• A: In 2015-16, the average GPA among DEP students was a 3.4, earned in an average of 20 credit hours. DEP students as a group do exceptionally well.
  • A: Yes. Each 3- or 4-credit college course equals 1 Carnegie unit. A student needing 1 unit of high school English in his or her senior year of high school would only need to take one semester of college English to satisfy the high school graduation requirement.
  • A: Yes. You must choose courses from the Dual Enrollment Course Directory in the DEP Advising Handbook. If you choose a course that is not on the Dual Enrollment-approved list, you will be responsible for paying the tuition for that course.

  • A: Yes, for HOPE purposes; possibly for high school GPA purposes.  For HOPE: the Georgia Student Finance Commission will award an extra .50 weighting to grades for courses taken in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and dual enrollment, up to a maximum of a 4.00 grade. It is possible to maximize your HOPE GPA by taking all dual enrollment courses or by taking a combination of AP, IB and dual enrollment courses, all which receive the extra .50 weight.

    For high school GPA: Every school district sets its own policy for awarding extra quality points for dual enrollment courses on the high school transcript. Some school districts allow for extra quality points. Check with your counselor to see criteria for your school district.

  • A: You will need to set up a meeting to provide documentation to Student Disability Services by calling (470) 578-2666. Accommodations such as testing in a quiet room, longer time periods for testing, and recording lectures are common.
  • A: No. The DEP office will do this automatically for every DEP student.
  • A: KSU reports only letter grades. Each school district has its own conversion policy for converting these letter grades to numeric grades for the high school transcript. See the DEP Advising Handbook or your high school counselor for more specific information.
  • A: Yes, dual enrollment students can take online courses at Kennesaw.  Some online classes may require a proctored test and the student is responsible for fees associated with that test.  Reference your course syllabus the first week of class to see additional fees.
  • A: If you need this class to meet high school graduation requirements, you will need to contact your high school counselor immediately to discuss your options for fulfilling the graduation requirement. If you do not need the course OR the credits for graduation, you may wish to withdraw prior to the “last day to withdraw from a class without academic penalty,” as published by the Registrar’s Office Academic calendar. You must notify your counselor and set up an appointment with your DEP advisor to complete the Permission to Withdraw form.
  • A: Yes. Your initial HOPE eligibility is determined by the grades on your high school transcript, which includes your dual enrollment grades. Remember that HOPE will add .50 weighting to all dual enrollment course grades. Once you have graduated from high school, if your HOPE GPA is a 3.0 or higher, you will receive HOPE. Your HOPE GPA will then reset to “0” and only those grades earned after high school graduation will count toward future eligibility. However, if you graduate from high school and fall short of a 3.0 and do not initially receive HOPE, your dual enrollment grades will be included in the 30-credit hour checkpoint at which students are re-evaluated for HOPE eligibility. This policy, set by the Georgia Student Finance Commission, is intended to help students reach the 30-credit hour checkpoint sooner. However, if your DEP grades are poor, getting to the checkpoint sooner does not necessarily help you reclaim HOPE, because you must have a 3.0 HOPE GPA.
  • A: If the course is a graduation requirement, you must return to your high school to complete all or a portion of the class not fulfilled through your course work at Kennesaw State University. If you preregister for a KSU class that requires the course you failed as a pre-requisite, you must drop the class during the Drop/Add period.
  • A: Email all of your instructors and the DEP manager to notify them and inquire about the impact of the absence on your grade. Policies for attendance, missed exams, and make-up work should be listed on every instructors’ syllabus.
  • A: You will need to complete a readmission form and send a new high school transcripts showing Fall semester grades. We will provide information about readmitting as a freshman at your fall advising session in October. We will host an advising session for readmitting students in February.
  • A: Log on to Owl Express, click on Student Records, and then Request Printed/Official Transcript. An online form will appear that you will need to complete.

  • A: Since your courses were taken prior to high school graduation, most colleges prefer that you apply as a freshman. This also ensures that you will be considered for scholarships earmarked for freshmen.

    If you have earned more than 30 credit hours in dual enrollment, you should inquire with your school of choice as to how they would prefer you apply.

  • A: No. Dual Enrollment students receive Dual Enrollment, funding prior to high school graduation, and full HOPE benefits after high school graduation.

  • A: As a fully-accredited university, KSU’s credits are accepted by virtually all public
    colleges and universities in the United States, and by most private colleges and universities.

    Students considering private colleges should inquire with them about their policy
    for accepting dual enrollment credits.

Dual Enrollment vs. AP Courses

  • A: Dual enrollment is not a test-based program. Your ability to earn college credits is not based on a single high-stakes test, but rather on the entirety of work completed over the course of a semester.

    Dual enrollment typically allows students to accumulate more college credit than AP. Students who attend DEP full-time may complete their entire freshman year of college before graduating from high school. Students who begin DEP as juniors may complete nearly two years of college coursework.

    Dual enrollment allows students to experience college life and academics by spending time on a college campus. DEP eases the transition to college, allowing students to experience college while still living at home with the support system of family and friends.

    AP courses are like a college course; DEP courses are college courses.

  • A: No, many part-time DEP students also take AP courses at their high schools. Taking an AP course at your high school and college courses at KSU that aren't available through the AP program demonstrates to admissions offices that you are choosing the most rigorous path to college. Some students come to DEP already having completed AP courses at their high schools, and have scored a 3 or higher to exempt an introductory college course. These students can continue their progression to more advanced college courses through DEP. Students without AP experience can demonstrate that they are ready for college level work through DEP. Both AP and DEP help students build a track record of advanced aptitude and ability.
  • A: DEP students have the option of taking regular college courses or Honors college courses. The University Honors Program at Kennesaw State is built around small class-size environments of DEP and University Honors students who are similarly motivated and academically focused. Honors classes are taught by Honors Faculty members who are selected for their outstanding teaching and expertise in their disciplines. Honors classes often emphasize in-depth classroom discussion following the Socratic method. Students tell us they find the pace of college Honors courses more relaxed than AP courses, with fewer, but more heavily weighted assignments and tests spread throughout the semester, rather than in-class daily work and frequent quizzes. Increased expectations for quality work are balanced by pacing that allows more time to complete major assignments and prepare for tests. A typical college course grading formula might be based on three to four tests and two major papers, projects or presentations. Honors English courses require four papers. There are no "daily work" grades in college.

  • A: There are many different reasons why students choose DEP. DEP is a great option
    for:

    Advanced students who have exhausted the curriculum in a particular subject at their high schools or home school programs. Students can continue in more advanced coursework at KSU.
    Students wishing to study a subject not available in the high school, such as Arabic, Japanese, Russian, philosophy, anthropology, political science or public speaking.
    Students wishing to get a headstart in the courses they'll need for college rather than taking non-academic high school electives.
    Students wishing to shorten their amount of time in college before med school, law school, or other graduate programs.
    Students who feel overwhelmed by the nightly workload of advanced high school courses.
    Solid "B" students looking to distinguish their academic profiles.
    Students who would like to get a fresh start in an academically-focused environment free of cliques and high school drama.
    Students planning to attend an out-of-state or private college who want to save money by shaving a year or semester off of college tuition and room and board expenses.
    Students who want to "dip their toes" in the college environment and just take a course or two to see what college is like.

  • A: Some school districts, including Cherokee, Cobb and Fulton, have policies that allow the awarding of extra quality points for specified dual enrollment courses. Check with your school system for its policy. Students in the running for valedictorian or salutatorian will want to strategically choose those courses that will earn extra quality points.
  • A: It is always best for students to ask this question directly of their colleges of choice, because there is no "blanket" answer adopted by all colleges. In general, admissions offices weigh grades and the level of rigor of courses most heavily. Students seeking admission to highly selective colleges and universities should have transcripts that demonstrate that they have pursued a rigorous path to college. As the only non-residential honors dual enrollment program in the state, and one of few in the nation, KSU's DEP provides students with opportunities to demonstrate success in challenging academic coursework by selecting honors classes, completing courses more advanced than what is available in the high school, taking college courses rather than P.E. or other non-academic electives at the high school, and earning superior grades in college classes. In admissions calculations, some colleges, including UGA, do not add extra quality points to dual enrollment course grades. Other colleges, including Georgia Tech, add .5 quality points to dual enrollment grades. Inquire with your college of choice about its policy.
  • A: In the case of AP, colleges award students college credit for AP exams which meet their minimum score requirements, which may vary between institutions. The grade earned in high school AP courses is not transferred; just the credits are awarded. In the case of DEP, most colleges transfer the grade earned in the college course. Some colleges treat dual enrollment courses like AP courses and transfer the credit, but not the grade. Students should contact their college of choice if they have questions about its policy.
  • A: Effective Fall 2013, the Georgia Student Finance Commission converts numeric grades on high school transcripts to a 4.0 scale, and then adds an extra .50 weight to grades earned in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and dual enrollment courses, up to a maximum of a 4.00 grade. It is possible to maximize your HOPE GPA by taking all dual enrollment courses or by taking a combination of AP, IB and dual enrollment courses, all which receive the extra .50 weight.
  • A: KSU's DEP program enjoys long-standing relationships with many high schools and their counseling staffs in Cobb, Cherokee, Paulding and Bartow counties. We find that those high schools that have the most students in DEP are also the most active in promoting it, because they have come to know the quality of KSU's program and the positive outcomes for their students. KSU will automatically send your grades to your high school each semester so that they can be incorporated into your high school transcript. We also provide certificates to high schools to distribute to DEP students at honors nights or year-end events. Each year, DEP provides informational handouts to high schools and offers to send a representative to their campus to speak to students and counselors. Many high schools are now posting this information on their Counseling office websites. DEP is a partnership between the high school and KSU, and we encourage you to contact both KSU's Dual Enrollment program and your counselor if you have questions.