Brook Hill and Beyond: Earning College Credit in High School

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From the desk of Celia Tucker, Academic Counselor:

Have you ever felt like you needed to be in two places at one time? By taking Dual Credit classes at Brook Hill, it is an easy thing to do. Taking Dual Credit classes means you are taking courses for both high school and college credit at exactly the same time, meaning that if you register and pay tuition (with the college), you are a high school student and a college student  concurrently. With this opportunity comes many benefits and also great responsibility.

“Dual Credit” means that as a high school student you will enroll  for a course which is taught on the Brook Hill campus by a Brook Hill teacher who is also employed by Jacksonville College or Tyler Junior College. Tuition and fees charged by the colleges are paid directly to the college by the high school student. Because students are actually in two places at one time they must meet requirements for both Brook Hill and the college. To earn credit at Brook Hill students must make sure they are enrolled in the appropriate courses. To earn credit at the colleges students must apply for admission (http://www.tjc.edu/info/2004237/how_to_apply/147/dual_creditearly_admission_student , http://www.jacksonville-college.edu/#!application/c1enr ) take the TSI (Texas Success Initiative test which shows the colleges that  students are ready for college level work) and pay tuition.  To take Dual Credit courses high school students will be considered Early Admissions Students and must meet all college admission requirements.

Students who will be seniors in high school must be TSI exempt (with SAT or ACT scores) or must take and meet college standards on the TSI in the subject area for the course in which they plan to enroll. Students who will be sophomores (special permission) or juniors in high school must be TSI passed in all three subject areas, regardless of the subject area for the course in which they plan to enroll.

Who Benefits? Dual credit can be a win/win situation. The student is saved the expense of repeating courses in college which may be similar to those taken in high school but do be aware that both public and private colleges and universities have policies and procedures in place as to how they award credit for college courses taken while still in high school. It is the student’s and parent’s responsibility to contact the post-secondary institutions directly as to their policy for awarding credit. You want no surprises!

Appropriate questions for the Admissions Office would be:

Do you accept Dual Credit?

Will my grades earned in Dual Credit classes transfer to your college or will only the credits transfer?

Will my grades earned in Dual Credit be used in my GPA calculation at your college?

Will my Dual Credit courses be used as core requirement courses or electives?

Current Brook Hill Dual Credit Course offerings through Tyler Junior College and Jacksonville College:

High School course (Criteria in Course Guide)                   Dual Credit Course

____   English 4                                                                  ____TJC English 1301/1302 (6) Fall/Spring

____   College Algebra (year)                                      ____TJC Math 1314 (3)   Spring

____   College Algebra/Trigonometry                     ____TJC Math 1314/1316 (6) Fall/Spring

____   Calculus                                                                 ____TJC Math 2413 (4) Spring

____   Anatomy and Physiology                               ____TJC Biology 2404 (4) Spring

____   Environmental Science                                  ____TJC Biology 2406 (4) Spring

____   Accounting                                                          ____TJC Accounting 2401/2402 (8) Fall/Spring

____   Government                                                        ____JC  Govt 2305 AmGov  (3)  Fall or Spring

____   Economics                                                           ____JC  Econ 2301 Macro  (3)  Fall or Spring

____   US History                                                           ____JC  History 1301/1302 (6) Fall/Spring

____   Personal Finance                                              ____JC BUSI  1307 (3)  Fall or Spring

“Advanced Placement (AP)”  AP courses are taught in high school by a College Board AP certified high school teacher. Students who are enrolled in AP courses at Brook Hill can register for AP exams (early spring),  take AP exams in May and then present scores to their college for evaluation and possible credit. Each college sets standards and acceptable score requirements for credit to be awarded. A helpful website is: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies

Taking courses for Dual Credit or registering for and taking AP exams are always optional for students. To make the best decision and for peace of mind it is always best to call and talk to college admissions officers at the colleges you are planning to attend to find out what will be most beneficial for you. I do always tell students to take Dual Credit classes with intentions of making an “A” remembering that they will be beginning their college transcript while still in high school.

Both Jacksonville College and Tyler Junior College representatives will be in the Library  at Brook Hill on Wednesday, January 28th from 8:00-10:00 to register students for Dual Credit. Make sure you have applied to the college and have met testing requirements before coming to see them.

Here’s to being in two places at once.