High School Course Selection: Honors/AP/DE

What are they and how do they impact the GPA?

When selecting courses, students should aim to tell a progressive story over the course of their high school years. Not everyone will choose to take advanced coursework, but for those who do this is a breakdown of the three types (Honors, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment) and what differentiates them.

Honors

Honors courses are courses where a topic is studied in greater depth or detail than in a mainstream course. For example, in a literature course, students may read entire texts rather than excerpts and be required to write additional essays or analysis pieces.

Honors courses are somewhat subjective, as there is no official designation or benchmark that applies. For this reason, it’s difficult to prove that a course deserves the “Honors” designation and overall there has been a trend away from honors courses.

If you choose to label a class as honors or use a curriculum that designates itself as honors be sure to research and/or document why that claim is being made and include appropriate information in your course description.

An Honors course does not give a student college credit.

GPA calculation for honors: Honors courses are traditionally weighted +0.5 points in the GPA calculation. For example, an “A” worth 4.0 points unweighted becomes a 4.5.

It is important to note that courses that are taken earlier than they would typically be, for instance taking Algebra 1 in middle school, does NOT make a course honors. These courses should still be considered regular courses and not weighted in the GPA calculation.

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are trademarked courses with specific course guidelines and syllabi designated by the College Board. The course/instructor MUST be approved by the College Board in order for you to include this designation on your course list or transcript. You can find AP course providers online, contact your local school district to see if your child can take a course through them, or you can go through the College Board audit process to have a course of your own design approved by them (they do have recommended curricula and syllabi you can choose from to assist you).

AP courses are traditionally taken in preparation for the AP exams, which are offered once each school year (traditionally in May). Taking the AP exam is the only way to potentially acquire college credit for an AP course. Some colleges will award credit, or waive a class requirement, if the student attains a particular score (usually a 4 or 5, although some will accept a 3).

AP exams are taken through public or private schools and homeschoolers must contact local institutions to find a seat for their child and pay associated fees. We highly recommend contacting schools in the summer or early in the fall because test materials are often ordered by November. Availability of tests varies by school.

AP courses may be taken without taking the AP exam and, vice versa, the AP exam may be taken without taking an official AP course. If an AP exam is taken without a corresponding AP course, but the student has taken a non-AP course in preparation or done enough independent prep work/study to merit a class credit, you may list it on the transcript as “course name (with AP Exam)." For example, “U.S. History (with AP exam).”

GPA calculation for AP: AP courses are traditionally weighted 1.0+ points in the GPA calculation. For example, an “A” worth 4.0 points unweighted becomes a 5.0.

Dual Enrollment

Dual Enrollment (DE) refers to a high school student taking college classes prior to high school graduation. This results in the student attaining both high school and college credit for the class.

There are many options to take DE courses through local and online colleges and universities. You can read more about the reasons to take DE and what options are available locally in our article Homeschooling High School: Dual Enrollment.

It is important to note that DE courses are college level courses and students should be prepared for mature material and to interact with both professors and other students of all ages. Additionally, all communication with the college and professor must be handled by the student themselves.

GPA Calculation for DE: DE courses are traditionally weighted 1.0+ points in the GPA calculation. For example, an “A” worth 4.0 points unweighted becomes a 5.0.

Honors / AP / Dual Enrollment At a Glance

For more homeschooling high school information check out our Homeschooling High School Series.

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Some of the best learning my family has done didn’t happen sitting at the kitchen table. It happened walking through old buildings, asking questions, and seeing things with our own eyes. State capitol buildings are among our favorite stops, we learn so much about a state by visiting these unique and beautiful buildings. If your family likes to travel—or even just take day trips— The Capitol Collection is a wonderful way to turn those outings into something meaningful and memorable. It is a souvenir passbook ($15) that helps families keep track of visits to state capitol buildings. Each visit becomes more than just a stop along the way—it becomes part of your family’s story. Turning Trips Into Adventures Kids love having a purpose, and visiting capitols gives them one. Instead of just passing through a city, they’re exploring, noticing details, and looking forward to marking another visit in their book. Over time, those pages fill up with memories, and the learning happens naturally along the way. It doesn’t feel like “doing school”—it just feels like life. That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about homeschooling. Learning doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Our Family’s Story This means a lot to me because of our own experience. Our family has visited 22 state capitols so far. Our first recorded visit was Pierre, South Dakota in 2009 when my son was 10 years old , and at first it was just something fun to do while we traveled. I never imagined how much it would shape him. One of my favorite memories is a tradition he started. Whenever a capitol had a rotunda, he would lie down on the floor and just look up at the dome. He would study the paintings, the shapes, the light—just taking it all in and thinking what that epic element represented. Those quiet moments often turned into some of our best conversations later. At the Oregon state house we were even able to go up INTO the dome, what a climb! Over the years, those visits led to many talks about history, government, and how laws are made. The experience stayed with him so strongly that he even wrote about it in his law school application essay . Visiting state capitols has expanded to exploring government building internationally such as the Reichstag in Germany and Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa. As a parent, it’s an amazing thing to see something that started as a simple family outing become part of your child’s future. Most recently, we visited Maryland’s capitol during a trip to Annapolis. My son is a young man now and living on his own, but when we travel together, this is still something we do. That’s what makes experiences like this so special—they grow with your children. Why Capitol Buildings Are Such Powerful Learning Spaces State capitol buildings offer a unique blend of subjects all in one place: Civics and government come to life when children see legislative chambers and learn how decisions are made. Local history becomes tangible through exhibits, memorials, and stories tied to each state. Art and architecture surround you, often reflecting the values and culture of the region. Critical thinking and curiosity grow naturally as kids ask questions and make connections. Best of all, these lessons don’t feel forced. They happen through exploration and conversation—often led by the child’s own interests. A Journey Worth Remembering Looking back, I’m so thankful we took the time to stop, explore, and learn together. Those capitol visits weren’t just educational—they were time spent together, sharing discoveries and building memories we still talk about years later. Whether your family visits one capitol or dreams of all fifty, the important part isn’t the number. It’s the time spent learning side by side. (There is a Facebook group for this hobby. It’s small but would be a great way for families to share their experiences!)