<p>hi im in 8th grade and i want to take some community college class. if i want to sgn up, do i need to tell my school about it? also do i apply by calling the school and say i want to apply?
i dont want to fish out alot of money for the classes and my parents are laid, so should i consider financial aid?? will they even consider letting me have financial aid??
the classes i want to take includes dance, music classes, art classes, geometry, into to writing and etc etc.(most likely taking about maybe 5 of these classes) the price would be a bit alot if i add them all up...help??!!</p>
<p>1.) You should first research the requirements for where you live; for instance, in my state one must be 16 to take concurrent enrollment courses. You may have to wait a few years. Talk to the guidance counselor at your school about it and look at the college’s website. (I assume you attend a traditional school since you mention it, but why are you posting in the homeschool forum?)</p>
<p>2.) You should call the college and request an appointment to speak with the individual/counselor in charge of the concurrent enrollment program.</p>
<p>3.) Here you have to pay a small fee for registration (like $20) and buy your own books (which can be somewhat expensive), but tuition is waived.</p>
<p>My son is homeschooled and has been attending CC since age 11. I know many kids from various states with similar stories.</p>
<p>Be careful when researching the requirements for where you live - many schools may CLAIM there is a law requiring a kid to be 16, but people said that to us and it wasn’t true. If someone turns you down, try harder, or try with a few other local schools. Not to say that it couldn’t actually be true in your state, but I know a lot of kids in a lot of states who started long before age 16.</p>
<p>It helps a LOT if you can have in hand SAT scores of 500/500/500, the average for college students. There is no reason you can’t take the SAT now. It isn’t too expensive, and they offer a fee waiver but I don’t know if it would apply to underaged kids. As far as fin. aid for the CC, I would imagine it works for you just like it does for anyone else.</p>
<p>Some states allow kids old enough to take classes at the CC for free, with the public schools paying for it. In order for that to happen, you would obviously have to tell your school about it (and actually be enrolled in a regular public school), but I doubt it would fly in your case because of your age/grade. (that’s where the “16” myth often comes in) </p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend starting right away with five classes - that really is a serious work load.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend geometry - the adults who are taking high school math in college are the ones who aren’t good at math - so you wouldn’t enjoy the class probably. There’s a cheap way to get geometry - Aleks.com. Last I checked, it was $18 / month with no obligation to continue. It isn’t exciting - basically an automated workbook. If you are motivated enough to ask this, you could probably do just fine with a geometry textbook from the library or somewhere. Also, our CC will not allow underaged kids to take “remedial” classes. They will want to know why you are taking the class at the CC instead of at your school.</p>
<p>Just to add to others, in our area of south Jersey, you can take community college classes at any age, for only $120/class, with a few provisos: 1. You must take either the SATs or their own placement test. As the other poster says, it really helps if you score at least 500/500/500 in the SAT. For a bright student, this isn’t too difficult, but I would suggest you study for the SAT before you take it. STudy for at least two months (at least). Take many practice tests, at least 10 - online or with a practice book -, and then focus on your weak spots. The SAT would be important in giving you documentation as to why you’re taking the community college class. 2. In our area, if you’re under 16, your parent MUST sit outside the room for the entire class. Check out your community college rules. </p>
<p>Many community colleges are happy to serve students; they view this as their mission. So they will often be very receptive to polite inquiries. Good luck.</p>
<p>My daughter took comm. college classes at 14. Parents didn’t have to sit outside the room or be present in anyway, but do have to sign a kind of acknowledgment/permission thing stating they understand the classes are geared to students 18+ and that mature subject matter may be read/seen/discussed, etc.</p>