talk to the school, “dual enrollment” is the blanket term for any time a student takes classes at MC as an MCPS student. It doesn’t matter which DE pathway you are on (including early college) you still apply as a freshman, not a transfer student.

The flavor of dual enrollment where you take individual classes of interest is called “jump start to college” in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

In addition to dual enrollment, you need to be sure MCPS graduation requirements are met. Someone posted the link. That was an issue for us with my son going into 12th without a requirement - I think it was a fine arts requirement. So he had to take that and an English his last year.

Sorry about SSFS. That’s a tough blow to an upcoming senior.

[Anonymous]

My son is going to take DE senior year. I believe he will still have 4 classes at his homeschool even though he only requires an English credit to graduate. DD did the same when she was in HS. We’re at Wootton. DE classes are held at the Universities at Shady Grove campus during the school day though I think they can also choose additional classes on the Rockville campus.

I’m sorry to hear SSFS is closing. It’s a tough position to find yourself in senior year.

[Anonymous]

SSFS got $15 Million pledge to keep it open
https://mocoshow.com/2025/04/19/coalition-pledges-15-million-in-effort-to-save-sandy-spring-friends-school-from-closure/

[Anonymous]

My kid was offered and we turned it down.
There are pros and cons about dual enrollment. The pros are it offers more subjects than HS. The cons are that although you can earn an Associates' degree, it's a dead end. It's difficult to transfer in an Associates' Degree for college credit. Most Montgomery College credits don't transfer - even to UofMd. AP's will transfer to just about any school in the country and are a "known factor" in terms of college applications. Plus there's a social factor that your kid will miss the "high school experience".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was offered and we turned it down.
There are pros and cons about dual enrollment. The pros are it offers more subjects than HS. The cons are that although you can earn an Associates' degree, it's a dead end. It's difficult to transfer in an Associates' Degree for college credit. Most Montgomery College credits don't transfer - even to UofMd. AP's will transfer to just about any school in the country and are a "known factor" in terms of college applications. Plus there's a social factor that your kid will miss the "high school experience".

This is just flat out incorrect. The associates degree from MC directly transfers to all university system of Maryland schools. The courses are aligned and you can verify by looking at the course transfer website in each. How else do you suppose they run the guaranteed transfer program? The community colleges run as a supplement to the other schools for core courses and general Ed. You can see in the UMD transfer stats where kids transfer in from and when. It’s around 1000 per class from CC, if I remember correctly.

Also my DC did early college and had no issues with credits transferring to Pitt when they enrolled there. Only one that didn’t transfer was the writing one (annoyingly) because Pitt has that bundled with their required engineering seminar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was offered and we turned it down.
There are pros and cons about dual enrollment. The pros are it offers more subjects than HS. The cons are that although you can earn an Associates' degree, it's a dead end. It's difficult to transfer in an Associates' Degree for college credit. Most Montgomery College credits don't transfer - even to UofMd. AP's will transfer to just about any school in the country and are a "known factor" in terms of college applications. Plus there's a social factor that your kid will miss the "high school experience".

This individual has a strange vendetta against dual enrollment and regularly drops in false information to discourage other families from considering it. It is very bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was offered and we turned it down.
There are pros and cons about dual enrollment. The pros are it offers more subjects than HS. The cons are that although you can earn an Associates' degree, it's a dead end. It's difficult to transfer in an Associates' Degree for college credit. Most Montgomery College credits don't transfer - even to UofMd. AP's will transfer to just about any school in the country and are a "known factor" in terms of college applications. Plus there's a social factor that your kid will miss the "high school experience".

Why are you talking about things you have no idea about?