“The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours. You young people, full of vigor and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. Our hope is placed in you.” – Anonymous
We recently attended a presentation by the school district on middle college, a topic I think important enough to share with parents of teens.
A middle college high school (or MCHS) is a secondary high school located on a community college campus.
These schools are the greatest thing going, developed in part thanks to funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (always did LOVE Windows.) Their primary mission is to prepare kids for college, beginning as early as the ninth grade – at no cost to parents!
Students attend tuition-free college courses while simultaneously completing their high school credits, with full access to all facilities on the college campus.
A student entering middle college high school in the 9th grade can graduate from high school with over 30 completed college units, walking off into their bright, shiny future with a diploma and well on their way to a college degree. Talk about getting a head start!
And did I mention tuition-free classes?
MOM LIKE! MOM LIKE!
Middle college high schools have relatively low enrollment numbers, usually less than 100 per grade level. This creates a smaller student body and a more focused, nurturing academic environment – one that may not be as readily found on a high school campus.
Once an application is submitted to the MCHS, an assessment is conducted for each applicant to determine college-readiness. GPA, focus, enthusiasm and academic commitment are all taken into consideration.
My 15-year old recently applied to an MCHS in our area. His 4.2 GPA (yep, really), among other notable characteristics, qualifies him for admission. This past weekend, we attended his initial interview with the middle college staff.
I will write about his interview in my next post. It was really quite something…
For more information on middle college high schools in your area, click on the link below:
http://www.mcnc.us/our-schools/
teenparentcafe 
Posted by Sharon on April 26, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Hi Honey,
Is this a recent development? I thought high school student’s who took college courses went to the nearest community college. (i.e. I sat next to a 16 year old in my college algebra class. (he was amazing!) Middle college sounds like a wonderful idea! and perfect for your son…p.s. I didn’t know a 4.2 average existed! I though the highest gpa was 4.0. Anyway, thank you for sharing about this. I hope more parents and teens will find out about this kind of awsome opportunity and take advantage of it. It will no doubt bring many advantages, and maybe help our economy (at least a little bit 🙂 less than 3 U…
Posted by teenparentcafe on April 26, 2011 at 10:40 pm
I always thought they went to the college separately from the high school campus too – but the high school itself is located on the community college campus. I think it’s a fantastic idea for students who are motivated and committed to their education. Dylan is already talking about going into medicine. I couldn’t be more proud. 🙂