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Formula for Putting Dual Enrollment on a High School Transcript

Keeping Records Transcripts Gifted Education

Thursday, 22 June 2023

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Dual enrollment can be such a sticking point for homeschool families making a homeschool transcript. Follow the 6 steps below to put dual enrollment on your child's transcript.

Formula for Putting Dual Enrollment on a High School Transcript

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You can count college credits in high school. Below are the specifics of converting college credits to high school credits, and how to put it on the transcript.

Choose an Acronym

Create an acronym for each college or high school location where your child took classes. Like this:
HCC = Highline Community College

ACC = Amarillo Community College

NPCC = Northland Pioneer Community College

LTCC = Lanier Technical Community College

I like using the CC part of the acronym for community college, it makes it look so obvious that you are dual enrolled.

Place the Acronym Before the Class Title

Where you normally put the class title, put in the acronym first, and then use the exact class title that is provided by the community college. Like this:
HCC SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
NPCC MAT 101: College Calculus
LTCC ART 100: Survey of Fine Art

Define the Acronym in Key or Legend

At the bottom of your transcript, explain what the acronym means. Like these options:
HCC: Dual enrollment classes at Highline Community College
ACC indicates classes taken at Amarillo Community College

Insert the Exact Grade from the College

No matter what the grade is, put the grade on the transcript. You can change it from the number grade to a letter grade or translate it from a letter grade to a number grade, but you can't change the grade. College classes are just plain harder than high school classes, and it's very difficult to get A's in college, even when a child is used to getting A's in high school. (Read more: Community College Success)

No Weighted Grades

If you do decide to weight grades, then it would be easiest to weigh it the same as an AP class. However, every high school in the country seems to have their own unique way of weighting grades, which is why I don't recommend weighting them. It makes it harder for colleges, and colleges will like you more if you make their job easier. There are so many variation possibilities, and colleges need to compare students from different schools and school districts. For that reason, the first thing they do is to un-weight any weighted grades. Colleges have asked me to tell parents not to weight grades, and so I don't recommend weighting grades unless your first-choice college prefers grades that way. (Read more: Why I Do Not Recommend Weighting Grades)

Translate College Credits to High School Credits

How many college credits equals a high school credit? One whole college class is equivalent to one high school credit. If your child is taking one whole college class, worth 4, 5, or 6 credits, then it is one whole high school credit. If the college class is 1, 2, or 3 credits, I suggest calling it a half credit class.

For all classes on the transcript, I recommend either a whole or half credit, not smaller or larger. Here an easy to remember "formula" for dual enrollment college classes:

College credits to high school credits

6 = 1 high school credit
5 = 1 high school credit
4 = 1 high school credit
3 = either way, 1 or 1/2 credit, your preference
2 = 0.5 high school credit
1= 0.5 high school credit

High schools across the nation may put dual enrollment classes on the high school transcript differently. Each one determines their own policy. You get to determine your own policy too, based on what is best for your child. I find this formula to fit almost everyone.

College classes are not measured the same as high school classes, and the content goes 2-3 times faster than a high school class, so their number values are completely different. It's like measuring in feet and meters - they both use numbers, but the numbers aren't measured the same.

Remember that all college classes mean that college must send an official transcript to the university where you are applying.

Check out my Total Transcript Solution if you need help making a high school transcript. All the resources you'll need to make a transcript for any college!

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Comments 1

Tracy Brauer on Friday, 23 June 2023 07:04

Hi, my daughter is taking Spanish 101 at a community college this summer. It's a 3 credit class, but the advisor said it was equivalent of 3rd year high school Spanish. Does that still count for 1 high school credit in your estimation? If it's only 1 credit, then she's getting 1 credit for this Spanish class when she would've gotten 1 + 2 (for 1st year & 2nd year Spanish.) It seems like she's missing out credit-wise by taking it in college, but does it look better that the route she's taking is more agressive? She'll have plenty of credits to graduate, so that isn't an issue; I'm just trying to understand the process Thanks!

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