We’ve rolled out an honors diploma option, so you can graduate with honors and earn college credits while in college.
Despite the possibly daunting name, this diploma is an option most students can earn. And we mean that.
Whether you came to iSucceed behind on credits hoping to improve your grades or you’re an ambitious student planning to graduate early, you can earn an honors diploma. As Principal Clayton Trehal said:
“When we created our Honors Diploma, the iSucceed team recognized that many of our students come to us from other schools, some at the beginning, some in the middle, and some near the end of their high school years. Because we wanted to maximize the number of students who could choose to earn an Honors Diploma, we decided to base the diploma on annual requirements to open the door for all students.”
In other words, yes, you can earn an honors diploma if you want to put in the extra effort to do so.
Here’s some more information on the program to help you decide on your diploma journey.
The three diplomas iSucceed offers
Currently, there are three different diploma you can earn through iSucceed: standard, STEM and honors diploma.
Standard Diploma
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Credits Required- 9 credits English
- 6 credits math
- 6 credits science
- 5 credits social studies
- 20 credits other (health, humanities, senior project, elective courses)
- Standardized testing and Civics Exam
STEM Diploma
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Credits Required- 9 credits English courses
- 8 credits math courses
- 8 credits science courses
- 5 credits social studies
- 20 other credits (health, humanities, senior project, electives*)
- Standardized testing and Civic exams
- *Additional math and science requirements count toward elective credits
Honors Diploma
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Credits Required- 9 credits honors, dual credit or AP English
- 6 credits math (two advanced math credits)
- 6 credits science (includes Chemistry A/B)
- 5 credits of honors, dual credit or AP social studies courses
- 20 other credits (health, humanities, senior project, electives, AVID)
- Standardized testing and Civic exams
To see a full list of requirements for each diploma, please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook and inquire with your Academic Counselor.
If you choose the honors route, most of your core subjects will require taking the honors courses, which means a few additional projects and more in-depth research. For juniors and seniors, you’ll get the option to enroll in dual-credit courses to earn college credit.
In order to earn an honors diploma, you must:
- Earn an annual GPA of 3.0 or better.
- Complete Algebra 2A/2B and/or Advanced Math before graduation.
- Complete Chemistry A/B before graduation.
- Earn one or more AVID credits each year.
- Enroll in four credits Honors/AP/Dual Credit/Concurrent Credit Ok.(2 Honors +2 AP/Dual)*
- Enroll in two credits AP/Concurrent Credit per year enrolled.*
*Freshmen and sophomores can only take 4 credits Honors. Juniors and Seniors must take Concurrent Credit.
Why you might want to earn an honors diploma
Following an Honors program can help you enhance your transcripts! Generally, students who attend college end up with high school transcripts that look different from those who don’t. Getting into a college or earning a scholarship may depend on what courses you take in high school.
If you’re planning on going to college, the more Honors, AP, and Dual Credit courses taken, the better. Colleges will take into account that you have an honors diploma in acceptance and scholarship grants.
This diploma also allows you to earn college credits while in high school, which saves students and parents money because the cost is dramatically different once the same courses are taken in college.
Students who earn an honors diploma can list this on college and/or scholarship applications, resumes, and job applications, giving them an advantage. In addition to this, we will recognize your accomplishment at our graduation ceremonies.
Who can earn a honors diploma online (hint: it's probably you)
In order to make this program available to both incoming seniors and freshmen, we’ve set our diploma with annual requirements.
That means whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior new to iSucceed, you have the option to apply for this program.
If you’re a freshman planning to stay with us, you also can apply.
Either way, you’ll need to take the correct classes assigned by your guidance counselor and keep a 3.0 GPA each year you’re with iSucceed. If you do that, you have the opportunity to graduate with honors!
Earn college credits while in high school!
With this diploma program, you’ll also enroll in dual credit or AP courses that will allow you to potentially earn college credits. It’s a great idea to take these classes while in high school, considering they are significantly cheaper than a university. Dual enrollment courses are the cost of community colleges and AP exams are much cheaper (although you must pass the exam in order to earn credit).
We currently offer one AP course internally: AP Computer Science Principles. However, students can also enroll in concurrent credit courses using Advanced Opportunities monies to pay for these courses. The Advanced Opportunities Program provides $4,125.00 per student to pay for AP/Concurrent credit and overflow (summer school and night school) courses.
For extra support in these courses, we recently partnered with AVID to help you get prepped for life after high school! Essentially, AVID is a program that assists students with organization, college and career planning and goal setting while building on academic abilities and strengths.
The AVID program is also a component of our Honors Diploma. Qualifying students at iSucceed will get to enroll in this elective-based online course centered around growing writing, critical thinking, collaborative and reading comprehension skills.
Top FAQs Answered
Can I take 4 credits worth of Honors courses but no AP/Dual Credit?
Yes, if you are a freshman or sophomore. No, if you are a junior or senior. Juniors and seniors must take at least two credits of AP/Dual Credit per year.
If I earn 4 credits worth of AP/Dual Credit courses do I have to take any Honors Courses?
No, you can either earn four credits worth of AP/dual credit or two credits AP/dual credit and two credits honors.
Do I have to take Chemistry and Algebra 2?
Yes. If you are a senior, and there is no way it is possible for you to take one or both of these classes because of your schedule but you meet other requirements and/or you have honors/AP credits for past courses in your transcripts, we can work with you. Sign up and your counselor will talk to you.
Is it OK that I’m not enrolled in AVID?
Yes. AVID is a .5 credit course, and we enroll all four terms. One credit means you have to be enrolled in 2/4 terms a year. We recommend staying enrolled all year, but it’s not absolutely necessary. We recommend that students enroll in AVID in Q1 and Q3, but you can also enroll in Q2, so as long as you earn one AVID credit over the course of the year, you are good.
What if my GPA drops below 3.0?
You must earn an annual GPA of 3.0 or better. This is the average of your quarterly GPA each term you’re enrolled with us, so if you drop below 3.0 in one quarter, if your other quarters are high enough to bring your annual average up to 3.0, you should be good. If you are not sure, talk to your counselor.
What if I'm already enrolled in iSucceed, but not in an honors course?
From this point on, we will offer an opportunity for students to complete an “Honors Portfolio” in each of their English courses. The Honors Portfolio will obligate students to additional assignments and/or requirements for the course, but if a student completes the portfolio, we change the course to “Honors” on their transcript. If we have enough interest in honors diplomas, we will offer Honors Portfolios in other courses as well.