Running Start Program and Transferring out of State

Applying to College
1

<p>In Washington State there is program that allows High school Juniors and Seniors to Take classes at a local community college for high school credit. The college credits are equivalent to the high school classes needed for graduation, while they are still counted as college credit. Most Students in this program pursue a two-year transfer degree while working simultaneously towards high school completion. </p>

<p>My plan, as a student in this program, is not to get a Transfer degree but to just to fulfill high school grad. requirements. My concern is that, having accumulated college credit, four-year universities will view me as a transfer student, which may or may not be a problem for me. I want to enter a four year university as a freshman, as if I had completed my high school curriculum at my actual high school. </p>

<p>The main question I have is whether being a quote "transfer" student will affect my chances of admission out-of-state. (I forgot to mention that within Washington, Running Start Credits are accepted at most schools) I want colleges to treat my situation no differently than they would a high school graduate in the traditional sense. My Junior SAT was 1940 and I hope for my Senior score to at least break 2000. My High school GPA for Freshman and Sophomore years was 3.75-3.8, my "college" GPA for my Junior year was a 3.9 consistently. I want to apply to USC, UCLA, NEC (New England Conservatory) Berklee School of Music, The New School, among others. I should mention I'm planning to be a music major, so my audition is a deciding factor in where I get accepted. </p>

<p>If anyone could shed some light on this sort of predicament I'm in I would be endlessly grateful. I assume that you will need more information or have questions, so I'll watch and get back to you. </p>

<p>-J.</p>

2

<p>No classes taken to fulfill HS requirements will make you a transfer. Classes taken after graduation MAY make you a transfer. You’ll have to check each school’s web site to find out. One thing you need to consider is the price of the school to you. For instance you would be full pay ($~50K/year) for UCLA. Can your family afford that? Run the Net Price Calculators on each schools web site to see how much you’ll need to pay.</p>

3

<p>I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean. So if all my classes that I take at the Community college are toward HS requirements, no credits will transfer? What about the fact that many colleges state on their websites that ANY credits from an accredited institution make you a transfer student? And thanks, but I am of course considering cost, and that’s really not what my question is pertaining to. </p>

4

<p>In other states, the equivalent of Running Start programs are called “dual-enrollment”. If you run a search here and in the Parents Forum, you will find a lot of threads on that topic.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, if you take community college classes while in high school (and even if you complete your AA or AS while also completing high school), you will apply as a freshman. Depending on the college or university that you end up attending, none, some, or all of your college credits will be applicable to your degree program. You have to ask each of them separately because each of them sets its own policy about this.</p>

<p>My niece completed an AA while in high school, applied to college as a freshman, and was admitted with junior status because of the number of credits that were accepted. Because of her choice of major, it will take her more than two years to finish, but that is OK with her and her family.</p>