As a part of its Seven Keys to College Readiness, MCPS recommends that students strive to receive a score of three or better on at least one AP exam during their high school careers. However, allured by the prospect of gaining extensive college credit during high school, many students resolve to go even further, tackling several AP classes and exams each year. In fact, in 2010, MCPS students collectively took 29,854 AP exams, marking an all-time high of AP exam enrollment.

While AP courses are rapidly expanding in popularity, various Montgomery College-sponsored programs are also emerging as attractive options for those who seek alternative means of acquiring college credit during high school. According to Akima Rogers, the Dual Enrollment Programs Director at Montgomery College (MC), over 700 MCPS students participate in MC’s Early Placement and Dual Enrollment Programs each year. Through MC’s Early Placement Program, qualified juniors and seniors can take up to two classes per semester on-campus at MC. MC’s Dual Enrollment Program, on the other hand, allows students to take college courses taught by MC professors at their high school locations during the school day. 

Faced with an increasing abundance of avenues for earning college credit, students may question which program will offer them the optimal academic experience. Rogers advocates the Early Placement Program as an ideal route for students who seek to “gain the experience of what it is like to be in a college classroom and not just the credit.” 

Senior Malaika Elias agrees, contending that the Early Placement Program has allowed her to “have a good senior year while having the college experience also.” 

“I really enjoy the double experience that I get,” she said. “I think more students should do this program. It is … a great start at college.” 

However, Elias admits that prospective Early Placement students who do not have easy access to a car may be at a disadvantage. 

“I highly suggest that any future students who are going to do this program have a car to get back and forth,” said Elias, who drives her car between Sherwood and MC. 

Students who crave the realistic college experience of the Early Placement Program but cannot secure a reliable mode of transportation, may opt to participate in Sherwood’s Dual Enrollment Program, which conveniently offers an MC class at Sherwood during the school day. 

In the future, Sherwood’s Dual Enrollment Program aims to attract enough student interest to be able to offer a wide range of MC classes. As of now, however, the program only offers Speech 108: Introduction to Human Communication, which is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays during sixth and seventh period. 

“I wanted to take [the Speech 108 course] because I figured that it’s one less college credit that I’ll need when I’m actually in college, which will allow me to take more classes that I actually want to take,” said senior Rebecca Doss. 

Students who participate in MC’s Early Placement and Dual Enrollment Programs are not exempt from standard MC tuition costs. At MC, the tuition cost for one three-credit hour course for a Montgomery County resident is $321—considerably more than the $87 cost per AP exam. 

To avoid higher costs in their endeavors to gain college credit and have more options of courses, students may go the traditional route and take AP classes. Sherwood offers 20 AP classes in an array of subject areas, including foreign language, math, English, science and the arts. Whereas most classes offered under MC’s Early Placement and Dual Enrollment Programs convene only a few days a week, AP classes meet daily, Monday through Friday. According to AP Biology teacher Jim Douglas, this daily format allows students to gain an in-depth understanding of a given subject. 

“I feel like because I have the students from AP Biology 90 minutes a day [in double period], five days a week, that our curriculum is just as deep as the college professor who has them for 45 minutes a day, three days a week and then in lab for three hours,” said Douglas. 

Although Douglas generally believes that students’ scores on AP exams accurately reflect whether they are deserving of receiving college credit for their work in AP classes, he notes that there are some exceptions for students who test poorly. 

“You have students that are not super test takers so they do well on everything else [in class], and then they just have a bad day on the exam,” said Douglas. 

Ultimately, students who seek to earn college credit during high school must weigh “time and travel factor, costs and transferability of the credits when making this decision,” said Rogers. 

But regardless of whether a student opts to take AP classes or participate in MC’s Early Placement or Dual Enrollment Programs, Doss maintains that the common goal these programs work towards is worthwhile. 

“This way, I can get whatever credits I need during high school, and save my college experience to help build my path toward my career,” said Doss.