---
title: "AP and Dual Enrollment: Considerations for Admissions Impact"
description: How are AP, IB and dual enrollment courses viewed by college admissions offices?
---

[Estrela Consulting Blog ](https://blog.estrelaconsulting.com)

# [AP and Dual Enrollment: Considerations for Admissions Impact](https://blog.estrelaconsulting.com/ap-and-dual-enrollment)

 Written by [Amber Gilsdorf](https://blog.estrelaconsulting.com/author/amber-gilsdorf) | Feb 3, 2025 3:30:59 PM

[**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejLULPsSfEY)

Students are offered various pathways for course rigor and college credit while in high school. How are these options viewed by college admissions offices? What if a student takes Advanced Placement (AP) courses, but doesn’t report test scores? Do the answers vary by major? Are there times when AP is preferred over dual enrollment*? Is there a "magic number" of AP courses?

 We were thrilled to host a panel discussion with recruitment leaders from a variety of institutions to explore the nuances of AP courses, AP test scores, and Dual Enrollment in the admissions process. During this [recorded webinar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejLULPsSfEY), our admission experts busted some myths about how colleges are using (or not!) AP/IB scores, and shared how they think students should decide whether to enroll or not in these courses. 

In addition, we know that there is a lot of confusion about the differences, benefits, and implications of taking these types of courses. To address these questions we've put together a GREAT resource below packed with helpful information to help you navigate this decision-making process. 

**NOTE: Dual Enrollment is known by many names depending on your state, but it means the same thing across all.*

## **ESTRELA CONSULTING GUIDE TO AP/IB & DUAL ENROLLMENT Definitions:**

- **AP = Advanced Placement: **Courses taught with the same curriculum no matter the school. Upper level high school classes with rigor considered equivalent to college-level courses. Taught by a high school teacher. Exams scored on a scale of 1-5.
- **IB = International Baccalaureate:** Courses taught with rigor equivalent to college-level courses (similar to AP), but with global and cultural perspectives. Greater emphasis on interdisciplinary connections and writing. Taught by a high school teacher. Exams scored on a scale of 1-7.
- **DE = Dual Enrollment: **College courses taken while in high school for both college and high school credit. Courses could be taught at a college campus, online, or at the high school. Courses are taught by college instructors or high school teachers who have been approved to teach the college course.

## **AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Credits in College:**

- **AP =** Final grade in the class is reported on the high school transcript. Student opts to take AP exam(s) and must score at least a 3 for college credit at *some *colleges. 4s and 5s are widely regarded as the "slam dunk" for ensuring some kind of college credit.
- **IB = **Final grade in the class is reported on the high school transcript. Student opts to take IB exam(s) and must score at least a 4 or 5 for college credit at *some *colleges. 6s+ are widely regarded as the "slam dunk" for ensuring some kind of college credit.
  
    - **Downside of AP & IB** - College credit all comes down to the exam at the end. If a student is not a strong test-taker (even after having studied the content and done practice tests) college credit from AP/IB work could be unlikely.
    - However, the AP/IB exam content being tested is just the subject and online study guides are plentiful.
    - Most colleges will post information about how AP/IB scores equate to credit.
- **DE =** Final grade (A-F) as reported on high school *and* college transcript. Will be sent to the colleges you apply to and the one you ultimately attend. Credit does not all come down to a final exam.
  
    - **Downside of DE** - It is up to the college’s credit transfer policies to determine the course equivalent at their institution and then award credit for it.

## ** AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Scheduling:**

- **AP/IB = **Offered during the school day at the high school, so easily aligns with the student's school day schedule.
- **Downside of AP/IB **- There may only be one section of the desired course taught during the school day, which could impact other options.
- **DE = **Unless the class is being taught at the high school or self-paced online, then scheduling* could be* really challenging.
  
    - **Downside of DE - **College schedules rarely fit neatly into a HS bell schedule. Some classes go until 3:30/4:00, which could interfere with after-school activities.
    - Travel time to and from the college could cut into taking/fitting in other desired classes during the school year (summer DE can be an option).
    - Colleges have different (usually) fall, winter, and spring breaks than high schools, so it’s unlikely that both the high school and college breaks would align perfectly.

## ** ****AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Implications of Starting College Transcript:**

- **AP/IB = **Students ultimately get to choose whether or not they send their AP/IB test scores to a college for potential college credit. More choice in the student’s hands.
- **DE** = Students are starting their college transcript (aka their college GPA) regardless of how they perform in the course.
  
    - **Downside of DE - **'Bs' or 'Cs' in college classes dictate the GPA a student is already starting with when they enroll as a full-time undergraduate student.
    - Although high school GPA is important for college admissions, students will forever be putting their college GPA on graduate school applications, resumés and job applications.
    - **For students planning to pursue medical school, there could also be implications from taking DE science courses in high school.**

## **AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Additional Considerations:**

- **Depending on... **

- DE can be a great option for students who know they are looking at larger, public institutions (in and out-of-state) and/or  if the high school does not offer classes in a content area of interest (EX: astronomy or anatomy).
- DE can also be a great choice if the student wants to go deeper into a subject after having taken all related course(s) offered at the HS.

 

[View full post](https://blog.estrelaconsulting.com/ap-and-dual-enrollment)

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