Should I take AP classes or dual enrollment courses for college admissions?

Dual enrollment is better. Okay, there is a caveat.

When colleges evaluate applicants, two major factors come into play: course rigor and standardized test scores. On the rigor front, AP and dual enrollment are essentially equivalent. Yes, some colleges may have a slight preference for AP courses, but that preference doesn't change the calculus I'm about to walk you through.

Here's where AP seems to pull ahead: the exams. AP classes come bundled with a standardized assessment that does double duty, it validates your course rigor and contributes to your standardized testing profile. A student with five 5s on AP exams has quantifiable proof of mastery that admissions officers can easily interpret.

But here's the thing: nothing stops a dual enrollment student from taking AP exams.

Self-studying for an AP exam while enrolled in the equivalent college course isn't just doable, it's easy. You're already learning the material at a higher level. The AP exam becomes a formality, a box to check.

Now consider the real advantage of dual enrollment: pacing. AP courses run a full academic year. Dual enrollment courses? A semester, sometimes even a quarter. That difference compounds quickly.

A motivated dual enrollment student can move through introductory coursework in half the time and reach third- or fourth-year university classes while still in high school. That's a level of rigor no AP curriculum can match, because AP doesn't offer anything beyond the introductory level.

With some basic planning, dual enrollment students capture every benefit of AP while building a transcript that demonstrates genuinely advanced coursework. That's the caveat: you have to be strategic. Take those AP exams. But if you do, dual enrollment isn't just comparable to AP, it's better.