Early College High School or Regular High School.

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I am currently a sophmore enrolled in an Early College High School program in Texas. I was wondering whether or not I should continue the program or transfer to my home school for junior and senior years. My home school is a very wealthy and good public high school where I would have access to at most two dual credit classes per semester and a lot more AP classes that I can pick from, not to mention many electives that would be valuable when I apply to pre-med school (these include classes such as neurobiology and semesters of medical terminology and microbiology, etc.)
My current school has me enrolled in the Alamo College system, which is very nice, but the school chooses my courses for me in both the high school aspect and the college aspect (Also, for those who don’t know, an early college high school prgram allows students to earn their high school diploma and an associates degree at the same time, and I just want to add that I know any college credits will not transfer to the highly selective universities.) The high school has all pre-AP classes for me with only about three AP courses offered and the college aspect focuses more on a well-rounded education than a focused one.
I was wondering what anyone suggests I do: switch to my regular high school or stay in the early college program. Feedback is appreciated, thank you.

P.S. Texas is still all about rank and I am in first quartile out of my 108 student class but I know I would do good in regular school as well.

2

It sounds like your home school would be better academically.

3

Well in many ways it is. More APs and classes in general. Really the only good aspest of my early college high school is the college classes I take, but I have learned that I can take classes (at the same community college actually) as dual credit courses at my home school, two per semester. My biggest worry is more about how it would look to colleges that I left a magnet program.

4

Colleges wouldn’t care * as long as you take a challenging set of classes and get A’s* (and up to a B). 2 dual enrollment classes + 2 AP classes + 2-3 other classes would be quite sufficient for any university in the country.
You’d need to have the following:
4 years each of English (including AP English Language), Science (including bio, chem, phys), Social Science (including preferably one AP history) + math up to precalculus or (preferably) calculus + foreign language up to level 4 or AP + 1 unit of art if possible + classes you find fun and enjoy even if they’re not AP.
Community college classes are considered equivalent to AP classes and show you’re able to handle a college class (pace, autonomy, etc.)

Note that colleges DO NOT want to see a specialized program and premed is NOT med school, so “medical terminology” is more of a class you’d need if you plan to go into nursing or medical technology.

Another reason why you may prefer to go back to your HS is that your CC classes WILL count toward your med school admission, whereas your AP classes won’t - so that, if you get a B in an AP class, no big deal, whereas if you get a B in a premed core class at the CC, it WILL derail your med school aspirations.
For premed, you need a strong background in biology (AP bio is a must then do NOT take the credits), in chemistry (actually more chem classes than bio!). taking AP Calc AB and AP Psych can help later on, too. The premed core is: 2 semesters each of English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, plus one semester in organic chemistry, biochemistry, calculus, statistics, psychology, sociology, possibly neuroscience, and a language spoken by immigrant groups (Haitian Creole, Urdu, Chinese, Ukrainian… yes I realize those aren’t necessarily taught and therefore would require you to take community education classes near the clinic where you’d volunteer hours.)
Plus any major where you can get a high grade.
What would your schedule be, next year, if you’re at the HS? And if you’re at the CC?

Finally, a KEY element to getting into top colleges is ECs: have you taken opportunity of the fact you’re on a college campus to enquite about being a professor’s aide/TA? what about research, even if it’s not meaningful it’s still a proof you’ve been trying to learn about something outside of class. Have you developed your credentials in “out of school” stuff, or held a job many hours a week?

5

First, I’d like to thank you very much for all of this imput @MYOS1634
I have been thinking and I do believe that I should switch back to my home high school, especially since when I looked over both schools degree plans, I found that no AP Biology or classes like that are offered at my Early College High School. That’s most probably because they decide what courses we get to take. I just need to start getting my schedule in order for next year now (making sure all high school credits transfer and that it all fits into my schedule). Again thank you :slight_smile:

6

Earning an associates degree might disqualify you from the best scholarships. You need to look into this.

7

I will look into that,thank you.
But I do have one other question: How will applying to colleges be effected if I switched schools? (Would I need to call my old school and have them send things in as well, etc.)

8

Actually, earning an associate’s degree BEFORE high school graduation does not affect anything, but is rather pointless unless one aims at graduating from one’s state’s flagship.
If you switch schools, like the thousands and thousands students who transfer or whose parents move, you’ll request the old school’s transcripts to be sent to the new school; and when you apply to college, the new school will send consolidated transcripts presenting the classes you took since 9th grade, regardless of school.

9

Thank you again @MYOS1634

10

And one more question that I would like to address (I know I worry too much lol) is will information on clubs be transfered to my new high school, and then to my college, because I do hold an officer position in a club that only exists at my current high school. :slight_smile:

11

High schools don’t send information about clubs. It’s your responsibility. You’ll report it on your commonapp application and if you wish to create this club at your new school, you’ll have to find a teacher willing to support your endeavor.