As a homeschooled high school senior, I am unable to take Advanced Placement courses, which are college-level classes taken at a high school. Students earn college credits by taking an exam at the end of the year. To remedy this, I decided to register at Southwest Tennessee Community College for dual enrollment classes. I chose Southwest for a multitude of reasons: to complete my high school education, to provide challenging courses in preparation for college, and to grant me college credit. I opted to take Pre Calculus, English Composition, and Anatomy & Physiology this semester. In January, I take Pre Calculus 2 and Anatomy & Physiology 2.
Gateway Christian Schools, the umbrella school I homeschool under, requires …show more content…
I will receive 17 college credits that transfer my freshman year. A semester hour costs $152 at Southwest. Vanderbilt, which I have applied to, charges $1,700 per semester hour. Southwest classes are priced significantly less than at Vanderbilt, so dual enrollment reduces my future costs. I intend to become a clinical geneticist, a physician who diagnoses and treats patients with genetically inherited diseases. A prestigious university would present me with the experience and connections I need for medical school and to become a doctor.
Dual enrollment equips me with experience in a college environment. Southwest will teach me study habits and time-management skills, while aiding as a bridge between high school and college classes. It adjusts me to a full course load and permits me to take advanced courses my freshman year. Dual enrollment also proves to colleges my ability to succeed academically.
Overall, Southwest is the most advantageous option for me. Not only will I complete my high school education, but I gain college credits at the same time. Southwest provides me with an insight into college life, readying me for a four-year university. I look forward to learning from my professors the rest of this school