Who should take dual credit courses
Admission Requirements
As an indicator for student success, the CSI Early College Program highly recommends that all students participating in dual credit follow the suggested criteria:
- Be at least a sophomore in high school
- Have an overall high school GPA of 2.5 or higher
Factors to Consider
- Students should meet with high school counselors and teachers to evaluate whether Accelerated Learning is the best option.
- Parents should consider the maturity level of their children when discussing the possibility of enrolling in Accelerated Learning Programs such as Dual Credit courses.
- Students should also be aware that college class schedules may conflict with high school classes or extracurricular activities.
College Standards
College courses are interesting and challenging. A Dual Credit course is the equivalent of a college course. Students will learn a great deal, but they are expected to work hard. On average, college students should plan to study at least two hours a week for every hour spent in the classroom or online. Thus, students taking a three-hour class should set aside a minimum of six hours a week to study. Some students will need to study more. Most students should schedule extra study time when exams are planned or course projects are due.
Students should pay careful attention to instructors' grading systems. Most college instructors will not allow students to repeat work in order to improve grades. Neither should students expect to receive extra course credit for attendance. Finally, instructors will probably not allow students to do extra work to bring up poor grades.