Is an associates degree worth it in HS?Answered
Hi!
I'm currently a sophomore. My school offers a dual degree program where I can get an associates degree in Allied Health Science (60 college credits). This degree will save 2 years off of my undergrad at most colleges in NJ (Including Rutgers)
Is getting the degree worth it? I aim to go to an Ivy/T20 school. Will this degree help my admission chances?
I plan on taking 14-16 AP courses, I currently have a 4.0 UW and 4.85 W. My ECs are all Tier 1s and 2s (NOT asking for a chance me, just saying that my ECs are pretty good and I really only have to focus mainly on academics)
Edit: Grammar lol
Earn karma by helping others:
2 answers
Hi! I think this idea definitely has merit, as long as you can make it work. I assume your high school (and the community college) that you will get the associate's through is in New Jersey. If so, all the two- year and four- year colleges and universities in New Jersey have a transfer agreement, so all your credits from your associate's would transfer. It also works out a LOT cheaper because you are saving two years of university tuition, room, and board, and instead only paying the comparatively low price of community college. In terms of helping your admissions chances, I think it definitely could, as long as your actual high school grades don't suffer because of the extra workload. If you can keep up your GPA in both high school and dual enrollment classes, it would definitely show colleges that you can handle a challenging curriculum.
Hope this helped and good luck!
This really depends on the person. I considered a associates degree program but decided against it as not enough of my credits would transfer in; it is better for me to pick and choose DE classes that will go towards my major. The associates degree would not cover 2 years of my undergrad education and I would have to go back and fill in some gen ed b/c it wasn't what the college I am looking at wanted; my goal is to save time and money. Know your goal and consider what would be best for you and your career. Coming in with an associates degree can be very much to your advantage- besides saving time and money, you have proved you can handle college level work.
Hope this helps!
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!
Alright, thanks! The courses I'm interested in taking are quite affordable, which makes it a great option for me if I apply to a college like Rutgers (my safety). However, I'm only planning to apply to Rutgers for in-state options, which means that the credits I earn will probably not be transferable to other colleges I plan to apply to.