Academics

The purpose of this program is to provide the opportunity for advanced high school students to earn college credit prior to graduation from high school. Holmes Community College does not wish to encourage students to participate in this program if it conflicts with their high school activities. Therefore, students in this category will be considered for admission only when this program has the explicit endorsement of the high school principal.

Students who are currently enrolled in high school may take college classes if the following requirements are met.

1. The student must be classified as a high school junior or senior.

2. The student must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale for high school work completed. (Prerequisites and corequisites as stipulated in the Holmes bulletin will be followed.)

3. The student shall request that the high school principal send an official copy of his/her high school transcript to the Admissions and Records at Holmes Community college at least 10 days before the beginning of the enrollment period. A home-schooled student must submit a transcript prepared by a parent, guardian, or custodian with a signed, sworn affidavit.

4. The principal or counselor of the high school must submit an unconditional recommendation supporting the student’s enrollment in the program. The unconditional recommendation should verify that the student is academically advanced and has the maturity and self-discipline required to benefit from this type of program. A home-schooled student must submit a parent’s, legal guardian’s, or custodian’s written recommendation in the college’s approved format.

Full credit will be granted but will be reserved until the student graduates from high school and submits a final high school transcript showing graduation or is admitted to college as a full-time student.

Advanced Placement courses are college-level courses offered by trained high school teachers in the regular high school setting.  AP® courses guarantee rigor in our classrooms. The high school teachers who offer AP® courses are trained by The College Board to offer the course at a college-level and have a syllabus approved by The College Board. AP® courses are challenging and require significant study time on a daily basis. Assessments in these classes require sophisticated critical thinking skills. In May of each year, AP students take the AP® exam(s). Students who score at the 3, 4 or 5 level may be able to earn college credit for these courses taken in the high school. Policies for credit differ from college to college, so take care to check college admissions and credit policies.

Performing well on an AP® exam means more than just the successful completion of a course.  Research suggests that students who complete an AP®
Coursework are:

• Better prepared for college-level work

• Stand-outs in college admissions process

• More likely to continue beyond their freshman year in college

• More likely to graduate within 4-5 years

• More competitive in qualifying for scholarships

There are currently 35 AP courses that high schools in the US may choose to offer. Not all courses are offered in each high school.

Graduation Requirements

• ACT TEST DATES

• ACT PREP LOCATIONS

• ACT RESOURCES