Question for those whose children graduate high school with an AA degree

[Melissa B]

When your child(ren) applied to colleges with an AA degree (as a teenager) were you ever asked to also supply a high school transcript, considering that the student had just graduated high school? Or were you looked upon as strictly a transfer student with only the college transcript(s) required?

 

My dd does not want to complete the standard "core 4" for high school since she will have an AA. I am fine with this so long as she isn't going to be asked to provide a high school transcript, as it would certainly be weak - two science credits and three math credits.

[Teachin'Mine]

Melissa couldn't you just make a transcript including both the high school and college credits? Dual enrollment usually means that the credits will count for both high school and college. I would check with the admissions of any colleges she's interested in as they all seem to handle dual enrollment/transfer status differently.

[Melissa B]

Melissa couldn't you just make a transcript including both the high school and college credits? Dual enrollment usually means that the credits will count for both high school and college. I would check with the admissions of any colleges she's interested in as they all seem to handle dual enrollment/transfer status differently.

 

 

 

She has started dual enrollment in 9th grade. Basically, her only high school credits will be her college classes. I had thought she might also do some high school level classes along with her college classes, but the college classes take all of her time and she really isn't "academically inclined" enough to want to try and do both. The only class she is doing with me now is math and she would prefer to just do math at the university as well.

 

I have looked at the universities she would like to attend and they seem to only want the AA transcript. I just want to be sure other students haven't been asked to also provide a high school transcript as hers wouldn't look all that great if we go the route she prefers.

[Ellie]

When your child(ren) applied to colleges with an AA degree (as a teenager) were you ever asked to also supply a high school transcript, considering that the student had just graduated high school? Or were you looked upon as strictly a transfer student with only the college transcript(s) required?

 

My dd does not want to complete the standard "core 4" for high school since she will have an AA. I am fine with this so long as she isn't going to be asked to provide a high school transcript, as it would certainly be weak - two science credits and three math credits.

 

 

No, not to state college/university, because in California, when a student *transfers* from the c.c. to the state college/university, high school credits are irrelevant.

 

Younger dd did apply to a private college, which asked for a high school transcript, but only as a "Oh, by the way..." sort of thing.

 

I'm sure it is not this way in all states, but it was in California.

[Teachin'Mine]

I understand what you're saying, but if you consider her college courses to be dual enrollment, then that means that they count for high school credit and should be listed on her high school transcript with appropriate high school credit given. For example, most courses 3-5 credits would count for one high school credit. I would think her high school transcript should be quite impressive.

[Melissa B]

I understand what you're saying, but if you consider her college courses to be dual enrollment, then that means that they count for high school credit and should be listed on her high school transcript with appropriate high school credit given. For example, most courses 3-5 credits would count for one high school credit. I would think her high school transcript should be quite impressive.

 

 

It would if she actually took 4+ math classes, science classes, etc. :D :D But an AA only requires two math, two science and honestly almost no social science classes. So that is all that would be on her high school transcript. She basically only wants to take English, foreign language and photography classes for the next three years (plus the minimum requirements for an AA.) I could insist on math, science and history each year, but it wouldn't give her a chance to take the second foreign language, poetry and photography classes that she really would prefer to take. But a high school transcript with only two math classes and two science classes really doesn't look very challenging - they won't be high level math and science, just the basics to get her degree. It may look like she isn't trying to challenge herself if she only takes 4 math and science classes combined in four years. If no college is ever going to see it, I wouldn't worry about it. But I would hate to have the end result be that she doesn't get accepted after graduation due to a questionable high school transcript. While I know several families IRL that have had students earn an AA while in high school, they have all been public school students and so took all the classes needed to get a high school diploma as well as the college degree. The idea of letting her drop math, science and history early makes me nervous. :willy_nilly:

[scholarly]

I will tell you how it would be handled at the small college where I was the registrar. The college would ask for both a high school transcript AND a college transcript. Two separate transcripts would be required, even if the courses are identical, because the college requires a high school transcript for admission and a college does not issue a high school transcript. Then when the high school transcript was received, she would not have the courses required to be have graduated from high school in our state. Then she would not be eligible for either admission or financial aid until she took the GED. This would be true even though she already earned an AA. She would not be considered a transfer student because the college credits were earned as a high school student.

 

Difference colleges have different requirements, of course, but in my opinion she would be severely limiting herself to go ahead with that plan... unless she has no qualms about taking the GED.

[Melissa B]

I will tell you how it would be handled at the small college where I was the registrar. The college would ask for both a high school transcript AND a college transcript. Two separate transcripts would be required, even if the courses are identical, because the college requires a high school transcript for admission and a college does not issue a high school transcript. Then when the high school transcript was received, she would not have the courses required to be have graduated from high school in our state. Then she would not be eligible for either admission or financial aid until she took the GED. This would be true even though she already earned an AA. She would not be considered a transfer student because the college credits were earned as a high school student.

 

Difference colleges have different requirements, of course, but in my opinion she would be severely limiting herself to go ahead with that plan... unless she has no qualms about taking the GED.

 

 

That is what I was worried about. I think I should probably have her fulfill the high school requirements for our state, even though they will all be college classes, just to be safe.

[Teachin'Mine]

That makes sense. I would tend to want to keep all her options open by fulfilling all the usual high school requirements. She may end up interested in a STEM field and she'll be glad to have the option with a good foundation. Taking the math and science classes at the college would be a great idea IMO.

[Photo Ninja]

My dd was never asked for her high school transcript, only for her cc transcript verifying her AA degree. It could vary by university, but that was our experience.

[TechWife]

Two separate transcripts would be required, even if the courses are identical, because the college requires a high school transcript for admission and a college does not issue a high school transcript. Then when the high school transcript was received, she would not have the courses required to be have graduated from high school in our state. Then she would not be eligible for either admission or financial aid until she took the GED. This would be true even though she already earned an AA. She would not be considered a transfer student because the college credits were earned as a high school student.

 

Difference colleges have different requirements, of course, but in my opinion she would be severely limiting herself to go ahead with that plan... unless she has no qualms about taking the GED.

 

 

This is the way the college I attended did it. Also, if the student didn't meet the minimum dual enrollment requirements of the college, none of their dual enrollment was accepted, no matter what the grade was. The college had a slightly higher bar for dual enrollment than some jr. colleges did (I'm dating myself now w/that term) so several students I knew didn't have their dual enrollment courses transfer.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Plenty of people here (me included) count one semester of community college as one year of high school credit. That would give your dd four years of math and four years of science. It's a college level class. It counts for more than a time-equivalent high school course.

 

My dd is fulfilling her two year high school foreign language requirement by taking two semesters of a language at CC.

[jibaker103]

 

 

It would if she actually took 4+ math classes, science classes, etc. :D :D But an AA only requires two math, two science and honestly almost no social science classes. So that is all that would be on her high school transcript. She basically only wants to take English, foreign language and photography classes for the next three years (plus the minimum requirements for an AA.) I could insist on math, science and history each year, but it wouldn't give her a chance to take the second foreign language, poetry and photography classes that she really would prefer to take. But a high school transcript with only two math classes and two science classes really doesn't look very challenging - they won't be high level math and science, just the basics to get her degree. It may look like she isn't trying to challenge herself if she only takes 4 math and science classes combined in four years. If no college is ever going to see it, I wouldn't worry about it. But I would hate to have the end result be that she doesn't get accepted after graduation due to a questionable high school transcript. While I know several families IRL that have had students earn an AA while in high school, they have all been public school students and so took all the classes needed to get a high school diploma as well as the college degree. The idea of letting her drop math, science and history early makes me nervous. :willy_nilly:

 

 

1 semester at the cc would equal 1 year of high school credit as dual enrollment. I would create a high school transcript that reflected this. Hence, she would have 4 credits of math, 4 credits of science, and 1-2 credits of social sciences (you did not specifically say how many college credits). I do not see why she would have to take additional classes, she is working hard already!

[Melissa B]

Plenty of people here (me included) count one semester of community college as one year of high school credit. That would give your dd four years of math and four years of science. It's a college level class. It counts for more than a time-equivalent high school course.

 

My dd is fulfilling her two year high school foreign language requirement by taking two semesters of a language at CC.

 

 

 

Florida already has a state wide system in place that states how much high school credit is given for each college class. Her latin classes each only count one half credit, so she will need to take at least four classes to meet the two year requirement. But she plans to take more than that anyway, so that isn't a problem. Most math and science classes (with lab) do allow one full high school credit per college semester. She is wanting to take only College Algebra, Precalculus, General Biology with lab and General Chemistry with lab and no other college math and science classes over her four high school years. So when I say two years I am really only saying two college semesters. :001_unsure:

[Melissa B]

 

1 semester at the cc would equal 1 year of high school credit as dual enrollment. I would create a high school transcript that reflected this. Hence, she would have 4 credits of math, 4 credits of science, and 1-2 credits of social sciences (you did not specifically say how many college credits). I do not see why she would have to take additional classes, she is working hard already!

 

As stated above, I was already allowing one high school credit per semester of math/science. :blushing: I think she is going to have to take a minimum of four classes each of math and science. College history classes only count a half credit for high school, so she will need to take at least six classes in that area.

[jhschool]

Make sure she has:

 

4 high school credits in Math (or 2 cc credits)

4 high school credits in English (or 2 cc credits)

4 high school credits in Social Science (or 2 cc credits)

4 high school credits in Natural Science (or 2 cc credits)

2 high school credits in Foreign Language (including Latin) (or the cc equivalent)

 

and she can take whatever other classes she wants. She can take Photography

and all that *on top* of her core requirements, not instead. If she needs to take

an extra year for her to take more classes, that's fine too.

 

You want her to be competitive for most colleges by at least having

the coursework that most other high school graduates have.

I don't see a compelling reason to not have at least the minimum high school education.

She sounds like a bright student--she should have a high school transcript that

reflects that.

[Melissa B]

Make sure she has:

 

4 high school credits in Math (or 2 cc credits)

4 high school credits in English (or 2 cc credits)

4 high school credits in Social Science (or 2 cc credits)

4 high school credits in Natural Science (or 2 cc credits)

2 high school credits in Foreign Language (including Latin) (or the cc equivalent)

 

and she can take whatever other classes she wants. She can take Photography

and all that *on top* of her core requirements, not instead. If she needs to take

an extra year for her to take more classes, that's fine too.

 

You want her to be competitive for most colleges by at least having

the coursework that most other high school graduates have.

I don't see a compelling reason to not have at least the minimum high school education.

She sounds like a bright student--she should have a high school transcript that

reflects that.

 

 

Thanks jhschool. I've told my dd that she is going to have to meet the state requirements, same as everyone else - just to be safe. My dd is quite bright and a wonderful young woman, but she is not academically motivated and wants to wrap up her academic classes as quickly as possible. I think this has been her goal since she was about seven. :)

 

The state of Florida has a predetermined list of how much credit a dual enrolled student can get from each college class. So dd is going to have to take 4 math classes, 4 science classes (with lab,) 6 English classes, 8 social science classes and 4 Latin classes minimum in order to meet the 4x4+2 core in high school. The university only allows a dual enrolled student to take a maximum of 33 classes (actually 110 credit hours) and dh and I have already lowered that to 30 classes maximum. So she will have 26 required classes and 4 elective classes. I feel bad that she doesn't have more electives, but do feel she should meet the high school requirements. I've also told her she can CLEP any social studies classes she wants to study from home in order to open up more electives.