Get Involved
Extracurricular activities have become exceedingly more important to college admissions. Colleges are not looking for who can be a part of the most clubs, organizations, or teams, but rather who is most dedicated to those clubs, organizations, and teams. Those who take on leadership positions such as team captain or an officer for an honor society are also deemed as more dedicated. Consistent participation and notable contributions should be made in order to boost the quality of your extracurriculars.
The link below contains a sheet with all SCPS high school websites, Facebook pages, curriculum guides, and extracurricular lists.
ded·i·cat·ed
(of a person) devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty or integrity.
Volunteer
Volunteering is another great way to get involved in your community and to show colleges an altruistic form of dedication. Find an area or subject that you resonate with and share it with others. Don't just choose the fastest and easiest activity, choose something you are passionate about and pursue it on a deeper level. BrightFutures requires students to choose an area of interest to focus their service activities. This can also help you figure out what you want to pursue in college and after your post-secondary education.
Course Rigor Compared
Four different course levels are offered to high school students: standard, honors, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment. All students should challenge themselves with their course work to show colleges that they are actively trying to better themselves in terms of their education.
Generally, colleges would rather see a student attempt a higher level course and earn a 'B' than see them take all standard level courses and receive all 'A's.'
Standard
Standard-level courses are on-level and cover all required content to pass any state-wide exams and to graduate. Additionally, teachers are more likely to give in-class support and less homework.
Honors
Honors-level courses cover the same content as a standard-level course but explore more complex ideas. Students will be expected to be more independent and have the ability to keep up with faster-paced learning.
These courses will boost your GPA. For example, an A will be worth 4.5 points as opposed to the standard 4 points. This is what builds your "weighted GPA."
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement (AP) courses give students the opportunity to complete college-level coursework while in high school. These courses are significantly more rigorous than standard or honors classes. Students are expected to learn at a faster pace and more independently. Additionally, students will take an exam in May that will assess their success in the course. All the exams are composed of a multiple-choice section and a free-response section to showcase the student's knowledge. If they pass with a 3, 4, or 5, students may be granted college credit. By taking AP courses, students can save money while in college. Please visit the College Board website to learn more about AP courses.
AP courses will add an entire point to a student's GPA. Instead of the standard 4 points, a student can receive 5 points for receiving an A.
Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment (DE) is another great option to receive college credit while in high school. Like AP courses, these are free and provide more rigor for students. These courses are sometimes offered on your high school campus, though some must be taken on the Seminole State College (SSC) campus. Students need to meet GPA and SAT/ACT/PERT testing requirements to be considered for dual enrollment coursework. Students will also need to speak with their counselor to coordinate this path. Please visit the SSC website to learn more about Dual Enrollment.
Like AP courses, dual enrollment courses will give students five points if they earn an A.
Advanced Placement vs. Dual Enrollment
What institutions accept AP credits?
AP credits are almost universally accepted by American colleges and universities. The institutions that do not accept certain AP credits are within the top ten ranked schools (think the Ivy League). Some schools will also only accept your credit if you obtain a high enough score. Although "passing" meaning getting a "3" on any given exam, some institutions require student get a "4" or even a "5" to be granted credit. Students should take AP course if they would like to show colleges that they can handle college-level coursework before graduating high school. A rigorous education is vital to having the best chances of being accepted in a prestigious university. Additionally, those applying to out-of-state schools would benefit from AP courses because they have a high chance of transferring the AP credit than a DE credit.
What institutions accept Dual Enrollment credits?
Only Florida schools that have made an agreement with Seminole State College will accept Dual Enrollment credits. Students would benefit from taking Dual Enrollment classes if they intend to continue their education at SSC or one of the partnered universities. Credit cannot be guaranteed to transfer to out-of-state institutions and should not be expected. Additionally, grades received in a dual enrollment course will appear on the student's high school and college transcripts. As opposed to AP grades, they are only applied to the student's high school transcript.
College Board provides a search engine for students to determine whether a college accepts AP credits and what score they need to receive said credit.
Why do some schools not accept AP or DE credits?
All colleges want to ensure that the credits they are giving to students are equivalent to the completed coursework. For example, the top ten universities are more strict with their AP credit policies because they want to ensure that students not only complete their curriculum but also receive the same rigor necessary to be successful at their school. As for Dual Enrollment, the rationale is similar. Let’s say Student “A” takes an entry-level statistics course at a local community college and the class is an “easy A.” And Student “B” takes the “same” entry-level statistics course at MIT, which is significantly harder and not as easy to achieve an “A”. Colleges need a way to standardize the grades students receive, therefore they will require students to take their courses as opposed to another university’s.