Cedar Park High School’s dual credit program with ACC can guarantee nearly 30 hours of college credit upon completion after two years. With registration available as early as the summer of junior year, students have the possibility of completing a bachelor’s degree in just three years outside of high school.

Senior Emilee Kitzmann, a dual credit student for two years, says this promise of college credit is what drew her to the program in the first place. While the cohort structure, which guides ACC students to take specific classes, differs from AP courses in students’ ability to choose which specific classes they are interested in, it ensures both high school and college credit, and only requires a passing grade in the class. AP tests, however, evaluate students’ performance in class regardless of grade.

 “With ACC, credit is guaranteed because you’re taking actual college classes, not just the equivalent of them,” Kitzmann said. “The grind of [AP courses] wouldn’t be worth anything outside of high school if you didn’t pass the AP tests.”

As for ACC course material, Kitzmann is no stranger to the in-depth curriculum but ultimately believes the challenge is worth the benefits that dual credit provides.

“The workload is college-level [and] the material you get is the same as what people who have already graduated [from high school] are getting,” Kitzmann said. “You have to consider the long term benefits and not just what feels comfortable in the moment. You can either get through [the classes] now and get free college credit, or you can do it later and have to pay for it yourself.”

Another perk of ACC is the option to enroll in distance learning summer courses operating exclusively online. Students can knock out courses that they would otherwise be required to take during the school year, as Senior Marlee Randel has done with her English classes for the past two years.

“The time I gained by taking English online allowed me to create more variety in my schedule during the year,” Randel said. “And it was honestly nice to keep my brain engaged over summer break.”

Contrary to the beliefs of some students, a majority of  ACC classes offered at the high school transfer to universities all over the country, not just universities exclusive to Texas. And with a smaller student to teacher ratio, students can expect different classroom dynamics with their professors. Kitzmann embraced these differences of ACC from high school both in the curriculum and in the classroom.

“Professors don’t look down on you like you’re a kid, they may openly curse during lecture or teach in a non-traditional way, and they’re perfectly allowed to,” Kitzmann said. “The classes are harder, but if you care about getting the work done, the payoff is great.”