Dual Enrollment vs. AP Essay

Submitted By litsy2711
Words: 1170
Pages: 5

April 6, 2013
Dual Enrollment Works Too With America’s fast-growing colleges skyrocketing multifarious requirements, students are left with an underlying conflict: are A.P. classes better than dual enrollment classes? Despite the infamous myth of A.P. classes being the safer route for a successfully earned college credit, the dual enrollment program is being deprived of its credibility. Not only are dual enrollment classes beneficial to college experience for high school students, but also the curriculum is highly effective in educating what college life students will be partaking in while in college. The unfortunate fact is that dual enrollment is looked down upon as a second-choice alternative that students and teachers presume to be not as effective as A.P. classes, and that its credentials are at a higher risk in being accounted for in college. In contrast to the supposed narrow-minded success of A.P. classes, dual enrollment classes are well deemed to be just as, if not more potent in the success of college-bound students. Dual enrollment should be looked at with more or equal praise that AP courses are looked at with.’
According to US News, dual enrollment can motivate students who aren't on the college track (Hughes). It has also been stated that students who have enrolled in "dual" classes in high school are more likely to further pursue four-year colleges and a degree (Hughes). This newfound life agenda derives from students’ experience in living the college routine without the college expenses. While AP courses were offered in 55 districts in 2001 all 67 districts in Florida had an agreement with the local community college to offer DE (Speroni). Therefore, more students are given the chance to take college class on a college campus. Studies show that 95% of students who take dual enrollment classes finish high school and receive a high school diploma (Speroni). As a non-profit organization administers this authorization process at no cost to schools, AP courses are offered to students without having to pay any registration or authorization fees. However, there is also no college tuition costs when a student is enrolled in dual enrollment (Sherry). Which allows DE to be placed up at the same standard as AP, since, the student have the privilege to partake in a free college class while still being classified as a high school student. With dual enrollment classes comes the opportunity for multiple varied structures of learning (Allen). By having this opportunity, students are able to enroll in classes throughout the day, being in the morning or in the evening, and even on weekends. As for AP classes, teachers tend to lower the curriculum of learning to a high school level more than they broaden their courses to a high level of education (Holloway). Furthermore, students who take AP classes are bombarded with unnecessary work, or "sugar-coated work,” and in result, are not prepared for college but are instead held back. (Jenkins). AP classes take place in a high school setting which automatically sets the stage for not being up to par with a class taking place in on a college campus with a college feel, as DE class does. Students who are looking to enhance and broaden their education to a higher level should consider dual enrollment rather than thinking narrow-mindedly toward strictly AP. If a student takes dual enrollment course, one is on a better path to a more efficient time in college (Jenkins). AP classes are great preparations courses for dual enrollment, and dual enrollment courses are even greater preparation for university colleges (Allen). While both programs live up to a high-ranking college basis, dual enrollment is proven to be just as, if not exceedingly adequate compared to AP classes (Montgomery).
SOLUTION
Getting into college is a highly pressured subject on all teenagers in high school. The acceptance is even more pressure and getting to this point is relied on by the courses