How to list a dual enrollment course
- Title: use the college’s course name, optionally with its number, such as "English Composition I (ENG 101)".
- Level: mark it DE, so a reader can see it was a college course.
- Year: put it in the grade level when it was taken.
- Grade: copy the grade the college gave.
- Credits: convert the college credit hours to high school credits (see below).
Converting college credit hours to high school credits
A common convention is that one semester-long college course of 3 or 4 credit hours equals 1 high school credit, because a college semester covers about as much as a high school year. Some schools record it as 0.5 credit instead. Pick one rule, use it for every DE course, and state it in the notes line, for example: "Each 3-credit-hour college course is recorded as 1 high school credit." Check what your state, umbrella school or the colleges you apply to expect.
An example
A junior takes English Composition I (ENG 101, 3 credit hours) in the fall and Introduction to Psychology (PSY 101, 3 credit hours) in the spring at the local community college, earning an A and a B+. On the homeschool transcript, both go in the 11th grade block, marked DE, at 1.00 credit each, with grades A and B+. The notes line names the college and the conversion rule. In the weighted GPA they count as 5.0 and 4.3; in the unweighted GPA as 4.0 and 3.3.
Weighting DE courses
Many schools weight DE like AP, adding 1.0 point to passing grades in the weighted GPA. TranscriptKit uses +1.0 by default and lets you change it. The unweighted GPA always uses the plain grade.
The college’s own transcript
The college keeps its own record of the courses. When a university asks for it, request that the college send its transcript directly. Your homeschool transcript shows how the courses fit into the high school program; the college’s transcript confirms the college credit.
Requirements vary
Many colleges accept parent-issued transcripts; requirements vary, so check with each school and your state’s homeschool laws.