I Found a Secret to University Admissions! The Choice of a 'Dual Enrollment Program' That Allows You to Earn U.S. University Credits While in High School: My Eldest Daughter Is the First Japanese National to Be Accepted

Families considering studying abroad often face the wall of 'I can speak English, but I lack proof that I can handle university-level work.' I will explain the UMGC Dual Enrollment Program, which is almost unknown in Japan, based on my own experience. It allows students to earn official credits from a U.S. state university starting at age 13, and tuition is half-price for those 18 and under.

Hello, I'm Betty, a 'modern Mencius' who has moved four times for education.

Families considering studying abroad often
actually hit this wall.
'I can speak English. But it's hard to prove I can handle academic work.'.

The important thing here is
that it's not enough to just be 'motivated' or 'probably able to keep up with classes'; you need objective evidence that the school can use to judge that you can 'withstand university-level work'.

In that context, there was a system I honestly wished I had known about sooner.
That is the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) Dual Enrollment Program.

Earn 'Real U.S. University' Credits Starting at Age 13

UMGC is a public university in the U.S. state of Maryland.
At UMGC, there is a 'Concurrent Enrollment' system that allows high school students aged 13 and older to take university credits while still enrolled in high school.

• Eligibility: Students enrolled in a U.S.-accredited (or equivalent) high school

• Age: 13 or older

• Credit Limit: Up to 7 credits per semester

• SAT/ACT not required

• Application possible with school permission and transcripts

• Must be a student attending a school that aligns with U.S. high school standards

Application requirements can be found here

The important point is that
these are official U.S. university credits, not just 'playing at visiting a university'.

You can view the available course content here.

The Meaning of 'Taking One' Credit Related to Your Desired Major

The greatest value of this system is
not 'taking many'.

Taking even just one credit related to your desired major.

This has three meanings.

1. It serves as proof that you have successfully learned academic content in English and

2. You can demonstrate your 'motivation' and 'readiness' to the university

3. Depending on the university you apply to, there is a possibility that credit transfer will be recognized

Especially for overseas universities and English-degree programs,
'high school grades + university-level coursework'
is a more effective asset than essays or interviews.

Tuition is half-price for those 18 and under (this is significant)

And, realistically, the cost is a major factor.

• During the concurrent enrollment period for those 18 and under

• 50% tuition discount during concurrent secondary enrollment (CSE)

• While tuition returns to normal after full enrollment,
  the cost for credits taken while in high school can be kept quite low

'You can experience university-level classes abroad at half the price.'
This is quite rational even when viewed as an educational investment.

No need to enter a base. Online learning is possible

Since UMGC was originally designed for US military personnel,
many in-person classes are held on bases, but

even if you cannot enter a base, it is not a problem.

• Many courses can be taken online

• You can take courses from anywhere in Japan or overseas

• Since semesters proceed in 8-week units, it is easy to adjust the workload

It is a system that can be used without physical constraints.

This is a 'hack,' but it does not deviate from the standard path

I don't want there to be any misunderstanding:
this is neither cheating nor a shortcut.

• Legitimate public university

• Legitimate credits

• Official academic evaluation

is what it is.
However, in Japan,

it is seriously still not known at all.

University admissions
are no longer an era where you fight only with 'deviation scores' or 'school names'.

In what environment, what level of learning, and how far did you push yourself?

The UMGC Dual Enrollment Program is
an option that allows you to quietly, but surely, build up evidence of that.

Even the foundation staff who support passes to enter the base did not know about this system

There is a foundation in Okinawa that supports English education within US military bases, mainly for the English program called the Bridge Program for those 18 and older.Foundation that supports (Red square below)

But to show you how unknown this Dual Enrollment Program is,
even the person in charge of that
foundation didn't even know about the existence of this 'Dual Enrollment Program' at first.
(In the table above, it is the program that corresponds to the 'Certificate' item in the red oval for university types)

I was first taught this byChikako Deanand I confirmed the details by exchanging emails in English with the person in charge of the admissions department inside the US military base. After that, when I called the foundation mentioned above and asked, 'Can you issue a base pass even for someone under 18? I think this will be the first case, but...',

they said things like,
'There is no such system,'
'I've never heard of it,'
'We don't support anyone under 18,'

and even,

'Aren't you misunderstanding something or misreading the English?'
.

No, no, I read the URL that was guided to me 'by the person in charge of the US military base educational facility' where it was clearly written in big letters before I called... that was the situation. Besides,
there's no way I'd misread such simple English! (Red underlined part) (By the way, the foundation's attitude was like they were answering a suspicious person during the first call, but once the officer inside the US military base stepped in, their attitude improved significantly, lol)

Whether you are in an international school, a public school, or currently living abroad for education.
For families thinking about their 'next move',
it is worth seriously considering at least once.

Required documents for high school students to take courses (Important)

When a high school student takes a UMGC class, in addition to the regular application form, the following documents are required.

• Letter of recommendation from a high school counselor (career guidance teacher)

• High school transcript

• For minors: Parental consent form

• Documents proving residency status (e.g., proof of ability to stay on the island/region)

• Student Record Release Consent Form (2 copies)

  • For Parents

  • For School Administrators

If you inquire with the person in charge, you can receive the application form via email.

Conversely,
if you prepare properly, this is not a system where you will be turned away just because of your age.

■ There are 3 types of class formats. Online is also a realistic option

Classes are conducted in the following formats:

• In-person classes

• Online classes using Zoom

• Asynchronous (on-demand) online classes

While most classes are primarily in-person,
the fact that some subjects can be taken online, allowing you to earn credits even if you cannot enter the base, is a major point.

You can check the timetable and offered courses in advance via the official schedule.

■ Tuition is $250 per credit. However, it is half price for those 18 and under

The cost is also very realistic.

• Standard tuition: $250 per credit

• If you meet the requirements for the Concurrent Secondary Enrollment (CSE) program, tuition is 50% off

  • = $125 per credit

In other words, for the credits you earn while in high school,
you are effectively earning credits from an American public university at 'half price'. calculation.

Above all, even earning just one credit is effective and offers the best value for money. One credit is 125 USD for those 18 and under (as of 2025).

It serves as proof of your motivation and ability to keep up with university-level coursework for an expense of just over 20,000 yen.

■ Credits are generally 'transferable,' but the final decision depends on the destination university

UMGC is a Regionally Accredited university.
Therefore, in principle, the credits earned are eligible for transfer to other universities.

However, I will clearly state the most important reality here.

No matter how official the credits are,
the final decision on whether to accept them rests with the transfer or destination university.

That is why the value of this system
is not just that 'the credits can definitely be used'.

■ Even so, the reason why this system is effective

Taking evenjust one courserelated to your desired major.

That becomes:

• Proof that you completed academic content in English to the end

• A track record of enduring university-level assignments and evaluations

• Objective evidence of 'motivation' and 'being prepared'

it becomes.

Even if the credits are not transferred,
it becomes a 'substantial achievement' that you can talk about in application documents and interviewsthat is.

This is the essential value of the UMGC Dual Enrollment Program.

■ The difference is even greater for families aiming for grant-based scholarships

There is one more point that is often overlooked but is very important.

When applying for grant-based scholarships, the judgment of the screening committee will definitely change depending on 'whether you have admission to this university' or 'whether you have official university credits'.

What is being looked at in scholarship selection is not just grades and family circumstances.

• That you can already endure university-level study

• A track record of actually completing academic study in English

• The probability of continuing to study in that field in the future

If you haveadmission and credits from a regionally accredited US public universitylike UMGC, you can present them not as 'imagination' but as
facts.

Even if the credits are not ultimately transferred,
the assessment that 'this student already has one foot in the university world'
carries significant weight in scholarship evaluations as well.

Scholarships are systems that look at
'whether a student is promising and worth investing in.'

Thinking about it that way,
whether or not you have official university credits while still in high school
can be a factor that determines whether you make it to the selection table or not.

■ The great value of being able to 'test drive' a major

There is another practical value to this system.

That is the point that
you can test 'whether this field of study is really right for you' before entering university.

Choosing a university major is inherently quite a gamble.
It is not rare for students to choose based only on the name, image, or reputation among peers,
only to realize after enrollment that 'it wasn't what I expected.'

With the UMGC Dual Enrollment Program, you can:

• Actually take classes in a field close to your desired major

• Use technical terminology in English and work on reports and assignments

• Experience for yourself whether you find it 'interesting' or just 'exhausting'

.

This is something you can never understand from
brochures or open campus events.

As a result, you can:

• Gain confidence that 'this is definitely the field I want to pursue'

• Or conversely, realize 'this isn't for me' and change direction early

Either way,
you can lower the probability of failing in your actual university selection.

Rather than talking about admission records or deviation scores,
this might actually be the most effective way to use it for your life.

■ Points Betty was particularly careful about during the application process

These are practical points that affect acceptance and evaluation more than the system or requirements themselves.

First, the most important thing was to clearly demonstrate that
the student herself independently desires this path of study.

It was not about parental strategy or guidance, but rather

• why she wants to study this field

• why this university and this environment, right now

We made sure she could express these things in her own words.
Motivation is always being looked for 'between the lines of the documents'.

Of course, we submitted high scores on language tests.
This is a minimum requirement.
Saying 'I can take classes in English' is not enough; we demonstrated with numbers that she has reached a level where she can 'think, write, and debate in English'.

And this was surprisingly effective.

We created and submitted a one-page student resume.

The content is simple.

• Schools attended so far (country, curriculum, awards, etc.)

• Languages learned

• Experiences leading to an interest in psychology

• Achievements built up amidst environmental changes

In short,

This is the message that was visualized on a single page.

Translating the background that cannot be conveyed by transcripts alone into a 'format that the reader can understand in an instant.'
This is very important in the admissions process for international universities.

■ Betty's Summary

An application is
not a task to meet requirements, but a presentation to win trust.

• The student's own will

• Academic preparation

• Adaptability to the environment

• The necessity of studying at this university

Can you present that not as isolated points, but as 'a single story'?

Just by being conscious of this,
even with the same application credentials, the evaluation will change completely.

■ I want you to be sure to understand the premise upon which this program is built.

Finally, this is an important point that I definitely want to state clearly.

The mechanism that allows
Japanese nationals to take this UMGC dual enrollment program or bridge program, and the issuance of base passes through foundation cooperation is
not a 'system that can be used as a matter of course'.

This is a system that is built upon extremely high-level political judgment and decisions, premised on Japan-US friendship .

In fact, I have heard from those involved (foundation officials) that
the issuance of base passes ultimately involves the
Ministry of Defense level
as well.

In other words, this is not a system that runs solely for the convenience of one family or one student, but a framework that

exists 'exceptionally' on top of the trust between nations .They are permitting civilians who are not military personnel,
and people who do not have American citizenship,
to enter a place filled with classified information, a US military base, if they meet the requirements.
Why would they go that far?


Because Japan is an ally of the United States .

That is precisely why, for families and students who are considering taking this program,
I would like to strongly request the following points.

• Always understand the background of this system and act accordingly

• From the standpoint of both Japan and the US, never engage in behavior that would cause trouble or problems

• Never forget the awareness that you are 'being allowed to use it'

This is
not just a problem for your own child. I wrote about cost-effectiveness above, but you must never use it with the mindset of going to a cram school.

The reckless behavior of one person
has the potential to narrow the path for all Japanese students who follow ,
that is the nature of this system.

I think this is a good system. I wanted people with demand and motivation to definitely try it, but I hesitated about whether to write this article.
I don't want to spread it with the vibe of 'Found a secret trick! Let's use it more and more!'

I believe it is a system that should only be used by families who understand the above political situation and can use it with respect
.

I want those who can share this premise to
use this option correctly and wisely.

I believe that this will not only expand the future of our children,
but also lead to paving the way for the next generation.

Related article:

https://note.com/betty_nl/n/ne07b1bb6f6f1https://note.com/betty_nl/n/ne07b1bb6f6f1