Gifted Atlanta

Some gifted teens will outgrow high school well before their scheduled graduation date. If you have such a bright-minded kid, consider yourself lucky to live in Atlanta. The metro area is home to more than a dozen colleges and universities, offering a wide array of options for embarking on college coursework.

Most students who want to take college classes can do so through Georgia’s Dual Enrollment program. (Note: Dual Enrollment was previously known as Move on When Ready.) This program is open to students in grades 9-12. A Dual Enrollment student remains enrolled at their high school and takes one or more classes at a college or university. They earn both high school credit and college credit for classes they complete. The state covers tuition for approved Dual Enrollment courses, which means a Dual Enrollment student can rack up college credits at little to no cost.

Other students may be ready to leave high school altogether and start college through early admission. Unlike students admitted under Dual Enrollment, early admission students are full-fledged collegians. Bear in mind, early admission is a program run by individual colleges, not by the Georgia Department of Education, so taking this route could mean your child won’t receive a high-school diploma. Check with the guidance counselor at your child’s school to find out. On the flip side, some colleges require that the student earn enough credit hours to receive their high-school diploma before they will grant early admission.

Early college options in the metro Atlanta area

Unless otherwise noted, the colleges and universities below participate in the Georgia Dual Enrollment program, under which tuition is covered by the state.

Agnes Scott College: Offers joint enrollment for college seniors. Doesn’t participate in the state’s Dual Enrollment program, so tuition is not covered by the state. Does offer reduced tuition rates for joint enrollment students.

Clark Atlanta University: Offers dual enrollment and early admission.

Clayton State University: Offers dual enrollment at three locations.

Emory University: Offers joint enrollment to  high school seniors, and early admission (apply during junior year of high school). Does not participate in the state’s Dual Enrollment program.

Georgia Gwinnett College: Offers dual enrollment.

Georgia State University: Offers dual enrollment at its downtown campus and at the Perimeter College campuses.

Georgia Tech: High-school juniors and seniors can take classes through dual enrollment. High-school juniors can apply for early admission.

Kennesaw State University: Offers dual enrollment to high-school juniors and seniors. Dual-enrollment students have the option to enroll in regular courses or honors courses.

Oglethorpe University: Offers dual enrollment to high-school juniors and seniors.

Spelman College: Offers joint enrollment for high-school seniors.

University of West Georgia: Offers dual enrollment for high-school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The Advanced Academy program, which was an early admissions residential program for high-school upperclassmen, has been discontinued.

This page was reviewed on December 21, 2020. If you find errors in the links or the information presented, or if you would like to submit additional information for consideration, please send a message using the Contact page on this site. Thank you.