Earning College Credit at WWS

Dual Credit

Dual-credit allows high school students to take college-level courses and earn both high school and college credit at the same time. These courses are offered through a partnership between a high school and a local college or university, and they may be taught at the high school, on a college campus, or online. For WWS students, most of these credits are issued by College of DuPage (COD). Technology Center of DuPage (TCD) programs offer dual-credit as well, including courses through COD and Joliet Junior College (JJC). 

AP Credit

The AP program is developed by College Board. Students take an AP course throughout the year, and college credit is contingent upon the score on the exam at the end of the school year. The exam is scored on a scale from 1 to 5. A score of 3 is generally considered "passing" and qualifies for credit at many colleges. Scores of 4 and 5 indicate a higher level of mastery and are more likely to be accepted by selective universities. Scores of 1 or 2 are not accepted for college credit. Even if a student gets an A in an AP class, a low score on the exam means college credit will not be earned.

Time and Cost

Earning college credit while in high school can save students time and money. Students can reduce the number of courses needed to take in college, potentially graduating early by a semester or even a full year. Dual-credit programs are not just for students planning to attend a four-year university. Many courses can lead to professional certificates or an associate degree. At WWS, dual-credit courses have no cost and AP courses cost $107 for the exam fee. The costs for courses are approximately $450+ at a community college or approximately $700-1,500+ at a four year university. Having enough credits to graduate early from college can also save money by reducing the amount of time in school.

Transferability

Most universities readily accept AP score credits and dual-credits, and they commonly post information on their websites regarding score criteria and community college transfer guides. It is important to note that these credits might not always transfer or be accepted by the university a student will eventually attend. The admissions office of any college of interest can confirm credits to make an educated decision. For Illinois colleges, visit itransfer.org to learn more.

How these credits are applied are at the college’s discretion. Many colleges will award a set number of credits for a qualifying AP score. AP and dual-credit courses can sometimes be used to fulfill general education requirements or, in some cases, major requirements. In other cases, they may apply the credit as an elective credit. Some colleges may not give course credit, but may allow a student to place-out of an introductory-level course and go directly into a more advanced one.

Important Considerations

The grades earned in a dual-credit course become a part of a permanent college transcript and GPA. This means that a poor grade could negatively impact the future college GPA. For AP scores, these do not automatically go onto a college transcript. Colleges only see AP scores if sent to them.

A poor grade can also pose implications for Financial Aid. Failing a course or withdrawing after the drop deadline can potentially place a student on financial aid warning or, in more severe cases, financial aid suspension. This means a student could be ineligible for scholarships, grants, or federal student loans until academic standing is improved (typically above a 2.0 GPA). 

College Applications

When seniors apply to colleges, the COD transcript will need to be sent directly to the chosen college/university from COD (unless you are attending COD). This additional step is required for the receiving institution to apply those credits to their transcript. They would not be able to award credits if only the WWS transcript was sent. This is the same process for other institutions with dual credit earned, such as Loyola (AP Statistics) or JJC (Culinary at TCD).