Dual Credit with Kish on Campus

Two students smiling at each other while walking down the hallway

Dual credit courses provide students with rigorous, college-level instruction while they are still in high school. Sycamore High School partners with Kishwaukee College to offer this opportunity to our students.

Any high school junior or senior who completes and passes any necessary testing and receives the approval of the high school counseling office is eligible to enroll in dual credit courses. Students who choose to take advantage of this opportunity earn both high school and college credit for the dual credit courses they complete, which can reduce the cost and time of earning a post-secondary degree.

Dual Credit Procedure

If you sign up for a dual credit class for next year (2021-2022), you must complete all of the following steps to be enrolled in your class. See your Counselor if you have questions.

1. Apply to Kishwaukee College

  • Visit www.kish.edu (click the “apply” button at the top)

  • This must be completed before you can take the Accuplacer placement test or register.

  • Complete this form in the counseling office or online at home.
2. Determine Placement

Placement may be determined by ACT or SAT scores, cumulative high school G.P.A. (current juniors only) and/or taking the ACCUPLACER placement test. If ACT or SAT exempts you from testing, you must provide a copy of your score to attach to your registration form. Check with you high school counselor.

Course Number Course Name ACT Minimum Score SAT Minimum Score Cumulative HS GPA (after 5 semesters) ACCUPLACER Placement Score
BIO 103 General Biology English 19 or Composite 19; and Math 22 Reading and Writing 480; and Math 530 3.5 (waives out of ENG prerequisite only) WritePlacer 5-8 and QAS 245-300
BIO 105 General Biology lab Same as BIO 103
ENG 103 Composition I English 19 or Composite 19 Reading and Writing 480 3.5 WritePlacer 5-8
ENG 104 Composition II Need ENG 103 as a prerequisite
MAT 150 College Algebra Math 22 Math 530 NA QAS 270-300 or AAF 230-300
MAT 155 Trigonometry MAT 150 as a prerequisite AAF 267-300
PSY 102 Intro to Psych Minimum competency in math or English (as listed above)
PSY 210 Educational Psych Need PSY 102 as a prerequisite
HIS 220 US History

Minimum competency in math or English (as listed above)
HIS 222 US History Need HIS 220 as a prerequisite
3. Complete placement test, if needed, by April 5 2021.

  • Because of COVID-19, Kishwaukee College is currently completing all placement testing remotely using Zoom. They will let you know if this changes in the future when you set up testing. 

  • To test, you will need a computer (desktop or laptop) with a webcam and audio capabilities.

  • To schedule the ACCUPLACER test, contact Kishwaukee College at (815) 825-2086 and let them know that you need to schedule placement testing. Please identify yourself as a Sycamore dual credit student once you are in the process of scheduling testing.

  • A photo ID is required for testing.

  • Handheld calculators are not allowed. ACCUPLACER provides a calculator within the test on certain questions.

  • It helps to come into the placement test prepared. Kishwaukee College has tips for preparing for the ACCUPLACER test and other testing information.

4. Complete Kishwaukee College Class Registration

Students will NOT be registered for the dual credit course(s) if placement requirements are not met. Schedules for the high school course will be changed to non-dual credit classes. More information will come out about how to complete the registration process.

5. Pay for your course(s).

Cost: $50/class each semester. Note that biology is $100 as it is a class and a lab. Kishwaukee College will bill families once a student is enrolled in a class. Payments are made directly to Kishwaukee College.