Dual Enrollment, Early College, and Career & College Promise versus NCSSM

PLEASE NOTE: Since publishing this video, I have learned that some "dual enrollment" courses amount to little more than standard high school courses taught in high school by high school teachers which qualify for college credit for political rather than academic reasons. This "dumbing down" of foundational classes can haunt students later when they take higher level university courses. However, standard community college courses should still offer adequate preparation for university. That remains the thrust of this video. Moreover, getting those classes completed on which no future courses depend can free the student to focus on those courses which actually matter to his career, e.g. completing the literature and history requirements in high school so as to focus on engineering courses in college.

Visit http://www.ncssm.edu/counseling/ for information on how to leverage NCSSM resources for scholarships, interview tips, etc.

FUTURE MEDICAL DOCTORS PLEASE NOTE: See

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2011/1...

to understand why the strategies in this video may not serve you well in terms of how medical schools view undergraduate placement credits.

UPDATE: See http://www.ncssm.edu/academics/articulation-agreements for articulation agreements between NCSSM and some colleges that grant college credit for some courses.

See http://www.careercollegenc.org/ for the latest on how to earn the "Core 44" college credit hours in any high school in North Carolina.

See http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/Programs/pathways.htm for more on NC Career & College Promise.

This video asks and answers the question: "Dual Enrollment versus NCSSM: Which Delivers More Tangible Total Benefit?" Visit http://www.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=896c638e5a6571baa967 to download the PowerPoint file. See also my article "Exploring the GED for Fun and Profit" at http://rebirthofreason.com/Spirit/Books/238.shtml for more creative ideas. See http://www.collegesuccessforless.com for more.

Regarding roommates, get THE COLLEGE ROOMMATE FROM HELL by Linda Fiore to learn more about this crucial subject.

The complications to life NCSSM introduces remind me of these words of wisdom from Harry Browne in his book HOW I FOUND FREEDOM IN AN UNFREE WORLD: "But who made your life complicated? You did, of course. It wasn't society, the economic system, the people you consider to be nuisances, your parents, or anyone else. Every complication in your life today is the result of something you've allowed to happen. You initiated it, or you consented to it, or you've allowed it to continue. You are where you are today because you've chosen to be there. And you can choose not to be there."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• NCSSM
• dual
• enrollment
• north
• carolina
• high
• school
• early
• college
• success
• for
• less
• learn
• and
• earn

[nikichem]

I loved my time at NCSSM, I may not have been best friends with my Jr. year roommate but I made lifelong friends (including my Sr. year roommate). I feel like NCSSM opened up many more opportunities than I even dreamed of before S&M. I think that the community service and work requirements were more than reasonable. The faculty at S&M really get you to think in new ways that I doubt you would gain from dual enrollment.  I do agree with some of you suggestions.

[LutherSetzer]

@nikichem Thank you for your comments. I totally agree that the main benefit of NCSSM comes from the student body and, to a lesser extent, the faculty. Ambitious and self-motivated students can find other ways such as dual enrollment if they strictly want to focus on advanced academics and college credit. Ironically, poor people benefit from high school college credit whereas "trust fund babies" have the leeway to "explore sideways" at NCSSM. I wonder how that resonates with taxpayers?

[AubThaMan]

Hi again Luke. Continue to find this link on first results for almost anything that includes "NCSSM" in a google search. Thought you might want to know, just got my scholarship letter from GA Tech, Full ride there, #4 in the country for Computer Engineering (I think, seen so many rankings in the past few months....).

No one at my home high school has been accepted to Georgia Tech in 9 years. I just want to let people know, the benefits do exist at NCSSM. Hope you're doing well Luke.

[LutherSetzer]

Congratulations! You should be quite proud of your achievements. Best of luck to you in your college endeavors!

[AubThaMan]

I then had the choice of staying at my current high school, top of the class, and dual enroll. (At which point I found out the 3 math courses I was interested in hadn't been taught in 3 years, and required 12 student commitments to teach) I considered online, after a brief experience in it, decided online courses in complex math moved too slowly, and were plagued with technical problems, taught myself for a while, and then decided to go to NCSSM, a community of intellectuals in civilization.

[LutherSetzer]

All right, you have made your point. I am glad we had this dialogue. It at least sheds light for those considering NCSSM to look at the opportunity from all angles. I personally like online learning A LOT and would choose it over NCSSM in a heartbeat. I admit it: I am selfish and like having my own room in my own house with parents who are a little more flexible than bureaucrats and can loan me a car when I need it. My poorer, more rural district would have put me further behind you, too.

[AubThaMan]

First time in my life I've been surrounded by others with a passion and drive similar to my own, which couldn't be any further from what I was experiencing at home, either at my home high school or in dual enrollment. There is still some discussion about the possible sabotage of certain parts of my NCSSM application by administration members of my home high school, attempting to keep me there, in order to try and keep average test scores up, as they had failed national standards 3 years straight

[AubThaMan]

I suppose I can share my story regarding why I chose NCSSM, because I too tried to benifit from dual enrollment. I came from a well off family in Harnett County, where the nearest learn and earn school was almost 45 minutes away. We had a dual enrollment partnership with Central Carolina Community College. I took algebra in 8th grade, geometry, precal, and algebra 2 in 9th grade. Ap Calc over my 10th grade year and then I was out of math. And I was bored as hell. (cont)

[AubThaMan]

A: Housekeeping takes 10 minutes, if that.

B: Work service isn't a class, it's you giving back just a little to a school thats housing you, feeding you, and educating you for free. My workservice is an internship to me. i work aside Dr. Menchini and Morrison, in an ITS setting, solving problems and learning skills helpful to me down the road. Yes, you have to work on grounds OR in the cafeteria for 1 trimester. Whole second year, you chose what you want to do, some of which just require sitting.

[LutherSetzer]

Download the spreadsheet for my other video "Slash $24,000 and Two Years from College at NCSSM." It includes a time analysis tab (hours/week) for an NCSSM junior: Housekeeping (2.5); WS 105 Work Service (3.0); SL 101 Junior Student Life (1.0). Six and a half hours per week consumed for NO TANGIBLE BENEFIT. To add insult to injury, NO ASSURED COLLEGE CREDIT for American Studies, etc.