Concurrent Courses: Crucial GPA Resources?
By Tony Cerqueira
Photo of TCC Southeast Campus taken by Tony Cerqueira
As this school year comes to a close, more and more students focus their attention on future career choices. One crucial make-or-break factor for college admittances is high school GPA, as it is a reflection of an individual’s academic history. However, not all GPAs tell the same story.
Numerous high schools, including Owasso High School, have adopted a concurrent program to allow students to take collegiate courses—online or in-person—through local colleges, such as Tulsa Community College. This enables high schoolers the opportunity to gain college credit before graduating, but it also raises moral questions regarding the courses’ return-on-investment.
At OHS, concurrent enrollment courses are weighted 4.4 on the GPA scale, paralleling AP classes. Compared to the structured AP program—where set standards define course expectations—concurrent classes can vary significantly in difficulty depending on professor, institution and subject. This can make for a less-consistent impact on a student’s GPA, leaving courses to feel more like a gamble.
As a result of this educational contrast, scholars may find it easy to prioritize the inflated GPA benefits that come with concurrent enrollment over the true value of the coursework, diminishing the program’s original intent of academic preparedness.
OHS Senior Sophia Sim, an individual with prior concurrent enrollment and AP experience, shares her personal perspective on the contrast between Owasso High School’s concurrent enrollment and AP programs.
“[In my experience], concurrent is definitely a lot easier compared to AP…I would say [the difference lies in the fact that] concurrent is definitely a little bit more work in that you have to keep yourself accountable with those deadlines or otherwise, it'll affect your grade,” Sim remarked.
Accountability, however, does not always equate to academic intensity, further reinforcing the skepticism many encounter when determining which classes truly deserve high weights.
“I don't think [AP and concurrent courses] should be weighted the same,” Sim expressed. “The one argument I like to use a lot is when you're comparing AP Chemistry to TCC Humanities I—that type of rigor is very different; but that doesn't necessarily mean that concurrent classes are not great to prepare yourself for college.”
Despite the perceived imbalance concurrent enrollment produces, its importance lies in its applications. Concurrent enrollment offers unique benefits, such as a flexible schedule, manageable workload, and larger variety of classes. Additionally, OHS offers Dual Credit tuition waivers and book reimbursements to make classes more affordable.
“I don't necessarily consider it to be unfair [to take additional concurrent classes], because the school legally allows you to be able to do that, and everyone has the opportunity to take summer classes,” Sim mentioned. “It's just the fact of whether or not [a student] chooses to spend their summer with their friends or family, or if they choose to put in some work and time into taking classes.”
Regardless of its imperfections, Owasso’s concurrent enrollment program serves a necessary importance for an adolescent demographic of students that would otherwise not have the opportunity to academically advance early on. It is important to note, however, that the program’s effectiveness largely depends on how it is utilized—as a means of GPA boost or a genuine insight for college preparedness. As discussions regarding the ethics of concurrent influence persist, assessing course accessibility, fairness and quality remains a vital consideration for students and educators alike.