<p>Has anyone heard of this program and if so what are your thoughts? DS got sent info on this program from FastWeb and is thinking about it. He wanted me to ask your opinion. </p>
<p>This is a residential program at the University of West Georgia. We read over the information and you can take college classes your senior year and received both HS and college credit. If we are reading it correctly you can also still graduate with your regular high school class if desired.</p>
<p>DS is taking some AP classes now and is extremely bored with his classes. He makes A's without putting much effort into it. He thinks that by staying at his current school he will just be wasting a year of his life because he is not able to take challenging courses. This would also give him a head start on college credit and he would probably enter as a sophomore.</p>
<p>Your son sounds like the kind of student for which it's designed. Whether he's ready to leave home and be on his own is a separate consideration. But if you live within commuting distance from a state college or university you can do the same thing from home through joint enrollment. It is indeed possible to enter college after 12th grade with one or even two years of credit in tow. But unless it''s due to financial hardship, I wouldn't think that would be such a great goal. The college journey is not limited to the credits earned - in my opinion, that at most half of it - and I'd want to student to get as much of the experience as possible rather than race through to the earliest possible conclusion.</p>
<p>My son is interested in attending a residential program for gifted students at The University of West Georgia. He would live on campus and receive college credit for the courses he takes in his senior year of high school. Does anyone know if this would change his status when applying to colleges this fall? When applying this fall he would not have the credits but would by the end of the school year. Could this change the amount of money he is likely to be offered through a merit scholarship? Would he be considered a sophomore in the fall of 2009? </p>
<p>He is very interested in this program but I am concerned that it would hurt
his financial aid offers.</p>
<p>This sounds like a terrific opportunity. Because your S could use the credits for HS or college credit, he loses nothing. When he applies for college, he could check with each school as to their requirements and best plan.</p>
<p>Going back 4 years, my S was taking many of his jr year classes at local U. In senior year, he would only be taking English in HS. His GC suggested he attend flagship school. S called several colleges. Harvard, for example, said he would be better served to apply as a freshman, as much harder to gain acceptance as a transfer student. Another college told him that he could apply as a freshman, but they would give him enough credits that he obtain a MS in 4 years. All the state schools would have accepted APs and prior college credits. All in all, the more selective the college, the more likely to want S to apply as a freshman. The college classes would help him place out of some entry level courses, but not grant him a year. Slightly less selective colleges were more generous.</p>
<p>If I were in your position, I'd seriously consider this option for your S, even if he is not able to "skip" a year of college, forcing him to apply as a transfer student. I would have him call the counseling ctr at this program to gather info, and then also call Emory or other colleges to see how they would handle these credits.</p>