As a high school student, the biggest thing one can do for himself or herself is take every opportunity to make the college experience better. With the University of Alabama’s (UA) Early College program students can do just that. If a sophomore, junior, or even senior, this is a huge opportunity for any high school grade level.
UA’s website says, “As a current high school student, you don’t have to dream about attending a premier university. You can start now. With UA Early College, you earn college credit at The University of Alabama, online or on campus, while you are still in high school.”
When students begin the Early College process, they start with a Gateway class. This class helps them learn to manage times and helps their study skills. After passing the gateway class, students can start earning college credits by taking online classes or even going to live on campus for the month of June or July.
Chad Brand, a James Clemens High School senior, states, “Having college experience through UA Early College before I enter college in the fall gives me a lot of confidence. I have developed good study skills, especially because of Summer on Campus. Also, living on campus allowed me the chance to get comfortable at UA and learn my way around the campus.”
Brand’s mother, Sandy Brand, explains what this program means for her. “Knowing that my son is prepared for college because of his time with UA Early College is a huge relief. Being an on-campus student for the UA Summer program instilled a lot of confidence in him. He now knows what to expect when he enrolls in the falls, and he also knows what is expected of him in his classes. In addition, enrolling in the fall with so many credits already attained allows him the freedom to try some different classes and still be able to graduate in four years.”
The best thing about the Early College is the amount of credits students can earn and the extra perks. Students can earn up to 30 credits through Early College, which will show up as University of Alabama credits on their transcript and can be transferred to any other school. Also, if students get 17 hours before December of their senior year and choose to attend the University of Alabama, they get to choose where they live anywhere on the campus.
For more information on how you or your student can take advantage of this program, follow UA Early College on twitter, @UAEarlyCollege, and add them as a friend on Facebook.
