Opportunities to Earn College Credit at HHS

Laurie Boeshans, M.S., L.S.C.

School Counselor, grades 10-12

Updated February 6, 2025

Welcome!

• Four different opportunities to earn college credit while at HHS
• Eligibility requirements & how to enroll
• Benefits of earning college credit now
• Implications of not doing well
• Who’s a good fit for college credit bearing courses?
• HHS teachers’ words of experience
• Intro to transferring credits
• Q&A

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2025-26 HHS Course registration

• Sometime this spring - timeline depends on teacher hiring
• Students will get information about graduation requirements and course options in school, including this information
• Digital course registration guide on my website
• Parents and students will receive emails prior to registration with helpful information

Why are kids taking college-level courses at HHS?

• An academically challenging way to meet graduation requirements
• Taking courses from teachers they know in a smaller class section
• Free college credits
• College strategy:
• Finish their program sooner
• Can take a lighter load in college
• Add on a second major or minor
• Complete generals
• Try out a subject area they’re interested in

Four opportunities to earn college credit at HHS

• Dual-credit – via colleges

Dual credit = earn both high school and college credit at the same time

• Concurrent enrollment/College in the Schools (CIS)
• Online college courses
• PSEO

Credit granted from the college upon passing the course.

4. Advanced Placement (AP)

College credit possible based on test score and guidelines of college student attends after graduation

Concurrent enrollment/CIS

• Courses taught by HHS teachers under the supervision of faculty at MState-Fergus Falls
• HHS teachers must meet requirements to teach concurrent courses and adhere to MState’s curriculum guidelines and policies
• Students in these courses generate an Mstate college transcript
• No cost to students

12 Courses anticipated offering at HHS

• BIOL 2202 Principles of Nutrition
• * BIOL 2260/2261 Human Anatomy & Physiology I + lab
• * BIOL 2262/2263 Human Anatomy & Physiology II + lab
• CHEM TBD – 1^st year college Chemistry *new 25-26*
• COMM 1120 Introduction to Public Speaking
• ENGL 1101 College Writing I
• ENGL 1205 Writing about Literature
• ENGL 2239 Nature Writers
• HLTH 1116 Medical Terminology
• MATH 1114 College Algebra
• MATH 1115 Functions/Trigonometry
• MATH 1213 Introduction to Statistics

Online college classes

• Taught by college instructors using a fully online platform
• Students work in the library using school computers – one class period for each online class (must stay at HHS that hour); some have their own laptops they bring to school
• We currently contract with eCampus in the High School (MState)

Online college classes, cont.

• Students in these courses generate a college transcript at Mstate.
• No cost to students. We provide textbooks/course materials.
• Wide variety of courses available
• Students can’t take courses offered at HHS
• Rigor/expectations vary by instructor

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PSEO �(Postsecondary Enrollment Options)

• Students attend college classes at any participating MN college or university just like a regular college student
• Full-time or part-time
• Students are expected to be full-time students, whether full-time PSEO or between PSEO part-time and HHS part-time
• On-campus or online (or both)
• Students must have at least one open hour on their HHS schedule in order to go PSEO
• Much more student responsibility

PSEO, cont.

• Tuition, fees, textbooks/course materials are all paid for
• Students are responsible for housing and transportation
• Families who meet income guidelines may be eligible for mileage reimbursement
• PSEO students are not eligible for financial aid and scholarships while they attend via PSEO
• Students are eligible to be involved in all HHS extra-curricular activities and events

PSEO, cont.

• Students are responsible for meeting with me to ensure they’re taking the right PSEO classes to fulfill their HHS requirements
• PSEO students generate a college transcript at the college they attend
• Course and grades are transferred back onto their HHS transcript
• Student is responsible for ensuring we receive their transcript in a timely manner
• HHS communicates with PSEO students via e-mail re: graduation, scholarships, etc.

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AP (Advanced Placement)

• High rigor courses aligned with nationwide AP standards and taught by HHS teachers
• Two courses anticipated being offered:
• AP Calculus
• *AP Psychology
• No cost to students to take the class or the AP test
• More widely accepted than college courses

AP, cont.

• Students are able to take the AP exam in May. Scored from 1-5 with 5 being the highest.
• Colleges and universities each set their own score cut-off for what they will accept as fulfilling a course there
• High school credit earned by passing the course; college credit determination is based on the test score at that particular college.
• No college transcript generated by taking AP courses.

Eligibility & Registration�Concurrent courses

• Eligibility requirements
1. GPA
• Juniors: 3.2 or above
• Seniors: 2.8 or above
2. Earned a B or higher in most recent same-subject-area HHS class
3. Signed parent & student agreement
• Register as part of HHS 2025-26 course registration
• Complete MState Student Application (first time students only)

Eligibility�Online college courses

• Eligibility requirements (set by HHS)
1. GPA
• Juniors: 3.6 or above
• Seniors: 3.2 or above
2. Earned a B or higher in most recent same-subject-area HHS class
• Can take one course per semester the first year. Qualifying seniors can request to take a second course per semester if can demonstrate benefit to their future plans.

Registration�Online college courses

• Separate registration materials available to students during 2025-26 course registration.
1. Online college registration form
2. Signed parent letter required
3. Mstate Student Application (first time Mstate students only)
• Courses filled on a first come, first serve basis.
• Firm registration deadline.

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Eligibility�PSEO

• Eligibility requirements are set by the individual college
• Look on a college’s website under their admissions section – most have PSEO-specific information there
• 9^th and10^th graders are able to take PSEO classes in a very limited capacity if they meet admission criteria (“meets” or “exceeds” score on MCA Reading in 8^th grade)
• One career & technical education class the first semester at participating colleges.
• If that class goes well, may be able to take more

Registration�PSEO

• Students will apply directly to the college according to their procedure. Typically this will include:
• College’s application for PSEO admission
• HHS transcript (student should see me)
• MDE Notice of Student Registration form (bring to me for completion of school section)
• Deadline to notify HHS of intent to do PSEO in fall 2025 is May 30. Spring 2026 deadline is October 30.
• Information posted on my website under the Post-secondary Education 🡪 PSEO tab

Eligibility & Registration�AP

• No formal eligibility requirements
• AP Calculus comes after the junior year college math courses (rec: MATH 1115)
• *AP Psychology is open to juniors and seniors; students should be strong readers as they move at a quick pace and there is a lot of reading assigned
• Register as part of 2025-26 HHS course registration process

Benefits to taking college-level courses in high school

• Higher-rigor courses provide good preparation for college expectations
• Taken while in a familiar, supportive environment (teachers, parents and school staff)
• By completing some coursework here, students may need to spend less time in college
• $$$$ - no cost to you
• Students could graduate with their associates degree at the same time they graduate with their high school diploma
• Opportunity to try out a class in a potential career interest area

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Potential drawbacks to taking college-level courses in H.S.

• Dual-credit coursework is a permanent part of a college transcript
• This can affect consideration for admission and competitive college majors/programs
• Low grades or completion rate can result in students being placed on academic warning and academic suspension with the college. This can affect:
• Ability to continue taking dual-credit courses
• Ability to enroll in that college
• Eligibility for financial aid after HS graduation

Potential drawbacks, cont.

• It’s not unusual for HHS students to graduate with a full year of credits under their belt, typically generals. Students will enter college ready to jump into the classes for their major.
• These students need to intentionally spend time considering their potential major/program.
• Not all programs require students to take a lot of generals
• Failure can put high school graduation in jeopardy

Potential drawbacks, cont.

• Due to quicker pacing and higher expectations, can be more difficult for students to be absent frequently or for long stretches.
• Students are jumping ahead one or two years in rigor – tough for some students and grades may reflect that.
• Due to data privacy regulations, college teachers cannot communicate with parents (unless the student signs a release of information)

Who is a good fit for college-level courses?

• Self motivated
• Solid time management skills
• Mature
• Able to handle higher academic stress
• Possess strong academic skills in that subject area (A or B in those classes)
• Confident self-advocate
• Strong work ethic
• Organized
• Checks e-mail regularly (PSEO & online college)
• Regular school attendance

Considerations…

• What does the rest of the student’s course load look like? – Everyone is different!
• What does the rest of the student’s non-academic life look like? - work, extra-curricular commitments, need for sleep, etc.
• Why does the student want to take higher rigor courses?
• What does the student want to do after high school? – might be best off spending more time in classes related to that program
• Are you absent a lot?
• College admission reps say – Higher rigor courses only benefit you if you earn an A or B in them.
• Beware of junior year overload!

What our teachers want you to know

• Attendance is crucial.
• Workload and rigor increase with AP and concurrent classes
• Curriculum is geared toward students with a passion for learning and curiosity
• Students are asked to be motivated to learn
• Classes require a lot of work outside of class – more than HS-level classes

What our teachers want you to know – concurrent classes

• Look realistically at your child’s skills before allowing them to take a college class. Just because they CAN take it, doesn’t mean they SHOULD take it. They’re jumping a year or two ahead in content and rigor.
• For example, if they have a decent cumulative GPA but struggle in English class, consider not taking college English
• Grades in CIS class may not be as high as they’re used to earning in HS classes.

What our teachers want you to know – concurrent classes

• Great option because students get individualized attention they may not get in large college classes!
• May be easier for students to approach teachers they’re familiar with
• Attend class five days a week here vs three days a week on campus, so pace can be a little slower
• Great way to acquire high-level writing and thinking skills in a small, supportive, and collaborative environment

What our teachers want you to know – concurrent classes

• Late work is rarely accepted
• Concurrent teachers can’t discuss a student’s work/behavior with the student’s parent/guardian. Teachers will not respond to emails from parents/guardians.
• Students learn a lot – often more than in an online version of the same class.
• Academic integrity violations (cheating, AI) have big consequences.

What our teachers want you to know – concurrent classes

• Daily in-session points may be lost if absence is not school-related. These points can’t be made up.
• Family vacations are not excused by colleges
• Students are expected to check in with their teacher via email or Google Classroom every day if they’re gone on any kind of extended vacation.
• Students should meet with their teachers well in advance of any excused absence.
• If absent due to illness, students should check in with the teacher that day at all possible.

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What our teachers want you to know – AP Chemistry

• If they do not get a 3 (which is a 50% on the AP Chemistry test), they will still be very well prepared for college chemistry.

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• Even if they are not going to “need” chemistry in college, by taking AP Chemistry and doing well enough on the exam, they will get science credits with labs.
• 4 credits for each semester = 8 credits
• Labs are usually 2-3 hours long each week, so they’re also saving themselves 5-6 hours a week!

Transferring credits

• When students apply to a college or university, they will be expected to provide all college transcripts at some point – whether good or not-so-good!
• Students should expect their college GPA earned during high school to travel with them the rest of their lives
• There is no guarantee as to how credits will transfer!

Transferring credits, cont.

• Each college decides whether and how they will accept transfer credits.
• Students should always keep a copy of their course syllabus in case requested by the college to determine acceptance.
• Some colleges or programs only accept transfer credits if a “C” or higher has been earned; others will accept courses with a “D”

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Transferring credits, cont.

• Courses may transfer in as the equivalent of another specific course or they may transfer in as an elective
• Dual-credit courses that are part of the Minnesota Transfer curriculum are designed to transfer seamlessly to other Minnesota State colleges and universities
• Example: MState College Writing I should fulfill the comparable first year college writing class at all other Minnesota State schools

Transferring credits, cont.

• AP seems to be the most universally transferrable option - the program is recognized by the most selective colleges
• Highly selective, out-of-state, and private colleges may not accept dual-credit courses as readily

How to learn more about transferability

• www.transferology.com
• Free to make an account. Lists how/whether courses transfer to participating colleges
• College websites – typically under the admissions section for transfer students
• Contact the admissions office at your prospective college(s) or visit with an admissions representative

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Learn more about earning college credits in high school

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Minnesota Department of Education website on this topic:

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• https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/dual/

Q & A

Contact me when you have questions!

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Laurie Boeshans

HHS School Counselor, grades 10-12

218.483.3555, ext. 1155

lboeshans@hawley.k12.mn.us

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