Many students have the opportunity to take dual credit courses through their high school. These courses can increase the rigor of their curriculum, which is beneficial in both the admission and scholarship processes at TCU. Additionally, students taking advanced courses are often better prepared for the collegiate workload. Earning college credit early can also give you more opportunities down the road to graduate early, add an additional major or minor, study, participate in internships or play ping-pong with friends!
Most coursework that students will complete through a dual credit program will transfer to TCU without any issues. Peruse our Transfer Equivalency Guide to see exactly where your classes will fit into the curriculum at TCU. Those credits will be applied to the actual course taken, so you’re actually taking care of Core Curriculum requirements with dual enrollment, as opposed to simply receiving elective credit.
Students may transfer in up to 63 hours of credit. This includes credit from dual enrollment, AP tests, and courses taken at other institutions while at TCU. These other classes can consist of summer school at a school back home or online coursework completed elsewhere.
No matter how many credits you bring in, you are still considered a first-year student and not a transfer if all of those classes were taken before you graduated from high school. If you have 30 or more hours, you will be listed as a sophomore by credit hours, but are still a first-year student. Essentially, the only difference for a student in this position is that they get to park in the sophomore parking lot and are able to register for their spring classes a bit earlier than other first-year students. No matter how many hours you accumulate in high school, you are still encouraged to attend Frog Camp and required to attend Orientation, you’ll live in a first-year residence hall and otherwise live the college experience of a first-year student.
Dual credit is a valuable tool for preparing students for the rigors of college work while also giving them the chance to get ahead in their journey towards a degree. We support the initiative it takes to engage in these additional challenges and are here to support you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know!
Dalton Goodier is a Senior Admission Counselor. He’d like to shout out Luna and Mika, the two very best dogs in the entire world.