<p>I am currently a Freshman at a very "interesting school." It is come to my attention, that it may be possible for me to Graduate next year with both a High School degree and an associate's. (At the end of summer '09) I would like to attention NCSSM, which has the rule that as long as you are considered a High School sophomore, you are eligible. (I will talk to them.) Should I pursue an associates' and make sure that I do not meet all graduation requirements for High School?
My family does not have a lot of money, and the associate's degree would be fee. I am very interested in science and math and if I went there, then tuition at state schools would be free. (Meaning that I could graduate, and transfer to UNC for free.)</p>
<p>The reason I'm not thinking to go from my community college straight to a 4-year university is that I would have to wait a semester to apply, and I believe that I would have opportunities at NCSSM that would allow me to probably accepted at a better school. </p>
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ok please explain to me how you are going to get a highschool diploma and an associates degree in 2 years.
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<p>Not that it really matters to my situation... but I get High School credit for every college course I take. My state offers every course I would need online during the summer and during the year.
I will need around 13 courses if I score a 3 on my AP exam, and 15 if I don't. I will have 2 semesters and two summers in which I can take online college courses, courses at the CC, and courses online with another school. </p>
<p>In taking classes for my associates I would also complete all the requirements for my High School diploma.</p>
<p>If you get your high school diploma, why can't you just apply to college now for the better schools? Will a summer program really offer you more opportunities than colleges will? Your situation still seems a bit ambiguous.</p>
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good job at being selfish, maybe this is why nobody wants to help you
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<p>This is selfish how? (And where did the post I was replying to go?) I think its just that I interpreted the question as it probably wasn't intended. </p>
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If you get your high school diploma, why can't you just apply to college now for the better schools? Will a summer program really offer you more opportunities than colleges will? Your situation still seems a bit ambiguous.
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<p>I don't have a choice to just get my High School diploma. (Not this coming year anyway.)
I'm sorry, I made a mistake. While it is possible for me to graduate with a High School diploma and an associates, I was only planning to earn an associates. (I know that earning a college degree before a High School degree is weird... and seemingly impossible.)
NCSSM is a residential two year High school program... and not a summer program. From what I've heard from them (I will confirm this again) as long as I'm a High School Sophomore (regardless of whether I will have a college degree) I can attend.</p>
<p>I hope you realize that if you earn an associates degree, you're going to have to TRANSFER to a four-year university. You can't just apply and get accepted as a freshman.</p>
<p>NCSSM is a magnet school in NC for juniors and seniors (you have to apply as a sophomore). You have take a test (fairly easy) to get into it. Oh yea, It is also a boarding magnet school, but it's free. Anyways, I don't really get what you are doing...since if you get into NCSSM you get a free ride to any PUBLIC school in NC (tution only, does not include board, food, books, etc). Good luck!</p>
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I hope you realize that if you earn an associates degree, you're going to have to TRANSFER to a four-year university. You can't just apply and get accepted as a freshman.
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I do realize that, and that it can be harder to transfer somewhere. I have come to the conclusion though that realistically I will not get in to a Harvard or w/e. But certain places like UNC-Chapel Hill have a 5% higher acceptance rate for transfer admissions than for Freshman (also where I am considered a legacy, and related to the first student.)
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NCSSM is a magnet school in NC for juniors and seniors (you have to apply as a sophomore). You have take a test (fairly easy) to get into it. Oh yea, It is also a boarding magnet school, but it's free. Anyways, I don't really get what you are doing...since if you get into NCSSM you get a free ride to any PUBLIC school in NC (tution only, does not include board, food, books, etc). Good luck!
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Yes, I know. The test is only a part of your application. However, if I can attend while I have an associates degree (which it would be awesome if I could), I would get the next 4 years of consecutive NC public colleges free. (per General statute) Which would mean that I would also get the first two years of Graduate school Free if they were consecutive to my last two years of undergrad and at an NC public university. (No, this is NOT why I'm considering doing this.)</p>
<p>uh...I'm not sure if I am misunderstanding you are not.<br>
It sounds to me like this. After you graduated from NCSSM, you want to enter as a junior in UNC chapel hill. Then you can get ur junior year and senior year free. With that, you will apply to UNC grad school and get the first two year free. So basically you want to get your master's degree earlier? Also, I'm not sure the four years cover grad school, (I would think it doesn't). </p>
<p>Just wondering, did u took high school courses in middle school? NCSSM offers classes such as calc 3, multi-variable calc and other very advanced math and science classes. So, even if you take AP courses/college at ur high school/Community college there are still a lot of other classes that you probably haven't took that are available NCSSM. To tell you the truth, there are probably a lot of people at NCSSM that probably already took all the classes required to get an "associates degree".<br>
Can you tell me why are you trying to do this? Just to graduate early or...?
Also if you already took all the required class for high school...uh why not just graduate from high school earlier and apply to a 4 year college earlier?
If money is the problem you can always apply for financial aid, and the UNC tuition is relatively low (around 6k? per year?).<br>
Best of Luck!</p>
<p>I believe the general statute says for four consecutive years.
Here is what I have been considering:
The only AP courses I can take (AP courses cover things I'm interested in compared to honors High School courses) would be year-long, online, and only worth 1 credit.
I can go to my CC next year and take actual college courses (for free) with actual people and classmates, get credit for each one, or take them online ect. Which leads me to the conclusion that I might as well earn the associates in a year (two summers and two semesters) instead of two years. </p>
<p>Only one. (Well fine... technically two.)</p>
<p>LOL Well I can almost assure you that they haven't taken the B.S. courses like "College student success." <em>rolls eyes</em> But I know that many people (especially the really competitive districts have 2400's and really crazy math levels done... but I'm not in a competitive district.)
I don't want to waste my time, my money, or anyone else's time or money. What's the point in sitting in High School for 2 more years when there is no advantage? I'm interested in NCSSM because I would rather attend a really great High School, with what they have, and not my current one (which is good, but lacks students who you can have discussions with.).<br>
I haven't taken all the required courses for High School.
Here's what happens:
If I take a course at the CC, I get College credit and High School credit. So while doing my associates I could choose the classes for my associates that also would satisfy my High School graduation requirements. If I tried JUST to graduate from High School, I would have to complete many online courses (most of which would be standard), 15 hours of college credit and an internship (per my school's graduate requirements.)
To be able to go to NCSSM:
Either I can not take like 1 or 2 courses that would earn me a High School diploma between now and the end of summer '09, or I would go ahead and decide to do the High School diploma and associates in 3 semesters and two summers, in which case I would not have an associates if accepted at NCSSM, but I would still apply have to apply as a transfer student to college.
If I tried for just a High School degree from college courses I could just take the college courses that would satisfy the requirements, but what if I did that I would still be forced to apply as a transfer student.
If I drop out of my school to a regular High School , it would take me 3 years to graduate with a High School diploma.
(Hopefully that clarifies things... my current situation is complex and constantly changing.)</p>
<p>lol, you didn't really answer any of my questions in your long post. Also your post is kinda hard to understand. Are you worried that you can't get into NCSSM? To tell you the truth, if you are decent in math and science, NCSSM is a piece of cake to get into. The test is fairly easy. Just wondering why do you have to apply as a transfer student to college after you graduated from NCSSM?</p>
<p>So far what I understand from your post:
You want to take courses at a CC and online which can both satisfy the high school requirements and the associates degree. What I don't understand is why do you have to apply as a transfer student from high school?</p>
<p>Admission to NCSSM is not based solely upon that one "fairly easy" test. Well, the test in mathematics is very simple; deceptively simple, actually. All they test is if you can do all of your Algebra 1, Geometry, et cetera WITHOUT a calculator. NCSSM stresses the importance of extra curricular work and community service, as explained by a representative who came to my school to visit me and the number two and number three in my class. I almost wondered to myself during the conference with the official from NCSSM whether or not they wanted smart kids or Mother Theresa's.</p>
<p>I believe I did. (And I do tend to go on... and on... and on)
I would have so many college credits from my CC, and without taking that many courses then I will be hard pressed to make my Sophomore year look challenging while meeting minimum credits. Also, it gives me a good backup to leave my location soon anyway. </p>
<p>However, I would be required to apply to almost all Ivy-league schools (and upper tier schools) as a Freshman applicant. (For many of them, as long as you were in High School while taking the classes, you are a Freshman applicant.) If I chose to apply to them, but I probably wouldn't get in any of them so it wouldn't matter.
Many places require you to apply as a transfer student if you have 30 or more (sometimes a bit more or less) credit hours.
I believe last year NCSSM had a 22% acceptance rate (like 255/1155 applicants.) It all depends on where you are located. I was just about to talk about Sligh over here, but then I realized he's already here. He is a very intelligent person who had a perfect GPA with the hardest courses, was the val when he applied, and had good EC's. He was rejected. Had he been in my Congressional district, he would have been accepted. (Many people I know of here get accepted with only Algebra II... when they could pre-cal or whatever but didn't feel like it and like a 1450/2400. While people in district 4 have been rejected with multi-variable and 2400's)
LOL Sligh.. they want both</p>
<p>Aigiqinf, you know I am always here! :P
Lol, I actually just stumbled upon your thread. Besides College Admissions, High School Life is probably the best subsection of the forums. So many interesting tales, no? ;-)</p>
<p>But of course! Mother Theresa + Genius = ACCEPTED!!! Woot!</p>
<p>I am familiar with NCSSM. One of my best friend went there and he had Minimal EC (actually he was only in one club and did no community service or what so ever) I also had other friends that went to NCSSM that didn't have much ECs. They usually look at how strong you are in math and science. Of course a rep would tell you that they stress ECs, would they say "On yea, our school doesn't really care about ECs"? which decent college would accept students from a school like that? I think you just got unlucky.</p>
<p>@ aigiqinf
It is hard for me to believe that NCSSM's acceptance rate is only 22% because basically all of my friends who applied got in. Admission process are hard to predict, because some people with 1700 SAT, low gpa, not very impressive ECs can get into ivy leagues while the 2400, perfect gpa, and very impressive ECs will get rejected from the same college. Why do you think you don't have a chance for ivy league? Trying never hurts =). Anyways what I would recommend you doing is taking whatever class you need to get into NCSSM and after you get in try to apply to a four year college. Also apply to the "transfer colleges" if you wish. (usually transfers have a lower acceptance rate, depending where you are applying to as transfer student)</p>
<p>Your situation is purely anecdotal. The fact that all of your friends were accepted is inconsequential to NCSSM's 22% acceptance rate. One could say that a whole bunch of kids from the same school got accepted to Yale; that wouldn't invalidate or compromise Yale's acceptance rate. Simply put, your logic is not well founded. Premises aren't leading to true conclusions, as my philosophy professor said quite frequently last semester. Although you do acknowledge in your response to aigiqinf that "admissions processes are hard to predict," you seem to be countering your own argument, while acknowledging that those same fallacies are simply a matter-of-fact, yet using them to your own accord. [/End Rant]</p>
<p>@ Sligh_Anarchist
hmm I'm not sure if you read my whole post, but I also mentioned that none of them had many ECs. I was only pointing out that NCSSM does not emphasis on EC as much as you are putting it. In my post I said "It is hard for me to believe that NCSSM's acceptance rate is only 22% because basically all of my friends who applied got in.". Note I said "hard to believe" nevertheless, I still believe it because it is a statistical fact. Also that is all I am going to say because we are not here to argue about the NCSSM admission process, but to help aigiqinf with his/her complex issue.</p>
<p>@Linnus
What Congressional district are you in?</p>
<p>@ Sligh
You've debated NCSSM admissions, but what do you think about what I should do? I'm not sure... but I know that my counselor will be able to help me... (LOL I would call you to freak you out, but it would take me probably about a month or two to get your phone number without asking you or someone you know.)</p>