Earning College Credit While in High School: Minuteman High School Students Get a Head Start on Their Future

By Judy Bass

Qualified high school students have avenues available to them to earn college credit before they even cross the threshold of an institution of higher learning.

Doing so has several important advantages, said Carol Cohen, Coordinator of College and Career Readiness.at Minuteman High School in Lexington. She explained that it’s much less expensive to obtain college credit in high school; it shows that high school students are capable of handling demanding college-level work; and it’s an impressive accomplishment to have on resumes and college applications.

“It really is great to have an early start on accumulating college credits,” said Kevin Ham, of Lexington, who took classes at Middlesex Community College while he was a student at Minuteman, graduating in 2015. “Not only did I earn college credit at a reduced rate, it really helped on my resume, for college scholarships and internships.”

The three typical ways of getting college credit in high school, said Ms. Cohen, are Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, and through articulation agreements.

Advanced Placement, offered by many high schools, involves having students take courses in high school whose curriculum is established by The College Board, the national organization which specializes in college preparation and also administers the SAT. Students enrolled in these courses take a test in May based on what they have studied during the year. Those tests are scored from 1 to 5; anyone who gets a 4 or 5 receives college credit in that subject.

To qualify for Dual Enrollment, students must first take a test from The College Board called the Accuplacer, which measures proficiency in reading, math, computer skills and writing. They may then take college classes while they are still in high school, thus earning credit towards their high school diploma and toward a college degree as well. In addition, they pay for college courses at a significantly reduced rate, said Ms. Cohen, another notable practical benefit.

The third option is to take advantage of articulation agreements which are established between secondary schools and colleges and allow high school students who successfully complete certain vocational programs to be granted admission, college credit or advanced standing at participating colleges.

At Minuteman, students are encouraged to explore all possible options to achieve their educational goals during and following high school. Minuteman delivers a combination of robust academics and powerful career and technical skills that gives students a competitive edge in the new economy. It is one of 26 regional vocational-technical school districts in Massachusetts.

For Kevin Ham, who concentrated in Electrical Wiring at Minuteman and intends to become a licensed electrician prior to assuming a management position in a construction trade, taking courses at Middlesex Community College under Dual Enrollment was the right choice. Not only was Ham able to complete two math requirements through Dual Enrollment and complete an English requirement over the summer, but the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston gave him credit for all the courses he took at Middlesex.

Today, Ham is a Union Electrical Apprentice with Local 103 full-time days, and is on track to have his bachelor’s degree in project management issued at the same time he gets his electrical license. Reflecting on his decision to opt for Dual Enrollment, Ham said, “It was definitely hard work but manageable. I would recommend the program to anyone who thinks they may attend college after high school. It really is great to have an early start on accumulating college credits. It also helped me when I applied for scholarships. I really stood out on top.”

Minuteman’s Carol Cohen summed up the feasibility of obtaining college credits in high school this way: “It’s meeting students where they’re at and giving them what they need.” Ham framed the pluses in terms of how they enhance his professional future. “Careers are all about options,” he declared. “I want as many as I can have.”