Anonymous
Post 08/09/2025 16:27     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:Dual enrollment at NOVA may be at the same level of rigor, but you have choice to select a better professor, and this makes a lot of difference. At high school if you stuck with a "bad" teacher, you are basically doomed. Some teacher does not teach, and gave tough grades too.


Some dual enrollment is on the high school campus, meaning you have less flexibility as there is generally only 1 section.
Anonymous
Post 08/09/2025 16:23     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
My older son went the AP route… and performed poorly on all 3 APs he attempted. His senior year he went dual enrollment- knocked out 3 gen ed classes.
My younger son is going the CiS and dual enrollment path. Already has 6 credits in US history.
If you’re just doing the GPA boost, do AP and just skip the exam.
Anonymous
Post 08/09/2025 16:17     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Dual enrollment at NOVA may be at the same level of rigor, but you have choice to select a better professor, and this makes a lot of difference. At high school if you stuck with a "bad" teacher, you are basically doomed. Some teacher does not teach, and gave tough grades too.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 13:07     Subject: Re:Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:AP over DE; AP has a common standard exam that AOs can use to compare.

But if you have a DE vs Honors go with DE.


You have to examine, case by case.

For pre-university courses (math, English) generally no.
For pre-career courses (IT, nursing), generally yes.

At least in math (precalculus), honors is above DE.


Not at all correct

AP math is definitely higher level than any DE math.


The highest AP offered is BC. Are you saying that is higher level than multivariable and linear algebra ?
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 12:32     Subject: Re:Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:AP over DE; AP has a common standard exam that AOs can use to compare.

But if you have a DE vs Honors go with DE.


You have to examine, case by case.

For pre-university courses (math, English) generally no.
For pre-career courses (IT, nursing), generally yes.

At least in math (precalculus), honors is above DE.


Not at all correct

AP math is definitely higher level than any DE math.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 12:23     Subject: Re:Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:AP over DE; AP has a common standard exam that AOs can use to compare.

But if you have a DE vs Honors go with DE.


You have to examine, case by case.

For pre-university courses (math, English) generally no.
For pre-career courses (IT, nursing), generally yes.

At least in math (precalculus), honors is above DE.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 12:18     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid isn't great at test taking so he didn't want it all to pivot on 1 exam to earn the college credit so he took DE.

AP scores are accepted bation wide. DE classes are accepted only in public VA colleges. So it depends if you're considering going in state public or out of state.

You get 2 grades for DE - 1 is an FCPS grade and 1 is the Nova cc grade. You can pass the class in the eyes of fcps (bc of the re-take options, extensions, etc),but know that it will be marked an F in the eyes of nova cc if you fail a test, fir example (they don't recognize the retake option fcps offers).

There's a Q&A zoom orientation for DE classes for parents.


NOVA is regionally accredited so DE courses are accepted nation wide, not just Virginia schools.


No, because freshman admissions outside of the local state system does not treat college courses taken for high school credit the same way as transfer credit for non-freshman.


This partly is why over in MCPS they have "Early College" where they actually give you an AA or AS degree and you apply to university as a transfer.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 12:13     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid isn't great at test taking so he didn't want it all to pivot on 1 exam to earn the college credit so he took DE.

AP scores are accepted bation wide. DE classes are accepted only in public VA colleges. So it depends if you're considering going in state public or out of state.

You get 2 grades for DE - 1 is an FCPS grade and 1 is the Nova cc grade. You can pass the class in the eyes of fcps (bc of the re-take options, extensions, etc),but know that it will be marked an F in the eyes of nova cc if you fail a test, fir example (they don't recognize the retake option fcps offers).

There's a Q&A zoom orientation for DE classes for parents.


NOVA is regionally accredited so DE courses are accepted nation wide, not just Virginia schools.


No, because freshman admissions outside of the local state system does not treat college courses taken for high school credit the same way as transfer credit for non-freshman.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 11:57     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:They are not the same thing. One is an actual college course that you are taking as a student of both the high school and the college (hence the term dual enrollment). Passing the class means you passed in both high school and college. The other is a “college level” class as specified by an organization (CollegeBoard) where you take a test at the end to figure out if you may be able to get college credit from whatever college you may go to in the future.


And almost everyone acknowledges that dual enrollment attracts kids who are either too scared or too weak to risk the AP exam. The courses are definitely not higher level than AP.


This is my impression. Some of the DE classes offered are known to be easy As.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2025 22:32     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What colleges are you targeting?

In-state top tier? Probably AP. In-state second tier? DE. SEC schools for the merit aid? Definitely DE. Elite schools (service academics, ivies, etc)? Definitely AP.

Taking a community college English class shows you are capable of a community college English class. It doesn’t say you are a great scholar. It says you can hack Nova Coco. Most college-bound kids can.


SEC merit aide you want AP, of course.

Go with the most rigorous, which is not usually DE.


Merit aid.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2025 15:53     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:What colleges are you targeting?

In-state top tier? Probably AP. In-state second tier? DE. SEC schools for the merit aid? Definitely DE. Elite schools (service academics, ivies, etc)? Definitely AP.

Taking a community college English class shows you are capable of a community college English class. It doesn’t say you are a great scholar. It says you can hack Nova Coco. Most college-bound kids can.


SEC merit aide you want AP, of course.

Go with the most rigorous, which is not usually DE.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2025 15:52     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
Anonymous wrote:What colleges are you targeting?

In-state top tier? Probably AP. In-state second tier? DE. SEC schools for the merit aid? Definitely DE. Elite schools (service academics, ivies, etc)? Definitely AP.

Taking a community college English class shows you are capable of a community college English class. It doesn’t say you are a great scholar. It says you can hack Nova Coco. Most college-bound kids can.


SEC merot aide you want AP, of course.

Go with the most rigorous, which is not usually DE.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2025 14:50     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
What colleges are you targeting?

In-state top tier? Probably AP. In-state second tier? DE. SEC schools for the merit aid? Definitely DE. Elite schools (service academics, ivies, etc)? Definitely AP.

Taking a community college English class shows you are capable of a community college English class. It doesn’t say you are a great scholar. It says you can hack Nova Coco. Most college-bound kids can.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2025 14:42     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
My DS is a rising sophomore. We are passing on AP history. His honors freshman history class this year is already a ton of work. Not worth it.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2025 14:19     Subject: Dual Enrollment vs. AP ?
OP wants to know what is best for college admission and to bring up her kids GPA. She doesn't necessarily care about getting college "credit" for taking the class.