Dual Enrollment classes are new to LHS in 2015-20106 and have many benefits. Although AP classes may be more familiar, they are equally beneficial. Students and parents will need to weigh the options carefully.

Benefits of AP Courses

The College Board AP program is firmly established.  At LHS, there are 21 courses available for potential AP credit.

Mr. Tony Miller, AP psychology and history teacher makes a big push for students to take AP classes because students who have taken AP classes in high school are the ones who are the most successful as college students.

Mrs. Michelle Richardson, an AP World History teacher, also believes that AP classes are helpful,  as the course requires students to write college papers and prepares them for faster, more independent learning.

Senior Haylie Kohn has taken six AP classes, three of which have been year-long. By far, her favorite AP class was AP Psychology. She feels as if the material was extremely interesting to learn.

As a senior she is getting ready to decide on a 4-year school. One class that has prepared her is AP Studies in Composition, as it has helped her to learn how to write a paper extremely well.

Year-long AP courses have been helpful to Kohn because the material was fresh in her mind while she was taking the AP test.

Kohn wishes that she had the opportunity to challenge herself with dual enrollment.

Benefits of Dual Enrollment

Dual Enrollment is a great way to get college credits done efficiently without the cost of gas to get to another campus.  The College and Career Readiness Act states that Maryland high schools must offer dual enrollment classes.

Dual enrollment means that each student is considered a college student by the state of Maryland. Students can attend FCC on campus or, new next year, on the LHS campus.  With this comes great responsibilities for the students. Dual enrollment teachers on the LHS campus are public school teachers who have been credentialed by FCC.

Dual enrollment courses on the LHS campus will cost @$150 for three college credits,  which may seem like a lot but is only just a little more than the cost of an AP test. To pass and get the college credit in dual enrollment the student must pass the class. But, to get a college credit for an AP class, the student must earn a 3, 4, or 5 on the test,  and the college may not accept it.  All public Maryland colleges accept dual enrollment credit, but private schools may not.

Dual Enrollment is an incredible opportunity for students to gain exposure to the academic challenges of college while remaining at Linganore.

So how can the student decide between dual enrollment and AP? Most students will be choosing a mix of both–taking AP and dual enrollment.