In a community college, they don’t spend a whole year going through a calculus textbook. They spend three months, instead. In community college, they don’t go through a level of French in one year, they spend three months, instead. In high school American History, it takes a whole year to get a credit. In college, you can finish the course in a quarter or semester. In college, students will usually just take three full courses at a time, then three months later they take another three classes, and then another three classes. In high school, almost everyone takes more classes than that. In high school, calculus covers… well, calculus. In a year of college calculus, students cover calculus 1, calculus 2, and differential equations. And so that is why….
What a high school calls one credit will be covered in one year, while a college will cover the same material in three months and call it 5 credits.
In other words, three months of college can equal one whole year of high school.
Each high school has it’s own way of translating community college credits into high school credits, and some colleges don’t like credits for community college classes. However, if you are looking to try to reconcile college credits onto a high school transcript, you may want to consider the 5 college credits = 1 high school credit equation.
Blessings,
Lee
Learn more about homeschooling college at my Dig Deeper site!
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Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
sallie says:
WOW, Lee, I didn’t know that!!
My daughter is hoping to finish up her junior and senior year together this year. We will see how it works out.
God bless,
Sallie
August 16th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Kimm says:
I have never heard that colleges don’t like CC credits on a high school transcript. . . why is that?
November 13th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Lee says:
Hi Kimm,
No all universities believe that classes at community college are rigorous enough to be a college class. For that reason, some homeschoolers choose to take an AP exam after a community college class, so that if the community college credit isn’t accepted, they hope the AP credit is accepted. Like MOST things, every university policy is VERY unique, so you want to check. I wouldn’t assume one way or the other, and I wouldn’t give additional AP exams unless you check with the university first.
Blessings,
Lee
November 13th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Kimm says:
Seems like this would more be private colleges? UW, for example, has a chart on their website that’s very informative re: what courses transfer from the CC. Of course, too, if the student completes his AA those issues are no longer. Thanks for your reply.
November 13th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Sally Weber says:
I have to say that everything I have heard goes against this – Most colleges that I have heard about, say they actually prefer dual credit because it shows the ability to participate and handle a college level course whereas AP does not.
November 13th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Lee says:
I haven’t seen this in any of the college I have dealt with, but I have heard other veteran mothers talk about it. It seemed strange to me too! I also wonder if it is different after the AA degree is completed – or if it’s only different with an AA degree in Washington State, where we have the joint agreement. It’s good to have a heads-up on the possibility, so that you can check into it for your own college.
Blessings,
Lee
November 13th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Debbie says:
Hi, Lee,
Just a note to let you know that some community colleges give 3,4,or 5 credits for a three month, one-year equivalent course. Given that, I tell parents that a quarter or semester-long college course is equivalent to one year on the high school transcript, rather than state that so many credits = one year.
I’ve been saying that to parents since 1998 when our oldest two graduated, and did the same with our youngest of five graduated in June 2010. Those dual credits were also accepted at the Christian colleges and universities they attended after graduating. That usually happens when the course descriptions of the community college catalog is close to that of the university catalog for the same course.
Thanks for keeping us up-to-date, Lee!
Blessings,
Debbie
June 17th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Lee says:
Debbie,
Yes, it can be complicated since some schools are semester, some are quarter system…. I think the bottom line is one full college class (however many credits) is equal to one full high school credit. But did you know that each school district will also have their own method of calculating that? So really, we can use a method that make sense and still be OK
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Debbie!
Blessings,
Lee
June 21st, 2011 at 1:15 pm