After the first couple years of high school, it’s easy for kids to get stuck in a confusing, educational vortex, leaving them looking for the proper next step in order to follow their dreams.

For some, the answer is AP–or Advanced Placement–classes, which can offer college credit or better placement in more advanced universities.

For others, such as senior Jaidyn Wilkinson, who has taken 15 dual enrollment classes, the better option is dual enrollment.

“I think [dual enrollment] classes are better for me because I can build my own schedule,” Wilkinson said. “There is no set teacher telling you what and when to do things, so you have to be self disciplined.”

While the material in AP and dual enrollment classes are both intended to be more academically rigorous than standard high school coursework, dual enrollment classes offer college credit and focus much of their grading onto overall participation throughout the entire course, while AP classes only earn students college credit if they score high enough on the final exam.

This shouldn’t necessarily deter students away from AP classes if they struggle with taking tests, however, as pointed out by AP Chemistry teacher Richard Reece.

“Just because you’re not a great test taker doesn’t mean you won’t gain a lot of knowledge and experience by taking an AP class,” Reece said. “The preparation for a high-stakes test is beneficial because you’ll have to do that in college.”

It seems most eligible kids prefer to get a mix of both AP and dual enrollment courses, such as junior Caleb Wagner, who has taken one AP class and three dual enrollment classes.

“They both have their pros and cons,” Wagner said, “But I think dual enrollment prepares you better for college through real college professors, free range expectation, and college applications.”

Despite the college credit earned through dual enrollment, many, such as junior Carson Mendrek, believe AP is the stronger option for college preparation.  “AP is closer to the real work load,” Mendrek said. “I definitely enjoy leaving campus for dual enrollment, but I’d rather gain knowledge from AP that will actually help me in college.”

Leaving school is another big change for dual enrollment kids, as certain courses allow the students to leave early for classes they have finished their work in. This incentive isn’t always beneficial, as pointed out by senior Elizabeth Richards.

“I see a lot of kids just [speeding] through their dual enrollment work so they can leave early on [certain] days,” Richards said. “So in reality they aren’t retaining much knowledge.”

This motivation could also encourage more students to cheat through their dual enrollment work.

Library Media Specialist Shannon Silvers, who oversees many of the dual enrollment classes, checks students off for completing their work.

“I think there is a lot of ChatGPT use and students get away with it; it is easier to cheat since it’s online and it happens frequently,” Silvers said. “Dual enrollment classes are set up like a college class, but unless the student puts in the effort to really learn and do all the required readings, they’re not getting the college class experience.”

Fellow Library Media Specialist Britni Sauceman, who also oversees several dual enrollment courses, discusses the importance of considering one’s post-secondary goals when deciding between AP and dual enrollment.

“If you’re looking to pursue a four-year, in-person college, then AP would prepare you and grow your knowledge on the subject,” Sauceman said. “ If you [do online college], then you should lean towards dual enrollment.”

While both AP and dual enrollment classes test student’s ability to work at a quick pace, it seems AP classes, especially in comparison to standard honors courses, strongly challenge students’ endurance and critical thinking with their rapid course progression.

“I have noticed the classes are a lot more fast-paced than an honors class is,” junior Lily Chen said. “I think [it’s] because our schedules aren’t year long, and teachers are trying to get through [most] of the classes concepts in time for the AP test and at the same time, [prepare] students for the test.”

This strong focus toward the AP exam could intrigue, or on the other hand, deter students away from AP courses. While dual enrollment credits are perhaps more technically meaningful toward college credit, it’s possible that they aren’t as effective as AP courses with preparing students for the real difficulty of high-level college courses.

Regardless of the high prestige at stake, it’s possible that funneling entire college courses through an online platform, such as Desire2Learn, only motivates students to cheat more, or rush through their assignments, especially when the instructor of said course is less available.

“It is kind of hard not having an [in-person] teacher in dual enrollment,” junior Haley Woods said. “This makes the course seem less meaningful at times, and [encourages] kids to cheat.”

It’s certainly easy to see why many students, especially those who prefer the more traditional methods of learning, would prefer AP courses. In contrast, those who prefer to work at their own pace tend to lean more toward dual enrollment.

“Dual enrollment is much more independent,” junior Rylee Leblanc said. “AP classes are more challenging in my opinion and [are] teacher led.”

It’s difficult, undoubtedly, to predict which course type proves more beneficial toward the future of academics, and it’s nearly impossible to give a generalized answer for all students, as the needs and preferences differ for each person.

For students who crave a sneak peak into a college level work load, dual enrollment is probably the stronger option. For those who strictly want to improve their academic performance, however, AP courses are the better, more challenging choice.

“AP classes also, in my opinion, are more likely to give me the tools I need to find success in college and my future goals.” Mendrek said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the kids only taking dual enrollment end up stuck when they get to college.”