College Credits in High School: Your How-To Guide

A popular way to get a jump start on a bachelor’s degree is to earn college credits in high school.  

This blog post will be useful to you whether you are just starting high school and thinking ahead, or if you are making your final college decision and looking for the specific steps to follow to apply the college credits you earned in high school:

(If you are interested in transferring to Russell Sage from another college, find more information and download a transfer checklist at sage.edu/transfer.)

There are several good reasons to earn college credits in high school, from saving time and money on your bachelor’s degree, to getting a head start on your graduate degree, to adding to your resume with a double major or extra minor. 

Depending on the number of college credits that you earn in high school, you could finish your bachelor’s degree a semester early, or even a year early — leading to significant tuition savings. 

On top of the savings, students who finish their bachelor’s degree in less than four years enter the workforce earlier, which often means higher earnings over the course of their career. 

Students who earn college credits in high school may find they have room in their schedule to take graduate courses in their junior or senior year of college if the college allows for this. This can potentially save you money and time on a graduate degree.

Students who earn college credits in high school may have the option to pursue a second major or a minor. This extra expertise can help your resume stand out!

Sometimes, earning college credits in high school makes it possible to take a lighter course load in college, although it is very important to check in with the financial aid office and your advisors first (Many undergraduate financial aid packages are contingent on enrolling for a certain number of credits.) 

Here at Russell Sage College, we accept Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Dual Enrollment credits. Let’s explore how you can earn these different types of college credit while you are in high school, and how to apply AP, IB, and dual enrollment credits to your Russell Sage College degree.

Many high schools offer classes that allow students to earn college credit through an affiliation with a community college, state college, or private college. This type of credit is known as Dual Enrollment Credit or Standard College Credit. Russell Sage accepts Dual Enrollment Credit or Standard College Credit when you achieve a C grade or higher in a course. 

Many high school students earn college credit in high school by taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes and achieving high scores on AP or IB exams. The AP or IB scores required for Russell Sage College credit vary by subject. 

The College Level Examination Program is a way to earn college credit outside of traditional coursework, by demonstrating mastery of a subject on a CLEP exam. Find information about the CLEP exams and scores accepted for credit at RSC in the college catalog.

Russell Sage makes it simple to transfer college credits earned in high school. Usually, you’ll provide the documentation of the college credit you earned in high school early in the summer before you start college. 

Keep reading for a step-by-step guide, and remember that RSC’s admissions team is available for any questions you have. Reach [email protected] or 518-292-1730. 

When you apply to Russell Sage College, both the Russell Sage-specific application and the Common App also ask if you have college credit earned in high school. Simply answer “yes” to start the process. 

If you decide to attend Russell Sage College — and we hope you do — an admission counselor will reach out to you early in the summer before your first year, to remind you to submit documentation of the college credit you earned in high school. 

If you need Russell Sage’s Designated Institution Code, it is 2764.

You’ll be invited to Russell Sage’s Ready Day the summer before your first year, and one of the things you will do at Ready Day is meet with an advisor, who will help you select your first semester classes. Your advisor will review the college credit you earned in high school, their course equivalents at Russell Sage, and what classes you might like to take instead. 

In addition to questions about the benefits of earning college credit in high school and how to transfer those credits, Russell Sage’s admission counselors and tour guides are frequently asked if there is a limit to how many credits they can bring from high school, and what bachelor’s degree courses their high school credits will count toward. We’ve answered those questions below.  

Russell Sage College will work with you to bring in the college credits you earned in high school. 

Some first-time, first-year college students begin Russell Sage with 15, 20, or even 30 college credits that they earned in high school. That said, what credits transfer and what they count toward will depend on your major; some majors require you to take specific classes at Russell Sage.

The short answer is yes — although, as mentioned above, some majors do require you to take certain courses at Russell Sage.

The college credit you earn in high school will most often be applied to general education requirements or, in some cases, 101-level courses within your major. 

You’ll meet with an advisor the summer before you start Russell Sage — and regularly throughout your four years in college — who will review what credit you have, and what credit you need to earn your bachelor’s degree. They’ll explain your options and help you stay on track with your degree plan.

Reach out to an undergraduate admission counselor to learn more about Russell Sage College’s degree programs and Gator Gateway Undergraduate Success Program.