Parallel Enrollment - Attend High School and College at the Same Time

My daughter is in her last year of high school. She attends Kenwood High school in Baltimore, Maryland. This school offers a great program for Seniors that will let them to go to high school half the day and attend college classes the other half of the day.

My daughter was told about this program by her counselor at the school. Her counselor saw that; my daughter, wanted to go to college and was helping her with getting her with getting college applications and other funding to help her get into college. We talked to her counselors at the end of her junior year so that we could get the paper work started and she could take her college courses right away.

This Parallel Enrollment is with the local community colleges. This program has a lot of benefits to it. The big advantage is cost. You only have to pay about half the price for the classes that are taken while the child is in their senior year of high school. My daughter is taking English 101 which is three credits and only three hours a week. The class would normally cost me over five hundred dollars but thanks to this program it cost me two hundred plus books. Her class will run from August to December. Then she can sign up for another course that will end in the summer.

The next benefit is that these credits can be carried over to the college she chooses to attend when she graduates high school. By the time the kids in this program reach college they can already have a good start on credits towards a college degree.

Another advantage to this college advance class is that your child will see what college life will be like. They will get to see how much work is involved and what college teachers expect, that high school teachers let slide. This is also a cheaper way to find out if the child can handle the pressure of college life. These classes also give them a look into their future. They will be attending classes with actual college students on campus.

If your child is in their last year of high school or even a junior in high school, I would ask their schools counselor about this program. Maybe your state has the program under another name. I can't stress enough how this will help your child. There is paper work that the school with need to give you that will help you get your child enrolled in this program. I think that if a child knows what they want out of life and know what they need to do to get there that they are entitled to all the advantages we can give them towards their education. There are kids now days that are taking advanced course study in high school. The only logical advance for them now is to take an actual college course. My daughter has taken five years of Spanish classes and most of these classes are at a college level. With this program she can now actually take a college course with other college students.

As parents we want the best for child and this program is a leg up for them, and takes some of the financial burden off you. Remember if you are in the Maryland area the program is called parallel enrollment, if you live in another state ask your child's counselor for information on a similar program. The best thing is to start this process at the end of your child's junior year, however, any time is a good time.