College · Family Resources

Pick the college classes
that will count later

Dual enrollment can save a semester of college or leave a grade on a transcript that counts for nothing. Rate each college partner and format on transfer, cost, courses, schedule and support, enter the cost per credit and the credits you plan, and see what each one adds up to.

Start a comparisonWhat you get

Comparisons

The worked example is made up: a community college at the high school and online, and a state university campus, for a student who counts transfer as a must-have. Use initials or a code.

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What you get

College · Family ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A saved comparison per decision: how much transfer, cost, course choice, format and support matter; each college and format rated 1 to 5 with its cost per credit and credits you plan to take; seven questions such as transfer rules, the permanent transcript and drop deadlines marked answered or still to ask; and a next step. The flags rank the options, total the tuition, turn credits into a share of a 15-credit semester and flag a must-have rated 2 or lower. A side-by-side table prints.
Who it is for
High school students considering dual enrollment, and the parents and school counselors helping them choose.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per decision. Prints a side-by-side table with the scores, the full record, every comparison in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Family Resources space in Caveat College.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. List each college and format offered.
  2. Check how courses transfer.
  3. Enter cost per credit and credits.
  4. Rate each option.
  5. Print the side-by-side table.

Start a comparison

Ways to earn college credit in high school

Dual enrollment formatsWhereWatch forAt the high schoolYour school buildingSame course, college gradeCollege campusOn the college groundsTravel, adult classmatesOnlineAnywhereSelf-pacing, deadlinesEarly collegeA whole programFit with activitiesDual enrollment formatsAt the high schoolWhere: Your school buildingWatch for: Same course, college gradeCollege campusWhere: On the college groundsWatch for: Travel, adult classmatesOnlineWhere: AnywhereWatch for: Self-pacing, deadlinesEarly collegeWhere: A whole programWatch for: Fit with activities
Formats and rules differ by state and district; your school counselor knows the local options.

The transcript is permanent

Dual enrollment grades go on a college transcript that every college you later apply to may ask to see. A weak grade can follow a student into admissions and, through satisfactory academic progress rules, into financial aid. Start with one course if you are unsure.

How common it is

The National Center for Education Statistics found that about a third of students who were high school freshmen in 2009 took a course for college credit during high school, most often through dual enrollment. Research from the Community College Research Center follows how these students do after high school.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Dual Enrollment: Participation and Characteristics, NCES 2019-176 (nces.ed.gov).
  2. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. What Happens to Students Who Take Community College Dual Enrollment Courses in High School? 2017 (ccrc.tc.columbia.edu).
  3. U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. Staying eligible: satisfactory academic progress (studentaid.gov).
  4. Education Commission of the States. Dual and concurrent enrollment policies by state (ecs.org).

The worked example, its colleges and its prices are made up. Dual enrollment rules and funding differ by state and district. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.