I doubt that taking a few courses at a local college while in HS would make a college applicant a transfer student rather than a freshman. One of the key phrases here is "while in HS" - if you get your HS diploma then take a college course or two, then try to enroll as a freshman, you may have a problem.
Yes, exactly. My understanding from my son's dual enrollment (DE) program is that college classes taken during high school don't make you a transfer student. Some kids in DS's DE program get AA or AS degrees before they graduate from high school, yet still apply as freshmen. The key there is the word "before." They're careful to schedule their high school graduation so that the college's graduation ceremony is before the high school ceremony, even!
When they enroll in a four-year college, the college then looks at their transcripts and makes decisions about class standing. In California, community college classes count toward class standing if they've been approved for transfer credit. I used to work at a CC and know this for a fact.
Alternatively, MIT assesses each class individually; its math department won't accept credit for math classes taken anywhere else:
Q. I'm taking some classes that count for both my high school diploma and credit at a local university. Can I get MIT credit for these?
A. As long as a college or university documents your study on its official transcript, it is eligible for MIT credit. Each case, however, is reviewed individually by the appropriate MIT academic department; departments have the final say on what study earns credit. (MIT's Math Department does not grant credit for any dual enrollment study.)
