Dual enrollment through Cedarville University?

[*anj*]

Our homeschool support group has been offered the opportunity to partner with Cedarville University in a dual enrollment program. Before signing a contract with the University, we would like to obtain both positive and negative feedback from former students and/or their parents. If you or someone you know has taken online courses at Cedarville for dual enrollment credit, please share your impressions with me. If you don't feel comfortable speaking about it publicly, please feel free to send me a private message here.

 

Thanks so much,

Angela

[Beth in OH]

My first concern with taking dual credit courses through a private university would be whether they would transfer to other universities. Public college credits are generally more transferable. What articulation agreements does Cedarville have in place with other schools? Of course, if your child is planning to attend Cedarville or if you are primarily looking for a good high school option without concern for the college credit, this point would be moot.

 

I'm sorry that I can't speak to the quality of the online courses themselves.

[Musicmom]

My dd has taken 2 dual enrollment courses through Cedarville. The quality of both courses was excellent. It's important to know that these are regular university-level courses offered online--with the same pace and workload as for the course taken on campus.

 

 

[LNC]

Why wouldn't these transfer? Cedarville is a well regarded, accredited private school.

 

We are considering this to lessen the amount of AP tests in 11th and 12th. It seems like an online DE from a 4 year school would be a better option that DE from our community college, right?

[Lori D.]

Why wouldn't these transfer? Cedarville is a well regarded, accredited private school.

 

It's wise to check on transfer-ability of credits from any school.

 

It's true that there are often more snags with transferring community college credits than from a well-regarded, accredited private college (not all CCs offer true college-level courses, are accredited, etc.).

 

But there are other reasons credits may not transfer that are true of any school. For example, if the student's grade for the course was below the minimum required (usually a "C", but some schools require at least a "B" in order for the credit to be accepted). Or if the course falls below what the new school's academic standards are. Or if there is no equivalency (i.e., similar type of course) at the new school. In those cases, the credits will still stand as part of the student's transcript of college work, but won't transfer (count towards) another school's specific, required credits for a degree program.

 

 

It seems like an online DE from a 4 year school would be a better option that DE from our community college, right?

 

"Better option" in what way?

 

Probably NOT better for most young students trying out a college class for the first time. Online college classes are difficult to adjust to even for a student who has been going to college for several semesters -- and even harder for a high school student doing dual enrollment who has never done any college class before. Not only do the students have to keep up with a heavier and more accelerated workload, they also have to learn how to be self-disciplined and set their own schedule without the help of the regular weekly class to go to and know that work has to be turned in. And there is no help from a weekly classroom experience: hearing the questions and discussion from other students, or being able to ask in-the-moment questions of the teacher for explanation and clarification. All class communication is all done through online discussion, which is less interactive and less immediate. Or through emails with the professor (which can take days for the teacher to get around to responding).

 

The only major "oopsies" my DSs have had with college classes both came with tripping up in consistency of self-discipline with an online class. It's hard to keep being diligent with a class that is "out-of-sight, out-of-mind". One DS also had a terrible time getting the teacher to respond to him, and it took 2 weeks to get an answer to clarify some questions on the assignments -- DS finally had to go to the campus and physically track down the instructor. (This varies widely from instructor to instructor; other online instructors typically respond within 24 hours).

 

Another reason DE from the community college may be the better option than the same class from a 4-year school is class size and who the teacher is. The intro level math classes taught at our local public university (the 4-year school) are large (100-200 students) lectures taught by Teaching Assistants, who are graduate level students trying to get their Ph.D. -- not people trained in how to teach math. And many are graduate students from foreign lands with English NOT their first language, plus they often have heavy accents. (Ttry learning a subject you struggle with already from someone you have difficult understanding!) In contrast, those same classes at the local, respected CC are taught in classes of no more than 30 students by instructors (usually with a Master's degree), who have been teaching math for years. A good percent of students at our local university take their math requirement at the local CC and transfer it, even while going full-time at the university as a result.

 

 

 

If by "better option" you mean your local CC does not have a good reputation, the classes are a joke, your CC is difficult to work with, your CC charges nearly as much as the 4-year school, and/or credits don't transfer well to other schools, then yes, of course, DE from your 4-year school is a better option than DE from your CC. :)

 

Not at ALL trying to knock doing DE with Cedarville -- I'm sure you've done the research, and you know what's the better option for your student, LNC! :) But, "better option" really does vary widely from area to area, as I've been learning from all the various threads on colleges that pop up here. :) BEST of luck to your student, however you end up doing DE! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[creekland]

If a college accepts DE transfer credits, they should accept Cedarville's. They are one of the higher stat Christian schools out there. Some colleges MIGHT not want Bio credits from there due to content with their rejection of evolution, so check carefully with that. Non evolution-dependent courses shouldn't matter.

 

However, NOT all colleges accept DE transfer credits (period) whether it is with a cc or a 4 year school. It will depend upon the school.

[history_junkie]

My brother and sister had very positive experiences with the DE courses they took from Cedarville. They are both full time students there now and their DE courses did a lot to free up their schedules. Another friend will be able to shave off nearly a year (I think she's making up some classes over the summer) because she took as many DE courses as she could in high school.

 

I was the grader for one of the DE courses one semester, and I can affirm the quality of the courses. The online courses are open to the full time students as well and in many classes group work will be assigned that the students are required to coordinate through email. This was the part that frustrated my siblings the most. They were prioritizing their college class, while many of their classmates were trying to do an easy gen-ed and did not put in their fair share.

[Beth in OH]

There's also a difference between credits that transfer because of an articulation agreement and those that must be evaluated individually. Articulation agreements are great because you know in advance exactly how the transfer will work and what credit you will receive. The major state universities in OH have articulation agreements with a number of community colleges, which provides a cost effective way to earn gen ed credits. If a course must be evaluated individually, you take the course at the first school and then hope for the best. Some transfer schools may award credit, but it will only count as an elective and won't replace a required course. My dd's have such credits from Hillsdale and Boston College. The credits would have ultimately been accepted, but it wouldn't have been worth the time and trouble to go through the process, because they would not have lightened their courseload. The benefit to those courses was the experience of having taken them.

 

Try to find out as much as you can in advance. Cedarville's online program may have articulation agreements in place!