No doubt there are many facets of college preparedness, including social readiness, personal maturity, and emotional stability. But all would agree that academic preparation is a key to success at the university level. As a boarding school, Oak Hill Academy effectively prepares young people for what awaits them after high school. Dual enrollment coursework is part of that preparation.
Oak Hill Academy enjoys a strong relationship with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and through that relationship is able to offer our students virtually any course found in the VCCS catalog. Some of these courses are taught on our campus and by our instructors, several of whom are adjunct faculty at our local community college. Other courses may be offered remotely as necessary. Regardless of the mode of instruction, there are several benefits in favor of dual enrollment courses over advanced placement classes.
Students must satisfy community college entrance exams in order to register for dual enrollment courses, and this ensures the baseline capabilities of each student in the course. Once enrolled, the progress made in each dual enrollment course is tracked not only by the Academy (leading to high school credit), but also by the college, thereby leading to college course credit. Accordingly, an actual college transcript is generated through taking dual enrollment courses. The most obvious benefit to this transcript generation is transferability. Most colleges and universities will receive transfer credits for courses taken at other colleges—often with a required minimum grade earned.
Oak Hill Academy’s personalized approach to class scheduling often leads to the option of taking dual enrollment courses typically during the 11th and 12th grade years. For some students, a single semester or more of college credit can be achieved while still in high school. This is obviously a tremendous value. But beyond the practical benefits, experiencing college-level coursework while still in high school incrementally prepares students for the rigors of college study.
Erin B, class of 2021, shared about her participation in dual enrollment courses:
“I’m naturally inquisitive and love learning new things. Dual enrollment courses gave me the opportunity to study things that were of interest to me without worrying about the outcome of a nationally-standardized exam. Plus, each dual enrollment course generated actual college credit, which transferred to the college I was admitted to, and these credits saved me nearly one full year of study. I would highly recommend that any qualified student consider taking dual enrollment courses while still in high school.”